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WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A combination of genetic testing and health screenings could identify more than 1 million U.S. adults with an inherited risk for a cholesterol disorder that increases their risk for premature heart attack and death, according to a new study.About 1 in 250 Americans may have at least one gene for familial hypercholesterolemia, which can cause elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often called "bad cholesterol.""Currently, most individuals aren’t diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia until they are in their 50s," said lead author Brandon Bellows, an assistant professor of medical sciences at Columbia University. "If a young adult is identified to have familial hypercholesterolemia, they would likely benefit from...

WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Will it be a cheeseburger or a salad? What will they think of me?A new study finds you're more likely to choose to eat healthy if you're with an "outsider" because you don't want them to have a poor opinion of you.The study consisted of a series of experiments with several hundred adults in a large U.S. city and university."We know that food plays an important role in social life, and consumers often make inferences about others' traits and characteristics based on their food choices," said researcher Janina Steinmetz, an associate professor of marketing at City University London in the United KingdomIn one experiment, 180 students were offered either M&Ms candy or raisins as a snack. When an unknown student from their own university was...

TUESDAY, May 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Liposuction typically is used to flatten your stomach or shape up your booty, but a new study argues that it could also help people suffering from arthritis of the fingers.Injections of body fat into aching, arthritic finger joints appear to produce significant and lasting improvements in hand function and a decrease in pain, German researchers report in the May issue of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.People who underwent the experimental procedure started with pain levels of 6 points on a 10-point scale, but three to four years later reported their finger arthritis pain at a median 0.5 points, according to results from their small-scale pilot study. Median means half had higher pain levels, half lower."That was for us the most...

TUESDAY, May 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Certain common viruses, including the genital herpes virus, might contribute to the risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study hints.Type 2 diabetes is a highly prevalent disease, with older age and obesity being two of the major risk factors. Now the new study suggests that two herpes viruses -- herpes simplex 2 and cytomegalovirus -- might add to the risk.Herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2) causes genital herpes, while cytomegalovirus (CMV) usually causes no symptoms, though it can be serious in newborns or people with severely weakened immune systems.Once either virus invades the body, it's there to stay, lying dormant unless it is reactivated.In the new study, European researchers found that adults who tested positive for either virus were more likely to...