Know the signs and symptoms of a stroke

Every 45 seconds, someone in the United States experiences a stroke. Yet, despite being the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in this country, fewer than one in five Americans can recognize a symptom of a stroke. In addition, some people still believe that this condition is simply a "stroke of fate," not realizing that stroke is preventable and treatable. National Stroke Association is urging people to take charge of their health by knowing the signs and symptoms of a stroke, asking their doctors about stroke prevention and adopting healthy lifestyle habits. A good first step is to have your blood pressure checked. High blood pressure is the number one cause of stroke. Nearly 60 million Americans - 29 million women - have high blood pressure, and almost...

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Light wine intake = longer life expectancy in men

Drinking a little alcohol every day, especially wine, may be associated with an increase in life expectancy. That’s the conclusion of Dutch researchers who reported the findings of their study today at the American Heart Association’s 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.The researchers found that a light intake of alcohol (on average less than one glass per day) was associated with a lower rate of cardiovascular death and death from all causes. When compared to spirits and beer, consumption of small amounts of wine, about a half a glass a day, was associated with the lowest levels of all-cause and cardiovascular deaths."Our study showed that long-term, light alcohol intake among middle-aged men was associated not only with lower cardiovascular and all-cause...

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Does playing the brain/memory game really help?

Brain and memory training programs are popular, but they don't work well for everyone, says a Universitiy of Michigan psychologist.New research by Cindy Lustig, a U-M assistant professor of psychology, and colleague David Bissig, a U-M graduate now at Wayne State University—U-M's University Research Corridor alliance partner—reveals what can help make a training program successful, especially for those older adults who could use the most help. Their findings are published in the August issue of Psychological Science.Programs claiming to "train your brain" are becoming increasingly popular as baby boomers head into their golden years, the researchers say. Even Nintendo has gotten into the game, with a program designed to lower your brain's "age" with repeated playing.However, not all of these...

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Waist-to-hip ratio better predicts heart risk

Waist-to-hip ratio may better predict cardiovascular risk than body mass index A tape measure, not just a bathroom scale, may help you better assess your heart disease risk.In a study to be published in the Aug. 21 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, investigators at UT Southwestern Medical Center found that people with a larger waist-to-hip ratio may be at increased risk for heart disease. The research evaluates the association between different measures of obesity and the prevalence of arterial disease.“Our study shows that people who develop fat around the middle have more atherosclerotic plaque than those who have smaller waist-to-hip ratios,” said Dr. James de Lemos, associate professor of internal medicine and senior author of the study. “The risk was the same...

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Soluble fiber lowers bad cholesterol

Soluble fiber -- from beans, some fruits and even coffee -- may help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol and blood sugar and may help protect against heart attack and stroke.The August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter explains how to boost soluble fiber in the diet.Fiber comes in two forms -- soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. The recommended daily intake of total fiber for women over age 51 is 21 grams. For men over 51, it’s 30 grams.Fiber supplements, such as Metamucil, Konsyl and others, can boost soluble fiber intake. A typical dose has 2 to 3 grams. Other good sources include:-- One-half cup of baked beans, cooked black beans, kidney, lima or navy beans provides about 1 gram of soluble fiber. _-- A pear, peach, plum...

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Diets high in choline = risk for colorectal polyps

Diets high in choline may increase risk for colorectal polypsContrary to expectations, diets high in the nutrient choline were associated with an increased risk of some colorectal polyps, which can—but do not always—lead to colorectal cancer, according to a study published online in the August 7 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.Major food sources of choline include red meat, eggs, poultry, and dairy products. Choline is involved in a biochemical process known as one-carbon metabolism. Studies have shown that people with increased intake of other nutrients required for one-carbon metabolism, such as folate, are at a decreased risk for colorectal polyps. This is the first study to examine the association between choline and colorectal polyps.Eunyoung Cho, Sc.D., of Brigham and Women’s...

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Should You Take a Statin?

If your annual checkup reveals that your cholesterol levels are high, your doctor may recommend you take a statin—such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), sim¬va¬statin (Zocor), rosuva¬statin (Crestor), prava¬statin (Pravachol), or lovastatin (Mevacor)—to help lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol. Statins also can slightly raise “good” HDL cholesterol and may help lower triglycerides—blood fats that can increase heart disease risk, according to Weill Cornell Medical College. According to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) of the National Institutes of Health, 11 million Americans take a statin; another 25 million might benefit from one.Prevention is keyHeart disease is the number-one killer of women, with stroke not far behind. A recent study of more than 2,700 women (Neurology, Feb. 20,...

