A new study has found that injuries to people distracted by their cell phones has increased quite steeply over the 20 year study period. People are falling, tripping, and hurting their necks and heads more often than ever. Some have even dubbed texting the “new drunk driving”!

While most cases are mild, some of the injuries involve lacerations to the face and traumatic brain injuries which can lead to long term and serious consequences. The current study is the first to investigate the role cell phones play in injuries to these particular parts of the body. Previous studies have observed that all types of distracted walking injuries have been on the rise.

Dr. Boris Paskhover is the author of the study and a reconstructive surgeon. He began looking into the statistics after seeing patients with facial wounds and broken jaws reported to be due to falling while staring at their phones or not paying attention to their surroundings. It is no secret that when you walk into a city, many people are just looking at their phones while carrying on with their activity.

According to the U. S. Department of Transportation, dialing or text messaging on a cell phone or a wireless device while driving was responsible for 401 fatal crashes in 2017. However, that isn’t the only way cell phone use can be distracting and potentially dangerous.

Texting while walking can also lead to accidents. 96% of people in the U. S. own a cell phone. The researchers set out to see what percentage of neck and head injuries are due to cell phone use. The study looked at 20 years of data from a database that collects information about emergency room visits in approximately 100 U. S. hospitals. They were specifically looking at the types, incidence, and mechanisms of neck and head injuries associated with cell phone usage.

From January 1988 to December 2017, 2,501 patients sought help for these type of injuries. When translated onto a national scale, the number of cases with these type injuries would amount to more than 76,000 people.

One third of the injuries occurred in the head and neck area. Another third were injuries to the face including the eyes, eyelid area and nose. Over 12% of the injuries were related to the neck. The most common injury diagnosis included 26.3% lacerations, 24.5% contusion or abrasion and 18.4% were injuries to internal organs.

Neck and head injuries which were related to cell phone usage was relatively rare until 2007 when the rate began to sharply increase. This was the first year the iPhone was released and was followed by a much steeper increase that peaked in 2016.

Cell phone users from 13 to 29 comprised almost 40% of the patients. Most of their injuries in this age group were due to distraction. Children younger than 13 were more likely to be injured directly by the phone such as being accidentally hit by a device that was in a parent’s hand. And some were injured when their phone slipped, hit them on the face and broke their nose.

The team does acknowledge there were a few limitations to the study. The database used did not contain information about other coexisting conditions, outcomes or treatments. And the database did not include information in regards to visits to other healthcare setting such as immediate care. However, the studies findings indicate there is a need for public education about the potential risks of being distracted by cell phone usage beyond texting while driving.

To view the original scientific study click below

Head and Neck Injuries Associated With Cell Phone Use

A new study has shown that brushing teeth frequently, three or more times per day, is linked to lower risks of heart failure and atrial fibrillation (A fib, a type of arrhythmia). Bacteria found in our mouths may be the key to many facets of our health. Some studies have found oral bacteria in blood clots of people who have had strokes, and experts have also linked gum disease to a significantly higher risk of hypertension. Mounting evidence is now strengthening the link between cardiovascular health and oral hygiene.

The study involved 161,286 people living in Korea between the ages of 40 and 79 and who showed no history of heart problems. All participants went through a routine medical examination between 2003 and 2004. Information was gathered on weight, height, illnesses, lifestyle, laboratory tests, oral health, and oral hygiene habits. Laboratory tests included urine tests, blood tests and blood pressure readings.

During a median follow up of 10.5 years, the research team followed up with the participants to see if they had developed any heart problems. 4,911 (3%) of the participants had developed atrial fibrillation and 7,971 (4.9%) had developed heart failure.

Tooth brushing of three of more times per day was associated with a 12% lower risk of heart failure and a 10% lower risk of atrial fibrillation during the 10.5 year follow-up. The findings were independent of a variety of factors including sex, age, socioeconomic status, alcohol consumption, regular exercise, comorbidities such as hypertension, and body mass index.

The study did not investigate mechanisms, however a possibility is that frequent tooth brushing reduces the bacteria in the subgingival biofilm which is bacteria living in the pocket between the gums and the teeth. Brushing thereby prevents translocation of bacteria to the bloodstream.

Although the study was limited to one country, it was a large study over a long period which strengthens their findings that tooth brushing may be linked to a lower risk of heart failure and A-fib.

