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Pills used to treat depression also help mend ailing hearts, a study has found. Seroxat, a widely-used anti-depressant, worked ‘far better’ than the standard treatment for heart failure. The so-called happy pills not only stopped the heart from deteriorating further – they actually helped mend it.

Newly discovered hormone mimics the effects of exercise Enlarge Credit: Martha Sexton/public domain Scientists at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology have discovered a new hormone that fights the weight gain caused by a high-fat Western diet and normalizes the metabolism - effects commonly associated with exercising. Hormones are molecules that act as the body's signals, triggering various physiological responses. The newly discovered hormone, dubbed "MOTS-c," primarily targets muscle tissue, where it restores insulin sensitivity, counteracting diet-induced and age-dependent insulin resistance."This represents a major advance in the identification of new treatments for age-related diseases such as diabetes," said Pinchas...

WOMEN are moody. By evolutionary design, we are hard-wired to be sensitive to our environments, empathic to our children’s needs and intuitive of our partners’ intentions. This is basic to our survival and that of our offspring. Some research suggests that women are often better at articulating their feelings than men because as the female brain develops, more capacity is reserved for language, memory, hearing and observing emotions in others. These are observations rooted in biology, not intended to mesh with any kind of pro- or anti-feminist ideology. But they do have social implications. Women’s emotionality is a sign of...

As part of the White House response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, President Barack Obama emphasized the importance of preventing access to guns “for those who would commit acts of violence.” In order to accomplish that objective, the Administration announced that it would engage the regulatory process to close loopholes in the background check system for purchasing firearms.

Drinking three to five cups of coffee a day reduces the risk of clogged arteries that can lead to heart attacks, a Korean study suggests. Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul led the study of 25,138 South Korean men and women. The participants, who were 41 years old on average and free of heart disease, were categorized based on how much coffee they drank and underwent a health screening. The results were compared to non-coffee drinkers. The study found participants who drank between three and five cups of java a day had the lowest levels of calcium buildup in their coronary...

After every trip to the bathroom when he’s at home or in a hotel room, BJ Fogg will get down on the ground and do two push-ups. Then he’ll wash his hands. It sounds kind of weird, if you stop to think about it, but Fogg doesn’t think about it anymore. It’s a habit he has worked to develop over the past two years to help get in shape. Now, the push-ups come automatically and he gets a surge of energy each time. Often he doesn’t stop at two. On some trips, he might do 10 or 25. “I probably...

Scientists at Northeastern University have discovered an antibiotic in the soil that looks to be effective at killing deadly pathogens like MRSA and tuberculosis. Even more promising, lead researcher Kim Lewis says those pathogens weren't able to develop a resistance to the antibiotic.

U.S. officials in Louisiana are investigating how a dangerous and often deadly bacteria got out of a high-security laboratory at a research facility, USA Today reported on Sunday. Authorities told the newspaper there was no risk to the public, though the extent of the contamination remains unknown after the safety breach at the Tulane National Primate Research Center.

Investors in small cannabis companies lost $23.3 billion in 2014 because shady stock promoters are capitalizing on the slow tide of legalization in the US by manipulating the penny stock market with “pump and dump” schemes. Penny stocks are stocks in small companies that trade for less than five dollars apiece. They’re quoted and traded on dealer networks like OTC Markets because they don’t meet the requirements to be traded on more formal exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange. They’re also extremely volatile. Shady stock promoters capitalize on this volatility by convincing others to buy stock in worthless companies...

God answers prayer !

Calling substance abuse anything other than what it is--self induced mental illness--is just more of the same excuse making.

Three people have been diagnosed with leprosy in Florida and some of the cases are thought to be linked to armadillos. Health officials in Volusia County said that the cases are not related, though two of those who have been diagnosed with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy, since October had been in contact with nine-banded armadillos.

If you feel like it is impossible to put certain foods down, there could be a reason. A new report is naming some of the most addictive foods and explaining why they are so hard to resist. According to the Huffington Post, the following foods are among the most addictive: pizza, chocolate, chips, cookies, and ice cream. The report shows foods that cause the most mental distress and physical discomfort are highly processed, as well as high in added fats and sugars. Food is not currently classified as an addiction, but experts say it can impact how you feel.

Good news that the House stood strong on the DHS bill. We'll see what happens next - the fight is just beginning. While no small issue, there is one even more important. That is, the lawsuit of 36 States against the ACA regarding subsidies for States who didn't set up their own exchanges. It specifically says in Obamacare that their citizens will NOT receive subsidies. This will determine if our Supreme Court is just or just us on our own. Justice Roberts is going to have to do back flips to sustain such an unambiguous clause.

