by Patrick GALEY Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – One in five deaths globally are linked to poor diet, experts said Thursday, warning that over consumption of sugar, salt and meat was killing millions of people every year. The United Nations estimates that nearly a billion people worldwide are malnourished, while nearly two billion are “over-nourished”. But the latest study on global diet trends, published in The Lancet, showed that in nearly every one of the […]
Health
Air pollution to shorten life expectancy of children born today, says study
HONGKONG, China (AFP) — Air pollution will shorten the life expectancy of children born today by an average of 20 months and will have the greatest impact in south Asia, according to a study published Wednesday. The State of Global Air report, published by the US-based Health Effects Institute and the University of British Columbia, says air pollution is the fifth leading cause of early death worldwide — responsible for more deaths than malaria, […]
Prostate cancer death rates stabilizing: study
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Death rates from prostate cancer — the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men — have stabilized or declined in dozens of countries since the turn of the century, the American Cancer Society reported Tuesday. In 33 of 44 countries surveyed, the incidence of prostate cancer had stabilized in the last five years for which data was available — and in seven countries, it was down, the report found. Only four […]
Cholera kills two, infects 1,400 in cyclone-hit Mozambique
MAPUTO, Mozambique (AFP) — A cyclone-induced cholera outbreak in central Mozambique has killed two people and infected more than 1,400, the government announced Tuesday on the eve of the launch of a mass vaccination drive. Health authorities said 376 new cholera cases had been reported Tuesday, taking the total number of people infected to 1,428 since the first cases were reported last week. The bulk of the cases have been registered in the central city […]
US performs first kidney transplant from living donor with HIV
by Ivan Couronne WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The kidney of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the virus that causes AIDS, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough. The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore performed the operation on Monday, calling it the first in the world of its kind. “I’m feeling good,” said the donor, Nina Martinez, at a news conference on Thursday following the […]
US county declares state of emergency amid measles outbreak
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A New York county hit by a measles outbreak declared a state of emergency Tuesday and banned non-vaccinated minors from public places in a bid to prevent the once-eliminated disease from spreading. The measure, which defines a public place as anywhere “more than 10 persons are intended to congregate” — including public transport — was announced by officials in Rockland County, 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York […]
Bayer shares plunge on new US cancer ruling
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — Shares in German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer plunged as markets opened Wednesday, after a second US jury ruled that blockbuster pesticide Roundup — made by recently-acquired Monsanto — causes cancer. The Leverkusen-based group’s stock toppled 11.6 percent to 61.60 euros ($69.88) at around 09:40 am in Frankfurt (0840 GMT), making it the worst performer on the DAX index of blue-chip German shares. On Tuesday a California jury […]
Short walk once-a-week can lower risk of death: study
PARIS, France (AFP) — A brisk stroll once or twice a week is enough to reduce the risk of dying from heart attack, stroke or cancer, according to a statistical study of nearly 90,000 people released Tuesday. People who walked or gardened 10 minutes to an hour each week had an 18-percent lower risk of death from any cause compared to full-on couch potatoes, researchers reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Two-and-a-half to […]
New data in eternal debate over eggs, heart health
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The debate over whether eggs are good for you is age-old: while a good source of protein, they also contain potentially harmful cholesterol. Now, a new study — published Friday by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) — has weighed in. After analyzing 30,000 Americans from six separate studies, researchers concluded that eating an extra half-egg a day increased the risk of cardiovascular disease (six percent) and premature […]
WHO urges enforcement of tobacco ad bans at sporting events
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization called Thursday for better enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising at sporting events, after tobacco companies discretely reentered sponsorship deals with Formula 1 teams. “WHO is urging governments to enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship at sporting events, including when hosting or receiving broadcasts of Formula 1 and MotoGP events,” the UN health agency said in a statement. It also called on “all sporting bodies, […]
Madagascar battles killer measles outbreak
by Tsiresena MANJAKAHERY ANTSIRANANA, Madagascar (AFP) — Frangeline is aged two but weighs no more than a four-month-old — the terrible result of her battle with measles, which is cutting a deadly swathe through Madagascar. Widespread malnutrition and low rates of immunisation on the Indian Ocean island have ramped up the killing power of the highly infectious virus. In the last six months, nearly 1,000 children have been killed by a resurgent disease that vaccination […]
Japanese woman confirmed as world’s oldest living person aged 116
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A 116-year-old Japanese woman who still enjoys studying math and playing board games has been recognised as the world’s oldest person, the Guinness World Records said Saturday. Kane Tanaka was born on 2 January 1903, the year when the Wright brothers launched humanity’s first powered flight, according to Guinness. Tanaka’s recognition was celebrated at the nursing home where she lives in western Japan’s Fukuoka by city mayor Soichiro Takashima and […]
