Archive for July, 2009
Tanning Beds and Skin Cancer
Tanning beds increase your odds of getting cancer, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced in the new issue of the Lancet Oncology. Until now, the committee of experts who advise the World Health Organization had not confirmed a link between tanning beds, sunlamps, and cancer. The group made the decision after reviewing studies that showed teens and young adults who used tanning beds increased their risk of developing melanoma by 75 percent.
Silver Fillings Are Safe?
Fourteen Massachusetts dental practices have been fined $500 by the state Department of Environmental Protection for failing to prevent mercury from being released into the water supply.
Rising Obesity Rates Increase Nation’s Healthcare Tab
Obesity-related illnesses now cost $147 billion each year, according to research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is hosting its first ever “Weight of the Nation” conference here.
Exposure to Common Pollutant in Womb Might Lower IQ
Fetal exposure to high levels of a common airborne pollutant compound seems to threaten the intellectual development of children, a new study suggests.
The finding is based on the experience of black and Dominican-American families living in the New York City area. Specifically, it indicates that high prenatal exposure to these compounds — automobile exhaust is one example — translates into lower IQ scores by the time a child reaches the age of 5 years.