Obesity: Believe it or not, it's catching !!

Obesity may be catching. Close friends, neighbours and family members of an obese person are much more likely to put on the weight themselves, researchers have discovered.

Someone who is close to an obese person is 57 per cent more likely to also become overweight than is someone whose friends and family members are of normal size.

The same pattern seems to repeat itself among siblings, especially if they are of the same sex, while a spouse of an obese person is 37 per cent more likely to gain significant weight than is the husband or wife of a slimmer partner.
Researchers have discovered these ‘clusters of obesity’ after studying lifestyle surveys that have tracked people’s health over the last 30 years.

They are hoping that the opposite might also apply. If obesity spreads through social networks, the same might happen when people start dieting and exercising...

Diabetes: A B1 deficiency may make it a killer

Diabetes can be a killer, causing heart and vascular problems – and now scientists think they know why. Diabetics are likely to be deficient in thiamine (vitamin B1), and it is this that makes diabetes – both types I and II – such a serious condition.

Researchers from Warwick University have found that diabetics have a 75 per cent deficiency of thiamine in their blood plasma, a lack that has been missed by the standard blood test.

It’s not that diabetics are taking any less B1 in their diet than healthy individuals, it’s more to do with the fact that their diabetes is rapidly moving the thiamine from the blood and into the urine.

Low thiamine levels can cause problems in endothelial cells, which line the body’s entire circulatory system, and which can lead to an increased risk of atherosclerosis, or chronic inflammation of the artery walls.

New Vitamin D Evidence Report Reveals Gaps in Knowledge and Serves as Basis for Upcoming NIH Conference on Vitamin D and Bone Health

A new evidence report on vitamin D and bone health reviews the current scientific evidence and identifies its strengths and weaknesses. This report will be a valuable resource for an upcoming National Institutes of Health conference September 5-6 that will examine a range of scientific perspectives related to vitamin D and bone health across the lifecycle.
Researchers have long known that vitamin D had an impact on bone health but there is uncertainty about how much vitamin D is needed to achieve optimal bone health and whether there are differences in the relationship of vitamin D status to bone health across age and life stage groups. This report highlights the fact that the largest amount of evidence for bone health benefits is in postmenopausal women and older men (the majority over 60 years of age) taking vitamin D supplements. This report also confirms that vitamin D from ultraviolet-B (sunlight) exposure, fortified foods, or dietary supplements are all effective in raising the level of circulating vitamin D. Of concern, there were only sparse data on other subgroups cited as being at high risk for the consequences of low vitamin D, such as dark-skinned individuals and pregnant and lactating women.

The report found it difficult to define specific blood levels of markers for vitamin D status that indicate optimal levels for bone health. One reason for this is that current methods, which measure serum-25-hydroxy vitamin D as the marker for vitamin D status, yield highly inconsistent results. As part of its broader vitamin D initiative, ODS is working with laboratory testing facilities to standardize the quantification of vitamin D status.
The report investigators were not able to separate the impact of vitamin D from that of calcium, as most trials studied the effect of vitamin D plus calcium. The combination of vitamin D3 (daily dose 700 to 800 IU) and calcium (daily dose 500 to1200 mg) decreased the risk of falls, fractures and bone loss in the elderly (ages ranged from 62 to 85 years). The current recommended intake is 400 IU/day for people 51-70 years of age, and 600 IU/day for people over 70 years of age. Based on the combined data of two trials, the decreased risk of fractures was seen primarily in the subgroup of elderly women (average age 85 years) living in nursing homes.

Vitamin D intake above current recommended levels was not reported to be associated with an increased risk of harms. However, most trials using higher doses of vitamin D were not adequately designed to assess potential harms.

Hernia: Keyhole surgery is no better than a standard op
Laparoscopic – or keyhole - surgery is the new, less invasive method that allows the patient to leave the hospital after just a few days.

But is it actually better for the patient in the long run?

A new study of 233 hernia patients, who had either the standard ‘open’ surgery or laparoscopy, discovered virtually no difference between the two approaches.

Recurrence rates were similar in the two groups, the study found. The one advantage was that laparoscopic surgery was far less dangerous for the patient, who was also able to leave hospital sooner.

