The Korea Herald

Osteoporosis, a symptom-free disease

Oct 29, 2012

Osteoporosis is a “silent” bone disease because most people -- the disease affects 10 million U.S. adults -- are unaware of it until a fracture, an expert said.Dr. Khashayar Sakhaee, chief of the mineral metabolism division at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said most often osteoporosis affects postmenopausal women who undergo a dramatic drop in estrogen -- a hormone that assists in the absorption of calcium and prevents calcium loss from the bone. However, the dis
German doctors remove 28-kilo tumor from woman

Oct 28, 2012

Doctors in Germany said Friday they had removed a tumor weighing 28 kilogram’s (62 pounds) from a 60-year-old woman who had previously been diagnosed as obese.A spokesman from the university clinic in the eastern city of Dresden said the woman, Irmtraud Eichler, had made a full recovery after the seven-hour operation and was now able to walk again with crutches.The so-called "borderline" tumor, measuring 60 centimeters (24 inches) by 50 centimeters, attached itself to an ovary and Eichler began
Pediatricians offer first report on organic foods

Oct 25, 2012

CHICAGO (AP) ― Parents who want to reduce their kids’ exposure to pesticides may seek out organic fruits and vegetables, but they aren’t necessarily safer or more nutritious than conventional foods, America’s leading pediatricians group says in its first advice on organics.Science hasn’t proven that eating pesticide-free food makes people any healthier, the American Academy of Pediatrics said.“Theoretically there could be negative effects, especially in young children with growing brains,’” but
Truth about depression

Oct 25, 2012

Biological and genetic factors, not traumatic events, usually cause of depression
Slap to the face removes wrinkles, claims therapist

Oct 25, 2012

A Thailand-trained therapist says anti-aging treatment is possible just by slapping and massaging the face, according to U.S. news sources.Tata Sombuntham, who claims to be the first face-slapping practitioner in the western hemisphere, says she can remove wrinkles and tighten skin with this unusual treatment. She and her husband Mawan run a beauty salon in San Francisco where they charge clients $350 (385,000 won) for each 15-minute session of face-slapping. Sombuntham says this is “ancient Tha
Exercise linked to less memory loss

Oct 25, 2012

Seniors age 70 and older who exercised regularly had less brain shrinkage -- linked to memory loss -- than those not active, Scottish researchers said.Dr. Alan Gow of the University of Edinburgh and psychologists and Neuroimaging experts said greater brain shrinkage is linked to problems with memory and thinking, and the researchers said their findings suggest exercise is potentially one important pathway to maintaining a healthy brain both in terms of size and reducing damage.The Edinburgh team
Group slams sex advice website aimed at teens in U.K.

Oct 24, 2012

British family campaigners criticized a website that gives advice on sex acts to children as young as 13, local media reported Wednesday.The respectyourself.info website, provided by the “Respect Yourself” project, features explicit images of naked people as well as detailed information on sexual acts. The project was funded by Warwickshire Council and the EU and was designed by the National Health Service,“This is a grossly irresponsible website and a complete misuse of taxpayers’ hard-earned c
Cholesterol drug may cut cancer risk

Oct 23, 2012

Statins, a cholesterol lowering drug may lower the risk of esophageal cancer, especially in those with Barrett‘s esophagus, U.S. researchers say. Study author Siddharth Singh, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, said squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are two main types of esophageal cancer.Barrett’s esophagus, a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease, raises the risk of adenocarcinoma, the more common type of esophageal cancer. Barrett‘s esophagus is a precancerous condition in w
Smoking linked to increased cataract risk

Oct 22, 2012

ZHEJIANG, China (UPI) -- Scientists in China say evidence shows smoking increases the risk of age-related cataracts, the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in the world.Dr. Juan Ye of the Institute of Ophthalmology at Zhejiang University in China and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis using numerous studies from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America to compare the prevalence of age-related cataracts in individuals who ever smoked cigarettes to those who have never smoked. “
Singles need more money when ill, elderly

Oct 19, 2012

Singles, especially those without children, will need to budget more money for healthcare in old age than those who are married, U.S. researchers say. The MetLife Mature Market Institute's monthly Market Trends report said the 2010 Census revealed married couples are 48 percent of U.S. households. Those with children age 18 and younger comprised just 20 percent of households and those with two children were 8 percent. From a planning perspective it is harder to control costs when injured
Personality is revealed by the body’s position: research

Oct 19, 2012

A British news report said a new research found that more than half of people in the U.K. tend to curl up their bodies in a fetal position when they sleep in bed -- which indicates that they are worriers.About 58 percent of people researched sleep with their knees up and heads down, the report said.The second-most common position, 28 percent, was the “log,” which can be associated with people’s rigid personalities, according to body language expert Robert Phipps.Phipps categorized four sleeping
Bruxism (teeth clenching or grinding)

Oct 18, 2012

Some of us will have had the experience of sleeping next to a person who grinds their teeth. Occasional teeth grinding is not a big deal, but if this happens regularly, it causes inconvenience for both the person and those around them.Bruxism often occurs during sleep and it seems to be one of many known sleep disorders. The mechanism of bruxism is believed to be similar to that of kicking your leg during sleep.There are several hypotheses to explain the possible causes of bruxism. Traditional v
Korea on propofol alert

Oct 18, 2012

The 2009 death of pop legend Michael Jackson brought propofol, the anesthetic that killed him, to the world’s attention. Before the tragic incident, people knew little about the drug and how dangerous it could be when administered for non-medical purposes and by unqualified personnel.Korea is no longer safe from the threat of propofol too, as a series of the drug abuse cases involving the anesthesia drug have been reported. Propofol has been classified as a psychotropic drug since last year in K
Health authorities confirm first West Nile virus infection

Oct 17, 2012

South Korean health authorities confirmed Wednesday the country's first West Nile virus case involving a patient who contracted the disease while traveling in Africa.According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the patient, whose identity was withheld for privacy reasons, traveled to Guinea from January to June and returned to the country after developing symptoms of W
Korean cigarettes said to contain addictive substances

Oct 17, 2012

Cigarettes produced by South Korean manufacturers may contain substances that make people become addicted to them more and faster, a report showed Wednesday, suggesting a possible change of tactics in future damage suits against tobacco companies.So far there have been three damage suits filed against South Korea’s tobacco manufacturers, but none were ruled in favor of the customers or plaintiffs.