A report aired on “World News with Diane Sawyer” tonight that said the long-term use of a popular class of osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates (drugs like Fosamax) may have the opposite effect for some women. These drugs may actually increase the risk of broken bones in some women.
For many women, the drugs are safe and effective. However, according to various experts, some women taking these medications for more than five years may experience spontaneous fractures.
Some of the damage is so serious that the X-rays look like they are injuries from automobile accidents, not just minimal falls.
“We are seeing people just …read more

Do you have trouble falling asleep or often wake up during the night? Follow these simple tips to get a better night’s sleep.

Go to sleep at the same time every night.
Sleep in total darkness. Use blackout curtains to block out any light.
Make sure your bed and bedding are comfortable.
Eat a high protein snack a few hours before bedtime.
Avoid sugars and grains before bed.
Don’t watch TV right before bedtime.
Listen to nature sounds or white noise.
Keep the room temperature lower than 72 degrees.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Don’t drink fluids before bed (in order to avoid getting up to use the bathroom).
Exercise daily but …read more

Napping isn’t just for babies and toddlers, many doctors and other experts encourage the benefits of naps for adults too. Lack of sleep can lead to moodiness, irritability, reduced endurance, inability to think clearly and much more. An afternoon nap can be just what you need to get your day back on track, and improve your long-term health.
The National Sleep Foundation breaks naps into three categories:
Planned naps (when you take a nap before you actually get sleepy)
Emergency naps (when you just can’t stay awake and must get some sleep)
Habitual naps (naps that you take at the same time each and …read more

Women who participate in sororities may be more likely to judge their bodies differently than women who don’t belong to a sorority.
Northwestern University student Ashley Marie Rolnik chose the topic for her senior honors thesis. She believes that female undergraduates who join sororities are more likely to use self-objectification: judge their own bodies with an outsider’s perspective. According to the paper, those students also display greater levels of bulimic attitudes and behaviors than female students who skip the sorority recruitment process.

Rolnik argues that over time, the women who join sororities display higher levels of body shame.
Findings are published online in …read more

I have two fun items to share: how lighting does some spinach good at the store AND a new chocolate milk that’s good for you. I know – pairing spinach and chocolate milk, what am I thinking?

First, scientists have discovered that the 24-hour fluorescent lighting at the supermarket might actually be good for spinach. Supermarkets usually display fresh spinach in clear containers that are continuously exposed to light. Scientists Gene Lester, Donald J. Makus, and D. Mark Hodges explored how the continuous light exposure affects spinach’s nutritional value. Spinach is already very healthy, but exactly what effect does the lighting …read more

DVT can happen to anyone, even the young and physically fit. March is deep-vein thrombosis awareness month (DVT).
DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, often in the legs. DVT is especially dangerous since a complication known as pulmonary embolism (PE) may occur. PE, which is fatal in 30% of cases, develops when part of a blood clot breaks loose and travels to the lungs. Each year, around 400,000 Americans develop DVT, and half of those will also have PE (source: CDC).
To give you some better insights into protecting yourself from DVT, I sent along some questions …read more

If you pay attention to a new study, HRT isn’t looking good. A possible risk of taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is cataracts.
Study results, reported in the March issue of Ophthalmology, reveal that women who used HRT had significantly higher rates of cataract removal than women who never used HRT.
The eight-year study of more than 30,000 postmenopausal Swedish women also revealed that alcohol consumption seemed to increase HRT’s negative effect. The new study shows how alcohol and HRT could interact to raise estradiol levels, possibly affecting cataract risk. However, even women who didn’t consume alcohol were still at increased risk …read more

While we’re concerned about weight to avoid the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, there’s another problem with being overweight.
Researchers say that obese people have around a 1.5-fold increase in risk of cancer overall. That may equate to 90,000 extra cancer deaths per year in the US.
Michael Karin of the University of California, San Diego, said, “If we can reduce cancer deaths by as many as 90,000 per year, that’s a lot of people – a lot of lives.”
When it comes to liver cancer, the risk is greater. A recent study by Karin and other researchers reported in …read more

Don’t fail to treat chronic fatigue syndrome was the message from doctors to doctors in a recent article in the British Medical Journal.
The three senior doctors writing the article argued that an “air of defeatism” among doctors regarding chronic fatigue syndrome may undermine treatment. The doctors point out that severe chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis is rare and mortality is not usually increased by the disorder.

However, the authors noted that the greatest risk to life of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome is suicide. Since that’s linked with depression, it can be treated.
Graded exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy have …read more

Quinine, used to treat muscle cramps, was once sold over the counter, but now is only available with a prescription in the US. It’s also included in small amounts in tonic water. However, the amount isn’t enough for a therapeutic dose. Quinine, made from the bark of the cinchona tree, has been in use for a long time, but concerns over side effects are growing.

Stanford University recently performed a review of medical literature on treatments for muscle cramps. They found that there are few sure-fire methods of getting rid of muscle cramps. There’s no solid evidence that stretching, or drinking …read more