The Parents Zone

WASHINGTON — Gene scans for everyone? Not so fast. New research suggests that for the average person, decoding your own DNA may not turn out to be a really useful crystal ball for future health.

Today, scientists map entire genomes mostly for research, as they study which genetic mutations play a role in different diseases. Or they use it to try to diagnose mystery illnesses that plague families. It’s different from getting a genetic test to see if you carry, say, a particular cancer-causing gene.

Johns Hopkins University developed a model using registries of thousands of identical twins, who despite their shared genes can develop different diseases.

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It’s not uncommon for many Americans to consume at least one serving of red meat each day.  However, it may be time to rethink this practice, as a new study published in the American Medical Association’s Archives of Internal Medicine links red meat consumption to a shorter life span.

Researchers analyzed the meat-eating habits of 37,698 male participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and 83,644 female participants in the Nurse’s Health Study.

Those who consumed red meat, especially those who consumed a lot of it, were at increased risk of premature death, including death due to cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Both unprocessed and processed forms of red meat were included in the study. Unproc

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People are often told that the key to a successful performance is focusing, but the real stickler is focusing on the right thing, said Jacques Dallaire, an exercise physiology expert who works with professional athletes and entertainers who want to be the best in their business.

“The issue is not focusing harder,” he said. “It’s focusing correctly.”

Dallaire was one of eight speakers Friday at the second annual Huffines Discussion who gave 15-minute presentations on their expertise in the field of sports medicine.

The event was organized

Giving an example of when focusing can be used the wrong way, Dallaire pointed to basketball players who miss shots because they’re thinking about the previous shot they missed.

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A recent report from comScore (available here) noted a 134% increase in mobile activities related to health over the past year. This makes health far and away the fastest growing mobile space ahead of the 2nd fastest growing segment of online retail, which only showed an 87% increase in mobile activity.

We concur. You may have noticed us talking about mobile quite a bit here on the DoctorBlog, and for good reason. Mobile traffic to our doctors profiles on DoctorBase.com has increased over 400% in the past year. And,

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