- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- 'Safe' Ozone Levels May Not Be for Some
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- When Healing Becomes a Commodity
- Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
- Holistic Treatment for Candida Infection
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- BONES & JOINTS
- Using a Balloon to Repair a Broken Back
- Almost Half of Adults Will Develop Knee Osteoarthritis by 85
- Alcohol Abuse Can Damage Bones
- CANCER
- Want to Stop Cancer? You Can, Experts Say
- Antioxidants Pose No Melanoma Threat
- Get to Know the Pap Test
- CAREGIVING
- Depression, PTSD Common Among Lung Transplant Patient Caregivers
- Are Hospital Mobile Phones Dialing Up Superbugs?
- What Moms Learned May Be Passed to Offspring
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Bye, Bye Back Fat?
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Grapefruit-Heavy Diet Helped Spur Dangerous Clot
- COSMETIC
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Health Tip: At Risk for Gingivitis
- Good Oral Hygiene May Protect Against Heart Infections
- A Sweet Way to Shield Baby's Teeth
- DIABETES
- Brown Rice Bests White for Diabetes Prevention
- Study Shows Turmeric May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
- Strict Blood Sugar Lowering Won't Ease Diabetes Heart Risk
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Fruit Even Healthier Than Thought: Study Shows
- Many Kids Don't Need the Vitamins They're Taking
- Diet, Exercise May Slow Kidney Disease Progression
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Prenatal Exposure to Traffic Pollution May Lead to Asthma
- Global Warming May Bring More Respiratory Woes
- Former Inmates at Increased Risk for High Blood Pressure
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Protein Might One Day Prevent Blindness
- Poor Night Vision May Predict Age-Related Eye Disease
- Just Like Skin, Eyes Can 'Burn' in Strong Sun
- FITNESS
- Basketball Star Details His Struggle With Gout
- Exercise Guards White Blood Cells Against Aging
- Exercise in Adolescence May Cut Risk of Deadly Brain Tumor
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- New Guidelines Issued for Management of IBS
- GENERAL HEALTH
- U.S. Spends Billions On Alternative Medicine
- Most Fast-Food French Fries Cooked in Unhealthiest Oil
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Too-Low Blood Pressure Can Also Bring Danger
- Fewer Heart Attacks After England Goes Smoke-Free
- Chinese Red Yeast Rice May Prevent Heart Attack
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- KID'S HEALTH
- Babies Who Eat Fish Lower Eczema Risk
- Protect Your Kids From Swine Flu While at Camp
- Combo Treatment Eases Wheezing in Babies
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- Sunlight May Help Protect Men From Kidney Cancer
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Man's Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts
- Keeping Mentally Active Seems To Keep The Brain Active
- Worries About Weight Are Tied to Teen Suicide Tries
- PREGNANCY
- Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
- Acupuncture May Ease Depression During Pregnancy
- Obesity May Affect Fertility in Young Womene
- SENIORS
- Laughter Can Stimulate a Dull Appetite
- Money May Matter, Health-Wise, in Old Age
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
Accumulated Lead May Affect Older Women's Brains
By eHolistic.com Published: 04/03/2009
FRIDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to higher levels of environmental lead earlier in the life span may be taking a toll on the brains of older American women, a new study finds.
The Harvard study shows that women aged 47 to 74 who tested positive for lead in their blood (indicating a recent exposure to the metal) or bones (an indication of cumulative exposure over the life span) did somewhat worse on cognitive tests than those who did not show signs of lead exposure.
In the study, the researchers noted that regulatory changes phased out higher lead content in products such as gasoline during the 1980s, so that lead is at a relatively low level today.
So, only those women with lead biomarkers found in their tibia bone, an indication of long-ago exposure, scored poorly enough to be considered statistically significant, according to the study.
The study, which analyzed lead levels and cognitive scores in almost 600 women from the Boston area, is in the April issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
"Findings in this study are important because of their long-range consequences on the public health of an aging generation," the journal's editor-in-chief, Hugh A. Tilson, said in a journal news release. "Impaired cognition and cognitive decline in older women are associated with heightened risks of dementia, physical disability, hospitalization and reduced quality of life in later years."
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about lead poisoning.
-- Kevin McKeever
SOURCE: U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, news release, March 27, 2009
Last Updated: April 03, 2009
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