News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms February 18, 2008

News to know for mommies-come-lately:


Women tea-drinkers have less plaque in arteries
Older women who reported drinking at least three cups of tea a day were less likely to have plaque in the carotid arteries in their neck than those drinking less tea, according to French researchers. Tea-drinking women may be lowering their risk for heart disease and stroke, the findings suggest.
The investigators did not gather data on what types of tea the women drank or how long they had been drinking tea.


Hair sample may provide breast cancer diagnosis
Researchers report that hair from women with breast cancer can be distinguished from hair obtained from women without the disease. Further testing is needed to determine if this is an accurate diagnostic test for breast cancer.


Feeling stressed out linked to cervical cancer
Research suggests that feeling stressed may play a role in the development of cervical cancer. The human papillomavirus (HPV) has long been known as the primary cause of cervical cancer, but the virus alone doesn't seem to be enough to induce the disease. The new study found that feeling stressed out may be one such factor by impairing the body's ability to fight off the virus. However, researchers said their findings are still preliminary.


Breathing dirty air may lower kids' IQ
Kids who live in neighborhoods with heavy traffic pollution have lower IQs and score worse on other tests of intelligence and memory than children who breathe cleaner air, a new study shows.