Every cigarette takes 19.5 minutes off a life – plus more headlines

Medical Watch Digest for Dec 30

Every cigarette takes 19.5 minutes off a life – plus more headlines

A new study looks at the negative impact a single cigarette can have on a person.

Researchers in London determined women lose 22-minutes off their life for each cigarette they smoke, and men lose 17-minutes.

But, quitting at any point can prevent that.

Giving up a 10 cigarette per day habit this New Year’s Day will prevent a smoker from losing a whole day of their life by January 8.

CDC Warns of Uptick in Norovirus Outbreaks

The CDC is warning of an increase in outbreaks of norovirus.

Nearly 100 outbreaks were reported during the week of December 5. That’s up from 65 outbreaks during the same week last year.

The norovirus is often referred to as “the stomach bug.” It can cause sudden vomiting and diarrhea, nausea, body aches, and fever.

Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the u-s.

Each year, 2,500 outbreaks are reported.

Doctors say the best defense is washing your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before meals.

New Research Links Lack of Sleep, High Blood Pressure, and Brain Aging

A new study shows that people who have high blood pressure and get less sleep are more likely to show more brain aging.

The research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found those who slept less than six hours are more affected.

But that’s not the case when their blood pressure is normal.

The results are correlational, but they could lead to studies evaluating treatments that modify sleep and treatments that manage blood pressure.

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