Health & WellnessS


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Commuters Inhale Heavy Dose of Pollution

Driving is more hazardous than anyone knew: A heavy commuter inhales more pollution while driving than in the entire rest of the day, a new study finds.

The research was done in Los Angeles, where the average driver spends 1.5 hours behind the wheel. That time in traffic accounts for 33 to 45 percent of total exposure to diesel and ultrafine particles (UFP), the study showed.

Comment: While the war against smokers continues, it is what we breathe in the air that causes us more harm. But we don't see anyone from the government running around to fix it, do we? It is clear that when they tell us to quit smoking because of the harm it causes us, they are lying again.

Read this SOTT focus piece for more information: Let's all light up!


Health

Lawmakers: Look closely at foreign drugs

The Food and Drug Administration isn't paying enough attention to inspecting the growing amount of drugs produced by foreign manufacturers, say lawmakers who want the agency to update its approach.

The head of the FDA is being called before a congressional committee Thursday to explain his agency's lopsided approach to inspecting drugs, both domestically and overseas.

Black Cat

Cat's eye view of DNA sheds light on human disease

The first full genetic map of a cat -- a domestic pedigreed Abyssinian -- is already shedding light on a common cause of blindness in humans and may offer insights into AIDS and other diseases, researchers reported on Wednesday.

And the cat genome shows some surprising qualities that cats and humans appear to have uniquely in common, the researchers report in the journal Genome Research.

Arrow Down

47 million Americans lack health insurance: report

The number of Americans lacking health insurance rose by nearly 8.6 million to 47 million from 2000 to 2006, with children and workers from every income level losing coverage, a new report said on Thursday.

The increase was "driven primarily by the continued erosion in employer-provided health insurance," said the report by the Washington, D.C.-based Economic Policy Institute.

In 2006, 2.3 million fewer Americans received health benefits from their employers than in 2000, the report said, noting the decline does not take the population increase into account.

Comment: War is supported by both parties and unlimited funds are available for this. Go here and see what the money spent on the cost of war could have done the basic infrastructure in America


Health

Enzyme may play role in aggressive lung cancer

Higher levels of an enzyme that makes estrogen may be the hallmark of a more aggressive type of lung cancer in older women, a finding that could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

They said measuring levels of the enzyme aromatase -- which naturally converts the hormone androgen into estrogen -- could be used to predict survival in women with early stage lung cancer who are over the age of 65.

Light Saber

The new rules for defeating cancer

Being even slightly overweight can increase the risk of a range of common cancers including breast, bowel and pancreatic cancer, a landmark study has found.

The largest review of links between diet and cancer, incorporating more than 7,000 studies, concludes that there is convincing evidence that excess body fat can cause at least six different types of the disease. The researchers give warning that everyone should be at the lower end of the healthy weight range.

Attention

MRSA Deaths in the US Exceed AIDS Deaths: Circumcision is a Culprit

The National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC) issued a cautionary statement today about the increased risk of 'Super-Bug' methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections for circumcised infants. NOCIRC's statement follows a CDC report warning about MRSA as a major public health problem.

Health

Unique pattern of gene expression can indicate acetaminophen overdose

In a new study, researchers found they could detect toxic levels of acetaminophen in laboratory animals by analyzing gene expression in the blood. This study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, could be a first step in developing accurate new tools to detect acetaminophen overdose in humans. Overdose of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in many over-the-counter pain relievers, is a leading cause of liver failure in the United States and is often difficult to diagnose. An estimated 50,000 people seek emergency room treatment for acetaminophen overdose each year.

Coffee

Faking Your Way to Good Health

Trendy nutrient-infused drinks like Diet Coke Plus and VitaminWater may be hip, but are they healthy?

Health

Human blood: Most mysterious liquid on Earth

Blood is a symbol of vitality. In pre-Christian cultures, it was thought that blood had the power of fertilization and contained part of divine energy.

©dkimages.com
Blood is a symbol of vitality

Comment: Several entries about blood, blood types and related dietry recommendations are also found in Cassiopedia - the true encyclopedia.

Here are some links to the relevant entries:
- Anatomy, physiology and mythology of blood
- Theory of the human blood types
- Blood type diet by Peter D'Adamo