A study has found that outdoor pools can increase the risk of a child becoming asthmatic.

SWIMMING in outdoor chlorinated pools appears to increase the odds a child will develop asthma. In outdoor pools, harmful vapour remain on the surface and do not drift away. And because children tend to spend more time in pools, they are more likely to swallow chlorinated water or ingest vapour containing chemicals that attack the cellular barriers protecting the lung from allergens.

The new study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, casts doubt on the idea outdoor pools are safer than indoor ones where chlorine vapour remains trapped inside an enclosed space.

Asthma, which affects more than 300 million people worldwide, is the most common paediatric chronic illness. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness.


BPA link to heart disease, diabetes

A common chemical used in everyday products such as plastic drink containers and baby bottles is linked to health problems, specifically heart disease and diabetes.

Previously, environmental and consumer activists who have questioned the safety of bisphenol A, or BPA, have relied on studies showing harm from exposure in laboratory animals.

The study, by researchers from University of Exeter in Britain, is the first ever study (of this kind) that has been in the general population. The researchers analysed urine and blood samples from 1,455 US adults aged between 18 and 74 who were representative of the general population.

Using government health data, they found that the 25 per cent of people with the highest levels of bisphenol A in their bodies were more than twice as likely to have heart disease and, or diabetes compared to the 25 per cent of those with the lowest levels.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed that the chemical is present in more than 90 per cent of people, suggesting there is not much that can be done to avoid the chemical of which over 2.2 million tonnes is produced each year.

However, they added it was too early to identify a mechanism through which the chemical may be doing harm. Animal studies have suggested the chemical may disrupt hormones, especially oestrogen.

BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastic, a clear shatter-resistant material in products ranging from baby and water bottles to plastic eating utensils to sports safety equipment and medical devices.

It is also used to make durable epoxy resins, for the coating in most food and beverage cans and in dental fillings. People can consume BPA when it leaches out of plastic into liquid such as baby formula, water or food inside a container.



Merits of Mediterranean diet

People who eat a strict Mediterranean diet are at less risk of developing heart, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. A so-called Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil, grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables and fish, and includes a moderate amount of red wine but is low in meat, dairy products and other alcohol.

Researchers at University of Florence, Italy collected data on 1.5 million people who participated in 12 international studies of dietary habits and health. People in these studies were followed from three to 18 years.

People who adhered strictly to a Mediterranean diet had significant improvements in health. These people saw an overall drop in mortality of nine per cent, a nine per cent drop in death from cardiovascular disease, and a 13 per cent reduction in cases of Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s and a six per cent drop in cancer.

The findings, published on the online edition of the British Medical Journal, confirm the current guidelines and recommendations from all major scientific institutions that encourage a Mediterranean-like diet for the prevention of major chronic diseases, the researchers concluded.



Nature’s antibiotic

Honey could soon be substituted for antibiotics in fighting stubborn ear, nose and throat infections. Researchers from Ottawa University found in tests that ordinary honey kills bacteria that cause sinus infections, and does it better in most cases than antibiotics.

The results of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, in Chicago.

The preliminary tests were conducted in laboratory dishes, not in live patients, but included the “superbug” methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, which is highly resistant to antibiotics. In upcoming human trials, a “honey rinse” would be used to “flush out the goo” from sinus cavities. The researchers have so far tested manuka honey from New Zealand, and sidr honey from Yemen.

The two killed all floating bacteria in liquid, and 63 to 91 per cent of biofilms — micro-organisms that sometimes form a protective layer in sinus cavities, urinary tracts, catheters and heart valves, protecting bacteria from normal drug treatments and often leading to chronic infections.

The most effective antibiotic, rifampin, killed just 18 per cent of the biofilm samples in the tests. — Agencies