31 minutes ago
BEIJING (AFP) - Increasing numbers of Chinese urban women are suffering from breast cancer due to unhealthy diets and a spike in work stress in the rapidly modernising country, state media said Tuesday.
Breast cancer is up 31 percent in the financial hub of Shanghai over the past decade, and 23 percent in the capital, Beijing, according to data from the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention cited by the China Daily.
"Unhealthy lifestyles are mostly to blame for the growing numbers," the paper quoted Qiao Youlin, a cancer researcher at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, as saying.
"Chinese women, especially those living in cities, should pay extra attention to their health and examine their breasts for any suspicious lumps on a monthly basis," he said.
Breast cancer now affects about 45 women out of every 100,000 in Beijing and about 55 out of 100,000 in Shanghai.
Those numbers still remain far lower than in industrialised countries such as the United States.
Qiao advised women to avoid known risk factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, using cosmetics that contain estrogen and consumption of oily food, and urged them to get more exercise.
Although nutrition for millions of Chinese has improved as incomes have risen, diet-related health problems also have spiked due to increasingly sedentary lifestyles and growing consumption of western-style fatty foods.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
U.S. recalls more China-made products for lead in paint
Thu Oct 25, 1:45 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A slew of products made in China ranging from children's jewelry to cake decorations were recalled on Thursday because they contain excessive amounts of lead.
The recall of roughly 665,000 items announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) includes about 38,000 Go Diego Go Animal Rescue Boats from Mattel Inc's Fisher-Price division.
The boats were sold at retail stores nationwide from June through October, and the CPSC said surface paint contains excessive levels of lead.
Also recalled were about 142,000 Halloween pails sold at Family Dollar Stores Inc from August through October. The CPSC said green paint on the pails contains amounts of lead that violate U.S. standards for lead paint.
More than 20 million toys made in China were recalled worldwide over the past four months due to potentially dangerous levels of lead and hazards posed by small magnets that can be swallowed.
Retailers and manufactures have stepped up product testing, which some companies have said should result in more recalls as they try to clear problematic items off shelves and out of warehouses.
Dollar Tree Stores Inc is recalling about 198,000 units of Beary Cute, Expressions, and Sassy & Chic children's jewelry with item numbers 855589, 873091, 873097, and 903950.
The jewelry, which the CPSC said contains high levels of lead, was sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks and Only $1 stores from December 2005 through July.
High levels of lead have been linked to brain damage in children and other health problems.
Here is a list of other product recalls announced on Thursday by the CPSC:
-- DecoPac Inc is recalling about 80,000 plastic miniature football bobble heads with green bases that were sold to be placed on cakes because of too much lead in paint on the decoration. The items were sold at bakeries and ice cream stores from January 2006 through October.
-- Jo-Ann Stores Inc is expanding the recall of children's toy garden tools because of excessive lead in surface paint. The products were sold at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores from January through September.
-- WeGlow International is recalling about 110,000 children's flashing rings sold in Shrek the Third and Spider-Man 3 designs. The rings have item number 920422 printed on back of the packaging and were sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks and Only $1 stores nationwide from December 2005 through August.
(Reporting by Nicole Maestri, editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Toni Reinhold)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A slew of products made in China ranging from children's jewelry to cake decorations were recalled on Thursday because they contain excessive amounts of lead.
The recall of roughly 665,000 items announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) includes about 38,000 Go Diego Go Animal Rescue Boats from Mattel Inc's Fisher-Price division.
The boats were sold at retail stores nationwide from June through October, and the CPSC said surface paint contains excessive levels of lead.
Also recalled were about 142,000 Halloween pails sold at Family Dollar Stores Inc from August through October. The CPSC said green paint on the pails contains amounts of lead that violate U.S. standards for lead paint.
More than 20 million toys made in China were recalled worldwide over the past four months due to potentially dangerous levels of lead and hazards posed by small magnets that can be swallowed.
Retailers and manufactures have stepped up product testing, which some companies have said should result in more recalls as they try to clear problematic items off shelves and out of warehouses.
Dollar Tree Stores Inc is recalling about 198,000 units of Beary Cute, Expressions, and Sassy & Chic children's jewelry with item numbers 855589, 873091, 873097, and 903950.
The jewelry, which the CPSC said contains high levels of lead, was sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks and Only $1 stores from December 2005 through July.
High levels of lead have been linked to brain damage in children and other health problems.
Here is a list of other product recalls announced on Thursday by the CPSC:
-- DecoPac Inc is recalling about 80,000 plastic miniature football bobble heads with green bases that were sold to be placed on cakes because of too much lead in paint on the decoration. The items were sold at bakeries and ice cream stores from January 2006 through October.
-- Jo-Ann Stores Inc is expanding the recall of children's toy garden tools because of excessive lead in surface paint. The products were sold at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores from January through September.
-- WeGlow International is recalling about 110,000 children's flashing rings sold in Shrek the Third and Spider-Man 3 designs. The rings have item number 920422 printed on back of the packaging and were sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks and Only $1 stores nationwide from December 2005 through August.
(Reporting by Nicole Maestri, editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Toni Reinhold)
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Ageing boomers warned over sexual secrecy
Tue Oct 9, 12:33 PM ET
SYDNEY (AFP) - Ageing baby boomers risk seeing their sex lives end with a whimper not a bang if they are not prepared to speak about problems associated with growing older, a conference in Australia heard Tuesday.