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Zinc Lozenges an Ineffective Treatment for Colds

Despite 20 years of research, the benefits of zinc lozenges as a therapy for the common cold have not been proven. A new study, published in the Sept. 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, currently available online, reviews the 14 placebo-controlled studies from the past two decades and finds significant fault with 10 of the studies. Of the four remaining studies, three reported no therapeutic effect from zinc lozenge or nasal spray, and one study reported positive results from zinc nasal gel.“The best scientific evidence available indicates that zinc lozenges are not effective in treating colds,” said Jack M. Gwaltney, Jr., MD, one of the authors.With colds affecting virtually everybody (one study estimates that adults experience an average of three colds each year and children may experience...

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More Fish Oil, Less Vegetable Oil, Better

Scientists have provided new evidence that using more fish oil than vegetable oil in the diet decreases the formation of chemicals called prostanoids, which, when produced in excess, increase inflammation in various tissues and organs. The results, by William L. Smith, Professor and Chair of Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues, may help in designing new anti-inflammatory drugs with fewer side effects than the ones currently available.“Prostanoids help control blood pressure, fight allergies, and modulate inflammation, but too much of them – especially those made from vegetable oils – can also lead to increased pain, swelling, and redness in various tissues,” Smith says. “Our study shows that prostanoids made from fish oil are less effective at causing...

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Eat fish -- especially if you drink lots of alcohol

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are a necessary part of an individual's healthy diet.New findings indicate that binge-drinking men have lower intakes of n-3 fats, one type of EFA.This low intake exacerbates the already very low EFA levels.Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are just that; an "essential" part of the total fat intake necessary for a healthy human diet. Most EFAs come from plants, but some are animal-sourced. A new study has found that men who binge drink have substandard intake of n-3 fats, one of two types of EFAs, indicating poor dietary choices with negative long-term health consequences.Results are published in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research."Essential fatty acids are important building blocks of living cells, making up a substantial part of cell...

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Childhood sun exposure may lower risk of MS

People who spent more time in the sun as children may have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) than people who had less sun exposure during childhood, according to a study published in the July 24, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.For the study, researchers surveyed 79 pairs of identical twins with the same genetic risk for MS in which only one twin had MS. The twins were asked to specify whether they or their twin spent more time outdoors during hot days, cold days, and summer, and which one spent more time sun tanning, going to the beach and playing team sports as a child.The study found the twin with MS spent less time in the sun as a child than the twin who did not have MS. Depending on the activity, the twin who spent more...

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Association between low cholesterol levels and cancer

Study finds association between low cholesterol levels and cancerBenefits of statin therapy outweigh potential small riskMillions of Americans take statins to lower their cholesterol, but how low should you go" Many scientific studies support the benefits of lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and achieving low LDL cholesterol levels is one of the most important steps in preventing heart disease. New research, however, provides evidence for an association between low LDL levels and cancer risk.The authors of the study, published in the July 31, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), set out to understand how and why statins cause side effects, particularly damage to the liver and muscle cells. The study findings support taking multiple medications...

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NSAIDs treatment can reduce colorectal cancer risk

Study confirms that NSAIDs treatment can reduce colorectal cancer riskSafer drugs needed before regular preventive therapy can be recommendedA study of Medicare patients with osteoarthritis provides additional evidence that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Earlier investigations of the drugs’ impact on tumor development could not rule out the possibility that an observed protective effect was caused by other preventive health care measures. The current study, led by a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) physician, appears in the August 2007 Journal of General Internal Medicine.“This is good news for people who take NSAIDs regularly for osteoarthritis,” says Elizabeth Lamont, MD, MS, of the MGH Cancer Center, the study’s lead...

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Prostate drug doesn't limit sex in most men

Finasteride, found earlier to reduce prostate cancer incidence by nearly 25 percent, has slight impact that lessens over timeMen and their physicians need not hesitate to use a drug proven effective in preventing prostate cancer out of concern that it is likely to cause sexual dysfunction, say authors of a study conducted by the Southwest Oncology Group.The authors, who surveyed more than 17,000 men 55 and older for seven years, reported their results in the July 4 Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study found that men given finasteride reported on average more dysfunction than did men given a placebo. That small effect diminished over the seven years.The results allay concerns about a negative side effect associated with finasteride up till now. Physicians usually warn that sexual...

