HHAL MEDICAL NEWS NOVEMBER 2011
OMEGA-3
Reduces Anxiety And Inflammation In Healthy Students
A recent study gauging the impact of consuming more fish
oil showed a marked reduction both in inflammation and, surprisingly, in anxiety among a cohort of healthy young people.
The research, supported by the Ohio State University Center
for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), was conducted by a team of scientists that has spent more than three decades
investigating links between psychological stress and immunity.
"The findings suggest that if young people can get improvements from dietary supplements, then the elderly and people at high risk for certain diseases might benefit even more," said
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and author of the study, which was published this month in the journal Brain,
Behavior and Immunity.
Eat Like A Caveman To Lose
Weight
Researchers from
UCSF say that their research has shown people on a diet of high protein and plenty of vegetables show dramatic health improvements,
including weight loss without exercising profusely and lowerblood pressure. In short it's the diet of our caveman ancestors thousands of years ago who were what is termed
"Hunter Gathers".
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=237563
A Scientific Study Describes New Benefits Of Nut Consumption
A recent scientific study has revealed the relationship
between nut consumption and a high level of serotonin
metabolites (an important neurotransmitter)
in patients with metabolic syndrome, who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease. The article, published in the Journal of Proteome.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=237624
Effect of Two Intensive Statin
Regimens on Progression of Coronary Disease
High doses of the drugs resulted in similar degrees of atherosclerosis regression, despite
greater reductions in LDL levels with rosuvastatin.
CONCLUSIONS
Maximal doses of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin resulted in significant regression
of coronary atherosclerosis. Despite the lower level of LDL cholesterol and the higher
level of HDL cholesterol achieved with rosuvastatin, a similar degree of regression of PAV was observed in the two treatment
groups.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1110874?query=TOC
Diet, Genes, and Stroke Risk:
Another Look at Homocysteine and Folate
A genetic analysis and a meta-analysis suggest that lowering homocysteine levels reduces stroke risk more in low-folate
regions than in areas with folate fortification, and that folate status modifies the effect of MTHFR alleles on stroke risk.
The MTHFR 677C T polymorphism is associated with elevated homocysteine levels and with increased stroke risk. Vitamin
therapy with folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 lowers homocysteine levels; however,
randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin therapy for elevated homocysteine levels have not shown reductions in stroke
risk (Arch Intern Med 2010; 170:1622). Folate consumption affects serum homocysteine levels and varies by geographic region.
The RCTs evaluating the effect of homocysteine lowering on stroke risk were predominantly performed in areas with folic acid
supplementation, which could explain the lack of benefit.
To investigate the potential modifying
effect of folate status on the association between the MTHFR 677C T variant and stroke risk, researchers reassessed genetic studies that
included data for homocysteine concentration and stroke. The investigators compared their genetic-analysis findings with a
meta-analysis of 13 RCTs of homocysteine-lowering treatments to reduce stroke risk and found the following:
·
The effect of the MTHFR 677C T polymorphism on homocysteine
concentration was modified substantially by folate consumption: The effect was larger in low-folate areas (e.g., Asia) than
in areas with folate fortification (e.g., the U.S.).
· The effect of the MTHFR 677C T polymorphism on stroke risk was also larger in low-folate regions than in areas with folate
fortification.
· In an analysis limited to only large studies, the
authors predicted that lowering homocysteine levels would reduce stroke risk more in low-folate regions than in areas with
folate fortification.
Mysterious
Leg Lesions? Ask About Pedicures
Nail salon footbaths are implicated in furunculosis caused by
atypical mycobacteria.
Despite
our near-constant exposure to rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacteria (RGM), which are common colonizers of water supply
systems, these organisms seldom make us sick. Or perhaps they do so more often than we recognize.
