Because of the freedom of movement it offered, the neck may have been a major contributor to the evolution of the human brain, according to researchers who compared human and fish genetics. Because they are located at about the same location on the body, it had been assumed that the arms and hands (forelimbs) on humans and the pectoral fins on fish receive nerves from the exact same neurons.

A recent survey highlights the need for a horse rider safety, according to a University of Kentucky expert. The poll found that 60 percent of 100 horseback rider respondents in Kentucky didn’t wear any safety gear the last time they went riding. Of the 100 respondents, 31 said they had been injured in the past three years from handling or riding a horse. Of the 31 injured riders, 70 percent believed their accident could have been prevented.

That’s it: I will NEVER ever write another prescription for Lovaza. I actually very rarely write a prescription for Lovaza, i.e., prescription fish oil. But this was the last straw. I advised a patient that we’ve had good success using high-doses of fish oil to reduce lipoprotein(a), Lp(a). 6000 mg per day of the omega-3 component (EPA + DHA) from fish oil reduces Lp(a) in 60% of people after one year. (Recall that Lp(a) is the most aggressive known lipid-related cause of heart disease.) The two preparations I generally suggest are either the very affordable Sam’s Club Members Mark Triple-Strength Fish Oil with 900 mg EPA + DHA per capsule: 7 capsules per day. Another great product (my personal favorite …

The new Affordable Care Act is likely to help 30 million women obtain better health insurance or coverage if they don’t already have any, a new report shows. Under the new provisions, which are already taking effect, 15 million uninsured women will gain access to health coverage and 14.5 million underinsured women will get better coverage, the report found.

Title: Study: Calcium May Increase Heart Attack Risk Category: Health News Created: 7/30/2010 11:14:00 AM Last Editorial Review: 7/30/2010 11:14:12 AM

Although millions of people take calcium supplements to boost bone health and ward off osteoporosis, New Zealand researchers say the supplements have little effect on bone strength and contribute to a small increase in the risk for heart attack among older people. Rather than relying on calcium supplements, the researchers suggest that people get their required calcium, if possible, from foods.

Following a federal health panel’s endorsement of the new blood thinner Brilinta Wednesday, cardiologists say the drug could be a welcome addition to treatments for heart patients. In a 7-to-1 vote, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee recommended approval of the drug for heart patients undergoing angioplasty or stenting to open blocked arteries, and for those not requiring such interventions but being managed with drug therapy alone.

Title: New Drugs Eyed for Huntington’s Disease Category: Health News Created: 7/28/2010 12:10:00 PM Last Editorial Review: 7/29/2010

Title: Studies: CPR Without Rescue Breathing OK Category: Health News Created: 7/28/2010 4:10:00 PM Last Editorial Review: 7/29/2010

Title: Diabetes Treatment Category: Diseases and Conditions Created: 12/5/2006 Last Editorial Review: 7/29/2010

For the first time, scientists have been able to grow an entire joint from stem cells, albeit in rabbits not humans. And the joints worked. “The rabbits were able to hop and walk and bear weight, virtually like normal rabbits,” said Dr. Jeremy Mao, senior author of a paper published online July 29 in The Lancet . “This was the first regeneration of the entire joint with restored functioning.”

In the original Heart Scan Blog post, This is your brain on wheat , I discussed how opioid peptides (i.e., small proteins that act like opiates such as heroine or morphine) that result from digestion of wheat cause unique effects on the human brain, particularly addictive behaviors. I also briefly reviewed how elimination of wheat has been shown to reduce auditory hallucinations and other psychotic behaviors in a subset of people with paranoid schizophrenia. These two phenomena, addictions and schizophrenia, are most likely the result of exorphins that cross the blood-brain barrier. Exorphins–exogenous morphine-like compounds–can be blocked by opiate-blocking drugs like…

More than 100 reports of potentially hazardous food products were filed with the U.S. government’s food safety Web site in its first seven months of operation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. The Reportable Food Registry requires manufacturers, processors, packers and distributors to immediately report safety problems with food, animal feed and pet food that are likely to cause serious health problems. The registry was mandated by

A certain type of sleep disorder may be an early warning of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders, new research confirms. Patients with REM sleep behavior disorder, a condition in which people violently act out their dreams during the rapid eye movement cycle of sleep, have been found to develop Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders as much as a half century later.

The poorer tumor detection rate offered by mammography for women in their 40s is due more to the technology itself than characteristics of a younger woman’s cancer, according to a new study. For years, experts have known that mammography’s performance is poorer for women in their 40s versus older women, and they’ve placed much of the blame on the notion that tumors typically grow faster in younger women.