Health News Tidbits

Health News Tidbits – August 2004

Popular Soft Drinks Bad for Teeth -
Researchers at the University of Maryland Dental School studied how Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, and canned Arizona iced tea affected tooth enamel. Diet sodas were just as bad as regular sodas, and canned iced tea caused 30 times the damage of fresh-brewed tea or coffee. The worst offenders were noncolas like Mountain Dew, which caused two to five times as much damage as cola drinks. The main culprits are believed to be Citric Acid, Malic, and Tartaric Acids, that are added to impart tartness to the drinks. The one soft drink that caused virtually no harm to the teeth was A&W Root Beer, which has the fewest flavor additives. Time 7/29/04

Tea Drinkers Have Lower Blood Pressure -
According to a Taiwanese study taking a randomly chosen sample of 1500 healthy men showed that the odds of developing hypertension were cut almost half among those who drank one small cup a day, and by about two-thirds among those who drank 20 ounces or more daily. There was no difference between those who drank green or black tea.
The Archives of Internal Medicine 7/27/2004

Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act Passes -
Grocery shopping will be easier foe the estimated two million Americans with food allergies. The Food Allergen Act, scheduled to take effect in 2006, requires food companies to use the common names of the eight most prevalent food allergens - milk, shellfish, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, and soy. Currently, little-known synonyms keep many allergens hidden. The bill also requires manufacturers to list allergens in spices, flavorings, and additives. WashingtonPost.com 7/27/2004

Foods Can Prevent Gut Cancers -
The British Institute of Food Research have looked at many studies relating to how diet can assist in gut cancer prevention. Fruit and vegetables top the list, which contain fiber, folic acid, enzymes, polyunsaturated fatty acids, plant flavanoids, and gut fermentation sources. The Institute recommends at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. BBC News 7/26/2004

Caffeine Interferes With Diabetes Control -
A small Duke University study of 14 habitual coffee drinkers with type 2 diabetes showed a spiked increase in glucose (21%) and insulin (48%) after eating a meal with caffeine capsules. The subjects showed no increase when they took just caffeine capsules with no meal. Researchers believe caffeine impairs the metabolism of meals, in which diabetics already have a metabolizing deficiency.
Journal Diabetes Care July 2004

Schizophrenia Drug Maker Makes Misleading Claims -
Janssen Pharmaceutica Products LP, the makers of the popular medicine Risperdal, has sent a two page letter notifying doctors that it had minimized potentially fatal safety risks and had made misleading claims about the drug in promotional materials. Last year, the FDA issued a directive claiming Janssen minimized the risk of strokes, diabetes, and other fatal complications, as well as several boys in Florida who developed lactating breasts after taking the drugs. Risperdal, first marketed 8 years ago, is the leading drug used to combat schizophrenia and other types of psychotic disorders, is prescribed to more than 10 million people worldwide, and totals $2.1 billion in annual sales.
Washington Post 7/26/2004

For Some, Aspirin May Not Help Hearts -
For the more than twenty million Americans taking aspirin daily, evidence suggests that between five to forty percent are "nonresponsive" or "resistant" to the medicine, which means aspirin does not inhibit their blood from clotting. The vast majority of doctors do not test patients for aspirin resistance, which are now readily available by blood or urine. A study published last year in The Journal of American College of Cardiology showed that patients deemed aspirin resistant had three times the rate of death, heart attack, or stroke compared to nonresistant patients.
New York Times 7/20/04

DHA Levels Linked to Advanced Attention Development in Infants -
A recent study found that infants whose mothers' had higher blood levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at birth showed more mature forms of attention during their first two years of development. DHA supports an infant's brain and eye development. Reported studies have consistently shown that women's diets in the U.S. have one of the lowest levels of DHA in the world. Journal Child Development, July/August 2004

Groups Blast New Cholesterol Guidelines -
Consumer groups, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, blasted new cholesterol guidelines as being tainted by the influence of major pharmaceuticals that make blockbusters such as Lipitor and Pravachol. At least six of the nine top cholesterol experts who wrote the new guidelines have received consulting fees, research money, or other support from the makers of the most widely used anti-cholesterol drugs. What has drawn the ire of the public is that the guidelines did not provide disclosure of the conflicts of interest. The new guidelines would add seven million more Americans to the 36 million already on cholesterol-lowering medication totaling $26 billion in annual sales. WashingtonPost.com 7/19/04

