IN BRIEF (Page 19)

Fat rats show the way

Rats with a genetic predisposition to burn fat more slowly tend to put on weight more readily than rodents bred to resist becoming obese, a new study shows. The findings could help explain why some people get fat more readily than others, Dr. Mark I. Friedman of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, one of the study's authors, said.

New risk for smoking mothers

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of placental abruption, a potentially life-threatening condition for both the mother and fetus, according to a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

With placental abruption, the placenta detaches from the uterus wall prior to birth, resulting in severe bleeding. Depending on the degree of detachment, up to 40 percent of affected infants die.

Reading is good, medically

People who read at a 12th grade level or higher experience less impairment in their thinking ability following lead exposure than people who read at a lower level, new research suggests. According to the report, a person's reading level is a measure of their "cognitive reserve", an indicator of how well the brain is able to function while sustaining various forms of damage.

UV sunscreens are 'safe'

Most substances contained in sunscreen lotions that block ultra violet light are not a health risk, according to Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin.

One UV-blocker, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor (4-MBC), has been linked with health problems.

There are indications that 4-MBC can affect thyroid hormones and the substance is being reviewed by the European Union.

Sunscreen lotions should be used before exposure to the sun. But you don't need to wait 20 or 30 minutes before going out as most sunscreen makers recommend. UV-blockers take effect immediately, according to the Institute for Risk Assessment.

The institute also advises applying sunscreen lotion liberally as the most effective way of achieving the desired level of protection.

Butter or margarine?

Using margarine or butter is more than a question of taste. It's also a question of healthy eating.

People with high lipid blood levels should stick to margarine, according to the German Nutrition Association (DGE) in Bonn. While many people might prefer the taste of butter, it's also full of saturated fats. Margarine is made of plant-based oils, meaning it's composed of many more unsaturated fats than butter.

But the kind of fat isn't the only factor in good nutrition, says the DGE. A lot depends on the amounts consumed - more than 15 to 30 grams a day is not recommended. To stay healthy, only lightly spread your bread with margarine or butter.

Low vitamin D brings pressure up

As blood levels of vitamin D drop, blood pressure increases, according to findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

The current analysis from NHANES III, which was conducted between 1988 and 1994, involved 12,644 adults in the United States aged 20 years and older who had blood pressures recorded and vitamin D levels measured.

As reported in the American Journal of Hypertension, Dr. Robert Scragg of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and colleagues found the lowest vitamin D levels in non-Hispanic blacks, followed by Mexican Americans, and then non-Hispanic whites.

After accounting for age, gender, ethnicity, and physical activity, patients with the lowest vitamin D levels had blood pressures that were slightly higher than those with the highest levels. This relationship was strongest in subjects who were 50 years of age and older.

Agencies

(China Daily 08/08/2007 page19)