Category Archives: Medical

Study Finds Link Between Baldness and Prostate Cancer

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Greg Asseff

Are you a man over the age of 45? Are you going bald? If so, a prostate exam should be one of your top health priorities according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study suggests a significant link between male pattern baldness and prostate cancer, which is the most common form of cancer that American men are diagnosed with apart from skin cancer. In fact, prostate cancer is so prevalent that one in seven men will get it. Out of those, one in 36 will die because of it. As far as cancer deaths go, prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer regarding the amount of men it claims. At the same time, however, prostate cancer does have a generally high survival rate. If male pattern baldness and prostate cancer truly go hand in hand, it might at the very least give some men a warning sign that can lead to early treatment.

Posted in Health, Medical, Men, News, Studies | 3,843 Comments

Health Agencies Call for E-Cigarette Regulations

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Greg Asseff

Electronic cigarettes, often viewed as a “safer” alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes, have increased in popularity across the globe in the past few years – and they’re virtually unregulated. According to the American Heart Association, there were 466 brands of e-cigarettes and 7,764 different flavors available earlier this year. Additionally, it’s estimated that sales of e-cigarettes could eventually surpass traditional cigarettes and become a $10 billion industry by 2017. According to USA Today, sales of e-cigarettes increased from only 50,000 in 2008 to around 3.5 million in 2012. Also, one in five smokers in the U.S. had at least tried e-cigarettes as of 2011.

Posted in Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Parenting | 3 Comments

Depression Treatment: Antidepressants Not Enough, Male Suicide Rising

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Greg Asseff

The death of legendary comedian Robin Williams last week has once again shone a light on difficult and complicated topics: depression and suicide. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 14.8 million Americans over the age of 18 are affected by major depressive disorder. This comes out to about 6.7 percent of the adult population. The number of people in the U.S. that suffer from any anxiety disorder totals a whopping 40 million adults. Depression is also a major risk factor for suicide, which claimed 39,518 lives in 2011. This makes it the 10th most common cause of death in the U.S. Also, it’s estimated that Americans spend $42 billion per year on anxiety and depression treatment. But is it working? New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that antidepressants alone may not be effective enough.

Posted in Health, Medical, Men, Mental Health, News, Studies | 137 Comments

Researchers Deeply Divided Over Salt Consumption

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Greg Asseff

The most recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine contains three separate studies regarding salt, and the findings range from predictable to downright controversial. The first study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, concluded that 1.65 million deaths across 66 countries in 2010 could be attributed to cardiovascular problems stemming from salt consumption of over 2.0 g per day. The second study examined sodium excretions in over 100,000 people from 18 countries. It concluded that the association between sodium consumption and high blood pressure was most pronounced in the elderly, people with hypertension, and those who consume more than 6.0 grams of salt per day. The third study, on the other hand, concluded that consuming too little salt could also lead to cardiovascular events. It is this study that’s causing an uproar.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Medical, News, Nutrition, Studies | 9 Comments

Women, African Americans Hit Hardest By Heart Disease Risk Factors

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Greg Asseff

Physicians often split heart disease risk factors into two categories: modifiable and non-modifiable. Non-modifiable risk factors include things that cannot be changed such as age, family history, ethnic origin and gender. On the other hand, modifiable factors represent things that a person generally has some control over. These factors can include hypertension, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, tobacco use, diabetes, poor diet, alcohol consumption, stress, ingesting certain medicines, and being poor (although some would argue that financial status is non-modifiable in certain parts of the world). According to a new report from the American Heart Association, it’s now thought that women and African Americans are more highly affected by the non-modifiable heart disease risk factors. Also, while the gender gap seems to be narrowing, the gap between races may be increasing.