The death of a spouse is one of the most tragic events in a person’s life, often causing an enormous amount of stress andaffecting even the health of the surviving partner. Other extremely traumatic events, new research finds out, can literally break the heart of an individual. The research, done at the University Clinic of Rostock in Germany, studied how heart-breaking experiences affect the heart conditions of subjects. Distressed patients’ hearts force the body to pour out adrenaline and othe

The American Academy of Dermatology says its new video demonstrates how a U.S. adult can check his or her own skin for skin cancer. Dr. Thomas E. Rohrer, a board-certified dermatologist in Chestnut Hill, Mass., said current estimates show 20 percent of U.S. adults will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime, so it‘s important to be familiar with your skin, especially moles.“Checking your skin for skin cancer only requires your eyes and a mirror,” Rohrer said in a statement. “Examining y

BOSTON (UPI) -- Overweight and obese U.S. teens gain less weight when they consume fewer sugary drinks, researchers say.Cara Ebbeling and Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children‘s Hospital and colleagues said their study involved 224 overweight or obese ninth- and 10th-graders who regularly drank 1.7 sugary beverages a day.The year-long study intervention was designed to reduce consumption of these be

NEW YORK -- Vitamin C may protect against osteoporosis -- a disease in which the bones of the elderly become brittle and can fracture, U.S. researchers say.  Dr. Mone Zaidi, director of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Bone Program, and colleagues removed the ovaries of mice, a procedure -- ovariectomies -- known to reduce bone density, and compared them with control mice that had “sham” operati

Health officials declared Jindo, South Jeolla Province, the country’s first “cancer cluster” on Monday as residents showed abnormally high rates of liver cancer.A cancer cluster refers to a specific geographic area that has a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases.By conducting an in-depth epidemiological investigation last year, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the island as an area of increased liver cancer risk. Health officials also found that hepatitis C

Lawmakers on Monday called for steps to block the misuse of propofol, a psychotropic drug, amid rising concerns over health risks.They claim some hospitals have been wrongly overprescribing the anesthetic drug to patients who claimed to have sleep disorders. But there are no legal grounds to stop it, said Rep. Shin Eui-jin of the ruling Saenuri Party at a parliamentary audit session. Propofol is a drug commonly used as an anesthetic for surgeries. The lawmaker, citing a report by the Health Insu

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., (UPI) -- One-in-4 U.S. moms say young children tasting alcohol may discourage teen drinking, while 40 percent say banning alcohol may make it appealing, a study found. In addition to those who favored letting kids taste alcohol so it is no longer a “forbidden fruit,” and those who said banning alcohol only makes if more desirable, 22 percent of the 1,050 mothers inter

The grape seeds many disdainfully discard are humble little packages of powerful ingredients that possess multiple health benefits, a U.S. food expert says."The beneficial components of the grape seed are the proanthocyanidins. Studies conducted since the 1950s, have shown grape seeds to have a wide range of health benefits, most markedly for their role as a potent antioxidant and free radical sca

Having more than two energy drinks a day could cause health problems in children due to the high levels of caffeine, a report said Friday. In a study of 11 energy drinks currently on sale, the Korea Consumer Agency found that most of them carry high doses of caffeine but the beverage makers didn’t provide information about the amount of caffeine contained and their health risks.Only two of the 11 energy drinks ― Bacchus F and Glonsan D ― stated that they contain 30 milligrams of caffeine per bot

After several Philadelphia hospitals closed their maternity units in 1997, infant mortality rates increased by 50 percent in three years, researchers say. Study leader Dr. Scott A. Lorch of the Center for Outcomes Research at The Children‘s Hospital of Philadelphia said the mortality rates subsequently leveled off to the same rate as before the closures. However, pediatric researchers said the findings underscore the need for careful oversight and planning by public health agencies in communitie