The Checkup - Jennifer Huget on health in the news and in your life.

11:00 AM	Ask Tom: Rants, raves and questions on the DC dining scene LIVE NOW
12:00 PM	Free Range on Food: Baltimore pit beef, vegetable broth, gin and tonics and more
12:00 PM	The Reliable Source Live

Posted at 12:46 PM ET, 03/01/2012

New approaches to severed-nerve repair

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Who knew there was so much going on in the world of nerve-damage repair?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:46 PM ET, 03/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 03/01/2012

In post-menopausal women, trans fats raise, aspirin lowers stroke risk

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

A big new study finds that among the group, eating trans fats may raise risk of ischemic stroke — but taking aspirin may temper that effect.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:01 AM ET, 03/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:28 PM ET, 02/28/2012

FDA updates statin safety guidelines

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

The agency reaffirmed those drugs’ utility in helping reduce “bad” cholesterol “when used with diet and exercise.”

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 02:28 PM ET, 02/28/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:25 PM ET, 02/27/2012

Health & wellness survey finds obesity leveling off, Hawaiians happiest

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

The Checkup | Hawaiians more likely than any other people in the U.S. to say they smiled or laughed a lot yesterday.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 04:25 PM ET, 02/27/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 02/27/2012

Pediatrician group: Breast-feeding is best

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

The American Academy of Pediatrics says exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months of life is best for babies, both for nutrition and lasting health benefits.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:01 AM ET, 02/27/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:10 PM ET, 02/24/2012

Citrus fruit lowers women’s stroke risk, study shows

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Citrus fruit is so good in so many ways. Now, new research suggests it may also reduce stroke risk, at least in women.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 01:10 PM ET, 02/24/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Health, Health care, Medical research

Posted at 05:14 PM ET, 02/23/2012

Removal of polyps during colonoscopy reduces colon-cancer deaths

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

It may be among the most-dreaded medical procedures, but new research adds to the evidence that colonoscopy is very effective at reducing colon-cancer mortality .

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 05:14 PM ET, 02/23/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Colonoscopy, Health, Health Care

Posted at 05:24 PM ET, 02/22/2012

Alcohol in movies can nudge teens toward drinking

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Want to keep your teen from becoming a drinker? Keep an eye on what movies she’s watching — and the clothes she’s wearing, too.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 05:24 PM ET, 02/22/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:35 PM ET, 02/21/2012

CDC renews warning about raw milk

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

I’m sure I’ll get an earful from certain readers for this, but I can’t for the life of me see how any health-conscious person can think drinking unpasteurized milk is a good idea. That opinion’s bolstered by a CDC report issued Tuesday.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 06:35 PM ET, 02/21/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 02/20/2012

Study tallies how many years facial plastic surgery sheds

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Sure, cosmetic plastic surgery done well can make you look younger; that’s why people do it, right? But just how much younger can a patient expect to look after surgery?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 04:00 PM ET, 02/20/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:20 PM ET, 02/17/2012

Toothbrushes behaving badly: FDA issues Spinbrush warning

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

The FDA is warning consumers about the potential hazards of some battery-powered “spinning” toothbrushes.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 03:20 PM ET, 02/17/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Health care, Health

Posted at 12:20 PM ET, 02/17/2012

More on those 250-calorie candy bars

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

I blogged recently about the fact that Mars has pledged “not to ship any Mars chocolate products that exceed 250 calories per portion by the end of 2013.” The key phrase there is “per portion.”

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:20 PM ET, 02/17/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:30 PM ET, 02/16/2012

Is grief a disease?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

A thoughtful editorial published Thursday in the British medical journal The Lancet explores a question that most of us, sadly, have to grapple with at some time. Should grief be treated as a “mental illness” for which medical treatment is warranted?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 06:30 PM ET, 02/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:27 PM ET, 02/16/2012

Mars promises no-more-than-250-calorie candy bars

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

It’s suddenly newsworthy that the Mars company has pledged to limit the calories in all its chocolate candies to 250, after an Associated Press report this week and other media outlets called attention to it, too.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 05:27 PM ET, 02/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 02/16/2012

Women with RA, lupus have fewer children than they want. Why?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Some women diagnosed with RA or lupus during their childbearing years consciously choose not to have children after they’ve been diagnosed.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:01 AM ET, 02/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:51 PM ET, 02/14/2012

Study suggests skipping antibiotics for sinus infections

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

A study released Tuesday afternoon adds to the growing body of science suggesting that with many infections, including those of the sinuses, antibiotics aren’t the best course of treatment.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 09:51 PM ET, 02/14/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:09 PM ET, 02/14/2012

Lead in lipsticks: Which brands are the worst offenders?

By Sarah Halzack

A list of lipstick makers and shades that have high lead content.

By Sarah Halzack | 01:09 PM ET, 02/14/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:35 PM ET, 02/13/2012

Air pollution linked to cognitive impairment in older women

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Research suggests that chronic exposure to airborne particulate matter is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment in older women.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 06:35 PM ET, 02/13/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 02/13/2012

Kids’ sleep needs, in historical perspective

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Perhaps you’ve heard that kids today desperately need more sleep. A new study says “harrumph.”

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 12:01 AM ET, 02/13/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:48 AM ET, 02/10/2012

Pot use may double risk of serious car crashes

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

A study finds that people driving under the influence of cannabis are about twice as likely as unimpaired drivers to be involved in serious car crashes.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 08:48 AM ET, 02/10/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:51 PM ET, 02/09/2012

Was Mimi Alford unusual in losing virginity at 19 — in 1962?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Former White House intern Mimi Alford reports that she lost her virginity to JFK in 1962, when she was 19. That got me wondering: Was it unusual for a young woman to have her first sexual intercourse when she was 19, way back in the early 1960s?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 05:51 PM ET, 02/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 02/09/2012

The opposite of super-sizing

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

The Checkup | Researchers reporting in the journal Health Affairs found that many people would take smaller portions of side dishes at a fast-food Chinese restaurant if they were given that option when ordering.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 02/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:41 PM ET, 02/07/2012

Our excess salt doesn’t come from the shaker

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

A new report from the CDC finds we consume about 3,266 milligrams of sodium a day, way more than the 2,300 mg limit many of us should stick to.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 05:41 PM ET, 02/07/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:40 PM ET, 02/06/2012

High-fiber diet may not protect against diverticulosis, study finds

By David Brown

A study of the colon disease finds results that contradict the conventional medical wisdom, including that eating fat and meat makes its onset more likely.

By David Brown | 06:40 PM ET, 02/06/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:58 PM ET, 02/06/2012

Florida’s proposed food-stamp restrictions

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Florida Rep. Ronda Storms has attracted media attention for proposing state legislation that would, among other things, expand the list of foods people can’t purchase with food stamps.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 05:58 PM ET, 02/06/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 02/06/2012

Sugar, cheese and other dietary demons

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

The Checkup | Scolding people — or punishing them, or making them feel guilty — for their food choices is as likely as not to backfire: People don’t like being told what they should or shouldn’t eat.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 07:00 AM ET, 02/06/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:38 PM ET, 02/02/2012

Adults need vaccinations, too

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Did you know that adults should get a tetanus and diphtheria booster every 10 years? Or that people 60 and over should get a zoster vaccination to protect against shingles?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 06:38 PM ET, 02/02/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:54 AM ET, 02/01/2012

Should Komen have been funding Planned Parenthood in the first place?

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

The jarring decision to stop giving money to Planned Parenthood affiliates apparently had to do with the politics of abortion funding.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget | 10:54 AM ET, 02/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

The Checkup: March, 2012