Cell phones disrupt teen sleep
Teens who become addicted to their cell phones may be placing their health at risk by compromising their ability to sleep well, a new Swedish study suggests.
Study author Dr. Gaby Bader of Sahlgren’s Academy in Goteburg said he was “quite surprised” by the strength of the correlation.
The teens in his study who used their cell phones 15 times or more per day kept more irregular sleeping hours than the lower-use group, had more difficulty falling asleep, more difficulty waking up, and experienced more sleep disruptions.
The finding was presented last week at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies annual meeting in Baltimore.
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Cancer drug fights lupus
A drug used to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells, may also be a treatment for the chronic autoimmune disease lupus, German researchers report.
The drug, Velcade (bortezomib), which is a proteasome inhibitor, worked against the disease and prolonged survival in mice with lupus. The study was published in the June 8 online edition of Nature Medicine.
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Drinking may cut arthritis risk
People who drink alcohol regularly may cut their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis up to 50 percent, a new study finds. This finding underscores the importance of lifestyle factors in the development of rheumatoid arthritis, the study author says.
“Moderate alcohol consumption is not deleterious and may in some contexts be beneficial,” says lead researcher Henrik Kallberg of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The report was published in the June 4 online edition of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
