For those who make an afternoon soda break a daily routine, the latest research reveals yet another reason that sugary drinks may cause harm to your health – the possibility of an increased risk of heart disease.

We have long been warned of other medical reasons that soda and other drinks with a high sugar content are bad for us. These reasons include tooth decay and loss of enamel, brittle bones in children and obesity, just to name a few. This recent revelation however may be enough to make even the most avid soda drinker go sour on these sweet drinks.

This research was conducted by a group at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Nearly 43,000 men (ages 40 – 75) were involved in the data collected for this study. They had previously been involved in a tidy that began in 1986 and ended in 2008. As part of the research, every two years the men were asked questions regarding their dietary habits and they also had blood tests taken halfway through the study.

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While Alopecia or male pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss, think Prince William, Billy Corgan or Hugh Laurie, it is certainly not the only culprit behind hair loss and whether you hide it, regrow it or embrace and love it it’s always good to know what it is you are dealing with and while hair loss has traditionally been thought of as a male problem it is becoming more and more common in women as well. Here are some of the most common causes behind hair loss. (more…)

One of the largest health issues affecting men is the threat of high cholesterol. Unlike many conditions, high cholesterol becomes a risk around the age of 20 and continues on throughout life. While there are a variety of predetermining factors (like genetics) that we can’t control, there are some that we can. By following a few easy preventative and maintenance measures you can help your body wage the war against high cholesterol which is known to raise the risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral artery disease.

1. Get Your Cholesterol Tested at Least Once a Year
It’s recommended that men over 20 have their cholesterol tested at least once a year. If you know you have a family history of high cholesterol, you may want to speak with your doctor about getting tested on a more frequent basis. There are 2 levels that are tested in your blood, LDL and HDL. (more…)

If you are not familiar with this test, here are some of the basics.

A doctor may perform a FOBT to test for a variety of intestinal conditions marked by blood in the stool. While perhaps the most well known condition which causes blood to be seen in a stool sample is colorectal cancer, it is far from the only reason this may occur. When blood is present in stool, it most frequently reveals that there is blood loss in the gastrointestinal tract. A doctor takes a small sample of stool and tests it by placing it on a chemically treated material, typically a card or a cloth, and if the material turns blue then blood is present.

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