ScienceDaily: Living Well News

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• For older drivers one drink may be one too many, study finds
• BPA linked to breast cancer tumor growth
• Some people really just don't like music
• The Rise of Spring Allergies: Fact or Fiction?
• Are you smarter than a 5-year-old? Preschoolers can do algebra
• E-cigarettes: Gateway to nicotine addiction for U.S. teens
• Heart failure unknowns a roadblock to managing health
• Addressing the rapid increase in cesarean birth rates
• Energy drinks linked to teen health risks
• 'Tiger mothers' run risk of raising ethnic outcasts in pursuit of academic success
• Eating red, processed meat: What scientists say
• Atypical development in siblings of children with autism is detectable at 12 months
• Long-lasting device protects against HIV, pregnancy
• Doulas ease stress, increase satisfaction with birthing experience, statistics indicate
• Barbie could dampen a young girl's career dreams, study suggests
• Children who regularly practice family routines exhibit higher social-emotional health
• New online care from dietitians helps control weight
• Advertisements Telling Smokers 'Why' to Quit More Successful Than 'How' Messages

For older drivers one drink may be one too many, study finds Posted: 06 Mar 2014 04:14 PM PST You may have only had one glass of wine with dinner, but if you're 55 or older, that single serving may hit you hard enough to make you a dangerous driver. Researchers tested how drinking legally non-intoxicating levels of alcohol affect the driving skills of two age groups: 36 people ages 25 to 35 and 36 people ages 55 to 70. They found that although neither age group imbibed enough alcohol to put them over the legal driving limit, a blood alcohol level of 0.08, just one drink can affect the driving abilities of older drivers.

BPA linked to breast cancer tumor growth Posted: 06 Mar 2014 01:33 PM PST Researchers have attempted to trace how bisphenol-A may promote breast cancer tumor growth with help from a molecule called RNA HOTAIR. "We can't immediately say BPA causes cancer growth, but it could well contribute because it is disrupting the genes that defend against that growth," said a corresponding author on the paper. BPA has been widely used in plastics, such as food storage containers, the lining of canned goods and, until recently, baby bottles. Previous studies have linked BPA to problems with reproductive development, early puberty, obesity and cancers.

Some people really just don't like music Posted: 06 Mar 2014 10:04 AM PST It is often said that music is a universal language. However, a new report finds that music doesn't speak to everyone. There are people who are perfectly able to experience pleasure in other ways who simply don't get music in the way the rest of us do.

The Rise of Spring Allergies: Fact or Fiction? Posted: 06 Mar 2014 10:00 AM PST The spring 2014 allergy season could be the worst yet, or at least that is what you might hear. Every year is coined as being the worst for allergy sufferers, but are spring allergies really on the rise? "A number of factors, such as weather patterns, predict how intense the spring allergy season will be," said an allergy expert. "While allergies are on the rise, affecting more and more Americans every year, each spring isn't necessarily worse than the last."

Are you smarter than a 5-year-old? Preschoolers can do algebra Posted: 06 Mar 2014 10:00 AM PST Millions of high school and college algebra students are united in a shared agony over solving for x and y, and for those to whom the answers don't come easily, it gets worse: Most preschoolers and kindergarteners can do some algebra before even entering a math class. A new study finds that most preschoolers and kindergarteners, or children between 4 and 6, can do basic algebra naturally.

E-cigarettes: Gateway to nicotine addiction for U.S. teens Posted: 06 Mar 2014 08:22 AM PST E-cigarettes, promoted as a way to quit regular cigarettes, may actually be a new route to conventional smoking and nicotine addiction for teenagers, according to a new study. In the first analysis of the relationship between e-cigarette use and smoking among adolescents in the United States, researchers found that adolescents who used the devices were more likely to smoke cigarettes and less likely to quit smoking. The study of nearly 40,000 youth around the country also found that e-cigarette use among middle and high school students doubled between 2011 and 2012, from 3.1 percent to 6.5 percent.

Heart failure unknowns a roadblock to managing health Posted: 06 Mar 2014 06:55 AM PST Patients and their families lack basic skills and knowledge to manage a heart condition successfully, new research shows. A systematic review of 49 studies, involving more than 1,600 patients and their caregivers, showed that this lack of knowledge leads to confusion, delays in seeking help, and uncertainty about the long-term outlook and how to manage their own care. Part of the problem is heart failure is not well understood by many patients or their families. Heart failure is not a heart attack, though the latter can cause the condition. Heart failure refers to an overall decline in function in which blood flow can't meet the body's demands.

Addressing the rapid increase in cesarean birth rates Posted: 06 Mar 2014 06:55 AM PST A new, joint series called 'Obstetric Care Consensus' is being introduced by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. The first issue addresses the rapid increase in cesarean births. In 2011, one in three pregnant women in the U.S. delivered babies by cesarean delivery. While cesarean delivery may be life-saving for the mother, the baby or both, the rapid increase in cesarean birth rates since 1996 without clear indication raises concerns that this type of delivery may be overused.

