(October 29, 2008 - Insidermedicine) From Michigan - According to research in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences, eating grapes may be beneficial for the heart. In a study of rats, researchers found that those who were fed grape powder had lower blood pressure, better heart function, reduced inflammation in their bodies and less heart muscle damage. The researchers believe that the antioxidant properties of flavonoids may be responsible for these effects.

From Virginia - According to research presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, toys in pediatricians' waiting rooms may expose children to cold viruses. Researchers took swab samples from toys in a pediatrician's office, and found that 1 in 5 toys tested positive for rhinoviruses or influenza B. While the presence of viral RNA does not necessarily mean the toys are infectious, the researchers noted that even cleaning the toys with a disinfectant cloth only minimally decreased the presence of viral remnants.

And finally, from California - According to research presented to the American College of Chest Physicians, nicotine addiction in the U.S. has reached a 15 year high. In the study, researchers used questionnaires to assess the pre-treatment nicotine dependence of over 600 participants. Overall, the researchers found that the severity of nicotine dependence had gone up 12% between 1989 and 2006, and the percentage of those considered highly dependent went up by 32%.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.