To view the original scientific study click below

Improved oral hygiene care is associated with decreased risk of occurrence for atrial fibrillation and heart failure: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

By using a new method for assessing BPA levels in the human body, scientists are now suggesting that our exposure to this industrial chemical is much higher than previous estimates. Following a recent study, they believe that regulators such as the FDA could be relying on measures that have underestimated those levels by as much as 44 times.

BPA is a chemical that is present in a variety of consumer products including plastic containers for food and beverages and is also found in epoxy products. In the human body it is an endocrine disruptor which means it interferes with hormone functions in the body.

It is only in the last few years that scientists have begun to understand how BPA and other endocrine disruptors can affect human health. Once BPA enters the body, it breaks down quickly into metabolites. To accurately asses BPA exposure, scientists much take metabolites into consideration.

In the study, the team explains that agencies such as the FDA are still relying on analytical techniques that indirectly assess BPA metabolite levels. When the team compared those techniques to newer ones that measure BPA metabolites directly, the results were very different.

Studies on animals have shown that BPA can disrupt the normal healthy functioning of hormones in the body. Exposure to BPA during gestation has been linked to changes in a variety of developing tissues with corresponding postnatal effects on metabolism, growth, fertility, behavior and cancer risk.

The studies that the FDA has relied on use an indirect analytical technique for measuring BPA in humans. This method uses an enzyme solution from a type of edible snail. The snail enzyme solution converts BPA metabolites in urine back into the parent compound. Scientists then use liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to measure total BPA. Total BPA comprises free BPA and BPA reconstituted from its metabolites.

The research team note that while its widespread use, the efficiency with which the snail enzyme solution converts metabolites back to BPA has never been assessed. The team compared the snail enzyme method with a method that accounts for BPA’s metabolites more directly without the conversion back into the parent compound.

They tested the two methods first in synthetic urine and then in 39 human urine samples which included 29 from women who were pregnant. The results showed that the direct measurement detected significantly higher levels of BPA, as much as 44 times higher than the last geometric mean for adults in the United States.

They also saw that the disparity between the indirect and direct methods increased with higher levels of BPA. This means that the more BPA inside the body, the more likely the indirect method will show a lower reading. This is the first data to provide evidence that the indirect method is a flawed analytical tool for measuring BPA levels.

The research team is also concerned about other chemicals including ones that manufacturers use in place of BPA. They are worried because regulators are relying on the indirect method to asses the human exposure to those chemicals as well.

The hope is this new study will bring attention to the current methodology used to measure BPA and that other experts and labs will take a closer look at and assess independently what is happening. It certainly raises serious concerns about whether regulatory agencies are careful enough about the safety of BPAs

In addition to continuing to investigate BPA, the researchers plan to apply the direct method to a variety of chemicals found in every day products such as toys, soap, cosmetics, food packaging and other personal care items. These chemicals include parabens, triclosan, phthalates, and benzophenone.

To view the original scientific study click below

BPA: have flawed analytical techniques compromised risk assessments?

In new research, a team has shown a map that will identify which parts of the spinal cord trigger knees hips, ankles, and toes and the areas that put movements together. Along with an electrical spinal implant, the dream of helping people walk again could someday be a reality, even in the next decade.

Vivian Mushahwar, the lead researcher, is the director of the SMART Network which is a collaboration of more than 100 University of Alberta learners and scientists who work at intentionally breaking disciplinary silos to think of unique ways to tackle neural diseases and injuries. Her goal has been to help people walk again and has been working towards that goal for the past 20 years.

Mushahwar’s idea is to fix paralysis by rewiring the spinal cord. However, the spinal cord also involves biology so it isn’t just a matter of reconnecting a cable. Three huge feats are needed. The brain has to translate signals, the spinal cord has to be figured out and controlled, and the two sides have to be talking again.

Mushahwar believes the spinal cord has a built in intelligence. There is a complex chain of sensory and motor networks which regulate everything in our bodies. The brain stem’s contribution is basically to signal “go” and “faster”. The spinal cord isn’t just moving muscles, it also gives people a natural gait.

A variety of researchers have tried different ways to restore movement. Through sending electrical impulses into the muscles of the leg, it is possible to enable people to walk or stand again. However, the effect is strictly mechanical and not very effective.

