Mar 3, 2010 — Meditation can increase blood flow in the brain and improve memory, according to researchers who tested a specific kind of meditation and found the improvement after just eight weeks. The 15 participants, ages 52 to 77, all had memory problems at the start, says Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, one of the researchers and the medical director of the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation in Tucson, Ariz. For eight weeks, the participants engaged in a meditation at home known as Kirtan Kriya, which originated from the Kundalini yoga tradition

March 3, 2010 (New Orleans) — Once again, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs have been shown to be good for more than the heart. Already linked to a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and cancer, statins also may help people with asthma breathe easier, researchers report. In a 70-person study, the use of statins was associated with improvements in lung function.

March 3, 2010 — A ranking of No. 1 — or being in the Top 10 — isn’t always something to crow about.

March 3, 2010 (New Orleans) — Many children with asthma have low blood levels of vitamin D, and the insufficiency seems to place them at risk for more severe disease. In a study of 99 kids with asthma, 47% had vitamin D insufficiency. Compared with children with normal levels of vitamin D levels, those with vitamin D insufficiency: Had poorer lung function Had higher levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), an immune system protein the body makes in response to allergens that tells you the likelihood that you’re allergic Were more likely to need inhaled and oral steroid medications to reduce airway inflammation and mucus production Were more likely to need long-acting beta-agonist drugs that relax muscles in the lung’s airways, improving a patient’s ability to breathe freely and reducing asthma symptoms

March 3, 2010 - You don’t have to fast before taking the newly recommended A1c test to screen for diabetes — and it spots early diabetes and heart disease better than the older test, researchers find. Late last year, the American Diabetes Association recommended using the A1c test to screen for diabetes

March 3, 2010 — A new drug shows promise for extending the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer who have run out of treatment options. In a large study, men given the experimental drug, called cabazitaxel, lived an average of just over 15 months, while those given standard chemotherapy lived an average of nearly 13 months.

March 3, 2010 — A handheld device that magnetically zaps pain may be a promising new treatment for patients with a common type of migraine. Compared to patients who got sham treatments, more patients treated with the experimental device, known as single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS), were pain-free two hours later

March 3, 2010 - The FDA today warned 17 food makers — including POM Nestle — that their “misleading” product labels violate federal law. The warning letters say the firms face having their products pulled from grocery shelves if they don’t make changes within 15 days. It’s a new get-tough policy, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg suggested in an open letter to the food industry

March 3, 2010 — Food poisoning costs the U.S.

What did the egg say to the boiling water? I don’t think I can get hard, I just got laid this morning!