Study Finds That Daily Aspirin Is Not For Everyone
The New York Times (1/16, Parker-Pope) "Well" blog reports that "new research shows that aspirin is not for everyone, and that in some patients this so-called wonder drug is doing more harm than good." The study "analyzed nine randomized studies of aspirin use in the United States, Europe and Japan that included more than 100,000 participants" and "the study subjects had never had a heart attack or stroke." The researchers found that "aspirin users were about 30 percent more likely to have a serious gastrointestinal bleeding event, a side effect of frequent aspirin use" and "over all, for every 162 people who took aspirin, the drug prevented one nonfatal heart attack, but caused about two serious bleeding episodes."
Why Do We Get Fat?
For decades we believed the experts when they repeated the mantra: "calories in-calories out." The standard advice has always been to eat less and exercise more if you wanted to lose weight. By counting calories carefully, you should have no trouble shedding pounds.
But what if the experts were wrong? That is what science writer Gary Taubes claims in his book, Why We Get Fat. He argues that not all calories are created equal. He maintains that easily digested, highly refined carbohydrates like sugar, bread and pasta pack on the pounds.
A new study supervised by Harvard researchers offers support for this position (New England Journal of Medicine, June 23, 2011). The investigators followed more than 120,000 health professionals (doctors, nurses, veterinarians and dentists) for almost two decades. During that time the volunteers were questioned about their dietary habits, activities, lifestyle and weight.
The research showed that certain foods were strongly linked to weight gain. Potatoes, and in particular French fries, were the biggest culprits. People who often ate them were the most likely to gain weight--an average of three to four pounds over a four-year period. Potato chips also contributed more than their share to weight gain, along with sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, processed meats and red meat, refined grains, sweet snacks and desserts.
Foods associated with weight loss included yogurt, nuts and vegetables. Whole grains and whole fruits (not juice) also seemed to be better for weight loss. The starring role for nuts, even peanut butter, was a surprise for many experts who often counsel people to avoid this high-fat food.
For complete article go to The People's Pharmacy at http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/09/11/why-do-we-get-fat/
How Laughing Fights Pain
We all know that laughing makes us feel good, but research has never shown exactly how this happens or how laughter fights pain, which it definitely can. An interesting investigation from England has demonstrated that the physical act of laughing - the actual muscle contractions involved - lead to the release of "feel good" endorphins, the same brain chemicals responsible for the runner's "high." Endorphins are also known to influence our perception of pain. Researchers at Oxford University studied reactions to pain both before and after bouts of laughter. Participants agreed to the use of a freezing sleeve slipped over their forearms, a blood pressure cuff that kept tightening and an uncomfortable ski exercise while they watched comedy videos, as well as some videos that weren't funny at all. Researchers at Oxford University studied reactions to pain both before and after bouts of laughter. Participants agreed to the use of a freezing sleeve slipped over their forearms, a blood pressure cuff that kept tightening and an uncomfortable ski exercise while they watched comedy videos, as well as some videos that weren't funny at all. The results of five sets of studies were published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences and confirmed that laughter activates the release of endorphins. The results also indicated that pain thresholds were significantly higher in participants after laughter than in members of control groups who watched factual videos instead of funny ones.
www.drweil.com/drw/u/WBL02265/How-Laughing-Fights-Pain.html
A New Way to Find Side Effect Info
Anyone who has attempted to wade through the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System can readily list its shortcomings, starting with difficult to navigate. But faced with a personal reason for mining the data, Brian Overstreet and a partner came up with some algorithms which they have developed into their own web site for finding drug side effects. Called AdverseEvents.com, the site has just launched and might force some change in the pharmaceutical industry and among physicians. We spoke with Overstreet about his new, alternative universe. This is an excerpt…
Pharmalot: How did you get started on this?
Overstreet: Well, the background is that, in 1999, I’d started Sagient Research…and ran that for 10 years. I stepped down at the end of 2009. And almost immediately after I left, one of my partners there (Robert Kyle), told me his wife had gotten very sick from an adverse drug event. So like anyone would, we went to Google and searched on the drug and tried to figure out what was going on. But we couldn’t find any relevant information on side effect incident rates or what the outcomes were. The only data we could find after a lot of searching was housed by the FDA in AERS (the Adverse Events Reporting System). It’s not an open search capability, though. You have to download unstructured data files and know what to do with them to make them useful. Fortunately, that was our business and so we didn’t think twice about downloading them and tried to run searches. But what we found very quickly is that it couldn’t be done. The database the FDA maintains is so poorly structured that you couldn’t run any search successfully..
