Vitamin supplements containing beta-carotene can increase a smoker's chances of developing lung cancer, warns the UK Cancer Research Campaign, which is calling for health warnings on vitamin supplements. A study of 29,000 smokers in Finland found smokers were 18 per cent more likely to get lung cancer if they were given beta-carotene. Although tomatoes, carrots and other yellow fruits and vegetables are rich in beta-carotene, there seems to be a difference between the naturally occurring substance and tablets which contain it.
People are ignoring heart attack symptoms and risking their lives, according to doctors in Glasgow, who examined cases of 228 men and 85 women who had suffered a heart attack. The study found one in four called for help within an hour of the start of symptoms, almost half waited more than four hours, and one in eight waited an entire day before treatment. Only one in five called an ambulance, while most opted to call their GP instead. Prompt medical treatment for people experiencing heart attacks can cut the risk of death by 50 per cent, and the Glasgow researchers suggest every 30 minutes' delay in seeking treatment can take a year off someone's life. (Eureka Alert)
Tea bags can cure sick buildings, say Japanese researchers. People who move into a new house can suffer from nausea and sore throats because of the chemicals, such as formaldehyde, in new paint and glue. It seems that teabags scattered around the house soak up formaldehyde, aided by the tannin in the tea. (New Scientist)
Office workers are suffering from stress and exhaustion be- cause they are working in "sterile" environments - with air conditioning, no outside views and no plants - according to a survey of 1,000 people across the UK. Almost half of those surveyed felt stress by the end of the day, with those aged 25 to 34 suffering most, and two-thirds of those aged between 35 and 44 said they felt exhausted at the end of a working day. The survey, carried out for Timotei shampoo, found two-thirds of people breathed "fresh air" during the day, but this figure fell to 7 per cent for those living in London. (BBC Health)
Men with heart disease can take Viagra as long as they are not taking medication containing nitrates, according to US research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study of 14 men with coronary artery disease (57 per cent also had hypertension, 43 per cent diabetes, and 57 per cent smoked) found there were no adverse effects, if nitrates were discontinued at least 24 hours before taking Viagra - and no evidence that the resumption of sexual activity had any harmful effects in terms of cardiac risk.
Using the drug ecstasy may cause permanent damage to our brains, according to the results of an autopsy on a 26-year-old Canadian long-term heavy user of ecstasy, who died of an overdose of a different drug. His brain contained between 50 and 80 per cent less serotonin than brains of other patients. A lack of serotonin (a neurotransmitter chemical which controls mood, pain perception, sleep, appetite and emotion) is thought to cause the "ecstasy hangover" of excessive tiredness, irritability and an inability to think clearly. A massive release of serotonin is widely believed to be the principal mechanism of the drug. (American Academy of Neurology)