Lead Delivers Kick In Teeth

Lead pollution from traffic fumes and tap water may lead to tooth decay, say researchers in Spain. According to a new study, teeth that contained high concentrations of lead had more dental cavities, plaque, and staining. The finding was true in both children and adults. The report says the discovery may explain why older people, who accumulate more and more lead in their teeth over the years, suffer most from tooth decay and related dental problems.

Changing Diet Affects Iron Intake

Americans are eating less red meat, but more processed foods - and may not be getting enough iron, according to a new study. The type of iron -- heme iron -- found in meat, fish, and poultry (MFP), is absorbed much better than nonheme iron found in other foods. But the percent of heme iron in cooked beef is higher than that of either poultry or fish, the study shows. And food processing can change the heme form of iron to the less desirable nonheme form.

Gene Variation Linked To AIDS

Having a variation in a gene responsible for a certain blood protein may help identify people who are more susceptible to HIV infection and a shorter survival time once diagnosed with AIDS, a study shows. Those who inherit the variant forms of the gene lack enough of the protein mannose-binding lectin (MBL). This may result in an impaired immune system, according to researchers in this week's issue of The Lancet.

The Naked Truth On Baldness

Despite spending millions, most balding men still watch helplessly as their hairlines -- and hopes -- recede. But experts say research taking root today could sprout hair-raising results in the future. Studies on hormone control, anti-biotic therapies, and hair-growth promoting drugs may someday lead to a cure for baldness, say experts in a report published in this month's issue of Men's Health.

Oral Drug Halts Bedwetting

While most people stop bedwetting by age five, 2% to 3% of adolescents and 1% of adults continue to suffer from the embarrassing nightly episodes of nocturnal enuresis -- as it is officially known. Now, a new study suggests that oral doses of a drug called desmopressin can alleviate -- or at least reduce -- bedwetting episodes. The drug has been used in spray form for some time, but may not be effective in the advent of a cold or a stuffy nose.

Cold Sore Virus Link To Alzheimer's

People who carry an Alzheimer's disease susceptibility gene may be at greater risk for the memory-robbing disorder if they are also infected with herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) -- the virus that causes cold sores. The new study of brain tissue samples found that HSV-1 was more common in those with apolipoprotein (Apo) E-4 gene and Alzheimer's disease than people who died of other causes. There are three types of the gene, E-2, E-3 and E-4. All individuals carry two copies of Apo E -- one from each parent --and those with the E-4 variant have an increased susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease, according to the report in the current issue of The Lancet.

Smokers' Wives Risk Lung Cancer

Women who never smoked but whose husbands do are at greater risk of dying from lung cancer than women married to nonsmokers, a new study shows. The chance of lung cancer death is 20% greater among these nonsmoking wives, a finding that lends greater credence to earlier studies showing that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke can raise a nonsmoker's cancer risk.

Pot Lung Damage Differs From Tobacco

Heavy pot smoking does not cause a decline in lung function that could lead to chronic-obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), such as emphysema, a new study suggests. However, the results do not mean that smoking marijuana is safe for the lungs -- it could still cause cancer, according to Dr. Donald Tashkin, professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine.

Psychosis Drugs Worsen Dementia

Drugs for treating psychosis used to treat behavior problems in people with dementia may actually worsen their mental decline, researchers say. These drugs, called neuroleptic agents, were tied to a doubling in the decline in mental function of 71 patients with dementia, many with Alzheimer's disease.

More Eye Tests May Prevent Glaucoma

Too many people are losing their sight because of undetected glaucoma, researchers say. A British study says free, widely available eye tests could prevent much of this unnecessary blindness. Glaucoma has been called the "silent thief of sight" because of its gradual, asymptomatic attack on the eye. The condition requires early detection if sight is to be preserved, say researchers reporting in this week's British Medical Journal.

< Back > < Contents >  < Home >