Energy drinks linked to teen health risks Posted: 06 Mar 2014 06:53 AM PST The uplifting effects of energy drinks are well advertised, but a new report finds consumption among teenagers may be linked with poor mental health and substance use. The researchers found that high school students prone to depression as well as those who are smoke marijuana or drink alcohol are more likely to consume energy drinks than their peers. The researchers are calling for limits on teen's access to the drinks and reduction in the amount of the caffeine in each can.

'Tiger mothers' run risk of raising ethnic outcasts in pursuit of academic success Posted: 06 Mar 2014 06:52 AM PST For Chinese and Vietnamese immigrant parents and their children, success is equal to getting straight As, graduating from an elite university and pursuing an advanced degree. However, these narrow measures of success can make those who do not fulfil the strict aspirations feel like ethnic outliers, new research demonstrates. Decoupling race and ethnicity from achievement could give young Asian Americans more freedom in choosing careers.

Eating red, processed meat: What scientists say Posted: 06 Mar 2014 06:37 AM PST Recent reports warn about a link between eating red and processed meat and the risk of developing cancer in the gut. These reports have resulted in new nutritional recommendations that advise people to limit their intake of red and processed meats. A recent perspective paper, authored by 23 scientists, underlines the uncertainties in the scientific evidence and points to further research needed to resolve these issues and improve the foundation for future recommendations on the intake of red meat.

Atypical development in siblings of children with autism is detectable at 12 months Posted: 05 Mar 2014 04:17 PM PST Atypical development can be detected as early as 12 months of age among the siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder, a study has found. 28 percent of children with older siblings with ASD showed delays in other areas of development, identified in their social, communication, cognitive or motor development by 12 months. The most common deficits were in the social-communication domain, such as extreme shyness with unfamiliar people, lower levels of eye contact and delayed pointing. "Having a child in the family with autism spectrum disorder means that subsequent infants born into that family should be regularly screened for developmental and behavioral problems by their pediatricians," said the study's lead author.

Long-lasting device protects against HIV, pregnancy Posted: 05 Mar 2014 04:14 PM PST Women's reproductive health may never be the same, thanks to a biomedical engineer and his first-of-its-kind intravaginal ring that reliably delivers an antiretroviral drug and a contraceptive for months. The ring is designed to protect against HIV and herpes as well as unwanted pregnancy. It will be the first device with the potential to offer this protection to be tested in women. The ring, being manufactured now, soon will undergo its first test in women.

Doulas ease stress, increase satisfaction with birthing experience, statistics indicate Posted: 05 Mar 2014 09:49 AM PST Fewer medical interventions, fewer hours in labor and increased satisfaction with the birthing experience -— that's what national statistics say a doula's support during labor and delivery means to women and their partners. A doula is a trained woman who provides nonmedical support during labor and delivery.

Barbie could dampen a young girl's career dreams, study suggests Posted: 05 Mar 2014 08:00 AM PST Although the marketing slogan suggests that Barbie can "Be Anything," girls who play with this extremely popular doll see fewer career options available to themselves compared to boys, according to researchers. The study examined girls' career choices after playtime with Barbie dolls and with Mrs. Potato Head. It is one of the first experiments looking at how playing with fashion dolls influences girls' perceptions about their future occupational options. The findings, the psychologists say, are "sobering."

Children who regularly practice family routines exhibit higher social-emotional health Posted: 04 Mar 2014 09:54 AM PST Children who regularly sing, play, story-tell and eat dinner with their families tend to have higher social-emotional health, new research shows. Researchers believe that being cared for in stimulating and nurturing environments in early life, with regular participation in predictable family routines, reflects greater family organization and can provide a sense of security and belonging. It also may positively impact children's SEH before school entry and contribute to their future school and life success.

New online care from dietitians helps control weight Posted: 04 Mar 2014 06:48 AM PST A rich chocolate cake is tempting you, but where is a dietitian when you need one? The e-Care for Heart Wellness study sought to solve this problem. Patients who were overweight and had hypertension were more likely to have lost 10 pounds in six months if they had secure online access to a dietitian than if they received only information and usual care.

Advertisements Telling Smokers 'Why' to Quit More Successful Than 'How' Messages Posted: 04 Mar 2014 06:44 AM PST Brief exposure to anti-smoking television ads with messages about why to quit smoking can influence a smoker to quit within a month, while ads about how to quit smoking do not influence smoking behaviors, according to new research. "Why to quit smoking messages are more powerful because those ads typically show graphic portrayals of the health consequences of smoking or feature personal testimonies to evoke emotion," said a co-author of the study. "Whereas, how to quit messages are designed to increase an individual's belief that he or she can quit."

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