(July 8, 2008 - Insidermedicine) From Portland - According to research in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, scientists studying over 1500 overweight or obese people noted that those who kept a daily food diary lost nearly twice as much weight compared to those who did not. The patients, on average, lost 13 pounds, while a 5 pound weight reduction can lower the risk of developing high blood pressure by 20%

From Texas - According to research in Pediatrics, when mothers see their smiling babies, the area of the brain that is activated is the same one that lights up in the brains of addicts. Researchers studied the brain activity of 28 first-time mothers while viewing images of either their baby or other babies with various facial expressions. When their baby was smiling, certain dopamine-releasing reward centers lit up.

And finally, from Scotland - According to research published in JAMA, measuring a ratio comparing blood pressure at the ankle to the arm may help predict the risk of atherosclerosis and future heart disease. Researchers analyzed data on nearly 50,000 people to evaluate the effect of ankle-brachial index, and found that men with a low ABI were 4 times more likely to die from a heart problem over a 10 year period.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Allison Chow from Queen's University.