Slow Eaters Win the Weight Race

It may seem obvious, but the faster you eat the more likely you are to overeat. Some observational studies support this notion. And you may know this – too well- from personal experience. A study, to appear in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, explains why eating fast may cause overeating. It has to do with hormones that act on the brain.

Eating is known to trigger the release of gut hormones, including peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which act on the hypothalamus in the brain to regulate appetite. This new study, by researchers from Greece and the U.K., however, is the first to look at how the speed at which you eat influences the release of these appetite-regulating hormones.

The study included 17 healthy people who, on one day, ate a big bowl of ice cream (the “test meal”) quickly (within five minutes), after fasting overnight. On a second day, they ate the ice cream slowly (within 30 minutes). Blood samples were taken before eating and then every 30 minutes after, for about three hours, to measure changes in hormone levels. As expected, the subjects had higher PYY and GLP-1 levels, and some reported feeling more full, when they ate slowly, compared to when they ate quickly. This generally held true in both normal-weight and overweight people.

The bottom line. The findings don’t guarantee that if you eat slowly you will eat less or lose weight (the researchers did not test this). Actually, many people who overeat do so in response to environmental, social, and/or psychological factors, not because they are hungry. Still, as the authors conclude, “The warning that we were given as children that `wolfing down your food will make you fat’ may in fact have a physiological explanation.”

Source: Healthcommunities

Meditating Your Way to Lower Blood Pressure

Meditation can be a powerful tool for alleviating anxiety and combating stress. Not only is it clear that people often report simply “feeling better” after meditating, but a new study suggests that the body really does respond physically to meditation. And, the numbers, measured in lower blood readings, may be there to prove it.

Researchers at American University, Washington, D.C., randomly assigned 298 college students to participate in a standardized transcendental meditation program or wait-listed control group for three months. They then identified a subgroup of students who were at risk for hypertension because their blood pressure was higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered hypertension.

Results, published in the American Journal of Hypertension showed that at-risk students who meditated lowered their systolic blood pressure by 5.0 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure by 2.8 mm Hg on average. Improvements of this magnitude, if sustained, could reduce the likelihood of these at-risk students developing hypertension by 52%, according to the authors of the study.

This is encouraging on several levels. For one, meditation had the strongest effect on the people who needed it most. Students who were not at risk for hypertension who meditated also improved, but not as much, while the control group’s blood pressure actually increased during the study. Secondly, it shows that, with the help of something as easy and accessible as meditation, you really can exert a measure of direct control over your blood pressure.

Finally, a couple caveats are in order: it’s safe to say that, like any other therapy, getting real results from meditation probably requires that you adhere to some sort of formal routine, as the participants in this study did. And, while meditation can be a great adjunctive or “add-on” therapy, it’s certainly no substitute for more conventional ones like blood pressure medications, eating healthfully, and regular exercise.

Source: Healthcommunities

Sugar May Boost Blood Pressure, Too

People with hypertension are bombarded with warnings about salt – and with good reason. Excess salt comsumption (more than 1,500 mg daily) increases water retention and raises blood pressure. However, the sweet side of the taste spectrum may also be contributing to high blood pressure. The culprit? High fructose corn syrup.

Over a period of three years, researchers from the University of Colorado’s Health Sciences Center analyzed the diets of roughly 4,500 adults ages 18 or older. All had normal blood pressure (<120/80 mm/Hg) at the beginning of the study. By the end of the study, people who reported consuming more than 74 grams of fructose daily faced a 28% higher risk of developing stage 2 hypertension (160/100 mm/Hg or greater) and had a 87% greater chance of being prehypertensive (120-139/80-89 mm/Hg) than those who consumed the least fructose.

Found in everything from soft drinks to dried fruit, high fructose corn syrup has become such a staple of the modern western diet that it may be impossible to avoid. But do your best. For one, it doesn’t seem to take much fructose to have a detrimental effect: 74 grams daily is about the equivalent of three regular soft drinks. Plus, many people in the study who didn’t consume much sodium on a regular basis still developed hypertension if they indulged in fructose. This indicates that sugar by itself is to blame, and not necessarily unhealthy eating habits in general.