For the full article go to http://www.pharmalot.com/2011/10/a-new-way-to-find-side-effect-info-brian-explains/
How Meditation May Change the Brain
How Meditation May Change The Brain
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
Getty Images
Over the December holidays, my husband went on a 10-day silent meditation retreat. Not my idea of fun, but he came back rejuvenated and energetic.
He said the experience was so transformational that he has committed to meditating for two hours daily, one hour in the morning and one in the evening, until the end of March. He’s running an experiment to determine whether and how meditation actually improves the quality of his life.
I’ll admit I’m a skeptic.
But now, scientists say that meditators like my husband may be benefiting from changes in their brains. The researchers report that those who meditated for about 30 minutes a day for eight weeks had measurable changes in gray-matter density in parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. The findings will appear in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.
M.R.I. brain scans taken before and after the participants’ meditation regimen found increased gray matter in the hippocampus, an area important for learning and memory. The images also showed a reduction of gray matter in the amygdala, a region connected to anxiety and stress. A control group that did not practice meditation showed no such changes.
But how exactly did these study volunteers, all seeking stress reduction in their lives but new to the practice, meditate? So many people talk about meditating these days. Within four miles of our Bay Area home, there are at least six centers that offer some type of meditation class, and I often hear phrases like, “So how was your sit today?"
Want to lose belly fat? Start moving.
The belly fat you can see may not flatter your figure, but it isn't as harmful to your health as hidden belly fat surrounding internal organs deep in the abdomen. That's the stuff that boosts the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some kinds of cancer. Now, researchers at Duke University Medical Center have shown that the best way to lose this dangerous fat is with aerobic exercise. The Duke team compared aerobic exercise, resistance training (exercising with weights) and a combination of the two during an eight-month study with 196 overweight adults ages 18 to 90. They found that aerobic exercise burned 67 percent more calories than resistance training. It also had beneficial effects on known risk factors for diabetes and heart disease, including elevated liver enzymes, fasting triglycerides and fasting insulin resistance (here, the normal amount of insulin secreted is not sufficient to move glucose into cells - thus cells are said to be "resistant" to insulin's action). No such positive changes were seen in the resistance training group. The aerobic exercise performed in the study was equivalent to jogging 12 miles per week at 80 percent of maximum heart rate.
www.drweil.com/drw/u/WBL02262/Eating-to-Lower-Cholesterol.html
Red wine and resveratrol: Good for your heart?
Red wine and something in red wine called resveratrol might be heart healthy. Find out the facts, and hype, regarding red wine and its impact on your heart.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of "good" cholesterol and protecting against artery damage.
While the news about red wine might sound great if you enjoy a glass of red wine with your evening meal, doctors are wary of encouraging anyone to start drinking alcohol. That's because too much alcohol can have many harmful effects on your body.
Still, many doctors agree that something in red wine appears to help your heart. It's possible that antioxidants, such as flavonoids or a substance called resveratrol, have heart-healthy benefits.
Get the full story at: www.mayoclinic.com/health/red-wine/HB00089
Perimenopausal Women Who Use NSAIDs May Be More Likely To Experience Fractures.
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MedWire (7/4, Keen) reported, "Perimenopausal women who use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are more likely to experience a fracture than non-users," according to a study published in the journal Osteoporosis International. Researchers investigated the effects of these pain medications on "bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk in 2,016 perimenopausal (and subsequently postmenopausal) women." They measured BMD at "baseline and after 10 years by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and collected detailed information on use of any of the drugs (both prescription and over the counter) at baseline and during follow-up" at six months, and at one, two, five, and 10 years. They study team found that women "exposed to NSAIDs had a 44% higher risk for fracture than those not exposed, even after adjustment for potential confounders such as age, fracture history, and smoking status."
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Fish Oil Boosts Responses to Breast Cancer Drug Tamoxifen, Researchers Find
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ScienceDaily (Apr. 8, 2011) — Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, with more than 200,000 women diagnosed each year. Being exposed to estrogen over a long period of time is one factor that can increase a woman's risk of developing the disease. One way a woman can combat this risk factor is by taking the breast cancer drug tamoxifen, which interferes with the activity of estrogen. Now, researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have found that omega-3 fatty acids -- abundant in fish -- could be a safe and beneficial booster for tamoxifen therapy.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110406085050.htm
Honey Can Reverse Antibiotic Resistance, Study Suggests
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412201713.htm
ScienceDaily (Apr. 13, 2011) — Manuka honey could be an efficient way to clear chronically infected wounds and could even help reverse bacterial resistance to antibiotics, according to research presented at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Harrogate.
