healthbriefs
The Phthalates–Diabetes Connection W
hat we place on our skin might increase the risk for diabetes, based on findings by researchers
at Uppsala University, in Sweden. They noted a connection between phthalates found in cosmetics and plastics and the risk of seniors developing diabetes; even a modest increase in circulating blood levels of such chemicals doubled their risk. Monica Lind, associate professor of environ- mental medicine at the Section for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Dr. Lars Lind, professor of medicine, analyzed new information from a study that involved more than 1,000 70-year-old men and women in Uppsala. The participants submitted blood samples for analysis of various environmental toxins, including several substances formed when the body breaks down phthalates. Even after adjusting for obesity, blood lipids, smoking and exercise habits, the researchers saw a definite connection between blood levels of some of the phthalates and an increased prevalence of diabetes. The Linds also found that certain phthalates were associated with disrupted insulin production in the pancreas.
Most people come into daily contact with phthalates. These chemicals are commonly used as softening agents in plastics and as carriers of fragrances in cos- metics, personal care products, air fresheners and scented candles.
Breast Health Screening Questioned
O
ctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and thousands of well-meaning healthcare providers will continue to recommend mammograms. However, a growing body of research suggests that X-ray mammography may not be the best screening approach, at least on an annual basis, and even the National Cancer Institute notes potential harms ranging from false results to overtreatment and radiation exposure. A 2006 study published in the British Journal of
Radiobiology revealed that the type of radiation used in X-ray-based screenings is more carcinogenic than previ- ously believed. The researchers wrote, “Recent radiobio- logical studies have provided compelling evidence that
the low-energy X-rays used in mammography are approximately four times—but possibly as much as six times—more likely to cause mutational damage than higher energy X-rays.” Peter Gøtzsche is director of the Nordic Cochrane Centre and an author of the landmark 2001 Cochrane systematic review, Screening for Breast Cancer with Mammography, which concludes, “Currently available reliable evidence has not shown a survival benefit of mass screening for breast cancer.” In 2011, Gøtzsche stated, “It is getting more and more difficult to argue that mammography is reasonable to [use] for breast screening.”
VITAMIN D CURBS DEPRESSION
L
ow levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression, particularly among those with a history of the disorder, according to what researchers believe is the largest such investigation ever undertaken. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center psychiatrists, working with the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, reviewed the relevant results of nearly 12,600 participants from late 2006 to late 2010. They suggest that patients with a history of depression could benefit from a vitamin D assessment.
natural awakenings October 2012 9
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