Tuesday, March 11, 2014

BPA-free plastics may be less safe than those with chemical

BPA-free plastics may be less safe than those with chemical
http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/BPA-free-plastics-may-be-less-safe-than-those-5302319.php

"BPA, a chemical that mimics the hormone estrogen, has been used to harden plastics for more than 40 years but has been banned from baby bottles and children's products because of growing concerns that it may be linked to a host of health issues.  Now comes news from Oakland's Center for Environmental Health that some cups labeled BPA-free contain other chemicals that appear to pose an equal if not greater health hazard.  Those chemicals, acting a lot like BPA, have a disruptive effect on the body's naturally produced hormones, raising the same concerns for the health risks associated with BPA - that exposure to them may lead to cancer, diabetes, reproductive problems, early development and obesity, especially in young children. The research isn't definitive, but a growing number of studies, mostly done on animals, have raised those suspicions."

Pro-Vaccine Messages Actually Backfire, Study Finds

Pro-Vaccine Messages Actually Backfire, Study Finds
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pro-vaccine-messages-actually-backfire-study-finds-n41611

"Public health messages aimed at boosting childhood vaccination rates may be backfiring, a new report finds.  Current efforts that use scientific studies, vaccine facts and images and stories of disease-sickened kids actually increased fears about vaccine side effects among some parents. Even when they successfully refuted claims about a link between vaccines and autism, they made parents who were the most wary less inclined to inoculate their children."

"But anti-vaccination advocates say the study correctly spotlights the suspicion that some parents have for public health claims about vaccines — and their resentment of efforts to spin the message.  "It is a big mistake for public health officials to assume that those resisting public health messaging about vaccines and diseases are ignorant, uneducated, 'anti-science' and that they lack social conscience," said Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center and a frequent critic of vaccines."

2014 Stanford Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symposium: Advances in Clinical Care and Translational Research

2014 Stanford Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symposium: Advances in Clinical Care and Translational Research

Fukushima's children at centre of debate over rates of thyroid cancer

Fukushima's children at centre of debate over rates of thyroid cancer
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/09/fukushima-children-debate-thyroid-cancer-japan-disaster-nuclear-radiation

"Three years after the worst nuclear accident in a generation, the Japanese prefecture is reporting a rise in the number of children showing cancer symptoms. But is this directly related to the disaster, or is the testing more rigorous?"

QEESI Study Draws Connection between Chronic Illness and Chemical Sensitivity

QEESI Study Draws Connection between Chronic Illness and Chemical Sensitivity
http://tpr.org/post/qeesi-study-draws-connection-between-chronic-illness-and-chemical-sensitivity

"Sensitivity to household chemicals, perfumes, and air pollution often go undetected, but now there's a way for patients, especially those with mysterious medical symptoms, to discover if they are sensitive to certain chemicals.  The QEESI, or Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory, is now available online. This 15-minute questionnaire developed by San Antonio researcher Dr. Claudia Miller, allows individuals to rate their reactions to things like car exhaust, nail polish, paints, and pesticides.  Dr. Claudia Miller developed the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory to help doctors and patients pinpoint chemical sensitivities that may be causing health problems.  Dr. Miller, a researcher at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and professor at the University of Texas School of Medicine, developed the test because chemical sensitivities are common in an estimated 20 percent of chronically-ill patients, but are rarely diagnosed by physicians.  The QEESI delivers an evaluation that can help doctors determine if their patients' illnesses stem from chemical intolerances."

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