Obstetric Complications May Increase the Risk for Autism. Complications that occur later in pregnancy or during delivery may increase a child’s risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An analysis of health records of almost 600,000 children showed that those who faced complications during the third trimester had a 22% greater risk for ASD, while those…

Peroxide Ingestion Can Be Deadly. Ingestion of high-concentration peroxide as promoted in some alternative medicine circles poses numerous life-threatening issues. Investigators examined ten years of poison control records regarding high-concentration peroxide ingestion (10% or greater concentration) and found that nearly 14% of reported cases had an embolic event and 6.8% died or exhibited continued disability.…

Immune System Reboots During a Good Night’s Rest. T-cells are a type of lymphocyte (a subtype of white blood cell) that play a central role in cell-mediated immunity. In this study, researchers took blood samples from fourteen healthy men and found the levels of all types of T-cells fell when they had a full night’s…

Flameless Candle Batteries Pose Dangers to Kids. The tiny button batteries that light up flameless “tea candles” pose a significant risk to children when swallowed. These lithium batteries, which are commonly used in these candles, account for 14% of all the button batteries swallowed by children during the last two years. Button batteries have higher…

Rural Americans at Higher Risk of Preventable Causes of Death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in 2014, Americans living in more rural areas had a greater risk of death from mostly preventable causes such as heart disease, cancer, accidental injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke. CDC Director Dr. Tom…

Alcohol Abuse Elevates Heart Risks. Alcohol abuse is defined as the consumption of alcoholic beverages to excess, either on individual occasions or as a regular practice. An analysis of medical records on close to 15 million Californians revealed that alcohol abusers are twice as likely to have atrial fibrillation, 1.4 times more likely to have…

Smoking Raises Heart Attack Risk in Those Under 50. An analysis of data from more than 1,700 adult heart attack patients revealed smokers under age 50 have a heart attack risk nearly 8.5 times higher than former smokers and nonsmokers in their age group. Heart, November 2016

Colorectal Cancers Rising in Young Adults. According to the American Cancer Society, about 135,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and about one in seven of them will be under the age of 50. Researchers have also predicted that cases of colon cancer among people age 20 to 34 would increase 90%…

Lack of Sleep Increases Car Crash Risk. The findings from a survey of nearly 4,600 police-reported crashes between July 2005 and December 2007 indicate that missing just one to two hours of sleep at night nearly doubles one’s chance of a car crash the following day. Furthermore, driving after only four to five hours of…

E-Cigarettes a Threat to Young Americans’ Health. According to United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, e-cigarettes pose an emerging health threat to American youth. The Food and Drug Administration reports that in 2015, 16% of high school students said they had used e-cigarettes at least once. Dr. Murthy writes, “My concern is e-cigarettes have…