Meat raises cancer risk

People who eat a lot of red meat and processed meat have a higher risk of several types of cancer, including lung cancer and colorectal cancer, US researchers reported in a recent study published in PLoS Medicine journal. 8220;Statistically significant elevated risks were evident for esophageal, colorectal, liver, and lung cancer, comparing individuals in the highest with those in the lowest quintile of red meat intake,8221; the researchers wrote. Red meat was defined as all types of beef, pork and lamb. Processed meat included bacon, red meat sausage, poultry sausage, luncheon meats, cold cuts, ham and most types of hot dogs including turkey dogs. Meat is also a source of chemicals known to cause DNA mutations, like N-nitroso compounds, heterocyclicamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

High blood pressure linked to dementia
Elderly people with high blood pressure may be more likely to develop thinking and learning problems that can lead to dementia, researchers said in a recent study. Hypertension was linked to one of two types of mild cognitive impairment, a condition that can foreshadow the development of dementia, but not the type strongly associated with Alzheimer8217;s disease, according to the study published in the journal Archives of Neurology. People with mild cognitive impairment can have difficulties with language, memory, attention span or other mental functions significant enough to be noticeable to other people and to be detected in tests. One type significantly affects memory, and the other does not. The elderly people with high blood pressure in this study often had a form of mild cognitive impairment that can be a precursor to vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer8217;s disease. It is often associated with stroke. High blood pressure raises the risk for stroke.

Breathing problems for caesarean babie
Babies delivered by non-emergency caesarean are up to four times more likely to have breathing problems than those delivered vaginally, Danish researchers said in a recent study. The finding adds to evidence on the risks of elective caesareans, or C-sections, which are increasingly popular around the world. The higher risk is likely due to hormonal and physiological changes associated with labour. The process of labour triggers the release of stress hormones in the mother, which are passed on to the foetus and are thought to be key in maturing the baby8217;s water-filled lungs. Cases of breathing problems associated with caesarean births are often not serious but they typically require incubator and oxygen treatment.
8212;Agencies