Source: Healthcommunities

Surprising Findings About Milk & Kids’ Weight

Parents are routinely advised to switch to low-fat milk for kids once they reach age two – or as early as 12 months old for children at risk for being overweight or with a family history of heart disease, obesity or high cholesterol. But is it possible that children who drink full-fat milk on a daily basis have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) – the ratio of height to weight – than youngsters who rarely consume milk? That’s the conclusion of a thesis presented recently at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The study looked at the nutrition, bone mineralization and body composition of 120 healthy eight-year-olds in Sweden, and asked the children how often they consumed a variety of foods.

The researchers found that the full-fat milk drinkers weighed less, on average, than the infrequent milk-drinkers. The same failed to hold true for kids who drank low-fat or medium-fat milk. It’s true that the full-fat milk drinkers consumed more saturated fat than recommended, but they still had a lower BMI than kids with a lower fat intake.

The explanation? Researchers say they really don’t have the answer. One possibility: Kids who avoid full-fat milk may be consuming more sugary soft drinks, say the researchers. Or, the full-fat milk drinkers may be more likely to be eating other healthy foods.

Before making your decision about what kind of milk to serve your youngster, talk with your child’s pediatrician.

Is Smoking to Blame for Tot’s Behavior Problems?

Research in recent years has suggested that maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with behavior problems in boys born to those mothers. What’s been unclear is whether maternal smoking in pregnancy might also affect girls and at what ages problems in either gender might crop up. New research published online first in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggests that smoking during pregnancy can increase the risk of behavior issues in both boys and girls as young as three years old.

Researchers at the University of York, Hull-York Medical School in England, looked at questionnaires about more than 13,000 three-year-old boys and girls in the UK’s Millennium Cohort Study.

Nearly 10 percent of the moms in the study said they smoked heavily during their pregnancy and 12.5 percent reported smoking lightly. After accounting for factors such as family economic status, education level and maternal drinking or drug use, the researchers found that boys whose mothers smoked persistently throughout pregnancy were at significant risk of hyperactivity and behavior problems, compared to sons of non-smokers.

The young sons of lighter smokers (less than ten cigarettes a day) appeared to be at increased risk for attention-deficit problems, while the sons of heavier smokers were at higher risk for hyperactivity or behavior problems.

The risk for girls were evident but different: The daughters of mothers who smoked either lightly or heavily were at heightened risk only for conduct problems, not attention-deficit issues.

Dense and Dangerous

Women who have dense breast tissue are at far greater risk of breast cancer recurrence after a lumpectomy than women with the least dense breasts—particularly if they don’t follow the operation with a regimen of radiation. That’s the conclusion of researchers from Women’s College Research Institute in Toronto: “The composition of the breast tissue surrounding the breast cancer is important in predicting whether or not a breast cancer will return after surgery,” explains lead researcher Steven A. Narod, M.D.

He believes the study findings indicate that women with low breast density, who have a low chance of recurrence after surgery, may not need radiation, “but that women with high breast density could significantly benefit from the additional therapy.”

HOW PAIN, STRESS AND MEDICATION AFFECT SLEEP

The sensation of pain is very powerful and affects the normal process of sleep. When you’re in pain, it can be difficult to sleep due to the constant stimulation of your nervous system. Billions of dollars have been spent trying to control pain to allow someone to receive a normal night’s sleep. Significant numbers of individuals attempt to self-medicate or mix medications in an attempt to achieve sleep, which can have dangerous consequences.

When we sleep, our body breaks down various chemicals and forms a major sleep chemical known as serotonin. The activity of serotonin can be blocked by high levels of cortisol. Our bodies produce cortisol in direct relationship to the amount of stress we are under. Cortisol works as a very slow adrenaline and its presence will elevate the heart rate and mental alertness at all times of the day and night.

