Last week we brought you news of a Swedish study that reported eating 75 grams of chocolate could reduce hypertension by inhibiting a hormone produced by the kidney called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) that is a major factor in regulating blood pressure. But reader Dan Cullen of Princeton, N.J. wonders if dark chocolate has inhibited our customary skepticism. He crunched the numbers for us with some back-of-the-napkin calculations, comparing dark chocolate to the generic ACE inhibitor pill Ramipril.

Statins have been long-feared to damage liver function in some cases, but a new study in The Lancet suggests the opposite is true. The study of 437 patients with abnormal liver tests found those taking statins did not have a higher rate of liver problems than the control group, and in fact had a decreased level of a biomarker that indicates liver problems.

Canadian Radio host Rob Breakenridge has a cogent op-ed in theCalgary Herald taking on various fears that have popped up in recent months, including BPA, cellphones, Wi-Fi and fluoridation. City officials in Waterloo, Ontario voted to stop fluoridation last week after a non-binding referendum lost by 195 votes out of 30,727 ballots cast.

Breakenridge writes:

Doing its best to strike fear into the hearts of parents, the Public Interest Research Group has released its 25th annual list of deadly toys. Among the allegedly dangerous products are a Dora the Explorer backpack the group says contains phthalates, plastic handcuffs that supposedly contain antimony and a Big Bang Rocket that might cause hearing loss.

The Associated Press is calling it the most hopeful day in the history of the AIDS epidemic. Yesterday there was news of a new daily pill that dramatically reduces new infections; the pope approved condoms as the the lesser of two evils for preventing HIV infections; and the United Nations declared that the number of new HIV cases worldwide had dropped by a fifth over the past decade.

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Today’s front page of The New York Times featured an article on the alleged health dangers associated with cone-beam CT scanners, devices that are gaining widespread popularity among dentists and orthodontists for their 3-D imaging capabilities, efficiency and versatility.

Perhaps too many teenagers are spacing out during safe sex education courses, since the CDC’s 2009 STD Surveillance Report indicates that 19 million new sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases occur annually, and active adolescents and young adults are at a significantly higher risk. Since physicians do not have to report cases of HPV or genital herpes, the total number of STDs is actually much higher.

When it comes to following public health directives, it seems that infants, toddlers and even those petulant adolescents are better listeners than grown-ups, as the 2009 National Health Interview Survey reveals that vaccination rates are low in U.S. adults. Data from the survey indicates a 7.4 percent decrease in total pneumococcal vaccination rates in adults between 19 and 64, and the decrease is more prevalent in minority groups.

In a similar display of regulatory overreach, California s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is revising the rules of a bill signed two years ago by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that allows the state to regulate toxic chemicals in consumer products.