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Americans' Exposure to Mercury From Fish Won't Harm Hearts: Study
Posted 24 Mar 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, March 23 – Though repeatedly linked to neurological deficits in children and unborn babies, Americans' level of exposure to mercury from sources such as fish is not associated with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke or other cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests. Building on prior research that produced inconsistent results, scientists from Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston evaluated data from two separate studies on more than 173,000 men and women who answered questions about their medical history, risk factors, disease incidence and lifestyle. The researchers also measured mercury concentrations in the stored toenail clippings – a reliable storehouse of long-term mercury exposure – of nearly 7,000 participants, an equal number of whom had or had not suffered a cardiovascular event during the study follow-up period. The ... Read more
Related support groups: Mercury Poisoning
Poison Experts Turn Phone Line Into a Lifeline
Posted 19 Sep 2010 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Sept. 17 – Trained as a registered nurse to work in emergency rooms and intensive care units, Hugh Rawls did just that until sidelined a decade ago by a back injury. Today, he's still working in emergency care, but from a different angle. For the past 10 years, he has helped man the phone lines at the Poison Control Center in Jacksonville, Fla. "In a lot of ways, there's some similarities in the critical thinking I used as a bedside nurse," said Rawls, 45. "Part of my job is not only to think about what's going on right now, but also to think three steps ahead to what could happen. I have to think ahead as to what could happen to this person and where we need to go treatment-wise." People call the center with a wide variety of problems, Rawls said. "This is very similar to working in an emergency room," he said. "You don't know what's going to come up next. One minute it's a ... Read more
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Mercury's Threat Greater in Ocean Fish Than Freshwater: Study
Posted 27 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, June 27 – Seawater itself is the reason why mercury in saltwater fish poses more of a health threat to humans than freshwater fish, even though concentrations of the chemical are much higher in freshwater species, according to new research. Duke University researchers found that the potentially harmful form of mercury called methylmercury attaches onto dissolved organic matter in freshwater, but latches onto the salt (chloride) in seawater. Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain disorders, and even death, the study authors explained in a university news release. "The most common ways nature turns methylmercury into a less toxic form is through sunlight," study author Heileen Hsu-Kim, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, said in the news release. "When it is attached to dissolved organic matter, like decayed plants or ... Read more
Related support groups: Mercury Poisoning
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