In the News

Michael Blosil, Marie Osmond’s 18 year old adopted son, apparently committed suicide by jumping from his apartment. Children who are adopted are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide than those non-adoptees.

Heiress and socialite Casey Johnson was found dead on Monday morning. She was 30 years old.

Johnson, of Johnson and Johnson fame, had type 1 diabetes, and reportedly had trouble with alcohol and drug addiction. Persons with type 1 diabetes, and alcoholics, are at risk of a life threatening medical problem called ketoacidosis.

Jennifer Lyon, a contestant on the US realtiy show Survivor: Palau, died this week at home from breast cancer.

As I read of her death, my immediate question was: are women who have cosmetic breast implants more likely to have a delayed diagnosis of breast cancer than women who do not have implants?

Long time Los Angeles Times sports writer Christine Daniels died by suicide this week. Daniels had changed her name from Mike Penner 2 years ago after announcing that she had been living as a transexual.

Supermodel Heidi Klum will be hosting this year's Victoria Secret Fashion Show airing December 1st on CBS. The thing is, she just gave birth to her 4th child, and she expects to lose 20 pounds.

What is it about France and horrible motor vehicle collisions? When I heard the news that actor Jocelyn Quivrin had died of head trauma following a motor vehicle collision in a french tunnel, my first reaction was: didn't that happen to Princess Di?

In case you haven't been able to tell from the news already, Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray is in a lot of trouble. 

"Why don't they just leave him alone?" someone asked me the other day.  "Jackson must have been the most demanding patient ever, impossible to deal with.  He probably pleaded wit

ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews was videotaped through a hotel peephole, and the video was posted online. Voyeurs frequently have poor health indicators such as sexually transmitted disease and substance abuse.

Steve Jobs' liver transplant for treatment of a neuroendocrine pancreatic tumor was kept confidential under medical privacy laws for about two months. Is it right to allow public figures to keep their medical information private when that information could affect the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of other people?

Chastity Bono, the 40-year-old offspring of Cher and Sonny Bono, has announced that she will make a gender transition from female to male and will take the name Chaz. Not all transgender persons undergo surgery. Persons who are psychologically stable, with a pre-surgery physical appearance that is consistent with gender transition, and a strong and consistent dissatisfaction with their birth gender are most likely to benefit from surgery.

Now, let's get a few things straight: first off, contrary to the Daily News' report, foaming at the mouth is not a reliable sign of alcohol intoxication. Secondly, where did this mythical blood alcohol level of 0.39% come from? We must regard it with suspicion. The truth, though, is that binge drinking is unequivocally life-threatening.

The popular singer Prince revealed a secret in an interview with PBS’s Tavis Smiley: that his childhood struggles with epilepsy forced him to be “flashy” and “noisy” to cope with being teased often in school. Epilepsy, or seizures, has been portrayed in the media as associated with madness and sexual ecstacy. Is there a real link?

Padma Lakshmi, the beautiful host of the popular show ‘Top Chef’, revealed her battle with a common but often misunderstood gynecological problem called endometriosis, in which the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, grows outside of the uterus itself.

Oft-photographed actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is dating comedian Jamie Kennedy, and explains she prefers her men to be “trustworthy” and a “geek”. Humor is even more important for good health than social support or spirituality.

What are the health benefits of owning a dog? In the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, Raina et al demonstrated an increase in the activities of daily living among older pet owners compared to non-pet owners. A study evaluating the survival rate 1 year after a heart attack conducted by Friedman and colleague revealed that dog owners were significantly less likely to die than non-dog owners.

Michael J. Fox says that his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, never lets him use his Parkinson’s disease as a “free pass”. Fox made his remarks on the Good Morning America show. Fox married Pollan in 1988 and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease just 3 years later. He claims she is “more powerful, light hearted, funny and easy” because of his disease and has become a better “friend and companion”. It turns out most spouses of patients with Parkinson’s disease don’t have it so easy. Caregivers of Parkinson’s disease patients are found to have more mood disorders and a worse quality of life than the general population.

Matt Lauer, the 51-year-old host of the 'Today' show underwent surgery to repair a separated shoulder sustained after hitting a deer while riding his bike, according to anchor Ann Curry. Lauer was wearing a helmet.

Belgian actor Jean Claude Van Damme thought about suicide in mid-1997, after the filming of Knockoff was finished. It was then that he was formally dosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder and placed on sodium valproate, which he calls "that simple salt."

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s 18-year old daughter Bristol, who gave birth in December of 2008, said in an interview with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren,said that teaching abstinence is “not realistic at all,” as a way of preventing teen pregnancy. Is there evidence to back this up? There is indeed.

Jett Travolta's death has left many people sympathetic towards his parents, actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston. While the cause may not be known until an autopsy, two scenarios seem most likely: death from seizure and head trauma, or sudden cardiac death due to scarred or ruptured coronary arteries after Kawasaki's disease.

Oprah is obese again. There is no pejorative intent here: the word ‘obese’ has a medical definition.

In November 2008, Cuttino Mobley was a star point guard in the NBA. In December, he chose to end his NBA career to avoid possible sudden cardiac death due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

"Bobby, what's that on your face," my 8th grade teacher screamed out in the middle of class, noticing my rather large pimple erupting in the center of my forehead. I wasn't sure if she was trying to protect the neighboring students from an impending explosion or if she had never seen such a large zit before.