Prozac is a commonly prescribed anti-depressant drug that works by making your nerves more sensitive to serotonin. Many doctors will prescribe antidepressants long-term, which can lead to a hypersensitivity to serotonin. This is scientifically called serotonin syndrome, symptoms of which include changes in mental status (confusion, agitation, mania, anxiety, coma), cardiovascular dysfunction (irregular heartbeat, high or low blood pressure), gastrointestinal problems (nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, excessive appetite, cravings), movement problems (muscle spasms, muscle rigidity, restlessness, tremors, shaking, lack of coordination, shivering, seizures), dry mouth, unusual sweating and flu symptoms, just to mention a few. These symptoms will definitely not help you sleep; in fact, they will likely do just the opposite.

Source: Dr. David Ryan

11 WAYS TO GET A GREAT NIGHT’S SLEEP

1. Limit exercise and other stressful activities immediately before bedtime.

2. Remove all distractions from the bedroom that could keep you from sleeping (except a fan).

3. Organize your life so you can get to bed at a consistent time each night.

4. Try to sleep on a regular schedule: 4.5, 6, 7.5 or 9 hours is ideal because it marks the completion of a sleep cycle.

5. Buy a pedestal fan to help you sleep deeply; point it at your face (but not too close to cause sinus problems or cause you to stay awake).

6. Make sure your bed, mattress and pillow are comfortable enough to sleep through the night.

7. Don’t drink liquids so close to bedtime that you need to get up in the middle of the night.

8. If you absolutely need to fall asleep to TV, music or with lights on, program a sleep timer so they’ll go off at a certain time.

9. Minimize or eliminate medication use for pain/sleep/depression if possible (with doctor’s advice).

10. Use natural supplements (only if needed and with advice from your doctor).

11. If you’re experiencing sleep problems, talk to your doctor and keep a sleep journal for a few weeks.

Source: Dr. David Ryan

Stress and Asthma?

Stressful events, such as divorce, or having a personality that tends to fall on the neurotic side might increase your risk of developing asthma, reports German researchers.

The study published in the journal Allergy, used questionnaires to gather information on personality, stressful life events, and asthma diagnosis among more than 4,000 middle-aged adults. The participants answered these questionnaires (with questions such as: Do you have asthma? Are you currently unemployed?) between 1992 and 1995 and then, those who were still available, answered again in 2002 and 2003.

Among the participants, 334 or 6.8 percent reported asthma at baseline – and 68 more people (1.8 percent) developed the lung disorder after a median of 8.5 years according to the second questionnaire. Adults who were highly neurotic were three times as likely to have developed asthma as those with low neuroticism. Stressful life events, like breaking off a relationship, were also linked to higher rates of developing asthma.

Past studies have shown a link between personality, stress, and inflammation – and since chronic inflammation is the trademark of asthma, this could explain the link.

Source: Healthcommunities

Can You Spot the Warning Signs of Dyslexia?

Dyslexia or related learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD), often marked by reading difficulties, may affect as many as 15 percent of Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). Challenges in the ability to hear individual sounds in words – known as phonemic awareness – are often at the root of this condition, which is the most common of all learning disabilities. Do you know the signs of dyslexia?

With October as National Dyslexia month, experts are encouraging parents to educate themselves about the warning sign for the condition. Early identification and intervention is key. Children with dyslexia who receive early reading instruction have fewer problems achieving grade-level reading than those who don’t receive help until 3^rd grade or later, according to the Massachusetts Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.

Dyslexia warning signs, according to the International Dyslexia Association, include beginning to talk later than normal; poor reading comprehension and spelling; and challenges in learning to read, pronouncing or retrieving words or acquiring vocabulary; using grammar appropriately; differentiating sounds of letters, and putting ideas on paper. Children with dyslexia are likely to have several of the above characteristics.

Source: Healthcommunities

Time to Toss the Pacifier!

Time to take away the pacifier? Sucking on a pacifier or a bottle can be soothing for many babies. However, research from Patagonia, Chile, found that persistent sucking habits can increase the likelihood of speech disorders in preschoolers.

The study, published in the online journal BMC Pediatrics, looked at 128 children between the ages of three and five years old. They found that kids who stopped receiving bottles by nine months of age were less likely to develop speech disorders, while the babies who used a pacifier or sucked on their fingers for more than three years were three times more apt to develop speech difficulties.

