A review of existing research suggests that individuals with greater exposure to air pollution may be at an elevated risk for impaired glucose metabolism, a condition known to precede type 2 diabetes. Current Epidemiology Reports, November 2018

Exposure to chemicals found in many personal care products appear to be linked to early puberty in girls. In this study, researchers observed that when a woman had double the amount of phthalates, parabens, or triclosan in her blood during pregnancy, her daughter would experience signs of puberty one or more months earlier than her…

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that lead acetate will no longer be approved as a hair color additive. Tom Neltner, the chemicals policy director at the Environmental Defense Fund, explains, “In the last several decades, we’ve seen tremendous progress in reducing exposure to lead from major sources. Given this progress and wide…

Fentanyl-laced crack cocaine is causing life-threatening overdoses. According to researchers, within a four-day period, 18 patients in a Philadelphia hospital were treated for an apparent opioid overdose after using crack cocaine. Lead study author Dr. Utsha Khatri explains, “None of them had intended to use opioids or fentanyl, but their drug testing as well as…

Researchers from the California Institute of Technology have discovered that when they changed the composition of gut bacteria in fruit flies, it had a corresponding effect on the locomotive capabilities of the test subjects. While further research is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms involved and if such findings may carry over to humans, the…

Instant soups can provide a quick meal for kids, but these food products can also lead to scalding burns. Researchers analyzed data from 2006 to 2016 and found that burns associated with instant soups and noodles affect more than 9,500 children each year with about 40% of these burns occurring on the torso. The investigators…

Living in a noisy neighborhood may be more than just annoying, it may raise the risk for serious heart issues. Among a group of 500 healthy adults, researchers found that those who lived in areas with higher levels of ambient noise have up to a three-times greater risk for heart attack, stroke, or another major…

Compared to seniors with normal cognitive function, patients with Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, or subjective cognitive decline are more likely to have periodontitis. The results suggest that poor oral health may indicate an individual has an elevated risk for future cognitive difficulties. Journal of Clinical Periodontology, October 2018

Preschoolers who quickly gain weight are at a particularly higher risk for becoming obese teens. In this study, researchers looked at the weight-gain patterns of more than 51,000 German children and found that more than 50% of obese teens had already become overweight or obese by the time they reached age five. New England Journal…

An analysis of data regarding nearly 20,000 seniors with either type 1 or 2 diabetes revealed that older adults with both diabetes and dementia had a 67% elevated risk for death following dangerously low blood sugar than those with only diabetes. Dr. James Pickett, the head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society notes, “Very low…