Idleness Even Deadlier Than Smoking
A life of inactivity is
more deadly than smoking, according to a review of the exercise habits of
24,000 Hong Kong residents who died during 1998. The study revealed that physical
inactivity increased the risk of dying prematurely by
59 percent for men and 33 percent for women, reports the South China Morning Post. “It is fine if you do not smoke. But if you do not exercise, then you are [still] at high risk,” stated Lam Tai-hing, head of the University of Hong Kong’s department of community medicine. Even limited exercise is better than none, according to Professor Lam. He recommends replacing half an hour of sitting time with walking or housecleaning.
59 percent for men and 33 percent for women, reports the South China Morning Post. “It is fine if you do not smoke. But if you do not exercise, then you are [still] at high risk,” stated Lam Tai-hing, head of the University of Hong Kong’s department of community medicine. Even limited exercise is better than none, according to Professor Lam. He recommends replacing half an hour of sitting time with walking or housecleaning.
Syphilis on the Rise
In Italy reported cases
of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis “have more than doubled in the
last two years,” states the Italian weekly Panorama. According to Giampiero Carosi, director of
studies of infectious and tropical diseases at the University of Brescia, these
cases mostly involve youths who have never gone through AIDS prevention
programs and who show up at medical centers after their first sexual
experience. Panorama points
out that for 40 percent of those infected with syphilis, the disease
progresses to the third stage, where “internal organ damage spreads to the
brain, heart, bones, joints, eyes, and liver.”
