Health News Tidbits –
April 2006
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NEJM B-vitamin study -
In response to the New England Journal of Medicine's study on B-vitamins lowering homocysteine, we have some thoughts. This study will, of course, raise some eyebrows, but once again, we need to look at the fine print before making a judgement call. The conculsion of the study reads:
Supplements combining folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 did not reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in patients with vascular disease. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00106886; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN14017017.).
Now let's break it down:
The study did show that B-vitmains vitamins help lower homocysteine levels, but failed to support the hypothesis that lowering homocysteine levels in persons who already have heart disease will not provide protection against a future cardiac event. While these studies contribute importantly to the research base, they have limited application for the general population. These studies did not test whether B vitamins used by healthy people can help keep them healthy. Instead, they looked at whether B vitamins can treat or reverse heart disease in people who already have it. Vitamins should not be expected to perform like drugs—their greatest promise is in prevention.
It is unrealistic to expect a vitamin to undo damage caused by heart disease and we should not be looking for B-vitamins to treat disease. Both these studies involved seriously ill subjects (eerily similar to the reserach published on vitamin E). But what must be considered, is whether the population studied would have been healthier to begin with if they had been taking B-vitamins and others consistently over time. That’s the question we’d like to see researched! The HOPE-2 study did have some positive findings, including a statistically significant 25% reduction in nonfatal strokes. The authors say this may be due to chance, but similar effects have also been observed in other studies (see below).
So what we can get from this study is that B-vitmains do lower homocysteine, which can also assist in preventing several other maladies as seen below from our archive.
Excerpts courtesy of the Council of Responsible Nutrition
Folic Acid linked to lower stroke rates -
The number of deaths from stroke in North America has dropped by five per cent since the introduction of folic acid fortification, while figures in the non-fortifying UK have not changed.
Mandatory fortification of certain food with folic acid was introduced in the US and Canada in 1998 with the primary outcome designed to be a reduction of birth defects. The programm has been successful in cutting the number of children born with neural tube defects by over 25 per cent. Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) compared stroke mortality rates in the United States and Canada for 1990 to 1997, and 1998 to 2002, with stroke mortality rates in England and Wales. “The epidemiological analysis presented here certainly does not establish causality, but the trends we observed are consistent with the hypothesis that folic acid fortification is contributing to a reduction in stroke deaths,” wrote lead author Quanhe Yang in the journal Circulation (Vol. 113, pp. 1335-1343). For the United States population, the levels of homocysteine decreased across all age groups and races studied after the introduction of fortification. As could be expected, the folate levels in the blood increased significantly, giving more support for the hypothesis that folic acid can reduce stroke mortality.
“If folic acid fortification is responsible for even a fraction of the accelerated improvement we observed, this public health benefit is an important bonus to the reduction in neural tube defect rates previously demonstrated,” said Yang. The results are presented only days after the publication of two large intervention trials, the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) 2 trial and the Norwegian Vitamin (NORVIT) trial, which both reported no benefits of B vitamin (including folic acid) supplementation on patients with heart disease or recovering from a heart attack. Courtesy of nutraingredients.com
Steve - it is exciting that this news comes so soon on the heels of this week's NEJM B-vitamin study. The new data that appears in Circulation echoes what was found in the NORVIT studies: B-vitamins may lower homocysteine, a known caridac risk factor, and may lower stroke risk.
For our response to the NEJM study, please read the blog entry from March 14th.
BMJ weighs in on omega 3 -
Here we go again.
Do you think we are seeing a trend over negative coverage regarding dietary supplements?
Earlier in the week The Wall Street Journal headlines were, "The Case Against Dietary Supplements." The piece was a rehashing of every negative story over the last few years. Many of them we have dispelled or, in some cases, lauded.
Today it is yet another meta-analysis, this time from the British Medical Journal, saying that omega 3's may not reduce risk of heart disease and mortality risk. Ugh.
This will further exhaust a confused public who as recently as 2002 were bombarded with a meta-analysis just as big lauding the reduction in heart disease and total mortality risk (Am J Med). Which is it?
We have said time and time again that meta-analysis studies should never be accepted as gospel, yet with most of the negative press on dietary supplements over the last few years, the studies have been from meta-analyses.
Another note on this recent study only looked at research up to 2002. There have been numerous research studies since 2002 that have shown positive benefits of fish oil for many different maladies, including heart disease (refer to the research taken from our archives below).