Professor Rose Cooper from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff is looking at how manuka honey interacts with three types of bacteria that commonly infest wounds: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Group A Streptococci and Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Her group has found that honey can interfere with the growth of these bacteria in a variety of ways and suggests that honey is an attractive option for the treatment of drug-resistant wound infections.
Honey has long been acknowledged for its antimicrobial properties. Traditional remedies containing honey were used in the topical treatment of wounds by diverse ancient civilisations. Manuka honey is derived from nectar collected by honey bees foraging on the manuka tree in New Zealand and is included in modern licensed wound-care products around the world. However, the antimicrobial properties of honey have not been fully exploited by modern medicine as its mechanisms of action are not yet known.
FDA Has Consumer-Friendly Site During Recalls
Beginning today, consumers can search for food and other product recalls easier and quicker on FDA’s website than previously. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) signed into law in January by President Obama called for a more consumer-friendly recall search engine.
www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm249437.htm
More Cities Doing Drug Take-Back Programs
USA Today (4/5, Marohn) reports that a "growing number of cities and counties are offering an alternative to flushing old medications down the toilet or tossing them in the garbage." Law enforcement "and environmental officials are teaming up to provide secure drop boxes where people can dispose of unused or unwanted drugs" in order to "get leftover medications out of homes where they are often wind up being abused or sold, and to prevent them from ending up in the wastewater stream or a landfill." The Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act, "which was signed into law by President Obama in October, has made it easier for communities to start take-back programs, says Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy."
More Patients Taking Statins Today Than 20 Years Ago
MedPage Today (2/16, Fiore) reported that "far more patients are taking statin drugs today to aid cardiovascular health than they were 20 years ago, according to a new CDC report." The report indicates that, "among Americans 45 and older, 25% were taking the lipid-lowering therapy in the period from 2005 to 2008, up from just 2% in 1988-1994." According to Christopher Cannon, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, "The increased statin use is a direct cause of a lower rate of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality that has been observed over the past decade." www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/24913
Red Wine "Can Help Breast Cancer Chem Patients"
Laboratory tests show an organic compound in the wine called resveratrol can double the effect of the chemotherapy drug rapamycin.
Cancer cells often develop resistance to rapamycin, an immunosuppressant which can also slow the growth of cancerous tumours, stop them or make them smaller.
Dr Charis Eng, who led the new US study at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, said: "Our findings show that resveratrol seems to mitigate rapamycin-induced drug resistance in breast cancers, at least in the laboratory.
"If these observations hold true in the clinic setting, then enjoying a glass of red wine or eating a bowl of boiled peanuts - which has a higher resveratrol content than red wine - before rapamycin treatment for cancer might be a prudent approach."
She added that their lab study on human breast cancer cell lines found that when rapamycin was used in conjunction with resveratrol, it was twice as effective at killing those cells than using rapamycin alone.
The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8324161/Red-wine-can-help-breast-cancer-chemo-patients.html
The Risks of Taking Pain Medicaion
The Los Angeles Times (2/14, Sohn) reports on the dangers of taking over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). These medicines "are indiscriminate in their battle against prostaglandins. As a result, taking them at doses that are too high or for periods that are too long can knock out the protective ones, leading to ulcers, holes in the gastrointestinal tract, and kidney damage, among other problems." For people who don't have "diabetes, kidney problems, or a history of gastrointestinal problems or ulcers," the "maximum recommended over-the-counter doses are 1,200 milligrams a day for ibuprofen, 660 mg a day for naproxen, and 4,000 mg a day for aspirin." Notably, acetaminophen, which is safe for the majority of patients, may spare prostaglandins, but is toxic to the liver at levels over 4,000 mg per day.
www.latimes.com/health/la-he-0214-painkillers-dangers-20110214,0,3688451.story
Certain NSAID Painkillers Associated With Increased Risk For Heart Attack And Stroke.
Bloomberg News (1/12, Hallam) reports, "Commonly prescribed medicines that ease pain by fighting inflammation have been linked to increased risk heart attack and stroke," according to an analysis published online Jan. 11 in the British Medical Journal.
The CNN (1/11, Landau) "The Chart" blog reported, "Supporting previous research on the subject, a large meta-analysis of 31 studies has found significant risks of cardiovascular events in people who take prescription-strength nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)." The blog entry noted, "The analysis spanned studies including a total of more than 116,000 patients. Scientists looked at trials that had compared NSAIDs with other NSAIDs or placebo."
