Life and Living

Lawnmowers 'pose health danger'

(BBC 22/11/2009)

Using a ride-on mower to cut the grass might save energy but they land thousands of people in hospital every year, experts have warned. Over five years some 66,000 Americans ended up in emergency departments with injuries caused by lawn tractors, reports the Journal of Safety Research. While many suffered bruises or sprains, some of the injured suffered broken bones and amputations. Six people died. Most cases resulted from moving mowers or machines flipping over.

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Fans sign up for Smokefree United

(BBC 21/11/2009)

Chelsea fans may be celebrating their team being top of the Premier League but they are struggling off the pitch to give smoking the red card. Only 79 Blues fans have signed up for Smokefree United, a virtual club of quitters, compared with 282 from rivals Manchester United, who top the table. More than 1,500 fans have signed up for the scheme, launched in October by the NHS and covering all league clubs. Fans are said to be four times more likely to kick the habit with support.

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Misconceptions about sexual health are widespread

(BBC 20/11/2009)

One in four young people mistakenly believes it is impossible to get pregnant through having sex standing up, a survey shows. The Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families commissioned the poll to highlight misconceptions about safe sex. The poll, of 2,000 people aged 16-50, found 19% were unaware a woman could get pregnant while having a period. A similar number thought withdrawing before ejaculation was completely safe.

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£1m project to cut cancer risk

(The Scotsman 20/11/2009)

ADULTS at risk of developing a form of cancer that claims the lives of more than 3,500 Scots a year are to be offered a focused programme of support to improve their health in a £1 million research project led by scientists at Dundee University. Men and women who could develop colorectal cancer will be given help to tackle a range of risk factors, including their body weight, diet and physical activity, in the hope that the changes will reduce the chances of developing the disease.

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Doze off for memory boost

(The Scotsman 20/11/2009)

SLEEPING on it may be good advice for anyone trying to remember a new skill. Scientists conducted an experiment where 12 sleeping volunteers were played sounds associated with a memorised task. When they awoke, they performed better in the tests, showing their memories had been reinforced. The results, published in the journal Science, add to growing evidence that sleep is important to memory processing.

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Second-hand smoke may harm health outdoors

(The Scotsman 20/11/2009)

THE smoking ban is causing outdoor second-hand smoke exposure in some areas to more than double, according to a new study. Experts say that outdoor smoking areas could be creating a new health hazard. The new study, by researchers at Georgia University in the US, assessed the levels of a nicotine by-product, cotinine, in non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke outdoors. They found levels were 162 per cent greater than in those who were not exposed.

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Africa heading for 'smoking epidemic'

(BBC 17/11/2009)

At Jeevanjee gardens in Nairobi, smokers gather during their lunch hour to read, chat and light up. It is one of the few zones in the Kenyan capital where people can smoke in public, since the ban on smoking in public came into effect in 2007. As he takes a puff, one of the young men describes his habit. "I've been smoking for 40 years but I hate it," he says. "I have often tried to give up by throwing cigarettes into the toilet, but I have not succeeded in stopping smoking."

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Ketamine drug use 'harms memory'

(BBC 17/11/2009)

Frequent use of ketamine - a drug popular with clubbers - is being linked with memory problems, researchers say. The University College London team carried out a range of memory and psychological tests on 120 people. They found frequent users performed poorly on skills such as recalling names, conversations and patterns. Previous research has suggested the drug may cause kidney and bladder damage. Experts said users should be aware of the risks.

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Meditation 'eases heart disease'

(BBC 17/11/2009)

Heart disease patients who practise Transcendental Meditation have reduced death rates, US researchers have said. At a meeting of the American Heart Association they said they randomly assigned 201 African Americans to meditate or to make lifestyle changes. After nine years, the meditation group had a 47% reduction in deaths, heart attacks and strokes. The research was carried out by the Medical College in Wisconsin with the Maharishi University in Iowa.

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Chemicals may be 'feminising' baby boys

(The Scotsman 17/11/2009)

CHEMICALS used in plastics might be "feminising" the brains of baby boys, according to a study published yesterday. Research into pregnant women has shown those with a higher concentration of two phthalates in their urine produced sons less likely to play with traditionally male toys such as lorries and games like play-fighting. The study, led by the Univ. of Rochester Medical Centre in the US and published in the International Journal of Andrology, examined the play of 145 pre-school children.

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Nip, tuck? Cornwall promoted as plastic surgery tourist spot

(BBC 16/11/2009)

A national campaign to promote Cornwall as a so-called plastic surgery tourism destination is being supported by the county's tourist board. In the adverts by the Duchy Hospital in national newspapers and magazines, Visit Cornwall says it can link private patients with local accommodation. The hospital in Truro said it saw many patients from out of the county and expected numbers to increase. Visit Cornwall said it was keen to help promote growing markets.

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Baby boomers facing old age health crisis

(The Scotsman 15/11/2009)

THE baby-boomer generation, born shortly after the Second World War, faces an old age blighted by health problems because of poor diet and inactivity, a study has shown.Those now in their sixties are also the first likely to be less healthy than their immediate predecessor, despite being the first generation to have access to free health care, alongside improvements in medical care and standards of living. Researcher Teresa Seeman, said: "The baby boomers... may not enjoy such a rosy old age."

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