Therapist Unlimited Blog

Pregnant women around the world should avoid exposure to environmental pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) since it can adversely affect a child’s intelligence quotient or IQ.
Based on the study conducted by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health it was learned that PAHs are chemicals released into the air from the burning of coal, diesel, oil and gas, or other organic substances such as tobacco.
It is said that in urban areas motor vehicles are a major source of PAHs.
According to the study, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a component of the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several private foundations, children exposed to high levels of PAHs in New York City had full scale and verbal IQ scores that were 4.31 and 4.67 points lower, respectively than those of less exposed children.
Researchers reveal high PAH levels were defined as above the median of 2.26 nanograms per cubic meter (ng/m3).
Frederica Perera, DrPH, professor of Environmental Health Sciences and director of the CCCEH at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and study lead author explained their findings are of concern because these decreases in IQ could be educationally meaningful in terms of school performance.
Perera added the good news is that they have seen a decline in air pollution exposure in our cohort since 1998, testifying to the importance of policies to reduce traffic congestion and other sources of fossil fuel combustion byproducts.
The study included children who were born to non-smoking Black and Dominican American women age 18 to 35 who resided in Washington Heights, Harlem or the South Bronx in New York.
The children were followed from in utero to 5 years of age.

Pregnant women around the world should avoid exposure to urban air pollutants to protect the IQ of their children.

The mothers wore personal air monitors during pregnancy to measure exposure to PAHs and they responded to questionnaires.
At 5 years of age, 249 children were given an intelligence test known as the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of the Intelligence, which provides verbal, performance and full-scale IQ scores.
The researchers developed models to calculate the associations between prenatal PAH exposure and IQ.
The researchers added other factors such as second-hand smoke exposure, lead, mother’s education and the quality of the home caretaking environment could also affect the IQ of the baby.
The study has shown that participants exposed to air pollution levels below the average were designated as having "low exposure," while those exposed to pollution levels above the average were identified as "high exposure."
A total of 140 children were classified as having high PAH exposure.
Furthermore, Perera said the decrease in full-scale IQ score among the more exposed children is similar to that seen with low-level lead exposure.
Perera added this finding is of concern because IQ is an important predictor of future academic performance, and PAHs are widespread in urban environments and throughout the world.
She said fortunately, airborne PAH concentrations can be reduced through currently available controls, alternative energy sources and policy interventions.

Having sufficient sleep ideally eight hours a day is a must for any person in this planet.
Medical experts said having sufficient sleep keeps the body healthy and away from sickness.
To avoid sleepless, here are some practical tips people around the world could follow.

A. Have a relaxing bedtime routine to beat out sleeplessness

After a busy day do not immediately go to bed since most likely you could not immediately sleep.
It would be best that you do some relaxing bedtime routine to offer you comfort in sleep.
Among the relaxing bedtime routine anyone could do to sleep comfortably are yoga, biofeedback and meditation which are proven to help relax both body and mind prior to sleep.
A small glass of warm milk with nutmeg can also help ease the passage from daytime activities to bedtime.

Drinking milk is also an effective way to beat out sleeplessness.

Regular exercise at least four or five hours before bedtime also helps since exercising raises core body temperature, which can delay sleep onset.

B. Avoid caffeinated and sugary foods, as well as alcohol, for the eight hours prior to bedtime.
C. Keep your bedroom dark, cool and quiet to ease your passage into sleep. Make sure that your sleeping area is comfortable.
D Keep a regular sleep schedule during both the week and weekend.
E. Use your bedroom for sleep so that you don’t associate other daily activities with going to bed.

With these practical tips, anyone who suffers from sleeplessness has strong chances of recovering from their ordeal.

Those elderly persons around the world who wish to hone their computer skills just need to engage in computer games and other computer related activities.
One place to go for those elderly who aspire to keep their mind fresh and active is the Brain Emporium Northeast, Ohio’s first computerized brain fitness center.
The Brain Emporium is a mind gymnasium where local elders can pump up their mental strength and increase their flexibility.
Founder and director T.J. McCallum, an associate professor of psychology at Case Western Reserve University, envisioned such an exercise center three years ago.
McCallum revealed with some funding he received from the university, the one of a kind gymnasium finally opened at the Fairhill Partners complex, where older adults the opportunity to work with cutting-edge brain-training programs and games at little to no cost.

Those elderly who wish to hone their brain should play computer games.

He said the Brain Emporium programs aren’t yet proven to slow diseases such as Alzheimer’s, but do engage elders and sharpen their minds.
He added if persons do not use their body, it atrophies and the same is true for the brain.
Moreover, McCallum said in addition to offering a diverse array of brain-fitness computer programs, the Brain Emporium also encourages older adults to engage in physical movement, thereby building coordination and agility, while playing virtual tennis, bowling, or darts on a Nintendo Wii.

According to the latest medical research blacks had 51 percent higher prevalence of obesity, and Hispanics had 21 percent higher obesity prevalence compared with whites.

