Less Invasive Approach Works as Well as Gold Standard By Charlene Laino Feb. 26, 2010 (San Antonio) — A less invasive approach for clearing clogged neck arteries proved just as effective and safe as surgical treatment for preventing strokes in high-risk patients, according to the largest comparison of the two procedures. Stenting, in which flexible mesh tubes are used to prop open blocked blood vessels, is widely used to clear plaque-clogged coronary arteries, which cause heart attacks. More recently, it has been used to open blocked neck arteries that lead to strokes, but surgery called...

A proposed city ordinance has a lengthy definition of a medical marijuana dispensary, along with rules of operation. “We want to be able to make clear what is going on, and that it is legitimate,” said Jessica Hogan, director of public relations for the nonprofit Colorado Springs Medical Cannabis Council, which helped draft the proposed ordinance being considered by the Colorado Springs City Council. The ordinance refers to “Medical Cannabis Dispensaries,” cannabis being the botanical name for the plant from which marijuana comes. Read More…

By Andrew Stern, Reuters CHICAGO – Golfer Tiger Woods’ admission that he is undergoing therapy after having adulterous affairs has focused attention on the issue of sex addiction, a condition some experts say is becoming much more common. But sex addiction is a controversial concept not currently recognized as an official diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, considered the definitive word on psychological disorders. Read More…

‘Excessive demand’ on health care cited in initial rejection By Allison Cross, Canwest News Service F or three years, New Yorkers Ricardo Companioni and Andrew Grover have been eyeing Toronto as their new home. Of the many things about Canada that appeal to the American couple, who are both HIV positive, the freedom to wed and access to universal health care are paramount. But the pair has not yet been able to call Canada home. Generally healthy and never hospitalized, the couple are nonetheless expected to have combined prescription drug costs of about $33,500 per year for the next...

Almost 50,000 patients died while suffering from malnutrition in English hospitals in one year, the Tories have claimed. By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent They accused the Government of ignoring the scale of the problem and delaying the publication of a report into the issue because it “embarrasses” ministers. The document warns that the numbers who died because they were malnourished could be much higher than the reported figure of almost 240. Read More…

Hilary Mantel, the prize-winning author, has opened up a public debate over teenage sex by claiming that girls are ready to have babies when they are 14 years-old. By David Harrison The 57-year-old novelist said that society ran on a “male timetable” which dictated that women should have babies at an older age. “Having sex and having babies is what young women are about, and their instincts are suppressed in the interests of society’s timetable,” she said. “I think it is that men’s lives have set the timetable. Men reach a sort of sexual peak when you...

Back pain may be all in the mind, according to researchers who recommend sufferers should seek psychological counselling. In a study, patients given the therapy showed double the improvement of those who received standard treatment. Researchers believe that the counselling, or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) sessions, works because if you can help people to change their thoughts, it will help them to change the way they feel. CBT is already used to treat a range of problems from phobias and panic attacks to stress at work. Practitioners aim to help patients avoid dwelling on negative thoughts...

Our Lifechangers, Kimberly Snyder and Liz Vaccariello answer more of your diet and exercise questions: Q: What is more important diet or exercise? Liz: Diet’s more important to take the weight off, but exercise is more important to keep it off. Balance is what’s key. You want to eat healthfully. You want to exercise so you’re keeping your energy up, and you’re also building muscle that keeps the metabolism humming which makes you burn more calories even when you’re just sitting in a chair. Read More… Read more: http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2010/02/star_diet_tips_from_extra_experts.php#ixzz0gpCQF0RC

These beans become creamy as they bake slowly in a sweet and sour broth flavored with honey and vinegar. You can make the dish with regular white beans, which will require soaking, or with large lima beans, which will not. 1 pound dried large lima beans or white beans, soaked if necessary for six hours or overnight in 2 quarts of water and drained (limas require no soaking) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, preferably a sweet red onion, finely chopped 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes 1 bay leaf 3 tablespoons honey, such as clover or acacia 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/4 cup red wine...

By MARTIN FACKLER TOKYO — Nearly a half million people in Japan were ordered to higher ground on Sunday, as coastal areas across the vast Pacific region braced for lethal tsunami waves. But only small waves appeared, and there were no reports of damage. Areas ranging from Sydney, Australia, to the Russian Far East to the Hawaiian islands conducted evacuations and warned residents to be on the lookout for large waves following the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated parts of Chile on Saturday. Read More…