Binge drinking -- defined as consuming four or more alcoholic drinks at one time -- can take a serious toll on anyone's health. And, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals in a new report, it's an under-recognized activity that almost 14 million American women participate in about three times a month. Dr. Robert Brewer of the CDC's Alcohol Program said in a statement, "The good news is that the same scientifically proven strategies for communities and clinical settings that we know can prevent binge drinking in the overall population can also work to prevent binge drinking among women and girls." The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said that to stay "low-risk" drinkers, women should drink no more than three drinks a day and no more than seven drinks a week. Going over that limit puts people at risk for alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse. But ideally, drinking should be done in moderation -- meaning up to one drink daily for women and two for men. 

CBS News, 1/8/2013

Dr. Kingman Strohl, interim division chief of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at UH Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, reports that drowsy driving crashes are more likely to be fatal, and she explains, "A typical driver makes about 1000 decisions a minute. If a personal has not slept in 18 consecutive hours, their impairment on those decision-making tasks is similar to that of someone above the legal alcohol limit."

ABC News, 1/3/2013

Blood clots, like the one Hillary Clinton developed, can happen for many different reasons and under a variety of circumstances. Sometimes clots can form for seemingly no reason at all. Experts say there are at least five steps you can take to help prevent blood clots.

The Huffington Post, 1/2/2013

A new study by Danish researchers shows that elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels—a marker of inflammation used to predict heart problems—are associated with an increased risk for psychological distress and depression.

Men's Health, 12/24/2012

Researchers at John Hopkins University have found that within the past 20 years, there were close to 10,000 reported instances when a foreign object was left in a patient, the wrong surgery was performed, or the surgery was performed on the wrong patient or wrong part of the body. These surgeries cost the healthcare industry an estimated $1.3 billion in malpractice payments. Dr. Martin Makary, the lead investigator of the study, says, “Healthcare is operated by good people, but they’re still human. The better able we are to remove errors from the system, the safer healthcare can be for everybody.” In general, the study highlights the need for more accurate record keeping.

ABC News, 12/20/2012

Dr. Oz sits down with doctors Stephen Sinatra and Jonny Bowden to discuss their controversial stance on cholesterol. They don't believe high cholesterol causes heart disease. Instead, they believe inflammation and sugar play large roles in the development of heart disease. Dr. Sinatra and his co-author offer advice on maintaining cardiovascular health, as they explain all the vital functions cholesterol plays in brain health, cellular functioning and the production of vitamin D. Dr. Sinatra recommends undergoing an LDL particle size test to see if you have big fat fluffy particles, which, along with high HDL, can protect you from heart disease.

Dr. Oz, 12/12/2012

In a new study from Italy, researchers were able to identify patients with colorectal cancer with an accuracy of over 75% by analyzing samples of their breath. So a breath test, similar to the one used to determine when a driver has had too much to drink, is now showing promise as a screening tool for cancer.

WebMD, 12/5/2012

Doctors have been saying that the hospital chain they worked for (Hotel Management Associates) pressured them to admit patients and fill beds with people who did not actually need to be admitted, simply to make money. Cliff Cloonan, who worked at the Carlisle Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania as the assistant emergency room director, warns, "If you are put into the hospital for reasons other than a good, justifiable medical reason, it puts you at significant risk for hospital-acquired infections and what we would refer to as medical misadventures."

60 Minutes, 12/2/2012

A project at seven big hospitals reduced infections after colorectal surgeries by nearly one-third. It prevented an estimated 135 infections, saving almost $4 million, the Joint Commission hospital regulating group and the American College of Surgeons announced Wednesday. The two groups directed the 2 1/2-year project. Solutions such as germ-fighting soap and wound-protecting devices were used. "The improvements translate into safer patient care. Now it's our job to spread these effective interventions to all hospitals," said Dr. Mark Chassin, president of the Joint Commission hospital regulating group.

Fox News/ AP, 11/29/2012

Probiotics are widely used to aid digestion and help restore gut bacterial balance after antibiotics. But some researchers are investigating the beneficial bugs for conditions that have nothing to do with the digestive tract.

The Wall Street Journal, 11/27/2012

It's the biggest man-made epidemic in the United States: accidental death from prescription drug overdoses. A person dies every 19 minutes, on average, from an accidental prescription drug overdose. This is a problem that affects celebrities, returning veterans, and everyday people who get caught up in taking pain pills and other prescription drugs and eventually become addicted. And when people mix alcohol with pain or sleeping pills, it can be a particularly deadly combination.

CNN, 11/19/2012

Medical errors kill over 250,000 people in the United States yearly. Fortunately, though, there are strategies you can use to help doctors and nurses avoid mistakes.

CNN, 11/5/2012