Spurred by two local cases of RGM leg furunculosis apparently acquired in nail salons,North
Carolina researchers combed public health records of two counties for
additional cases during a 4-year period; they found 40 confirmed or probable cases in women and teenage girls, whose single
or multiple leg lesions were caused most often by organisms in the Mycobacterium
chelonae/abscessus group. The researchers visited some of the implicated
nail salons, where they noted debris or visible biofilms in the footbaths more commonly than they did when they visited control
salons without associated cases. However, footbath water samples yielded organisms in 15 of 24 salons, with no differences
between case and control salons
Prompt Surgery After Onset Of Lumbar Disc Herniation
Symptoms Better For Patients
For patients with herniated lumbar disc, symptoms such
as pain, function, general health, work status and patient satisfaction, were substantially worse if patients had experienced
symptoms for over six months before treatment compared with patients whose symptoms appeared less than half a year before
treatment reports a new study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=236759
FDA: Trilipix May Not Lower
Risk for MI, Stroke
Trilipix (fenofibric acid) may
not reduce the risk for MI or stroke, the FDA announced on Wednesday.
In its safety alert, the agency pointed to the ACCORD Lipid trial, in which patients with type
2 diabetes who took fenofibrate plus simvastatin had no significant reduction in major cardiovascular events compared with
those who took simvastatin alone. The FDA has added the ACCORD data to the Trilipix label and is mandating that the manufacturer
conduct a trial to examine the cardiovascular effects of the drug in high-risk patients already taking statins.
FDA MedWatch alert
The Women Not Benefiting From Breast Cancer Treatment
it seems that more elderly women are not party to the benefits that should be provided by
the new treatments available - this new data will provide researchers with a targeted age group to focus on in the future.
Atherosclerosis
Reduced By Watermelon In Animal Model
In a recent study by University
of Kentucky researchers, watermelon was shown to reduce atherosclerosis in animals.
The animal model used
for the study involved mice with diet-induced high cholesterol. A control group was given water to drink, while the experimental
group was given watermelon juice. By week eight of the study, the animals given watermelon juice had lower body weight than
the control group, due to decrease of fat mass. They experienced no decrease in lean mass. Plasma cholesterol concentrations
were significantly lower in the experimental group, with modestly reduced intermediate and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
concentrations as compared to the control group.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=236736
Green Tea May Lower "Bad" Cholesterol, New Analysis
A new analysis of published studies finds that consuming green tea,
either as a beverage or in capsule form, is linked to significant but modest reductions in total and LDL or "bad" cholesterol, but the researchers found no link with HDL or "good" cholesterol and triglycerides.
Dr Olivia J. Phung, of the College of Pharmacy at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California, and colleagues,
write about their findings in the November issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/237831.php
Asymptomatic Bradycardia
Does Not Predict Mortality in Older Adults
In a single-center cohort,
untreated bradycardia in adults older than 60 was associated with eventual pacemaker placement but did not increase mortality
risk.
Goldberger JJ et al. Am
J Cardiol 2011 Sep 15; 108:857
Chondroitin
Sulfate Holds Promise for Hand Osteoarthritis
The drug conferred moderate symptom relief, compared with placebo.
In randomized trials, chondroitin sulfate has not been much more
effective than placebo for patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis (JW Gen Med Oct 7 2010). Now, Swiss researchers have examined whether
chondroitin relieves pain in hand osteoarthritis; they randomized 162 patients with symptomatic and radiographically documented
osteoarthritis of multiple hand joints to receive either chondroitin sulfate (800 mg daily) or placebo.
At 6 months, the mean reduction in pain on a 100-mm visual analog scale (mean baseline score, 54 mm)
was 20 mm in the chondroitin group versus 11 mm in the placebo group — a significant difference. Improvement in a hand
function score was also significantly greater with chondroitin than with placebo. Grip strength and use of rescue acetaminophen
did not differ between groups.
Gabay C et al. Arthritis Rheum 2011 Nov 63:3383
Statins After Stroke
or TIA: More Evidence of Benefits
A substudy of the SPARCL trial indicates that patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack benefit from
statin therapy regardless of baseline diabetes.
The Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol
Levels (SPARCL) trial showed that statin therapy reduces stroke recurrence and cardiovascular morbidity in patients without
known coronary heart disease or other indication for statins .To determine whether patients with diabetes derive greater or
lesser benefit from statins than other patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), the SPARCL investigators have
performed manufacturer-funded, prespecified subgroup analyses of patients with and without type 2 diabetes.
