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Microscopic bits of plastic have most likely taken up residence in all of the major filtering organs in your body, a new lab study suggests. Researchers found evidence of plastic contamination in tissue samples taken from the lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys of donated human cadavers. “We have detected these chemicals of plastics in every single organ that we have investigated,” said senior researcher Rolf Halden, director of the Arizona State University (ASU) Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering. There’s long been concern that the chemicals in plastics could have a wide range of health effects ranging from diabetes and obesity to sexual dysfunction and infertility. But the presence of these microscopic particles in major organs also raises the potential that they could act as carcinogenic irritants in much the same way as asbestos, Halden explained. “It is not always necessarily the chemistry that harms us. Sometimes it’s the shape and the presence of foreign particles in our bodies,” Halden said. “We know the inhalation of asbestos leads to inflammation and that can be followed by cancer.” Previous research has shown that, on average, people ingest about 5 grams of plastic every week, the equivalent of a credit card, said Dianna Cohen, CEO of the nonprofit Plastic Pollution Coalition. “It’s heartening to see quality quantitative research being performed on humans to assess the cumulative harmful… read on >

Scientists say they are seeing signs of lasting immunity to the coronavirus, even in those who only experience mild symptoms of COVID-19. A slew of studies show that disease-fighting antibodies, as well as B-cells and T-cells that can recognize the virus, appear to persist months after infections have run their course, The New York Times reported. “This is exactly what you would hope for. All the pieces are there to have a totally protective immune response,” said Marion Pepper, an immunologist at the University of Washington and an author of one of the new studies, which is now undergoing review by the journal Nature. “This is very promising,” said Smita Iyer, an immunologist at the University of California, Davis, who is studying immune responses to the coronavirus in rhesus macaques, told the Times. “This calls for some optimism about herd immunity, and potentially a vaccine.” Although researchers cannot predict how long these immune responses will last, experts consider the data to be the first proof that the body has a good chance of fending off the coronavirus if exposed to it again. “Things are really working as they’re supposed to,” Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunologist at the University of Arizona, told the Times. Bhattacharya is an author on one of the new studies, which was published on medRxiv, a pre-print server for health research that has… read on >

If your knees crack when you walk or run, don’t be too worried, an expert says. “Knee cracking could mean lots of things,” said Harshvardhan Singh, assistant professor in the department of physical therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “If it is painful, then you should see a health care provider.” The cause can be a large kneecap that doesn’t fit well into the groove, producing cracking during activities such as running and jogging. And if the thigh muscle is too tight, it can pull the kneecap, causing an audible crack. Degeneration of knee cartilage can, too. “The degenerative changes can also lead to pain and/or locking of the knee joint,” Singh said in a university news release. “Typically, degenerative changes are common in older people.” Scans have shown that the displacement of joint surfaces forming the knee can cause a chain reaction in which natural gas bubbles collapse. The result: knee cracking. “You should not be worried if your knees crack often as long as it is not associated with pain,” Singh said. If you have had a recent trauma to the knee and it starts to crack, you should see a doctor even in there’s no pain, he said. “Do not allow these sounds to make you feel abnormal or mentally stressed, or limit your functional activities,” Singh said. “A knee… read on >

Injuries can continue to plague rugby players long after they retire, a new study finds. Researchers examined injuries suffered by 254 retired elite and amateur rugby players and competitors in non-contact sports, such as cricket. The athletes were 21 to 82 years of age. Compared to athletes who played non-contact sports, rugby players were 1.7 to 7.3 times more likely to report an injury and 2.4 to 9.7 times more likely to report long-term effects, the findings showed. Rugby players reported back pain, and severe and regular joint pain, which they attributed to injuries suffered on the field, according to the report published online recently in the journal Sports Medicine. Concussion was the most frequently reported injury among those who played rugby, with 81% of elite and 76% of amateur players reporting at least one during their career. Concussion was most often associated with reports of long-term impacts. About half of players had suffered a knee ligament injury, with 25% experiencing ongoing problems. Osteoarthritis — which causes joints to become painful and stiff — was two times more common in elite rugby players than in non-contact athletes. It was associated with previous injuries and surgery. More than half of retired elite players said they had been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, according to the study. Study author Karen Hind, of the department of sport and exercise sciences… read on >

FRIDAY, Aug. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) The novel coronavirus is surging once more in U.S. nursing homes, where it killed tens of thousands at the start of the pandemic. Federal data cited by two long-term care associations this week illustrated the troubling trend: The number of new cases in nursing homes bottomed out at 5,468 during the week of June 21, but it climbed to 8,628 for the week of July 19, the Washington Post reported. That’s a 58 percent increase, which roughly parallels the rise in overall U.S. cases during that period. On Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that more COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes and assisted-living facilities may be coming, even as total caseloads have begun to decline. Florida has seen an outbreak of coronavirus cases this summer and has a large elderly population, the Post reported. “Over the next couple weeks, I’m concerned of seeing kind of a tail, where we start to see some of these long-term-care deaths,” DeSantis said at a forum in Tallahassee. In a different analysis of 35 states, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that cases in long-term care facilities jumped 11 percent in the two weeks ending July 10. But in 23 hot spot states, they rose 18 percent, compared with just 4 percent in 12 states that had the virus under better control, the Post… read on >

