Previous Medical News
2010/08/07
1. Researchers find 95 genes affecting cholesterol (Nature, 8/4/10)
Doctors know some people inherit naturally high levels of cholesterol, some people inherit naturally low levels, and people also vary in whether the food they eat makes their cholesterol go up or down. A scan of all the human DNA has turned up 95 genes that affect blood cholesterol, including a few affected by drugs on the market and others that might be the basis of new drugs.
2. Miracle Mineral Solution making people sick (FDA, 8/2/10)
A "miracle" potion sold on the Internet that claims to treat everything from HIV to herpes and cancer is actually an industrial-strength bleach that's making people sick. Don’t consume Miracle Mineral Solution, which is also known as Miracle Mineral Supplement or MMS. This warning follows reports of several people coming down with nausea, vomiting and developing life-threatening low blood pressure from dehydration after consuming the product.
3. Heart Health Can Help Predict Brain Health (Circulation, 8/2/10)
What's good for the heart is probably also good for the brain. People with the highest cardiac output for their body size (cardiac index), meaning those with the greatest blood flow from their heart, tended to have more brain volume, which generally indicates a healthier brain. People with the lowest cardiac output showed nearly two more years of brain aging than did those with the highest cardiac output.
4. Abnormal Cholesterol in Young Adults Predicts Later Heart Disease: High Cholesterol in Youth Boosts Heart Risk in Middle Age (Annals of Internal Medicine, 8/3/10)
Even modestly abnormal cholesterol levels in young adulthood can predict future heart disease. Young adults in their 20's and 30's with even mildly abnormal levels of good (HDL) or bad (LDL) cholesterol experience damage to the coronary arteries that can later lead to heart disease. Abnormal cholesterol levels do pose problems for young adults. Lifestyle interventions that keep cholesterol levels in check even in young adulthood are important to heart disease prevention. Even modest rises in LDL cholesterol produce atherosclerosis by age 45.
5. Obese Employees Take More Sick Leave (Occupational Medicine, 8/10)
Obese individuals took four more sick days per year on average than those of a healthy weight.
6. Seven hours the magic number for sleep (Sleep, 8/1/10)
People who sleep more or fewer than seven hours a day, including naps, are increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease. Sleeping fewer than five hours a day, including naps, more than doubles the risk of being diagnosed with angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Study participants who said they slept nine hours or longer a day were one-and-a-half times more likely than seven-hour sleepers to develop cardiovascular disease. Sleep duration affects endocrine and metabolic functions, and sleep deprivation can lead to impaired glucose tolerance, reduced insulin sensitivity and elevated blood pressure.
7. Lying in at the weekend boosts your brain power (Sleep, 8/1/10)
An occasional long lie-in can be beneficial for those who can't avoid getting too little sleep. It improves alertness, reactions times and ability to focus.
8. Meat Compounds May Boost Bladder Cancer Risk (Cancer, 8/2/10)
Certain compounds used in meat processing may increase the risk of bladder cancer. People whose diets had the highest levels of dietary nitrite (from all sources and not just from meat) and those whose diets had the highest amounts of nitrate plus nitrite from processed meats were 28 percent to 29 percent more likely to develop bladder cancer than those who consumed the lowest amounts of those compounds.
9. Mobile Phones 18 Times Dirtier Than Toilet Handles (Which? magazine, 7/30/10)
These investigators measured levels of potentially harmful bacteria. 25 percent of the mobile phones exceeded the acceptable levels of potentially harmful bacteria by 10 times and have 18 times the levels as a handle on a public restroom toilet.
10. Low Carb-, Low-Fat Diets Tied for Long-Term Weight Loss (Annals of Internal Medicine, 8/3/10)
If you're overweight, should you cut carbs or fat? People lost about the same amount of weight whether they were on an Atkins-style, low-carbohydrate diet or a traditional low-fat diet. People in both groups only lost an average of about 7 percent of their weight two years after beginning their diet. And those who were on the low-carb diet did get one extra benefit: Their blood pressure and levels of "good" cholesterol improved a bit more than those who cut down on fat. It's not fat versus carbohydrates. It's the calories that lead to weight loss.
11. Internet addicts more likely to develop depression (Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 8/2/10)
Teenagers who spend excessive amounts of time on the Internet are one and a half times more likely to develop depression than moderate web users. The signs of excessive internet use are spending at least five to more than 10 hours a day on the web, agitation when the teens are not in front of the computer and loss of interest in social interaction.
12. After miscarriage, best to try again soon (British Medical Journal, 8/5/10)
Women who conceive within six months after a miscarriage have a better chance of a healthy pregnancy without complications compared to women who wait longer. They are less likely to have another miscarriage, and are also less likely to experience a caesarean section, deliver prematurely or have low-birth weight babies.
13. Ovulating women buy sexier clothes (Journal of Consumer Research, 8/10)
Ovulating women unconsciously buy sexier clothes. Ovulating women unconsciously dress to impress -- doing so not to impress men, but to outdo rival women during the handful of days each month when they are ovulating.
