Spouse’s Smoking Brings Risk of Stroke to Nonsmoking Partner

Nobody likes secondhand smoke (SHS).  It’s annoying, nasty, and it can make nonsmokers sick.  Being around it a lot can increase a nonsmoker’s risk of coronary heart disease.  A newly released study provides evidence it can increase the risk of stroke, too, for a nonsmoker living in a smoke-filled environment. Read more

EPA Says Granite Countertops Pose No Threat

Recent news reports have told us to beware those trendy granite countertops installed in kitchens across America but those stories are based on junk science, according to the Marble Institute of America (MIA). And the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concurs.

The EPA issued a new statement last Friday to confirm its belief that granite countertops are not a realistic source of radon gas and the general pubic should not be concerned about having granite countertops in the home. The mineral content of each slab of granite is different and some of the minerals in the stone are radioactive but the radioactive elements occur in such small quantities that there is little or no danger of radiation poisoning.

Previous reports that the granite countertops may pose risk to certain individuals have been dispelled in numerous studies conducted by various entities. Faulty testing methods and inconsistent standards are thought to be behind the previous reports of danger.

In an effort to eliminate confusion, the MIA is in the process of establishing standards that can be universally applied when testing granite countertops for levels of radioactive emissions.

Source: PR Newswire

Men Happier Than Women

The myth of the male mid-life crisis has been dispelled by a transatlantic team of researchers comparing degrees of happiness throughout the adult lives of men and women.  It seems 20-something men are saddest but the 40s bring feelings of satisfaction in love, family, and finances. Read more

New Warm-Up Program Reduces Ligament Injury for Female Athletes

Knee injuries can be severe enough to sideline even the most well-trained athletes and women athletes seem especially prone to a type of noncontact knee injury caused by sudden stops, turns, or jumps.  The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just published a study that may eliminate some of those injuries.  The trick to doing so is a special warm-up program that requires no special equipment or additional time. Read more

Death by Prescription, Street Drug Combo

The dangers of an overdose of prescription medications made headlines around the world when the 28-year-old Australian actor, Heath Ledger, died last January.  A team of sociologists in California have just released the findings of an extensive study in which they evaluated the causes of death due to medication errors similar to the one that cost Ledger his life.  Their findings address four different situations, with one of them, death occurring at home because of an overdose of prescription medications when the patient was also consuming alcohol, street drugs, or both, rose a skyrocketing 3,196% between 1983 and 2004. Read more

New Procedure Freezes Damaged Esophageal Cells, Stopping Cancer in its Tracks

The summer sun is scorching hot in Texas these days but Dr. Jayaprakash Sreenarasimhaiah is keeping things cool inside the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where he is actually using liquid nitrogen to freeze damaged esophageal cells to kill them before they transform into cancer. The specialized equipment needed for this life-saving procedure is available in only a few facilities nationwide but the therapeutic relief the procedure brings is sure to interest millions of Americans. Read more

Statins Stave Off Dementia in High-Risk Group

Some medical situations increase the risk of developing dementia as we age but a University of Michigan (UM) study has proven that individuals taking the statin class of drugs to reduce “bad” cholesterol levels did not develop dementia as expected.  In fact, they were only about half as likely to develop dementia than study participants who had not taken statins. Read more

Bariatric Surgery Safest at Better Hospitals

Health Grades, Inc., has just released its third annual report on bariatric surgeries performed at surgical facilities across the nation.  It seems top-rated hospitals perform more of this increasingly popular surgery and they do so with 65% fewer complications than their lower-rated and less busy counterparts. Read more

Women Need More Exercise to Keep the Weight Off

With 65% or more of the adults in the United States tipping the scales at the overweight (or beyond) point, losing excess weight and keeping it off is a mission most of us wish we could accomplish.  It’s common knowledge that healthy food choices and regular exercise are critical steps to take when following a weight-loss regimen but a newly released study from the University of Pittsburgh suggests we might need more exercise than once recommended. Read more

$1.5 Billion Price Tag for Surgical Errors

The US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued a press release that describes the financial cost of medical errors related to surgery. It seems that, in addition to these errors costing lives, they also cost about $1.5 billion every year. Read more

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