After a period of improvement, U.S. kids are eating as much fast food as they were in the early 2000s, new government figures show. Researchers found that between 2003 and 2010, there was a decline in U.S. kids’ intake of fast-food calories — dipping from an average of 14% of daily calories, to just under 11%. The positive trend was short-lived, however. By 2018, that figure was back up to 14%. The study, by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), did not go into the underlying reasons. But other research gives some clues as to what could be driving the reversal. One possibility is that social media and “digital marketing” have a role, according to Frances Fleming-Milici, a researcher with the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. “Fast-food companies have been pioneers in using digital marketing,” said Fleming-Milici, who was not involved in the NCHS report. Admittedly, she said, it is hard to get a handle on how often kids encounter fast-food promotions on their smartphones. But a recent Rudd study found that 70% of teens “engaged with” food and beverage brands on social media — meaning they followed the brands, or “liked” or shared their content. More than half of kids said they engaged with fast-food brands. Another Rudd study found that the percentage of parents… read on >

Feeling woozy when you stand up may be a sign of an increased risk of developing dementia, a new study suggests. Doctors call this feeling “orthostatic hypotension,” and it occurs when there’s a sudden drop in blood pressure as you stand, explained a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The researchers found a connection between orthostatic hypotension and later onset of dementia with a drop in systolic blood pressure of at least 15 mm Hg, but not diastolic blood pressure or blood pressure overall. Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading. The finding suggests that “people’s blood pressure when they move from sitting to standing should be monitored,” UCSF researcher Dr. Laure Rouch said in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology. “It’s possible that controlling these blood pressure drops could be a promising way to help preserve people’s thinking and memory skills as they age.” Rouch cautioned that this study couldn’t prove that orthostatic hypotension causes dementia, only that there appears to be an association. In the study, her team tracked the medical history of more than 2,100 people who averaged 73 years of age and did not have dementia at the beginning of the study. Over the next 12 years, 22% of these individuals developed dementia. Those with systolic orthostatic hypotension… read on >

This school year comes with special challenges for kids as the United States grapples with a coronavirus pandemic, but experts say parents can help their children navigate the tough emotional terrain. Whether returning to a school building, continuing online learning or adjusting to a hybrid school environment, it is normal for children and adolescents to have some stress or anxiety about going back to school, said Samanta Boddapati, a child clinical psychologist and prevention coordinator at Big Lots Behavioral Health Services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Fears of getting sick or following school safety protocols for COVID-19 may make the transition even more difficult. In a survey of parents by Nationwide Children’s, 2 out of 5 said they had concerns about their kid’s social and emotional well-being. Very young children can suffer from separation anxiety about being away from family and in new environments. For these children, experts recommend making a special goodbye part of your routine and reminding your child when you will see each other again. Some kids like a transitional object — an item that reminds them of mom or dad while at school. Older children being in a classroom might be uncomfortable. “Maintaining a routine is important, especially for families who are continuing to do online learning full-time. Create a part of your child’s day that is structured and… read on >

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a big draw for adventure-loving kids, but a new study warns that the thrill ride can often land children in the ER. U.S. data shows that nearly 280,000 children were treated over a 25-year period for head and neck injuries caused by ATV accidents. That’s about 31 children each day — and nearly half of them were younger than 12, the researchers reported. “I think it largely confirmed what we were concerned about, which was how frequent these injuries were occurring and how serious they were,” said Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The fact that 46% of ATV-related head and neck injuries among kids occurred among those aged 12 or younger was particularly worrisome, Smith said. “These are large, powerful machines. They’re designed for off-road use. By definition, when you take this type of powerful machine off road, it requires an advanced degree of coordination, strength and moment-to-moment decision-making on uneven terrain,” Smith said. “And a child at 12 years of age just simply doesn’t possess that degree of skill. They just developmentally aren’t ready.” That’s true even for the lighter, smaller ATVs designed for kids, Smith added. The study looked at data from the U.S. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System to research injuries over a 25-year… read on >

Kids suffering from nearsightedness can slow the progression of their myopia by using soft bifocal contact lenses, a new trial shows. Bifocal contacts with a powerful corrective prescription slowed the progression of nearsightedness in youngsters by 43% compared to single-vision contacts, the results showed. “The higher the reading portion of the contact lens, the better control you get, the more slow the progression,” said lead researcher Jeffrey Walline, associate dean for research at Ohio State University’s College of Optometry, in Columbus. Based on these findings, Walline said parents should talk with their family eye doctor about bifocal contacts for their nearsighted child, to prevent potentially devastating eye conditions associated with myopia, including cataracts, glaucoma or retinal detachment. “It’s not something that’s coming out farther on down the line. They are available,” Walline said. “I think we’re at the place where parents of nearsighted children should know they have options for myopia control.” Nearsightedness occurs when the eye grows in an uncoordinated way into an elongated state, so that light entering the eye fails to reach all the way back to the retina. “That’s what myopia is,” said Dr. Douglas Fredrick, a pediatric ophthalmologist at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in New York City. “It’s a long eyeball, the physical elongation of the eye.” Eye experts used to think that nearsightedness developed… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Autopsies Show Microplastics in All Major Human Organs

Lasting Immunity to Coronavirus Reported in Early Studies

Most Knee Cracking Is Normal, Expert Says

Rugby Injuries Last Long After Pros, Amateurs Stop Playing: Study

Coronavirus Deaths in Nursing Homes Climbing Again

Fast Food Makes an Unhealthy Comeback Among Kids

Get Dizzy When Standing Up? It Could Be Risk Factor for Dementia

Help Your Kids Navigate School Amid a Pandemic

Too Many Kids Getting Seriously Hurt Riding ATVs: Study

Special Contact Lenses Can Help Curb Nearsightedness in Kids