You Go, Girl

Scott LaFee on Dec 31, 2025

When men and women are given exercise routines to reduce coronary heart disease risk, one group does better. It's not men.

Women had a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease if they logged 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous exercise. Men doing the same amount of exercise had a 17% lower risk.

The caveat: As in previous similar research, women were more likely than men to fall short of their recommended physical activity minutes, exercise intensity and adherence to guidelines.

Body of Knowledge

The triangular hollow between the carpal bones of the wrist and hand is often called the "anatomical snuff box" from the old practice of placing powdered tobacco there to be ingested.

Get Me That, Stat!

A study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology reports that children born to mothers who had a COVID-19 infection while pregnant were at higher risk of experiencing developmental disorders like speech delays, autism and motor disorders by the time they were 3 years old. Researchers analyzed data from more than 18,100 live births that took place in a large Boston-area health system between March 2020 and May 2021.

Counts

74,000: Number of people participating in 383 clinical studies that recently lost federal funding. The studies were testing treatments for conditions like cancer, heart disease and neurological conditions (Source: JAMA Internal Medicine).

Stories for the Waiting Room

A large and long-running outbreak of measles in Canada is threatening to end its status as a country in which the disease has been functionally eliminated.

Doc Talk

Inion: This is the small bony protuberance found at the rear base of the human skull. It serves as a key attachment site for neck muscles supporting the head.

Phobia of the Week

Heortophobia: Fear of holidays

Never Say 'Diet'

The Major League Eating speed-eating record for fruitcake is 4 pounds, 14.25 ounces in 10 minutes, held by Sonya Thomas. It's a record that will remain unchanged with the passage of time, just like fruitcake.

Food for Thought

Taurine is an organic compound that plays a vital role in several bodily functions, including brain development, digestion and eye health. It's naturally found in meat and seafood. It's also a common ingredient in energy drinks, where it's promoted as enhancing mental and athletic performance. Some say it counteracts jitters caused by caffeine, another ingredient in energy drinks. It's called taurine because the compound was first isolated from bull bile in 1827.

Best Medicine

First patient: I love my medical provider's office. There are always two physicians on call.

Second patient: What's it called?

First patient: A pair of docs.

Observation

"Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time." -- American comedian Steven Wright

Medical History

This week in 1981, the first American "test-tube" baby conceived through in vitro fertilization was born: a 5-pound, 12-ounce girl named Elizabeth Jordan Carr at Norfolk General Hospital. The term "in vitro" is Latin for "in glass," because conception takes place in a laboratory dish. The world's first test-tube baby was Louise Brown, born in England three years earlier.

Self-Exam

If you can answer this question, you're all right.

Q: What are the main organs on the right side of the body?

A: Liver, gallbladder, right kidney, right lung, right adrenal gland and appendix.

In case you feel left out, these organs are on the other side: heart, stomach, pancreas and spleen. Excluded are organs that span both sides or have right and left counterparts.

Last Words

"No comment." -- American writer and environmentalist Edward Abbey (1927-89). Abbey abhorred ceremony and asked that he be placed in an old sleeping bag and buried at an undisclosed location where his corpse would serve as fertilizer. A stone marker at this location reads: "Edward Paul Abbey. 1927-1989. No comment."

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To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.