Life, Health and Enjoyment

  The FDA is investigating reports of five deaths and a nonfatal heart attack in people who drank high- caffeine energy drinks made by the Monster Energy Company. Meanwhile, a Maryland couple has filed a wrongful death suit against the company, alleging that their product killed their 14-year-old daughter. They say Anais Fournier, 14, collapsed after drinking her second 24-ounce Monster Energy drink in two days. She died six days later. The reports are not proof that the drinks caused the deaths, but merely signal there might be a problem. Even if the deaths are determined to be caused by caffeine poisoning, the FDA will consider all sources of caffeine before blaming the deaths on the energy drink. In addition to caffeine, energy drinks contain other stimulants, including taurine and guarana , a caffeine-containing plant. Because energy drinks are sold as nutritional supplements, they are not regula...

The requirement to fast before a cholesterol check can be a major inconvenience. People who forget to fast may be told to reschedule their appointments. For those who remember, sitting in a doctor's waiting room with a growling stomach can make for a rough start to the day. Now a large new study shows that cholesterol levels aren't radically different in people who ate compared to those who fasted before their blood was drawn. The study, which is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine , suggests that people may not need to fast before they get a cholesterol test . Experts who were not involved in the research called the results an eye-opener. "This information is actually very, very interesting. It might change how we approach a patient," says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Fasting and Cholesterol For the study, researchers looked at the results of al...