Health News Tidbits

Health News Tidbits – September 2003

Painkillers May Boost Miscarriage Risk -
Pregnant women taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen or aspirin) may increase their risk of having a miscarriage by 80% according to a study done on 1,055 women by the Kaiser Foundation Research Institute.
British Medical Journal, 8/15/03

Low-Carb Better Than Low-Fat for Teen Obesity -
A reduced-glycemic load diet is an effective alternative to the conventional low-fat diet in the treatment of adolescent obesity. The 16 adolescent study showed significantly more decrease in body mass with the reduced-glycemic load group than with the low-fat group. More importantly, there was no weight regain between 6 and 12 months after the study results were tabulated.
Arch Pediat & Adol Med, August 2003

Atherosclerosis in Kids Lowed by Vitamin C & E -
A diet rich in antioxidants can decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. The 15 children study included those who had high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), elevated total cholesterol, or elevated triglycerides. The children were put on a six month diet. After six weeks, half the group were given daily vitamin therapy, and the other half took the placebo. Improvements in lipid levels were seen in the children who took the daily vitamin therapy, while minimal improvement was seen in the placebo group.
Next Issue Circulation 2003

Low Saturated Fat/Plant Sterol Diet vs. Statin Therapy -
A diet combining low saturated/trans fat items with plant sterols and viscous fibers appears to be as effective as statin medications at reducing LDL cholesterol levels (30%) and C-reactive protein (28%). This 46 person study is the first of its kind to be published.
JAMA 2003;290:502-510.

Three New Studies About HRT -
A recent study published in The Lancet found that out of one million British women, 22% taking hormone replacement therapy had a higher risk of dying from breast cancer than those who had never taken the drugs. The risk wore off within a few years of stopping the treatments.
The Lancet 8/8/2003

Two new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that hormone replacement therapy did not protect women from heart disease, as once believed. One of the studies found that it may actually increase the incidence of heart attack (by 81% in the first year of the taking the hormones). The other study found that arteries clogged just as rapidly in women taking hormones as in women taking the placebo
New England Journal Medicine 8/6/2003

Magnesium Supplements May Help Reduce Stress -
If 80-90% of the nation is magnesium deficient, and magnesium is considered "nature's valium," it is no wonder that more research is currently shedding light on the fact that magnesium reduces stress and more Americans should supplement with an absorbable form on a daily basis. Dosage varies depending upon current intake in food and supplement regimens.
Health and Medicine Week, 8/4/2003

Vitamin C May Protect Against Ulcer-causing Bacteria -
The lower level of vitamin C in the blood, the more likely a person will become infected by Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that causes peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. The study collected samples from 7,000 American adults by the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Center for Disease Control.
J Amer Coll Nutr, 8/1/2003

Dentists Urge Change to Soft Drinks -
Dentists are urging soft drink manufacturers to consider adding calcium or other agents to their drinks to make them less harmful to teeth. Many soft drinks have high acidity and sugar, which can over time damage the protective layer around teeth. Dentist urged that in the interim, people could reduce their risk of tooth erosion by avoiding soft drinks altogether, consume them with meals, drink using a straw, and avoid drinking them at night.
British Dental Journal, 8/1/2003

Tooth Loss Linked to Heart Disease -
Researchers believe that loss of teeth could be linked to a condition called subclinical atherosclerosis. They studied over 700 men and women, aged 55 and older. It was found that those patients who had missing teeth were more likely to have plaque in their arteries. In those who lost up to nine teeth, 45% had carotid artery plaque. Other studies have suggested a link between gum disease and heart attacks and strokes.
Journal of the American Heart Association 7/31/03

Prostate Cancer Screening Flawed -
Prostate-Specific Antigen, known as PSA, a common blood test used to detect prostate cancer, misses up to 82% of cancers in men younger than 60 and 65% in those older than 60. The new study found that the levels used to trigger a biopsy are too high.
New England Journal of Medicine 7/24/03

The More Meals You Eat, the Lower Your Obesity Risk -
The greater number of eating episodes each day was associated with a lower risk of obesity. In contrast, skipping breakfast was associated with 4.5 times the risk of obesity. Of the 499 person study, those who reported four or more eating episodes per day experienced a significant 45% lower risk of obesity. In addition, subjects eating dinner away from home had a twofold increased risk of obesity. Finally, subjects who eat late in the evening may have an increased risk of obesity due to excess glucose stored in the body, which if not used, will ultimately turn into fat.
Am J Epidemiol 2003; 158:85-92

