Muara Teweh!

Diabetes is a serious disease that can lead to blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and amputations. Some people with diabetes have symptoms. If you or someone you know experience extreme thirst, frequent urination, and/or unexplained weight loss, you should contact your doctor immediately.

You are at increased risk if you are:

# a member of one of the following ethnic groups: African American, Latino, American Indian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander » Read more after the jump →

They’ve already transformed from Halloween celebrations to generic fall parties. Now, autumn parties at area schools are getting another makeover, with more healthy snacks served alongside fattening, sugar-filled treats.

The trend, fueled by federally mandated wellness programs, is the latest wrinkle for parties that already have shifted away from celebrating Halloween in the past decade.

It means that students are at least as likely to see carrots or sliced apples at a classroom party as they are sweets, even at a time of year many associate with candy corn and fun-size candy bars. » Read more after the jump →

A new study reveals that fatal pulmonary-related events following radiation therapy are associated with the amount of radiation received by the contralateral or healthy lung. Researchers from Anderson Cancer Center in Texas investigated the incidence of fatal pulmonary events in 63 patients with mesothelioma who underwent intensity modulated radiation therapy and extrapleural pneumonectomy. Endpoints were pulmonary-related death (PD), classified as death from pneumonia within six months of intensity modulated radiation therapy, or noncancer death, including all deaths except those related to PD or cancer. Researchers concluded that of the 10 percent of patients who died from PD, all had received significantly more radiation to their contralateral lung, compared with noncancer death patients.

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CHEST 2006 abstract briefs

Contact: Jennifer Stawarz /medicalnewstoday.com

NEW YORK — In the early 1800s, pharmacists took carbonated water and added fruit extracts, herbs and medicinal ingredients for flavor as well as health benefits. Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Sodas (re-named 7 Up), for example, included lithium; Coca-Cola had cocaine.

Beverage makers are still looking to the same formula (sans the illegal drugs), one that gives users something more than just refreshment. More than a dozen drinks promising weight loss, cell-damage-reducing antioxidants and natural energy are scheduled to hit shelves in 2007, with many more in the pipeline. » Read more after the jump →

CHICAGO “” Madonna said the 13-month-old boy she plans to adopt from the African country of Malawi is healthy and thriving in her London home, in an interview that aired Wednesday on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

The child, David Banda, was taken to London last week after Malawi’s High Court granted Madonna and her husband, director Guy Ritchie, an interim adoption order.

Madonna said David was healthy, despite having overcome malaria and tuberculosis.

The interview was taped Tuesday by satellite from London.

“David is amazing,” the 48-year-old pop star said. “What really surprises me is how great my children are with him and how he’s transitioned so easily from living in Africa in an orphanage to living in our house.”

AN organisation set up to promote healthy eating and make fresh fruit and vegetables more affordable has been launched in West Lothian.

The new group, the West Lothian Food and Health Development (WELFHD), has been created to take the place of the old West Lothian Food Network.

It aims to work with local farmers to help reinvest money into local producers, as well as providing quality food for people in the area. » Read more after the jump →

Good health isn’t just in the details, but small things can certainly add up.

Eat 100 calories extra a day and you could weigh 10 pounds more at the end of the year. Wearing the same shoes every day can strain your body. Regular exposure to subway noise can not only affect your hearing, but also raise your blood pressure and levels of stress hormones. A poorly organized workspace can result in back and neck discomfort that shouldn’t be ignored. » Read more after the jump →