National Tooth Fairy Day

I've always liked going to the dentist. I'm pretty sure it started because I got a sticker or plastic ring from my childhood dentist, Dr. Bluth, when I had a good visit. It could also be because after having 8 teeth pulled in preparation for braces, a cleaning doesn't sound so bad. Whatever the cause, I'm a big fan of regular check-ups and dental health.

Throughout Children's Dental Health Month, the American Dental Association is promoting positive early experiences with dental health (like mine!) to give American children a foundation for a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

One strong proponent for healthy teeth is the Tooth Fairy, and since today is her special day, I asked her a few questions about teeth and dental health research.

Me: How are things in the world of teeth collection?
TF: Good across the board. The number of cavities are going down and people are keeping their teeth longer. Which means less collecting for me and more change in my pocket.

Me: Since you brought it up, what's the going price for a tooth these days?
TF: Every tooth is different, but prices have gone up since I collected your baby teeth. It's about $2 a tooth now.

Me: Wow. That's more than the rate of biomedical inflation.
TF: Things have changed since you were 12, Heather.

Me: True. How do you keep up with all the new trends in dental research?
TF: I do frequent flyovers at the American Association for Dental Research. They have great resources for the latest dental research.

Me: Do you know any interesting dental health facts?
TF: Sure. A person's tongue print is as unique as their fingerprints.

Me: ....
TF: Lots of people sleep with their mouths open and I have exceptional vision.
Me: ....

Me: What's one thing about teeth specifically most people wouldn't know?
TF: The average person spends about 38.5 days brushing their teeth over a lifetime.

Me: How do you feel about the new Tooth Fairy movie?
TF: ....

Me: Alright, well that about wraps it up. Thanks Tooth Fairy!
TF: No problem, and don't forget to floss!

Cell Phones, Radiation and our Health

*Updated post
Do you remember what cell phones were like 10 years ago? My mom’s first cell phone was about the size of a brick and weighed about that much. Today, phones have speaker phone, touch-screens, fast internet browsing and email. The downside to all of this amazing cell phone technology is that many users are being exposed to the highest legal amount of radiation possible.

How much radiation exposure is really safe? In the short-term, studies on cell phone usage have found no increased risk for cancer. However, in cell phone usage studies among people who used a cell phone for longer than 10 years, researchers have found an increased risk of developing cancers on the side of the brain where you hold your cell phone the most.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has posted on their website cell phones with the worst and best radiation emissions. If you’re in the market for a smartphone with the lowest radiation possible, check out the Blackberry Storm 9530 (Verizon) or the LG Shine II (AT&T). Users should be cautious of the Blackberry 8820 (AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon) as well as the Palm Pixi (Sprint).

Even if you’re not in the market for a new phone, here are a few easy tips from the EWG's Guide to Safe Cell Phone Usage to reduce your exposure to cell phone radiation:

Use a headset or a speaker. My beloved Blackberry came with a headset in the box. Even though I mainly use the headphones for my iPod, I also plug them into my phone from time to time, when I am too lazy to hold the phone to my ear. Who knew it could actually be good for me?

Choose texting over talking. This is also an easy one. I’m a fan of texting my friends to see how they’re doing or letting someone know when I am running late. With most cell phone carriers offering low-cost unlimited texting plans, you can txt ur way 2 lower radation exposure. :-)

Stay off the phone when your signal is low. When you have a weak signal, your phone emits more radiation to find a tower. Try to only use your phone when its signal is at its best.

According to CNN, the video that we posted yesterday is a hoax. Thankfully, our cell phones cannot double as popcorn kettles. But if you are concerned about the health risks with cell phone usage, speak out and tell the FCC and the FDA to modernize their cell phone radiation standards.

*June 1, 2011 update: This is back in the news again, and everyone seems to be covering it. There's no real new news to be had, but see what's being said via the Knight Science Journalism Tracker.

Weird Science or a Hoax?

Popcorn: Are telephones portable microwaves?

