Fast facts on natural health

Music to my telomeres

"We figured out what was going on at normal chromosome ends . . . We figured out that there was an enzyme, telomerase, that adds DNA to the ends of chromosomes to balance out the DNA that is naturally lost as cells grow. Afterward, as people in the field began to see how important it was, telomere research just took off. It became clear that the loss of DNA from telomeres might have something to do with aging."

—Jack W. Szostak, PhD, biochemical researcher and winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine

Murky rules in China

"I like to do business by the rules, but as an American operating in China, the rules are not always entirely clear. For example, we lost power—and three days of productivity—at our Chinese factory in August. Maybe there was something we could have done to get our power turned back on. Meanwhile, our customers were screaming."

—Paul Fichter, owner of a business that makes tap handles for breweries, on why he has started moving some manufacturing back to the US

On leadership

"If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes real good, then you did it. That’s all it takes to get people to win football games for you."

—Bear Bryant, legendary Alabama football coach

Popular treatment

11 percent of Americans ages 12 and older take antidepressants, according to the most recent data. Antidepressants are the most common prescription drug used by people ages 18 to 44. Almost one-quarter of all women ages 40 to 59 use the drugs. In the two decades from 1998 to 2008, antidepressant use increased almost 400 percent.

Heart-healthy sleep

People who have trouble falling asleep have a 45 percent increased risk of heart attack, Norwegian researchers recently reported, compared with people who never had sleep problems. People with problems staying asleep had a 30 percent increased risk, and those who woke up tired a 27 percent increase.

Low esteem, big proportions

A study from researchers at Northwestern University showed that participants with a sense of powerlessness tend to link larger food portions with increased status. Even when the researchers took money out of the equation, people would opt for the bigger food product.