Health & Medicine
Posted on October 28, 2011 in Health & Medicine, The Environment
Non-smokers who live in areas with high pollution are 20% more likely to die from lung cancer than people who live in cleaner environments, a new study shows. The fine particles in air pollution may irritate the lungs and cause inflammation, increasing the odds of developing lung cancer.
The study tracked 180,000 non-smokers for 26 years. Throughout the study period, 1,100 people died from lung cancer. The participants lived in all 50 states and in Puerto Rico, and based on their zip codes, the researchers estimated how much air pollution they were exposed to, ranging from a low of about six units to a high of 38.
After the researchers accounted for other cancer risk factors, such as second-hand smoke and radon exposure, they found that for every 10 extra units of air pollution exposure, a person’s risk of lung cancer rose by 15 to 27 percent. In all cases, the levels of pollution were within regulatory standards.
Do you live in an area with high pollution?
Posted on October 27, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine
Ever wondered who makes the decisions on which foods are classified as safe to consume? In thousands of cases, private industries may have made the calls on which ingredients are safe without federal scrutiny, a new report finds.
The peer-reviewed report published in the Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety journal relies on research funded by the Pew Health Group, the health and consumer safety branch of the nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts. The group is looking to make the food safety process more transparent, and make data on the health impact of certain foods publicly available. In many cases, they say, the FDA has not reviewed this data.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires manufacturers to make sure food ingredients are safe. Companies can classify an ingredient as “generally recognized as safe” for use in a specific product but aren’t required to tell the Food and Drug Administration about what they find.
Do you think food safety needs to be more transparent?
Posted on October 26, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Parenting, Recent Studies
There’s a dark side to a tasty candy that may make its way into several treat bags this Halloween, the FDA is warning. Black licorice can lead to heart arrhythmias and other health problems when consumed by adults in large quantities, the FDA noted in its pre-holiday alert.
The candy contains a compound called glycyrrhizin, which lends it a sweet flavor. But eating only two ounces of black licorice daily for two weeks could cause a heart arrhythmia, since it causes the kidneys to excrete potassium. Low levels of potassium can make the heart beat irregularly fast or out of sync, health authorities say.
People taking diuretics, digoxin and laxatives should be especially cautious when consuming the treat. The combination of the candy with these medications can drive potassium down to dangerously low levels. Other studies suggest that women taking oral contraceptives should practice moderation with black licorice because of the potassium effect.
However, the FDA’s warning applies to everyone: young, old, at Halloween or at any other time of the year.
Do you eat black licorice?
Posted on October 17, 2011 in Consumer Goods, FDA, Health & Medicine, Recalls
CooperVision’s Avaira Toric contact lenses were recalled in August—but many consumers suffering from corneal tears and vision problems may not be aware that the product is defective, according to reports from the FDA. CooperVision hasn’t heeded FDA requests to broaden notifications about the recall.
The lenses were recalled on August 19 after some users experienced “haziness and discomfort.” The contact lenses were sold at stores like Costco, Walmart, and Lenscrafters. Customers can log into CooperVision’s website to check the complete list of retailers and affected lots.
The FDA has contacted CooperVision and asked them to increase efforts to notify customers. According to an MSNBC report, some have ended up in the emergency room after using the defective lenses. The recall affected about 600,000 contact lenses, or 10 percent of those sold or issued as samples in the United States.
Do you wear Avaira Toric contact lenses?
Posted on October 14, 2011 in Health & Medicine, The Environment
Researchers in Sweden have linked exposure to environmental toxins to an increased risk of atherosclerosis–or a hardening of the arteries—in the first study of its kind. The study supplements previous research that links exposure to pollutants like PCB, dioxin, and pesticides to cardiovascular problems.
Researchers studied 1,016 adults age 70 or older in the small town of Uppsala, Sweden. Participants were tested for a total of 23 toxins, some of which had been banned. Participants’ levels of exposure to pollutants were then compared to the health of their arteries.
A strong link was found between seven of the 23 environmental pollutants tested and plaque build-up in the carotid artery. When plaque accumulates on the inner walls of the coronary arteries, it may reduce blood flow to the heart and increase the risk of a heart attack.
The researchers recommended that potential environmental pollutants be investigated further to lower the risk of heart disease. They will continue to follow study participants to see whether exposure to the pollutants raises the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Are you concerned about environmental pollutants?
Posted on October 13, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Holistic Remedies, Recent Studies, Women's Health
If you’re one of many health-conscious women who take vitamins, you may want to pay attention to the findings of a recent University of Minnesota study. According to the 20-year study, women who take multivitamins are 6% more likely to die earlier than women who don’t take them.
Yes, you read that right. Researchers explained that many of the supplements contain high amounts of specific compounds, and high doses could be potentially toxic. “If you combine several supplements, or a multivitamin with supplements, then you reach even higher potentially toxic doses,” the lead researchers said.
