(March 3, 2010 - Insidermedicine)

From Boston - According to a report published online in the British Medical Journal, long intervals between breast cancer surgery and radiotherapy may increase risk of the disease recurring. Researchers reviewed records on over 18,000 women who underwent breast conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy. They found that initiation of radiotherapy six or more weeks following surgery was associated with an increase in local recurrence.

From Finland - According to a report published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, children exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of hardened arteries. Researchers studied nearly 500 children for 5 years, finding that those with higher secondhand smoke exposure saw their blood vessel walls thicken significantly.

And finally, from New York - ICU visits increase ones risk of death, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers reviewed data on over 35,000 patients discharged from an intensive care unit, finding that these ICU patients were at 7% increased risk of death over a three year period when compared to patients that were hospitalized for non critical care.