Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of
HealthDay:
Midnight Snacks Harm Teeth: Study
Midnight snacks pose a serious threat to your teeth, according
to a new study.
Danish researchers analyzed the medical records of 2,217 people
and found that those who snacked in the middle of the night were
more likely to suffer tooth loss over a period of six years, no
matter what type of food they ate during their nocturnal nibbling,
BBC News reported.
The flow of saliva -- which is needed to remove food debris from
the mouth -- tends to dry up at night, explained the University of
Copenhagen researchers.
Dentists need to make patients aware of the risks of midnight
snacks, said Dr. Jennifer Lundgren and colleagues,
BBC News reported.
The study is published in the journal
Eating Behaviors.
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Companies Offer Employees Money to Lose Weight
A growing number of U.S. companies are offering financial
incentives to encourage employees to lose weight.
Currently, at least one-third of companies either offer these
types of programs or are planning to introduce them, according to
the
Associated Press.
For example, last year the hospital chain OhioHealth introduced
a program that paid workers for walking. The more they walk, the
more they earn, up to a maximum of $500. About half of the 9,000
employees at OhioHealth's five main hospitals signed up and more
than $377,000 in rewards have been handed out.
"There's been an explosion of interest in this" type of program, Kevin Volpp, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Health Incentives, told the AP.
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More States Require Phys Ed for Students: Report
Physical education for students is required in most states, but
there are many loopholes -- such as waivers or exemptions -- that
can seriously undermine those requirements, says a report released
Tuesday by the American Heart Association and the National
Association for Sport and Physical Education.
Currently, 84 percent of states require PE for elementary
students (up from 70 percent in 2006), 76 percent of states require
PE for middle and junior high schools (up from 65 percent), and 90
percent of states require PE in high school (up from 83 percent),
the
Associated Press reported.
But, only five states require physical education consistently
from kindergarten to Grade 12. Few states require students to
exercise for a specific amount of time, and there are an increasing
number of exemptions and waivers for personal reasons or because a
student participates in another activity, such as band.
While the heart association is pleased that more states require
physical education for students, the group is concerned that the
requirements lack sufficient teeth, the
AP reported.
"We are concerned that the movement has not been more significant," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the AHA. "It's more of a sporadic approach."
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FDA Approves New Bone Drug
An injectable bone-strengthening drug called Prolia has been
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of
postmenopausal women at risk for fractures.
The Amgen drug is given once every six months and will cost $825
per injection, the
Associated Press reported.
The FDA approval was based on an Amgen study of 7,000 patients
that showed Prolia reduced vertebrae and hip fractures in
postmenopausal women. Back pain, high cholesterol and urinary
bladder infections were common side effects of the drug.
The FDA said Amgen will have to distribute patient guides that
explain the drug's risks, the
AP reported.