#1215: FORGET ABOUT CELL PHONES “PREVENTING” ALZHEIMER’S
New Florida University Study Fatally Flawed
By William Thomas
http://willthomasonline.net/willthomasonline/Forget_About_Cell_Phones_
Preven.html
The news broke like a bombshell”
“Want To Prevent Alzheimer’s? Use Your Cell Phone More” trumpeted a scientific website:
If your friends and family give you trouble for spending too much time on your cell phone, scientists at the University of South Florida may have discovered the ultimate excuse for your constant yakking. In a surprising study published today in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers reported the first evidence that long-term exposure to electromagnetic waves associated with cell phone use may actually protect against, and even reverse, Alzheimer’s disease. The study also challenges claims that EMF exposure causes brain cancer.
“It surprised us to find that cell phone exposure, begun in early adulthood, protects the memory of mice otherwise destined to develop Alzheimer’s symptoms,” said lead author Gary Arendash, PhD, USF Research Professor at the Florida ADRC. “It was even more astonishing that the electromagnetic waves generated by cell phones actually reversed memory impairment in old Alzheimer’s mice.” [scientificblogging.com Jan 7/10]
The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease gave the “yakking on cell phones is good for you” story big play. [j-alz.com]
Medical News Today ran it as a Featured Article explaining how an international team of researchers were “surprised” to find that electromagnetic waves protected mice against Alzheimer’s – and even reversed the memory damage caused by the disease! [medicalnewstoday.com Jan 7/10]
WebMD Health News actually called cell phone radiation therapy “An effective, non-invasive and drug-free way to treat Alzheimer’s disease has finally been discovered.” [medicinenet.com Jan 6/10]
The influential Huffington Post posted the story at 5 o’clock on the morning it broke under the banner: “Cell Phone Use May Help Fight Alzheimer’s “ [huffingtonpost.com 01- 7-10 05:01 AM]
Calling itself “Europe’s leading source of resource news,” Alpha Galileo posted the “yakking” story, too. [alphagalileo.org Jan 6/10]
Fox News went with co-researcher USF professor Chuanhai Cao saying, “This technology could be quickly translated to human benefit against Alzheimer’s disease.”
Yahoo News likewise ran with it, exposing millions more readers to the soon to be discredited study. Flickr got it from Yahoo, infecting millions more with the notion that cell phones are now “key allies” in a world war against a disease that was virtually nonexistent before the late 1970’s.
The prestigious s ciencedaily.com also reprinted the “yakking on cell phones is good for you” story, giving it serious velocity. [sciencedaily.com]
“Mice were exposed to signals from a centrally-located antenna,” the BBC reported, in what sounded like a pitch for cell phone towers. The BBC urged everyone to relax and enjoy the rays, saying, “After all the concern over possible damage to health from using mobile phones, scientists have found a potential benefit from radiation.”
Associated Content’s “Health & Wellness” section spoke for many when it claimed that all previous concerns over cell phone health risks were moot because mobile phones could be used To Treat Alzheimer’s Disease:
“When the world was hit with mobile mania, a lot of spoilers spread the news that they cause brain tumors. However, the scenario is changed now as it was announced that cell phones, indeed, help fight Alzheimer’s.” [associatedcontent.com Jan 23/10]
LiveScience added, “The radiation gave mice without Alzheimer’s a boost in brain activity.”
So does caffeine.
DRINK MORE COFFEE WHILE ON YOUR CELL PHONE NOW!
All this cell phone rejoicing was uncomfortably reminiscent of the last big blast from the same lead Florida U. researcher, Gary Arendash.
SNIP
For the full article go to: http://willthomasonline.net/willthomasonline/Forget_About_Cell_Phones_
Preven.html