Previous studies have found that sucking habits in early childhood may have an effect on the anatomy of the mouth, teeth and jaw. The takeaway: Altho ugh, as the researchers point out, this study is observational in nature and not conclusive, it suggests that extended sucking habits, aside from breatfeeding, may hamper the speech development of young children. According to previous research, breastfeeding, however, may actually help babies in the areas of speech and swallowing.

Source: Healthcommunities

Insomniacs Beware of High Blood Pressure

If you’re not sleeping well, it may be tempting to accept insomnia as a natural part of aging or the inevitable product of an active mind – but don’t ignore problems sleeping. Sleeplessness can have a profound impact on other aspects of your health, including your blood pressure.

That’s the message coming from researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons. In a September 2009 study, published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers analyzed health information on over 4,800 men and women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES 1). Remarkably, 24% of people ages 32 to 59 who slept five or fewer hours nightly went on to develop high blood pressure (hypertension) over a period of 8 to 10 years, compared to about half as many people who slept 7 to 8 hours per night.

It’s important to note that many people with poor sleep habits also had other risk factors for hypertension such as obesity, diabetes, smoking and lack of exercise – but this doesn’t discount the impact of sleep. Researchers controlled for these other factors and found that sleep had an “independent effect” on blood pressure. This suggests that even if you do everything else right (e.g., eat well, exercise, drink moderately, cut salt, and not smoke) you could still develop hypertension as a result of poor sleep; and this is all the more reason to talk to your doctor.

Source: Healthcommunities

Protect Your Child from Crash Injuries

New research published in the journal Pediatrics confirms what earlier studies have suggested: that using a booster seat can significantly improve child safety and reduce the likelihood of crash injuries in children between the ages of four and eight.

The new study, which looked at insurance claim data on auto accidents involving kids in 15 states and Washington, D.C., over a nine-year-period from 1998 to 2007, found that kids in seat belt-positioning booster seats were 45 percent less likely to be injured in a car crash than were the kids using standard car seat belts.

The researchers interviewed tens of thousands of parents or drivers in crashes in which kids were involved. The biggest benefit was seen in side-impact crashes, where the risk of injury from far-side crashes was reduced by a whopping 82 percent and the likelihood of injuries from near-side crashes was cut by 68 percent for kids who were in booster car seats. Injury rates for high-back and backless booster seats were similar.

Laws for booster car seat use vary from state to state. But the study authors suggest that doctors continue to recommend the use of boosters for kids until they are at least eight years of age or achieve a height of 4’ 9”.

Source: Healthcommunities

A Natural Way to Keep Your Arteries Healthy

As you get older your arteries – like your joints – tend to become stiffer and less elastic, a process that contributes to high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart disease. The good news: a simple exercise may keep your arteries in tip-top shape.

In a study published in the American Journal of Physiology, researchers in Japan measured trunk flexibility in 526 adults by asking them to touch their toes while sitting with their legs straight. They also took each participants’ blood pressure using the brachial ankle pulse wave velocity test – a comparison of blood pressure at the ankle, arm, neck and leg that indicates how well blood is flowing through the body. After analyzing the data, they found that those who could reach the furthest also tended to have the lowest blood pressure – and vice versa.

Why are flexible muscles linked to flexible arteries? It may be that people with lower blood pressure are also more likely to exercise, which improves flexibility as well as blood pressure. However, the authors of the study looked at other measures of general fitness, such as muscle strength, and found that people who were flexible but not particularly fit also tended to have lower blood pressure. Researchers suspect that the physiological process unleashed in your body from stretching might also contribute to arterial health.

Source: Healthcommunities

A Link Between Heart Disease and Hip Fractures

Heart disease and osteoporosis – bone loss characterized by an increased risk of fractures – have been thought of as independent disorders that are both common in older people. But a new study suggests that various forms of cardiovascular disease actually increase the risk of a future hip fracture.

Earlier studies established that stroke is a risk factor for hip fractures – with the most common explanation being that stroke increases the risk of falls. In this latest study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Swedish researchers analyzed data on 15,968 twins to determine if other forms of cardiovascular disease increase hip fracture risk – and if there is an underlying genetic predisposition for both conditions.

