BPA linked to obesity
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that high levels of urinary BPA — Bisphenol A, a chemical widely used to prevent metal corrosion in food packaging — are associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity. NYU School of Medicine researchers, who studied 2,838 children ages 6 to 19, found the obesity rate in kids in the highest quartile of BPA concentrations was about twice that among the other 75 percent.
New York Times
Cellular signature may help MS treatment strategy
A cellular signature seen in the blood of multiple sclerosis patients may help determine their likelihood of relapse, a study the journal Science Translational Medicine said. An analysis turned up two groups, designated MS(a) and MS(b), with the latter group having a 40 percent lower risk of relapse. MS(a) patients expressed more genes in T-cell receptor and B-cell receptor pathways, which play roles in the immune system. Being able to determine the likelihood of flare-ups could lead to aggressive treatment earlier, said Dr. Philip De Jager of Harvard Medical School. Bloomberg News
Early menopause linked to heart risk
Early menopause has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The study, in October's issue of Menopause, looked at 2,509 white, Chinese, black and Hispanic women ages 45 to 84 over about five years. The 693 women who reported reaching menopause, naturally or surgically, at 46 or younger had about twice the risk for stroke or heart disease compared with those who reached menopause at an older age, found the researchers, led by Dr. Melissa Wellons, a neurologist at Vanderbilt who did the work when she was at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
New York Times
