Sleep-deprived kids show higher obesity risk
Children who get relatively little sleep each night may be at increased risk of becoming overweight by early adolescence, a study published Monday suggests.
Researchers found that among 785 U.S. children followed since birth, the risk of becoming overweight by sixth grade was related to how much sleep the children got in third grade.
HPV common in sexually active male college students
In a study of sexually active young male, heterosexual college students, almost two thirds developed genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection over 2 years of follow-up, according to Seattle-based researchers.
Certain strains of HPV, which can be transmitted from male to female partners, are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.
Anemia may raise stroke risk in young children
Iron-deficiency anemia is 10 times more common among young children who have suffered a stroke than among their peers who have not had a stroke, new research indicates.
Iron-deficiency anemia is known to occur in up to 8 percent of children between 1 and 3 years of age. A deficiency of iron in the diet is the most frequent cause of this anemia.
TV violence in preschool years tied to aggression
Preschool boys who watch violent TV programs, even in the form of cartoons, may be more aggressive than their peers later in childhood, researchers reported Monday.
In a study of 330 boys and girls who were followed from preschool up to age 9, boys exposed to TV violence in their preschool years were more likely to show aggressive behavior later on, according to lead researcher Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, of the Child Health Institute, Seattle, and associates.
After Heart Attack Most Patients Stop Taking Lifesaving Drugs
Recovery from heart attacks is best served by continuing to take prescribed medications. Yet more than half of patients who have had a heart attack stop taking these lifesaving medications within three years, according to results from a Mayo Clinic study presented today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007 in Orlando, Fla.
The Mayo data also show that in the short term, smokers are more likely to discontinue taking all of their prescribed heart medications, whereas in the long term, data show that patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation programs tend to continue their medications at a higher rate than patients who do not enroll.
Floating effective for stress and pain
Relaxation in large, sound- and light-proof tanks with high-salt waterfloatingis an effective way to alleviate long-term stress-related pain. This has been shown by Sven-Åke Bood, who recently completed his doctorate in psychology, with a dissertation from Karlstad University in Sweden.
The dissertation confirms what earlier studies have indicated: sleep was improved, patients felt more optimistic, and the content of the vitalizing hormone prolactin increased. Anxiety, stress, depression, and perception of pain declined.
