As many of us know first hand, a significant number of Americans are sleep deprived. In an recent Huffington Post piece, Stanford sleep experts offer …
Month: August 2013
Childhood obesity a risk for imminent heart problems, research shows
Childhood obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in adulthood, may also contribute to cardiovascular damage and dysfunction during childhood, according to a recent review (subscription …
Study shows brain scans could help identify dyslexia in children before they start to read
In adults, reading ability is linked to the size and structure of the left arcuate fasciculus - a bridge-like structure in the brain that connects …
Stop-smoking program aids recovery of psychiatric patients, study finds
While smoking has been in decline in recent years in this country, one group where it remains endemic is among psychiatric patients, who often die …
Sports medicine specialists, educators endorse checklist to reduce injuries among youth athletes
Growing up in Texas, I always dreaded the beginning of the fall soccer season - when grueling after-school trainings coincided with peak daily temperatures. Our …
Researchers look at brain activity to study falling
Falling down is an inevitable hazard of walking, even for a seasoned runway model. Basketball players practice taking a charge and modern dancers learn fall …
Stanford psychologist discusses children experiencing anxiety and how parents can help them
In a Stanford BeWell Q&A, Hans Steiner, MD, psychiatry professor emeritus, discusses signs that a child might be experiencing anxiety and offers suggestions on what parents …
Should physicians keep their professional and personal online identities separate?
A position paper published earlier this year by the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Board offered advice to physicians on …
Stanford researchers gain new insights into how auditory neurons develop in animal study
The auditory system of newborn mammals is still developing when a baby mouse – or a baby human – is born. Mice are born deaf …
Help from a virtual friend goes a long way in boosting older adults' physical activity
Last year I wrote about a Stanford study showing that computer-generated phone calls were an effective, low-cost way to encourage inactive adults to exercise. Now the researcher …
Study shows bigger breakfast may help women with PCOS manage symptoms
“We’ve had one, yes. But what about second breakfast?” Pippin replied to Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (2001). …
Protein known for initiating immune response may set our brains up for neurodegenerative disorders
A healthy person's brain has thousands (maybe millions) of times as many synapses - contact points that relay signals from one nerve cell to the next …
Packard Children’s adolescent and young adult specialist offers tips for college-bound students
In addition to shopping for back-to-school supplies and mulling over course selections, college-bound students should also make time for an “off-to-college” health check-up before the …
Starting a new career in academic medicine? Here's a bible for the bedside: The Academic Medicine Handbook
When I spoke with Laura Roberts, MD, chair of psychiatry at Stanford, for a 1:2:1 podcast about the new book she edited, The Academic Medicine …
Fibromyalgia – living with a controversial chronic disease
Updated 11-8-13: A just-published Stanford Magazine piece focuses on chronic pain and highlights research - including some on fibromyalgia - being done at Stanford. *** …
Stanford study: Higher tobacco taxes associated with reduced alcohol consumption
Tobacco and alcohol are a troublesome pairing. Since smoking enhances the addictive effects of alcohol - and vice versa - people tend to drink and smoke …