Yellow markings on the eyelids are a sign of increased risk of heart attack and other illnesses, say researchers in Denmark. A study published on the BMJ website showed patients with xanthelasmata were 48% more likely to have a heart attack. Xanthelasmata, which are mostly made up of cholesterol, could be a sign of other fatty build-ups in the body. Cardiologists said the findings could be used by doctors to help diagnose at-risk patients. The research team at the Herlev Hospital in Denmark started following 12,745 people in the 1970s. At the start of the study, 4.4% of patients had xanthelasmata....

NEW YORK (WABC) — Most of us are familiar with the term sleep walking, but what about texting while sleeping? There’s actually a growing community of people who say they’re experiencing this phenomenon. “Sometimes I look at my phone and I’m like did I text that while asleep? I’m not really sure,” said Christopher Heath. Some say sleep texting is a sign of these technologically advanced times. At least according to the thousands of members belonging to the sleep texting Facebook page. “I have to look full conversations while I’m asleep but I...

A 24-year-old Cincinnati father died from a tooth infection this week because he couldn’t afford his medication, offering a sobering reminder of the importance of oral health and the number of people without access to dental or health care. According to NBC affiliate WLWT, Kyle Willis’ wisdom tooth started hurting two weeks ago. When dentists told him it needed to be pulled, he decided to forgo the procedure, because he was unemployed and had no health insurance. When his face started swelling and his head began to ache, Willis went to the emergency room, where he received prescriptions...

(Reuters) – A pioneering clinical trial to inject stem cells into the brains of patients disabled by stroke has been cleared to progress to the next stage after the treatment raised no safety concerns in the first three candidates. ReNeuron Group PLC, the British biotech behind the trial, said the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board had reviewed safety data from its ReN001 stem cell therapy and recommended the trial advance to the higher dose. “Data from the laboratory safety tests, neurological examinations and neurofunctional tests conducted thus far indicate that the ReN001...

By Claire Bates The demand for genital cosmetic surgery among women has risen five-fold in just 10 years, according to NHS figures. But a new study has found that most women who request a ‘designer vagina’ do not need it. A study by Dr Sarah Creighton, from University College London, found most women requested it as they felt pressured to have ‘perfect’ sexual organs by pictures seen in the media. ‘Women are bombarded with images suggesting they are not normal,’ she said. The latest figures for England show around 2,000 NHS-funded procedures take place each...

For two-year-old Connie Lloyd, there was nothing amusing about having a bright red ‘clown’s nose’. Born with a benign tumour that grew to cover her nose, she suffered cruel taunts and name-calling and was told the rare condition could not be cured. But the shy little girl has a reason to smile at last after surgeons defied the odds and left her with a ‘nose like mum’s’. Doctors had spotted a shadow on Connie’s nose at the 26-week scan but when she was born in September 2008, she appeared perfectly healthy. Connie, from Slough, Berkshire, was just a day old when parents Zara Green...

The popular saying would have us believe that gentlemen prefer blondes. But while the old adage may trip off the tongue, according to new findings, it no longer holds weight. A study found that gentlemen, in fact, overwhelmingly prefer brunettes. The 2,000 men were polled by social network site Badoo to find out the features they find most attractive in the opposite sex. Far from men finding blondes the most sexually attractive, the study found that more than 60 per cent said they preferred raven-haired beauties over their blonde counterparts. A third of all those polled – 33.1 per cent...

As New York City prepared for a massive transit shutdown, heavy winds and rain from Hurricane Irene began to lash the North Carolina coast Friday night — a prelude to what government hurricane experts warned could be a devastating weekend trek northward all the way to New England. Irene remained a Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph, though the storm’s trajectory slowed from 14 mph to 13 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The core of the 200-mile-wide storm was expected to reach the coast of North Carolina late Friday and early Saturday, moving...

The electrode, that staple of hospitals and medical dramas alike, may soon exit stage left. Researchers have designed a wireless electronic monitoring device so thin it can be applied to the skin like a temporary tattoo. It could one day be used to monitor heart, brain and muscle activity of patients without their even noticing. The research, released Thursday in the journal Science, could rid hospitals of the unwieldy, outdated monitoring systems, which often involve needles, webs of wires and conductive gels. “Such complicated wiring can be inconvenient and distressing for both patients...

People who claim to be addicted to tanning may be on to something according to new research that suggests brains of frequent tanners are similar to those of alcoholics and drug addicts. According to Dr. Bryon Adinoff, a professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center, “Using tanning beds has rewarding effects in the brain so people may feel compelled to persist in the behavior even though it’s bad for them.” The implication is, ‘If it’s rewarding, then could it also be addictive?’” The study, published in Addiction Biology, examined if addiction...