Health Library

Obesity Crisis May Be Fueling Big Jump in Sleep Apnea Cases FRIDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- The widening American waistline may be feeding an epidemic of sleep apnea, potentially robbing millions of people of a good night's rest, a new study suggests. The research didn't definitively link the rise in obesity to sleep apnea, and it only looked at 1,520 people, almost all white, in Wisconsin. But study author Paul Peppard believes the findings show a big spike in sleep apnea cases over the past two dec...

Omega-3s No Help Against Age-Linked Eye Trouble: Study SUNDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Adding omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients to standard antioxidant vitamins doesn't give older people any added protection against a leading cause of blindness, a new study finds. The study looked at age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which afflicts millions of older people in the United States, according to background information outlined by the researchers. The condition is "the leading cause of blindness...

Outdoor Recess May Help Protect Kids From Nearsightedness FRIDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Being outdoors at recess and increased exposure to sunlight both reduce children's risk of nearsightedness (myopia), two new studies suggest. The first study, published in the May issue of the journal Ophthalmology , included nearly 350 students at two elementary schools in Taiwan. Students at one school had to spend recess outdoors for the 2009-2010 school year while students at the other school did not have to ...

Only 1 in 5 Americans Gets Enough Exercise: CDC THURSDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Most Americans are falling short when it comes to exercise, a new government report shows. Overall, only 20 percent of U.S. adults get the recommended amounts of both of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The news was less disappointing for aerobic exercise, with 51.6 percent of adults getting the recommended amount, than it was for muscle-strength...

Obama Administration to Challenge Judge's Ruling on 'Morning-After' Pill WEDNESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- A federal judge's order to eliminate any age limit on who can buy morning-after birth control pills without a prescription was challenged in court Wednesday by the Obama administration. The government appeal follows on the heels of a Tuesday decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lower the age that people can buy the Plan B One-Step morning-after pill without a prescription to 15 -...

Obesity Linked to Prostate Cancer, Study Finds TUESDAY, April 23 (HealthDay News) -- Obese men are more likely to have precancerous changes detected in benign prostate biopsies and are at increased risk for eventually developing prostate cancer, new research suggests. For the study, researchers examined data from nearly 500 men who were followed for 14 years after undergoing an initial prostate biopsy that was found to be noncancerous, or benign. Prostate abnormalities were detected in 11 percent of the...

Older Adults' Posture May Predict Future Disability FRIDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- The shape of an older person's spine may predict their future need for home assistance or admission to a nursing home, according to a new Japanese study. The findings appeared online recently in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences . The study included more than 800 people aged 65 and older in Japan, who underwent four types of spinal measurement. The researchers found that ...

Obesity Does Slow People Down, Study Confirms FRIDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) -- Women who struggle with chronic obesity end up engaging in less and less routine physical activity, new research shows, confirming what may seem obvious to some. The investigating team acknowledged that their observation so clearly aligns with conventional wisdom that it would be hard to describe it as "rocket science." But they say theirs is the first study to rigorously establish what most scientists have long presumed t...

Overweight While Younger Ups Kidney Risk Later THURSDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Overweight young adults are much more likely than those who are not overweight to develop kidney disease by the time they are seniors, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data from a long-term study of nearly 4,600 people in the United Kingdom who were born in March 1946. The data included the participants' body-mass index at ages 20, 26, 36, 43, 53 and 60 to 64. Body-mass index is a measurement of body fat b...

Obama Unveils Vast Brain-Mapping Project TUESDAY, April 2 (HealthDay News) -- The Obama administration unveiled plans Tuesday for a mammoth and unprecedented study of the mysterious inner workings of the human brain. President Barack Obama, who first cited the need for brain research in his State of the Union address in February, asked Congress to commit $100 million in 2014 for the 10-year project, which will record and map brain circuits in action. The initiative will involve scientists, government ag...