Late stage age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is the leading cause of vision loss among older people… And a new study shows that what you eat can make you much more likely to get it. The study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology finds that people who eat a poor diet, with lots of processed meat and fried foods, are three times more likely to develop late stage AMD compared to people with a better diet. Early AMD, which doesn’t steal sight, isn’t connected to diet, at least not yet, but a poor diet makes it much more likely to progress to advanced stages.
We’ve reported in the past that little is known about the long term effects of being born as a result of in vitro fertilization. Now we’re finding some. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that children who were born of a frozen embryo are more than twice as likely to develop cancer as children, especially leukemia and neuroblastoma. Experts believe drugs used in the frozen embryo process may be to blame. But they say the study’s numbers were small, so there’s no need for parents to be concerned yet.
And finally…people in Scandinavian countries say that taking a sauna has all kinds of benefits, and they’re apparently right. A study in the Journal of Human Kinetics shows that regular sauna use makes people less likely to get a cold. And more likely to get over it quickly. Researchers say blood tests confirm saunas boost immune cell activity, leading to a 30 percent reduced risk of getting a cold.
Medical Notes 20-03: Week of January 19, 2020
Late stage age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is the leading cause of vision loss among older people… And a new study shows that what you eat can make you much more likely to get it. The study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology finds that people who eat a poor diet, with lots of processed meat and fried foods, are three times more likely to develop late stage AMD compared to people with a better diet. Early AMD, which doesn’t steal sight, isn’t connected to diet, at least not yet, but a poor diet makes it much more likely to progress to advanced stages.
We’ve reported in the past that little is known about the long term effects of being born as a result of in vitro fertilization. Now we’re finding some. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that children who were born of a frozen embryo are more than twice as likely to develop cancer as children, especially leukemia and neuroblastoma. Experts believe drugs used in the frozen embryo process may be to blame. But they say the study’s numbers were small, so there’s no need for parents to be concerned yet.
And finally, people in Scandinavian countries say that taking a sauna has all kinds of benefits, and they’re apparently right. A study in the Journal of Human Kinetics shows that regular sauna use makes people less likely to get a cold. And more likely to get over it quickly. Researchers say blood tests confirm saunas boost immune cell activity, leading to a 30 percent reduced risk of getting a cold.
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