Breast cancer carcinogens in chemicals; workplace wellness; early detection of Parkinson disease – Morning Medical Update

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Chemicals and breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, with recent increases in young women that can’t be explained by genetics, researchers said. That’s why they developed a new, quick way to predict if synthetic chemicals are likely to cause breast cancer. Spoiler alert: They flagged at least 921 substances that people are exposed to in daily life, including food and drink, medications, and consumer products.

Wellness in the workplace

Physicians know as well as anyone the overwork that can lead to feelings of burnout. Hospitals and health care systems are among employers that have created individual wellness programs. Do those programs actually work? A new study indicates organizational interventions may be better.

An early test for Parkinson disease

By the time patients show clinical symptoms of Parkinson disease, “the disease has already wreaked irreversible damage in the brain,” researchers said. But a new test at the molecular level could detect a key marker of the disease, allowing physicians to help patients keep the neurodegenerative disease at bay. It affects 10 million people globally and 90,000 people are diagnosed a year in the United States.