Can using an electronic personal health record (PHR) keep you healthier? That’s the question a new study will examine. The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is funding the project. Medical centers in four states will train patients to use a PHR for all their medical information. They will be compared with another group of patients who get standard care. A PHR allows patients to keep their records in one place. They can print the records or provide online access to doctors. The Associated Press wrote about the study on February 4.
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Babies may be exposed to chemicals through baby products, a study suggests. The chemicals are called phthalates. They are found in many items, including fragrances and plastics. Animal studies suggest they may cause birth defects in reproductive organs. Health effects in humans are uncertain. The new study measured the chemical in urine from diapers of 163 babies. The highest levels were in babies whose mothers had used baby shampoos, lotions or powders on them in the last 24 hours. The Associated Press wrote about the study February 4. It is in the journal Pediatrics.
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The Super Bowl could be a health hazard if you get too worked up over the game, a new study suggests. The study came from Germany. It found that heart attacks and other heart emergencies doubled when the German soccer team played in World Cup matches. But the hazard could apply to the Super Bowl as well. So said one of the researchers in an interview with the Associated Press. The authors blamed emotional stress for the heart problems. Excess eating, drinking, smoking and lack of sleep also could have been factors, they said. The study was published January 31 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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