Are Diet and Exercise All There is to It?
Dr. Emily Barrett, an assistant professor in the URMC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, did an interview with URMC Scripts discussing recent findings that BPA may contribute to obesity in some US children. BPA has not been shown to cause obesity in children, but has been found in higher levels in some obese children. The common plastic ingredient has been under scrutiny as researchers continue to study possibly links to a number of other health impacts, including reproductive effects.
Air Quality is Not Just for Lungs Anymore
You might have guessed that air pollution has a significant effect on your lungs, but does it also affect other systems in your body? According to a study conducted by a team of researchers before, during and after the Beijing Olympics, air pollution can also have an impact on heart health. EHS center member Dr. David Rich participated in an opportunistic study that demonstrated cardiovascular benefits from China’s efforts to curb air pollution during the 2008 Olympics.
Researcher Continues Fight to End Childhood Lead Poisoning
Currently, children with a blood lead level of 10 micrograms per decileter or more are considered to be "lead poisoned." However, according to a CDC panel co-chaired by EHSC researcher and internationally-recognized expert Dr. Deborah Cory-Slechta, the bar is set too high. Dr. Cory-Slechta and others have shown that there is no safe level of lead for children. The panel recommends that the CDC lower its level to 5 micrograms per decileter, which would significantly increase the number of children protected.
Researchers Exploring Childhood Roots for Many ‘Diseases of Aging’
What if our chance of developing heart disease, diabetes, or other adult diseases is determined during childhood or even before we’re even born? There is increasing evidence that environmental and other factors in the womb and early childhood may affect health later in life. Center researcher Dr. Michael O’Reilly has brought together a team of pediatric researchers to launch the Perinatal and Pediatric Origins of Disease (PPOD) Program. The researchers seek to better understand how or whether early life exposures influence the development of diseases commonly associated with adulthood.
How Do Early Life Exposures to Environmental Chemicals Affect our Long-term Health?
Center Researcher B. Paige Lawrence, PhD, researches immune system effects from early life environmental exposures. While it is known that some environmental exposures in early life do influence long-term health, it is not known how. The National Institutes of Health has awarded Dr. Lawrence a five-year grant to study the mechanisms by which early life environmental exposures influence our immune system.
Keeping Lead-Safe While Giving Your Home a Fresh New Look
If you're thinking of repainting or renovating your home (indoor or out) this summer, hold that brush! If you live in a home built before 1978 (chances are you do), there may be an invisible hazard for you and your family: lead paint. Renovating homes with lead based paint can expose renovators and families to lead dust. This can lead to permanent neurological damage, particularly for young children. In this video, Dr. Katrina Korfmacher, Deputy Director of the EHSC Community Outreach and Engagement Core discusses the hazards of lead poisoning and how to safely renovate your home this summer.
What's Lurking on Our Lawns?
As summer rolls around, many people are pulling out the chemical arsenal to attack formidable foes: pests and weeds. But what is it we're really putting down? We read labels, follow the directions, and presume we're safe because these products are sold in stores. Turns out we know very little about the chemicals that go into our pesticides. And what we do know relates to individual chemicals, when in fact we're exposed to many at once. In this video, EHSC researcher Dr. Bernard Weiss talks about some of these unknowns and potential dangers of pesticides.
A Fishy Paradox: To Eat or Not To Eat?
Fish are packed with healthy nutrients and lean protein that are essential for human development. However, fish can also be contaminated with chemicals that can harm us. Health guidelines suggest limiting how much fish we eat, while nutrition guidelines tell us to eat a lot of fish. So what is a person to do? In this short video, EHSC researcher Dr. Gary Myers discusses his team's research in the Seychelles Islands on exposure to methylmercury through fish consumption, and sheds some light on the consumption guidelines.
Pinpointing Air Pollution’s Effects on the Heart
Center researchers have discovered that breathing in air with an elevated concentration of ultrafine particles can increase the risk of heart attack in diabetics with fatty buildup in the arteries that supply the heart.
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