Monday, Mar 09th
Last update08:06:58 AM GMT
Health Glance
Researchers led by Frank Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children's, found that the number of 7- and 8-year-old girls with breast development was higher than found in studies conducted 10 to 30 years earlier.
Other health risks, including endometrial cancer, eating disorders and depression, are associated with earlier puberty and maturation. Behavioral issues, including earlier sexual activity, have also been noted.
New American research suggests that boys exposed to fluoride between the ages of five and 10 will suffer an increased rate of osteosarcoma - bone cancer - bet-ween the ages of 10 and 19.
The increased cancer risks, identified in a newly available study conducted at the Harvard School of Dental Health, were found at fluoride exposure levels common in both the US and Britain. It was the first examination of the link between exposure to the chemical at the critical period of a child's development and the age of onset of bone cancer.
A recent study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine has revealed that industry-funded clinical trials -- that is, drug trials funded by pharmaceutical companies -- almost always show positive results for the drugs they test. In contrast, only about half of government-funded studies show the same drugs to be safe and effective
As BP moves to seal the Deepwater Horizon well permanently, more than 31,000 cleanup workers continue to rely on incomplete and at times misleading information about toxic exposure to the spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico.
Public health officials say they face a daunting challenge: how to inform workers about the possible dangers when studies on the toxic effects of such a large spill have never been done.
In as little as five years, researchers hope to be able to coax the heart into regenerating itself, repairing the damage caused by cardiac arrests and old age. The revolutionary treatment could be possible after scientists discovered a technique for turning ordinary connective tissue into muscle cells inside the heart.
It works in a similar way to stem cells but instead of the new cells being grown outside the body and then injected back in, the technique simply makes the cells switch at the point where they are needed.
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) recently conducted a study revealing that cancer cells have a particular liking for refined fructose. In tests, pancreatic cancer cells quickly fed on refined fructose and used it to divide and proliferate rapidly within the body.
The 52-year-old former host of The Drew Carey Show explained to reporters that he got tired of being fat and seeing himself on camera. So he embarked on a plan to cut the junk from his diet and begin a daily exercise routine. After losing nearly 80 pounds in about six months, Carey also cured himself of his type-2 diabetes.
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