The millions of people who take calcium supplements to strengthen aging bones and ward off osteoporosis may be putting themselves at increased risk of a heart attack, a new study has found.
Older people who take at least 500 milligrams of calcium daily—less than the amount in a typical one-a-day calcium pill—are 30% more likely to have a heart attack than those who take no calcium at all, the study estimates.
But people taking calcium supplements should not stop without consulting their doctor, says John Baron, MD, a professor of medicine at …

The mattress can be a jungle of dust mites and bedbugs, milling around among dried remnants of blood, saliva, sweat and basically all the other bodily fluids you can think of.
Bedbugs have become minor celebrities this week with a report from the National Pest Management Association showing that the problem is on the rise. Bedbug calls have gone up by 81 percent since 2000, the study said, and 67 percent of surveyed pest management companies have treated bedbug infestations in hotels or motels.
These insects are about a quarter-inch long and …

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new fluorescent biosensor that could aid in the development of an important class of drugs that target a crucial class of proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
“Drugs that target GPCRs make up approximately 30 percent of all pharmaceuticals currently on the market, including some of the most prescribed drugs,” said Jonathan Jarvik, the Carnegie Mellon biological sciences professor who led the effort to develop the GPCR biosensor. “This prevalence makes assays for the receptors a billion dollar industry.”
GPCRs are popular drug targets …

A study of Hong Kong students suggests that children and teenagers exposed to secondhand smoke at home may get poorer grades than their peers from smoke-free homes. Secondhand smoke is a well-known health threat to children, being linked to increased risks of asthma, as well as bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory infections. Other studies found a connection between smoking during pregnancy and higher risks of childhood behavior problems and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Some studies found that children exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb may trail from their …

Federal guidelines regarding the labeling of “natural” chicken could change as the result of an ongoing dispute over whether or not poultry injected with salt, water, or other such ingredients should carry the label, according to Associated Press (AP) reports on Friday.
Under current U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, chicken may be labeled as “natural” as long as it does not contain artificial flavors or preservatives.
However, notes AP writer Juliana Barbassa, “the agency agreed to take another look at its policy after some producers, politicians and health advocates noted that about …

The latest installment of Patient Voices focuses on scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that can lead to hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues. The symptoms and severity of scleroderma can vary, making it difficult to accomplish everyday tasks or, in some cases, threatening vital organs.
Listen to the stories of scleroderma collected by producer Karen Barrow, which include a basketball player who began developing ulcers on his fingers, a mother whose hands were frozen by the disease, and a mailman who, after …

Evidence is accumulating that the stop-smoking drug Chantix  is linked with unprovoked acts and thoughts of aggression and violence, according to a new report.
The drug is so potentially dangerous that its use should be restricted to exclude police, military, and similar occupations in which workers carry weapons, says Thomas J. Moore, senior scientist for drug safety and policy at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices in Horsham, Pa. Moore is one of three co-authors of the new report on the drug, published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.
“My colleagues and I …

It may sound like a headline from Cosmo, but a survey published in the Journal of the British Association of Urological Surgeons finds that the nearly two-thirds of women report  sexual dysfunction.
The top problem cited among women was lack of desire (47 percent), followed closely by orgasm problems (45 percent). Age, menopausal status and usage of antidepressants were statistically significant risk factors for female sexual dysfunction.
Researchers surveyed 587 women ages 18 to 95 who attend a New Jersey clinic.  Younger women cited problems with orgasms while older women lamented the …

Contact lenses are the most common cause of medical-device associated injuries among children over the age of 11, according to research published this week in Pediatrics.  The article reviewing medical records from 100 hospital emergency departments between 2004 and 2005, estimated that nearly 34,000 (or 23 percent) of annual cases were due to contact lens injuries in children and teens.
Contact lenses and glasses accounted for 40 percent of all medical device associated injuries. The lenses were associated with corneal abrasions, ulcerations and conjunctivitis (swelling or infection of the membrane lining …

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women. Currently, ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose in its early stages making it the most lethal of gynecological cancers.
What are the risk factors for ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer is rare in young women, but the incidence starts to rise sharply after menopause.
There is a clear genetic predisposition for ovarian cancer, so that women who have a first-degree relative with ovarian cancer are much more likely to get this tumor themselves. Other familial cancers that have been co-related with an …