Smog Standards Need Tightening, Activists Say
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- A coalition of clean air advocacy groups wants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to propose new standards that would reduce allowable levels of smog-causing ozone.
Two Methods Help Prevent Infections After Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Two separate research teams report that surgery-related infections can be prevented using two different methods, one aimed at antibiotic-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
growing in the nose, the other at microbes living on the skin.
New Brain Scan May Help Spot Alzheimer's
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- A new type of brain scan might give doctors more insight into whether patients with memory loss are suffering from Alzheimer's disease, researchers say.
Abused Kids More Prone to Migraines in Adulthood
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Children who were physically or emotionally abused or neglected are more likely to develop migraines and other chronic pain conditions as adults, a new study finds.
Fat May Help Build Bone Mass in Girls
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Fat mass plays an important role in building bone mass in teenage girls and having too little may increase their risk of osteoporosis later in life, new research has found.
Bitter Cold Poses Health Dangers
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Frigid temperatures can pose health risks, especially for young children, seniors and people with chronic illnesses, warns the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Alzheimer's 'Cocktail' Shows Promise
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Targeting two different enzymes simultaneously may hold promise for treating people with Alzheimer's disease, researchers report.
Using Light to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- New tools that use different colors of light to silence brain activity could lead to new treatments for disorders such as epilepsy, chronic pain, Parkinson's disease and brain injury, neuroscientists say.
Lower Vitamin D Levels in Blacks May Up Heart Risks
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- New research indicates that the darker skin of blacks may increase their risk of heart disease and stroke because it reduces production of vitamin D, which is made during exposure to sunlight.
Cellular Tweak Helps Mice Burn More Fat
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- A molecular mechanism that controls energy expenditure in muscles and helps determine body weight has been identified by U.S. researchers, who said their finding could lead to a new way to treat obesity.
Need a New Hand? One Day, You May Be Able to Regrow One
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Each year, thousands of Americans lose fingers, hands or entire limbs in terrible accidents. Prosthetics can help amputees regain some function, and successful hand transplants have recently been achieved.
Health Tip: Signs of Lactose Intolerance
(HealthDay News) -- Lactose intolerance is an inability to digest a type of sugar in milk called lactose. It's a common condition, affecting some 30 million adults in the United States by age 20, the National Library of Medicine says.
Health Tip: Caring for Your Braces
(HealthDay News) -- While people who have braces don't have to switch to a special diet, there are foods that can cause problems and should be avoided, the Nemours Foundation says.