Hot MedFax

We go out for dinner on Sunday nights. I usually have a salad and my husband, a burger. We always go to the same restaurant. The servers know us there and have my iced tea and his water, waiting, on our favorite table. We sit and talk – about our son, our wobbly finances, our crazy families. Pretty ordinary night. But it makes me happy. I lopk forward to it all week. Now a new study is finding that for some people, happiness can be that simple. According to a recent story in The New York Times, “ What we do, it seems, has more potential for lasting satisfaction and memory-making than what we have.” Ron Lieber writes that, i f you can cover basic expenses, pursuing inexpensive, everyday things that bring comfort and satisfaction can lead to happiness equal to jetting about on international trips in your 70s and 80s. Well, we're not that old but it seems to be holding true for us. I'm going back to work next week but I haven't held a job – ...

Want to truly be grossed out? Scientists now say that hollow head toothbrushes contain 3,000 more times bacteria than solid head toothbrushes, according to newswise.com. Microbial counts were lower in the solid-head toothbrush group than in the two hollow-head toothbrush groups in 9 out of 10 comparisons, in the study. “Toothbrushes can transmit microorganisms that cause disease and infections. A solid-head design allows for less growth of bacteria and bristles should be soft and made of nylon,” said lead author and professor at the University of Texas Health School of Dentistry, Donna Warren Morris, R.D.H., M.Ed. at the Web site. “It is also important to disinfect and to let your toothbrush dry between uses. Some power toothbrushes now include an ultraviolet system or you can soak the head in mouthwash for 20 minutes.” The study was conducted over a three-week period where participants brushed twice daily with one out of three randomly assigned power toothbrushes. Pa...

Want to know how good a parent you'll be? Play with dolls. Not just any dolls but ones that having expectant parents role-play interacting with an infant using a doll can help predict which couples may be headed for co-parenting conflicts when their baby arrives, newswise.com reports. Researchers videotaped 182 couples in the third trimester of pregnancy while they played with a doll that they were told represented the baby they were about to have. Researchers analyzed how the couple interacted with each other around the doll. The couples were videotaped again nine months after the birth of their baby to see how they actually played together. Results showed that couples acted as similarly toward each other with the real baby as they did with the doll – in both positive and negative ways. “The extent to which couples support or undermine each other’s interactions with the doll predicts their co-parenting behavior a year later,” said Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, co-a...

Let's face it.  The Internet has become a wonderful resource to look up symptoms and treatment and other health concerns. But a group of people is taking it too seriously, without making sure of its credibility or accuracy.  Who are they?  Younger, college-educated men and women. A new study says consumers are increasingly turning to forums, video-sharing sites, and peer support groups to gather anecdotal information and advice, which may distract them from more reliable and trustworthy sources, according to newswise.com. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago, I immediately went online the minute it was even suspected I might have it.  Days before my diagnosis, I learned that what was spotted on my mammogram -- calcification -- is 80% of the time completely benign.  It didn't really help me relax all that much, but when it turned out to be malignant instead, I was horribly upset (probably more because of the diagnosis than the informatio...

Here's a scary thought.  Did you know eating too many ramen noodles might give you a heart attack? A new study says this is especially true for women (figures). Significant consumption of the convenient food product – ramen included – may increase a person’s risk for cardiometabolic syndrome, especially in women, newswise.com reports. This means diabetes, stroke, or heart disease risk.  Because ramen consumption is relatively high among Asian populations, the research focused primarily on South Korea, which has the highest per-capita number of instant noodle consumers in the world. In recent years, South Koreans have experienced a rapid increase in health problems, specifically heart disease, and a growing number of overweight adults. Such changes could lead to increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease, as well as increased health care costs, according to the Web site. The researcher, Dr. Hyun Joon Shin, who led the study on behalf of the Baylor Heart...

This is kind of surprising.  Shy people use Facebook longer, but disclose less on it. According to a new study , it’s the quiet ones who are logging in longer, says an assistant professor in the Communications Arts Department at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) at newswise.com. “The shy people spend more time on Facebook, but they disclose less information,” says Dr. Pavica Sheldon, who has done several studies on use of the social media site by university students.  "I'll poke you. You'll poke me!" Self-disclosure, social attraction, predictability and trust are important predictors of Facebook relationships, says another expert. Makes sense to me.  I must confess, I'm a bit of a coward when it comes to confronting people.  But I do it well on the Web.  It's much easier to say things (but sometimes unwise) in writing than face-to-face.  I don't think I'd ever break up with someone by texting but I hear it's been done.  A l...

A new study has found that humans are probably less concerned than previously believed about the inequity of others, according to newswise.com. Research revealed that, "strongly influenced by their self-interest, humans do not protest being overcompensated, even when there are no consequences, researchers in Georgia State University’s Brains and Behavior Program have found." These findings suggest humans’ sense of unfairness is affected by their self-interest, indicating the interest humans show in others’ outcomes is a recently evolved propensity, the Web site reports. Scientists have long known that humans show sensitivity when they are at a disadvantage by refusing or protesting outcomes more often when they are offered less money than a social partner.   But the new study showed that humans, who participated  do not show any sensitivity when they are overcompensated. They conclude that humans are more interested in their own outcomes than those of other...