Finally, the authors of the BMJ meta-analysis still suggest ingesting sufficient amounts of omega 3 and follow the guidelines that the United Kingdom (and US as well) suggest.
Confusing? I'd say so.
-Steve
Drugs/Meds -
Further fears over athrisits drug -
Renewed fears about the safety of arthritis drug Celebrex have been raised after scientists linked it to an increased risk of heart attacks. A Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine study suggested those on the drug had double the heart attack risk. Like Vioxx, withdrawn from sale last year, Celebrex is a Cox-2 inhibitor, which have fewer side-effects on the digestive system than other common painkillers such as ibuprofen. In 2004 at least 600,000 patients were prescribed Celebrex - which is the brand name for celecoxib - in the UK. But doctors are now advised not to give it patients with a heart condition or stroke. Vioxx was voluntarily withdrawn from world markets by drug firm Merck after research linked it to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Professor Richard Beasley, from the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand in Wellington, carried out this latest research in an attempt to discover if patients on Celebrex faced any similar risks. After pooling together and analysing data from six trials involving almost 13,000 patients, he concluded that patients on the drug faced double the heart attack risk. He said: "Drug regulatory authorities need urgently to re-examine the assessment of the drug in light of these findings." Risks Four of the studies comparing Celebrex with a "dummy" placebo found patients taking the drug were 2.26 times more likely to suffer a heart attack as those who were not. When Celebrex was compared with other painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol, all six of the studies found the heart attack risk was raised 1.88-fold. Professor Beasley said his findings were critical because the risk was similar in magnitude the 2.24-fold risk of heart attack linked to Vioxx. A spokesman for Arthritis Care said: "All drugs carry risks and benefits. "People who experience severe pain as a result of their arthritis will need to balance the possible risk from particular drugs against the benefits taking them could bring. "We would urge anyone worried about this latest study to consult their GP." An Arthritis Research Campaign spokeswoman added: "Many GPs and hospital consultants stopped prescribing Celebrex after the withdrawal of Vioxx in September 2004. "This latest evidence may now prompt drug regulators to re-consider and think about taking the drug off the market. "It means that there is less choice for people with arthritis, but patient safety is paramount." Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said: "There has always been a question over the safety of these drugs. Their reputation is already tainted and GPs are all aware of the risks.
He added: "Which is worse - the pain of the condition or the increased risk of heart problems?
Courtesy of BBCNews
Bonnie and Steve - This review study cannot come as a surprise. Where there is smoke, there is fire. How can two drugs from the same family not cause similar risks? The new study aside, we should continue to take notice that there are natural substances that can mitigate pain (as we discussed last week in our comments on the GAIT trial), such as fish oil, Kaprex, and glucosamine/chondroitin. Most importantly, one must understand the relationship with food and pain. For years, we have instilled this in our clients and hopefully with the risks of medications and risky surgical procedures, the word will get out that much more. The proof is in the pudding...certain foods trigger pain!
FDA shields drug companies from lawsuits -
Last month, the FDA revealed its latest protective policy for drug companies in a statement that said people who believe they have been injured by drugs approved by the FDA should not be allowed to sue drug companies in state courts.
"We think that if your company complies with the FDA processes, if you bring forward the benefits and risks of your drug, and let your information be judged through a process with highly trained scientists, you should not be second-guessed by state courts that don't have the same scientific knowledge," said Scott Gottlieb, the FDA's deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs.
The agency's assertion of "federal preemption" was included as a preamble to its new drug labeling guidelines.
Bonnie and Steve - This is proposterous. What this shows is that the drug industry can get the FDA to rewrite the rules so that CEOs can escape accountability for putting dangerous and deadly drugs on the market, and is yet again, another scary example how much control this industry has over government. Did we not learn from from the Vioxx example that the FDA and drug industry are too close for comfort? The FDA was and still is being manipulated by the drug industry. What other way than hitting them in the pocketbook will the drug industry understand the public's anger?
Osteoporosis meds may lead to bone jaw death -
According to chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Loyola Univeristy Medical Center, bisphosphonate drugs used to treat osteoporosis, such as Fosamax, Actonel, and Zometa, may create osteonecrosis. Osteocrenosis is where the bone tissue of the jaw fails to heal properly from any trauma that causes the jawbone to be exposed in the mouth, such as tooth extraction. The condition develops in patients who have been on the drugs for several years. Those taking the IV form is at greatest risk, while those taking orally are at lower risk, but should still tell their dentist before getting any preventive procedures.
