ScienceDaily: Living Well News

Excess sitting linked to coronary artery calcification, an early indicator of heart problems Posted: 05 Mar 2015 05:59 PM PST Sitting for many hours per day is associated with increased coronary artery calcification, a marker of subclinical heart disease that can increase the risk of a heart attack, according to research. Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death in the United States.

Phthalates potentially alter levels of a pregnancy hormone that influences sex development Posted: 05 Mar 2015 09:54 AM PST Exposure to hormone-altering chemicals called phthalates -- which are found in many plastics, foods and personal care products -- early in pregnancy is associated with a disruption in an essential pregnancy hormone and adversely affects the masculinization of male genitals in the baby, according to new research. The findings focus on the role of the placenta in responding to these chemicals and altering levels of a key pregnancy hormone.

Breastfeeding an ideal feeding pattern for infants, experts say Posted: 05 Mar 2015 09:51 AM PST Human milk provides the best nutrition for most babies and breastfeeding provides the best nutrition for infants and very young children, according to an updated position paper. The paper also outlines the health risks of not breastfeeding, which include increased rates of infant and maternal morbidity and mortality, increased health care costs and significant economic losses to families and employers.

Smoking when pregnant increases cancer risk for daughters Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:06 AM PST Women who smoke when pregnant are putting their daughters at a greater risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer later in life, a new study has determined. Findings also demonstrated that mothers who reported smoking most days while pregnant had daughters who had an earlier age of first menstruation, or menarche.

Family interventions reduce smoking rates in children, adolescents Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:06 AM PST A global review into the effectiveness of family-based programs has found these programs can be highly effective in stopping children from taking up smoking. "Preventing children from starting to smoke is important to avoid a lifetime of addiction, poor health, and social and economic consequences," said one expert and investigator.

Hidden hazards found in 'green' products Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:06 AM PST Common consumer products, including those marketed as 'green,' 'all-natural,' 'non-toxic' and 'organic' emit a range of compounds that could harm human health and air quality, researchers have found. But most of these ingredients are not disclosed to the public.

Reliance on smartphones linked to lazy thinking Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:05 AM PST Our smartphones help us find a phone number quickly, provide us with instant directions and recommend restaurants, but new research indicates that this convenience at our fingertips is making it easy for us to avoid thinking for ourselves.

Semi-veggie diet effectively lowers heart disease, stroke risk Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:04 AM PST A pro-vegetarian diet that emphasizes a higher proportion of plant-based foods compared to animal-based foods may help lower the risks of dying from heart disease and stroke by up to 20 percent, according to a large-scale study. Researchers suggest that substituting some of the meat in your diet with vegetables may be a simple way to lower the risk of heart-related death.

Weight loss surgery can be a safe option for obese children, experts say Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:03 AM PST Weight loss surgery does not stunt the growth of obese children when applied within a clinical pathway. It is a safe option to use and provides hope for youngsters who are unable to shed pounds through weight management programs that include counseling and lifestyle changes, experts report.

Simple sideline test shown effective in diagnosing concussion in student athletes as young as 5 years old Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:02 AM PST An easy-to-administer vision test has shown effective in diagnosing concussion in student athletes as young as 5 years old, researchers report.

Choice of monitoring method could be key for babies with poor growth in the womb Posted: 04 Mar 2015 06:27 PM PST In some pregnancies, there is an abnormal blood flow from the placenta and the fetus does not grow adequately in the womb, putting it at risk of being stillborn. Babies that grow poorly in the womb could have better outcomes if a method for the timing of delivery was used more widely, a study suggests.

Omega-3 fatty acids appear to protect damaged heart after heart attack Posted: 04 Mar 2015 04:02 PM PST Taking omega-3 fatty acids appeared to lower inflammation and guard against further declines in heart function among recent heart attack survivors already receivingoptimal standard care, according to results from a randomized, controlled trial.

Standardization, simplification key to helping NICU babies feed and grow Posted: 02 Mar 2015 03:24 PM PST A new standardized approach for feeding infants in the neonatal intensive care unit helps babies attain full oral feeds sooner, improves their growth and sends them home sooner. The guidelines, developed by clinician-scientists, also reduces the cost of care for these babies by shortening their stays in the NICU by as much as two weeks.

Sleep in America poll finds pain a significant challenge when it comes to Americans' sleep Posted: 02 Mar 2015 03:23 PM PST A new poll in the United States finds that pain is a key factor in the gap between the amount of sleep Americans say they need and the amount they're getting -- an average 42 minute sleep debt for those with chronic pain and 14 minutes for those who've suffered from acute pain in the past week.

Sad movies are fattening Posted: 02 Mar 2015 03:23 PM PST Sad movies are bad news for diets. A newly reported study showed movie-goers watching tearjerkers ate between 28 and 55 percent more popcorn both in the lab and in a mall theater during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Olive oil: The key to curing cancer? Posted: 02 Mar 2015 11:12 AM PST Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), long-known for its heart health benefits, has now been identified for its rapid destruction of cancer cells. While scientists have proven that the oleocanthal compound found in EVOO causes cell death in cancer cells, they have been unable to provide an explanation for this phenomenon until now.