Public Health

Soap and water have been mainstays in the prevention of infection for open fractures but a new study finds that it is actually less effective than just using saline water. The finding could lead to significant cost savings, particularly in developing countries where open fractures are common.  As part of the study, 2,400 people with open arm or leg fractures had their wounds cleaned with either soap and water, or a saline water solution, and one of three different levels of water pressure. Patients were monitored to see who would need to have an additional operation within 12 months…

Contrary to claims by vegetarians and the activist groups that promote their world view, eating a vegetarian diet could add to climate change rather than reduce it. USDA recommendations are a political and cultural tool along with being efforts at better health, but their recommendations to consume more fruits, vegetables, dairy and seafood is actually more harmful to the environment, because those foods have relatively high resource uses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per calorie, finds a new study that measured the changes in energy use, blue water footprint and GHG emissions associated…

It used to be that poor people did not have enough food, and sometimes we are still told that they don't, but instead it is the case that poor people are far more likely to belief, and then the claim was that poor people had plenty of food, but it was the wrong kind. This gave rise to the notion of "food deserts", areas in dense urban areas where large grocery stores are too expensive or regulations are too onerous to stay in business and instead only small bodegas can survive. Get rid of the food deserts and poor people would be less obese, but a new paper in PLOS Medicine disputes the…

I recently came across an interesting article syndicated through the DC-based "Tribune News Service" by Evan Halper, formerly an LATimes correspondent. Entitled "Nuclear pitched as the new green," it immediately caught my attention for a variety of reasons: *I've been observing the Greeniacs marching and posting and cajoling and interviewing in the service of combatting their apocalyptic vision of a terminally-warmed Earth thanks to "carbon pollution", you know, CO2 rising, fossil fuel-engendered devastation. I've often wondered, What about nuclear? Wouldn't that be a win-win-win…

I recently came across an interesting article syndicated through the DC-based "Tribune News Service" by Evan Halper, formerly an LATimes correspondent. Entitled "Nuclear pitched as the new green," it immediately caught my attention for a variety of reasons: *I've been observing the Greeniacs marching and posting and cajoling and interviewing in the service of combatting their apocalyptic vision of a terminally-warmed Earth thanks to "carbon pollution", you know, CO2 rising, fossil fuel-engendered devastation. I've often wondered, What about nuclear? Wouldn't that be a win-win-win solution…

Women who used contraceptive implants or injections after an abortion are a lot more likely to have another one, finds a large United Kingdom study. Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) such as implants and Depo-Provera are often promoted as contraceptive method of choice for women undergoing abortion. The authors found that women who used either implants or the contraceptive injection Depo-Provera were more likely to have another abortion 2-5 years after the first termination compared to those who used other methods. While LARC methods are 'effective', explain the authors, "…

The largest commercial weight loss program (with >40% of market share) in the world has adopted a strange new strategy: Switch the focus AWAY from weight! I'm not, like, a branding expert, or anything, but, didn't they kind of invent worrying about weight? Isn't that sort-of the Name of The Company? To put it in context: weight watchers is actually just getting in line with scientific consensus: True weight loss is rare (as I argue in a post with this name). The new program, "Beyond The Scale," helps members to downplay the importance pounds and increase the focus on "health." This is, as…

More women than men suffer from chronic pain, described as pain that persists for more than six months. In addition, much of this pain remains undiagnosed or untreated. As well as the pain associated with menstruation or the bearing of children, waiting rooms of pain physicians, rheumatologists and gastroenterologists show clear majorities of women. Research has found the only pain conditions more common in men are the relatively infrequent cluster headaches (where strong pain occurs on one side of the head), nerve pain after shingles, ankylosing spondylitis (a form of spinal arthritis) and…

When the NYTimes' columnist, Nicholas Kristof, writes based upon his experiences and observations among the impoverished and exploited women and children of the third world, he is resonant and inspirational. So why doesn't he stick to those topics where his passionate rants and anecdotes can do much good. Or to put it more productively, why doesn't he avoid ranting about his perceptions concerning chemical dangers? His latest broadside is entitled "Contaminating Our Bodies With Everyday Products."  He proudly illustrates his thorough lack of familiarity with science-based precepts of…

Since some research suggests flame retardants could cause developmental problems - one type of organophosphate flame retardant (PFR) is listed as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - companies have been offering to reduce their use in response to public concerns (real and manufactured.) A new paper in Environmental Science&Technology finds that infants could potentially be affected the most and looks at potential exposure routes.  Organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) were successors to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (…