7% of all adults suffer from major depression. That’s one finding from a new major study on the subject of depression. Other findings: Major depression often retreats only after patients have tried multiple drugs, and a large minority still have disabling symptoms even after using many medications. Two-thirds of depressed patients became depression-free after trying up to four different combinations … Read More
Dlibert Cartoonist Gets His Voice
18 months ago, Scott Adams, the cartoonist who draws "Dilbert", lost his voice due to something called Spasmodic Dysphonia. That’s when a part of your brain simply shuts down, and you lose the ability to talk. There is no cure. Specialists could not help him. A couple of days ago, working on his own pet theory that he could "remap" … Read More
Everybody Picks Up Limbaugh/Michael J. Fox Story
UPDATE: For those late to the game, The Carpetbagger Report will catch you up. USA Today: WASHINGTON — Rush Limbaugh has accused actor Michael J. Fox of exaggerating the physical effects of his Parkinson’s disease in political ads urging viewers to vote for Democrats in next month’s election. The conservative radio host told listeners Monday that Fox’s lurching, palsied movements … Read More
The Latest In Medicine
Important medical research: Scientists Test Dissolving Heart Stent Not-so-important medical research: Docs look to create perfect eyelashes Any questions?
NOW They Tell Me
I just got a new mobile phone. It does everything. I can even read the news headlines on it. Headlines like this: Men who use mobile phones face increased risk of infertility Oh my.
Sleep Debt
I’m not sleeping well, so this article piqued my interest: A good night’s sleep now appears to be every bit as important to good health and long life as a nutritious diet and regular exercise. "Sleep is in the top three," says Dinges. "And I think it’s No. 1. Sleep is a biological imperative and not getting enough has health-related … Read More
How To Live To Be 100 Or More
Lay off the following: Alcohol Indulge in the following: Coffee Cigars Sex So says this study of Cuban centenarians. There’s a Clinton joke to be made about cigars and sex, but I’ll leave it to your imagination.
Getting Emergency Contraception
Everyone has been linking to this harrowing account of what it’s like to get emergency contraception (EC) in rural Ohio, so I will too. This woman’s doctor told her to call the ER. She did. Then a parade of nurses hemmed and hawed over the phone, until finally a fourth nurse told her what was going on: "Well see," he … Read More
McDonalds Might Sell Breakfast Meals All Day
Good. Because their breakfast menu is better than their regular one.
The Latest On Spinach
The FDA’s latest announcement: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will continue to provide the public with regular updates on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak each day until further notice. Case Reports To date, 109 cases of illness due to E. coli infection have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 16 cases of … Read More
What Does The U.S. Surgeon General Say About “Plan B”?
Remember C. Everett Koop? Like him or hate him, you knew he was the Surgeon General of the United States, and he opined on the important health matters of the day. So where is the current Surgeon General, and what’s his or her opinion on the "Plan B’ morning-after pill? Do you even know who he/she is? Don’t feel bad. … Read More
Debbie Does The Local Health Care System
It all started innocently enough. A dance rehearsal for "Debbie Does Dallas" (Winston-Salem Journal preview article here). A cramp in the calf. Damn. I should’ve stretched before starting. I’m not in my twenties anymore. (I keep on forgetting that.) "It could be a blood clot," says Gray, looking at the swelling and bruising on my calf. "You should get it … Read More
Massage Therapist Banned From Having Sex With Her Husband
Minnesota has a law which forbids massage therapists from having sex with their clients for two years. A therapist who violates the law can have his/her license revoked, and be fined. The problem with the law (aside from the fact that it is a victimless crime) is that it makes no exception for marriage. That can cause a problem. Just … Read More
Don’t Let The Bedbugs Bite
They’re making a comeback: Absent from the U.S. for so long that some thought they were a myth, bedbugs are back. Include me as one of those who thought they were fictional. Entomologists and pest control professionals are reporting a dramatic increase in infestations throughout the country, and no one knows exactly why. *** Bedbugs are tiny brownish, flattened insects … Read More