My dad sent me this today, and after watching it, I couldn't help but wonder: is this some weird science or a hoax? What do you think?

February News Round-Up

As we quickly approach the end of the shortest month of the year, here's some of the interesting stuff the New Voices bloggers are reading.

Reactions on Biomedical Research Funding
As you recall, earlier this month, the President's budget was released and requested $32.1 billion for NIH. This was an increase over the previous year's budget, but a decrease if you consider the financial bump from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act they have received for the past two fiscal years.

This past weekend the annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences was held in San Diego. One of the distinguished guests was Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health. During a press conference, Dr. Collins shared his thoughts on funding outlooks for biomedical research. In response to the 2-year stimulus money, Collins emphasized that major scientific progress can't be supported by short-term funding increases. One of the approaches the NIH is considering to compensate for the lower budget is by investing the funds that they do have into more high-risk projects, hoping it will enable larger breakthroughs to occur. Collins said, "If you’re not supporting research that fails sometimes, then you’re probably not doing a good job of encouraging the most groundbreaking ideas."
By: Sarah

New Hopes on the Fight against HIV/AIDS
During the annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, Brian Williams, a research fellow at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modeling and Analysis, said that global public health officials could eliminate HIV/AIDS in 40 years, and stop HIV infections in as soon as five years. Epidemiologists are now looking to use anti-retroviral (ARV) medications to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS. Since ARV treatment can result in a reduction of the HIV virus by twenty-five times, epidemiologists are hoping that if more people with HIV are treated earlier, there would be fewer new cases of the disease. If the program is introduced, it would be expensive – between $3 billion to $4 billion per year. However, Williams states that the plan would show savings immediately, reducing hospitalizations and lost years of life from youth passing away from the virus.
By: Kimberly

Reacting to Advancing Technology
Research inevitably leads to new advances. However, it can be a challenge for people to incorporate technologies or knowledge into their lives - be they computers, vaccines, or safety procedures. Over at Slate, Vaughan Bell gives us a history of "new" technology and how society has responded through the years. You might be surprised to find that even writing was once considered to be "too much" of an advancement for society.
By: Heather

Urge Congress to Strengthen the Momentum for Research in FY 2011

Funding for research to improve health in FY 2011 is now in the hands of Congress, and it's time to take action! Let your representative and senators know that the U.S. must continue to robustly invest in research to strengthen the scientific momentum generated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The funding levels necessary to sustain or grow research to improve health in FY 2011 are:

• National Institutes of Health - $35 billion
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - $8.8 billion
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - $611 million
• National Science Foundation - $7.4 billion

Write to your delegation in support of research now!

Maintaining Your Mental Health

As the final post of The View from Venus series, we will be talking about mental health. Mental health has a significant impact on our physical well-being.

I confess. I am a lover of chick flicks. Among my favorites are Sex and the City, Clueless and then there’s my ultimate favorite − Legally Blonde. The main character, Elle Woods, is a stereotypical blonde sorority girl who decides at the last moment to apply to Harvard Law School to try to win back her boyfriend. One thing I do appreciate about Legally Blonde is that in its silliness, it still manages to show real life issues. During her internship, Elle faces a problem with a professor that makes her consider quitting law school and going home. However, right before Elle drives off into the distance, her friends come to her side to support her through her tough time. Elle stays and ends up graduating at the top of her class.

I’m not a Harvard law student but I have been so overwhelmed that I almost threw in the towel. And I’m not alone. All of us have had one of those days. Between school, careers and family, life can get very difficult. The best thing that you can do to fight the blues is to recognize that you are going through a hard time and react positively. Here are some positive ways to uplift your mood:

Rock out! According to the Cochrane Collaboration, making and listening to music helps eliminate feelings of sadness. Find some positive music that makes you feel like you are on top of the world and turn it up!

