A few minutes of 'incidental' exercise may cut heart attack risks in half, study finds

Yahoo News - We're often hard on ourselves when it comes to what "counts" as a workout, but a new study found that even tiny bursts of movement can have positive health effects. ?

Everyday activities like walking the dog around the block, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, scrubbing the floors, and raking the leaves all fall into the bucket of "incidental exercise." Researchers from the University of Sydney analyzed the value of these activities when it comes to preventing major adverse cardiovascular events, like heart attacks.

Women who got 1.5-4 minutes of daily incidental exercise had a nearly 50% lower risk of cardiovascular issues compared to those who said they never engaged in such activities. The results were slightly less dramatic for the men in the study: Those who got 5.6 minutes of incidental exercise per day saw a 16% reduction in their risk of major cardiovascular events.

"Doing something is likely better than nothing is the take-home message about incidental exercise," cardiologist Luke Laffin, who was not involved in the research, told Yahoo Life, noting that it's still ideal to have a more robust workout routine. Get some ideas on how to incorporate incidental exercise into your daily life.

Read full at: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/why-stairs-few-minutes-incidental-233051580.html

One in five new colorectal cancer patients in the United States is under 55

Vox - One in five new colorectal cancer patients in the United States is under 55, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the National Cancer Institute. That is nearly twice the rate in 1995. A recent meta-analysis led by the American Cancer Society found that 17 of the 34 most common cancers — including those of the small intestine, pancreas, and kidney — are occurring more frequently in younger people. Some of them had previously been declining but are now on the upswing again.

Here's the really scary part: While death rates for colorectal cancer patients over 65 are dropping, they are increasing among younger patients. Scientists say these early cancers can be more deadly because they are often not caught until it's too late for treatment. (Colonoscopies are not recommended until age 45.)

Please read full at: https://www.vox.com/explain-it-to-me/389508/cancer-early-young-adults-colon-breast-explained

Final EPA rules ban all uses of TCE, all consumer uses and many commercial uses of PCE, require worker protections for all remaining uses under the Toxic Substances Control Act

EPA– Today, Dec. 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the latest risk management rules for trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) under the bipartisan 2016 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) amendments, marking another major milestone for chemical safety after decades of inadequate protections and serious delays. These protections align with President Biden's Cancer Moonshot, a whole-of-government approach to end cancer as we know it.

TCE is an extremely toxic chemical known to cause liver cancer, kidney cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. TCE also causes damage to the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, immune system, reproductive organs, and fetal heart defects. These risks are present even at very small concentrations. Under today's rule, all uses of TCE will be banned over time (with the vast majority of identified risks eliminated within one year), and safer alternatives are readily available for the majority of uses.

PCE is known to cause liver, kidney, brain and testicular cancer, as well as damage to the kidney, liver and immune system, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. Today's final rule will better protect people from these risks by banning manufacture, processing and distribution in commerce of PCE for all consumer uses and many commercial uses, while allowing some workplace uses to continue only where robust workplace controls can be implemented.

"It's simply unacceptable to continue to allow cancer-causing chemicals to be used for things like glue, dry cleaning or stain removers when safer alternatives exist," said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. "These rules are grounded in the best-available science that demonstrates the harmful impacts of PCE and TCE. EPA continues to deliver on actions that protect people, including workers and children, under the nation's premier bipartisan chemical safety law."

PCE and TCE are both nonflammable chlorinated solvents that are volatile organic compounds. PCE can biodegrade into TCE, and PCE may contain trace amounts of TCE as an impurity or a contaminant. The chemicals can often serve as alternatives for each other. For several uses of TCE that will be totally prohibited, there is an analogous use of PCE that can continue safely in perpetuity under workplace controls. Some examples of uses that will be prohibited under the TCE rule, but will continue under the PCE rule include: industrial and commercial use as an energized electrical cleaner, in laboratory use for asphalt testing and recovery, use to make refrigerants and other chemicals, and for vapor degreasing.

"Over 40 years ago, a mother named Anne Anderson from Woburn, Massachusetts, approached me and started a crusade to keep any more children like Jimmy Anderson, her son, from dying from cancer caused by toxic chemicals. Anne's work directly led to this announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency that I am overjoyed to celebrate today alongside her and every community that stands to benefit—a finalized ban on trichloroethylene and most uses of perchloroethylene, two chemicals that cause cancer, affect reproductive systems, are neurotoxic, and compromise immune systems," said Senator Ed Markey (D-MA). "Despite their dangers, these chemicals could still be found in industries like dry cleaning, automotive repair and manufacturing. With no doubt that these chemicals are deadly, there is no doubt that this final rule will save lives—especially our children's lives—around the country."

"The Camp Lejeune contaminated drinking water issue has dragged on over the better part of forty years ever since TCE, PCE and other organic solvents were first documented in the base's drinking water supply in October 1980," said Jerry M. Ensminger, Retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Sergeant. "My daughter, Janey, was conceived aboard Camp Lejeune during the drinking water contamination and died of leukemia in 1985, at the age of nine. I first began my fight for justice in 1997, and was later joined by Mike Partain in 2007, who was also conceived aboard the base and diagnosed with male breast cancer at the age of 39. Mike and I welcome this ban on TCE by the EPA and this is proof that our fight for justice at Camp Lejeune was not in vain."

Please full at:
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-latest-actions-under-nations-chemical-safety-law

EPA Reforms New Chemicals Review Process to Better Protect Public Health, Promote Efficiency and Consistency

Final amendments will ensure that new PFAS and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals are subject to safety review process prior to manufacture

EPA -  the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized amendments to the regulations that govern the Agency's review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to ensure that new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals with potential for human exposure are always subject to the full, robust safety review process prior to manufacture. Under TSCA, EPA plays an important role by reviewing the potential risks of new chemicals before they can enter U.S. commerce and, when necessary, putting safeguards in place to protect human health and the environment. Today's final rule also improves efficiency and aligns with the 2016 bipartisan TSCA amendments under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, and is largely similar to the rule EPA proposed in May 2023.

"EPA's review of new chemicals should encourage innovation, while also making sure that new chemistries can be used safely before they are allowed to enter commerce," said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chem...

Please read on from source:
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-reforms-new-chemicals-review-process-better-protect-public-health-promote