Birmingham: Engaging in the practice of anal intercourse may increase risks for bowel problems, including fecal incontinence and bowel leakage, according to a University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Medicine study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Washington: People who feel older than their peers are more likely to be hospitalized as they age, regardless of their actual age or other demographic factors, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

Washington: For several years, Leon Bellan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, has been tinkering with cotton candy machines, getting them to spin out networks of tiny threads comparable in size, density and complexity to the patterns formed by capillaries – the tiny, thin-walled vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells and carry away waste. His goal has been to make fiber networks that can be used as templates to produce the capillary systems required to create full-scale artificial organs.

Washington: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries. Through advances in medicine and surgery, as well as an awareness of heart disease and prevention, overall deaths due to heart disease in the United States have declined in recent years.

Washington: As caretakers, women often don’t stop and take time for themselves when it comes to matters of the heart. But with Valentine’s Day around the corner, Loyola University Health System internal medicine physician Anita Varkey, urges women to protect their health and prevent a common warning sign of heart disease.

Washington: You’ve seen the late night commercial come across your screen. An older man is on a date with a beautiful woman in a romantic setting. They hold hands as they walk around or eat a nice meal. A big smile stretches across his face as he looks in her eyes, but something is secretly bothering him. Cue the voice-over about erectile dysfunction.