In 2003, the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases established the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network to document cases of drug-induced liver injuries. Between 2004 and 2013, the Network identified 839 patients with liver damage due to prescription medications or to non-prescription dietary supplements. This registry excluded cases of acetaminophen-related liver damage, which…...

Some like their sleeping mattress to be firm, some like it soft, some prefer it to be filled with water and some had just as soon sleep on the floor. To confuse things further, there are claims that adjustable beds, sleep number beds, or memory foam mattresses are best at achieving that elusive great night's…...

Most people have heard the common expression that itching indicates that a cut or wound is healing. Is there any scientific basis to this belief or is this just an "old wives tale"? Phases of wound healing. The body's initial response to a cut or break in the skin is to stop bleeding. This occurs…...

Canker sores, also known as aphthous ulcers, are small, shallow lesions that develop on the soft tissues in your mouth, most commonly inside the cheeks or lips and at the base of the gums.  They are very common, affecting up to 20%-40% of the U.S. population at some point in their lives.  Canker sores are…...

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that healthy adults get 150 minutes of moderately intense cardiovascular exercise per week. Considering the amount of time that many people have available for exercising, however, this is often an unrealistic goal. An alternate way of reaching the ACSM goal for cardiovascular exercise is based on working…...

Text messaging has become a preferred method of communication for a large number of Americans, particularly teens and young adults. According to market research performed by the Nielsen Company in 2010, the average teenager sends more than 3,000 texts per month! Amazingly, this number appears to be on the rise, especially among teenagers age 13…...

Earlier this month, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published their most recent recommendations regarding screening for depression in adolescents (aged 12 to 18 years). This recommendation seems particularly timely in view of reports of "clusters" of teen suicide recently reported in California and other locations in the U.S. The USPSTF is an…...

The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory system. On average, children have six to eight colds per year, and adults have two to four. The common cold places a heavy burden on society, accounting for approximately 40% of time taken off work and millions of days of school missed by children…...