B-Vitamin Deficiency May Cause Depression -

Experts say that some people with depression may have an inability to metabolize the B-vitamin folate, intimating that folic acid supplementation may be warranted. Norwegian researchers found that those who had higher levels of homocysteine in their blood were twice as likely to be depressed. Homocysteine is a normal byproduct of metabolism, which folic acid breaks down. Abnormal homocysteine levels are also associated with heart disease and Alzheimer's.
Archives of General Psychiatry 2003;60:618-626

Eating Fish May Cut Alzheimer's Risk -
Researchers found that out of 815 people 65 and older who had fish once a week had a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer's than those who never or rarely ate fish. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Archives of Neurology, July 21 2003

Abnormally Fast Head Growth Linked With Autism -
According to the study, out of 48 children, those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder had larger heads than 84% of other healthy infants. It is has been suggested that abnormal head growth, and therefore the brain, during the first year of life may mean that an infant's brain is making jumbled connections that lead to the impaired functioning of autism. JAMA 7/15/03

Birth Defects Linked to Herbicides -
In a peer-reviewed journal of the National Institutes of Health, it has been found that babies born in wheat-producing counties were twice as likely to have birth defects as those born in rural counties with low wheat production. The study suggests that exposure to common herbicides applied to wheat may be responsible. Rural, agricultural counties with high wheat production which use herbicides showed significantly increased rates of birth defects. More telling, baby boys born during April-June - when herbicide application normally is in full swing - were nearly 5 times as likely to have birth defects than boys conceived during other times of the year.
Environmental Health Perspectives, July

Vitamins Could Prevent Pregnancy Danger -
A new British study will give 2400 expectant women at high-risk of pre-eclampsia vitamin supplements in an attempt to stop them from developing the condition. Other studies have indicated that vitamins aid in pre-eclampsia prevention. Results of the study will come out in two years.
BBC News 7/14/2003

High Levels of Pesticides in Children -
Children who consumed conventional produce and juice had six to nine times higher levels of pesticides in their systems than children who ate organic. Pesticides have been shown to be carcinogenic, damage the nervous system, hormonal system, and thyroid gland. Children at more at risk because they eat more relative to their size and their bodies are not able to filter out chemicals as easily as adults do.
Environmental Health Perspectives, July

Celiac Disease More Common -
Celiac disease (wheat intolerance), may affect as many as one in 99 children. The problem is diagnosing the disease. Researchers found that in the adults in this study, it took as many as 12 to 13 years after symptoms occurred for patients to be diagnosed. Undiagnosed celiac can result in osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, anemia, miscarriages and behavioral changes.
NEJM June 19, 2003;348:2517-2524,2568-2570

Stress Ages Immune System -
Stressful experiences can boost production of chemicals that regulate the body's immune system. Researchers measured levels of 119 older men and women's interleukin 6 (IL-6) who were caring for a spouse with dementia. When this chemical is increased through stress, it can contribute to heart disease, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and other age-related conditions. Over six years, levels of the chemical increased four times faster in the carers compared with 106 people not providing care.
Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Germs Stay in the Urinary Tract -
Millions of people have repeated urinary tract infections because new research shows that germs invade the bladder and build resistance to antibiotics and the body's own immune system. The National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Research study concentrated on e.coli bacteria. Chronic urinary tract infections are a major problem in the United States, especially in women. It is estimated that about half of all women will have at least one UTI during their lifetime and about 40% of them will have recurrent infections.
Journal Science, 7/3/2003

Reduce Dioxins Says National Academy of Science -
According to the Institute of Medicine, the U.S. government needs to help its citizens reduce their exposure to dioxins. Testing farm animals, feed, and crops should be the first order of business. Dioxins are widely found byproducts of many industries and have been linked to cancer and other health problems by disrupting hormone production. The Institute suggests the government should set limits for dioxins in the food supply.
Institute of Medicine

Tea Lowers Cholesterol -
Daily extracts of green and black tea can reduce cholesterol levels by up to 16%. In the Chinese study, 240 participants received either one tea extract capsule (150mg green tea extract, 75mg black tea extract, 150mg polyphenols) or placebo every day for 12 weeks. Those who took the tea extract achieved an average reduction of LDL cholesterol of 16%.
Archives of Internal Medicine, 6/26/03

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