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MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Children in Sweden’s capital can breathe a little easier. As Stockholm’s air has gotten cleaner, young people’s lungs have gotten stronger, new research shows. The findings could have implications for cities worldwide. While the adverse impact of air pollutants on kids’ lung health is well-documented, the impact of changes in air quality on lung development is less studied, researchers noted. Children’s lung health greatly affects their future risk of developing chronic lung diseases. “Fortunately, we’ve seen a decrease in air pollutants and therefore an increase in air quality in Stockholm over the past 20 years,” said co-author Dr. Erik Melén, a pediatrician and professor in the Department of Clinical Research and Education at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. “We therefore also wanted to examine if the lungs of children also improved during this period.” For the study, researchers used data from the BAMSE project, which is following about 4,000 individuals born between 1994 and 1996. Participants completed questionnaires at age 8, 16 and 24 and had lung function tests. Researchers also estimated concentrations of airborne pollutants, mostly from traffic, at sites where participants lived from birth until early adulthood. Air pollution was roughly 40% lower in Stockholm between 2016 and 2019 than it was between 2002 and 2004. At some locations, it decreased by 60%. Others have had…  read on >  read on >

Exposure to elevated levels of air pollutants is associated with bone damage in postmenopausal women, according to a new study that said the effects were most evident on the lumbar spine. High levels of niitrogen oxides in air nearly doubled the effects of normal aging on bone density in the spine, said researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. This study was the first to explore the effects of air pollution mixtures on bone outcomes, researchers said. It also was the first to explore the connection between air pollution and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. The researchers analyzed data from an ethnically diverse population of 161,000 postmenopausal women in a long-running U.S. women’s health study. To estimate levels of exposure to pollutants, including PM10 (small air pollution particles), nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, researchers used participants’ home addresses. Traffic exhaust and emissions from power plants are major producers of nitrogen oxides. Bone density was measured at enrollment in the study and after one, three and six years using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry commonly known as a DEXA scan. The scans included whole-body, total hip, femoral neck and lumbar spine. Researchers said the magnitude of the effects of nitrogen oxides on lumbar spine density would amount to 1.22% annual losses. That’s nearly double the annual effect of age…  read on >  read on >

Not all milks are created equally when it comes to nutrients. Reading the label can clue you in to what you’re getting out of the beverage, whether it be plant-based or dairy, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional content can vary between different plant-based products, the FDA said in a recent news release. Many don’t have the same amount of calcium, vitamin D or other nutrients as dairy milk. The only plant-based beverage that contains a similar enough nutrient content that it can be included in the dairy group in the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans is fortified soy milk. “The nutrients you get from plant-based milk alternatives can depend on which plant source is used, the processing methods and added ingredients, so check the label carefully,” said Susan Mayne, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. “Has the product been fortified with nutrients such as calcium? How much added sugar is in the product? What is the protein content?” “The Nutrition Facts label on the packaging can help you compare the nutrient content of the various plant-based milk alternatives to milk,” Mayne said. “The label can help you choose the best products to meet your nutrient needs and those of your family.” Plant-based milks can be made from grains, such as oat, quinoa and…  read on >  read on >

Causes of different kinds of dementia vary, but about 40% are affected by risk factors a person can influence through lifestyle choices. Two University of Michigan neurologists offer 10 tips for modifying those risks. Keep blood pressure in check. Dr. Judith Heidebrink, a neurologist who is co-leader of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Clinical Core, recommends aiming for a systolic blood pressure (the upper number) of 130 mm Hg or lower from around age 40. This helps reduce risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, heart attack and stroke. Guard your hearing. Wear ear protection around excessive noise to reduce the risk of hearing loss, center director Dr. Henry Paulson urged. Use hearing aids, if needed. A recent study found that older adults who got a hearing aid for their newly diagnosed hearing loss had a lower risk of dementia in the following three years, he pointed out. Support efforts to reduce air pollution. “There is growing evidence linking air pollution — such as the gases and small particles emitted by cars and factories — to cognitive decline and dementia,” Heidebrink said. “Encouragingly, sustained improvements in air quality appear to reduce the risk of dementia.” Prevent head injuries. Wear proper gear when playing contact sports, including a helmet while biking. Don’t forget to use a seat belt in cars. Head injury can disrupt normal brain function.…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s heavily criticized tobacco program promised changes on Friday, including a five-year strategic plan to better outline priorities. “As we enter this era of declining use of combustible tobacco and continued innovation in the e-cigarette industry, the societal concerns are not subtle,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in an agency news release. “Our ability to keep pace with these changes will depend on immediate, short-term and long-term actions the center is taking that we believe will position the agency to more successfully implement our regulatory oversight of tobacco products.” The agency has faced criticism from anti-tobacco advocates, the industry and lawmakers for its past work in cigarette and vaping regulation, the Associated Press reported. An external review commissioned last summer released a report in December that called the FDA “reactive and overwhelmed.” Its workforce was struggling to manage tobacco and largely unauthorized e-cigarettes, the report stated. The FDA’s new strategic plan is expected to outline efforts on e-cigarettes, as well as to be more transparent about FDA decisions, such as mass rejection of applications from e-cigarette makers. Regulators would like to “better communicate” with companies about how the FDA makes decisions, said Brian King, tobacco chief for the agency. “Some things will take longer than others, but we’re committed to getting everything done that we’ve outlined as expeditiously as…  read on >  read on >

