Health News

An injection of cortisol may prevent PTSD

TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- An injection of cortisol shortly after exposure to a traumatic event may prevent the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder, researchers in Israel said.

Depression linked to belly fat

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Older adults with symptoms of depression appear more likely to gain abdominal fat, but not overall fat -- over a five-year period, Dutch researchers said.

Vitamin D a cardiovascular risk factor

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized, emerging cardiovascular risk factor, which should be screened for and treated, a U.S. researcher says.

New treatment for scoliosis in children

NEW YORK, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A New York City hospital is offering spinal stapling, a new treatment alternative for scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, hospital officials say.

Exercise may prevent brain aging

CHICAGO, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Exercise may help older adults prevent age-related brain changes, researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill said.

Insurance savings spur less infections

NOTTINGHAM, England, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Offering discounts on insurance premiums to British hospitals that meet certain targets has led to falls in infection rates, researchers said.

Hypoglycemia barrier to diabetic exercise

MONTREAL, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A majority of diabetics avoid physical activity because they worry about exercise-induced hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, Canadian researchers said.

Prenatal eggs may prevent breast cancer

BOSTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A woman who has the nutrient choline -- found in eggs -- while pregnant might reduce her daughter's risk of breast cancer significantly, U.S. researchers said.

Model could reduce breast-lesion biopsies

CHICAGO, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A new method of characterizing breast lesions found during magnetic resonance imaging could result in fewer biopsies of benign tumors, U.S. researchers said.

Night shift workers can improve alertness

CHICAGO, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Use of light exposure therapy, dark sunglasses and a strict sleep schedule can help night-shift workers increase alertness, U.S. researchers said.

Prenatal smoking can affect baby brain

AMIENS, France, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- High levels of prenatal smoking exposure modify sleep patterns that may have serious consequences for infant brain development, French researchers said.

Autistic kids have slight brain wave delay

CHICAGO, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Typically used for epilepsy evaluation, magnetoencephalography can also be used to identify autism timing abnormalities in the brain, U.S. researchers said.

Persistent pollutant may promote obesity

MISHIMA, Japan, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Two Japanese researchers say it is "plausible and provocative" to associate the obesity epidemic with chemical triggers present in the modern environment.

Study debunks Chinese model minority myth

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Chinese-American professionals in the U.S. legal and medical fields earn as much as 44 percent less than their white counterparts, researchers say.

Smallpox vaccine works a lifetime

BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Lifetime protection is obtained from just one smallpox vaccination -- even if it occurred 88 years ago, U.S. researchers say.