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News for Redheads
Tuesday, October 15, 2002
(1:11 PM ET)
Reuters

Liem's team studied white women aged 19 to 40 who were given the inhaled anesthetic desflurane. Their physical responses were closely monitored, especially unconscious reflex arm or leg movement in response to painful stimulation.

WASHINGTON -- Reuters
Redheads may actually have another trait that makes them stand out -- sensitivity to pain, specialists reported on Tuesday.

People with natural red hair need about 20 percent more anesthesia than people with other hair colors, they told a meeting of anesthesiologists. The unexpected finding not only suggests that redheads are more sensitive to pain, but offers insights into how anesthesia works in people.

"Red hair is the first visible human trait, or phenotype, that is linked to anesthetic requirement," Dr. Edwin Liem of the University of Louisville in Kentucky said in a statement.

"In a nutshell, redheads are likely to experience more pain from a given stimulus and therefore require more anesthesia to alleviate that pain," he added.
(More: Yahoo! News Source)
2002 © Reuters, Ltd.

Hope that wasn't too painful, Phil...

Dan