Archive for December, 2006

FAST-FOOD FALLOUT?: Childhood kidney stones on the rise

Doctors at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and other medical institutions are beginning to report a curious increase in children with kidney stones -- a possible consequence of America's dependence on processed foods.

RELATIONSHIPS: Worried? Husband’s hand best 1 to hold

Husbands and wives lean on each other, but it turns out that lending a hand is good, too.

11 POUNDS OR MORE: Study: Losing weight cuts prostate risk

Here's another reason for men to avoid packing on extra pounds over the holidays: A new study has found that losing weight reduces the risk of an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

HIGHER FRACTURE RISK: Study ties heartburn drugs to hip woes

Older people who take heartburn drugs such as Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid and Protonix for long periods have a significantly increased risk of hip fractures, possibly because the drugs block calcium absorption, Pennsylvania researchers reported today.

CASH CROP HOODIA: African plant may aid dieters, farmers

When fully grown, the plant resembles something from "The Day of the Triffids": a squat succulent with thick, spiky arms, purple fleshy petals and seedpods like rhino horns.