Curiously Awesome

If you live in an area with high traffic noise you may find you have higher blood pressure and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. Exposure to traffic noise that is above 60 decibels is associated with high blood pressure among young and middle-aged people.

Previous studies have found a connection between living near airports and high blood pressure. Constant noise may place the body in a state of chronic stress. This state of stress leads to a higher heart rate and blood pressure.

A full 28 percent of middle-aged people living in areas with noise averaging above 64 decibels reported high blood pressure. Approximately 17 percent of middle-aged adults in quieter neighborhoods suffered from hypertension.

Sixty-five decibels is slightly louder than a normal conversation.

A recent study conducted on a group of 3,000 women indicates that those who drank two or more artificially-sweetened beverages each day doubled their risk of decline in kidney function.

The study evaluated the effects of all sweetened drinks on progressive kidney decline. The conclusion is that two or more diet drinks per day leads to a twice as fast increase in rapid kidney decline.

High sodium also was indicated as promoting progressive kidney decline. Diet soda contains very high amounts of sodium.

Aspartame was first approved in the 1970s with studies claiming it was safe. The FDA initially approved the chemical for use in some foods based upon studies submitted by G.D. Searle Co. (the creator of aspartame). Shortly thereafter, a discovery made by a research psychiatrist who found that a primary ingredient in aspartame caused holes to form in the brains of mice. The FDA then created its own internal task force to investigate the original claims about aspartame’s safety.

The FDA discovered a series of falsified claims, doctored study results, and pertinent information missing.

Over the past 25 years, studies continue to be released that support aspartame’s safety even though they do not address the results of other studies that have concluded aspartame is dangerous.

The most prudent course of action is to avoid artificial sweeteners completely. There are many safe alternatives (stevia, for example) which will provide sweetening without harmful side effects.

New findings reveal that the chances of surviving cardiac arrest are improved by instigating chest compressions only instead of the standard CPR (including mouth-to-mouth breathing).

Five percent of victims survive without any form of CPR being administered to them. Those who receive CPR have a 6-percent chance of survival. Chest pumping alone has an 11-percent survival rate.

Trends have also changed among those trained in administering CPR. The number of cases where CPR-trained people treated an individual using chest compressions only has risen to 77 percent.

Only 20 percent of people would be willing to perform conventional CPR if needed.

The American Heart Association recommends that people use compression-only CPR when they witness a collapse in public. Compression-only CPR was designed to stem the tide of growing unwillingness among the population to perform CPR.

The least nutritious cereals are advertised to children the most frequently…right? In fact, the worst cereals are marketed the most aggressively to children.

The average American child sees 642 entertaining cereal advertisements per year…and advertising is created to fit the audience. The cereals with the most sugar are aimed at young children, and more nutritious cereals are aimed at adults.

Interestingly, cereal manufactures claim they are making their cereals more nutritious and at the same time are reducing their advertising to children. The fact remains that cereals marketed to children have 85 percent more sugar, 60 percent more sodium and 65 percent less fiber than adult cereals.

Not only is obesity a concern, but there are other health issues associated with diets high in sugar and starches. These diets cause blood sugar spikes that are common to diabetes. These diets also create more oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is connected with a rising number of health issues.