A Better Prostate Cancer Test Is Here

Until recently, the PSA test for prostate cancer had been a routine part of every middle age man’s physical. But it has fallen out of favor as doctors realized the PSA was leading many men to have needless and painful prostate biopsies and unnecessary cancer treatments.
In fact, major medical groups have stopped recommending routine PSA testing for most men.

But now a better prostate cancer test has become available to help address the problem.

It’s called the 4Kscore Test.


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/4Kscore-opko-prostate-cancer/2014/03/31/id/562676#ixzz2yo4j8ZXm
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How aspirin could boost fertility:

National Institutes of Health logo
National Institutes of Health logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Taking aspirin could increase a woman’s fertility, new research suggests.

U.S. scientists found low doses of the drug could improve the chances of conception and of having a live birth.
But, contrary to popular belief, they discovered taking the drug does not prevent miscarriage.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health say many doctors prescribe low doses of aspirin to women who have had a miscarriage or stillbirth and who want to conceive again.

However, they say the effectiveness of this treatment had not been proven.

So, they randomly assigned more than 1,000 women with a history of pregnancy loss either a low dose of aspirin daily or a placebo.

They then followed them for six months while they tried to conceive.

The researchers found there was no difference in the pregnancy loss rates between the two groups.

But, they did find that women who had experience a single, recent pregnancy loss had an increased rate of pregnancy and live birth while taking a daily aspirin tablet.

These women were classed as those who had lost a baby before four and a half months gestation within the past year.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2595960/How-aspirin-boost-fertility-Drug-improves-blood-flow-womb-making-pregnancy-likely.html#ixzz2yo4MNbJj
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Heavier Seniors Live Longer: Study

BMI - The Game
BMI - The Game (Photo credit: Kecko)
A new study suggests that current body mass index (BMI) recommendations may be unsuitable for older adults.
 
Caryl Nowson, a professor of nutrition and aging at Deakin University, led a research team that examined the relationship between BMI and risk of death in people 65 and older. The findings indicated the lowest risk was among those with a BMI of about 27.5, which is considered overweight by the World Health Organization. Mortality was said to increase "significantly" among those with a BMI between 22 and 23, the normal weight range.
 
"It is time to reassess the healthy weight guidelines for older people," Professor Nowson said. "Our results showed that those over the age of 65 with a BMI of between 23 and 33 lived longer, indicating that the ideal body weight for older people is significantly higher than the recommended 18.5-25 'normal' healthy weight range."
 

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/seniors-weight-BMI-death/2014/03/26/id/561762#ixzz2x4Z7j8jC
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9 Not So Obvious but Potentially Deadly Symptoms

Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Everyone knows the “Call 911!” symptoms — abdominal pain, chest pain, etc. But there are other warning signs that, while they may not warrant a speedy trip to the emergency room, should quickly send you to your doctor. These signs and symptoms, according to experts, should always receive medical attention — pronto.

1. Shortness of Breath. If you’re short of breath or wheezing, and you haven’t been exercising, you may be in trouble. Anything from asthma, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to a blood clot in the lung can bring this on, and it needs to be evaluated quickly. Shortness of breath can also be caused by panic attacks brought on by intense anxiety, says the Mayo Clinic.
2. Flashes of light. Flashing lights may signal imminent retinal detachment, says allaboutvision.com. The sensation of flashing lights usually occurs in one eye, but it can be in both eyes at the same time. A shadow over a part of your vision, blurred vision, or the sudden appearance of many “floaters” may also signal an impending detachment. Immediate care may save your sight since a detached retina almost always causes blindness if not treated quickly. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 1 in 7 people who experience flashes will have a retinal tear or detachment.

3. Unexplained Weight Loss. Almost all of us would love to lose a lot of weight quickly and easily, but if you’re not really trying and all of a sudden you lose 5 percent of your weight in one month or 10 percent over a period of six months, call your doctor. It could mean anything from cancer or diabetes to liver disease, says the Mayo Clinic.
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Can Heartburn Drugs Give You a Heart Attack?

English: Zantac (Australian packaging)
English: Zantac (Australian packaging) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Popular heartburn drugs may cause heart disease, according to an alarming new study from Houston Methodist Hospital. The drugs in question are proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs for short, such as Prevacid, Prilosec, and Nexium. These are some of the pharmaceutical industry's biggest-selling medications.


Earlier research found that among people who already have heart disease, PPIs may increase the odds of a second heart attack. But the new study found a side effect that seems to affect even healthy people. When PPIs block production of stomach acid, they also constrict blood vessels, which can lead to high blood pressure and a weakened heart.
 
John Cooke, M.D., the study's principal investigator, recommends that anyone who takes PPIs discuss with their physician if they need to be on these drugs.
 
