http://medicalxpress.com/health-news/ en-us PhysOrg Team Medical Xpress provides the latest news on health, medicine technology and health sciences. Research shows that the earlier the age at which youth take their first alcoholic drink, the greater the risk of developing alcohol problems. Thus, age at first drink (AFD) is generally considered a powerful predictor of progression to alcohol-related harm. A new study shows that individuals who have their first drink during puberty subsequently have higher drinking levels than do individuals with a post-pubertal drinking onset. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-youth-puberty-higher.html Health 2013-05-17T17:30:01-07:00 One quarter of British lawmakers believe there is an "unhealthy" drinking culture in the Houses of Parliament, according to a survey published on Friday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-british-mps-parliamentary-boozing.html Health 2013-05-17T12:10:01-07:00 Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that the race and sex of study personnel can influence a patient's decision on whether or not to participate in clinical research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-patient-sex-personnel.html Health 2013-05-17T11:42:22-07:00 The processes to allow people to self-manage their own illness are not being used appropriately by health professionals to the benefit of their patients, new research suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-clinical-patient-self-management-rhetoric-reality.html Health 2013-05-17T10:50:02-07:00 Control of heart disease risk factors varies widely among outpatient practices, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2013. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-heart-disease-factors-varies-outpatient.html Health 2013-05-17T09:50:35-07:00 The dangers of coal mining enter the spotlight periodically when disasters strike, but one West Virginia University researcher argues that coal mine dust exposure, which has caused an increase in the prevalence and severity of chronic lung diseases, is happening every day and deserves more attention. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-black-lung.html Health 2013-05-17T09:31:40-07:00 Most people associate work with negative effects on family life, but new research from The Australian National University (ANU) has turned this view on its head, showing that the positives of jobs flow through too. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-good-jobs-happy-families.html Health 2013-05-17T09:00:04-07:00 Women admitted to psychiatry wards experience high levels of violence and sexual assaults, according to a report released this week by the Victorian Mental Illness Alliance Council. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-sexual-assaults-psych-wards-urgent.html Health 2013-05-17T08:20:01-07:00 Peru's president signed a new law Thursday designed to reduce child obesity by encouraging healthier eating habits in schools. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-peru-junk-food-schools.html Health 2013-05-17T04:50:11-07:00 Men experience a higher burden of disease and lower life expectancy than women, but policies focusing on the health needs of men are notably absent from the strategies of global health organisations, according to a Viewpoint article in this week's Lancet. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-global-health-policy-burden-disease.html Health 2013-05-16T19:00:01-07:00 (HealthDay)—For those who aren't born with long, fluttery eyelashes, cosmetic extensions can help achieve that often sought-after look. But eye experts warn that the adhesives used to apply these eyelash extensions can cause allergies and infections. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-eyelash-extension-adhesives-bad-reactions.html Health 2013-05-16T17:20:02-07:00 (HealthDay)—There are few things more inviting than a cool, clear pool on a hot summer day. But a new federal report will have you thinking twice before dipping a toe in the water. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-pools-contaminated-human-cdc.html Health 2013-05-16T16:40:01-07:00 Massachusetts' healthcare reform didn't result in substantially more hospital use or higher costs, according to data presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2013. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-massachusetts-health-reform-didnt-hospital.html Health 2013-05-16T16:27:03-07:00 Bicycle engineering guidelines often used by state regulators to design bicycle facilities need to be overhauled to reflect current cyclists' preferences and safety data, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers. They say that U.S. guidelines should be expanded to offer cyclists more riding options and call for endorsing cycle tracks – physically separated, bicycle-exclusive paths adjacent to sidewalks – to encourage more people of all ages to ride bicycles. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-track-policy-boost-ridership-health.html Health 2013-05-16T16:20:54-07:00 African-American adults living closer to a fast food restaurant had a higher body mass index (BMI) than those who lived further away from fast food, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and this association was particularly strong among those with a lower income. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-body-mass-index-income-african-americans.html Health 2013-05-16T16:14:37-07:00 Like the general public, health care professionals may hold certain stereotypes regarding sexual activity and childbearing among women with disabilities. But a new study finds that women with chronic physical disabilities are about as likely as nondisabled women to say they are currently pregnant, after age and other sociodemographic factors are taken into account. The findings are reported in the June issue of Medical Care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-women-chronic-physical-disabilities-children.html Health 2013-05-16T14:04:19-07:00 Men who are heavy drinkers and homeless for long periods of time have 400 times the number of head injuries as the general population, according to a new study by researchers who said they were shocked by their findings. