Feb. 15, 2012 -- That "new car smell" may come from toxic chemicals, according to new research.

A new study suggests that new car smell comes from toxic chemicals off-gassing in a car's interior, like brominated flame retardants (BFRs), chromium, and lead. In all, researchers identified more than 275 different chemicals in vehicle interiors (More)
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Jan. 27, 2012 -- An obsession with wearing high heels may take a toll on women's muscles as well their pocketbooks.

A new study offers a scientific explanation for why walking in high heels can be so painful: It changes the basic mechanics of how women walk.

The results show that women who regularly wear high heels walk with shorter, more forceful strides and recruit more muscles to walk, compared to women who favor flats. These changes persist even (More)
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Jan. 20, 2012 -- Could your office be toxic?

Indoor office air is an important source of worker exposure to the potentially toxic substances known as PFCs, or polyfluorinated compounds, according to a new study.

''Workers who spend their day in a typical office environment are likely to have exposure to PFCs through the air, and that seems to lead to PFC levels in their blood," says researcher Michael McClean, ScD, associate professor of environmental (More)
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Jan. 20, 2012 -- Even mild dehydration may affect our moods and ability to concentrate.

In a new study of 25 healthy women, mild dehydration dampened moods, increased fatigue, and led to headaches.

The women in the study were aged 23, on average. They were (More)
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Jan. 11, 2012 -- We are living longer these days.

Our average life expectancy increased by about one month from 2009 to 2010. In 2010, the average life expectancy rose to 78.7 years, up from 78.6 years in 2009. These are some of the findings from a new report by the CDC on death rates in the U.S. in 2010.

The death rate hit its lowest rate ever in 2010, at 746.2 deaths per 100,000 people. Overall 2,465,936 people died in the U.S. in 2010.

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Dec. 15, 2011 -- Older men who walk at least 3 miles an hour need not fear the Reaper. They stay ahead of him and tend to outlive guys who move along at a slower pace, new research reveals.

In the study, published in the Christmas issue of the journal BMJ, Australian scientists attempted to nail down the Grim Reaper's walking speed. (The usually straitlaced journal loosens up this time of year with offbeat scientific papers like this one.) (More)
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