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Researchers in China, who conducted a review of research studies, say a diet that includes flaxseed may help lower cholesterol levels. The review of 28 studies, which involved more than 1,500 people, found cholesterol reduction linked with eating whole flaxseed was stronger in women than men. Study leader Dr. Xu Lin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai says one tablespoon daily Read more...

Pharmaceutical companies promote testosterone gel as an elixir for old men with low energy or low sex drive -- but researchers at the University of Minnesota will put those claims to the test. The U announced last week it is one of 12 sites for a $45 million federal trial of testosterone gel. The study of 800 men will be one of the largest to examine the gel and whether it can reverse the Read more...

U.S. researchers and Chinese researchers say rat studies show losing estrogen can lead to diminished brain function. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found areas of the brain -- such as CA3 -- that tend to be stroke resistant and important in learning and memory, became vulnerable to stroke in rats that went without estrogen for long periods. It appears estrogen helps Read more...

It was discovered by accident more than a decade ago that weight-loss surgery often led to a dramatic improvement in the control of type 2 diabetes, often before patients left the hospital. Today, evidence of the connection is so solid that some doctors say surgery should be considered as a treatment for diabetes, regardless of a person's weight. "We thought diabetes was an Read more...

A side of fries today, a large soda tomorrow. Next year, a surplus of 15 pounds. When a downward economy minimizes splurges on restaurant meals and pricey supermarket foods, fast food isn't the only answer. In the long run, fast eating, whether from vending machines or drive-thrus, is neither cheap nor healthful. Recognizing the hidden benefits of affordable foods can prove your most thrifty Read more...

A new study suggests that men may be able to lower their risk of getting the most aggressive form of prostate cancer by keeping their cholesterol in a healthy range. Men whose cholesterol was under 200 had less than half the risk of developing high-grade prostate tumors compared to men with high cholesterol, researchers report. The information comes from about 6,000 men who were in a big Read more...

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- With flu vaccination season in full swing, research from the University of Rochester Medical Center cautions that use of many common pain killers -- Advil, Tylenol, aspirin -- at the time of injection may blunt the effect of the shot and have a negative effect on the immune system. Richard P. Phipps, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, Read more...

EDMONTON -- The gender difference between men and women is a lot smaller than we've been led to believe when it comes to heart attack symptoms, according to a new study presented to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. "Both the media and some patient educational materials frequently suggest that Read more...

Losing sleep could lead to losing brain cells, a new study suggests. Levels of a protein that forms the hallmark plaques of Alzheimer's disease rise in the brains of mice and in the spinal fluid of people during wakefulness and fall during sleep, researchers report online September 24 in Science. Mice that didn't get enough sleep for three weeks also had more plaques in their brains than Read more...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Ignorance can kill. Survey results just released by the American Diabetes Association show Americans don't realize diabetes can kill. Less than half of the respondents chose diabetes when asked whether diabetes, breast cancer or AIDS causes the most deaths. Diabetes kills more than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Sue McLaughlin of the American Diabetes Association says Read more...

Aging can be tough. Ailments like osteoporosis, diabetes and memory loss plague many individual's golden years. While there is nothing any of us can do to turn back the hands of time, maintaining a proper diet can help to make life better for senior citizens. Jackie Carr, a registered dietician at the Brunswick hospital of Southeast Georgia Health System, points out that, as we age, many Read more...

Eleven percent of the U.S. population reports not getting enough sleep, with women sleeping less than men, health officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report released Thursday said an estimated 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep and wakefulness disorders. The report said 11.1 percent reported not getting Read more...

A weekend spa retreat sounds heavenly, but between work, the kids and the bank account, who can possible pull it off? The good news is that you don't really need one to relax and rejuvenate. With practice, you can boost your well-being practically anywhere, anytime. Here are some easy, no-cost ways to relax and refresh without ever leaving home, from Woman's Day magazine: Give yourself a rub Read more...

NEW YORK -- It seemed like a great idea -- doing bypass surgery while the heart is still beating, sparing patients the complications that can come from going on a heart-lung machine. Now the first big test of this method has produced a surprise: Bypass has fewer problems and is more successful done the old way. Most surprisingly, there were no signs of mental decline in those on the machines. Read more...

U.S. researchers have designed smartphones that help elderly people in China who have diabetes manage the disease. A team of researchers at Saint Louis University and Old Dominion University in Virginia said the interactive gaming system enables patients to learn about their disease and track their blood glucose, weight, diet, exercise, mood and blood pressure -- information that helps Read more...

Over the weekend, I stumbled upon the solution to our economic woes: Ikea. My epiphany wasn't the result of performance research, extensive data mining or an MRI of Paul Krugman's brain. I was just trying to put together some new office furniture. Go figgah. Whenever I attempt home assembly, my mind tends to wander. This may explain why my home office most resembles Picasso, the Read more...

Q: Dear Debt Adviser, Please explain how to use "payment for deletion," or PFD. My grandson can now pay off his debts with a collection agency for the full amount. How can he make sure the collection agency will send a PFD letter to the credit bureaus so his credit report looks good again? -- Julie A: Dear Grandma Julie, Times do change. My grandmother would have whacked me with Read more...

A ThirdAger rushes into a flower shop. "I need some potted geraniums," he says to the clerk. "I'm sorry," the clerk says, "but we don't have potted geraniums. Could you use African violets instead?" "No," says the customer. "It was geraniums my wife told me to water while she was gone." Read more...

A burglar, having broken into the largest home in an affluent neighborhood, was slowly making his way through the master suite when a loud voice shouted, "Jesus is watching you. Freeze!" The burglar stopped and slowly waited for the approach of the speaker. However, after sensing no movement, he beamed his flashlight in the direction of the voice. There, on it's perch, was a Read more...

A man walks into a building and gets into the elevator. He presses the button for the fifth floor. At the second floor the most stunning woman he has ever seen gets into the elevator and leans seductively against the wall. The man doesn't know where to look and starts to get very nervous. The woman begins to unbutton her blouse and throws it on the floor. She then takes off her bra and throws Read more...