State & Lake

Older adults at risk of dangerous drug interactions -- At least 2.2 million older adults in the United States take medications in combinations that could trigger potentially dangerous drug interactions and cause gastrointestinal bleeding, breakdown of muscles, disruption of heart rhythm and other serious medical problems, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center.  Half of the drug interactions involved over-the-counter medications like aspirin or dietary supplements.  [Read More]

Food poisoning can sometimes lead to chronic illness -- Campylobacter, a bacterium associated with raw chicken, is now recognized as a leading cause of the sudden acute paralysis known as Guillain-Barre syndrome. Certain strains of salmonella, the bacterium involved in the recent outbreak in Mexican raw jalapeno and serrano peppers, can cause arthritis. And E. coli O157:H7, a strain of an otherwise harmless bacterium that lives in animal intestines, can release toxins that cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, a kidney disorder that in 25 to 50 percent of cases leads to kidney failure, high blood pressure and other problems as much as 10 years later, including the risk of birth defects.  [Read More]

Scientists: Cell Phones cause Kidney Failures -- Now scientists sat exposure to the phones' low-level radiation causes red blood cells to leak haemoglobin. The build-up of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around the body, can lead to heart disease and kidney stones.  The findings will heighten alarm over the safety of mobile phones which are used by more than 13 million people in Britain. In the latest research, scientists exposed samples of blood to varying degrees of microwave radiation for periods between ten to 60 hours.  [Read More]