Lewis Reynolds didn't understand what had been done to him when he was 13. Years later, after getting married, the Lynchburg man discovered he couldn't father children. The reason: He had been sterilized by the state. Reynolds was among more than 7,000 Virginians involuntarily sterilized between 1924 and 1979 under the Virginia Eugenical Sterilization Act. Advocates for the surviving victims won a three-year fight Thursday when the Virginia General Assembly budgeted $400,000 to compensate them at the rate of $25,000 each. It's welcome news, Reynolds said. "I think they done me wrong," he said. "I couldn't have a family like...

When the study participants were examined according to age, the researchers found that sleeping for more than eight hours a night increased stroke risk only for people who were at least 63 years old. On the flip side, they found that sleeping for less than six hours a night heightened stroke risk for younger people more than for older people. Finally, they discovered that “short” sleepers were more at risk for an ischemic stroke (the kind caused by a clot that blocks blood flow to the brain) while “long” sleepers were more at risk for a hemorrhagic stroke (the kind...

On February 20 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the creation of a special enrollment period for taxpayers to avoid penalties for non-compliance with the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate. Open enrollment for 2015 officially ended February 15, and prior to the CMS announcement, those who failed to sign up for insurance and weren’t otherwise covered would have been subject to a fine (or “shared responsibility payment”) of the greater of $325 per adult, or two percent of taxable household income when they filed their tax returns in 2016. Because many people may not be aware...

I am so sorry but perhaps copying paragraphs is not allowed on his blog because I can't grab some. What we are talking about is a good decent layman explanation of the newest cancer studies, incorporating just what our gut bugs, I.e. Our immune system (pretty much the same thing, as will be explained), will do to help you fight cancer. The most important thing for cancer patients to take away from this post is that before you undergo chemotherapy, you need gut bacteria testing. The makeup of your gut biome, if good, will allow the chemo to kill the...

Emulsifiers, which are added to most processed foods to aid texture and extend shelf life, can alter the gut microbiota composition and localization to induce intestinal inflammation that promotes the development of inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic syndrome, new research shows.

If cleanliness is next to godliness (which I doubt), then the following should also be true: the more you boast about it, the more suspect you are. I’m amazed by the number of people who insist on telling me they take two showers a day, as if they’re the Mother Teresa of personal hygiene. What manner of grime are they washing away? It’s hard not to think of Lady Macbeth’s frenzied attempts to scrub the blood from her hands. So when I read of a survey that stated 4 out of 5 British women don’t shower every day, I applauded...

For the first time, a study shows that a drug used to treat HIV infection also can help prevent it when taken before and after risky sex by gay men. The results offer hope of a more appealing way to help prevent the disease beyond taking daily pills and using condoms, although those methods are still considered best. The study, done in France and Canada, is the first to test “on demand” use of Truvada, a pill combining two AIDS drugs, by people planning to have risky sex. The uninfected men who took it were 86 percent less likely to...

A Minnesota man saw his wife for the first time in 10 years— and most of his grandchildren for the first time ever— after receiving a bionic eye at the Mayo Clinic earlier this month, ValleyNewsLive.com reported. Allen Zderad, 68, has retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative, genetic eye disease that affects the part of the retina that translates light into sight. The condition progressively stole the Forest Lake man’s vision over the course of his life. Zderad uses a cane to walk and has leaned on his wife, Carmen Zderad, as his sighted guide since losing his ability to see. “Ten...

Need your prayers. I'm getting results of some very scary test tomorrow. Thanks in advance and God bless

The nation's highest military court has reversed the aggravated assault conviction of a Kansas airman accused of exposing multiple sex partners to HIV. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces unanimously ruled Monday that prosecutors failed to prove that any of (the) acts were likely to transmit HIV to his partners. The court upheld for "offensive touching to which his sexual partners did not provide meaningful informed consent". It also upheld his conviction for adultery, even though his wife participated.

When the nation's top nutrition panel released its latest dietary recommendations on Thursday, the group did something it had never done before: weigh in on whether people should be drinking coffee. What it had to say is pretty surprising.Not only can people stop worrying about whether drinking coffee is bad for them, according to the panel, they might even want to consider drinking a bit more.The panel cited minimal health risks associated with drinking between three and five cups per day. It also said that consuming as many as five cups of coffee each day (400 mg) is tied to...

