Red wine is again in the health news, this time regarding its benefits for preventing gum disease. The exact beneficial components are found in the tipple, called polyphenols, these are thought to target molecules which attack cells causing periodontal disease. Gum disease affects nearly 15% of people between the ages of 21 to 50, and increases to 65% for people over age 50. While the news is exciting, experts are warning against gargling with wine instead of a regular regimen of flossing and brushing. On the one hand moderate red wine consumption has been associated with a  reduction in the risk of heart attacks. But on the flip side, large intakes of red wine have been linked to mouth cancer. Another con for red wine is that long term exposure can actually cause enamel erosion due to the acidity. Red wine is not the only delectable to contain  polyphenols, they can also be found in cocoa and green tea.

Problems with conceiving? Some researchers say that improper footwear might be contributing to the issue, particularly high heels. Shoes with a heel, especially a heel over five inches high, impact a woman's posture. High heels force the lower back outwards, causing a forward tilt in the pelvis. With the pelvis at an awkward angle, the inner organs tend to get squished together in an unnatural manner. Some scientists believe this may cause some damage to the female reproductive system because this can slow down the gastric functions which leads to menstrual dysfunction and can ultimately impair fertility. It is not likely that high heels will disappear from the fashion scene any time soon, they are a favorite staple of many designers. But if you are looking to conceive any time soon perhaps a switch to flats might be a better option. It will prepare you for the future when you will lead a life on the run as you trail after your toddler.

Doctors in England are finding new ways to satisfy our ever growing desire for physical perfection. A new breast augmentation procedure that lasts not quite an hour and does not require general anesthesia is receiving ample amounts of attention. With traditional surgery oftening requiring an overnight hospital stay and up to two weeks of recovery time, the new high speed approach launched by the Medispa Clinic in Adlington, near Poynton, Cheshire, is able to cater to the needs of career women who simply do not have the luxury of extra time. Owner Carl Lewis said: "This has totally revolutionized breast enlargement surgery. The recovery time is amazing. You walk into hospital and within hours you are walking out. In years to come the lunch time boob job will be happening across the industry."

Tattoos are not just for the bipeds anymore. Veterinarians have been tattooing livestock for years to prevent theft. but some vets are taking tattooing to new levels. For instance, take Dr. Jacque Rosholm of Main Street Animal Clinic in Payson, Arizona. She routinely gives animals ear tattoos to ensure proper identification to protect against theft and animal testing. By inking both ears, implanting a coded microchip and then inking the codes from the chip onto the animal's groin area, Dr. Rosholm can give pet owners an extra sense of security when it comes to their beloved four legged friends. Another use for tattoos is cancer prevention. At high altitudes or areas like Arizona where the sun shines a majority of the time, vets are able to tattoo the lighter skin areas such as a dog's nose. By giving the dog a layer of ink protection, the odds of skin cancer decrease significantly. Although it sounds a trifle extreme, it is a fabulous display of love as to just how far pet owners are willing to go for their animals.

Listening to and understanding heart sounds through a stethoscope is no easy task. The heart has so many different murmers and nuances depending upon the area being listened to, age and gender or the physical condition of a patients. For a doctor to learn the intricacies of each small sound is a monumental task and, ultimately, an amazing talent. In an effort to better learn the heart sounds some students are turning to pre-recorded sounds on their iPods. Dr. Michael Barrett of Temple University in Philadelphia has discovered that by listening to various heart sounds approximately 500 times, a student can learn to effectively discriminate certain heart sounds from others. Barrett produced a CD that mimicked the sounds of six abnormal heart conditions and gave it to a group of medical students, who promptly were instructed to upload  the recordings to their iPods. About two hours and 3,000 playbacks later, the students were able to correctly identify 80% of the heart sounds on a test—up from 30% before the practice listening session.

Deep-vein thrombosis kills nearly 200,000 Americans every year. A deadly disease without much media coverage, it occurs when a clot forms in the body, dislodges and then travels to the lungs, often leading to a fatal pulmonary embolism. The symptoms are rarely recognized for the danger they represent because there has not been a high awareness for the condition. The most publicized case to date was that of NBC Correspondent David Bloom. He died in 2003 while traveling through the Iraq desert in an armored tank. His wife, Melanie, who is now the national spokeswoman for the Coalition to Prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis or DVT, has taken it upon herself to help educate the 74% of Americans who are unaware of the symptoms leading to the condition. Swelling in one leg, large bumps in the calf area are all cause for concern. Some people most at risk are diabetics, people who suffer varicose veins, have coronary problems, women on birth control, women on hormone replacement therapy or women who are pregnant are also at high risk.

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) results are discouraging for many women who every day seek ways to prolong life and make their quality of life a healthier path. The initiative, is a major 15-year research program to address the most common causes of death, disability and poor quality of life in post-menopausal women -- cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. According to the study, some of the more popular notions for maintaining health are currently being questioned. The low-fat diet craze is being closely scrutinized as to its success for preventing cancer and lowering the risks of heart disease. Calcium supplements are no longer believed to help maintain bone density in older women. The wonder drug Vioxx was removed from shelves due to its propensity to induce heart attacks if taken for too long or too often.  And hormone replacement therapy, once the rage for easing menopausal changes, is now touted as dangerous for some women.

