According to a new study completed by The Harvard School of
Public Health, there is a link between being abused as a child and having a
child that develops autism. Though a reason for the connection is not yet
apparent, it was found that women who were abused were 60% more likely to have
a child that developed autism. A possible explanation lies in the fact that
people who are abused are more likely to have inflammation in their blood and
have poorer responses to stress. These two factors are often associated with
autism. Many scientists believe that more studies need to be completed to
discover why this link exists.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Increased Cost of Diabetes
According to research by the American Diabetes Association,
the cost of diabetes for the U.S. in 2012 was $245 billion. This is a 41%
increase from the money that was spent in 2007. The president of medicine and
science for the American Diabetes Association, John Anderson, believes that the
rise in cost is due to a increase of the number of Americans that have been
diagnosed with diabetes. In 2012, there was an estimated 22.3 million people
that had either type 1 or 2 diabetes. Increased obesity and the aging of the
baby boomers are likely causes for this sharp increase.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Fukushima: Psychological vs. Health Effects
The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan’s coast and nuclear
power plant two years ago has had long-lasting effects. Though the risk of
developing cancer as a result of the explosion of the nuclear power plant has
risen slightly for people who live in the area, the psychological effects have
been much greater. The stigma associated to the people who once lived near the
Fukushima power plant, currently a “ghost town,” may have severe psychological
results. The disaster itself has caused anxiety, depression, and fear in many
of those who were involved. Although the exposure to radiation has not greatly
increased the former-residents’ chances of developing cancer, it has caused
mutations in local butterflies and cesium levels in fish to be 250 times greater
than the excepted amount.
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