Strawberries, Spinach Top List Of Produce With Most Pesticides.

reports that for the third consecutive year, “strawberries top the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues.” About a third of all strawberry samples had at least ten pesticides, the article says, adding that the strawberries were followed by spinach, nectarines, apples, and grapes on the Dirty Dozen list. USA Today says the report is based on “nearly 39,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture tests of 47 fruits and vegetables,” but the Alliance for Food and Farming said the Dirty Dozen list is “unsupportable,” pointing to USDA and US Food and Drug Administration data which show 99 percent of residues are “well below safety levels” set by the Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/04/10/dirty-dozen-list-fruits-vegetables-most-pesticides/502096002/

Researchers Map Variations In Death Rates, Causes Of Death Across The US.

reports the researchers used data from the Global Burden of Disease study, which is compiled from “various data sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys and state inpatient databases.” Dr. Christopher Murray, a professor of global health at the University of Washington and the study’s lead author, said, “There’s so many different levels of health in the US, so many different disparities across states and age groups.” Murray added, “The top five risk factors – diet, obesity, elevated blood pressure, tobacco and physical inactivity – explain an awful lot of the differences across states.” https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/10/health/states-life-expectancy-study/index.html

Researchers Develop New Device That Could Allow Blood-Free Monitoring Of Blood Sugar Levels.

reports researchers have developed a new device that “could allow people with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar levels without the need for finger sticks or other blood sampling” by instead measuring glucose in interstitial fluid. The device’s potential notwithstanding, “researchers stress that the device needs further development before it becomes a wearable, simple, blood-free way to measure blood sugar levels.” The findings were published in Nature Nanotechnology. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-diabetes-bloodless-monitoring/new-device-would-allow-blood-free-monitoring-of-blood-sugar-levels-idUSKBN1HH3C7

Women with PCOS Face Increased Mental Health Risks

“Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may put women at a higher risk for mental health conditions,” researchers concluded. “When compared with women without PCOS, those with the hormonal condition had a higher prevalence of several psychiatric-related conditions, including depression (23.1% versus 19.3%), anxiety (11.5% versus 9.3%), and bipolar disorder (3.2% versus 1.5%),” researchers concluded after examining data on 16,986 patients with PCOS, then matching these patients “to controls without a history of PCOS, based upon age, body mass index (BMI), and primary care practice.” The findings were published online April 10 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. http://www.mdmag.com/medical-news/women-with-pcos-face-increased-mental-health-risks

Diabetes May Be Linked To Faster Degeneration Of Knee Cartilage Among Patients With OA

reports that research suggests “diabetes is associated with faster degeneration of knee cartilage among patients with osteoarthritis (OA).” The findings were published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. https://www.medwirenews.com/rheumatology/diabetes/diabetes-associated-with-accelerated-cartilage-deterioration/15596294

Climate Change Takes Particular Toll on At-Risk Communities

Low-income communities, people of color, and "fence-line" communities -- those located near refineries or chemical plants -- experience the health-related consequences of climate change and environmental pollution the most, according to a panelist at the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health at George Mason University. For instance, when fence-line communities flood, water becomes contaminated with heavy metals, and exposure can lead to kidney damage or even renal failure, said Jewel Crawford, MD, a family physician and assistant clinical professor at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, at the Monday meeting. https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/publichealth/72231?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2018-04-10&eun=g721819d0r&pos=2&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Headlines%202018-04-10&utm_term=Daily%20Headlines%20-%20Active%20User%20-%20180%20days

Higher Carotenoid Consumption May Be Linked To Reduced Risk Of Hip Fracture,

reported research suggests “Chinese adults who consume greater levels of carotenoids, including foods rich in beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein, are less likely to experience hip fracture vs. those with a diet that includes less of the antioxidants.” The findings were published in the journal Bone. https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/bone-mineral-metabolism/news/in-the-journals/%7B38a652ff-51ba-4a5d-8fe4-6829723ce856%7D/higher-carotenoid-consumption-associated-with-reduced-hip-fracture-risk