In their analysis, the rate of hip fractures was highest in subjects of both sexes who earlier had been diagnosed with stroke or heart failure, followed by those with ischemic heart disease. The rate was lowest for people without any cardiovascular disease. Among pairs of twins, those free of cardiovascular disease also had an increased rate of hip fracture if their co-twins had any of these health problems – and this link was strongest among identical twins, suggesting the likelihood of a genetic predisposition.

The researchers recommend that people with a recent diagnosis of cardiovascular disease have their risk of a future fracture evaluated with a bone scan and a checkup for clinical risk factors for bone loss and fractures.

Source: Healthcommunities

The Latest on Vitamins and Heart Attack Prevention

Taking supplements of folic acid and other B vitamins can lower homocysteine – an amino acid in the blood that, at elevated levels, is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular events. So scientists have been testing a popular hypothesis – that consuming B vitamins might offer protection against heart disease.

But a major review by the Cochrane Collaboration has shown that vitamin B supplements have no effect on preventing heart attacks or strokes. The review analyzed eight randomized clinical trials that included a total of 24,210 subjects who were at risk for heart disease or already had heart disease. The subjects took either B vitamins at varying dosages or a placebo. The B-vitamin supplements did not reduce the risk of developing heart attacks or strokes or of deaths associated with cardiovascular disease.

Of course, it’s important to get sufficient B vitamins through your diet. In addition, women who can become pregnant need at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to prevent birth defects – for which a supplement is usually recommended. But there is no reason to take supplements of folic acid or other B vitamins to lower homocysteine levels.

Source: Healthcommunities

Smile Patrol

The chronic joint inflammation that characterizes RA may play a role in triggering gum disease, according to a study out of the University of Queensland, Australia. But breaking the cycle by reducing gum inflammation can actually ease the pain associated with this autoimmune disease. Take time to find out about the association between RA and periodontal problems – and what you can do to break the cycle.

Examining 65 rheumatoid arthritis patients for periodontal disease – including gingivitis (gum disease) and erosion of the bone that supports the teeth – researchers in Brisbane, Australia, found that study participants had deeper pocketing (gaps between gum and tooth that is a sign of periodontal disease) and had lost more teeth than a control group without the chronic autoimmune disease. In fact, some studies indicate that people with rheumatoid arthritis are eight times more likely to have gum disease than people without RA. And, unfortunately, once periodontal problems start, they may be more difficult for people with arthritis to take of: Flossing and brushing the teeth, for example, can be hard to do with painful hands and fingers.

The good news is that working with your dentist to treat the inflammation and infection that accompanies gum disease can reduce painful, swollen and stiff joints that are symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. “It was exciting to find that if we eliminated infection and inflammation in the gums, then patients with a severe kind of active rheumatoid arthritis reported improvement in the signs and symptoms of that disease,” says Nabil Bissada, D.D.S., head of Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine’s periodontics department, who worked with Ali Askari, M.D., chairman of the department of rheumatology at Cleveland’s University Hospital on another recent study. The investigators identified a microbe in inflamed gums that produces a toxin linked to joint inflammation. “It gives us a new intervention,” says Bissada enthusiastically.

Source: Healthcommunities

Feeling Down? Speak Up!

Over the past decade, research into the interplay of chronic pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis and depression has revealed that there is a feedback loop – depression makes pain worse; arthritis pain makes depression worse. In addition, depression also increases the risk for functional problems in people with rheumatoid arthritis. According to researchers in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Manchester in the UK, among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, “a 10 percent reduction in ability to perform…valued activities is followed by a seven-fold increase in depression over the subsequent year.” Interestingly, the opposite is also true. “Depression,” they point out, “also precedes increases in disability, predicting poorer functional status, more disability days and more RA-related hospitalizations.” But this double association provides good news too, since making improvements in a person’s ability to move around and enjoy various activities can lessen depression; and lessening depression can make it easier for a person with rheumatoid arthritis to get around.