Based on the research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention it was learned that greater prevalence of obesity for blacks and whites were found in the South and Midwest than in the West and Northeast.
Hispanics in the Northeast had lower obesity prevalence than Hispanics in the Midwest, South or West.
To get the result the researchers examined data from 2006-2008.
Doctor William H. Dietz, Director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, explained this study highlights that in the United States, blacks and Hispanics are disproportionately affected by obesity.
Diaz added if we have any hope of stemming the rise in obesity, we must intensify our efforts to create an environment for healthy.

Black people around the world need to be careful with regards to their health since study shows they are prone to eating disorders.

Moreover, the researchers said in their research they also found out that in 40 states, obesity prevalence among blacks was 30 percent or more.
In five of those states, Alabama, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, and Oregon, obesity prevalence among blacks was 40 percent or greater.
For blacks, the prevalence of obesity ranged from 23 percent to 45.1 percent among all states and the District of Columbia; among Hispanics in 50 states and DC, the prevalence of obesity ranged from 21 percent to 36.7 percent, with 11 states having an obesity prevalence of 30 percent or higher. Among whites in 50 states and the District of Columbia, the prevalence of obesity ranged from 9 percent to 30.2 percent, with only West Virginia having a prevalence of 30 percent or more.

Those men seeking protection against genital herpes should use condom.
A recent medical study has confirmed that using condoms reduce the risk of acquiring herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), although the effect was not as large as that observed with other sexually transmitted diseases.
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), although HSV-2 accounts for most cases. The virus can stay in the body indefinitely, but the number of outbreaks tends to lessen over the years.
Most people who have genital herpes have no or slight symptoms, but when they do occur they appear as one or more blisters near or on the genitals or rectum. The blisters rupture and cause ulcers that can take up to a month to heal the first time, and not so long the second time which usually happens weeks or months after the first outbreak.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Washington and the Seattle Children’s Hospital, lead by Emily Martin.

The latest medical study has shown that condom offers great protection against genital herpes.

Based on their study, the researchers found out that people who used condoms 100 per cent of the time had a 30 per cent lower risk of acquiring HSV-2 than those who never
used them.
The researchers also discovered that the risk of acquiring HSV-2 went up steadily and significantly with each unprotected sex act.
Moreover, the researcher also found out that these ratios were the same for men and women.
With the result of their study, the researchers concluded that although the magnitude of protection was not as large as has been observed with other STIs, we found that condoms offer moderate protection against HSV-2 acquisition in men and women.

According to reports the repeal of the federal speed control law in 1995 has resulted in an increase in road fatalities and injuries.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.
It is said that the, which restricted the maximum speed limit to 55 mph on all interstate roads in the United States, was initiated in
1974 in response to the oil embargo and had an immediate impact.
According to Lee Friedman, assistant research professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at UIC and lead author of the study during the first year there was a drop of almost 17 percent in fatalities after the speed laws were reduced to 55 miles per hour.
Friedman revealed the law was modified in 1987 and allowed states to raise the legal speed limits to 65 mph on some interstates.
He said in 1995, the federally mandated 55 mph speed law was revoked, allowing states to set their own speed laws.

The decision to lower the speed limits resulted to 12,500 death of motorist in the United States.

 

He added the decision to repeal the National Maximum Speed Law, proved to be deadly since it leads to 12,500 deaths due to the increased speed limits across the U.S the past 10 years.
Friedman and his team suggest that policy makers reevaluate national policy on speed and road safety and consider reduced speed limits and improved enforcement with speed camera networks to save lives.
The lead researcher said speed camera programs have been implemented in England, France and Australia and have shown immediate reductions in motor vehicle crash fatalities.
Moreover, the researchers said this is a failed policy because it was, in essence, an experiment over 10 years.
The researchers explained people assumed that increasing the speed limit would not have an impact but result of their study proved otherwise.
The group hoped their study would compel officials to reduce speed limit to protect the lives of motorists.

A recent medical study has shown that those frail elderly women with unexplained weight loss could benefit from supplementation with the body’s appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin, or with similar agents.
Medical experts revealed unexplained weight loss is a common problem in older adults.
The medical condition if not treated early can lead to the development of frailty, a debilitating syndrome of declines across multiple body systems.
The lead researcher Anne Cappola, MD, ScM, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia revealed frail individuals have much higher rates of functional decline, hospitalization and death than healthier people their age.
Cappola said there are no good medical treatments for frailty or unintentional weight loss at this time.
Cappola and her team reported that based on their study they discovered that blood levels of growth hormone and ghrelin were higher at every time point during the ghrelin infusion than during the placebo infusion.

Appetite-stimulating hormone could soon be used to treat frailty in older women.

A recent medical study has shown that those frail elderly women with unexplained weight loss could benefit from supplementation with the body’s appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin, or with similar agents.
Medical experts revealed unexplained weight loss is a common problem in older adults.
The medical condition if not treated early can lead to the development of frailty, a debilitating syndrome of declines across multiple body systems.
The lead researcher Anne Cappola, MD, ScM, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia revealed frail individuals have much higher rates of functional decline, hospitalization and death than healthier people their age.
Cappola said there are no good medical treatments for frailty or unintentional weight loss at this time.
Cappola and her team reported that based on their study they discovered that blood levels of growth hormone and ghrelin were higher at every time point during the ghrelin infusion than during the placebo infusion.
The researchers said the only side effect of treatment was a transient sensation of warmth that four women experienced during the ghrelin infusion.
Furthermore, the researchers said their study is the first to show an improvement in appetite and growth hormone levels after administration of the hormone ghrelin to frail older women with unexplained weight loss.
The researchers said future studies should examine the potential therapeutic role of ghrelin or similar agents (ghrelin mimetic agents) in this population.
 

