Lifestyle

Much of the rise in asthma may be due to the increased prevalence of obesity, Gary Culliton reports in his latest Clinical Update.

Littered cigarette butts may be an important source of metal contaminants leaching into the marine environment and potentially entering the food chain, suggests research published online in the journal Tobacco Control.

A higher intake of whole grain foods is associated with reduced risk of major chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as lower risk of death from a range of diseases, show findings published by The BMJ.

Up to 40 per cent of cancer cases and about half of cancer deaths could potentially be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, new research in JAMA Oncology has suggested.

Tighter curbs on car exhaust and industrial waste may be required after research has found ‘suggestive evidence’ for a link between air pollution and a heightened risk of stillbirth.

While excessive salt, sugar and alcohol are well known to contribute to high blood pressure, new research has added the humble spud — if consumed in high rates — to this list of foodstuffs associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension.

Almost three-quarters of Irish grandparents are overweight or obese, a longitudinal study has shown.

China is paying the price of adopting a western lifestyle with soaring childhood obesity, according to a 29-year study in nearly 28,000 children and adolescents published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

When a child’s kidneys fail or when they are born without normal kidney function, it is devastating news.

Assessing certain weight control practices and eating behaviours after bariatric surgery can significantly influence the amount of weight loss after surgery, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.