Gardasil, helps protect against HPV and Cervical Cancer

Boys and girls alike are just as much at risk for contracting HPV. Because of this, researchers are just now acknowledging the potential benefits of vaccinating boys and girls against HPV, even though previous recommendations focused on providing only women with HPV vaccines to protect against cervical cancer.

The new vaccine provided by Merck & Company, Gardasil, may be useful for protecting men and women alike against human papilloma virus. In June the U.S. FDA licensed a new vaccine targeting women between the ages of 9 and 26 at risk for human papillomavirus or HPV. The reasons for this include the increased risk of cervical cancer associated with exposure to HPV virus in women. Read more

Exercising Later In Life Can Reduce Heart Disease Risk

Are you one of those people that has trouble getting off the couch to exercise? A new study reveals even “sedentary slugs” can benefit from starting an exercise program later in life. Scientists conducting a study at the University of Ulm & Heidelberg, Germany found that former “couch potatoes,” or those who had little exercise history, can reduce their risk of heart disease by more than 50% in many cases by starting an exercise program later in life. These promising results proved true even for people starting an exercise program for the first time after age 40.

This groundbreaking study involved more than 300 patients with a history of coronary heart disease and more than 400 without between the ages of 40 and 68. The researchers also found that study participants remaining active after initiating a physical exercise program were less likely to be diagnosed with serious ailments including heart disease later in life. Read more