Bonnie - it is always important to weigh risks of drugs vs. benefits. Not only do bisphosphonates cause g.i. distress to many, but the bone that is built is weak bone that can still shatter if broken. But now, possible death of jaw bone - is it really worth the risk when there are so many other ways to build strong bones that have no risk?
Antibiotics can double the risk of child asthma -
Researchers reviewed the health records of more than 12,000 children and found that giving antibiotics before the age of one doubled the chance of a child developing asthma. Antibiotics are commonly given to infants for ear infections, but the authors of a Canadian study said not every infection required this kind of treatment.
The data that appeared in Chest, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, also mentioned that multiple use of antibiotics in infants appeared to increase further the risk of developing asthma.
ADHD drug use in the US -
Use of attention deficit drugs rose nearly 19 percent among ages 20 to 44 in 2005 while falling 5 percent in children under 10, according to statistics released on Tuesday amid a U.S. review of the drugs' safety. Critics say ADHD drugs are overprescribed, especially among children. The safety of the medicines has faced growing scrutiny in recent months. In February, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel called for a strong "black-box" warning on ADHD medicines, saying they might increase the chances of cardiovascular problems in some patients.
On Wednesday, a different FDA advisory panel is set to review data on a possible link between ADHD therapies and heart problems, as well as psychiatric problems such as hallucinations in children. The FDA will consider the input from the panels before deciding whether to update warnings on the drug labels.
Steve - on the one hand, it is a relief to see that the number of children under 10 using ADHD drugs are falling. On the other hand, the meteoric rise in use by the 20-44 demographic is disturbing. Like we said in September of 2005 when similar statistics showed that ADHD drugs for adults was growing faster than almost any other class of medications, Big Pharma is betting on a large portion of the population taking them.
Changes to diets over the last 50 years may be playing a key role in the rise of mental illness, researchers say (refer to our 1/16/06 blog entry). Following a balanced eating blueprint like our Circle of Health is essential to minimize blood sugar ebbs and flows, which can cause extreme emotional highs and lows.
Tai Chi or other meditative/relaxation/breathing exercises can be very helpful for steady emotional disposition.
Food/Diet -
Soft drink weight gain warning -
US researchers were assessing if home deliveries of 'healthy' drinks such as bottled water helped. The study, published in Pediatrics, showed those who did not receive such drinks put on weight by about a pound per month. In the US study, researchers from the Children's Hospital Boston studied 103 children aged 13 to 18. Half received weekly deliveries of healthy drinks. At the end of six months, those receiving deliveries had cut their consumption of sugary drinks by 82%, while that of the other group remained unchanged. Researchers found that the heavier the teenager had been initially, the stronger the effect on
Dr Cara Ebbeling, who led the study, said: "Sugary beverages have no nutritional value and seem to make a huge contribution to weight gain.".
Some sushi can be dangerous -
Eli Saddler of gotmercury.org, went to six top sushi restaurants in Los Angeles to test mercury levels in the fish they serve. Tuna samples from six popular sushi restaurants in Los Angeles were taken to a Southern California lab for testing. They returned an average mercury level of 0.721 parts per million, about 88 percent higher than the reported Food and Drug Administration level of 0.383 ppm for all fresh and frozen tuna. A couple of samples had mercury levels the FDA has declared "unsafe for anyone to eat," Saddler said.
Steve - we just mentioned this in our How to Eat Healthy While Dining Out Action Plan. The tuna with the red color, especially, should be avoided. In fact, we recommend not eating any species of tuna at sushi restaurants because most of us still eat canned tuna at least once or twice weekly.
FDA looks to control all labeling -
In yet another example of our government railroading its constituents, the House passed the National Uniformity for Food Act, making the FDA the final authority for food all labeling.
The measure would nullify over 200 state laws governing the safety of meat, fish, milk, and a variety of other foods.
Consumer warnings about mercury in fish, arsenic in bottled water, lead in ceramic tableware and alcohol in candy are at jeopardy under the bill, said 39 state attorneys general in a letter to Congress last week. State health officers and agriculture departments said the bill would compromise their power to inspect food plants, order the clean-up of unsafe conditions or ban contaminated foods. Two consumer groups also warned of the far reach of the bill. The Grocery Manufacturers Association said critics misinterpreted the legislation. "By providing consistent, science-based food safety standards and warning requirements, all consumers will be able to have confidence in the safety of the food supply and the information on food labels, regardless of where they live," said GMA President Manly Molpus. The Senate must still approve the bill.