Mushahwar’s research has been focusing on restoring lower body function following severe injuries using a tiny spinal implant. Hair like electrical wires are plunged deep into the spinal grey matter which sends electrical signals to trigger the networks that already know how the hard work is done. They believe that intraspinal stimulation itself will get people to start walking longer and longer and perhaps even faster.

The spinal map the team has showcased, shows that the spinal maps have been remarkably consistent across the animal spectrum, however further work is needed before human trials can be started. Human trials will be a massive undertaking, so further work with animals needs to be done first.

Being able to stand and walk has a variety of health benefits. Both improve bone health, improve bladder and bowel function and reduce pressure ulcers. Standing and walking could also help treat cardiovascular disease which is the main cause of death for people with spinal cord injuries. For people with less serious spinal injuries, an implant could be therapeutic and could remove the need for months of grueling physical therapy regimes that typically have limited success.

The next steps for Mushahwar are to fine tune the hardware, miniaturizing an implantable stimulator and getting Health Canada and the FDA approvals for clinical trials. Previous research has tackled the challenge of translating brain signals and intent into commands to the intraspinal implant. However, the first generation of the intraspinal implants will require a patient to be able to control movement and walking. Future implants might include a connection to the brain.

To view the original scientific study click below

Functional organization of motor networks in the lumbosacral spinal cord of non-human primates.

Automobiles and many other sources of air pollution produce nanoparticles. The size of these particles is less than a micron which is one millionth of a meter. Unlike larger particles nanoparticles are so small that some can pass through your lungs into your bloodstream. New findings have found that they build up in diseased areas in our arteries. That may explain why air pollution increases the risk of strokes and heart disease. They also suggest that current efforts and laws to regulate air pollution might be focusing too much on the larger particles which are less dangerous.

Many studies have shown that air pollution results in millions of premature deaths globally each year. The World Health Organization estimates outdoor air pollution in both rural areas and cities caused 3 million deaths worldwide in 2012. Even in European countries where the air is relatively clean, air pollution is to blame for 400,000 premature deaths every year.

Most of these deaths are due to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Just being exposed to high air pollution for even short periods can trigger strokes and heart attacks. Long term exposure to air pollution causes vascular damage and the question is why?

It has been suspected that nanoparticles in the air we breathe enter the bloodstream and are then carried to various parts of the body including the heart, blood vessels and arteries. These nanoparticles are made up of mostly carbon compounds so finding them inside carbon based lifeforms like humans is particularly difficult.

The research team at the University of Edinburgh, UK, had volunteers breathe air contained with harmless gold nanoparticles. After 15 minutes these nanoparticles began to show up in the volunteer’s blood and they could still be found in their urine and blood three months later. While the gold nanoparticles are inert, reactive compounds found in air pollution can have a variety of harmful effects.

The team also analyzed surgically removed plaques from people who were at a high risk of stroke. They discovered that the nanoparticles tended to accumulate in fatty plaques which grow inside blood vessels and lead to strokes and heart attacks.

Air quality laws in various parts of the world set limits on particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers which is called PM2.5. This limit is on the total mass of the particles in a cubic meter of air rather than the total number.

Thousands of ultra fine particles can weight much less in total than a few relatively large ones. PM2.5 per cubic meter has fallen in most wealthy countries over the past decade which suggests air quality is improving. However, due to the increased numbers of diesel vehicles, the number of ultra fine particles has risen.

The problem is that measuring the number of ultra fine particles is extremely difficult and cannot be accomplished using roadside devices which are widely used to monitor air pollution.

Further studies by the UK team will focus on whether gold nanoparticles can enter the brain. Air pollution does seem to increase the risk of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia. A recent study discovered tiny iron particles in the people’s brains which may have come from vehicle exhaust.

What can you do about nanoparticles in the air in your home? One possiblity is to purchase a high end air purifier such as the Air IQ. It can remove particles down to 3 nanometers in size which is 100 times smaller than other air purifiers. The purifier is expensive both to purchase and maintain, however it goes far beyond other solutions. Life Code is not associated with the Air IQ company or sales of the product.

To view the original scientific study click below

Inhaled Nanoparticles Accumulate at Sites of Vascular Disease.