Health News Tidbits

Health News Tidbits – May 2002

Expert Panel Casts Doubt on Benefits From Hormone Replacement -
A National Institutes of Health Report called the International Position Paper on Women's Health and Menopause casts doubt on longstanding claims that hormone replacement in postmenopausal women can prevent or treat a variety of ills, including heart disease, Alzheimer's, major depression, urinary incontinence, and broken bones due to osteoporosis. The panel's only recommendation for hormone therapy is to relieve hot flashes and night sweats.

Benefits of Cranberries Role in Urinary Tract Health -
In several separate studies, cranberries' phenolic compounds had the highest antioxidant capacity among 20 fruits which neutralize harmful free radicals, hence, being toxic to cancer tumor cells. Cranberries may also act as natural probiotics by enabling good bacteria in the GI tract to thrive, while killing off bad bacteria. Another study further supported previous research on cranberries' benefits in preventing urinary tract infections. American Chemical Society 223rd Annual Meeting, Experimental Biology 2002

Strep Bacteria Resist Antibiotic -
For the first time, doctors have documented a large-scale U.S. outbreak of antibiotic-resistant strep-throat - an episode involving 46 Pittsburgh schoolchildren. The antibiotic was erythromycin. According to the CDC, it may be occurring in other places across the country. NEJM, April 17, 2002

Experiments Strengthen Link Between Fish Oil, Mental Problems -
According to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, infant monkeys fed baby formulas supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids were stronger and more alert at less than a week old than monkeys given standard baby formula. By the time they were adolescents, those that had been deprived of omega-3 were showing signs of physical quirks that have been used to predict with unusual accuracy whether human teenagers will someday be incarcerated.

Green Tea Extract Polyphenol May Have a Protective Effect on Parkinson's Disease-
At the 2002 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, researchers boasted green tea's protective effect on Parkinson's disease. The study demonstrates the protective mechanism: green tea polyphenol prevents cell death by blocking entry of environmental neurotoxin into the cell. More studies are forthcoming.

FDA Orders New Vioxx Labeling -
The FDA ordered new precautions onto Vioxx's label, linking the drug to high blood pressure and a small increase of heart attacks.

Zoloft™ Found No Better Than Placebo in Treating Moderate to Severe Depression -
In this National Institutes of Health sponsored study of 340 patients, the placebo was considered as effective as the setraline, the active ingredient in Zoloft™. JAMA. 2002;287:1807-1814

Prozac Possible Link to Brain Tumors -
Scientists have discovered that Prozac may stimulate the growth of brain tumors by blocking the body's natural ability to kill cancer cells. Researchers found evidence to suggest cancer cells can be killed by "positive thinking," which could be blocked when people take Prozac. Prozac prevents the cancer cell's ability to commit suicide. Blood, April 1 2002, Vol. 99, No.7, pp. 2545-2553.

Vitamin D Gets High Grade For Treating Heart Disease -

Women over age 65 who took vitamin D had nearly one-third less risk of dying from heart disease as women who did not take supplements according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Asia Pacific Scientific Forum.

Vitamin D May Protect Against Wide Variety Cancers -

According to a study published this month in the journal Cancer, a there was a significant association between lack of UV light and increased risk of several different types of cancer, including breast, prostate, colon, ovary, bladder, esophageal, kidney, lung, pancreatic, stomach, uterine, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Using these statistics, the author estimated that this was responsible for 21,700 premature cancer deaths in the white population, 1400 for black Americans, and 500 for Asian Americans. UV exposure is the number one way to receive vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is a particularly risk in people living in northern latitudes. Many researchers have found potentially cancer-preventing actions of vitamin D.

Mercury Ups Heart Disease Risk -
Finnish men with the highest concentrations of mercury in their hair also had the highest death rates from cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Asia Pacific Scientific Forum. Contaminated fish, dental amalgams, vaccines, and environmental factors are known sources of mercury.

Lycopene May Contribute to Women's Heart Health -

Data compiled from the Harvard Women's Health Study suggests that lycopene, an antioxidant in tomatoes, may reduce the risk of heart disease in middle aged and older women by as much as 33%. They tested plasma lycopene levels of 500 women who developed heart disease and 500 who did not. Those with the highest levels of plasma lycopene had the lowest risk of developing heart disease. American College of Cardiology Annual Meeting

Curcumin Spice May Help Tackle Cancer -

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, can enhance the natural fighting power of treatment with TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand), a naturally occurring molecule that helps kill cancer cells. In an experiment with human prostate cancer cells in a laboratory dish, the combination killed off two to three times more cells (80% of cells) than either treatment alone. American Association for Cancer Research

Three Studies Show Benefits of Fish on Heart Health -

Omega-3 fatty acids, derived from fish, main effect is calming potentially lethal irregular rhythms, says the American Heart Association.

Based on the long-term, 22,000-memebr Physician's Health Study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, even men who have no apparent heart disease are far less likely to suffer sudden cardiac death with omega-3 consumption.

Data from the 84,000 women Harvard Nurse's Health Study, published in Journal of American Medical Association, mentions that women who eat fish regularly have nearly one-third fewer heart attacks than women who rarely eat fish.

An 11,000 participant Italian study published in Journal Circulation, says that heart-attack survivors who took fish oil supplements had only half the level of sudden cardiac death within the first four months of treatment as those who did not get supplements.

Fatty Acid Effective Against Depression -
According to a clinical trial published in the American Journal of Psychiatry 2002;159:477-9, addition of 2 grams EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) from fish oil to twenty patients already on medication for depression reported 50% reduction in symptoms. No changes were seen inn the placebo group. No side effects were reported.

Fatty Acid Could Offset Postpartum Depression and Improve Babies' Development -
Pregnant or nursing women may be able to reduce their chances of developing postpartum depression and improve the neurological development of their babies by increasing their consumption of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), found in fish and algae. US women consume roughly 40-50 mg of DHA in their daily diet, compared to about 200 mg for European women and 600 mg for Japanese women. Annual Meeting of American Chemical Society

Multivitamin and Trace Elements May Reduce Risk of Lung Infections in Elderly -
Elderly who take a daily nutritional supplement containing all essential vitamins and minerals may reduce their risk of developing bronchitis and pneumonia. The study showed that participants taking the supplement had a 52% reduction in the number of days feeling ill due to respiratory infections and a 54% decrease in the number of days of antibiotic use, compared with those taking placebo. Nutrition Research 2002;22:85-7

Multivitamin Boosts Immune System in Middle-Age Adults -
Middle aged-adults who take a daily nutritional supplement containing all essential vitamins and minerals may improve their immune function. The study showed that participants taking the supplement had a 53% reduction in the number of days feeling ill due to illness. Nutrition Research 2002;22:5-11

Link Between Gum Disease and Heart Disease Gets More Support -
Researchers found that people with heart disease are more likely to have antibodies in their bloodstreams against many bacteria associated with periodontal disease than people who do not have heart disease. The more different antibodies, the higher the risk (for example, three types as opposed to one type). US Centers for Disease Control

Lactobacillus Acidophilus Safe and Effective Therapy for Acute Diarrhea in Children-
A reduction in diarrhea duration of .7 days and a reduction in diarrhea frequency of 1.6 stools on day two of treatment occurred in the participants who received Lactobacillus compared with those who received placebo. Pediatrics Vol. 109 No.4 April 2002.

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