Study confirms what you always knew: Kissing can drive you nuts

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, said they have 20 reports of allergic reactions sparked by smooches laced with the remnants of nuts, seeds or peanuts.

The study was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, and found that as many as about 5 % of nut and seed allergy attacks are triggered by kisses.

Necking offers even greater peril. ‘‘The more you get, the worse the reaction is likely to be,’’ said Dr Robert Wood, a childhood allergy specialist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

‘‘There are people who can have severe reactions from absolutely minuscule’’ amounts of allergens. The problem is generally, but not exclusively, limited to peanuts and nuts, Wood said, because most people outgrow allergies to other foods like milk and eggs by the time they enter their teens.

‘‘We advise those who have allergies to make their date or their partner aware of their food allergy and ask them to avoid those foods if possible.

If they have eaten the food, we would tell them to ask that they brush their teeth or rinse their mouth, or wipe off their lips or face’’ before puckering up, Wood said.

Obesity, the new giant killer after smoking

A report by The World Heart Federation has warned that obesity will soon overtake tobacco smoking as the biggest cause of heart disease unless the trend of unhealthy lifestyles stops, reports BBC. An estimated 22 million children under the age of five are now severely overweight.

And increasingly, low and middle-income countries are suffering from the condition, often due to a change in their diet as they substitute fibre intake for a much higher consumption of saturated fats and sugar. The heart federation further said that obesity can also be blamed for spiralling health costs.

Painkillers may not help healing of fractures

Researchers at the University of New Jersey have found that some painkillers may delay or at times even prevent healing of fractures. The main concern is the new generation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

The scientists said that when rats were given NSAIDs, their broken bones healed more slowly that normal, or never fully healed, reports BBC. Dr Patrick O’Connor, from the University of New Jersey, said: ‘‘Ibuprofen and indomethacin delay bone healing by about one to two weeks in rats, which is the equivalent to slowing it down by 25 to 50 per cent in humans.’’ Patrick’s team also gave the animals rofecoxib and celecoxib.

None of the rats given rofecoxib were able to heal their bones. In those given celecoxib, none managed to completely heal their bones but about half had some form of bone regrowth.

China could lead the pack — in AIDS cases

China is facing an HIV/AIDS disaster of ‘‘unimaginable proportion’’ and could soon have more HIV cases than any other country in the world, warns an alarming UN report.

‘‘In just a couple of years, China might count more HIV infections than any other country in the world,’’ said the document titled ‘AIDS in China, New Millennium – Titanic Challenge.’’