Changes in cholesterol may speed heart disease in children affected by the premature aging disease progeria, researchers report.

Progeria is a rare, fatal genetic condition in which children show signs of accelerated aging such as aged-looking skin, loss of hair and body fat, joint stiffness, hip dislocation, atherosclerosis, and growth failure.

That aging occurs within the cardiovascular system, too, so that "all children with progeria die between the ages of 6 and 20 years from heart failure or stroke," study lead author Dr. Leslie Gordon, medical director of the Progeria Research Foundation and assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement...more click on heading

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Girls as young as six say they are unhappy with their bodies and want to be thinner, a study has suggested. A team from the Flinders University of South Australia interviewed over 80 girls aged five to eight.

The British Journal of Developmental Psychology study found 47% wanted to be slimmer, and most thought that would make them more popular. The UK Eating Disorder Association said it was known that children as young as eight had been diagnosed with anorexia.

We are concerned but not surprised that school children as young as six are affected, says spokesman of Eating Disorders Association...more click on heading

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Smoking may be an environmental trigger that activates pancreatic cancer in people with a family history of this usually fatal disease, a new study suggests.

The finding underscores the importance of not smoking if your family members have had pancreatic cancer. In addition, you should consider being screened for the disease beginning at around 40. About 10 percent to 15 percent of those with pancreatic cancer have a family history of the disease...more click on heading

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Most patients referred for evaluation of sleep apnea, a condition in which airways become blocked during sleep and breathing stops for brief periods, are in their 50s, but men in their 20s with this condition appear to have the highest risk of death, an research team reports.

"The implication is that we must diagnose patients while they're young, in their 20s and 30s, if we are to prevent mortality," Dr. Peretz Lavie told. Lavie and colleagues at Technion-Israel Institut of Technology in Haifa examined the survival rates of nearly 14,000 men between 20 and 93 years old evaluated over a 10-year period at their clinic for possible sleep apnea. During an average follow-up of 4.6 years, there were 372 deaths...more click on heading

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Heart attack during pregnancy, labor or delivery occurs rarely, but the rate has increased in the last 10 years, according to a study conducted by a team from the University of California-Davis. The trend seems to be related to the increase in maternal age.

Dr. Heidi E. Ladner, who led the study, says that one of the "most interesting observations" in their study was the link between heart attack and older maternal age, pre-existing diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as pregnancy-related blood pressure disorders...more click on heading

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Adding fish to your diet can help get you in the swim of things when it comes to better cardiovascular health, but experts at the Mayo Clinic also warn there are some contaminants -- most notably mercury -- to watch out for in fish, as well.

Fish is lower in saturated fat, total fat and calories than comparable portions of meat or poultry, the experts note in the February issue of the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. Some species of fish -- such as fatty, coldwater fish including salmon, mackerel and herring -- are high in omega-3 fatty acids. This type of healthy fat, also found in anchovies, sardines and lake trout, appears to help prevent blood clots that can cause heart attacks...more click on heading

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One of the best ways to ward off health problems as you age is the same as when you're young, health experts say -- exercise.
"Most of the issues we look at as aging really are disuse. We're meant to move," said Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging, an umbrella group of about 4,000 organizations that deal with aging populations.

"Exercising is the closest thing to a 'magic bullet,' to ensure longevity and a good quality of life," he said...more click on heading

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So it was drilled into us that drink to your heart's content to remain fit and stay healthy. But a study done on Boston marathon runners proves otherwise.

488 runners of the Boston marathon were tested for hyponatremia- diluted sodium levels in blood- and it was found that more than one in eight had the condition. This condition arises when a person drinks too much water during exercise and then sodium levels in blood fall...more click on heading

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Women may have a tougher time kicking their smoking habits compared with men, according to a Pennsylvania researcher.
In general, women are more concerned than men about possible weight gain and women are more likely than men to have a history of major depression, which is related to poor success rates for quitting, explained study author Dr. Kenneth A. Perkins of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine...more click on heading

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Hundreds of thousands of people could benefit from vitamin supplements shown to help prevent macular degeneration, a condition that is the leading cause of blindness from age 65, a study said on Monday.

In 2001, researchers reported they had found a reduced risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration and vision loss for test subjects who had been given high-dose antioxidant supplements -- vitamins C, E and beta carotene -- as well as zinc or zinc oxide...more click on heading

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Depression is more common in women than in men as researchers have identified several gene variants linked to depression that occur only in women, including one that is related to female hormone regulation, a study said.

However, women acknowledge their symptoms while men are more reluctant to admit the problem or reach out for help...more click on heading

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Tiny nerves taken from the rib cage, fortified with a powerful growth inducer and transplanted in the spinal cord significantly reversed paralysis in rats with spinal cord injuries.

That's the finding of a study in the October issue of the Journal of Neurotrauma...more click on heading

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New research provides further evidence that substances in kale, spinach and other green vegetables help protect aging eyes from cataract.

In an experiment, investigators found that human eye cells treated with antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin showed less damage after being exposed to ultraviolet rays, the sunlight ingredient considered a major contributor to cataracts...more click on heading

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Women pregnant with twins, triplets or quadruplets are at greater risk of serious health complications than are women carrying just one fetus, according to a Canadian study published on Wednesday.

Researchers at the Universities of Ottawa and Toronto, who studied 4.4 million records for obstetric deliveries in Canada, found that women who carry two or more fetuses are almost 13 times more likely to experience heart failure and more than twice as likely to develop clotting in the legs and lungs -- both leading causes of maternal death...more click on heading

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Men and women who suffer from migraines are also likely to have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, a new study finds.

A report in the Feb. 22 issue of Neurology concludes that migraine sufferers were more likely to smoke, have parents who had a heart attack or stroke, and have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. However, they were less likely to drink, the researchers said...more click on heading

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