Watching the World
Heart-Disease Risk
In an eight-year study, involving more than 350,000 men between the ages of 35 and 57, cholesterol was found to increase the risk of premature death of middle-aged men by 80 percent. A report published in a special issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that four out of five middle-aged American men could suffer heart disease and die prematurely because of even moderate levels of cholesterol in the blood. Such danger was said to be present even in men who do not have high blood pressure and who do not smoke. After the data was analyzed, Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, a cardiologist affiliated with Northwestern University, explained that “the numbers speak rather clearly for themselves. The optimal level is 180, and 80 percent of this population is over 180.” Previous studies estimated that each percentage point of cholesterol reduction will result in a 2-percent drop in heart disease.
Teenage Victims
A U.S. Justice Department study has revealed that teenagers are twice as likely to be victimized by violent crimes as are adults. From 1982 through 1984, youths between the ages of 12 and 19 were victims of approximately 1.8 million violent crimes and 3.7 million thefts each year. The Bureau of Justice Statistics director, Steven Schlesinger, pointed out that roughly one third of all violent crimes and 83 percent of the thefts affecting those in their early teens took place at school. Similarly, 42 percent of the thefts and 14 percent of the violent crimes experienced by older teenagers occurred at school. The study revealed that relatives or casual acquaintances were usually responsible for the attacks.
Better Use for Rice
The leaders of the Lutheran Church parish in Kirchenlamitz, Bavaria, recently forbade the scattering of rice at weddings. According to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, they gave three reasons for the prohibition: First, a Christian church is no place to practice a fertility rite stemming from the Far East. Second, in view of widespread hunger in the world, food should not be thoughtlessly wasted on the ground. Third, the church lady, who has to sweep up all the rice, is 80 years of age.
‘Super Glued’ Retinas
Using a “medical-grade variation of commercial ‘super glues,’” scientists have been able to reattach loose or torn retinas successfully, reports The Times of London. By adding a chemical that slows the hardening process, scientists have modified the adhesive so that it does not cause the retina to stick to the injector. Speaking at a recent seminar sponsored by Research to Prevent Blindness, Dr. Brooks McCuen claimed success for 12 out of 17 blind patients treated by this new technique. Although the technique is still experimental, half the successful operations restored enough vision “for normal life.” Compared with laser spot-welding and the use of freezing probes, reattaching the retina with ‘super glue’ produces bonds to the eye that are twice as strong.
Bicycle Dangers
Facial injuries caused by bicycle accidents send more children in the United States to the hospital emergency room than any other sport, reports American Health. A study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission has confirmed that facial injuries in one year amounted to 67,075 from the use of bikes, followed by 46,527 due to falls from stairs, 30,063 from playing baseball, and 5,696 from playing football. After the age of five, knocked-out teeth as well as injuries to the cheek, eye sockets, upper jaw, and nose increase. The use of protection for the head and face is recommended for reducing the number of such injuries.
Drinking and Driving
Since 1980, automobile accidents have caused the majority of deaths in Mexico City, claims Raúl Carrillo Silva, director of accident prevention and health attention during disasters. He said that in 1973, auto accidents caused 28,313 deaths, but in 1983, more than 50,000 such accident-related deaths were registered. Only 5 percent of the tragedies were due to environmental problems, such as fog, rain, hail, lack of proper road signs, and roads under repair. Fifteen percent were due to mechanical failure. However, 80 percent were due to human error, basically caused by drunk driving, according to Mexico City’s El Universal.
Killer Fleas
Leading authorities on fleas claim that common cat fleas are potential killers. New research suggests that their ability to carry and transmit disease has been seriously underestimated, notes The Times of London. The rodent diseases of bubonic plague and murine typhus are believed to be passed on to humans by fleas from infected animals, claims Dr. Bernice Williams of the Medical Entomology Centre at Cambridge University. Also, contrary to the belief that an infested cat or dog is not significantly affected by the fleas, Williams indicates that numerous ills are caused by them. Until American scientists discovered the flea’s ability to absorb dangerous microorganisms, fleas were believed to be relatively harmless.
Heading for a Fall
Pisa’s famous bell tower has been leaning for most of its 813 years. During that time it has withstood numerous vibrations and earthquake tremors with “considerable elasticity,” reports Professor Geri Gero of the University of Pisa. Will it ever fall? According to Gero, nobody can be sure—but if it does, it will hardly come as a great surprise. The leaning tower is now 5.1 meters (16.7 ft) from perpendicular, and the average tilt rate of one millimeter (0.04 in.) a year increased to two millimeters (0.08 in.) during the past 12 months, notes Singapore’s Straits Times.
“Bloodless Apocalypse”
Figures relating to the first five months of 1986 reveal that, for the first time, the population growth in Italy is below zero. The reason? More people are dying than are being born. From January to May 1986, 10.4 persons per thousand died, while only 9.5 babies per thousand were born—a growth rate of -0.9. This means that for every 10 couples 14 babies were born—6 persons fewer than the 20 parents who generated them. Commenting on the phenomenon, Il Corriere della Sera, a Milan daily, stated: “Our small, bloodless apocalypse is already under way: we are becoming fewer and older, not because of the Bomb or the [Space] Shield, but because of our own free will. Because we don’t want children.” Some of the reasons suggested for the population decrease, according to Il Messaggero, a Rome newspaper, were difficulties of modern living and “not enough faith in ourselves and in our future.”
Shocked Tigers
An increasing number of tiger attacks on humans have prompted authorities in India to find a more effective means of protection against the dangerous man-eaters. In a 1,600 square mile (4,100 sq km) area known as the Sunderbans, officials have been testing lifelike dummies that have been charged with 230 volts of electricity, reports The Economist. When a tiger attacks a dummy dressed to appear like a local villager, it receives a convulsive shock. Mr. Pranabes Sanyal, field director of the Sunderbans tiger reserve, says that the experiment is intended to cause the tigers to associate pain with a human being and transmit their fears to one another. More than 400 people have been killed by tigers in the Sunderbans over the past ten years. Nine out of 20 dummies have been attacked thus far.