Research shows remote weight loss interventions equally effective as face-to-face coaching programs Remote weight loss interventions, such as online or phone counseling by health coaches, are as equally effective as programs requiring face-to-face contact, according to findings presented this week at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. In the study, 415 obese men and women, […]

Frogs’ amazing leaps due to springy tendons The secret to frogs’ superlative jumping lies in their tendons. Researchers at Brown University, filming frogs jumping at 500 frames per second with special X-ray technology, show that the frog’s tendon stretches as it readies its leap and then recoils, much like a spring, when the frog jumps. […]

No Butts about It: Quit Plans are Key to Stopping Smoking This Thursday marks the 36th annual Great American Smokeout: A “holiday” challenging smokers to either make a plan to quit in the near future – or, if they dare, to test-drive quitting for at least 24 hours. But are short-term quitting jaunts pointless? Not one bit, […]

Enzyme boosts metabolism, prevents weight gain in mice Male and female mice engineered to express the inflammatory enzyme IKKbeta in their fat tissue ate more but gained less weight. They burned sugar and fat more effectively than mice who were left unaltered. The research may shed light on how obesity and inflammation affect insulin resistance and sensitivity. Reduced […]

FDA Funds Rochester Researchers to Give Chronic and Acute Pain Clinical Trials a Makeover Up to $4.5 Million Supports Studies to Boost Development of New, Much Needed Therapies November 14, 2011 More than 76 million Americans live with acute and chronic pain For chronic pain sufferers, a day can feel like a year and a […]

Routine Head Hits in School Sports May Cause Brain Injury November 14, 2011 The brain scans of high school football and hockey players showed subtle injury — even if they did not suffer a concussion – after taking routine hits to the head during the normal course of play, according to a University of Rochester […]

Can an antidepressant help meth addicts stop using? An estimated 1.2 million Americans use methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant. Overcoming meth addiction can be extremely difficult, but new research from the San Francisco Public Health Department hints that an antidepressant could be helpful: In a small study of male meth addicts, the men who took an antidepressant every day were far less […]

 Cooking in the Classroom to Fight Childhood Obesity 11.11.2011  From the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior: Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other reports that childhood obesity has tripled over the past 30 years, we recognize the importance of reaching our children early to form good food habits. However, with teachers […]

URMC Receives Patent for Implantable Diagnostic Technology November 10, 2011 The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has received a U.S. patent for a medical device technology that could revolutionize the way that physician’s monitor the health of their patients. The device – which consists of an implantable “living chip” – is designed to give doctors […]

Researchers Exploring Childhood Roots for Many ‘Diseases of Aging’ Cup those perfect little feet in the palm of your hand, and it’s nearly impossible to imagine that the seeds of future adult diseases – asthma, heart disease, diabetes and more – might have already been sown. But it’s true. And the closer researchers look into […]