Health (General) – Newsletter for December 22, 2010

Smoking may worsen cancer patients’ pain

WASHINGTON – Cancer patients who continue to smoke despite their diagnosis experience greater pain than nonsmokers, according to a new study.

Researchers at Texas A and M University found that for a wide range of cancer types and for cancers in stages I to IV, smoking was associated with increased pain severity and the extent …. Original article  : Smoking may worsen cancer patients’ pain.

Chinese wary of kids’ mats as chemical said to cause cancer

SHANGHAI – Parents in China are being extra careful while buying play mats for their children after some products in Europe were found to contain cancer-causing chemicals.

Belgium and France have banned brightly-coloured foam mats used by kindergartens and families with toddlers, because a recent study said formamide chemicals – used to soften the foam …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Chinese wary of kids’ mats as chemical said to cause cancer.

Haiti cholera toll rises to 2,591

Port-au-Prince, Dec 22 (IANS/EFE) The toll in the deadly cholera epidemic in Haiti has risen to 2,591, officials said.

Since the cholera epidemic struck the poverty-stricken Caribbean country in mid-October, 121,518 people have been affected by the outbreak – of whom 63,711 were hospitalised, according to a latest report from the health ministry released Tuesday.
… Original source on Gaea Times at : Haiti cholera toll rises to 2,591.

Cambridge University students paid 250 pounds to take rave drug ketamine

LONDON – Students from Cambridge University were paid 250 pounds to take part in a psychiatric study where they were injected with rave drug ketamine.

The research was carried out by the Department of Psychiatry to look at different treatments for schizophrenia.

People who suffer from mental illnesses …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

No Speech or Swallowing Problem after Head & Neck Cancer Therapy

NEW YORK (GaeaTimes.com) — Most head and neck cancer patients can speak and swallow after undergoing combined chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but several factors may be associated with poor outcomes, researchers have found.
The study came out as a result of three years of detection. The U.S. researchers gave a speaking score of 1 through …. Source article  : No Speech or Swallowing Problem after Head & Neck Cancer Therapy.

New weight-loss mantra for teens: ditch the diet shakes and bars

NEW YORK – If you are an obese teen looking to shed those pounds – here’s a tip – ditch those diet bars and shakes, according to a new study.

Dr. Robert L. Berkowitz of the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia tested … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : New weight-loss mantra for teens: ditch the diet shakes and bars.

Malaria-infected cells stiffen, block blood flow to brain and other organs

WASHINGTON – For the first time, scientists have shown the malaria parasite’s journeys in the body using advanced computer modeling and laboratory experiments.

Researchers at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated how malaria parasites change red blood cells and how the infected cells impede blood flow to … Read more : Malaria-infected cells stiffen, block blood flow to brain and other organs.

Cancer-causing Chromium Detected in the Tap Water of 31 Cities in US

LOS ANGELES (GaeaTimes.com) — A study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) revealed that tap water of nearly 31 cities contain deadly hexavalent chromium, a chemical that is believed to cause cancer.
The EWG investigated 35 cities and it stated that at least 74 million people in 42 states regularly drink chromium-tainted water, and a … Read : Cancer-causing Chromium Detected in the Tap Water of 31 Cities in US.

Connie Culp Nation’s First Full Face Transplant Patient

NEW YORK (GaeaTimes.com) — Connie Culp, recipient of first U.S. face transplant met with the family of the donor who blessed her with a new face.
Culp, a 47-year-old mother and grandmother, underwent the first full face transplant surgery in the U.S. in Dec. 2008 at the Cleveland Clinic. Before the surgery, Culp couldn’t walk … Read more >>>.

NGO files petition to ban junk food in schools

NEW DELHI – In an effort to encourage healthier eating habits in children, an NGO here has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court to ban the sale of junk food and carbonated drinks in and around schools across the country.

“On the one hand, children are taught in the classroom … Original source on Gaea Times at : NGO files petition to ban junk food in schools.