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Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
SHOCKING! Experts observe THIS link between working women and heart attacks
A recent UCLA study reveals that self-employed women exhibit fewer cardiovascular disease risk factors compared to salaried women. Analyzing data from the NHANES, researchers found self-employed women, particularly women of color, experienced significant declines in obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet, and sleep duration. These findings underscore the impact of work environment on women's heart health. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death globally, with cardiovascular diseases accounting for 17.9 million deaths worldwide in 2023. Of these, a staggering 85% were attributed to heart attacks and strokes. A recent study has now shown that the risk of heart attack varies in women based on their employment status. A recent study, conducted by researchers at UCLA, found that self-employed women have fewer risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to their salaried counterparts. Women and heart health The researchers analyzed data from 19,400 working adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Unlike many previous studies that relied primarily on self-reported health data, this research incorporated biological and physical measurements, such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and glucose tolerance, which provide more reliable indicators of cardiovascular health. They also looked at the association between self-employment and CVD risk factors that included elevated cholesterol, hypertension, glucose intolerance, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, binge drinking, sub-optimal sleep duration, and poor mental health. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Though the findings showed some positive associations between health outcomes and self-employment among white men, the researchers found women had the most favourable CVD risk profile associated with being self-employed, possibly because they are more likely than men to experience stress and time demands related to balancing responsibilities across work and home. The researchers also found that self-employed women had cardiovascular risk profile than salaried women. This was especially pronounced among women of color. However, self-employed. Compared to their non-self-employed peers, self-employed white women experienced: A 7.4 percentage point decline in obesity A 7.0 percentage point decline in physical inactivity A 9.4 percentage point decline in poor sleep duration Also, self-employed women of color showed improvements in other important areas: A 6.7 percentage point decline in poor diet A 7.3 percentage point decline in physical inactivity An 8.1 percentage point decline in poor sleep duration What are the experts saying Dr. Kimberly Narain, the lead author, said, 'There is a relationship between self-employment and heart disease risk factors and this relationship seems to be stronger in women relative to men. It is imperative to increase our understanding of how the work environment gets under our skin so we can come up with ways to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy work environment.' Previous studies have shown an association between the structure of employment and cardiovascular disease risk. For instance, high-strain jobs with higher psychological demands and less autonomy have been linked with hypertension and CVD. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rotten result? Kids' cavities would increase by millions if every state banned fluoride
The long-term effects of banning fluoride from public drinking water across the country could cost families billions of dollars and result in millions of rotten teeth, a new analysis predicts. The study, published Friday in JAMA Health Forum, shows that if all 50 states stopped community water fluoridation programs, kids in the U.S. could expect to develop 25.4 million more cavities within the next five years. That's the equivalent of a decayed tooth in 1 out of every 3 children. The number of cavities would more than double in 10 years, to 53.8 million. 'That is a tremendous increase,' said Dr. Tom Reid, president of the Wisconsin Dental Association. 'It's another bit of proof that what we've been saying for over 80 years is 100% accurate: Proper dosing of community water fluoridation prevents cavities.' Reid was not involved with the new research. Fluoride is under increasingly intense fire despite its dramatic ability to prevent tooth decay. Two states, Utah and Florida, have already banned the addition of fluoride to public water systems. Others, including Kentucky, Massachusetts and Nebraska, could follow — all buoyed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new role as head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Under Kennedy's leadership, HHS gutted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's oral health division, which provides funds to states and local jurisdictions to promote good dental health practices, including the use of fluoride. 'We thought this was a really important time to be able to put some numbers to the discussions' about fluoride, said Dr. Lisa Simon, an author of the study and internal medicine physician at Mass General Brigham in Boston. She and a colleague analyzed data on 8,484 children, from birth through age 19, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. NHANES is conducted every year by the CDC and includes interviews about what people eat and extensive details about their blood work, doctor's exams — and dental visits. The team created a model to predict what could happen under two scenarios: if every public water system had optimal fluoride levels, and if there is a total national ban on fluoride in water systems. Filling those cavities to fix that level of decay would cost money: $9.8 billion within five years, and $19.4 billion within a decade. 'It's actually a pretty conservative estimate,' Simon said, because it doesn't take into account related issues, like whether a child has to go under general anesthesia, the lifetime costs of replacing fillings and implants, or if parents have to miss work to take children to the emergency room because of extreme toothaches. Tooth decay goes beyond a simple cavity that needs to be filled. In severe cases, teeth crack, making it difficult for people to chew food properly. It can also lead to gum disease and widespread infection. Simon said that low-income families who struggle to afford dental care and kids on Medicaid would be disproportionately affected. 