Steve - isn't it interesting that the Grocery Manufacturers Association is lauding the benefits of this bill? Of course they are. The food industry assembled more than half of the members of the House as co-sponsors to this bill. They also have the FDA in their back pocket evidenced with the shenanigans that lead up to the release of the new Food Pyramid.
The audacity of the House not to hold public hearings on the matter is shocking, given the outcry from consumer advocacy groups. Doesn't the FDA have enough problems already? If you want the FDA in complete control of your food safety, with no checks and balances by your state, then do nothing. Otherwise, contact your Senators and tell them to reject this bill.
Grass-fed beef healthier than conventional -
According to a study published by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that grass-fed cattle is consistently lower in total fat and higher in the "good" omega-3 fats. While it was a review study of 25 previous studies, so it must not be accepted as totally accurate, it is the first comprehensive analysis of fat levels in grass-fed versus grain-fed beef.
It makes sense that cows who eat grass, which is what they were meant to eat, create healthier meat. While cows who eat grains, which is not what they were meant to eat, produce a less healthy meat.
Now don't pig out on a ton of grass-fed beef! Eat any kind of red meat in moderation. The amount of omega-3 in grass-fed beef is small compared to that of wild-caught salmon or fish oil supplements.
Can food change your genes? -
"Absolutely," according to physician Mark Hyman, who's comments appeared in the March 19th issue of Parade Magazine. In the future, a drop of your blood placed on a special DNA chip will predict the diseases to which you are genetically predisposed. This field is called nutrigenomics. Once your disease genes are known, if you follow a preventive diet and lifestyle, you will be able to "switch off" your disease-producing genes so that the disease may not present itself.
Examples:
Insulin Resistance (the obesity disease) - to prevent: eating mostly unprocessed foods like lean protein such as poultry, wild-caught fish such as salmon and sardines, wholeraw/cooked fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, and nuts/seeds. Folic Acid deficiency - affects up to half of all Americans; problem for dementia, many cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, birth defects, autism, and depression. You may have folate deficiency if you have a family history of heart attack (even with normal lipids), dementia, breast/colon/cervical cancer, spina bifida, down syndrome, and depression. Getting your homocysteine level checked is helpful, and testing for the folate gene is becoming more commonplace. Continuously taking 800 mcg of folic acid with 25 mcg vitamin B-6 and 50-100 mcg of vitamin B-12, while limiting coffee/alcohol and no smoking will help. Also, supplementing with the two other folate co-enzymes (5-formyl methyltetrahydrofolate and L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate) will be added insurance that you are absorbing your folate. Low vitamin D - affects up to 40% of all Americans as a result of spending our lives indoors and using sunscreen. Many physicians now routinely test for vitamin D levels. Gluten sensitivity: the great masquerader - 30% of Americans may develop some form of sensitivity to gluten. It often goes undiagnosed as another inflammatory disease. Testing for celiac disease and gluten intolerance is becoming much more commonplace as a disease to rule out.
Bonnie - I can attest to this. Both of my parents were diabetic by age 48 with every family member on my father's side having the disease. I was heading in that direction by age 18, but fortunately, it has not been expressed by age 59 due to the dietary and nutritional supplement protocol including magnesium and chromium.
Steve - we do have the possibility to test for certain genes that can been aided by dietary and lifestyle change. Contact us at 847-509-1336 for more information.
Calcium and dairy unlikely to aid in weight-loss -
A new study does not support the theory that a boost in calcium intake or dairy consumption is useful for maintaining or losing weight. "Media have been promoting dairy to lose weight and therefore this topic has gained a lot of importance," Dr. Swapni N. Rajpathak, who led the study, told Reuters Health. "At this time, there is not enough justification to increase dairy intake to lose weight," the researcher warned. Rajpathak, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York and colleagues looked for links between baseline calcium intake and change in calcium intake and weight change over time in about 43,000 healthy middle-aged men participating in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study -- a prospective study launched in 1986 to evaluate the role of diet in chronic diseases. After taking into account multiple potentially confounding factors, baseline or change in intake of total calcium was not significantly associated with a change in weight, the team reports in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "We found that men who increased their dairy/calcium intake did not lose more weight -- in fact, they gained slightly more weight -- in the 12-year period," Rajpathak told Reuters Health. This was primarily due to an increase in high-fat dairy intake. Increasing calcium in the diet as a means to lose weight is not advisable, the researcher said. SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2006.
