Acetaminophen Use Before Birth Linked to Childhood Asthma. Women who experience pain, fever, or the flu during pregnancy commonly use acetaminophen. Now, a new study finds that exposure to acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, before birth and during infancy increases a baby’s risk of developing asthma during childhood. Lead study author Dr. Maria Magnus notes,…

New Lyme Disease Bacteria Discovered. Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report they have identified a new Lyme disease-causing bacteria, and it may cause even worse symptoms than the current known Lyme disease-causing bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. The newly discovered bacteria is called Borrelia mayonii and appears to be closely…

High Blood Sugar Can Increase Heart Attack Complications. A new study suggests that high blood sugar can cause stronger contractions of blood vessels, increasing the risk of complications in heart attack patients. Researcher Dr. Richard Rainbow explains, “This is the first study to show direct evidence of blood vessel contraction to glucose, and the potential…

Increased Body Mass Linked to Autonomic Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease Patients. Individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who are also overweight or obese may be at an elevated risk for autonomic dysfunction when compared with PD patients with a healthy bodyweight. The autonomic nervous system is the portion of the nervous system that controls basic…

Hyperactivity Increases Risk for Traumatic Dental Injury. Children with hyperactivity symptoms are more likely to sustain a traumatic dental injury (TDI). Researchers reviewed the medical records of 230 school children and found those whose parents reported signs of hyperactivity were 2.33 times more likely to experience a TDI than those without parental-reported hyperactivity symptoms. International…

Too Many Teens Exposed to Secondhand Smoke. Nearly half of American teens who have never used tobacco are exposed to harmful secondhand smoke despite widespread laws banning smoking in public places. An analysis of data from over 18,000 middle school and high school students reveals that 48% reported being exposed to secondhand smoke in 2013.…

At Risk for Metabolic Syndrome? Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increases an individual’s risk for heart disease. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, metabolic risk factors include the following: excess abdominal fat, increased circumference of the waist, high levels of fatty triglycerides, low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol,…

The World Appears to Be a Safer Place. Since 1990, there has been a significant declining trend in the rates of death and disability due to injury. The reduction in injuries can be taken as good news, but 4.8 million deaths globally in 2013 is still a large number, and efforts to reduce death and…

Fewer Teens Using Cigarettes and Alcohol! The 2015 Monitoring the Future survey finds cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption continues to decline among teens. Among 10th graders, researchers observed a 54.9% reduction in cigarette use in just the past five years. The rate of binge drinking (described as having five or more drinks in a row…

Coal Burning Pollution Very Damaging to Health. Using data gathered from 450,000 people in the United States, investigators found that particles from burning coal contribute five times more to the risk of death from heart disease than other air pollution particles of the same size. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution kills approximately…