LIFELINES.

Touch Detects a Fever

A mother's simple touch is a good way to detect a fever. Now researchers in Zambia have found that moms who touched their child's abdomen, forehead, and neck rarely missed a fever, though sometimes they thought a child had a fever when he or she did not.

(British Medical Journal)

Walking Stones Away

Need another reason to turn off the television? A Harvard School of Public Health study shows that men who exercise vigorously for 30 minutes five times per week have a 34 percent lower risk of developing gallstones. A half million Americans have their gallbladders removed each year when gallstones begin causing severe abdominal pain.

(Annals of Internal Medicine)

Proper Praise

Kindergartners and first graders who are praised for the effort they put into projects outperform children who are praised for their intelligence. Children taught that effort is the key to success keep on trying after failures. But children praised for their intellect tend to falter after setbacks, believing that their intelligence has failed them. Children praised for their brains also tend to choose easier projects because they fear failure.

(American Psychological Association)

If You Can't Say Something Nice ...

A common psychological phenomenon plays a role in how people form impressions of others. Specifically, researchers have found that when someone attributes positive or negative traits to another person, the listener will often attribute those same traits to the speaker. For example, politicians who allege corruption by their opponents may themselves be perceived as dishonest, critics who praise artists may themselves be perceived as talented, and gossips who describe others' infidelities may themselves be viewed as immoral.

(American Psychological Association)

Early Warnings

Only half of the adult population can name even one warning sign of a stroke. The most common signs, plus the percentage of people who mentioned them in a recent survey, are: sudden numbness (19 percent); weakness in the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body (15 percent); sudden dimness of vision, particularly in one eye (7 percent); sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech (8 percent); unexplained dizziness (24 percent); or sudden severe headache with no known cause (16 percent).

(Journal of the American Medical Association)

A Key Battle Zone for Your Children

The transition between age 12 and 13 is a critical time in the battle against teen drug use. A new survey shows that few 12-year-olds know how to buy marijuana or know someone who has used hard drugs. Yet by age 13 teenagers get to know other students who use marijuana and hard drugs, learn where to buy drugs, and significantly change their attitudes about reporting student drug users and sellers and communicating openly with their parents.

(National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse)

Keeping Miles Between You and Your Doctor

Sticking to a simple walking program may be the best way to prevent heart disease and reduce the number of surgeries, hospitalizations, and falls later in life. University of Pittsburgh researchers discovered that women who started a walking program 10 to 15 years ago were more likely to remain active and reported fewer heart problems. The women started their exercise programs by walking just one mile per day. The study confirms the health benefits available to older women who integrate physical activity into their lives on a long-term basis.

(Archives of Internal Medicine)

Accentuate the Positive

People have long been told about the power of positive thinking to improve health and well-being. Now research suggests it may be even more important to avoid negative thinking. An Ohio State University study has found that avoiding pessimism may have more of an influence on wellbeing than embracing optimism in reducing anxiety and stress, and improving health.

(Health and Fitness News Service)

Maybe You Should Stay Home Today

While it's long been known that workers with high-stress jobs have a higher risk of coronary heart disease, now research suggests that an acutely stressful event on the job poses an even higher risk. The American Heart Association questioned 800 employed patients hospitalized for a heart attack about stressful events at work. Such events were more likely to have happened in the week previous to the heart attack than earlier in the month. Working under a high-pressure deadline or having to fire a coworker more than doubled the short-term risk.

(Consumer Reports on Health)