The
SPARCL trial included patients who had had a stroke or TIA within 1 to 6 months before randomization to atorvastatin or placebo
and had a baseline LDL cholesterol level of 100 to 190 mg/dL. Among patients with baseline diabetes, those receiving 80 mg
of atorvastatin daily had a 12.9% risk for ischemic stroke over almost 5 years, compared with 19.6% among those assigned to
placebo. For patients without diabetes, the risk for ischemic stroke was 8.6% with atorvastatin and 9.9% with placebo. Rates
of coronary events were significantly reduced by atorvastatin in both groups. Statistical tests for interaction revealed no
significant variation in the benefit of atorvastatin between those with and those without diabetes.
Callahan A et al. Arch Neurol 2011 Oct 68:1245
Serum
Cholesterol Might Not Affect Mortality in Elders
In healthy older persons,
high cholesterol levels were associated with lower noncardiovascular-related mortality.
Newson RS et al. J Am Geriatr
Soc 2011 Oct 59:1779
Statin Shows Long-Term Continuing
Benefits, No Increased Cancer Risk
Long-term use of simvastatin
is associated with continuing protection against major cardiovascular events and is not associated with an increased cancer
risk, according to a Lancetstudy.
Heart Protection
Study researchers examined 11-year follow-up data on some 20,000 high-risk patients randomized to simvastatin or placebo for
5 years. The risk reduction found with statin use continued to the 11th year of follow-up, after treatment had stopped for
6 years. There was no added risk for death from cancer or other nonvascular causes, even among older patients.
Commentators write that concerns over increased risks for cancer and nonvascular
mortality "should be put to rest and doctors should feel reassured" about statins' long-term safety.
Lancet article
Eating Dairy Foods May Improve Bone Health During
Diet And Exercise In Overweight Premenopausal Women
A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that consumption of dairy foods and higher protein resulted in improvements in markers of bone formation and reductions in markers of bone degradation
in overweight and obese young women over 16 weeks of diet- and exercise-induced weight loss.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=237411
Which Exercises
Are Best For Elderly People?
Some of the essentials for performing the most ordinary daily and many recreational activities
are good balance and mobility. The act of balancing is a complex task involving co-ordination between the body's muscles
and sensors, which are part of the body's nervous system. Older people have a reduced ability to keep in balance due to
a combination of various factors, including stiff joints, reduced muscle strength, delayed reaction times and changes in the
sensory system.
Researchers identified one or more of the following activities
from the exercises programs to improve balance:
· three-dimensional exercises, including
Tai Chi, dance and yoga
· exercise
focusing on a person's walking, balance and co-ordination
·
general physical activity such as walking or cycling
·
strengthening exercises
·
exercise with vibrating platforms
· computerized
balance training using visual feedback
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=237374
Sex A Significant Predictor Of Happiness Among Married Seniors
The more often older married
individuals engage in sexual activity, the more likely they are to be happy with both their lives and marriages, according
to new research presented in Boston at The Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) 64th Annual Scientific Meeting.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=237994
Slowing The Aging Process In Fruit Flies Has Implications For Human
Aging
UCLA life scientists have
identified a gene that slows the aging process.
The biologists, working with fruit flies, activated a gene called PGC-1, which increases the activity of mitochondria, the tiny power generators in
cells that control cell growth and tell cells when to live and die.
"We took
this gene and boosted its activity in different cells and tissues of the fly and asked whether this impacts the aging process,"
said David Walker, an assistant professor of integrative biology and physiology at UCLA and a senior author of the study.
"We discovered that when we boost PGC-1 within the fly's digestive tract, the fly lives significantly longer. We
also studied neurons, muscle and other tissue types and did not findlife extension; this is telling us there is something important about the digestive tract."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=237385
Clues
To Immunity, Wound Healing And Tumor Biology Provided By Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide isn't just that bottled colorless liquid in the back of the medicine cabinet that's
used occasionally for cleaning scraped knees and cut fingers.
It's also a natural chemical in the body that rallies at wound sites, jump-starting immune
cells into a series of events.