Steve - this is an independent, long-running, prestigious, and large population study. It trounces the positive data that the Dairy Council boasts, which are two tiny university studies that they funded themselves.
Lifestyle -
Public Health -
Most Americans getting substandard healthcare -
All Americans are at risk for receiving substandard health care, regardless of their gender, race, income or even insurance status, a new study shows. And while disparities do exist between groups, they pale in comparison to a more general treatment gap: Overall, those surveyed got 54.9 percent of the care experts recommend for their condition. "There's no question that disparities exist, but the big variations are not between groups, but between what people are getting and what people should be getting," said study author Dr. Steven M. Asch, of Rand Health. "Everyone, men and women, rich and poor, insured and uninsured, is at risk. No matter who you are, it's almost a flip of the coin as to whether you get the care that experts want for you." The findings, reported in the March 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, are a clarion call for updating a fragmented health-care system and for making technology more available within this system, the researchers noted. The study, conducted by Rand Health, is the third in a series on health-care quality in the United States. The two previous publications found that Americans receive only about half of recommended care, regardless of their geographical location. Information tecnhonolgy may be the way to improve this. According to Asch, the Veterans Affairs system is already using upgraded information technology and "care has improved dramatically," to about two-thirds of veterans now receiving recommended care. "We wouldn't tolerate this in almost any other sector of society," he continued. "We wouldn't tolerate it if a pilot had to memorize his preflight checklist before he flew cross country. It's a complicated thing to give medical care, and to do it right you need assistance."
Courtesy of HealthDay News
Bonnie - this is a sad state of affairs in a country that spends the most on healthcare in the world! The slowly turning trend toward prevention, and technology to a degree, will be the keys to stem this tide.
Harvard Heart Letter rates food pyramis -
A year ago this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled MyPyramid,
its replacement for the outdated food pyramid. But although it redecorated and renamed the old pyramid,
the USDA didn't carry out the necessary changes needed to offer clear information on strategies
for healthful eating, reports the April issue of the Harvard Heart Letter.
MyPyramid fails to convey key messages from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
the document that the food pyramid is supposed to represent, and it makes some recommendations
that aren't the best nutrition advice, says the Harvard Heart Letter. For example, the guidelines recommend
cutting back on animal fats, avoiding harmful trans fats, and limiting intake of salt and added sugars.
MyPyramid only urges you to "choose wisely" when it comes to fat and carbohydrates.
When all is said and done, MyPyramid is not an unbiased source of information.
It comes solely from the USDA, the government agency that promotes American agriculture.
Steve - well, well, well! It is nice to see that someone else has not given up the fight.
If you don't want to take our word for it, how about seeing Harvard blast MyPyramid!
Allergies reach epidemic levels in Europe -
Allergies such as hay fever are reaching epidemic proportions in Europe and a failure to treat them properly is creating a mounting bill for society and the healthcare system, experts said on Friday. Around one third of the European population has some kind of allergy, while one in two children in Britain will have allergies by 2015, costing millions of euros in medical bills, lost work days and even impaired concentration in school pupils. Experts say various factors such as air pollution, animal fur and dust mites could act as triggers for allergies but that the levels of allergic reaction vary from country to country. Allergies were most prevalent in Britain and Ireland, as well as other English speaking countries like Canada, Australia and the United States.
"We have valid data that one third of European Union people have allergies but only 10 percent of these millions of people are treated well," Zuberbier said, adding that around 40 percent of children with untreated hay fever will develop asthma. The GALEN network has established standard practice across Europe in diagnosing allergies and it has now begun to draw up guidelines on how best to treat the conditions.
Steve - one extremely important guideline that needs to be included is addressing the cross-reaction between foods and environmental allergens. Bonnie and I could not emphasize this more. The food we eat dramatically increases the severity of allergens we are exposed to environmentally. In addition, the less variety we have in our diet, the worse our allergies will get. It is not a coincidence that while corn, wheat, dairy and soy products appear more in our food supply, the number of allergy sufferers increase. Until this is taken seriously, allergies will continue to get
worse.
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