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-statistics-injuries-people-homeless.html Health 2013-05-16T13:12:18-07:00 College students eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise more on days when they communicate more with their parents, according to researchers at Penn State. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-students-diet-physical-parent.html Health 2013-05-16T11:00:17-07:00 A recent study by a team of researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that risky sexual behavior can be predicted by cultural, socioeconomic and individual mores in conjunction with how one views themselves. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-risky-sexual-behavior.html Health 2013-05-16T10:56:13-07:00 Spanish researchers have studied how job stress affects cardiovascular health. The results, published in the 'Scandinavian Journal of Public Health', link this situation to dyslipidemia, a disorder that alters the levels of lipids and lipoproteins in the blood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-work-related-stress-linked-blood-fat.html Health 2013-05-16T10:28:41-07:00 (Medical Xpress)—Athletes no longer ask whether beetroot juice improves sporting performance - they just want to know how much to drink, and when. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-beet.html Health 2013-05-16T08:40:01-07:00 (HealthDay)—People with hypertension have a taste for more salt in their food than do individuals with normotension, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, held from May 15 to 18 in San Francisco. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-ash-people-hypertension-higher-salt.html Health 2013-05-16T04:06:51-07:00 (HealthDay)—Public funding of assisted reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, broadens the range of couples who seek treatment for infertility by attracting a more diverse population, according to new research from Canada. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-funding-spurs-couples-fertility-treatment.html Health 2013-05-16T03:56:48-07:00 Despite previous studies touting its benefit in moderating gout risk, new research reveals that vitamin C, also known ascorbic acid, does not reduce uric acid (urate) levels to a clinically significant degree in patients with established gout. Vitamin C supplementation, alone or in combination with allopurinol, appears to have a weak effect on lowering uric acid levels in gout patients according to the results published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, Arthritis & Rheumatism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-vitamin-uric-acid-gout-patients.html Health 2013-05-16T00:00:02-07:00 (HealthDay)—People who follow the ancient practice of yoga may be getting an added health boost, with a new study suggesting it can fight high blood pressure—also known as hypertension. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-yoga-ease-high-blood-pressure.html Health 2013-05-15T19:00:01-07:00 (HealthDay)—New Italian research offers some cautionary advice for patients with high blood pressure: The next time you take a blood pressure reading, turn off your cellphone. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-cellphone-blood-pressure-skew-results.html Health 2013-05-15T18:30:02-07:00 University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have developed a website that walks healthcare providers through the challenging transition from the current International Classification of Diseases—ICD-9—to the new ICD-10. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-uic-specialists-ease-healthcare-codes.html Health 2013-05-15T17:23:16-07:00 At a time when the U.S. health system is facing both an increasing demand for primary care services and a worsening shortage of primary care physicians, one broadly recommended strategy has been to increase the number and the responsibilities of nurse practitioners. In 2010 an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee recommended that "advance practice registered nurses should be able to practice to the full extent of their education and training" and that nurse practitioners should be able to admit patients to hospitals and hospices, lead medical teams and medical homes, and receive reimbursements similar to what physicians receive for providing the same services. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-disagreement-role-primary-nurse-practitioners.html Health 2013-05-15T17:01:25-07:00 Twenty percent of American males and 10 percent of American females will experience a kidney stone at some point in their lifetime. Often, these patients will be advised to drink more fluids as a way to prevent future stone formation. Now, new research from Brigham and Women's Hospital finds that some beverages may be more helpful than others when it comes to preventing recurrent kidney stones. In a study published online May 15, 2013 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), researchers report that the consumption of sugar sweetened soda and punch is associated with a higher risk of stone formation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-sugar-sweetened-beverages-kidney-stone.html Health 2013-05-15T17:00:04-07:00 Denmark's Veterinary and Food Administration said Wednesday that parents should stop giving their children rice cakes and rice milk, saying the products contained unacceptable levels of inorganic arsenic. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-denmark-rice-children.html Health 2013-05-15T17:00:03-07:00