Health & Wellness NewsMarch 9, 2010

As You Age, Better Health Means Better Sex

Association held true for people well into their 80s, study found

Better health translates into better sex lives, with healthy people more likely to engage in sex (and good sex at that) and to express an interest in sex, new research finds.

This association held firm into middle-age and later life as well, according to the study by University of Chicago researchers.

Do Liberals, Atheists Have Higher IQs?

Study links intelligence test scores with key beliefs and male monogamy

People who consider themselves liberals or atheists tend to have higher IQs than those who are more religious or conservative, a new study suggests.

Higher IQs also seem to make men less likely to cheat. Men with higher IQs place a higher value on sexual fidelity than men with lower IQs, although the same association with intelligence and monogamy was not found in women, according to the study.

Psychotherapy Can Help People With Lupus Cope

After 10 sessions, anxiety, depression and stress lessened, researchers say

Psychotherapy helps cut the incidence of psychological woes in patients with lupus who have high levels of daily stress, a new study finds.

The treatment also helps these patients improve and maintain their quality of life, according to a new Spanish study.

Most Drug Studies Don't Help Docs Pick Best Treatment

The problem? Available meds ignored in favor of drugs in the pipeline, review finds

Less than one-third of drug studies published in major medical journals answer the fundamental question of which of the range of available medications works best for a particular condition.

So concludes the first wide-scale look at so-called "comparative effectiveness" studies, where experts seek to determine which available medicine is likely to prove most cost-effective for patients. The findings are published in the March 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Kids Who Get Flu Shots Protect the Unvaccinated

Inoculating children can prevent influenza from spreading, experts say

Children who get a flu shot help prevent flu from spreading in their communities, Canadian researchers say.

"By immunizing children and adolescents, there is a substantial protective effect in people who themselves were not immunized," said lead researcher Dr. Mark Loeb, a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.