'Apple-Shaped' Body? 'Pear-Shaped'? Your Genes May Tell

MONDAY, Feb. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A large, new study has uncovered 24 genetic variations that help separate the apple-shaped people from the pear-shaped ones.

Researchers said the findings help explain why some people are prone to carrying any excess weight around the belly. But more importantly, they could eventually shed ligh...

Transgender Hormone Therapy Could Pose Heart Dangers

MONDAY, Feb. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Men and women who get hormone therapy during gender transition treatment may face a much higher risk for developing heart disease, new Dutch research cautions.

"In light of our results, we urge both physicians and transgender individuals to be aware of this increased cardiovascular risk," said ...

Will Sugar Substitutes Help You Lose Weight?

MONDAY, Feb. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The term "sugar substitutes" is a catch-all that covers a wide range of alternatives, starting with those little pink, blue and yellow packets. But their value as a health or diet aid is still uncertain.

A research review in the BMJ found that there's limited evidence to say how much u...

Kid-Friendly Food Swaps Everyone Will Love

MONDAY, Feb. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Is the dinner table a battleground at your house? Getting your kids to eat better doesn't have to cause a fight if you follow these fast and easy strategies to enhance dishes that they already know and love.

In some households, veggies and kids just don't mix. But carrot fries have serious vis...

Protect Your Aging Eyes From Macular Degeneration

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an incurable eye disease that affects millions of older Americans, but there are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk, a vision expert says.

AMD causes blurred central vision due to damage to the macula, a small area at the back of the eye...

Hands Don't Spread HPV, Study Finds

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) is easily transmitted during sex, but it is unlikely to be passed by the hands, Canadian researchers report.

The virus, which infects the skin and genitals, is a cause of several types of cancer in both men and women, including cervical cancer, as well as tumors of th...

Glass-Fronted Fireplaces Pose Burn Dangers for Kids

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Glass-fronted gas fireplaces can pose a serious risk to young children, an emergency room physician warns.

Dr. Michael Gittelman, from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, cited the case of a 3-year-old boy whose hand was badly burned when he touched the glass door of the family's gas...

More Car Crashes Tied to Drivers High on Opioids

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The damage wrought by the opioid epidemic has spread to America's highways, with the percentage of fatal car crashes involving a driver who was high on the powerful painkillers tripling in the past 25 years.

Study co-author Dr. Guohua Li said the finding "adds important information for underst...

Guys, Can You Do 40 Push-Ups? Heart-Healthy Life May Be Yours

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- If you're a 40-something guy and can't do 40 push-ups in a row, maybe it's time to do something about it.

A new study suggests the number of push-ups a middle-aged man can perform might be an indication of his overall heart health.

Men who can do more than 40 at a time have a 96 perce...

AHA News: Heart-Stopping Drama of On-Screen CPR Doesn't Always Reflect Reality

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- When we watch movies and TV, we know that people can't actually fly, zombies aren't real and animals can't talk, among other scenarios presented for our entertainment.

So when CPR and other heroic measures to revive an unconscious victim pop up on the screen, should we react ...

Osteoporosis Often Missed in Elderly Men

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Osteoporosis is typically thought of as a woman's disease, but elderly men are also prone to bone loss -- even though they often aren't treated for it, a new study finds.

Among men and women aged 80 and older, women were three times more likely to get osteoporosis treatment, researchers reporte...

Up to 1 Hour of General Anesthesia Safe for Infants: Study

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Infants who are given general anesthesia for an hour are unlikely to suffer harm, but the safety of longer and repeated exposure remains unknown, a new study says.

Among more than 700 infants in seven countries, the researchers didn't find any measurable neurodevelopmental or behavioral problem...

Insurers Making It Harder to Treat Opioid Addiction: Study

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Insurance rules that limit access to the addiction treatment medication buprenorphine may be worsening the U.S. opioid epidemic, a new study suggests.

"Buprenorphine is a safe and effective treatment that decreases deaths due to opioids and stops heroin and other opioid use. People on buprenorp...

Boosting Your Diet for Exercise

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A typical workout doesn't give you license to eat whatever you want.

Even a full hour of vigorous skiing burns just 600 calories -- less than the amount in a super-sized fast food sandwich. That's why it's important to think of exercise as just one part of a shape-up plan.

Exercise wo...

How to Choose the Right Cooking Oils

FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Oils are one of the most widely used ingredients in cooking and are healthy alternatives to butter and margarine.

All cooking oils, including olive, canola and peanut oil, contain 14 grams of total fat per tablespoon, and roughly 120 calories. So measure amounts carefully because even though s...

Teen Pot Use Fell in States That Legalized Medical Marijuana: Study

THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Marijuana legalization has been sweeping across the United States, raising concerns that more teens will start toking as pot smoking gains in legitimacy.

A new study suggests that's not the case. Researchers actually found fewer teen marijuana users in states that have adopted medical marijuana...

Kidney Failure Patients Face Higher Risk of Cancer Death

THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with kidney failure who are on dialysis or have received a transplant have a sharply higher risk of dying from cancer, Australian researchers report.

In fact, compared with people who don't have kidney failure, they have more than double the odds of cancer death. The odds are partic...

Science Puzzling Out Differences in Gut Bacteria Around the World

THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists say nearly 2,000 previously unknown types of bacteria in the human gut have been identified.

The human gut hosts many species of microbes, collectively referred to as the gut microbiota. Scientists are working to identify the individual species and understand the roles they play in...

Meth Abuse Driving Big Spike in Syphilis Cases

THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A startling increase in syphilis cases among Americans may be linked to addiction to methamphetamine and other drugs, federal health officials said Thursday.

Between 2013 and 2017, the rate of syphilis infection among heterosexual men and women who use methamphetamine more than doubled, accor...

Flu Shot Much More Effective This Year, CDC Says

THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- This year's flu shot is already outperforming the vaccine issued during the tough 2017-2018 influenza season, federal health officials reported Thursday.

The 2017-2018 flu shot offered just 25 percent effectiveness against the predominant strain of flu that season, H3N2. But this year's shot...