A
burst of hydrogen peroxide causes neutrophils, the immune system's first responders, to rush to the wound to fight microorganisms,
remove damaged tissue and then start the inflammation process.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
researchers now have discovered the molecular sensor that detects wound-induced hydrogen peroxide and orchestrates the marshaling
of neutrophils and other immune cells, or leukocytes, including those that affect tumors.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=238070
Afternoon Sleepiness? Protein, Not Sugar, Keeps Us Awake
A new study finds that protein, not sugar, stimulates certain brain cells into keeping us awake, and also,
by telling the body to burn calories, keeping us thin. Study leader Dr Denis Burdakov, from the University of Cambridge in
the UK, and colleagues, write about their findings in the 17 November issue of Neuron. They suggest their discovery will increase understanding of obesity and sleep disorders.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=237990
Weight Loss Undermined By
Mid-Morning Snacks
Adult females who are dieting in
order to lose weight, may find their pounds come off much more slowly if they have a snack between their breakfast and lunch,
researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center reported in the Journal
of the American Dietetic Association. The authors suggest that a dietary weight-loss intervention should carefully
consider the effects of timing, frequency, and snack quality on weight loss.
Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D. and team
carried out a 12-month long study and found that dieters who ate a healthy breakfast which was not followed by a mid-morning
snack lost an average of 11% of their bodyweight, compared to only 7% for women who did snack between breakfast and lunch.
In this study, a snack is any food or drink that is eaten or drunk between meals.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=238320
Moderate Alcohol Intake Linked
To Lower Female Diabetes Risk
Females in middle age who drink
alcohol moderately and consume large amounts of refined carbohydrates have a 30% lower chance of developing diabetes type
2, compared to women with similar dietary habits who don't drink, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health
wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Examples of refined
carbohydrate foods include sugary drinks, white bread, some pastas, and (polished) white rice.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=238253
Not All Dietary Fibers Are Equal for Lowering Colorectal Cancer Risk
Whole grain and cereal fibers were linked with lower risk
for colorectal cancer; fruits, vegetables, and legumes were not.
A new study published on bmj.com demonstrates that eating high- fiber diet,
particularly cereal and whole grains, is linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Worldwide, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, with 1.2 million new cases diagnosed every
year.
Although it is known that eating dietary fiber and whole grains helps to protect against cardiovascular disease, its
link to colorectal cancer risk is
less apparent. Researchers have toyed with the idea that the risk of colorectal cancer could be reduced through dietary fiber
for nearly 40 years now, yet studies attempting to explain the link have so far only produced inconsistent results.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=237519
How Prevalent Is
Pulmonary Thrombosis During Acute Chest Syndrome?
In a French study, PT occurred in 17%
of ACS episodes.
Mekontso Dessap A et al. Am
J Respir Crit Care Med 2011 Nov 1; 184:1022
Concomitant
Use of Cholinesterase Inhibitors and Anticholinergics
These drugs antagonize each
other but frequently are prescribed together.
Patients with dementia sometimes receive both cholinesterase inhibitors (e.g., donepezil [Aricept and generics]) and
anticholinergic drugs (e.g., bowel and bladder antispasmodics, antihistamines with anticholinergic properties). However, these
two drug classes have opposing biochemical effects. To determine the prevalence of concomitant use of these agents, researchers
analyzed databases from two large U.S. integrated healthcare delivery systems.
Of 5625 patients who used cholinesterase inhibitors, 37% received one or more anticholinergic drugs
simultaneously. The median duration of overlapping use was 4 months. Nearly a quarter of patients already were taking an anticholinergic
drug when the cholinesterase inhibitor was initiated; in these cases, the anticholinergic drug usually was continued.
Boudreau DM et al. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011
Nov 59:2069
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22091958?dopt=Abstract
Further Evidence
That Route of Estrogen Administration Affects VTE Risk
Another retrospective study
shows that risk for venous thromboembolism is lower with transdermal estrogen than with oral
estrogen.
Americans
Have Put On 20 Pounds In 20 Years
http://mnt.to/l/43j3
Unlocking
Bacteria's Beneficial Side
http://mnt.to/l/43h9
Wi-Fi Laptops Harm Sperm Motility And
Increase Sperm DNA Fragmentation
http://mnt.to/l/43ks
Metformin Prevents Tumors From Growing In Human Cultures
An inexpensive drug that treats Type-2 diabetes has been shown to prevent a number of
natural and man-made chemicals from stimulating the growth of breast cancer cells, according to a newly published study by
a Michigan State University researcher.
