health news stories on Newser

Get College Degree, Live 9 Years Longer

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:52:45 CDT

Sure, college costs a lot of money and you won’t necessarily get a job after you graduate, but good news! At least you'll live longer in your loan-induced poverty, because higher education is linked to longer life. An annual report from the CDC shows that those who obtain a bachelor’s...

California Students Eating Less Junk Food

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:12:48 CDT

Why do teens in California consume fewer calories a day than young people in other states? It's because they snack less when at school, a new study finds, and they snack less because state laws have curbed the sale of junk food and banned the sale of soda and sugary...

Now Student Losing Hands to Flesh-Eating Infection

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:47:50 CDT

The Georgia grad student who already lost her left leg to amputation will now lose her hands and her right foot to save her from a flesh-eating infection. Aimee Copeland's life turned into a nightmare after a zip-line cut her calf during a kayaking trip. Shortly afterward she was felled...

Diagnosis of the Day: 'Tanorexia'

John Johnson — Sun, 06 May 2012 08:15:27 CDT

The New Jersey woman accused of bringing her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth is, in the diplomatic words of AP , "deeply tanned." A dermatologist writing in the Daily News isn't so diplomatic about Patricia Krentcil's appearance. "In all my years of treating patients as a dermatologist, I have never...

Baby Boomer? Feds Say Get Tested for Hepatitis C

Dustin Lushing — Sat, 05 May 2012 11:33:25 CDT

An epidemic of hepatitis C is afflicting the baby boomer generation, and federal authorities will roll out a campaign this year urging everyone born between 1945 and 1965 to get tested, reports the Los Angeles Times . Roughly 75% of the estimated 3.2 million people infected are boomers, many of...

In US, 1 in 8 Births Are Premature

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:32:20 CDT

About 15 million premature babies are born every year—more than 1 in 10 of the world's births and a bigger problem than previously believed, according to the first country-by-country estimates of this obstetric epidemic. The startling toll: 1.1 million of these fragile newborns die as a result, and...

Scientists Zero In on Red Wine's Health Secrets

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:51:44 CDT

Scientists have unlocked the mystery of a special ingredient in red wine that could increase lifespan and promote health in humans. The organic compound resveratrol aids the body by jump-starting the activity of mitochondria—the power suppliers of cells, reports the Daily Mail . Resveratrol, which occurs naturally in red wine,...

Dogs Poisoning Veterinarians

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:21:00 CDT

Some best friend. A few veterinarians and their workers are discovering dogs have made them very sick. Experts at the Centers for Disease Controls are warning of a bizarre poisoning that's occurring when dogs vomit in vet offices after ingesting pest-fighting chemicals aimed at rats, moles, and gophers. The dogs...

Woman's Death Blamed on 2 Gallons of Coke a Day

Dustin Lushing — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:39:05 CDT

A 30-year-old New Zealand woman died of a heart attack in 2010, and her death has been linked to her consumption of about 2 gallons of Coca-Cola every day for several years. Natasha Marie Harris consumed about 4,000 calories of regular Coke daily, reports CBS News . "The first thing...