Heavy people more likely to have colon polyps Obese and overweight people are more likely to develop colon polyps,a possible precursor to cancer,than are slimmer individuals,according to a new review of past research. Polyps,also called adenomas,are clumps of cells that grow from the colons lining. Although less than 10 per cent become cancerous,most colon cancers are thought to develop from polyps. Previous studies have made the connection between obesity and colon cancer a link recognised by the National Cancer Institute but the new study is the first to point to a higher risk of adenomas in heavy people. By focusing on precancerous cell changes,researchers were hoping to shed more light on whether cancer screening recommendations should take a persons weight into account. Because there is a known association between obesity and cancer,there is a logical extension to expect a connection between obesity and the step before cancer,which is adenoma, said Dr Hutan Ashrafian from Imperial College,London,who co-authored the study. The findings cant say whether obesity causes polyps by itself. But if it does,that could be bad news for a world where obesity is on the rise. Chemical intolerance a common complaint,shows study A sizeable percentage of low-income patients in primary care may be particularly sensitive to chemicals in household cleaners,perfumes and other everyday products,a small study suggests. The study,done at two Texas family medicine practices,screened patients for symptoms of chemical intolerance, also known as multiple chemical sensitivity. Its a controversial diagnosis,and theres no agreement on the cause or that it even should be considered a disorder unto itself. But there is a standard screening questionnaire thats been used in studies and in some doctors practices. It asks people about whether they feel sick when theyre around various smells and chemicals like gasoline,paint,perfumes,cleaning products or insecticides and how bad the symptoms are. Using that questionnaire,researchers found that 20 percent of 400 patients they screened met the criteria for chemical intolerance. Most studies on chemical intolerance have focused on higher-income,white people. But patients in this study were largely lower-income. So the findings give an idea of the prevalence of such symptoms in an understudied group,according to lead researcher Dr David A Katerndahl,of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
