Health News Tidbits

Health News Tidbits – September

Soy-based Formulas Called Safe for Infants -
According to the largest study ever done (811 men and women) with regard to soy-based formula during infancy, soy-based formulas do not adversely affect overall health or reproductive function in early adulthood. The Journal of the American Medical Association article should reduce concerns that the estrogen-like compounds known as phytoestrogens pose a risk to developing infants.

Bayer Pulls Anti-Cholesterol Drug -
Baycol, a cholesterol-lowering drug otherwise known as statins, was pulled off the market because of muscle destruction linked to 31 U.S. deaths and at least nine more fatalities abroad. Every form of statin has been linked to reports of the muscle side effect called rhabdomyolysis. Anyone taking statins who suffer from muscle pain should report to their physician.

Bayer Says Baycol Linked to Muscle Weakness -
Germany's Bayer AG, the makers of Baycol, which was pulled from the U.S. market, confirmed a German government report that its anti-cholesterol lowering drug was linked to 1,100 cases of muscle weakness.

Lipitor May Suppress Immune System -
According to a Swiss research study that appeared in Nature Medicine, statins such as Lipitor, Mevacor, and Pravachol, which were used in the study, have been found to suppress the immune system cells known as helper T-cells.

Statin Drugs Do Not Benefit Bones -
Findings released at the 22nd annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research showed that post-menopausal women who took statins for three years or more derived no benefit in either bone mineral density or a reduced risk of fractures.

Half of Population Will Be Taking Statins -
Dr. Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., Dean and Medical Provost of Cornell University Medical College, told a press conference that he predicts that 50% of the entire U.S. population could be taking statin medication.

Cholesterol Drug May Impair Brain Function -
According to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh speaking at a meeting of the American Heart Association, patients taking the cholesterol-lowering medication Mevacor, paid less attention and had delayed psychomotor reflexes compared to those who were not taking the drug.

Public Citizen Urges Label Warnings for All Statins -
In response to the recent negative reports regarding statins, the Washington, DC-based consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has filed a petition with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to require stronger label warnings for all of the cholesterol-warning drugs.

B-Vitamin Supplements a Cost-Effective Way to Reduce Homocysteine -
According to a recent article in JAMA, folic acid and vitamin B-12 may be a cost-effective way to reduce blood levels of homocysteine. Data from the well-known Framingham study indicates that homocysteine levels have been on the decline since the FDA in 1998 required that all enriched grains produced in the U.S. contain 140mcg of folic acid per 100 grams of grain. The study also indicated that the consumption of fortified grains would reduce homocysteine levels on average by up to 11.9% in men and up to 8.9% in women. Even more dramatically, if taking vitamin B12 and folic acid as supplements, men were predicted to have as much as a 27% decrease and women as much as a 24% decline in homocysteine.

Newer Anti-inflammatory Drugs (COX-2 Inhibitors) May Increase Heart Disease Risk-
According to a recent JAMA study, COX-2 Inhibitors, that includes Vioxx® and Celebrex® which are being widely prescribed for arthritis sufferers, could increase the likelihood of suffering a cardiac event two-fold (including heart attack, unstable angina, or stroke). Authors of the study concluded that "available data raise a cautionary flag about the risk of cardiovascular events with COX-2 Inhibitors"'. While they suggest taking low-dose aspirin may assist with the potential cardiac events, the aspirin could negate one of the major benefits of the Inhibitors, to reduce drug-induced ulceration and bleeding.

Estrogen-Replacement Therapy Does Not Protect the Heart -
According to a new report by the American Heart Association Advisory Panel, ERT may not have a positive effect on the heart after all, and may even be harmful in some instances. The panel noted that among women with pre-existing heart disease, ERT did not reduce the risk of new cardiovascular events (coronary death or nonfatal heart attack). In fact, during the first year of one large study, there were 52% more cardiovascular events in women receiving ERT than in those receiving the placebo. In another study with women who did not have heart disease, administration of ERT as associated with small increases in the number of heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.

Australian Health Researchers Test Soy Diet, Find That Healthy Men Can Receive Heart Benefit -
The study that involved 180 healthy men between the ages 50 to 75 years. The soy protein isolate contained 40 grams protein and 118 mg isoflavones. After the three-month test period, the men who consumed soy protein had lower blood pressure and lower levels of cholesterol/triglycerides. This report appeared in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Higher Vitamin C Requirements for Younger Women -
According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C for healthy young women, currently set at 75 mg per day, should be increased to 90 mg per day.

Eating Right Protect Women's Hearts -
According to a study recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, women who have healthy diets have a significantly reduced risk of suffering a heart attack. Based on a large survey of 70,000 American women, 20% of those women on a healthy diet were 24% less likely to suffer a heart attack.

Prilosec depletes B12 absorption -
The very popular drug Prilosec has shown to decrease vitamin B12 absorption, possibly due to its effects on decreasing the production of intrinsic factor, which is needed for proper B12 absorption. For individuals with any current or family history of high homocysteine levels or Alzheimer's Disease should speak to their physician if taking Prilosec. Ann Pharmacother May 1999; 33:641-3

Drinking Tea Improves the Functioning of Arteries -
According to a published study in the August issue of Circulation, two cups per day of black tea improves the arteries ability to dilate. The authors also mentioned that caffeine did not have beneficial effects when tested alone. There is a component in the tea that has the dilating effect.

Does Dietary Potassium Prevent Stroke? -
People eating a diet low in potassium are 28% more likely than the general population to suffer a stroke, according to a study published this month in the journal Stroke.

Tea, Chocolate May Be Heart-Healthy Snacks -
Elderly men who consumed the most of the compounds called catechins, found in black tea, apples, and chocolate, were 51% less likely to die of ischemic heart disease over ten years, compared with men who did not. This study appeared in the August 1st issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Wheat Allergy Increases Risk of Death -
Celiac disease, a form of wheat allergy, doubles patients' risk of death, a new study in the August 4th issue of The Lancet, has found. The risks are particularly severe for patients who are diagnosed late in the disease and have not adhered to the gluten-free diet.

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