Health Highlights: Nov. 7, 2007

Mar. 23 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Breastfeeding Doesn't Cause Saggy Breasts: Study

Contrary to what many women believe, breastfeeding does not cause saggy breasts, says a University of Kentucky study that included 132 women who sought breast lifts or augmentation. Most of the women had been pregnant at least once and nearly 60 percent had breastfed at least once.

Researchers analyzed each woman's medical history, height and weight, smoking habits, and pre-pregnancy bra cup size. They found no difference in extent of breast sagginess between women who'd breastfed and those who hadn't, BBC News reported.

However, the study authors did conclude that pregnancy itself was a factor. The degree of sagginess increased each time a woman was pregnant. Smoking was another factor that contributed to breast sagginess.

"Smoking breaks down a protein in the skin called elastin, which gives youthful skin its elastic appearance and supports the breast," said study author Dr. Brian Rinker, BBC News reported.

The study was presented an American Society of Plastic Surgeons meeting.

-----

Air Pollution From Ships Kills 60,000 People a Year: Study

Air pollution belched from ocean ship smokestacks causes 60,000 premature deaths worldwide each year. And that toll could increase to 84,000 a year within five years if nothing is done to clean up those emissions, says a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

In North America, ship-spewed air pollution causes about 9,000 premature deaths a year, most of them on the West Coast, according to the study.

The dangerous pollution is created by the Bunker C fuel that powers ship engines. The researchers noted that this fuel contains nearly 2,000 times as much sulfur as the diesel fuel used in trucks in North America and Europe, the Toronto Star reported. The high levels of sulfur, along with nitrates and particles, in ship emissions can cause fatal heart and respiratory problems, including lung cancer. People who live along coasts near busy shipping lanes are at greatest risk.