Lesbians watch out!

Lesbians are more likely to suffer from a common cause of infertility that is also linked with other health problems, preliminary research suggests. A study reveals that polycystic ovarian syndrome is more prevalent among lesbians than heterosexual women. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common cause of ovarian malfunction and is estimated to affect between six to 10 per cent of women. Polycystic ovaries are present at birth. The ovary may be oversized and the egg-containing sacs called follicles are abnormally strewn in a necklace-like pattern around the edge while the middle of the ovary thickens. The syndrome also involves related problems such as acne, obesity, increased body hair, facial hair or, most commonly, irregular periods. Women with the condition also commonly have elevated levels of testosterone. — GNS

Lead exposure

Bone loss at menopause can cause elevated blood-lead levels that may increase women’s risk of high blood pressure, a study revealed. Previous studies have linked lead exposure in men with high blood pressure. But the new research is the first to suggest that thinning bones can release lead acquired from decades-earlier exposure and cause health problems.

Lead exposure from paint, water, air pollution and other environmental sources elevates blood-lead levels and in large doses can cause poisoning, especially in children. The metallic chemical ultimately accumulates in bones, and in low-level exposure may remain there for decades without serious effects.

But when aging bones start to thin, lead can leak back into the blood, where it is more likely to cause damage, the researchers said. — AP

HIV prevention

Scientists said that they’ve discovered how some monkeys resist infection with the AIDS virus, a finding that might lead to a treatment that blocks HIV in people. Researchers found that once HIV enters monkey cells, it encounters a protein that stifles its attempts to replicate. That stops the virus from spreading in the animal. The protein, called TRIM5-alpha, was identified in rhesus macaques by a team of Harvard researchers but it is not clear exactly how the protein acts again HIV. Humans have their own version of TRIM5-alpha, but it’s not as effective as the monkey version in countering HIV.

However, researchers may be able to design a drug that makes it work better, said Sodroski.

He further added that the mechanism might even work against other viruses. — AP

Anger stroke risk

Don’t get mad, get even.” Hotheaded men who explode with anger seem to be at greater risk of having a stroke or dying, new research shows. Angry women, on the other hand, don’t run as high a risk of having a stroke or heart problems, according to another study. The study showed that men who express their anger have a 10 per cent greater risk than non-hostile men of developing an atrial fibrillation, a heart flutter. It is non-threatening for many, but it can also increase the risk of stroke. Men who unleashed their anger were also 20 per cent more likely to have died from any cause during the study. It also found that men who are hostile and contemptuous of other people are 30 per cent more likely to develop the irregular heart rhythm than men with less hostility. Atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke because the heart’s two upper chambers don’t beat effectively to pump out all the blood, allowing it to pool, form clots and increase stroke risk. — AP