Rude passengers and sleep deprivation from irregular hours aren’t the only work-related hazards that crew members of airplanes have to deal with. They – along with passengers - are exposed to cosmic ionizing radiation on every flight, because of the altitudes at which they fly. Because crew members fly more frequently, they are more at risk from the health effects of the radiation than are passengers. Cosmic ionizing radiation (or cosmic radiation) comes from outer space.

February is Cancer Prevention Month and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is using the opportunity to help Americans separate the myths from facts about cancer risk. The good news: approximately 40 percent of all cancer cases can be prevented. According to AICR, the most important ways to reduce your cancer risk (after not smoking) are: eating a healthy diet, being more active each day and maintaining a healthy weight.

A steady, 25-year decline has resulted in a 27% drop in the overall cancer death rate in the United States, translating to approximately 2.6 million fewer cancer deaths between 1991 and 2016. The data come from Cancer Statistics, 2019, the American Cancer Society’s widely-quoted annual report on cancer rates and trends. The article appears early online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, and is accompanied by a consumer version, Cancer Facts & Figures 2019.

An unpredictable, anything-but-steady income – a common feature in today’s gig economy and one that is often experienced by younger workers – may be hard on your heart as well as your bank account. New research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation shows that sudden, unpredictable drops in personal income during young adulthood are associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease and/or dying from any cause.

Foodborne illness prevention, what’s ahead for NORA and the value of wearable technology in preventing workplace injuries were among the top health and safety stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

A new study looking at the share of cancers related to obesity finds an at least 1.5-fold difference between states with the highest and lowest proportions. The proportion of cancer cases that could be attributable to excess body weight ranged from a high of 8.3% in the District of Columbia to a low of 5.9% in Hawaii, reflecting variations in obesity rates in the states.

As the recent nationwide ban on Romaine lettuce by the CDC shows, harmful pathogens have become an ever-increasing threat in our food supply, causing serious illness and even death among people with weaker immune systems such as young children and older adults.

More than 84 million Americans – or, one in three adults – have prediabetes, and 90% of them don’t know they have it, according to the CDC. Don’t let the “pre” fool you - prediabetes is a serious condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes and raise your risk for heart disease and stroke. The good news is that prediabetes can be reversed – but only if you get a diagnosis and make lifestyle changes, like losing weight, eating healthier, and being more active.

What is going on at the North Pole? Several elves in the toy making department have reported congestion, cough and shortness of breath. While it is cold and flu season, all of the elves have had their flu shots and the issues seem to be contained to the elves working in the toy shop. A handful of elves also report sore throats, burning eyes and fatigue.

America’s teens report a dramatic increase in their use of vaping devices in just a single year, with 37.3 percent of 12th graders reporting “any vaping” in the past 12 months, compared to just 27.8 percent in 2017. These findings come from the 2018 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of a nationally representative sample of eighth, 10th and 12th graders in schools nationwide, funded by a government grant to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.