Members of the generation famous for spearheading the freedoms of the sexual revolution remained sexually active well into their later years, the Australasian Sexual Health Conference was told.
But a discreet silence around their sexuality was inhibiting discussion of sexual problems, said University of Sydney academic Patricia Weerakoon.
"The risk is that when problems arise, they may develop in secret and be concealed by embarrassment, generating misery and fear and suffering," she said.
The conference at the Gold Coast tourist strip near Brisbane heard that sexual activity rates for Australia's ageing population were estimated to mirror those reported in a recently in the United States.
That study showed that 73 percent of 57-64 year-olds were sexually active, dropping to 53 percent between 65-74 and 26 percent between 75-85.
"Baby boomers should also be encouraged to explore the myriad meanings of sexuality and physical and emotional intimacy, rather than strive for that perfect intercourse experience or the increasingly elusive orgasm," said Weerakoon.
SYDNEY (AFP) - Ageing baby boomers risk seeing their sex lives end with a whimper not a bang if they are not prepared to speak about problems associated with growing older, a conference in Australia heard Tuesday.
Members of the generation famous for spearheading the freedoms of the sexual revolution remained sexually active well into their later years, the Australasian Sexual Health Conference was told.
But a discreet silence around their sexuality was inhibiting discussion of sexual problems, said University of Sydney academic Patricia Weerakoon.
"The risk is that when problems arise, they may develop in secret and be concealed by embarrassment, generating misery and fear and suffering," she said.
The conference at the Gold Coast tourist strip near Brisbane heard that sexual activity rates for Australia's ageing population were estimated to mirror those reported in a recently in the United States.
That study showed that 73 percent of 57-64 year-olds were sexually active, dropping to 53 percent between 65-74 and 26 percent between 75-85.
"Baby boomers should also be encouraged to explore the myriad meanings of sexuality and physical and emotional intimacy, rather than strive for that perfect intercourse experience or the increasingly elusive orgasm," said Weerakoon.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Men who smoke risk erectile dysfunction: study
Wed Sep 26, 2:22 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Otherwise healthy men who smoke risk developing erectile dysfunction -- and the more cigarettes they smoke, the greater the risk of erectile dysfunction, according to a new study.
Erectile dysfunction is the consistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. In a study of 4,763 Chinese men aged 35 to 74 years who were free of blood vessel disease and who reported that they had been sexually active within the last 6 months, the researchers found a significant statistical link between the number of cigarettes smoked and the likelihood of erectile dysfunction.
"The association between cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction was found in earlier studies," said first author Dr. Jiang He of Tulane University School of Public Health, New Orleans. "However, most of those studies were conducted in patients with hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and cardiovascular disease. What distinguishes this study is that it is the first to find this association among healthy men."
Overall, men who smoked had a 41-percent greater risk of erectile dysfunction than men who did not, the team reports in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
And there was a clear "dose-response" relationship, meaning that the more the men smoked, the higher was their risk of erectile dysfunction. Compared with non-smokers, men who smoked up to 10 cigarettes per day had a 27-percent greater likelihood of erectile dysfunction ; those who smoked 11 to 20 butts a day had a 45-percent greater likelihood of erectile dysfunction; and those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily had a-65 percent greater chance of suffering erectile dysfunction.
The investigators estimate that 22.7 percent of erectile all dysfunction cases among healthy Chinese men - or 11.8 million cases -- might be caused by cigarette smoking.
And even when cigarette smokers quit, their risk of developing erectile dysfunction did not decrease. The risk of erectile dysfunction was statistically about the same for former cigarette smokers as for current cigarette smokers, the authors found.
"This study really has a strong message for young men," He said. "It may get their attention if they know that smoking is associated with erectile dysfunction -- even in the healthy population."
"So the message is: Don't start."
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, October 1, 2007.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Otherwise healthy men who smoke risk developing erectile dysfunction -- and the more cigarettes they smoke, the greater the risk of erectile dysfunction, according to a new study.
Erectile dysfunction is the consistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. In a study of 4,763 Chinese men aged 35 to 74 years who were free of blood vessel disease and who reported that they had been sexually active within the last 6 months, the researchers found a significant statistical link between the number of cigarettes smoked and the likelihood of erectile dysfunction.
"The association between cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction was found in earlier studies," said first author Dr. Jiang He of Tulane University School of Public Health, New Orleans. "However, most of those studies were conducted in patients with hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and cardiovascular disease. What distinguishes this study is that it is the first to find this association among healthy men."
Overall, men who smoked had a 41-percent greater risk of erectile dysfunction than men who did not, the team reports in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
And there was a clear "dose-response" relationship, meaning that the more the men smoked, the higher was their risk of erectile dysfunction. Compared with non-smokers, men who smoked up to 10 cigarettes per day had a 27-percent greater likelihood of erectile dysfunction ; those who smoked 11 to 20 butts a day had a 45-percent greater likelihood of erectile dysfunction; and those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily had a-65 percent greater chance of suffering erectile dysfunction.
The investigators estimate that 22.7 percent of erectile all dysfunction cases among healthy Chinese men - or 11.8 million cases -- might be caused by cigarette smoking.
And even when cigarette smokers quit, their risk of developing erectile dysfunction did not decrease. The risk of erectile dysfunction was statistically about the same for former cigarette smokers as for current cigarette smokers, the authors found.
"This study really has a strong message for young men," He said. "It may get their attention if they know that smoking is associated with erectile dysfunction -- even in the healthy population."
"So the message is: Don't start."
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, October 1, 2007.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)