A study that monitored the health of more than 4,000 participants found that unhealthy high-density lipoprotein (the “good” cholesterol) levels at age 8 may signal that an individual is at an elevated risk for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis by age 25. … [Read more...]
Health Alert
Asthma Tied to Kids with Disabilities & Delays
An analysis of data collected from nearly 72,000 families revealed that children with hearing loss, cerebral palsy, and learning disabilities have a significantly elevated risk for asthma. Study co-author Dr. George Delclos writes, “These results … [Read more...]
Obesity in Middle-Age Linked to Dementia
New research that looked at long-term health data concerning nearly 6,600 adults suggests that obesity at midlife is associated with a 31% increased risk for dementia in old age. International Journal of Epidemiology, June 2020 … [Read more...]
Air Pollution Linked to Early Death
An analysis of long-term data concerning over 68.5 million Medicare enrollees suggests that tightening air quality standards in the United States from 12 μg/m3 of fine particulate matter to the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 10 μg/m3 … [Read more...]
As a Nation’s Wealth Grows, So Do Men’s Waistlines
Using four decades of data concerning nearly 150 countries, researchers report that for every 1% increase in a nation’s per capita income, the obesity rate among men in the country rises by 1.23%. PLOS ONE, May 2020 … [Read more...]
Oil & Gas Wells Linked to Low Infant Birth Weight
An analysis of nearly 3 million pregnancy outcomes from women living within six miles of an oil or gas well revealed that living within less than a mile of these types of wells is associated with a 40% increased risk for low birth weight. … [Read more...]
Inherited High Cholesterol May Signal Heart Trouble Earlier in Adulthood
Familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited disorder that causes high cholesterol. Researchers report that individuals with this condition are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease before middle age; however, less than 10% of adults with … [Read more...]
Heavy Drinking Earlier in Life Can Have Long-Term Consequences
Using data from the Whitehall II cohort, researchers identified a link between heavy alcohol intake before midlife and hypertension, impaired liver function, increased stroke risk, a larger waist circumference, and a higher body mass index (BMI) … [Read more...]
MAFLD?
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition that occurs when fat accumulates in the liver from causes other than excessive alcohol consumption. In a recent article, researchers suggested changing the name for this condition to metabolic … [Read more...]
Suicide Rates Up 35% in Last 20 Years
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the suicide rate in the United States increased from 10.5 to 14 per 100,000 persons between 1999 and 2018, with a much sharper increase in the past decade. The CDC adds that suicide … [Read more...]
Vaping and Chronic Lung Disease
Researchers analyzed records from 2013 to 2016 on new lung disease diagnoses and found that both traditional smoking and e-cigarette use are associated with an elevated risk for chronic lung disease compared with nonsmokers (50% and 33%, … [Read more...]
Websites May Contain Incorrect Info on Antidepressants
Researchers reviewed articles from 39 informative websites from ten countries on the topic of antidepressant use and found that thirteen sites failed to note that antidepressant use may increase suicide ideation, only two reported that … [Read more...]
Weight Gain Dangerous to Lungs
While pulmonary function is expected to decline with advancing age, the results of a study that monitored 3,700 adults for two decades found that weight gain over time can hasten this process. Thorax, February 2020 … [Read more...]
Many Young Adults Have Bad Health Habits
An analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that less than half of young adults meet current exercise guidelines and less than one in six consume the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. Federal … [Read more...]