Vitamin May Help Ward Off Alzheimer's -
A team from the Chicago Institute for healthy Aging found niacin - vitamin B3 - was linked to a reduced risk of age-related mental decline. Looking at diets of almost 4,000 people aged 65 and over between 1993 and 2002, none with any history of Alzheimer's, researchers found that those with the lowest food intake of niacin (around 12.6 mg daily) were 80% more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's than those with the highest intake (22.4 mg daily). This is the first study looking into the niacin-Alzheimer's connection. Journal of Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 7/19/2004

Artificial Sweeteners a Mixed Bag -
According to Dr. Jeanette Newton Keith, a gastroenterologist and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine, she counsels patients to avoid the non-nutritive sweeteners entirely. She says, "While there are a lot of industry-sponsored safety studies on these substances, I do not believe there is enough independent research to tell us whether we should be using them in moderation or at all."
"A Puzzle That Gets Sweeter and Sweeter." Chicago Tribune, 7/14/2004

Diet Linked With Endometriosis Risk -
Women may be able to lower their risk of endometriosis by eating more fresh fruit and green vegetables. However, eating red meat and ham may increase the risk. Based upon data taken from 500 women with clinically confirmed endometriosis and 500 women with no history of the disease, researchers found that there was a 40% relative reduction in risk in women with the highest consumption of green vegetables and fresh fruit.
Journal Human Reproduction 7/14/2004

False Flu Vaccination Information Found -
Forced upon by FDA action, GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of hepatitis vaccine's Havrix, Twinrix, and Energix-B, admitted printing false and misleading information about administering the flu vaccine instructions on their hepatitis labels. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends flu vaccines for healthy people aged 5 to 49. The GlaxoSmithKline chart recommended the vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old and for adults up to 50. According to the FDA, the chart "creates a serious health public concern because it could lead to incorrect administration" of the live attenuated influenza vaccine to pregnant women with medical problems and very young children - for which the vaccine is not shown to be safe. The wrong information was of particular concern because it "was distributed during the height of the flu season." Adding insult to injury, Glaxo failed to list critical safety warnings, including adverse reactions and medical conditions that should prevent some patients from getting the hepatitis vaccine, the FDA said. fda.gov (warning letters)

Vioxx in High Doses Increases Risk of Hypertension and Heart Disease -
The evidence grows linking chronic, high dose (50mg.) consumption of the arthritis pain reliever Vioxx and high blood pressure and risk of serious health problems. Researchers at Vanderbilt University studied 40,000 participants over age 49 taking NSAID's including ibuprofen, naproxen, Celebrex, and Vioxx. Of those receiving over 25mg. of Vioxx daily, 15 percent had been treated for congestive heart failure during the previous 12 months, and 22 percent had been treated for other forms of heart disease. Journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, June 2004

Cough Medicines Have No Benefit -
Night-time cough and sleep quality were not better with cough mixtures than with a simple, non-medicated syrup. Echoing the results of this study, the British Thoracic Society said "Cough medications don't do any harm to people who take them, but...neither do they have any medical benefits beyond those of non-medicated syrup." Pediatrics 7/6/04

Vitamin D Deficiency May Cause Periodontal Disease -
A small study of male and female subjects showed those with the highest vitamin D levels had the lowest risk of periodontal disease and those with the lowest levels of vitamin D had the highest risk of the disease. Am J Clin Nutr July 2004

Nuts Lower Risk of Gallstone Disease -
Frequent nut consumption is associated with up to a 75% reduction of cholecystectomy (gallstone removal), according to the prestigious Nurses' Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr July 2004

Artificial Sweetener May Disrupt Body's Ability to Count Calories-
According to Purdue researchers, being able to automatically match caloric intake with caloric need depends on the body's ability to learn that the taste and feel of food by the mouth suggests the appropriate intake. This may be impaired by artificial sweeteners, according to two separate rat studies.
International Journal of Obesity, July 2004

Dept Agriculture Considering Removing Refined Grains (Processed Grains) From Food Pyramid -
The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, which is participating in the Agriculture Department's process of revising the food pyramid, is urging them to remove refined grains, which includes white bread. Specifically, they are calling for cutbacks on refined grains by 51 percent in men and 39 percent in women.
Department of Agriculture 7/13/04

Aspirin Shows No Benefit as Heart Failure Therapy -
According to a 627 heart failure patient study, a worse outcome was seen among those randomized to aspirin for a number of secondary outcomes. Significantly more patients randomized to aspirin were hospitalized for cardiovascular reasons, especially worsening heart failure. That said, researchers conclude that there is no evidence that aspirin is effective or safe in patients with heart failure. American Heart Journal, July 2004

The Truth About Crestor: is Crestor Dangerous and if so, why? www.medicationsense.com

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