In recent years, studies have shown that vitamins such as A, C and E, which were supposed to lower risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease and cancer, didn’t provide a significant benefit. But many patients kept taking them anyway, and few doctors publicly discouraged it, since the studies didn’t show that taking vitamins did much harm either.
The 38,000 women who participated in the study, average age 62, were surveyed three times about whether they took multivitamins or 15 other types of supplements, and in what doses. Although the higher death risk was noted, researchers found that a bright spot: women in the study who took calcium had a nearly 10% lower risk of death over the study’s follow-up period, compared with those who didn’t take calcium supplements.
Do you take a multivitamin?
Posted on October 12, 2011 in Consumer Goods, FDA, Health & Medicine, Women's Health
California became the first state to prohibit most teens from visiting tanning beds this week. The law bars those ages 14-18 from using tanning beds without an adult or legal guardian’s permission. While many states regulate how minors can use tanning facilities, California’s restrictions go further than any other state, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
More than 20 epidemiological studies found that one’s skin cancer risk increases 75% when a person starts using tanning beds before the age of 30. In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified UV-emitting tanning devices as “carcinogenic to humans.”
State Senator Ted Lieu first tried to pass the legislation in 2007, but failed to prevent teens between the ages of 14 and 18 from walking into a facility and tanning. Lieu expressed concern over the marketing tactics used by tanning facilities and the emphasis on package deals.
“I know that Snooki on the ‘Jersey Shore’ has changed to spray tanning,” Lieu told CNN in an interview. “Spray tanning has no known harmful effects, and you can get tans from lotions or cream. There are safe ways to get that brown look.”
What’s your stance on indoor tanning?
Posted on October 7, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Food, Health & Medicine, The Environment
The farmers market trend has taken off in recent years, attracting hordes of “locavores”—
people who prefer to eat locally-grown food–with its fresh produce. Are small-business-
friendly farmers markets really better?
Although the food sold at farmers markets is generally seen as healthier than grocery-
aisle fare, it also receives less federal and local oversight. Few pathogen outbreaks have
been linked to farmers markets, but most sources of foodborne illness go undetected.
Recently, Congress exempted small farms from the safety requirements of the new Food
Safety Modernization Act. Farms that gross under $50,000 annually and sell most of their
products directly to consumers within 275 miles of the farm qualified for the exemption,
spelled out the act’s Tester-Hagan Amendment. Small farmers argued that they wouldn’t
be able to afford the expensive new requirements.
Still, state and local governments have jurisdiction over farmers markets. Some well-
known markets, like the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco, have farmers
undergo multiple screenings and on-site investigations to make sure their food is safe. At
many of these markets, market managers make sure vendors are following health codes
and make the local food experience pleasant—and safe.
Do you buy food from farmers markets?
Posted on October 5, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine
A pill designed to stop gray hair might be too good to be true—and could be risky, to
boot. Dermatologists are unsure how the L’oreal-developed pill will impact the skin and
the organs.
The pill, scheduled to become available in 2015, contains an undisclosed fruit extract that
mimics the chemical tyrosinase-related protein, an enzyme that protects pigmentation
production. The goal of the fruit extract pill is to stop oxidative stress from turning hair
cells gray. But some people in search of a cure for graying strands may be out of the luck:
the pill must be taken at least 10 years before hair starts going gray.
Hair typically starts turning gray in mid-30s to 40s, but some lucky ones never
experience graying. That means people who take the drug are gambling on the
outcome…and popping a pill daily for no reason.
Research still needs to be conducted before the pills hits the cosmetic market, but some
are already beginning to worry about the possible health risks it might carry.
Posted on October 3, 2011 in Food, Health & Medicine, Parenting, Recent Studies
A diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains may prevent certain birth
defects, according to a study appearing in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent
Medicine this week. The study compared the diets of 3,824 mothers whose children
experienced birth defects with those of 6,807 mothers of healthy children.
Compared with high-fat, high sugar diets, healthier diets with plenty of folate, iron and
calcium were associated with a one-third lower risk of cleft lip, a one-quarter lower risk
of cleft palate, and a one-fifth lower risk of spina bifida, another neural-tube defect.
Folic acid deficiencies are associated with neural-tube defects and cleft lip and palate.
The researchers took into account whether the women they studied were taking folic acid
in addition to having a healthy diet. Women who followed the healthier diets in the year
before pregnancy were up to one-half as likely than those with unhealthier diets to have a
baby with the neural-tube defect anencephaly.
Researchers said that women of child-bearing age should continue to take folic acid
supplements, since studies have shown it makes a significant impact on reducing birth
defects.
Do you eat a healthy diet?