The research, led by pediatrics professor James Trosko and colleagues
from South Korea's Seoul National University, provides biological evidence for previously reported epidemiological surveys
that long-term use of the drug metformin for Type-2 diabetes reduces the risk of diabetes-associated cancers, such as breast
cancers.
The research appears in the current edition of PLoS One.
"People with Type-2 diabetes are known to be at high risk for several diabetes-associated
cancers, such as breast, liver and pancreatic cancers," said Trosko, a professor in the College of Human Medicine's
Department of Pediatrics and Human Development. "While metformin has been shown in population studies to reduce the risk
of these cancers, there was no evidence of how it worked."
For the study, Trosko and colleagues focused
on the concept that cancers originate from adult human stem cells and that there are many natural and man-made chemicals that
enhance the growth of breast cancer cells.
Using culture dishes, they grew miniature human breast tumors,
or mammospheres, that activated a certain stem cell gene (Oct4A). Then the mammospheres were exposed to natural estrogen -
a known growth factor and potential breast tumor promoter - and man-made chemicals that are known to promote tumors or disrupt
the endocrine system.
The team found that estrogen and the chemicals caused the mammospheres to increase
in numbers and size. However, with metformin added, the numbers and size of the mammospheres were dramatically reduced. While
each of the chemicals enhanced growth by different means, metformin seemed to be able to inhibit their stimulated growth in
all cases.
"While future studies are needed to understand the exact mechanism by which metformin works
to reduce the growth of breast cancers, this study reveals the need to determine if the drug might be used as a preventive
drug and for individuals who have no indication of any existing cancers," he said.
"Though we still
do not know the exact molecular mechanism by which it works, metformin seems to dramatically affect how estrogen and endocrine-disrupting
chemicals cause the pre-existing breast cancers to grow."
In addition, further research needs to be
done with human cultures to see if metformin can reduce the risk of pancreatic and liver cancers in Type-2 diabetics as well,
he said.
Consumption Of Processed Meats Associated With Prostate Cancer
Increased consumption of ground beef or processed meat is positively associated with aggressive prostate cancer, according to a study published in the online journal PLoS ONE.
The research team, led by John Witte of University of California,
San Francisco, also found that the correlation was primarily driven by red meat that was
grilled or barbequed, especially when well done.
They suggest that this
result, which was determined based on the meat consumption habits of about 1,000 male participants, is due to increased levels
of carcinogens in meat prepared these ways. The report furthers previous findings of the correlation between meat consumption
and prostate cancer, and may help determine particular compounds that could be targeted for prostate cancer prevention.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/238203.php
Exercise
May Encourage Healthy Eating Via Brain Changes
Exercise may encourage
healthy eating by changing parts of the brain that influence impulsive behaviour, according to a new review of the available
literature by researchers from Spain and the US published in Obesity Reviews.
The researchers conclude that in a society where we are surrounded by temptations and triggers that facilitate over-eating
and excess, the part of the brain responsible for "inhibitory control" undergoes "relentless strain" (they
note it has limited capacity anyway), and doing exercise on a regular basis enhances it.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=238191
Gene Finding May Help Scientists
Combat Obesity And Diabetes
Against the backdrop of the
growing epidemic of obesity in the United States, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have
made an important new discovery regarding a specific gene that plays an important role in keeping a steady balance between
our food intake and energy expenditure. The study may help scientists better understand the keys to fighting obesity and related
disorders such as diabetes.
The study, which was published in the November 25, 2011 print edition of The Journal of Biological Chemistry,focused on the
melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R), which normally responds to signals of nutrient intake.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=238206
Excess Bleeding
Risk in Patients Taking SSRIs plus Antiplatelet Drugs
An interaction was noted in patients with coronary
disease.
Release
of serotonin by platelets enhances platelet aggregation at sites of vascular damage. By depleting platelets of serotonin,
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) thus impair platelet function. In several observational studies, SSRIs were
associated with elevated risk for bleeding, but these studies did not focus specifically on interactions between SSRIs and
other antiplatelet drugs.