According to HealthDay (1/11, Reinberg), "Compared with patients taking placebo, those taking rofecoxib and lumiracoxib had twice the risk of heart attack, and those taking ibuprofen had more than three times the risk of stroke." Interestingly, "the highest risks for cardiac death were associated with etoricoxib and diclofenac, where the risk was around four times greater than for placebo, the researchers found." The least harmful medicine appeared to be naproxen, the study found. Reuters (1/12, Kelland) and the UK's Daily Mail (1/12, Borland) also cover the story.
Study Finds Taking Prescription Drugs Now Can Save on Medical Expenses Later
The Los Angeles Times (1/7, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog reports that a new study published in Health Affairs "says that people with four common chronic illnesses saved themselves -- and the healthcare system -- big bucks by taking their meds instead of skipping them." Researchers analyzed data on "135,000 patients with congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol." The study, funded by CVS Caremark, "found that people who took their meds made fewer visits to the emergency room and spent fewer days in the hospital." The New York Times (1/7) "Prescriptions" blog also reports the story.
Giving Alzheimer’s Patients Their Way, Even Chocolate
Published: December 31, 2010
PHOENIX — Margaret Nance was, to put it mildly, a difficult case. Agitated, combative, often reluctant to eat, she would hit staff members and fellow residents at nursing homes, several of which kicked her out. But when Beatitudes nursing home agreed to an urgent plea to accept her, all that changed.
Disregarding typical nursing-home rules, Beatitudes allowed Ms. Nance, 96 and afflicted with Alzheimer’s, to sleep, be bathed and dine whenever she wanted, even at 2 a.m. She could eat anything, too, no matter how unhealthy, including unlimited chocolate.
And she was given a baby doll, a move that seemed so jarring that a supervisor initially objected until she saw how calm Ms. Nance became when she rocked, caressed and fed her “baby,” often agreeing to eat herself after the doll “ate” several spoonfuls.
Dementia patients at Beatitudes are allowed practically anything that brings comfort, even an alcoholic “nip at night,” said Tena Alonzo, director of research. “Whatever your vice is, we’re your folks,” she said.
For the rest of the article go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/01/health/01care.html?scp=5&sq=alzheimer's%20disease&st=cse
Aspirin May Be More Effective At Preventing Cancer Deaths
Aspirin May Be More Effective At Preventing Cancer Deaths Than Previously Thought.
NBC Nightly News (12/6, story 7, 2:20, Williams) reported, "In the advertisements for aspirin, on this and other broadcasts, they for years have called it a wonder drug, and a good many doctors believe it is something of a wonder." What's more, "millions of people take a half aspirin every day, for example, for heart health." Now, a newly published paper in The Lancet indicates that "aspirin may be much more effective than anyone knew at helping prevent cancer deaths."
The "stunning finding came while researchers were studying 25,000 people taking daily aspirin to prevent heart disease," ABC World News (12/6, story 3, 2:15, Sawyer) reported. "It turns out aspirin was doing something else, reducing the death rate from cancer as well." In fact, "in the trials where people have taken aspirin four, five, six, seven years on average, the risk of dying of cancer was reduced by about 25%."
For the full story go to: www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/us/07aspirin.html
The United States of Diabetes
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 23, 2010) – More than 50 percent of Americans could have diabetes or prediabetes by 2020 at a cost of $3.35 trillion over the next decade if current trends continue, according to new analysis by UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) Center for Health Reform & Modernization, but there are also practical solutions for slowing the trend.
New estimates show diabetes and prediabetes will account for an estimated 10 percent of total health care spending by the end of the decade at an annual cost of almost $500 billion – up from an estimated $194 billion this year.
The report, “The United States of Diabetes: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decade Ahead,” produced for November’s National Diabetes Awareness month, offers practical solutions that could improve health and life expectancy, while also saving up to $250 billion over the next 10 years, if programs to prevent and control diabetes are adopted broadly and scaled nationally. This figure includes $144 billion in potential savings to the federal government in Medicare, Medicaid and other public programs.
Key solution steps include lifestyle interventions to combat obesity and prevent prediabetes from becoming diabetes and medication control programs and lifestyle intervention strategies to help improve diabetes control.
“Our new research shows there is a diabetes time bomb ticking in America, but fortunately there are practical steps that can be taken now to defuse it,” said Simon Stevens, executive vice president, UnitedHealth Group, and chairman of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization. “What is now needed is concerted, national, multi-stakeholder action. Making a major impact on the prediabetes and diabetes epidemic will require health plans to engage consumers in new ways, while working to scale nationally some of the most promising preventive care models. Done right, the human and economic benefits for the nation could be substantial.”
Read the full story at: pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm
