Public Health

A study presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Dublin suggests that some men suffering from testosterone deficiency may be missed under current clinical guidelines, while others are misdiagnosed with testosterone deficiency.  Testosterone deficiency, also known as male hypogonadism, can lead to decreased libido and infertility, but it has also been associated with a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, diabetes and osteoporosis. In men, testosterone levels gradually decline with age. In recent years, an increasing number of aging men are presenting with symptoms…

Gary Hirshberg is a bit selective when it comes to transparency and labeling food and ingredients…at least when it applies to his own products. In a televised interview with Bloomberg earlier this month, Hirshberg–the chairman of Stonyfield Organic and funder of the anti-GMO, pro-labeling Just Label It organization–was asked by a reporter why the company doesn’t give more information about the ingredient on its yoghurt cups: ‘natural flavor.’ What the heck is “natural flavor”? the reporter wanted to know, holding up a Stonyfield tougher cup? What are the actual ingredients, he asked…

While secondhand exposure to cigarette smoking is linked with numerous health maladies, cannabis smoke is currently under a halo of no harm. Yet second-hand marijuana can cause an effect that cigarettes cannot - problems with memory and coordination, and in some cases testing positive for the drug in a urinalysis. At least in a very small study. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the world. The authors say the new research is the most comprehensive study of secondhand cannabis smoke and its effects since the 1980s, when researchers found the drug's active ingredient,…

A survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults has found misperceptions about miscarriage and its causes are widespread. Results of the survey show that feelings of guilt and shame are common after a miscarriage and that most people erroneously believe that miscarriages are rare. Nearly one million miscarriages occur in the U.S. each year. Miscarriages end one in every four pregnancies and are by far the most common of all pregnancy complications. Yet 55 percent of respondents to the Einstein/Montefiore survey believed that miscarriages are "uncommon" (defined in the survey as less than six percent…

Patients with type 2 diabetes who are overweight - but not obese - live longer than those who are normal weight or thin.  Obesity is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Studies show that overweight patients with cardiovascular disease live longer than normal-weight patients with cardiovascular disease.  This is called the obesity paradox. To determine if the same could be true about patients with diabetes, researchers followed more than 10,500 patients with type 2 diabetes and no known cardiovascular disease for a median of 10.6 years and collected…

A new epidemiology paper correlates a 5 percent increase of a person's total energy intake provided by sweet drinks each day with an 18 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes may increase by 18%. The authors estimate that replacing the daily consumption of one serving of a sugary drink with either water or unsweetened tea or coffee can lower the risk of developing diabetes by between 14% and 25%. This work in Diabetologia is based on the large EPIC-Norfolk food diary study which included more than 25,000 men and women aged 40-79 years living in Norfolk, UK. Study…

The baseless, superstitious fear of chemicals has certainly gripped our supposedly advanced population in a haze of inchoate panic akin to the residents of 17th century Salem, or Europeans of the Dark Ages. Sadly, science ignorance pervades our populace, largely because the perception is "Who cares?" or “How do I know what to believe?” And perhaps even more important: "Do I really need to know that?” Yes, you do. Here's why: when charismatic charlatans and quacks—and there is hardly a shortage of them— purvey miracle cures and "nutritional supplements" to supposedly support healthy bodily…

Clinics are advertising stem cell treatments using exceptions in FDA regulations, according to a new paper.  The therapies in question are adipose-derived autologous stem cell treatments, in which fat cells are removed from a patient, broken down to separate components that purportedly contain stem cells, and are then re-injected into the same patient. Proponents of these treatments advertise both cosmetic uses, such as "stem cell facelifts" and "stem cell breast augmentation," as well as "therapies" for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, multiple…

“It might take a little bit of force to break this up,” says mortician Holly Williams, lifting John’s arm and gently bending it at the fingers, elbow and wrist. “Usually, the fresher a body is, the easier it is for me to work on.” Williams speaks softly and has a happy-go-lucky demeanor that belies the nature of her work. Raised and now employed at a family-run funeral home in north Texas, she has seen and handled dead bodies on an almost daily basis since childhood. Now 28 years old, she estimates that she has worked on something like 1,000 bodies. Her work involves collecting recently…

There are plenty of misunderstandings and sometimes they get regurgitated into new forms, like that sugar is toxic or bread is bad for your brain. It can get a little confusing so Johns Hopkins physicians have shed some light on what is well-worn myth and what is fiction and what is in between. Belief: Eating too much sugar can cause diabetes Fact: “Type 2 diabetes can be caused by genetics, diet and lifestyle factors and multiple other unknown factors that trigger the onset of the disease,” says  Johns Hopkins endocrinologist Kendall F. Moseley, M.D. "Eating too much sugar can cause…