As the lead scientist of a recent Arthritis Foundation-funded study of depression, Mary Margaretten, M.D., says, “RA affects people both physically and psychologically. Given that having depressive symptoms along with another disease is known to worsen health outcomes, it is useful to figure out the cause(s) of depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.”

The bottom line? Make an effort to discuss both your mental outlook and your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms regularly with your health care providers and take steps to alleviate depression as soon as possible.

Source: Healthcommunities

Scientists Put Copper and Magnets to the Test

Trying to untangle the truth behind the oft-repeated claims that wearing a copper and/or magnetic bracelet can ease the joint pain associated with arthritis, researchers from the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York in the UK studied 45 people with arthritis who were 50 years of age or older. In this study, arthritis patients wore a wrist strap with a magnet (they had two different levels of magnetism), a demagnetized wrist strap, or a copper bracelet. Participants were then asked to rate their levels of arthritis pain over the course of the study. The result: The stiffness, pain, and lack of motion associated with arthritis were not reduced by the bracelets.

“It appears,” says Stewart Richmond, a research fellow at the University of York, “that any perceived benefit from wearing a magnetic or copper bracelet can be attributed to placebo effects.” The conjecture is that folks buy the bracelets when they are in a lot of pain, and as that pain eases over time they attribute the relief to the magic powers of the metal and magnet.

Source: Healthcommunities

Prevent Swine Flu – Good Advice

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memorial etc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W)..

The following message given by him, I feel makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know:

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).
3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt)… *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.* Neti pots and sinus rinse kits are available at the drug store and relatively inexpensive, under $15.

5. * Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Source: Dr. Vinay Goyal

Here’s Looking at You, Omega-3s

Omega-3 fats, the kind found in oily fish, have received a lot of attention for their heart benefits. Now, a new study from the National Eye Institute and George Washington University, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, links consumption of these fats to a reduced risk of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a chronic eye disease that affects more than 10 million Americans.

Of more than 1,800 people at moderate-to-high risk for advanced AMD, those who reported the highest omega-3 intake (mostly from seafood) were about 30% less likely to show a worsening of disease over a 12-year period than those with the lowest omega-3 intake. The association held true for the two types of macular degeneration – wet and dry. Omega-3 fats in fish may reduce inflammation associated with age-related macular degeneration, the authors note. Previous research has also linked omega-3s with reduced risk of AMD.

The study, however, does not prove that omega-3s caused the observed benefits (eating more omega-3s may be a marker of a healthier lifestyle in general), and the findings need to be confirmed. But this research offers one more reason, besides heart health, to eat fish – especially considering that current treatments for AMD are invasive, limited, and expensive, and can have serious side effects. Aim for at least two servings a week of fatty fish, such as wild salmon, sardines, and mackerel. The study did not look at the effects of fish oil supplements.

Source: Healthcommunities

Risky Food Business

A new report from the nonprofit watchdog group, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), identifies leafy greens as the riskiest food regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), followed by eggs, tuna, oysters, potatoes, cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts, and berries. The list does not include meat or poultry, which pose an even greater risk of foodborne illness such as food poisoning, but are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, not the FDA. The FDA oversees produce (e.g., vegetables, fruits), eggs, dairy products (e.g., milk, milk products), seafood, and most packaged foods.

Between 1990 and 2006, the “FDA Top Ten” foods accounted for nearly 1,500 food poisoning outbreaks across the United States, involving almost 50,000 reported cases of illness – about 40% of all foodborne outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated foods. You may be surprised to know that Salmonella and E.coli, which caused many of these outbreaks, are not just a problem in burgers and chicken. Leafy greens accounted for 24% of the outbreaks (363 outbreaks and 13,568 illnesses), while berries, at the bottom of the list, sickened 4,000 people. And these numbers are “ only the tip of the iceberg,” as many more cases of foodborne illness go unreported.

What to do: Don’t give up these healthy foods, but do take care when handling, preparing, and storing them. Wash all produce well – leafy greens, in particular, including bagged spinach and salad mixes (not such a “convenience” anymore); cook foods, including seafood and eggs (as well as meat and poultry, of course) to proper temperature or otherwise done. Pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immunity or in frail health should especially avoid raw milk products, raw seafood (including raw oysters), raw sprouts, and runny eggs. While the real fix must come from government and industry, the responsibility for food safety still ultimately rests with consumers.

