Financial literacy can be a life saver

There is an old saying that "money can't buy you happiness" which often irritates people who know that money nevertheless is essential for what is necessary for people to be really healthy and comfortable. So even if you are not very happy for one reason or another with money at least you can confront whatever harsh realities may exist in your life with as much comfort as possible.

A new study at Hiroshima University has suggested that financially literate people are more capable of accumulating wealth and worrying less about life in old age. With financial literacy people can usually accumulate more assets and income during the course of their lifetime. This helps nurture increased confidence for their old age.

Associate Professor Yoshihiko Kadoya of Hiroshima University and Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan of Nagoya University worked on this study together. People were asked to rate the level of anxiety they felt about life after they turned 65 years old. Their responses were assessed against there accumulated wealth, assets and lifestyle.

It does not seem any other study has investigated financial literacy as a factor which contributes to anxiety in dealing with old age. In an era where population aging is a growing concern this consideration becomes important to policy makers in Japan and other developed countries such as the United States. The overall conclusion has been that the more financially literate people are the more they generally earn and accumulate more during the course of their lifetime. These people therefore do not worry as much about growing old.

With age  being able to gain access to social security, government funded health care and pensions help with the state of mind of elderly people. However of course having dependent children increases anxiety levels it seems due to concerns about the wellbeing of their children and themselves.

This study has been published in the journal Review of Economics of the Household. Researchers  have provided evidence that assets significantly lower anxiety about life in old age only for those  people who are more literate financially. Social security seems more critical for people who are less financially literate. Clearly money really can be a vital factor in helping people remain calm and happier as they age.  

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine may help fight cancer

Two antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquin, may help to fight cancer reports MedicalXpress. Researchers who are associated with the Repurposing Drugs in Oncology (ReDO) project have said there has been enough evidence to include these drugs in more clinical investigations. It appears these drugs make tumor cells more sensitive to treatment for cancer.

Ciska Verbaanderd of the Anticancer Fund and the University of Leuven, Belgium, says these drugs have multiple mechanisms of action. It seems that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquin act on both the level of cancer cells and at the level of the tumour microenvironment. Verbaanderd says these antimalarial drugs may offer significant clinical benefit for some cancer patients, particularly together with standard anticancer treatments. More clinical trials are needed to confirm this.

This study has been published in the journal ecancermedicalscience. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are both well-known antimalarial agents. Preclinical studies have supported the use of these drugs for anti-cancer therapy, particularly when used together with conventional anti-cancer treatments because they can sensitize tumor cells to many drugs. This results in potentiation of the therapeutic activity. Further clinical investigations of the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for cancer treatment are warranted.

Watching too much TV can be deadly

Watching too much TV could turn out to be deadly due to the consequences of spending too much time sitting around. The American Heart Association has reported there may be an increased risk for a blood clot in a vein with an increase in time spent watching TV.

In comparison with those who reported they seldom or never watch TV there was an increase in the risk for blood clots in the leg veins or in the lungs in those who reported they watch TV very often.  There is an increase in risk for blood clots with the amount of time which is spent watching TV, even when the people get the amount of physical activity which is recommended.

Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., who is co-author of this study and a professor of medicine at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont in Burlington, says that watching TV itself is not likely to be bad, however we generally remain still while snacking for prolonged periods of time while we are watching TV.

An association has been found between heart disease which involves blocked arteries and prolonged watching of TV. However this is the first study done in a western population to consider blood clots in veins of the arms, legs, pelvis and lungs which are known as venous thromboembolism or VTE. Aside from avoidance of prolonged watching of TV you can decrease your risk of thromboembolism by being active physically and by keeping your weight healthy.

It has also been reported by the American Heart Association that there may be an increased risk for death in people who watch TV excessively. There is a much greater risk of death from a blood clot in the lung, or what is known as a pulmonary embolism, in people who watch TV for five or more hours daily. It is recommended that whenever there is so much time being inactive that the leg muscles should be flexed and you should stand up and stretch occasionally to lower the risk of  pulmonary embolism.

Too much time watching TV with its associated sedentary behavior really can be deadly. It's a good idea to lead a more active and less sedentary life. But if you are hooked to the TV screen or other types of sedentary behavior for prolonged periods than certainly it's a good idea to find time to stretch your legs and move around. 
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Caution should be taken with candy imported to the USA

Nearly everyone enjoys some candy now and than. However, tooth decay, too many calories, and diabetes are not the only risk factors associated with eating candy. The University of California San Fransisco has reported that in California imported candy is at the top of the contaminated food list.

There have been more health alerts issued by the California Department of Public Health for lead found in candy than for E. coli, botulism and salmonella.  In recent years 42 percent of the food contamination alerts which have been issued by California state health officials were for lead in candy. Just about all of this candy was imported.

Lead is a toxic heavy metal which can cause delays in development, neurological damage, hearing loss, and other very serious health problems in young kids and adults. In California about 100,000 California kids below the age of six are poisoned with lead every year. About 1000 of these kids are exposed to extremely high levels of lead.

Most initiatives to lower exposure to lead have focused on the lead which is found in gasoline and industrially contaminated soil, and lead-based paint. Children often take in lead when they eat contaminated paint chips and when they breathe in dust.

The contaminated candy in California has been mostly from Mexico (34 percent), China (24 percent), and India (20 percent). Lead contamination has also been found in candy from Taiwan, the United States, Pakistan, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Germany, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, and Spain.

The California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch (FDB) has been charged with the implementation of Assembly Bill 121, which has a goal of preventing the sale of adulterated candy to infants, young kids, and pregnant women.  The Lead in Candy Program collects and tests candy samples. When adulterated candies are identified there are appropriate notifications made to local environmental health directors and the public and there is enforcement action. 

The finding of a particularly high rate of lead contamination in imported candy in California should help to raise awareness of this serious problem. Lead intoxication of children and adults is a very serious problem. Aggressive efforts to inform the public about this problem and to get contaminated candy off the market are necessary. 

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