Dangerous golf carts
Using golf carts to get around is becoming common in some parts of the U.S., but it is also leading to more injuries, say Alabama researchers. They found that there were more than 48,255 golf cart-related injuries between 2002 and 2005. The highest injury rates were among males ages 10 to 19 and males over age 80. The researchers urged that manufacturers provide safety education materials to consumers, and that helmets and seat belts be used.
Seniors can get hip at any age
Total hip replacements are beneficial for seniors with osteoarthritis, regardless of their age, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Their study found those who had the surgery, even those in their 80s or 90s, were twice as likely as those who didn’t to gain mobility and the ability to take care of themselves.
Young athletes and heart risk
Just 1 in 10 U.S. student athletes who suffer sudden cardiac arrest survives, a new study found. But there is a trend toward improved survival, said study co-author Dr. Kimberly G. Harmon of the University of Washington. “This is probably due to improved access to external automatic defibrillators,” she said. Harmon urged heart screenings for all young athletes.
Caffeine could stave off MS
Caffeine just might prevent multiple sclerosis, a new animal study suggests. Giving mice the equivalent of 6 to 8 cups of coffee a day prevented them from getting the animal model equivalent of MS, said Dr. Linda Thompson of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
The caffeine prevented the molecule adenosine, one of the four building blocks of DNA, from binding to the adenosine receptor at the cellular level. This in turn prevented T-cells from reaching the central nervous system and setting off the events that lead to the animal version of MS.