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Poor diets = more respiratory symptoms in teens

Can an apple a day keep asthma away?Poor diets show increased respiratory symptoms in teensTeenagers who forego a healthy and balanced diet may have a harder time catching their breath. A new study, published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows that a low dietary intake of certain nutrients increases the likelihood of respiratory symptoms such as asthma, especially in teens who smoke. Furthermore, a lack of these nutrients may also lead to lower lung function.“Our study, as well as other research, suggests that higher intakes of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory micronutrients are associated with lower reports of cough, respiratory infections, and less severe asthma-related symptoms,” said lead study author Jane Burns,...

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Selenium = increased risk for diabetes

A new analysis of data from a large national study found that people who took a 200 microgram selenium supplement each day for almost eight years had an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who took a placebo or dummy pill.The data came from the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Trial (NPC), a large randomized, multi-center, clinical trial from the eastern United States, designed to evaluate whether selenium supplements prevent skin cancer. In the study being published, researchers selected 1,202 participants who did not have diabetes when they were enrolled in the NPC Trial. Half received a 200 microgram selenium supplement and half received a placebo pill for an average of 7.7 years.Saverio Stranges, MD, PhD, lead author of the study, says that the findings from this study...

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Low vitamin D levels common in children

Low vitamin D levels may be common in otherwise healthy childrenMany otherwise healthy children and adolescents have low vitamin D levels, which may put them at risk for bone diseases such as rickets. African American children, children above age nine and with low dietary vitamin D intake were the most likely to have low levels of vitamin D in their blood, according to researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.A study in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition measured blood levels of vitamin D in 382 healthy children between six years and 21 years of age living in the northeastern U.S. Researchers assessed dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake, as well as body mass, and found that more than half of the children had low blood levels of vitamin D....

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A spoonful of sugar helps your waistline go down

New study challenges conventional thinking that high carbohydrate, low fat slimming plan should contain little or no added sugar (sucrose).A team of scientists at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh has found that a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet (containing sucrose) combined with physical activity achieved the greatest health benefits in overweight subjects. The study, which will be published in the August issue of International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, provides evidence that the exclusion of sucrose, as is normally advocated in a weight loss diet, is not necessary to achieve weight reduction. In fact, the palatability of sucrose may even help dieters stick to their eating plans.As part of a 12-week programme, 69 overweight women (average age 41 years; average body mass index...

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Link between tomatoes and reduced cancer risk

FDA finds possible link between tomatoes and reduced cancer riskA U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review has found only limited evidence for an association between eating tomatoes and a decreased risk of certain cancers, according to an article published online July 10 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.Several studies have reported an association between the consumption of tomatoes or lycopene, an antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red hue, and a decreased risk of some cancers, particularly prostate cancer. In order for foods and dietary supplements to be labeled with such health claims, the FDA must review and approve these claims based on the available scientific evidence.In a review article, Claudine Kavanaugh, Ph.D., of the FDA in College Park, Md., and colleagues...

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More Meat = More Breast Cancer

Study finds western-style 'meat-sweet' diet increases risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal womenA new study finds that the more “western” the diet -- marked by red meat, starches and sweets -- the greater the risk for breast cancer among postmenopausal Chinese women. According to researchers who conducted the analysis at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Harvard University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, and Vanderbilt University, the findings mark the first time a specific association between a western diet and breast cancer has been identified in Asian women.The study, published in the July issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, is the latest set of findings derived from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study,...

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Antibiotics don't stop new urinary tract infections

Antibiotics don't prevent future urinary tract infections, may cause resistance in future infectionsAfter a first childhood urinary tract infection (UTI), daily antibiotics may not prevent another such infection, and may actually increase the risk that the next urinary tract infection is caused by resistant bacteria, according to a new study in the July 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.In the first large study of children diagnosed with UTI in a primary care pediatric setting, researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reviewed the electronic health records of 74,974 children with at least two clinic visits in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s pediatric healthcare network between July 2001 and May 2006. The researchers found that 611 children...