In this population-based retrospective
study, researchers examined data on all 27,000 patients (age, 50) in Quebec who were discharged from hospitals after myocardial infarctions between 1997 and
2007. During average follow-up of 3 years, about 4% of patients were hospitalized for bleeding. In analyses adjusted for potential
confounders, bleeding risk was elevated by about 50% in patients who took an SSRI plus aspirin or clopidogrel (vs. aspirin
or clopidogrel alone) and in those who took an SSRI plus dual antiplatelet therapy (vs. dual antiplatelet therapy alone).
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/183/16/1835.full?linkType=FULL&resid=183/16/1835&journalCode=cmaj
Thromboprophlyaxis: No help to high-risk patients
Extended pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis in high-risk Medical Service patients
did not reduce symptomatic deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. There was a higher incidence of all-cause death and
major bleeding episodes in patients receiving extended prophylaxis. The American Journal of Medicine
Diuretics in Acute Heart Failure: Friend or Foe?
Many patients with acute decompensated heart failure do not respond to diuretics
and may even experience worsening kidney function following aggressive diuretic administration. Recent clinical studies suggest
that ultrafiltration may have an important role in overcoming diuretic resistance. This paper reviews key studies evaluating
the role of ultrafiltration in individuals with decompensated heart failure. American Journal of Kidney Diseases
What the right diet can do -- and how much -- in heart disease
Medicated secondary prevention patients show evident, though small, responses
to both the Mediterranean and the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diets. The data show
improved markers of redox homeostasis and metabolic effects, potentially related to atheroprotection. The American Journal of Cardiology
High blood glucose levels up colorectal cancer risk
in older women
Postmenopausal women with the highest blood glucose levels were nearly twice
as likely to develop colorectal cancer over 12 years than those who had the lowest levels, a study showed. Researchers examined
4,500 women ages 50 to 70 and found that 35 patients in the "high" group -- not quite high enough to be diabetic
-- developed colorectal cancer by the end of the study period, compared with only 18 in the "low" group. The findings
appear in the British Journal of Cancer. MyHealthNewsDaily.com
Whatever the cardiometabolic risks, physical activity helps
This study concluded physical activity was associated with a lower risk
of cardiovascular disease mortality independent of traditional and inflammatory risk factors. Taken together, these results
suggest that physical activity may protect against cardiovascular disease mortality regardless of the presence of metabolic
risk factors. The American Journal of Cardiology
Study ties low vitamin D levels, higher heart disease risk for women
An estimated 15% of vitamin D-deficient women either died or experienced
heart failure, heart attack or stroke during a 16-year study period, compared with 10.2% of women who were not deficient,
researchers reported at an American Heart Association meeting. The findings, based on data on more than 2,000 postmenopausal
white women ages 45 to 58, also showed that women with low vitamin D levels had higher triglyceride and fasting glucose levels
and a higher body mass index. HealthDay News
§
Weight, exercise affect colorectal cancer risk, study says
The risk of developing colorectal
cancer is significantly higher for older adults who are overweight, especially if they do not exercise, according to a study
in the American Journal of Epidemiology that followed patients for 16 years. Researchers from Maastricht University in the
Netherlands said waist size was the biggest risk factor for men but only was a big risk factor inwomen who did not exercise regularly. Reuters
§
High fiber intake is tied to lower diabetes, heart risks in teens
Consuming
a large amount of fiber from vegetables and whole grains is associated with a lower chance of having risk factors for diabetes
and heart disease in teens, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Researchers
examined the diet of more than 2,000 12- to 19-year-olds and found that 9% of those who ate the least amount of fiber had
metabolic syndrome, compared with 3% of those with the highest fiber intake.Yahoo!/Reuters
Aspirin: The wonder drug ... now for colorectal cancer
600 mg aspirin per day for a
mean of 25 months substantially reduced cancer incidence after 55·7 months in carriers of hereditary colorectal cancer.
Further studies are needed to establish the optimum dose and duration of aspirin treatment. (Free registration required.) The Lancet
Obesity, fractures and postmenopause
These results demonstrate that
obesity is not protective against fracture in postmenopausal women and is associated with increased risk of ankle and upper
leg fractures. The American Journal of Medicine
Study: Excessive alcohol intake is linked to stomach cancer risk
Men who
were heavy drinkers were more than twice as likely than their light-drinking counterparts to be diagnosed with stomach cancer, a European analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed. However, the findings did
not prove alcohol itself caused stomach cancer, experts said. Reuters