'It harms everyone to eliminate fluoride, but harms those children and families the most,' she said. The potential fallout from fluoride bans isn't just mathematical magic. The Canadian city of Calgary, for example, experienced a significant rise in kids' cavities after its leaders removed fluoride from public water systems in 2011. Within a decade, they voted to reinstate community water fluoridation. 'I hate to see us not learn from history,' Reid said. 'It doesn't take immense intellectual ability to realize that, boy, there are communities that have done this and regretted their decisions.' The U.S. has been adding fluoride to drinking water for decades. The CDC, as well as doctors and dentists, heralds the mineral as one the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. But fluoride has been demonized, particularly among conservative groups who maintain that it's a toxin that, at best, is causing tooth discoloration and, at worst, driving down kids' intelligence. Kennedy frequently cites a study published in 2019 that suggested IQ levels were slightly lower in kids whose mothers had higher measures of fluoride in their urine during pregnancy. The JAMA study is also included in the 'Make America Healthy Again' report recently released by the health secretary. The research, however, was far from conclusive. Similar studies were done in other countries with much higher levels of water fluoridation than the U.S. No studies in the U.S. have flagged any measurable decreases in children's cognitive development since fluoride was introduced. The new analysis didn't include possible cognitive effects — good or bad — of a total ban on fluoride because current levels of fluoride in public water systems, the authors wrote, 'are not definitively associated with worse neurobehavioral outcomes.' They did look at the issue of tooth discoloration. Excessive amounts of fluoride can cause white or sometimes brown marks on teeth called fluorosis. It's a cosmetic problem, not a physical one. The modeling study found that banning community water fluoridation wouldn't make a big splash in reducing fluorosis: just 200,000 fewer cases over five years. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Removing fluoride from public drinking water may lead to millions more cavities in US children, study estimates
The longstanding public health practice of adding fluoride to public drinking water systems in the United States is facing new challenges and bans in some places, and experts have warned that the change would come with significant costs – both to the health of children and the health care system. A new modeling study, published Friday in JAMA Health Forum, estimates that removing fluoride from public water in the US would lead to 25.4 million excess decayed teeth in children and adolescents within five years, along with $9.8 billion in health care costs. After 10 years, these impacts would more than double to nearly 54 million excess decayed teeth and $19.4 billion in costs. That translates to one additional decayed tooth for every three children in the US – but the costs wouldn't be spread evenly, said Dr. Lisa Simon, an internal medicine physician with Brigham and Women's Hospital and co-author of the new study. 'We know that the people who have the most benefit from fluoride are people who otherwise struggle to access dental care,' says Simon, who has been researching dental policy for a decade. 'When we think about those 25 million decayed teeth, they're much more likely to appear in the mouths of children who are publicly insured by Medicaid or come from otherwise low-income families.' Fluoride is a mineral that can be found naturally in some foods and groundwater. It can help prevent tooth decay by strengthening the protective outer layer of enamel that can be worn away by acids formed by bacteria, plaque and sugars in the mouth. Adding fluoride to public water systems started in the US in 1945 and has been hailed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the 10 greatest health interventions in America in the 20th century In 2022, close to two-thirds of the US population was served by community water systems that had fluoride added to them, according to CDC data. But US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in April that he would tell the CDC to stop recommending that fluoride be added to public drinking water, and lawmakers in two states – Utah and Florida – have banned the practice this year. To estimate the effects of removing fluoride from community water, Simon and co-author Dr. Sung Eun Choi from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine assessed clinical oral health data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to create a nationally representative sample of US children. At baseline, the data showed that about 1 in 5 children between the ages of 2 and 5 were estimated to have dental caries, a chronic infectious disease involving tooth decay and cavities, along with more than half of children ages 6 to 12 and more than 57% of teenagers. But removing fluoride would raise those prevalence rates by more than 7 percentage points, the researchers found. 'This is a huge cost for our country and it's all avoidable. There is no better replacement for the time-tested, doctor trusted use of fluoride in community water programs,' Dr. Brett Kessler, president of the American Dental Association, said in a statement. 