Low testosterone in men linked to earlier death
Older men with low levels of the hormone testosterone may die sooner than other men their age with normal testosterone levels, a study suggests.
Researchers found that among 794 generally healthy older men, those with the lowest testosterone levels were 40 percent more likely to die within the 1985-2004 study period.
Most heart attacks in women are preventable:
A new study shows that women can significantly cut their risk of having a heart attack by eating right, drinking a moderate amount of alcohol, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking.
“If women adopted these five ‘rather simple’ healthy diet and lifestyle factors, most heart attacks (i.e., 77 percent) could be avoided,” Dr. Agneta Akesson from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, noted in an email to Reuters Health.
“Love” hormone helps mom and baby bond
Levels of the hormone oxytocin circulating in a pregnant woman’s body play a critical role in how closely she will bond with her newborn—both emotionally and behaviorally, a new study shows.
In animals, oxytocin, dubbed “the hormone of love and bonding,” is known to be important for the development of good parenting and maintaining close relationships.
Double mastectomies to prevent cancer increase
From 1998 through 2003, the rate of double mastectomies among women in the United States who had cancer diagnosed in only one breast more than doubled, according to a report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
“Many surgeons had noticed that more women were requesting double mastectomy for treatment of the cancer in only one breast. So, we weren’t surprised by the overall trend, but we were very surprised by the magnitude,” lead author Dr. Todd M. Tuttle said in an interview with Reuters Health.
Catholic condom ban fueling HIV spread in Latam
The rapid spread in Latin America of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is made worse by the Roman Catholic Church’s stand against using condoms, a U.N. official said on Monday.
Some 1.7 million people across Latin America have HIV infection or AIDS, and the epidemic is spreading swiftly with up to 410,000 new cases in 2006, up from as many as 320,000 new cases in 2004, according the UN AIDS program, UNAIDS.
Simple test can catch smokers who fib
A simple device for detecting carbon monoxide in the blood may help doctors get an honest answer out of patients who smoke, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
The device, called a pulse co-oximeter, is typically used to test for carbon monoxide levels in firefighters, but it can also detect carbon monoxide levels in people who smoke, offering a powerful tool for educating patients about the effects of smoking.
Meeting UN goals can lower childhood mortality
A combination of environmental and nutritional programs that target the poor can substantially reduce childhood mortality globally, new research suggests.
The findings illustrate how working toward environmental and nutritional United Nations Millennium Development Goals can help achieve other goals, in this case improving child survival, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
