Tongue Stud “Brain Fatality Risk” (BBC)

Deadly brain abscesses should be added to the list of risks of having a tongue piercing, say doctors.

Archives of Neurology reports how a 22-year-old man who died in hospital following multiple brain abscesses weeks after getting his tongue pierced.

The man’s Israeli doctors warn infection can spread in the bloodstream from the piercing up to the brain.

Piercing can more commonly lead to chipped teeth and oral infections, and sometimes heart problems, say experts… More …

Heat Forms Potentially Harmful Substance in High Fructose Corn Syrup (PhysOrg)

Researchers have established the conditions that foster formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) often fed to honey bees. Their study, which appears in ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, could also help keep the substance out of soft drinks and dozens of other human foods that contain HFCS. The substance, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), forms mainly from heating fructose… More …

Alzheimer’s Linked to Lack of Zzzzs ( ScienceNews )

“This is the first experimental study that clearly shows that disrupted sleep may contribute to the disease process,” says Peter Meerlo, a neuroscientist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. “What makes it exciting for me is that it shows that chronic sleep loss, in the long run, changes the brain in ways that may contribute to disease”… More …

Analysis of Cellphone Studies Finds Tumor Risk ( LA Times )

An analysis published Tuesday of data from 23 epidemiological studies found no connection between cellphone use and the development of cancerous or benign tumors. But when eight of the studies that were conducted with the most scientific rigor were analyzed, cellphone users were shown to have a 10% to 30% increased risk of tumors compared with people who rarely or never used the phones. The risk was highest among those who had used cellphones for 10 years or more… More …