'No amount of political rhetoric or misinformation will change that good oral health depends on proper nutrition, oral hygiene and optimally fluoridated water, or fluoride supplements if community water programs lack fluoride.' On the campaign trail last fall, Kennedy called fluoride 'industrial waste' and claimed that exposure has resulted in a wide variety of health problems, including cancer – claims that both the American Cancer Society and the CDC have disagreed with. And in April, HHS and the US Environmental Protection Agency announced that they would study the potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water – a review centered around a government study from last year concluding that higher levels of fluoride are linked to lowered IQ in children. In the new modeling study, researchers found that only about 1.5% of US children in 2016 had exposure to this excess level of fluoride – considered to be above 1.5 milligrams per liter – that posed risk for fluorosis, a condition that leaves streaks or spots on teeth, or other harms. Meanwhile, about 40% of US children had access to optimal fluoride levels that effectively prevent tooth decay – between 0.6 and 1.5 milligrams per liter – while about 46% had access to even lower levels. The authors of the new study did not assess the neurocognitive effects of fluoride because 'current federal guidance does not find an association' at the levels used in public drinking water. They found that removing fluoride would only help prevent about 200,000 cases of fluorosis over five years. Tooth decay can mean a lot of things, Simon said, but their model was picking up cases that would likely need at least a filling along with severe cavities that could turn into a root canal or a tooth extraction – the costs of which would be borne by families, insurers and the government. 'Talking about money, which is really important, is only one way to measure that cost,' Simon said. 'It's also a cost in terms of children being in pain, children not being able to eat, children missing school or not being able to pay attention in school because their teeth hurt, parents missing work, children losing teeth that are supposed to stay with them for their entire lives, and those children growing into older adults who are more likely to be missing teeth with all of the health consequences that entails.' Forecasts in the new modeling study mirror real-life impacts that were measured in other parts of the world after fluoride was removed from drinking water. Calgary, Alberta, stopped putting fluoride in its water in 2011, and a study found that children there had more cavities than those in cities that kept fluoride. Calgary will resume fluoridation this year. Simon worries the effects in the US might be even greater because of health inequities that are especially pronounced in the dental care system. 'We've had fluoridated water for so long and it's worked so well that we've stopped appreciating the amazing things it's done,' she said. 'When something has been a success story for 80 years … you don't know which kid never got a cavity because they were exposed to fluoride, and we don't know which older adults aren't wearing dentures because of that.'
NBC News
a day ago
- Health
- NBC News
Kids' cavities would increase by millions if every state banned fluoride, study finds
The long-term effects of banning fluoride from public drinking water across the country could cost families billions of dollars and result in millions of rotten teeth, a new analysis predicts. The study, published Friday in JAMA Health Forum, shows that if all 50 states stopped community water fluoridation programs, kids in the U.S. could expect to develop 25.4 million more cavities within the next five years. That's the equivalent of a decayed tooth in 1 out of every 3 children. The number of cavities would more than double in 10 years, to 53.8 million. 'That is a tremendous increase,' said Dr. Tom Reid, president of the Wisconsin Dental Association. 'It's another bit of proof that what we've been saying for over 80 years is 100% accurate: Proper dosing of community water fluoridation prevents cavities.' Reid was not involved with the new research. Fluoride is under increasingly intense fire despite its dramatic ability to prevent tooth decay. Two states, Utah and Florida, have already banned the addition of fluoride to public water systems. Others, including Kentucky, Massachusetts and Nebraska, could follow — all buoyed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new role as head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Under Kennedy's leadership, HHS gutted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's oral health division, which provides funds to states and local jurisdictions to promote good dental health practices, including the use of fluoride. 'We thought this was a really important time to be able to put some numbers to the discussions' about fluoride, said Dr. Lisa Simon, an author of the study and internal medicine physician at Mass General Brigham in Boston. She and a colleague analyzed data on 8,484 children, from birth through age 19, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. NHANES is conducted every year by the CDC and includes interviews about what people eat and extensive details about their blood work, doctor's exams — and dental visits. The team created a model to predict what could happen under two scenarios: if every public water system had optimal fluoride levels, and if there is a total national ban on fluoride in water systems. Filling those cavities to fix that level of decay would cost money: $9.8 billion within five years, and $19.4 billion within a decade. 'It's actually a pretty conservative estimate,' Simon said, because it doesn't take into account related issues, like whether a child has to go under general anesthesia, the lifetime costs of replacing fillings and implants, or if parents have to miss work to take children to the emergency room because of extreme toothaches. Tooth decay goes beyond a simple cavity that needs to be filled. In severe cases, teeth crack, making it difficult for people to chew food properly. It can also lead to gum disease and widespread infection. Simon said that low-income families who struggle to afford dental care and kids on Medicaid would be disproportionately affected. 'It harms everyone to eliminate fluoride, but harms those children and families the most,' she said. Real-world impacts The potential fallout from fluoride bans isn't just mathematical magic. The Canadian city of Calgary, for example, experienced a significant rise in kids' cavities after its leaders removed fluoride from public water systems in 2011. Within a decade, they voted to reinstate community water fluoridation. 'I hate to see us not learn from history,' Reid said. 