Nov. 23, 2011 -- Many American teenagers may be eating fewer fruits and vegetables each day than nationwide guidelines recommend for this age group, a CDC report suggests.

In 2010, about one in four high school students ate fruit less than once a day, and one in three didn't eat vegetables more than once a day.

Although (More)
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Nov. 10, 2011 -- There are plenty of lurid tales of people being drugged to be robbed or taken advantage of sexually. Sadly, they're not just stories -- and they may be becoming more common.

There were 14,270 emergency room visits for intentional drug poisoning in the U.S. during 2009, according to new data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Of these emergency room visits, 73% were made by people aged 21 and (More)
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Nov. 9, 2011 -- We not only pay a lot more for health care in the U.S. than in other countries, but a new study suggests the care we get is often slower and more poorly coordinated.

That's because other industrialized countries do a better job of giving patients easy access to primary care and to "medical homes" responsible for guiding care and complex treatment, according to a study published today by the Commonwealth Fund.

A medical home is a (More)
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It's no secret that alcohol consumption can cause major health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver and injuries sustained in automobile accidents. But if you think liver disease and car crashes are the only health risks posed by drinking, think again: Researchers have linked alcohol consumption to more than 60 diseases.

"Alcohol does all kinds of things in the body, and we're not fully aware of all its effects," says James C. Garbutt, MD (More)
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Oct. 19, 2011 -- Scientists in the U.K. say they have found a strong link between the number of friends people have on Facebook and how "brainy" they are -- namely, the amount of gray matter in particular regions of their brains.

The researchers from University College London (UCL) also discovered that the more friends people have on the social networking site, the more friends they are likely to have in the "real world."

However, writing in the (More)
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Sept. 7, 2011 -- The number of Americans struggling to put adequate food on the table remains at an all-time high, a new government report shows.

The report, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), finds that 49 million Americans, or one in six, lacked the resources to eat sufficient, regular meals in 2010.

That number was essentially unchanged since its peak in 2009.

The report is based on an annual survey of 45,000 U.S. households (More)
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Aug. 15, 2011 -- Ultra-thin electronics, which can be placed on the skin as easily as a temporary tattoo, could pave the way for patient monitoring systems that would avoid the need for bulky equipment.

In one study, the adhesive patch was applied to a person's chest to pick up electrical signals produced by the (More)
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Aug. 12, 2011 -- Paper money may contain trace levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in some plastics and other consumer products, a study shows.

But only small amounts of BPA are absorbed through our skin when we handle the money, the study shows.

The study is published in Environmental Science & Technology.

BPA (More)
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July 19, 2011 -- Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore ranks first in the U.S. News and World Report 2011-2012 "honor roll" of top hospitals in the U.S.

The list is based on performance statistics in 16 medical specialties in 94 metropolitan areas.

"These are referral centers where other hospitals send their sickest patients," says Avery Comarow, editor of U.S. News Health Rankings. "Hospitals like these are ones you or those close to you should (More)
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April 27, 2011 -- Research has suggested that very low-calorie diets may increase life expectancy in animals, and now a new study in humans provides some important clues as to why this may occur.

In the new study, individuals who had higher metabolic rates -- the amount of energy the body uses for normal body functions -- were more likely to die early from natural causes than those who had lower metabolic rates.

The new findings appear in the (More)
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March 31, 2011 -- Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered Americans are distinct populations with unique health health needs -- but what are those needs?

"We do not know exactly what these experiences and needs are," concludes the report of a panel of medical experts convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The IOM was asked to propose an LGBT research agenda by the National Institutes of Health.

"In detailing just how little is known about (More)
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Once upon a time, having health insurance meant security. If you got sick, your care was covered. At least that's what we all thought.

But a 2009 study published in The American Journal of Medicine found that in 2007, 62% of all bankruptcies in this country were related to medical expenses. And three out of four people with medical debt had health insurance.

The difference between a good and not-so-good health insurance plan makes a huge impact (More)
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