Health & WellnessS


Health

Thimerosal Linked To Autism: New Clinical Findings

The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A: Current Issues, an authoritative journal featuring original toxicological research, has published, "A Case Series of Children with Apparent Mercury Toxic Encephalopathies Manifesting with Clinical Symptoms of Regressive Autistic Disorders," by Geier and Geier (2007).

Health

'Epidemic' of sleep deprivation spreads among busy Britons

Getting eight hours' sleep a night has long been seen as one of the keys to a healthy and happy life.

But for most of us the figure is little more than an ideal, with the average worker losing two and a half years of sleep over the course of their career, according to a survey.

In fact, the average working adult loses just over ten hours' sleep every week, which adds up to more than one complete night's rest.

That adds up to 520 hours over a year or 23,140 hours (2.5 years) over the average working lifetime.

Magic Wand

Reversing Alzheimer's memory loss may be possible

Mental stimulation and drug treatment may help people with brain ailments such as Alzheimer's disease regain seemingly lost memories, according to research published on Sunday.

Bomb

Rocket Fuel Chemical Found in Food, Water Supply

Perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel, is turning up in the nation's food -- in vegetables like lettuce and spinach -- and water supply.

Bomb

Fluorescent Bulb Break Creates Costly Hassle

On March 13, Brandy Bridges was installing some of the two dozen CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs she had purchased in an attempt to save money on her energy bill.

One month later, though, Bridges is paying much more than she had ever expected to.

Wine

Flashback Alcohol increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer - but smoking has no impact

Drinking alcohol increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer - but smoking has no impact, researchers have found.

Scientists have calculated that a woman's risk of breast cancer rises by 6% for each extra alcoholic drink she consumes on an average daily basis (7% on international measures).

Wine

Moderate Drinking Linked to Breast Cancer

Moderate alcohol consumption, or about two drinks a day, has often been touted as heart healthy in recent years, but a new study finds the same quantity causes cancer.

Mice given the human equivalent of two drinks daily developed breast tumors that were nearly double the weight of those in their "dry" relatives.

Nearly 179,000 U.S. women will develop breast cancer this year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Even so, scientists lack a strong grasp on why one woman develops the disease and another remains cancer free.

Presented here at the American Physiological Society (APS) annual meeting, the research not only shows the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer, but it proposes how that glass of wine or bottle of beer works to stimulate tumor growth.

"Alcohol [consumption] is the most important avoidable risk factor for women getting breast cancer," lead scientist Jian-Wei Gu of the University of Mississippi Medical Center told LiveScience. Genetic factors would be considered "unavoidable," since people inherit DNA from their parents.

Coffee

Your Brain And Hormones May Conspire To Make You Fat

Why do some people get fat even when they eat relatively little? What creates that irresistible urge for a bag of potato chips or a hunk of chocolate cake, as opposed to a nice crisp apple? Can food urges be irresistible?

Physiologists are unraveling the role that your hormones and brain play in urging you to eat more than you should. Some people's hormones may be signaling their brains to send messages like "Eat a lot now," and "Go for the fat and sugar."

Four physiologists will clarify the latest research on the brain's role in obesity, during the symposium, "Obesity and the Central Nervous System." The symposium will take place at the 120th annual meeting of The American Physiological Society (APS), which coincides with Experimental Biology 2007. The session will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, April 30 in Room 146B of the Washington Convention Center and is cosponsored by the London-based Journal of Physiology.

Heart

Cherries may help reduce metabolic syndrome and heart disease risk factors

Increasing intake of antioxidant-rich cherries may help lower the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, suggests a new study(1) presented today at the Experimental Biology annual meeting.

Researchers say the animal study is encouraging and will lead to further clinical studies in humans.

"Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of traits that can greatly increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes, so it's a serious condition that significantly affects public health," said study co-author Dr. Steven F. Bolling, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center who also heads the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory, where the study was performed. "Lifestyle changes have been shown to lower the odds of developing metabolic syndrome, and there is tremendous interest in studying the impact of particular foods that are rich in antioxidants, such as cherries."

Metabolic syndrome (also called insulin resistance syndrome) has become increasingly common in the United States, especially among adults in their mid-30s.

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Air Force to begin to ban tobacco

The U.S. Air Force, faced with a goal of dramatically reducing tobacco use by 2010, is getting set to implement its first widespread ban on such products.

©Kent Harris / S&S
"Ciggy" shows his disdain for the plan.