Healthy People 2020. Topics & Objectives.

Most Addictive Prescription Drugs. Opiate Abuse and Addiction.

Medications can be effective when they are used properly, but some can be addictive and dangerous when abused. This chart provides a brief look at some prescribed medications that—when used in ways or by people other than prescribed—have the potential for adverse medical consequences, including addiction. In 2010, approximately 16 million Americans reported using a [...]

Saw Palmetto as a Natural Medicine.

Saw palmetto Treatments
In men: used to treat and relieve symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); shrinks the prostate and releases the squeeze of the urethra, so that, urine flows normally; increases urine volume, decreases frequent urination, and more ease of urination.
In women: helps relieve painful periods and regulates the menstrual cycle; stimulates the production of prolactin, a female hormone that promotes breast enlargement. Used to treat urinary tract and bladder infections; has an aphrodisiac effect by enhancing sexual functioning and sexual desire.

Gynecomastia Treatment. Do you need surgery to remove male breasts?

Actually, there is no reason to be embarrassed. Enlarged breasts are common among teenage boys and men, and breast reduction surgery is increasingly popular among guys. In fact, in the US it’s the fourth most popular cosmetic surgical procedure among males, with nearly 17,000 of them performed in 2009 alone.

Counting Carbs? Understanding Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

But it’s not just the types of carbs that matter. The more carbs you eat, the more your blood sugar rises. “The glycemic index really doesn’t take into consideration how much you eat,” explains Dr. Somdat Mahabir, who studies cancer risk at NIH.

That’s why researchers came up with the concept of glycemic load. It captures both the types of carbs in a food and the amount of carbs in a serving. Essentially, it shows how a portion of food affects your blood sugar. Many things affect the glycemic load, including food processing, how ripe a fruit is, how a food is prepared and how long it’s been stored.

Can drinking while pregnant hurt my baby? Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

The specific type of birth defect depends on the systems in the fetus developing at the time of alcohol exposure. Organ systems are most vulnerable to damage by alcohol during the period of most dynamic development. The damage seen in animal models roughly corresponds to weeks 3 to 8 in human pregnancy. However, if a woman drinks any time throughout her pregnancy, damage may occur.