Aspirin may halt asthma
Taking 100 milligrams of aspirin every other day seems to reduce the risk of developing asthma among older women by 10 percent. The Harvard Medical School study mirrors research on men. But the authors warned that the research was still not enough to recommend taking aspirin regularly. Asthma is on the rise.
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Insulin level powerful
Admittedly, it has only worked on worms so far, but scientists at the Harvard Medical School found that when they lowered the insulin level in worms, the creatures lived a week longer than their typical two-week life span. The decreased insulin lessened activity by a gene-regulating protein called SKN-1. “It doesn’t sound like much for a worm, but those percentages would be a lot for us,” noted study co-author Dr. T. Keith Blackwell.
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Gas prices have upside
Higher prices at the fuel pumps may lead to significant reductions in deaths from crashes and air pollution, suggests a study at the University of California at Davis. A 20 percent increase in gasoline prices may be associated with nearly 2,600 fewer deaths nationally from motor vehicle crashes and air pollution, the researchers said.
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Hormone eases illnesses
Cortisol, a corticosteroid hormone produced within the adrenal gland, is often referred to as the “stress hormone” because it is involved in the response to stress. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia, debilitating diseases with no confirmed cause and limited treatment options, responded well to treatment with cortisol in a study conducted by Dr. Kent Holtorf of Torrance, Calif.