When a couple seeks out therapy, they’ve probably been struggling and stuck for some time. Licensed therapists offer expertise and experience at helping couples work through issues, not altogether different from what an individual therapist might do for an individual who is struggling. Whether the issue is conflict, communication, forgiveness for past hurts or something else, a couples therapist can guide a willing pair through the process of working issues out or deciding what to do next. “People don’t go to therapy just with the equivalent of a headache in terms of the relationship problems,” said Everett Worthington, commonwealth professor emeritus for Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond. “I think when couples feel frustrated and can’t seem to make any headway on the problems on their own, then they start looking for some kind of help.” What is a couples therapist? The American Psychological Association (APA) describes couple and family psychology as a specialty that is “focused on the emotions, thoughts and behaviors of individuals, couples and families in relationships and in the broader environment in which they function.” Marriage and family therapy is “brief; solution-focused; specific, with attainable therapeutic goals; and designed with the ‘end in mind,’” according to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). A therapist may be licensed by the AAMFT to work with couples and families after receiving a…  read on >  read on >

It’s natural for everyone to experience anxiety at different times in their lives. Maybe you’re worried about making a good first impression with your new partner’s family, and you become anxious in the days leading up to the meeting about what you’ll wear. Being anxious even has its benefits, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). It can keep you alert when you’re behind the wheel during a snowstorm, for example, or help you better prepare for a work presentation. Yet, for over 40 million Americans, anxiety has affected so much of their lives that it’s considered a mental health disorder. When that happens, it can have major emotional, physical and mental impacts on your health, so learning how to deal with it is important. Here are some science-based, evidence-backed tips on how to deal with anxiety when it pops up, including easy self-care ideas. In addition, anxiety medications are available to help you manage and control your anxiety symptoms. What is anxiety? According to NAMI, anxiety may be considered a disorder when fear or worry prevents you from accomplishing everyday activities. It includes several disorders. Among them are generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder and panic disorder. While the exact causes of anxiety disorders aren’t known, several factors are thought to play a role, according to the Cleveland Clinic. These include…  read on >  read on >

People living in heavily polluted areas of the United States may be more vulnerable to Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. Specifically, the culprit is a type of air pollution called fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is less than 2.5 microns in diameter and comes from car exhaust, burning of fuels in power plants and other industries, and forest and grass fires, researchers say. “We found an association between Parkinson’s disease and exposure to fine particulate matter. In specific, people in the highest exposure have a 25% greater risk of Parkinson’s disease compared to people with the lowest exposure,” said lead researcher Brittany Krzyzanowski, from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz. “We also found that the regions with the strongest association between particulate matter and Parkinson’s disease were the Mississippi-Ohio River Valley and the Rocky Mountain region,” she said. “Our findings suggest that the regional differences in Parkinson’s disease might reflect that the composition of the particulate matter in some areas may be more toxic than others,” Krzyzanowski added. “We know that air pollution causes inflammation in the brain, which is linked to Parkinson’s disease.” Krzyzanowski said that lowering levels of air pollution might help lower the risk of Parkinson’s, especially in areas where pollution levels are high. “Despite 30 years of research trying to identify the environmental risk factors of Parkinson’s disease, most…  read on >  read on >

It may seem counterintuitive, but a new study review suggests that consuming too little salt could be harmful to heart failure patients. Doctors currently recommend a low-sodium diet to lower blood pressure and avoid fluid buildup and swelling, which can be common symptoms for heart failure. The condition develops when the heart muscle becomes too weak or stiff to effectively pump blood to the rest of the body. But the new meta-analysis of nine randomized, controlled trials found that restricting dietary sodium intake below the standard recommended maximum of about 2.3 grams per day did not bring additional benefits, and it also may increase the risk of death. The findings will be presented March 5 at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting, in New Orleans. “Our findings showed that restricting dietary sodium to less than the usual recommendation was counterproductive in the management of heart failure,” said study lead author Dr. Anirudh Palicherla, an internal medicine resident at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Neb. “Limiting sodium is still the way to go to help manage heart failure, but the amount of restriction has been up for debate,” Palicherla said in a meeting news release. “This study shows that the focus should be on establishing a safe level of sodium consumption, instead of overly restricting sodium.” While the average American eats about 3.4…  read on >  read on >

Men who have physically demanding jobs and regularly lift heavy objects at work also have higher sperm counts and testosterone levels. A new study that is part of broader effort to explore how exposure to environmental chemicals and lifestyle choices affect reproductive health found the link. “We already know that exercise is associated with multiple health benefits in humans, including those observed on reproductive health, but few studies have looked at how occupational factors can contribute to these benefits,” said study author Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón. She is a reproductive epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and co-investigator of the broader Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) study. “What these new findings suggest is that physical activity during work may also be associated with significant improvement in men’s reproductive potential,” she said in a hospital news release. The EARTH study is a collaboration between the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Mass General Brigham health care system. For the EARTH study, the researchers have collected samples and survey data from more than 1,500 men and women. The latest study, published recently in the journal Human Reproduction, focused on a subset of this overall group, including 377 male partners in couples seeking fertility treatment. The investigators found that men who reported often lifting or moving heavy objects on the job had 46% higher sperm concentration.…  read on >  read on >