According to a latest medical study African Americans have more chances to suffer from hypertension and kidney disease than white Americans.
Based on the study conducted by the Physician-scientists from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center it was believed that a heightened level a certain growth factor in the blood may explain explained why blacks have a greater prevalence of hypertension and kidney disease compared to whites.
Recent medical statistics from the National Institutes of Health’s U.S. Renal Data System it was shown that African Americans constitute about 32 percent of all patients treated for kidney failure in the U.S. and are four times more likely to develop renal disease than whites.
With their discovery, researchers hoped that someday their study will lead to the development of a new class of anti-hypertensive and kidney disease drugs that target the TGF-b1 protein Dr. Manikkam Suthanthiran, first author of the study and attending physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell explained he believe their study is a took for the world to understand the great puzzle: why the black population has a greater prevalence of hypertension and kidney disease.

African Americans need to be vigilant at all times since they are at higher risk of hypertension and kidney disease than the white Americans.

Suthanthiran revealed after controlling for race, sex and age, TGF-b1 protein levels were highest in hypertensive blacks (46 ng/ml).
Non-hypertensive blacks also had higher levels (42 ng/ml) compared to hypertensive whites (40 ng/ml) and non-hypertensive whites (39 ng/ml), demonstrating that even healthy black patients may be at higher risk for future hypertension and renal disease compared to healthy and hypertensive whites.
Moreover, Suthanthiran and his team revealed many black patients may have a disadvantage from the start having a higher baseline level of TGF-b1.
Dr. Phyllis August, senior author and attending physician in the division of hypertension at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center for his part said while the exact mechanisms of TGF-b1 require further study, he believe that in black patients, higher levels of the growth factor are correlated with lower renin activity an enzyme that constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure.
It is said that high blood pressure is the leading risk factor for end-stage kidney disease.
The researchers perceive it may be possible that higher levels of TGF-b1 boost retention of sodium salt within the kidneys, leading to higher blood pressure in the kidney and also lower levels of renin.
The researchers also concluded greater levels of TGF-b1 in blacks were also positively associated with body mass index (BMI) an indicator of body fatness compared to height and metabolic syndrome, a group of abnormalities that is associated with atherosclerotic vascular disease and diabetes.
They believe future clinical studies must be done so we may fully understand the specific role of TGF-b1 in how the kidney handles sodium, blood pressure and kidney disease.

Those people who have no job are most likely to get sick as well.
This was the observation of a group of researchers based in Australia.
According to the result of their study, there is a clear connection between unemployment and health.
The data gathered by researchers also shows a direct relationship between poor health and earning potential.
With their findings, the researchers hoped that the government will add more money in the health programs to help those who are unemployed.
 Dr. Andrew Pesce, the head of the researchers then renewed calls for the governments to invest in health as a national priority.
Pesce said their research highlighted the impact unemployment has on health underlining the debilitating stress and emotional impacts experienced by individuals and communities in tough economic times.

Pesce added the research also shows the other side of that coin that ill health prevents people from contributing to the economy
He said their research is a further proof that investing in health not only contributes to longer, happier and healthier lives, but that investment has a direct and lasting impact on the productivity of the workforce.
He added the report’s finding, that the financial consequences of ill health are ‘clearly great’, comes as no surprise to the medical profession, citing that they have long been urging the government to include health in stimulus investment, but to no avail.
Furthermore, Pesce hoped the piece of evidence they gather will convince governments that there is no better investment than health.
 

According to a latest medical study, those children who are physically abused are most likely to end up having cancer when they reach adulthood.
Based on the research it is discovered that childhood physical abuse is associated with 49 per cent higher odds of cancer in adulthood.
Lead researcher Esme Fuller-Thomson, a faculty in Social Work and Department of Family and Community Medicine from the University of Toronto said few talk about childhood physical abuse and cancer in the same breath.
Thomson said from a public health perspective, it is extremely important that clinicians be aware of the full range of risk factors for cancer.
The lead researcher said through their study should provide important new knowledge about a potential childhood abuse-cancer relationship.

More care should be given to physically abuse children since they are prone to cancer.

Meanwhile, co-author Sarah Brennenstuhl, a doctoral student at Uof T, notes that various psychophysiological factors could help to explain the link between childhood physical abuse and cancer. Brennenstuhl revealed one important avenue for future research is to investigate dysfunctions in cortisol production - the hormone that prepares us for ‘fight or flight’ as a possible mediator in the abuse-cancer relationship.
The researchers hoped that the result of their study would compel the parents and the government in general to care more for physically abused children so that they will not end up having cancer when they reaches adulthood.