Source: Healthcommunities

2009 Worst Cities for Fall Allergies

In many areas of the United States, October not only brings beautiful changing leaves and cooler weather, but also brings fall allergies. Each fall the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America puts together a list of the top 10 most challenging places to live for people with seasonal allergies and allergy symptoms.

To determine the most difficult places to live for people with fall allergies, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation looks at the following factors: the city’s pollen and mold levels; how long peak allergy season usually lasts; the number of allergy medications used by patients, such as antihistamines, nasal sprays, and oral drugs; and the number of allergy specialists in the area.

Here is a list of the top 10 worst cities in the United States or fall allergy sufferers:

1. McAllen, Texas

2. Wichita, Kansas

3. Louisville, Kentucky

4. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

5. Jackson, Mississippi

6. Dayton, Ohio

7. Augusta, Georgia

8. Tulsa, Oklahoma

9. Knoxville, Tennessee

10. Little Rock, Arkansas

Source: Healthcommunities

Genes and Your Inhaler?

If your child has asthma, chances are, you are quite familiar with salmeterol and albuterol, two popular beta-agonist medications used for long- and short- term control of symptoms and exacerbations. But recently, British researchers discovered that these medications might not work effectively if your child carries two copies of a certain gene.

This asthma research, which was published in the October issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, included more than 1,000 Scottish children and young adults with asthma ranging in age from 3 to 22.

At the start of the asthma study, researchers took a DNA sample to test for copies of the Arg16 allele – which, in previous research, has been linked to an increased risk of asthma exacerbations in kids. They also looked at lung function, frequency of asthma attacks, and asthma medication use over the previous six months.

Researchers found a 30% increase in asthma exacerbations among young people who had more than one copy of Arg16. This risk was strongest in kids who were using the short-acting reliever inhaler albuterol (i.e., Ventolin HFA) or the long-acting medication salmeterol (Serevent Diskus) more than once a day.

These results don’t mean your child should stop taking his or her albuterol or salmeterol inhaler. Instead, if your child needs to use his or her inhaler frequently throughout the day to prevent asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing, make an appointment with the doctor to discuss other asthma treatment options.

Source: Healthcommunities

Music to Your Heart

They say music can sooth the soul, but did you know it may also improve your heart health? Research presented at the 2009 European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain suggests music therapy reduces blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety in patients with acute coronary syndrome – any of a collection of symptoms, such as chest pain, brought on by sudden reduced blood flow to the heart. Even more significantly, the researchers found that music therapy was also effective at reducing the incidence of future heart-related events, including the big one: sudden death.

All of the patients in the study had heart issues serious enough to necessitate revascularization, a surgical procedure designed to restore blood flow where it has been compromised or limited. That meant they were at risk for a future coronary event not only because of their heart health status, but also because the fear of a potential repeat surgery likely increased their stress and anxiety, which is never good for the heart.

And what type of music did the patients listen to during the study? Classical music appeared to be the general preference, but the lead author of the study emphasizes that music therapy may actually have a negative effect if patients are forced to listen to music they don’t like, suggesting that the type of music (within reason) is not as important as whether you enjoy listening to it and how it affects your overall mood and stress levels.

So, whether you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, heart disease or a related heart condition, are at risk for any of the above, or just want to keep your cardiovascular system in the best shape possible (why wouldn’t you?), charge up your iPod and let your favorite tunes lead you down the road to a lifetime of health and wellness.

Source: To Your Health

3 Ways to Curb Hunger

DRINK WATER

Simply put, drinking water makes you feel full, which makes you less likely to overeat or “cheat” between meals. In addition to the many health benefits of drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day, water is recommended as a weight-loss aid – experts suggest drinking a full glass of water before eating a meal if you’re trying to drop pounds. Fill up with water and there won’t be room to gorge.

