- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,
compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Smog Causes Premature Death:
Report
There's a clear link between short-term exposure (up to 24 hours) to
smog (ozone) and premature deaths, says a study released Tuesday by the
U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
“The committee has concluded from its review of health-based evidence
that short-term exposure to ambient ozone is likely to contribute to
premature deaths,” said the 13-member panel, the Associated Press
reported.
They said more research is needed on long-term chronic smog exposure,
where the risk of premature death “may be larger than those observed in
acute effects studies alone.”
The findings challenge the White House stance on the issue.
“The report is a rebuke of the Bush administration which has
consistently tried to downplay the connection between smog and premature
death,” Frank O'Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch, a Washington-based
advocacy organization, told the AP.
The Academy's findings “refutes the White House skepticism and denial”
of a proven link between acute ozone exposure and premature deaths, said
Vickie Patton, deputy general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund.
She noted that the Bush administration has used such arguments to question
the health benefits of reducing air pollution.
—–
KFC Cakes Recalled
Double Chocolate Chip Cakes sold by KFC Corporation are being recalled
because certain ingredients — eggs, milk, wheat, soy and possibly traces
of tree nuts — aren't individually listed on the packaging.
People with allergies to these ingredients could suffer a serious or
life-threatening allergic reaction if they eat the cake. There has been
one reported incident of an allergic reaction, according to a news release
on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site.
The cakes, distributed nationwide at KFC restaurants, come in a round
16-ounce package with a black or clear plastic bottom and a clear plastic
dome. Customers with allergies who've purchased the cakes should return
them to KFC for a full refund.
There is no health risk for consumers who are not allergic to any
ingredients in the cakes.
—–
Lifestyle Factors Affect Sleep
Gender, jobs and marital/family status all affect how much sleep people
get, suggests a new Statistics Canada report. It found that those who
commute, work longer hours and have more children get less sleep than the
rest of Canadians, CBC News reported.
Among the findings from the analysis of national survey data:
—–
Viagra Ad Failed to Mention Risks:
FDA
Pfizer Inc. was told by U.S. officials to discontinue a 30-second
online video ad for Viagra that doesn't mention the risks associated with
the drug. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning letter was issued
last week and posted online Monday.
The FDA letter said the ad “raises public health and safety concerns
through its complete omission of risk information for Viagra,” the
Associated Press reported. Federal law requires negative side
effects to be mentioned in any ad that highlights a drug's benefits.
The video ad on CNN.com featured a group of Nashville musicians singing
the refrain “Viva Viagra.” In a statement, Pfizer said a technical issue
with CNN's Web site prevented the risk information from appearing on a
banner accompanying the video. The company has pulled the ad, the
AP reported.
Viagra's label warns users of potential risks to patients with existing
heart conditions, and possible side effects including headaches and
abnormal vision.
—–
Beco Baby Carriers Recalled Due to Fall
Hazard
About 2,000 “Beco Baby Carrier Butterfly” infant carriers are being
recalled because the buckles on the shoulder straps can suddenly release
tension, causing the strap to slip through and posing a fall hazard to the
infant.
The manufacturer, Beco Baby Carrier Inc., of Newport Beach, Calif., has
received eight reports of straps slipping through the shoulder buckles,
but there have been no reports of injures, according to the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
The following styles are included in the recall: Mia, Pony Express,
Carnival, Addison, Ethan, Sophia, Cameron, Ava and Joshua.
alt="infant carrier recall"/>
The carriers were sold at specialty retail stores and through the
Internet from January 2008 through February 2008 for about $140.
Consumers should stop using the carriers and contact Beco at
888-943-8232 for information on how to return them for repair.
—–
Mundane Tasks Numb the Brain
Monotonous tasks really do numb the brain, according to researchers who
used MRI scans to monitor blood flow in the brains of volunteers. The
results showed that the brain will shift to an at-rest mode when a person
is doing something mundane, even if the person doesn't want it to,
Agence France-Presse reported.
“There's this thing that's probably intrinsic where your brain says I
do need to take a little break here and there's nothing you can do about
it,” said study author Tom Eichele of the University of Bergen in Norway.
“Probably everyone knows that feeling that sometimes your brain is not as
receptive or as well performing and you didn't do anything to actually
induce that.”
Eichele and his colleagues also found that this shift to at-rest mode
begins about 30 seconds before a person makes a mistake. This finding
suggests it may be possible to develop an early warning system to keep
people more focused and careful in order to improve workplace safety and
performance in certain jobs, such as airport security screening.
“We might be able to build a device (that could be placed) on the heads
of people that make these easy decisions,” Eichele told AFP.
The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences.
Leave a reply