Nature, Nurture & Adolescent Drinking

A study of twins in the Netherlands found that genetic factors dictate how early alcohol use is initiated, while environmental factors shape the frequency of drinking once it has begun. A researcher at Radboud University Nijmegen, Evelien Poelen, surveyed 694 pairs of twins ages 12 to 15 in 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2000 to determine when drinking began, and to track changes in their alcohol consumption. “A lot of studies … have focused on several social factors in alcohol use, for example, the influence of friends and parents, while genetic factors have often been neglected,” Dr. Poelen said. Along with her colleagues, she analyzed the twins’ initiation and frequency of drinking in terms of genetic effects, common environmental effects, and unique environmental effects to reach her conclusions.

Bilingual Skills May Slow Mental Aging

Speaking more than one language may improve the cognitive state in old age, according to a new study from Tel Aviv University. Dr. Gitit Kavé, a clinical neuro-psychologist from the Herczeg Institute on Aging at the Israeli university, revisited data from a 1989 survey on men and women ages 75 to 95, and compared bilingual speakers with trilingual and multilingual ones. Analyzing the results, Dr. Kavé and her team found a direct correlation between the number of languages spoken and a person’s mental functions in old age. Although there may be a link between languages spoken and education level, higher education is not what dictates the mind’s aging process, according to Dr. Kavé. “We found that more languages were most significantly correlated with cognitive state in those people who had no education at all,” she said.

Link Between Popcorn And Lung Disease?

A large number of workers at popcorn factories have been diagnosed with lung disease, Science Daily reported. A researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Pathology and Physiology Research Branch, Ann Hubbs, found that diacetyl, the ingredient responsible for the butter flavor and odor in popcorn, is an inhalation hazard. The research examined the toxicity of inhaled diacetyl in rats, and found that both the chemical flavoring and its vapors are dangerous for the lungs. Diacetyl is easily vaporized at temperatures needed for microwave popcorn production, causing high concentrations in production factories, the data showed. Dr. Hubbs’s study was one of the first to examine diacetyl’s toxicity at a level relevant to human health.

One in 10 Children Use Cough Medicine Every Week

Approximately 10% of American children take cough medicine at least once a week, according to researchers at Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center. Although the overall use of cough and cold medication in children has been studied before, researchers have not previously tracked the frequency of the use, according to HealthDay. “Given concerns about potential harmful effects and lack of evidence proving that these medications are effective in young children, the fact that one in 10 U.S. children is using one of these medications is striking,” the study’s author, Louis Vernacchio, an assistant professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine, said. Children ages 2 to 5 are given cough and cold medicine most often, the study showed.

Bread Mold May Help in Search for HIV Cure

While most people throw their bread out when it becomes moldy, researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered that certain species of bread mold could actually help cure diseases. Some types of mold have a mechanism to protect against genetic abnormalities by “silencing” unmatched genes during sexual reproduction. The finding could enable researchers to target unwanted genes, such as those from HIV. “Knowing the process of how DNA in molds is targeted for silencing could be important for silencing genes you don’t want to be expressed, like disease-causing genes,” an assistant professor of biological sciences in the University of Missouri College of Arts and Science, Patrick Shiu, said.

Obesity Linked to Dementia

Obesity increases the risk of dementia in adults by 42%, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and may also increase by 80% the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia and the eighth leading cause of death among the elderly population in America. Researchers also found that subjects with a healthy body mass index and waist circumference saw a decreased risk for dementia versus their counterparts who had an elevated BMI or waist circumference, although being underweight increases the risk of general dementia by 36%. “Preventing or treating obesity at a younger age could play a major role in reducing the number of dementia patients and those with other commonly associated illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease by up to 20% in the United States,” an associate professor with the Bloomberg School’s Center for Human Nutrition, Youfa Wang, the senior author of the study, said.