CONTROL STRESS

Stress is a major contributor to binge eating; think about the last time you were in a stressful situation; was food one of the things you relied on to relax? Comfort eating is prevalent in our stressful society, and it’s a dangerous thing; in fact, it may be one of the major reasons the majority of Americans are overweight and suffering from weight-related health problems.

EAT REGULARLY

It may sound counterintuitive, but it’s true: The more frequently you eat small, well-rounded meals, the less prone you are to hunger pangs. Eating 4-6 meals and snacks throughout the day keeps your blood glucose levels stabilized and continually feeds the body with fuel, which can help you avoid those sudden urges to down an entire container of ice cream or bag of chips.

Source: To Your Health

Depression Poses Dilemma for Pregnant Women

Pregnant women suffering from depression face a dilemma: take an antidepressant that might pose a risk to the fetus or battle through the depressive symptoms that could harm the baby in other ways?

To help women in this predicament decide on a course of action, experts from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) teamed up to review existing data and make recommendations for managing depression during pregnancy.

Unfortunately, existing data are limited, given that pregnant women are rarely recruited for clinical trials. There is no data, for example, from the kind of randomized controlled trials considered the gold standard of research. Rather, much of our current information comes from large European observational studies that cannot control for factors other than medication use that may be affecting the pregnancies.

As many as 25% of all pregnant women suffer from depression; about 12.5% use an antidepressant at some point during pregnancy, according to the latest statistics. Although many antidepressants appear to be safe, studies have reported a slight increased risk of some fetal defects. Drug withdrawal and persistant pulmonary hypertension – a condition that can impair blood flow to the lungs – are other potential newborn problems.

Source: Healthcommunities

Antismoking Drug Not Linked to Risk of Self-harm or Depression

Last July, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued labeling requirements for Chantix and another antismoking drug, Zyban (bupropion), to include its strongest safety message, warning that people taking the drugs should be closely watched for signs of suicidal thoughts, hostility, and depressed mood. According to the FDA, 98 suicides and 188 suicide attempts had been reported among people taking Chantix since the drug was approved for sale in the United States in 2006. (Fourteen suicides and 17 suicide attempts had been reported in users of Zyban.)

Despite the FDA’s warning, few large-scale studies had been conducted to accurately assess the mental risks. Assessing risk is difficult because of the need to control for factors such as previous smoking habits and the presence of certain diseases. For example, people who smoke already have a two-to-threefold increased risk of suicide, since smoking is common among people with psychiatric illness, according to the researchers.

To clarify the risk, researchers from the University of Bristol and the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) compared the risk of self-harm among 80,660 patients, aged 18 to 95, who were prescribed a new course of any smoking-cessation product – Chantix, Zyban, or nicotine replacement products – between September 2006 and May 2008.

The researchers found “no clear evidence” that Chantix was associated with an increased risk of suicide or self-harm.
More studies are needed to further qualify the mental health risks associated with taking Chantix, but any risk should be weighed against the effectiveness of Chantix as an antismoking drug and the risks associated with continuing to smoke.

Source: Healthcommunities

The Claim Game

It happens 500,000 times a day: and insurance company denies a health claim. Here’s how to fight back when your insurer says no.

TO MAKE INSURERS PAY

When your claim is denied…

1. Don’t pay the bill.

2. Get a reason for the denial in writing.

3. Review and follow your plan’s rules.

…Make the easy fixes…

· Missing information? Fill it in.

· Coding mistake? Have your doctor fix it.

…And assess other reasons for the denial.

· Preexisting condition

· Lifetime-benefit cap

· Change of employer, so coverage was delayed

· No network facility or physician was available

· Drug wasn’t FDA-approved for your illness

· Treatment was deemed unnecessary or unproven

When preparing an appeal…

1. Check the back of your denial notice to see how long you have to file – it’s usually 180 days.

2. Gather objective evidence of medical necessity, such as test results and prior failed treatments.

3. Gather journal articles showing the treatment is safe, effective.

4. File the request in writing (certified mail, return receipt).

If you want help, seek out…

· A nonprofit patient advocate (your state’s insurance regulator or a disease association can suggest names).

· A lawyer if there’s a large sum of money at stake and you might end up in court.

Source: Caroline E. Mayer