Quantum Sufficit
Just Enough
Is a visit to the dentist's office an important part of
prenatal care? Research has shown that pregnant women with gum disease are more
likely to give birth prematurely, according to a report in the University of
Minnesota publication Pictures of Health.
Now researchers from the university are looking for a direct causal link
between the two. The director of the University of Minnesota Oral Health
Clinical Research Center is undertaking a three-year, $7.5 million clinical
trial, which the report says should be completed this year. Researchers
theorize that the bacteria responsible for gum disease could cause problems in
a pregnant woman's immune system, possibly provoking premature labor.
The ill effects of secondhand smoke could be following
children to school. A recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives supports
previous findings that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is linked
to cognitive deficits in children. The study is the largest of its kind and the
first to rely on biological indicators instead of questionnaires or interviews.
Researchers compared levels of serum cotinine, the biological marker of ETS
exposure, with math and reading test scores of over 4,000 children aged six to
16. Children exposed to varying amounts of ETS performed less well on the tests
than those who were not exposed. The deficiency was comparable to the loss of
five IQ points, according to the researchers.
Americans have indicated their top health care priorities
for 2005, and lowering costs tops the list. A recent survey undertaken by the
Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health asked
interviewees which of 12 health care issues they want the president and
Congress to address. Making Medicare more affordable and lowering the number of
noninsured Americans followed lowering health care costs as top priorities,
while lowering malpractice awards and increasing stem-cell research funding
ranked lowest on the priority list. Health care in general was the third
highest overall priority for Americans, according to the survey.
Could video games help people stay healthy? Maybe
traditional video games can't, but CNN.com reports that a new gaming genre,
"exergaming,” may do just that. Games such as "Dance Dance
Revolution” require players to work up a sweat while trying to replicate
complicated footwork shown on the screen. Konami Digital Entertainment has sold
2 million copies of "Dance Dance Revolution” worldwide, and other
companies are starting to pick up on the idea, creating virtual golf, racing,
and other sports games. The industry expresses high hopes that these games can
help reduce the nation's obesity problem, the report says.
Women aren't the only ones trying to ward off wrinkles
these days. USA Today reports that more and
more men are trying to turn back the clock with cosmetic nips and tucks. The
number of men opting for plastic surgery rose 10 percent between 2002 and 2003,
according to the report. The first choice for men was a nose job, followed by
eyelid surgery and liposuction. Researchers say that increased job competition
and greater attention to appearance among aging men, as well as cheaper,
quicker, and less invasive options, have contributed to the rising male
interest in cosmetic procedures.
Have you ever felt that your high-pressure job was going
to kill you? According to a case-control study published in the
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health,
it just might. The two-year study included residents of Stockholm
County, Sweden, aged 45 to 70 years, with no previous diagnosis of myocardial
infarction. Researchers found that persons facing a high-pressure deadline at
work were six times more likely to have a heart attack; women who experienced a
change in financial status were three times more likely to have a heart attack;
and men were six times more likely to have a heart attack after an increase in
work-related responsibilities. Vacation anyone?
| Copyright © 2005 by the American
Academy of Family Physicians. |
