All Stories Tagged With: "risk"
Lifestyle Changes Can Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s
A new, theoretical analysis finds that about half of the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease are potentially changeable, and that reducing them could substantially decrease the number of new cases of disease worldwide, according to a study to be presented Tuesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. The study is the first known analysis that tries to quantify and compare how risk factors are associated with Alzheimer’s. It will be published Tuesday on the journal Lancet Neurology’s website after the conference presentation.
Many Sunscreens Increase Skin Cancer Risk, FDA Has Known for a Decade But Done Nothing
A new report issued by the consumer protection organization Environmental Working Group (EWG) reveals that many popular sunscreens contain ingredients known to spur the growth and spread of skin cancer cells, which defeats their stated purpose of preventing skin cancer. Data indicates that the sun’s rays combine with certain sunscreen ingredients in the skin and damage skin cells, which can lead to lesions and tumors.
Healthy Lifestyle Slashes Dementia Risk
Heart disease, strokes, and other serious health conditions that affect the circulatory system or brain have long been thought to contribute to an increased risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Now, a new study suggests that even relatively minor health problems seemingly unrelated to the mind—such as how well dentures fit—may affect a person’s risk as well. Researchers in Canada analyzed data on 7,239 older people who periodically filled out detailed questionnaires about their overall health.
Mobile Phones Cause ‘Five-Fold Increase in Brain Cancer Risk’
The Swedish study found large increased incidence of astrocytoma, the most common form of a malignant brain tumour type called glioma, in those who had been using mobiles for over 10 years. Campaigners said the research, published in the International Journal of Oncology, was further evidence of the need to educate children of the potential dangers of talking on mobile phones.
Pfizer Stop-Smoking Pill Raises Heart Risk Says FDA
Pfizer Inc’s (PFE.N) stop-smoking drug Chantix can lead to a small increase in cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks for patients who already have cardiovascular disease, U.S. drug regulators said on Thursday. The Food and Drug Administration is changing the label for Chantix after reviewing the results of a clinical trial. An independent randomized trial of 700 smokers with cardiovascular disease who were treated with Chantix or a placebo showed that Chantix was effective in helping paients quit smoking for as long as one year.
Removal of Appendix or Tonsils Linked to Early Heart Attack Risk
I have long made the point that every person should do everything in their power to keep every body organ whenever possible. Sadly, a physician who does not understand how to help a struggling organ get better—especially when the removal of that organ is readily covered by insurance—often results in its unnecessary removal. Such is the case with many of the “routine” operations for the removal of tonsils, gall bladders, and parts of the female reproductive system.
Breastfeeding Linked to Lower Risk of SIDS
Babies who are breastfed – especially those only fed breast milk, and not formula as well – are less likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, suggests a new analysis of past studies. While the findings can’t prove that breastfeeding causes the lower risk of SIDS, the authors write in Pediatrics that other explanations seem unlikely. “Breastfeeding is the best method of feeding infants,” said Dr. Fern Hauck, the study’s lead author from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville.
Government Says 2 Common Materials Pose Risk of Cancer
The government issued warnings on Friday about two materials used daily by millions of Americans, saying that one causes cancer and the other might. Government scientists listed formaldehyde as a carcinogen, and said it is found in worrisome quantities in plywood, particle board, mortuaries and hair salons. They also said that styrene, which is used in boats, bathtubs and in disposable foam plastic cups and plates, may cause cancer but is generally found in such low levels in consumer products that risks are low.
Overuse of Antimicrobials in Livestock Risks Human Health, Warn Experts
Excessive use of antimicrobials in livestock promotes resistance and risks the future health of both animals and humans, warn experts in an editorial published by Student BMJ on June 1, 2011. Jørgen Schlundt and colleagues at the National Food Institute in Denmark argue that the routine use of antimicrobials can be reduced substantially, while maintaining profitable animal production, and call for their use to be monitored in all countries.
Estrogen, Mimicked in Many Plastics, Linked to High Blood Pressure
While recent studies have shown long-term exposure to estrogen can be a danger to women – overturning physicians’ long-held beliefs that the hormone was good for their patients’ hearts – the process by which estrogen induces high blood pressure was unclear. In a new study, Michigan State University researchers found long-term estrogen exposure generates excessive levels of the compound superoxide, which causes stress in the body.
Folic Acid During Pregnancy May Reduce Baby’s Cancer Risk
Recalling painful memories while under the influence of the drug metyrapone reduces the brain’s ability to re-record the negative emotions associated with them, according to a study published in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. The study by a team of University of Montreal researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital challenges the theory that memories cannot be modified once they are stored in the brain.
Lack of Exercise Raises Heart Disease Risk in Children
Even healthy children as young as nine-years-old can start to show an increased risk of future heart problems if they are physically inactive, according to a study in the May issue of Acta Paediatrica. A team of researchers from Sweden and Denmark studied 223 children – 123 boys and 100 girls – with an average age of 9.8 years, assessing their physical activity levels over four days.
Omega-3 Fats Shown to Decrease Risk of Dying from Inflammatory Diseases
Omega-3 fats can regulate inflammatory processes and responses. Researchers recently investigated omega-3s and other fats (such as omega-6 fats and alpha linolenic acid) to see if their consumption was associated with a reduction in mortality due to inflammatory diseases. More than 2,500 participants were tracked over a period of 15 years. Their diet was assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:
How Flimsy Research Leads to Harmful Pharmaceuticals on the Market
Some of the biggest problems in medicine don’t get written about, because they don’t concern eye-catching things such as one patient’s valiant struggle: they’re protected from public scrutiny by a wall of tediousness. Here is one problem that affects millions of people. What if we had rubbish evidence on whether hundreds of common treatments really work, simply because nobody asked the right research question?
Lack of Sleep is a Risk Factor for Colon Cancer
An inadequate amount of sleep has been associated with many ailments, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Now colon cancer can also be added to the list. A study found that people who average less than six hours of sleep per night had an almost 50 percent increase in the risk of colorectal adenomas. Adenomas are precursors to cancer tumors that can turn malignant if left untreated.
Prolonged Bottle-Feeding ‘Increases Obesity Risk’
Babies who are bottle-fed until the age of two are more likely to be obese when they start school, a US study suggests. Writing in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that children who were still regular bottle users at 24 months were 30% more likely to be obese aged five-and-a-half. They analysed data from nearly 7,000 children across the United States. Experts say bottle-feeding can make babies consume too many calories.
Extra Weight Linked to Dementia Risk
Carrying around extra pounds during middle age was associated with a higher risk of dementia later in life in a new study that followed twins in Sweden for 30 years. The research was not set up to prove that dementia was caused by the added weight, but Dr. Weili Xu, the study’s lead author from the Karolinksa Institutet in Stockholm, said that the evidence is pointing in that direction. The findings, published in the journal Neurology, suggest that “control of body fat as early as middle life is important to prevent dementia later in life,” she told Reuters Health.