"If something is needed for the stomach, a good alternative would be the H2 antagonists like ranitidine," he tells Newsmax Health. (Ranitidine is the generic form of Zantac and Tritec. Tagamet and Pepcid are other H2 antagonists.)

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/heartburn-drugs-heart-attack/2014/03/14/id/559567#ixzz2w8WrN69s
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Diatomaceous Earth (food grade): bug killer you can eat!

Diatomacious Earth (often referred to as "DE") is an off white talc-like powder that is the fossilized remains of marine phytoplankton. When sprinkled on a bug that has an exoskeleton (such as bed bugs, ants or fleas) it gets caught between their little exoskeleton joints. As they move, the diatomaceous earth acts like razor blades and cuts them up. But it doesn't hurt mammals. We can eat it. We do eat it! It's in lots of grain based foods because lots of grains are stored with diatomaceous earth to keep the bugs from eating the grain! In the paint industry it is used as an environmentally friendly natural matting (flattening) agent. It exhibits superior mechanical resistances as well as matting. It is an ideal choice for low VOC coatings.. It is used in primers and topcoats alike....... Go figure, but so much of what you eat is also in paint!

Die bugs! Die! Die! Die!

I have heard two explanations of how diatomaceous earth works.
One is that on a microscopic level, the diatomaceous earth particles are very sharp looking. These particles stick to an insect and get stuck between its exoskeleton joints. As the insect moves, it gets physically cut up.
The other explanation is that diatomaceous earth sticks to the insect and somehow causes them to dry out. I think this approach involves scratching the insects waxy layer which then allows precious moisture within the insect to get out. So their teeny tiny bug-innards turn into teeny tiny bug-innards-jerky.

FOR MORE INFO http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp

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Simple, Non-Surgical Cure for Shoulder Pain

Orthopedic implants to repair fractures to the...
Orthopedic implants to repair fractures to the radius and ulna. Note the visible break in the ulna. (right forearm) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you suffer from chronic shoulder pain, orthopedic surgeon John M. Kirsch, M.D., says he's found a solution: Go ape.


"Man is the fifth great ape," Dr. Kirsch tells Newsmax Health. The others are the gorilla, chimpanzee, orangutan, and gibbon, all of which still swing from trees or brachiate.
 
"When we came down from the trees about 30,000 years ago, we stopped brachiating," he explains. "But we still have the shoulders of an ape that's supposed to brachiate."
 
Because our shoulders aren't getting the exercise that nature intended, they eventually weaken and become prone to injury, he says.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/shoulder-pain-non-surgical-cure/2014/03/07/id/556647#ixzz2vTb1rXVo
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Formaldehyde In Baby Shampoo Isn’t As Scary As It Sounds


Formaldehyde In Baby Shampoo Isn’t As Scary As It Sounds
Recently, Johnson & Johnson reformulated their classic yellow baby shampoo after a consumer outcry over a scary-sounding formaldehyde-based preservative in the product. If it’s not absolutely necessary, there’s no good reason to go slathering a product that contains unnecessary substances on infants. The important question is: should we be worried about formaldehyde in personal-care products at all? [More]
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Is Mouthwash Making Your Bad Breath Worse?


Americans spend more than $10 billion on mouthwash and other oral hygiene products each year. Yet some 80 million Americans still suffer from chronic halitosis — bad breath — because they offer only a temporary respite. What's more, experts warn they can actually make the problem worse and even harm your overall health. [Full Story]
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Should Women Stop Getting Mammograms?

The arrow on this mammogram points to a small ...
The arrow on this mammogram points to a small cancerous lesion. A lesion is an area of abnormal tissue change (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Is it time to scrap the mammogram?
 
A blockbuster Canadian study has added fuel to the already heated debate concerning the benefits of regular mammograms. According to the study, annual screening of women aged 40 to 59 did not lower breast cancer death rates despite current recommendations that this age group get mammograms every year.
 
The new research is convincing because of its scope and thoroughness. For 25 years, researchers followed nearly 90,000 women who were randomly assigned to either get mammograms or no screening.  The conclusion: Women getting mammograms were just as likely to die from breast cancer as those who didn't get them.
 
What's more, experts warn that the radiation used in mammograms may actually cause cancer.
 
"I haven't been a fan of mammograms for years," Christine Horner, M.D., a nationally known surgeon, author, and expert on breast cancer who lives in San Diego, tells Newsmax Health. "I agree with all the reasons stated in the study. I think it is much better to use technology that doesn't use radiation such as thermography, ultrasounds, and physical exams to detect breast cancer."

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/mammogram-guidelines-recommendations-benefits/2014/02/19/id/553511#ixzz2ts5l9VqS
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