Health News Tidbits

Health News Tidbits – July 2002

American Medical Association Recommends Daily Multivitamin for All -
Two Harvard Medical School doctors recommend that everybody, regardless of age or health status, take a daily multivitamin/mineral. In two articles in the June 19th issue, the physicians reviewed studies published between 1966 and 2002 that investigated the links between vitamin intake and diseases such as cancer and coronary heart disease. The physicians go on to suggest that vegans, who may not get enough vitamin D and B-12, need to take a multi. In addition, as people age, they become less able to absorb vitamins and minerals from their diet and should take a multi.
JAMA 2002;287:3116-

Special Comment from Bonnie regarding AMA recommendation:
Ever since the American Medical Association began, the consensus was "if you eat a healthy diet, you don't need vitamins; you'll just get expensive urine." Well folks, I'm pleased to say that they've finally stated publicly what at least 1/3 of all Americans already know. You need to supplement certain vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent disease. For instance, folic acid taken nearly in pregnancy can help birth defects, as well as cut risk of certain cancers and heart disease. Vitamin E has been found to reduce cancer risk. Vitamin D, calcium , and magnesium have been shown to decrease the risks of bone loss and fractures in the elderly.

Celebrex and Vioxx Damage Your Bones -

Some painkilling drugs may delay or even prevent the healing of fractures. Ibuprofen and indomethacin delay bone healing by about one to two weeks in rats, which is the equivalent to slowing it down by 25 to 50 percent in humans. None of the rats treated with Vioxx managed to heal their bones. In those treated with Celebrex, none managed to completely heal their bones but about half had some form of bone regrowth. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research June, 2002 17:963

COX 2 Inhibitors Superior to Traditional Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs? -
A British Medical Journal review claims that Celebrex and Vioxx do not show a lower incidence of symptomatic ulcers than traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which was one of the main reasons why the FDA approved these medications. BMJ claims the widely used JAMA study showing the benefits of Celebrex and Vioxx was flawed. Note that the lauded JAMA study was funded by Celebrex's manufacturer Pharmacia. Firstly, the author's explanations for serious irregularities were inadequate and discounted. Secondly, the flawed findings published in the original article appear to be widely distributed and believed. British Medical Journal, June 2002, Volume 324

Foods Containing Vitamin C, E May Cut Alzheimer's Risk -
According to two studies in the June 26th issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, eating nuts, leafy green vegetables and other foods rich in antioxidants such as vitamin E may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. Researchers say the connection stems from antioxidants ability to block the effects of oxygen molecules called free radicals, which can damage cells. Both studies found strong effects from vitamin C and E in particular. In one study, those eating vitamin E foods faced a 70% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than those not eating vitamin E foods.

Moderate PSA Scores "Clinically Useless" -
Researchers at Stanford University clearly demonstrates that PSA testing is an unreliable indicator of prostate cancer risk. Scores between 2 and 9 are clinically useless in determining the size and severity of a tumor. Out of 875 participants who had prostates removed over 13 years, only 14% of tumors correlated with their PSA values. Journal of Urology 2002;167(1):103-11

Vitamin E Helps Prevent Prostate Cancer -
According to U of Rochester researchers, vitamin E performs two protective actions - by inhibiting one protein that attaches itself to the male hormone androgen, and also restricting another protein, prostate specific antigen, or PSA. When alpha tocopherol succinate was added to an androgen-blocking chemotherapy drug, the cancer cells grew more slowly than when the drug was used alone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 28, 2002;99:7408-7413

Cardiovascular Benefits of Long-Term Fruit and Vegetable Consumption -
A two decade National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey study, involving 9,608 adults ages 25-74, showed that stroke incidence (<27%) and mortality (<42%), as well as mortality from ischemic heart disease (<24%) and CVD (<27%), were all significantly reduced in those who consumed at least 3 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. American Journal of Nutrition 6/20/02

Americans Getting Fatter Younger -
A new study of 9,179 US adults shows 26% of men and 28% of women were obese by the time they were 35 to 37. Young adults are becoming obese faster. People born in 1964 became obese 26% to 28% faster than those born in 1957. In 1999, 27% of Americans were actually obese, while 61% weighed more than is healthy. Annals of Internal Medicine 6/18/2002

Eating Nuts Lessens Heart Risk -
Eating a handful of nuts (one ounce) twice or more per week may cut one's risk of deadly heart disease by 47% compared to those who did eat nuts at all. The 21,000 male doctor participant study, which began in 1982, also found a 30% lower risk of coronary heart disease risk among the nut eaters. Many types of nuts are a healthy source of unsaturated fats, magnesium, and vitamin E. U.S. Physicians' Health Study

Mixed Tocopherols Superior to Alpha-Tocopherol Alone -

According to a study in the May issue of Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, mixed tocopherol vitamin E may be superior at inhibiting lipid peroxidation, and thereby atheroscleroic cardiovascular disease, than alpha-tocopherol vitamin E alone. This study confirms what many nutrition experts have believed.

Vitamin D Supplements May Reduce Risk of Death and Heart Disease -

Results from a study done on 9,704 females, 4,273 of whom were taking vitamin D showed that 11.3 years later, the risk of death from coronary heart disease was 37% lower in women reported taking vitamins.

Journal Says OK to Drug Companies Paying Off Reviewers -
Editors at The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most respected medical journals America, announced June 12 that it would allow experts to comment on the effectiveness of a drug or device, even when the expert has a financial tie to the maker of that product under review. NEJM 2002;346:1901-1902

Mother's Habits Protect Tooth Decay in Their Children -
New York Researchers found that if mothers had high levels of mutans streptococci - bacteria known to contribute to dental decay - in their mouths, their 3-5 year-old children of mothers with low levels of these bacteria. If mothers had untreated tooth decay or those with low sugar consumption. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology June 2002

Soy Supplements May Help Control Blood Sugar -

32 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes were given either a dietary supplement containing soy or a similar preparation with no soy for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, the women taking the soy supplement showed significantly better control over their blood sugar, according to several standard test, and their levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein dropped. Annual Meeting American Diabetes Association 2002

Many Young Adults Lack Vitamin D -

Especially during winter months, young adults aged 18 to 29 have an equal to greater risk of vitamin D insufficiency than do older adults, especially during the winter. On the other hand, the 4 out of 10 study participants who reported taking daily multivitamin supplements in summer and winter months had vitamin D levels 30% higher than those who did not take the supplements. American Journal of Medicine June 2002

Researchers Claim Clinical Trials Are Reported With Misleading Statistics -
Researchers from U of California at Davis reviewed 359 randomized clinical trials of new treatments published between 1989 and 1998 in five major medical journals. They found most trials are reported in a misleading way, by reporting only relative risk reduction and not absolute risk reduction, which can make trials on drug side effects look more positive than they really are. British Medical Journal, Volume 324, 6/8/2002

American Heart Association Weighs in on Fat Substitutes -
The jury is still out on whether fat substitutes provide a health benefit, because individuals who use them seldom lose weight, according to a new American Heart Association statement published in June's Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

White Wine May Benefit Lungs -
A study done on 1,555 adults showed a positive association between both recent and lifetime wine intake and lung function. American Thoracic Society International Conference

More Vitamin C in Organic Oranges Than Conventional Oranges -
Organically grown oranges contain up to 30% more vitamin C than those grown conventionally. Great Lakes Regional meeting of the American Chemical Society

Eating Red Fruits & Vegetables May Help Prevent Cancer -
According to the National Cancer Institute, deep red or bright pink fruits and vegetables should be eaten routinely. Red and bright pink fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals, such as lycopene and anthocyanins, which reduce the risk of several types of cancers.

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