Health briefs: Turn the other cheek

People show more emotion on the left side of their face, and that may help explain why that side typically appears more pleasant to others, researchers say.

Scientists from Wake Forest University said the findings may also help explain why portraits painted by Western artists often feature left-side profiles. "Our results suggest that posers' left cheeks tend to exhibit a greater intensity of emotion, which observers find more aesthetically pleasing," according to study authors Kelsey Blackburn and James Schirillo.

Lose weight, lose inflammation

Moderate weight loss reduces levels of inflammation that have been tied to certain cancers, at least in postmenopausal women, a new study suggests. According to the findings, older women who lost at least 5 percent of their body weight through diet alone or diet plus exercise showed significant reductions in key inflammatory blood markers such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. In addition to risk for heart disease, elevated levels of these markers have also been associated with increased risk for several cancers, including breast, colon, lung and endometrial cancer.

The findings appear May 1 in the journal Cancer Research.

-- HealthDay