Exposure to a common chemical group found in many household products may delay or even prevent a woman from becoming pregnant, a new study says. Phthalates can lower a woman’s odds of becoming pregnant by up to 18% in any given month, researchers report in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Phthalates are chemicals found in… read on > read on >
Early research in mice could be getting closer to the roots of what causes Parkinson’s disease. A “pathological” form of a common brain protein, alpha-synuclein, could play a role in the death of dopamine-rich brain cells, according to a team at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. It’s this steady loss of dopamine cells… read on > read on >
Women struggling with fertility and using in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive sometimes turn to supplements for help. Unfortunately, a new study finds only weak evidence to support that strategy. In contrast, the same research found that the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet does boost the odds that a woman will become a mother. Compared to the… read on > read on >
Cinnamon samples gathered at a facility in Ecuador linked to tainted applesauce pouches were found to contain levels of toxic lead that were 2,000 times higher than proposed standards, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors. Tests conducted at an Ecuadorean facility run by Austrofoods (maker of the recalled applesauce) found that cinnamon supplied… read on > read on >
A person’s toothbrush could be a true lifesaver if they land in a hospital ICU, according to new evidence review. Regular toothbrushing is associated with lower rates of death in the intensive care unit (ICU), shorter lengths of stay, and shorter times spent on a mechanical ventilator, researchers report in the Dec. 18 issue of… read on > read on >
Hospital coffee machines have received some side-eye as a potential source of spreading infection, but a new study debunks the belief. “To our great relief…a general ban on coffee makers doesn’t seem necessary,” concluded researchers led by Dr. Sarah Victoria Walker, head of the Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene in Ludwigsburg, Germany. For… read on > read on >
The average U.S. adult eats a meal’s worth of snacks every day, a new study suggests. Americans average about 400 to 500 calories in snacks daily, often more than what they ate at breakfast, according to data from more than 23,000 people. These extra calories offer little in the way of actual nutrition, said senior… read on > read on >
Remaining childless throughout adult life might be tied, in some cases, to illnesses experienced in childhood, new research suggests. Childlessness isn’t just about fertility. As a University of Oxford news release on the study noted, “multiple social, economic and individual preferences have been studied” to understand why some adults never become parents. “Various factors are… read on > read on >
Elite athletes who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest might have genetics that make them more vulnerable to heart disease, a new study suggests. Analysis of more than 280 top-level endurance athletes revealed that 1 in 6 have measures that would normally suggest heart disease and reduced heart function, researchers report in the journal Circulation. Those… read on > read on >
Early results from a trial of a new kidney disease medication show it significantly reduces levels of a urine marker of kidney damage. The experimental drug — called BI 690517 for now — cut levels of the liver protein albumin in the urine in half for patients with chronic kidney disease. Albumin levels in urine… read on > read on >