This is not to say that seeking healthy alternatives for a better quality of life is all in vain. A healthy diet coupled with regular exercise and ample amounts of rest can do the body and soul a world of good. I believe the results point to some fairly simple facts: there is no fountain of youth. No quick fix. No sure thing. Giving thanks to what we have today and appreciating the simple truths while pursuing a healthy lifestyle are sometimes the best approach.

Contrary to what many in the medical fields have long believed about the dying process, it is not where a patient passes away, but how and under what circumstances that loom higher on the lists of terminally ill patients. According to a new Canadian study led by Dr. Heyland, research director in the Department of Medicine at Kingston General Hospital, patients are more interested in their confidence levels of their physicians and medical facilities than they are of dying at home. The study was conducted over two years and included more than 400 seriously ill patients and 160 of their family members, the results were somewhat surprising. Out of 28 factors describing quality care, patients and family members rated "to have trust and confidence in the doctors looking after you" and "not to be kept alive on life supports when there is little hope for a meaningful recovery" as most important, whereas dying at home was ranked at 24 out of 28 by the patients and at number 14 for family members.

Back in college I was once invited to fraternity party that in addition to the usual kegs of beer, promised several mobile hot tubs for added fun. Knowing a few things about Greek boys, I accepted the free beer cup but steered clear of the tubs. I harbored deep suspicions about the sorts of bacteria that would likely be swimming about in those murky waters. It turns out I had a nugget of wisdom. In a recent study by Dr Rita B. Moyes, a microbiologist at Texas A & M University, nearly all hot tubs house some type of microbial growth. In 95 per cent of the tested tubs, bacteria derived from feces were present, while 81 per cent had fungi and 34 per cent contained potentially deadly staphylococcus bacteria. According to Dr. Moyes, a teaspoon of normal tap water contains about 138 bacteria and many samples are bacteria-free. On the other hand, a  teaspoon of whirlpool tub water contains an average of more than 2 million bacteria. The problems arise when the interior pipes of the spas are not properly maintained or chemically cleaned, and when the jets are operating germs are spewed out into the water. If tubs are routinely cleaned with the correct combination of chemicals, the likelihood for germ growth diminishes. But if I were to ever again be invited to a fraternity party, I would still avoid the hot tubs.

Technology is both wondrous and frightening. Janise Wulf, 62, of California recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Adam Charles Wolf, now a strapping 3 days-old, already has a three-year-old brother. Wulf, a diabetic, has been blind since birth and previously raised ten children with her first husband. Through the wonders of IVF she delivered her first son, Ian, with her second husband at age 59. Both babies were born  by Cesarean section. Wulf claims her age has no impact on her ability to parent, she believes she is in a stage of life where she has the patience and tranquility to effectively raise her two sons.

It appears that the good times just keep on coming for men as they age. According to s new study, men in their 50's are almost as satisfied with their sex lives as men in their 20's. A study performed by teams at the University of Oslo, the University of Bergen and Harvard Medical School, surveyed over 1,000 men between the ages of  20 and 79. Despite instances  of increased problems with sexual functions such as attaining, and sustaining, an erection, men in their 50's reported to have nearly the same levels of contentment as their twenty-something cohorts. Perhaps this contentment is the reason so many younger women flock to the older men.

According to a new report published in this month's issue of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, those seeking to enhance their outer images are also focused on their inner health. The survey found that  55% of cosmetic surgery patients take herbal supplements, compared with only 24% of similar people not undergoing surgery. The most commonly used herbs and supplements were ephedra (18%), chondroitin (18%), echinacea (14%) and glucosamine (10%). While maintaining inner health is a good idea, many patients do not inform their surgeons about any supplemental herbs they are ingesting, these omissions can lead to serious hazards during and after surgery. Ephedra, recently taken off the market, has been associated with high blood pressure and strokes. Chondroitin has been associated with excess bleeding. In order to avoid undue complications the American Society of Anesthesiologists recommends discontinuing use of herbs and supplements two to three weeks before surgery.

Doctors are taking a new approach to stroke treatment, some are likening it to pouring Drano into a clogged drain to remove clogs. Similar in theory the method uses, TPA, a clot-busting drug, that is dripped directly onto the clot through a tube. The traditional approach involved using a tube inserted through the groin and the TPA traveled through the entire blood system before reaching the brain clot. The older approach had limited results because it had to be administered within hours of the stroke, sometimes caused large brain bleeds and did not always work. The new method is more akin to angioplasty in the heart, and in small studies has proven to have promising results. Currently strokes kill more than 160,000 people every year. Strokes are the number one cause of long-term disability.  Hopefully this new procedure will save more lives while creating shorter recovery times for the victims and families of strokes.