'It doesn't take immense intellectual ability to realize that, boy, there are communities that have done this and regretted their decisions.' The U.S. has been adding fluoride to drinking water for decades. The CDC, as well as doctors and dentists, heralds the mineral as one the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. But fluoride has been demonized, particularly among conservative groups who maintain that it's a toxin that, at best, is causing tooth discoloration and, at worst, driving down kids' intelligence. Kennedy frequently cites a study published in 2019 that suggested IQ levels were slightly lower in kids whose mothers had higher measures of fluoride in their urine during pregnancy. The JAMA study is also included in the ' Make America Healthy Again ' report recently released by the health secretary. The research, however, was far from conclusive. Similar studies were done in other countries with much higher levels of water fluoridation than the U.S. No studies in the U.S. have flagged any measurable decreases in children's cognitive development since fluoride was introduced. The new analysis didn't include possible cognitive effects — good or bad — of a total ban on fluoride because current levels of fluoride in public water systems, the authors wrote, 'are not definitively associated with worse neurobehavioral outcomes.' They did look at the issue of tooth discoloration. Excessive amounts of fluoride can cause white or sometimes brown marks on teeth called fluorosis. It's a cosmetic problem, not a physical one. The modeling study found that banning community water fluoridation wouldn't make a big splash in reducing fluorosis: just 200,000 fewer cases over five years.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
This Type Of Work May Lower Heart Attack Risk For Women, Says New Study
A new study suggests that being self-employed can have an impact on your heart health. Specifically, it can help improve cardiovascular risk factors like obesity, sleep, and activity. Experts have a few theories why this might be, including lower stress and greater freedom to follow a healthy lifestyle. We all know there are a lot of factors that can influence your heart health, from what you eat to your family history, but new research suggests that your work environment might actually have a big influence how likely women are to develop cardiovascular disease. The findings, which are published in the journal BMC Public Health, suggest that being self-employed can have a noticeable influence on factors that lead to your risk of heart attack, stroke, and more. Right now, the study only establishes an association—so don't quit your day job and strike out on your own based purely on these findings. But they do raise a lot of questions about how your workplace can impact your heart and overall health. Here's what the research suggests, plus what doctors want you to keep in mind about the fascinating findings. Meet the experts: Jennifer Wong, MD, cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA; Kimberly Narain, MD, MPH, PhD, lead study author assistant professor-in-residence of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Yanting Wang, MD, an associate professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and director or the Women's Heart Program and Cardio-Obstetrics Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. For the study, researchers analyzed data from 19,400 working adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The researchers crunched the data to look at the link between being self-employed and having cardiovascular risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, binge drinking, sub-optimal sleep duration, and poor mental health. Researchers discovered lower rates of certain cardiovascular risk factors between people who were self-employed and those who were salaried. White women who were self-employed had a 7.4 percent lower risk of obesity, 7 percent lower risk of being physically inactive, and 9.4 percent drop in having poor sleep. The change in risk was slightly different for self-employed women of color. These women had a 6.7 percent lower risk of having a poor diet, 7.3 percent lower risk of being physically inactive, and 8.1 percent lower risk of getting poor sleep. Self-employed white men also saw a drop in certain factors, although it wasn't as noticeable. (Minority men didn't see the same benefits.) The study didn't explore this exact question beyond just finding a link, but there are a few theories, according to Kimberly Narain, MD, MPH, PhD, lead study author assistant professor-in-residence of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. One is that women who are self-employed may be able to dictate their work schedule more and have less stress as a result, she says. Self-employed women with more free time may possibly have 'less perceived stress compared to women with less autonomy,' says Jennifer Wong, MD, cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. (Chronic stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease on its own, but it can also raise the risk of developing other factors that contribute to the condition, like obesity or trouble sleeping.) Women also tend to be caregivers and as such, have more responsibilities at home, Dr. Narain points out. 'When you're trying to combine that high level of demand and employment that doesn't have autonomy and flexibility, it can be stressful,' she says. 'It can potentially manifest in higher levels of blood pressure and less sleep.' Unfortunately, both of those raise your risk for cardiovascular disease. Women who are self-employed may have greater freedom to take on healthy lifestyle habits, like being more physically active and making medical appointments to stay on top of their health, says Yanting Wang, MD, an associate professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and director or the Women's Heart Program and Cardio-Obstetrics Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Finally, Dr. Narain says that self-employed women may not have to deal with micro-aggressions that can happen in the workplace—and that can also lower stress. Dr. Narain says the findings suggest that your work environment can have an impact on your cardiovascular health. 'We really need to be thinking about the meaning people get from their work and what that may mean for their health outcomes,' she says. But Dr. Wong says the study also stresses the importance of taking care of your health, no matter what your job is. 'In any job, women should try to take the time to optimize their cardiovascular health focusing on a heart healthy diet, exercise, and adequate sleep,' she says. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