The West Deptford Police Department in New Jersey gave a ceremonial hero's farewell to its retired K-9 dog Judge, who was put down down due to unbearable medical complications. Dozens of police officers, K-9 officers with their dogs and medical staff lined up outside the Swedesboro Animal Hospital St. Francis Veterinary Clinic to say goodbye to Judge last Frida

CHICAGO (AP) — Frequent sauna baths may help you live longer, a study of Finnish men suggests. It would be welcome news if proven true — in Finland where hot, dry saunas are commonplace, and for Americans shivering in a snowy Nordic-like winter. Previous research suggested that saunas might improve blood vessel function and exercise capacity, and lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. The new study links long, hot sauna baths with even more benefits, including fewer deaths from heart attacks, strokes, various heart-related conditions and other causes.

Eating peanut products as a baby dramatically cuts the risk of allergy, a study suggests. Reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, the trial, on 628 babies prone to developing peanut allergy, found the risk was cut by over 80%. The King's College London researchers said it was the "first time" that allergy development had been reduced.

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State’s THON made a statement. Again. The 2015 Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately known as THON, was held this past weekend at the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University. After 46 hours of dancing, it was revealed that the organization raised $13,026,653.23 during the past year. THON is a year-long fundraising campaign for the fight against pediatric cancer. Money raised is donated to the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey. This marks the first time since 2004 that THON raised less money than the previous year. Last...

With all of the new bad news coming out this week from ObamaCare, here’s another horror story about the Healthcare.gov exchange from Utah that exemplifies the incompetence of government bureaucracy. One basic and nearly ubiquitous feature of health care — and indeed of family life — is the birth of children. Health insurance plans have made it simple to add children to family plans for decades, allowing new moms and dads to have the costs of childbirth covered ex post facto, as long as the covered individual notified the insurer within a set period of time, usually 30 days. Now,...

We might think of state supported health care as an innovation of the 20th century, but it's a much older tradition than that. In fact, texts from a village dating back to Egypt's New Kingdom period, about 3,100-3,600 years ago, suggest that in ancient Egypt there was a state-supported health care network designed to ensure that workers making the king's tomb were productive. Paintings on the walls of King Merneptah’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Workers living in Deir el-Medina would have worked on tombs like this. Credit: Asmaa Waguih/Reuters Health care boosted productivity on the royal tombs...

For any night owls that might want to watch something fun and uplifting. The Hockey team won the Pep Rally portion (where all the athletic teams perform skits for the dancers) - 2 hours after beating powerhouse Minnesota in overtime! Dancers stood up at 6PM yesterday and won't sit until 4PM tomorrow. Long way to go yet.

Two years ago, long-time Phillies catcher Darren Daulton was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer the American Brain Tumor Association characterizes as being "highly malignant." He had successful surgery to remove a pair of brain tumors in July 2013. Daulton, now 53, has undergone extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment in the 19 months since the surgery. On Thursday he passed along some good news:

Very recently my niece bought a generic iPhone charging cord from a local Wal-Mart, and within hours of utilizing it had an anaphylactic reaction consisting of large red, itchy welts on her body. Her mother took her to a doctor, who gave her a 50 mg diphenhydramine injection, a steroid injection, and prescribed more of both in pill form to take at home. The very next day, my niece suffered yet another anaphylactic episode in which her tongue swelled up; she was again taken to the doctor, who prescribed her an EpiPen (epinephrine) and again treated her anaphylaxis. From the...

The link posted is to the 2015 Promo videoWhat is THON? THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world culminating in a 46 hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon involving over 700 dancers (PSU students) When is THON? Dancers stand at 6PM tonight and sit at 4PM SundayWho benefits from THON? THON's sole beneficiary is the Four Diamonds Fund which supports pediatric cancer victims, families, and research at Penn State Hershey Childrens HospitalHow much money does THON raise? Last year THON raised nearly $14 million of which 96% was donated to the Four Diamonds Fund. Since it's inception...

On March 4 the U.S. Supreme Court will hear King v. Burwell, the case challenging health insurance-premium subsidies for those who buy their insurance on the 37 federal exchanges. (...) First, Congress could extend the subsidies until the end of 2015, and allow people to keep those subsidies that they have already received. This would avoid disruption in health care and in insurance markets, whose terms are set months ahead. Second, Congress could create a new temporary state-based option for continued health insurance coverage beginning in 2016 until it could craft a long-term solution. (...)

Wasserman Schultz’s office said she’d switch positions on medical pot if a donor took back his criticism, emails show. Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s office offered to change her position on medical marijuana if a major Florida donor recanted his withering criticism of her, according to emails obtained by POLITICO. The proposal to Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan was straightforward: retract critical statements he made to a reporter in return for Wasserman Schultz publicly backing his cannabis initiative that she had trashed just months earlier. Morgan declined the offer with a sharp email reply sent to a go-between,...