14. Women More Attracted When Men Wear Red (Journal of Experimental Psychology, 8/2/10)
Women are attracted to the color red when looking at men and it may be its ability to make men appear more powerful. Women view men in red as higher in status, more likely to make money, and more likely to climb the social ladder. And it’s this high-status judgment that leads to the attraction. The red effect was limited to romance and status. Red made guys seem more powerful, attractive, and sexually desirable, but not more likable, kind, or sociable.
15. Some evidence vitamin D might fight colds (Journal of Infectious Diseases, 7/15/10)
Studies have linked low vitamin D levels in the blood to higher risks of type 1 diabetes and severe asthma attacks in children and, in adults, heart disease, certain cancers and depression. A daily vitamin D supplement may help young men enjoy more sick-free days during cold and flu season, according to this study.
16. Obesity Rates Still Rising (CDC, 8/3/10)
More Americans are becoming obese. Obesity rates inched up 1.1% between 2007 and 2009. About 72.5 million U.S. adults are now obese. That's 26.7% of the population, compared to 25.6% in 2007. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index or BMI of 30 or higher. A 5'8" person who weighs 200 pounds, for instance, has a BMI of 30.4.
17. Increased obesity means increased cancer cases (American Institute for Cancer Research, 8/5/10)
The American Institute for Cancer Research says the uptick in obesity rates will prompt an increase in cancer cases as well. There is a strong link between obesity and certain types of cancer. There will be more than 103,000 new cancer cases caused by excess body fat in 2010. Forty-nine percent are projected to be endometrial cancers, followed by esophageal cancers at thirty five percent and pancreatic cancers at twenty eight percent. It's anticipated that those numbers will increase over the next several years in response to the increased obesity rates.
18. Pregnant moms who overeat could make obese babies (Lancet, 8/4/10)
Women who gain too much weight during pregnancy have big babies, putting their children at risk of becoming heavy later on.
19. Tongue Piercing May Cause Gapped Teeth (Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, 7/10)
Those with metal studs inserted into their tongues are at risk of developing spaces in their upper front teeth requiring braces to correct the gaps. Constant pushing of the stud against the teeth will move them or drive them apart.
20. Resveratrol May Slow Aging in Humans (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 8/4/10)
The plant extract resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, appears to suppress inflammation and may fight aging in humans. Common food sources of resveratrol include grapes, wine, peanuts, blueberries, and cranberries. Resveratrol has been shown to prolong life and reduce the rate of aging in roundworms, fruit flies, and yeast, apparently because resveratrol affects a gene associated with longevity. Resveratrol reduces inflammation in humans that could lead to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
21. Chili Peppers Could Lower Your Blood Pressure (Cell Metabolism, 8/10)
Capsaicin, the compound that makes hot peppers spicy, may also lower your blood pressure. Long-term consumption of capsaicin relaxed blood vessels.
22. When Others Drink, Your Genes May Lead You to Join Them (Psychological Science, 7/30/10)
Genetics may determine to what extent you're swayed by the alcohol consumption of people around you. People with a particular genetic profile are far more likely than others without the gene to drink more when they see someone else drinking heavily.
23. Call your sister: Siblings Counter Depression (Journal of Family Psychology, 8/10)
Doctors know some people inherit naturally high levels of cholesterol, some people inherit naturally low levels, and people also vary in whether the food they eat makes their cholesterol go up or down. A scan of all the human DNA has turned up 95 genes that affect blood cholesterol, including a few affected by drugs on the market and others that might be the basis of new drugs.
24. Danger Lurking in Some Dietary Supplements? 12 supplements that could hurt you (Consumer Reports, 8/3/10)
Supplement manufacturers routinely, and legally, sell their products without first having to demonstrate that they are safe and effective. Consumer Reports has identified a dozen supplement ingredients they think consumers should avoid:
http://www.consumerreports.org/health/natural-health/dietary-supplements/supplement-side-effects/index.htm
25. Mediterranean diet tied to lower breast cancer risk (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 7/14/10)
Women who follow a traditional Mediterranean diet may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer after menopause than women with different eating habits. The link was seen only among women who were past menopause. The traditional Mediterranean diet is known to lower the risk of heart disease and certain cancers, such as cancers of the colon and stomach. The Mediterranean diet is rich in fish, olive oil, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and relatively low in red meat and dairy. Women who closely follow the diet tend to have lower levels of estrogen, which fuels the growth of the majority of breast cancers. Fats found in the Mediterranean diet -- both olive oil and the omega-3 fats in oily fish -- may slow the growth of cancer cells. The diet is also typically rich in antioxidants, which protect body cells from damage that can eventually lead to disease, including cancer. Younger women who develop breast cancer often have a genetic vulnerability to the disease, whereas in older women, lifestyle and environmental exposures may be relatively more important contributors to risk. Established risk factors for breast cancer include older age, having had a first-degree relative diagnosed with the disease, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, use of hormone replacement therapy and high alcohol intake.
