Despite medical advances, disease continues to plague mankind. Yet, as evidence shows, many health problems are preventable.
World
The World Health Organization predicts
that 24 million people will be diagnosed with cancer annually by 2035.
This is an increase of about 70 percent more than the number currently
diagnosed, which is thought to be over 14 million. An estimated half of
those cases will be caused by lifestyle factors, such as alcohol abuse,
inactivity, obesity, radiation exposure, and smoking.
Britain
After an evidence presentation, the
British government launched an inquiry into the possibility that the human form
of mad cow disease could be spread by procedures such as blood transfusions.
“We were extremely concerned to hear evidence that this incurable disease still
poses a significant risk to public health,” said Andrew Miller, a member of
Parliament. “We were told [the infection could be spread] through widespread
contamination of the blood and organ supply,” he added.
Norway
Depression can increase the risk of
heart failure by up to 40 percent, suggests an 11-year study of nearly
63,000 Norwegians. The European Society of Cardiology quoted one of the authors
of the study as saying that depression not only triggers stress hormones that
can lead to heart disease but also hinders a person’s ability to follow advice
that could improve his health.
United States
Scientists are investigating the
potential health hazards of so-called thirdhand cigarette smoke, which consists
of residues from smoking that are left behind on surfaces and in dust in
apartments, hotel rooms, and vehicles. Accumulating residues can become
progressively more toxic as they age.