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A debate is on over the benefits of taking aspirin for those without a history of prior cardiovascular disease. The current thinking advocates using low-dose aspirin, for primary prevention, in certain high risk groups: those with advanced age, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking. But not so, says a new study from Japan. 

Dogs are versatile — they may be herders, guard dogs, guide dogs and even therapy dogs. But not all dogs are suitable for every task. One can test them, to be sure, but there may be another way to determine at least some of their personality characteristics — has a dog's muzzle become prematurely gray? If so, he or she may not be suitable for activities that require a calm outlook on life.

There is a flawed assumption in a recent paper claiming female physicians save more lives than male ones. The authors based the assessment of the quality of care to only one physician. But in hospitals, this is a faulty measure.

There are a lot of Seattle Seahawks haters out there. Apparently, a popular insult hurled at the NFL team is that it is a "Johnny-come-lately" franchise supported by a bunch of fair-weather fans, now that the team is good. The problem for the haters, however, is that statistics show it's not true.

A study in Nature Neuroscience  explains that while we've known the radical hormone changes and biological adaptations that come with child bearing, psychological changes have remained unknown. But this prospective study, which includes both first-time mothers and fathers, shows that pregnancy effected changes in brain structure. 

Now that winter has hit the northern hemisphere, our thoughts often focus on ways to keep warm. Well, not only can a nice, sweaty sauna do the trick, but according to a recent study repeated saunas may just help fend off dementia — at least for middle-aged men.

As if the starfish itself wasn't beautiful enough, now we have new research from Stanford University's School of Engineering revealing the beauty and wonderous efficiency of how this fascinating, five-pointed creature survives and grows in the sea.

Are you shocked by this news in the headline? Us here, not so much. But hats off to the Harvard research team for its new approach to tackling gender inequality in medicine. And the researchers did it by getting back to basics: Let the evidence speak for itself. And to a certain extent, it does.

Pandas are picky creatures. Now, it appears that pandas have yet another quirk: minimum area requirements. A new study published in Scientific Reports shows that they prefer about 115 square kilometers (44 square miles) of space. Even though smaller areas of habitat are available, pandas are less likely to live there. 

The innovations of Dr. Henry Heimlich extended well beyond his famed anti-choking maneuver. The Heimlich Chest Drain Valve gets blood and air out of the chest cavity of soldiers shot there. He also developed the Heimlich MicroTrach, a tiny tube providing certain advantages to delivering oxygen into the trachea, and effectively the lungs.   

This "disease" is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek – though still quite real – phenomenon. Often, those who have been awarded a Nobel gain infamy for saying and believing incredibly stupid things, some of which are quite delusional. Mr. Krugman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist and columnist, is the newest inductee into this dubious club.

18% attrition is a waste of our teaching resources and creates unwarranted stress for our physicians in training.
I was drawn to the article because I was in fact part of that attrition ... I spent a great year in Vermont, growing up 

Check it out: the latest sleep device from Apple — the Sleep Pill for Sense, sits on your nightstand, helps you fall asleep, and helps you wake up at consistent times each day.

Lost in the synthetic-natural debate is something that actually matter. It is called semisynthesis, and it has saved many lives. Here's how it works. 

Even if you have healthy, adult teeth and gums your dentist may recommend X-rays be taken every year. The dental profession, however, says otherwise. Annual preventive X-rays, called bitewings, for healthy dental patients are not necessary, according to the American Dental Association.

Rice goes with chicken. Rice goes with shrimp. Rice goes with beans, and with Chinese food, too.
But R.I.C.E. is also the most essential serving for ankle sprains, yet for one in two of the millions of Americans who are annually hobbled by a misstep, this recuperative dish is not even on their post-injury menu. 
The well-known acronym stands for the four-step treatment that should be administered following any ankle injury:

It's a longstanding myth that suicides increase during the holiday season. Regardless, suicide is a major public health threat impacting all ages, careers, genders, and socioeconomic strata at alarming rates – throughout the calendar year.

You better hope that Santa doesn't leave you lipstick under the tree. Because if he does, according to the Environmental Working Group, you'll never see Easter.

On the 12th Day of Christmas ACSH gave to me 12 swimmers cupping....
 

To start the second week of our Christmas song, we're presenting seven wacky weight-loss diets — ranging from blood types to tapeworms — that have all reached fad proportions at some point. Read them ... and avoid them!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas, ACSH-style ... 

Dr. Kabat, a cancer epidemiologist at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine, explains how we are scared of the wrong things – and why. A compelling read, and a must for anyone wanting to take a critical look at the mass of conflicting information we're constantly bombarded with.

When submitting a scientific manuscript to a journal for review, it's usually safe to say that the worst possible outcome is that it will be rejected. However, a far worse fate is indeed possible – plagiarism – and it happened to Dr. Michael Dansinger. 

Do you "hold the fries?" You might want to if your pants buttons start blowing off. But don't do so because of a deep-fried, phony chemical scare: acrylamide.