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Birth weight affects adult health and success

Birth weight has significant and lasting effects, a new study finds. Weighing less than 5.5 pounds at birth increases the probability of dropping out of high school by one-third, reduces yearly earnings by about 15 percent and burdens people in their 30s and 40s with the health of someone who is 12 years older.The study, presented May 22 in Washington, D.C. at the National Summit on America's Children, is the first to link birth weight with adult health and socioeconomic success using a full, nationally representative sample of the U.S. population. It is based on an analysis of more than 35 years of data on more than 12,000 individuals from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, conducted since 1968 by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR).Funded by the National Institute...

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Fitness may reduce inflammation

Although a number of studies have suggested that regular exercise reduces inflammation – a condition that is predictive of cardiovascular and other diseases, such as diabetes – it’s still not clear whether there is a definitive link. And if such a link exists, the nature of the relationship is by no means fully understood.A recent study by kinesiology and community health researchers at the University of Illinois provides new evidence that may help explain some of the underlying biological mechanisms that take place as the result of regular exercise. According to the researchers, that knowledge could potentially lead to a better understanding of the relationship between exercise and inflammation.The objective of their research was to examine the independent effect of parasympathetic tone –...

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A little dark chocolate = less blood pressure

Consumption of small amounts of dark chocolate associated with reduction in blood pressureEating about 30 calories a day of dark chocolate was associated with a lowering of blood pressure, without weight gain or other adverse effects, according to a study in the July 4 issue of JAMA.Previous research has indicated that consumption of high amounts of cocoa-containing foods can lower blood pressure (BP), believed to be due to the action of the cocoa polyphenols (a group of chemical substances found in plants, some of which, such as the flavanols, are believed to be beneficial to health). “A particular concern is that the potential BP reduction contributed by the flavanols could be offset by the high sugar, fat and calorie intake with the cocoa products,” the authors write. The effect of low...

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1 cigarette can lead to nicotine addiction

Kids show signs of addiction almost immediatelyA new study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine shows that 10 percent of youth who become hooked on cigarettes are addicted within two days of first inhaling from a cigarette, and 25 percent are addicted within a month. The study found that adolescents who smoke even just a few cigarettes per month suffer withdrawal symptoms when deprived of nicotine, a startling finding that is contrary to long-held beliefs that only people with established smoking habits of at least five cigarettes per day experience such symptoms.The study monitored 1,246 sixth-grade students in six Massachusetts communities over four years. Students were interviewed frequently about smoking and symptoms of addiction, such as difficulty quitting,...

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Antidepressants Not Linked to Birth Defects

Two research studies published today in The New England Journal of Medicine found taking SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), anti-depression drugs, during pregnancy did not significantly increase the overall risk for most birth defects. However, each study found that taking SSRIs during pregnancy was associated with a small increase in the risk of certain rare birth defects – but they were different birth defects. Dr. Michael Katz, acting Medical Director of the March of Dimes, said the studies show how important post-market surveillance is in assessing the safety of medications in pregnancy. During pre-approval, drugs are tested on relatively few subjects and only side effects with a large frequency are detected. Once approved, many people take the medication and even very rare...

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Head injury three times greater in HS football

Catastrophic head injury three times greater in high school vs. collegiate football playersStudy finds 'unacceptably high percentage' of high schoolers who sustain catastrophic head injury play with residual effects of prior head injuryThe incidence of catastrophic head injuries in football is dramatically higher at the high school level than at the college level, according to a study published in the July issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine.Catastrophic head injuries, which include brain bleeding and swelling, are rare and can be devastating. Athletes with major brain injuries may be left with permanent brain damage.“High school football players have more than three times the risk of a catastrophic head injury than their college peers,” says lead author, Barry P. Boden, M.D.,...

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Removal of Unwanted Tattoos

John Klear describes his recent laser treatments this way: “It’s like a really hot Exacto knife slicing through your skin.”Still, it’s worth it to him to have his tattoos removed. He got them when he was in the Navy, a rite of passage but also a lasting reminder of “the folly of youth,” he says. Later, after deciding he didn’t like the way they looked, he researched tattoo removal on the Internet and decided to go to the University of Michigan Health System for treatment.His dermatologist, Jeffrey Orringer, M.D., sees many patients who want their tattoos to disappear. Indeed, he says, nearly 20 percent of people with tattoos are thinking of having them removed – and other estimates are even higher. “The most common reason,” he says, “would be to remove a name of someone who is no longer involved...

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