From eNewsletter 6/24/2019
DID YOU KNOW that concerns about conflicts of interest in commercially funded research are well founded?
Using the Coca-Cola Company as an example, researchers in the May issue of Journal of Public Health Policy explored its research agreements. Freedom of Information requests identified 87,013 pages of documents, including five agreements between Coca-Cola and public institutions in the United States, and Canada.
Provisions gave Coca-Cola the right to review research in advance of publication as well as control over study data, disclosure of results and acknowledgement of Coca-Cola funding.
Some agreements specified that Coca-Cola had the ultimate decision about any publication of peer-reviewed papers prior to its approval of the researchers' final report. If so desired, Coca-Cola can thus prevent publication of unfavorable research.
This is why we very rarely cite commercially funded research. And when we do cite commercially funded research, we always disclose it.
STRESS AND CVD IN YOUNG PEOPLE
Steve and Bonnie: Researchers publishing in the April issue of BMJ suggest that people with stress related disorders were at elevated risk of multiple types of cardiovascular disease, especially early onset ones (incident age less than 50).
The risk of severe and acute cardiovascular events (i.e., heart attack) were highest during the period adjacent to the diagnosis of a stress related disorder, indicating the first six months after diagnosis as a high risk time window.
Likewise, the excess relative risks of other studied cardiovascular diseases were more pronounced during the first year after diagnosis of a stress related disorder than thereafter.
Notably, although the highest point estimates were consistently noted for PTSD, other stress related disorders also conferred a considerably increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The association applies equally to men and women and is independent of familial factors, history of somatic/psychiatric diseases, and psychiatric conditions.
The findings call for enhanced clinical awareness and, if verified, monitoring or early intervention among patients with recently diagnosed stress related disorders.
This is why exercise, stress management techniques, and stress reducing food and supplements need to be staples of one's daily lifestyle.
DEEP DIVE: CANDIDA ALBICANS
Steve: Candida albicans is a yeast that occurs naturally in the body. Candida is a single-celled organism, spherical in shape, and capable of rapid multiplication by cell division (similar to the yeast cells that ferment fruit sugars to produce wines, and cereals to raise bread)...this article is reserved for NCI Well Connect Members. You can get this article by signing up here. You can get our free eNewsletter by signing up at the top of our website.
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