CRE germs are more deadly than the widely-known superbug MRSA, according to authorities. Officials say the UCLA Medical Center notified the Los Angeles County Department of Health and the California Department of Public Health in late January, as soon as they realized the equipment had been contaminated. The also claim the two scopes were immediately removed and additional decontaminate procedures were put in place. Experts stress the bacteria is not often spread airborne but generally in healthcare settings through contact through contaminated instruments, bodily waste and open wounds. Once the superbug enters the bloodstream it is very difficult to treat,...

A team of prominent researchers suggested Thursday that limited airborne transmission of the Ebola virus is "very likely," a hypothesis that could reignite the debate that started last fall after one of the scientists offered the same opinion. "It is very likely that at least some degree of Ebola virus transmission currently occurs via infectious aerosols generated from the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory tract, or medical procedures, although this has been difficult to definitively demonstrate or rule out, since those exposed to infectious aerosols also are most likely to be in close proximity to, and in direct contact with, an...

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson is being treated for cancer. A statement on the band’s website said he was diagnosed just before Christmas after a small cancerous tumor was found at the back of his tongue. He has just completed a seven-week course of chemotherapy and radiology treatment, and is expected to make a full recovery. “As the tumor was caught in the early stages, the prognosis, thankfully, is extremely good,” the statement said. …

Second Lt. Anthony Kemp was bitten by a rattlesnake while he and two other Marines were hiking in the Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma. LAWTON — For three Marines hiking in the Wichita Mountains earlier this month, the Corps’ motto of Semper Fidelis — Latin for “always faithful” — played out in ways none of them expected when a large rattlesnake bit 2nd Lt. Anthony Kemp, 23, almost killing him. “You’re always faithful to your brother,” Kemp said Wednesday from his hospital bed at OU Medical Center, where he is recovering from the bite and the resulting above-the-knee amputation of...

I live out in the sticks and can't find the major ingredient of hummus (i.e. tahini). Found several recipes for hummus using natural peanut butter. Made some and it is wonderful.Here's a link to the source for the recipe I used...recipe for peanut butter hummus.Ate it for dinner tonight with raw broccoli.Wow!

John Beauchamp, 62, of Green Bay is charged with 20 felony counts of possession of child pornography in a case described by investigators as “disturbing” and “horrific.” Beauchamp appeared in court Wednesday where a judge doubled his bail from $50,000 to $100,000. Beauchamp is accused of uploading more than 7,000 images of child pornography to his cloud account. These images allegedly show victims estimated to be between three and 18 months old. A criminal complaint was also released Wednesday that detailed the extremely explicit images investigators say they found on his computer and other devices.

Patient-Focused Drug Development for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders; Public Meeting; Request for Comments This conference is being held in the N.E so those of us in the South or West are excluded unless you take the time to EMAIL this person. email Sayyedeh.Mariani@fda.hhs.gov

The strain, CRF19, can transform from an infection to full-blown AIDS within just three years. That is considerably faster than the average conversion time of around 10 years - and can be so quick that a person may not even realise they are infected. Scientists were prompted to investigate amid a rising number of patients in Cuba suffering rapid progression to AIDS within three years of infection.

With drivers decelerating and stopping at lights, then revving up to move quickly when lights go green, peak particle concentration was found to be 29 times higher than that during free-flowing traffic conditions. Also of course, while travelling by road we are generally pretty close to the air pollution source, which is the tailpipe of preceding road vehicle. Though drivers spend just 2 per cent of their journey time passing through intersections managed by traffic lights, this short duration contributes to about 25 per cent of total exposure to these harmful particles. Though drivers spend just 2% of their journey...

Okay, lets leave out death panels & other conspiracies. Both my wife and daughter have recently been in for "well woman" exams. The problem I have is that the DR is pushing some type of DNA screening. Can anyone explain to me any medical necessity for this type of screening?

Full Title: Strong cannabis causes one in four cases of psychosis: Users three times more likely to have an episode than those who have never tried it ªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªªª As many as a quarter of new cases of psychotic mental illness can be blamed on super-strength strains of cannabis, scientists will warn this week. The potent form of the drug – known as ‘skunk’ – is so powerful that users are three times more likely to have a psychotic episode than those who have never tried it.

This week, we sat down with Lierre Keith, author of "The Vegetarian Myth" to learn about why Vegans are wrong. She can be found at http://www.lierrekeith.com/

A can of Coke could soon look like a pack of Marlboros, if one Bronx lawmaker has his way. Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz has introduced the “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Safety Warning Act” — which would require tobacco-style health- warning labels on all sugary drinks, such a cola, iced tea and energy drinks. The labels would read: “SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.”