Dance! Nothing makes me feel better than to put on a nice outfit, grab my friends and hit the dance floor. Research shows that dancing helps lift your mood and combat depression. If you aren’t able to go out, there’s no better place to dance than your own living room.

Exercise! According to the Mayo Clinic, short bursts of physical activity—as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time — have been shown to improve mood in the short term. As Elle Woods puts it, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.”

Go outside! Studies have shown that sunlight helps the body produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D has been strongly linked to lifting your spirits. So get out! Even if you take a brief walk during your lunch break, the sunlight and air will help improve your mood.

Note: Having a bad day or going through a tough time is much different than depression. Symptoms of depression include

• difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
• fatigue and decreased energy
• feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
• insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
• irritability, restlessness
• overeating or appetite loss
• persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
• thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

According to the Uplift Program, 30% of women are depressed and 41% those women are too embarrassed to seek help. If you or someone you know is showing signs of depression, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance can put you in contact with someone locally that can help.

Go Be Beautiful

As part of our The View from Venus series, guest blogger Jessica Stutzman shares her thoughts on body image.

I will never be Penelope Cruz. I once desperately wished to be as curvaceous and voluptuous as Ms. Cruz, but was blessed with the body of a ballerina. Long and lean and flat as a board. Now, for any of you who have been to high school it is not optimal to be the Twiggy of your class. Over time I began to believe that if someone said I looked thin it was a put-down rather than a compliment.

Over the years I have gone through my own sort of “yo-yo” diets including the “let’s see how many ding dongs I can eat in addition to my regular meals today diet” and the “consume 3000 calories regardless of what it is consumed diet”. No matter what I did my body always went back to its pre-diet shape. Fortunately, I am now able to accept being called thin as a compliment and make healthier decisions about the foods I eat.

As women, we are our own worst critics. How many of us have turned a compliment such as, “Your hair looks fantastic today!” into “Oh, it usually looks terrible.” The results are in, and they verify (as expected) that our self-esteem is linked to the way we think others perceive us. When someone tells you that you look great, don’t argue! Agree and say thanks.

Return a compliment. Giving and receiving compliments makes us feel great and boosts our confidence. Nothing is sexier than confidence!

Start being more confident by loving the skin you’re in! You don’t have to live at the gym to look and feel fantastic. Adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. You can achieve this goal by walking briskly to and from the grocery store. As a North Dakotan, I can certainly attest to the workout one receives from shoveling the “fluffy” white stuff. Exercise is proven to boost energy and positively influence one’s mood.

Another way to improve our health is to improve the quality of calories we intake. Not all foods are created equal. Certain foods offer higher percentages of the vitamins and minerals we need per serving size. One high-quality choice is “super-food”. If you haven’t heard of these “super-foods”, you are missing out.

“Super-foods” are natural foods regarded as especially beneficial because of their nutrient profiles or their health-protecting qualities. These fruits, vegetables, and legumes give you your daily source of vitamins and are touted as cancer, cholesterol, and heart disease fighters. Two fantastic super-foods that I love to include in my diet are blueberries and tomatoes.

Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamin C, which are great for our skin and supporting a healthy immune system. A half cup a day of dark blue, frozen or fresh blueberries is all we need to reap the benefits.

Tomatoes provide us with lycopene, an antioxidant linked to lowering the risk of digestive and many other cancers. Tomatoes in the form of ketchup, paste, or sauce allow for easy absorption of all the vitamins and nutrients into our systems.

These are only two of a myriad of super-foods available to us. Take advantage!

A healthy body image is an essential starting point on the path to a healthier lifestyle. While the majority of women find flaws in their outward appearance, we need to take control and recognize all of our positive attributes and how they work together to make us uniquely beautiful.

While I still don’t think I am perfect, I have come a long way from the girl who wanted to look like Penelope Cruz. Choosing a healthy lifestyle through food and exercise has definitely made me more confident, a quality which radiates for all to see.

It's your turn. Go be beautiful.


Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts in Security and Intelligence from The Ohio State University and is an administrative assistant at Research!America. This is her first guest post for New Voices.

Be Anything But Still, My Beating Heart

Photo credit: John Rawlings, Vogue 1948

You never thought you could feel this way, and so fast. Sure, over the past couple weeks you haven’t really been yourself, but here, in this moment, it suddenly hits you. Your palms start sweating, your breath comes more quickly as your heart begins to race, and your stomach seems to be doing flips. Then you lean forward, head spinning, terrified of what this might mean… because you could be having a heart attack.

It seems like something out a fairy tale, but those subtle symptoms are the number one killer of women. Why?

Women tend to delay longer than men in getting help for a possible heart attack. A large study of heart attack patients found that, on average, women waited 22 minutes longer than men did before going to the hospital. Many women delay because they don’t want to bother or worry others, especially iftheir symptoms turn out to be a false alarm. But when you’re facing something as serious as a possible heart attack, it is much better to be safe than sorry. If you have any symptoms of a possible heart attack that last up to 5 minutes, call 911 right away.

~from the National Institutes of Health The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women

We have a lot of figurative expressions that involve our hearts, pretty much all of which are in someway related to our love lives. However, our figurative heart is pretty useless if our literal heart isn't in good health.

When it comes to staying heart healthy, it's important to know the risk factors, and do what you can at every age to reduce your chances of being effected. This February, as we celebrate American Heart Month, take some time to think about your literal heart. Your figurative heart will love you for it.


This is part of The View from Venus series on women's health.

Relationship Health: 15 Signs He Is 'Loving' You to Death

When we enter into a relationship, we are looking for that special someone that completes us, supports us, and loves us unconditionally. However, it is estimated that "1 out of 3 women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime."

Abuse does not discriminate based on class, race, or religion, but it is still predominantly a women’s issue. Statistics show that women are more likely than men to be victimized with 84 % of spouse abuse victims and 86 % of victims of abuse at the hands of a boyfriend or girlfriend being women.

One reason we are including this post in our The View From Venus series, is that abuse can have serious health consequences for victims. The Family Violence Prevention Fund reports that:

Women who have experienced domestic violence are 80 % more likely to have a stroke, 70 % more likely to have heart disease, 60 % more likely to have asthma and 70 % more likely to drink heavily than women who have not experienced intimate partner violence.

In summary, healthy relationships are healthy for your heart.

Are you afraid to disagree with your partner because of his or her temper? Here is a partial list of warning signs that you are in an unhealthy relationship. More complete lists can be found here and here.

Dose your partner:

• Embarrass you with put-downs in public or private?
• Look at you or act in ways that scare you?
• Control what you do, who you see or talk to or where you go?
• Stop you from seeing your friends or family members?
• Control your finances?
• Make all of the decisions?
• Tell you that you’re a bad parent or threaten to take away or hurt your children?
• Prevent you from working or attending school?
• Act like the abuse is no big deal, it’s your fault, or even deny doing it?
• Destroy your property or threaten to kill your pets?
• Intimidate you with guns, knives or other weapons?
• Shove you, slap you, choke you, or hit you?
• Force you to have sex or to do sexual things that make you uncomfortable?
• Threaten to commit suicide?
• Threaten to kill you?

To get help for you or a loved one who is trapped in an abusive relationship, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

The View from Venus

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that we should stop thinking about hearts. Over the weekend I’m sure we all had our share of candy, chocolate and many other tasty treats in heart shaped forms. Although the human heart isn’t made of Godiva chocolate and doesn’t have a sweet message on one side of it, we still need it to live. Having a healthy heart is the key to a long and productive life. Heart disease (including heart attack and stroke) are among the top causes of death for people in the United States. Unfortunately, the statistics for women are even scarier. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States.

This week on New Voices, we will be focusing on women’s heart health (both literal and figurative) in our new series: The View from Venus. The topics that we will cover this week include: healthy body image, healthy relationships, mental health and cardiac health.