Heart attack: The catheter gives way to equally useless technology
The catheter is fast becoming a thing of the past when it comes to treating a heart attack patient.

While it’s true that it does little to help the patient survive, there’s absolutely no evidence to suggest that any of the newer techniques are any better.

Catheter usage has fallen by 65 per cent in the 10 years to 2004, and the most significant decline has been among heart attack patients, where there has been an 81 per cent fall.

Overall, cardiologists are at a loss as to how best to treat the patient in emergency care. While they enjoy measuring cardiac output, this on its own is a pretty useless waste of time.

Researchers, who have monitored the trend, warn doctors not to just jump on the next bandwagon. It could be as useless as the catheter.

Study Indicates Physicians Experience Stress Following Medical Errors

The study of more than 3,100 physicians in the United States and Canada examined the impact of errors on physicians, which physicians are most affected, and how physicians could be better supported after errors occur. Ninety-two percent of the surveyed physicians had been involved with a near miss, or a minor or serious error.

The study-"The Emotional Impact of Medical Errors on Practicing Physicians in the United States and Canada"-is the first large study of its kind to demonstrate that physicians can also be negatively affected by medical errors. Approximately half of the physicians surveyed reported that their involvement in medical errors increased their job-related stress. One in three physicians involved only with near misses also reported that their lives were negatively affected, indicating that physician distress after errors is not limited to the occurrence of serious errors. However, the greater the severity of the error, the more likely it was that the physician would be affected.

Although more than 80 percent of physicians expressed interest in counseling after serious errors, many also agreed that a variety of barriers might prevent them from seeking it out. The authors of the study, led by Amy Waterman, Ph.D., at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and her colleagues at the university and elsewhere, note that hospitals and other health care organizations should consider broadening the array of formal and informal sources of error-related support available to physicians during and after work hours.

"Everyone involved with a medical error-the involved patient, the patient's family, and the physicians and health care team providing care-is affected by it," says Amy Waterman, Ph.D., psychologist and assistant professor of medicine, Washington University School of Medicine. "Counseling needs to be made available to patients and health care professionals so that everyone involved with errors receives the support they need."

Other notable findings in the study include:

Physicians reported increased anxiety about future errors (61 percent), loss of confidence (44 percent), sleeping difficulties (42 percent), reduced job satisfaction (42 percent), and harm to their reputation (13 percent) following errors.
^^Physicians were more likely to report that their job-related stress increased when they had been involved with a serious error. However, one-third of physicians only involved with near misses also reported increased stress.
^^Physicians were more likely to be distressed after serious errors when they were dissatisfied with how error disclosure to patients went.
^^Only 18 percent of physicians had received education or training in disclosure of errors, and 86 percent expressed interest in such education or training.
^^Only 10 percent of physicians surveyed agreed that health care organizations adequately supported them in coping with error-related stress.
^^More than one-third of physicians felt that taking time away from work for counseling was difficult (43 percent), did not believe that counseling would be helpful (35 percent), were concerned that what was said in a counseling session would not be kept confidential if they were sued (35 percent), and were concerned that their counseling history would be placed in their permanent record (34 percent).
^^In addition, 23 percent of physicians were concerned that receiving counseling could affect their malpractice insurance costs, and 18 percent were concerned that they would be judged negatively by their colleagues for receiving counseling.

Sinus problems are treated well with safe, inexpensive treatment, UMHS study finds

Nasal irrigations with saline are more effective than saline spray for short-term relief of chronic nasal symptoms, researchers find

An inexpensive, safe and easy treatment is an effective method for treating chronic nasal and sinus symptoms - more effective, in fact, than commonly used saline sprays, according to a new study from University of Michigan Health System researchers.

The study is the first of its kind to show greater efficacy of saline irrigation treatments versus saline spray for providing short-term relief of chronic nasal symptoms, the authors report. Participants in the study who were treated with irrigation experienced a much greater benefit than those who were treated with saline spray, in terms of both the severity and frequency of their symptoms.

"The irrigation group achieved a clinically significant improvement in quality of life in terms of the severity of their symptoms, whereas the spray group did not," says lead author Melissa A. Pynnonen, M.D., clinical assistant professor in the U-M Department of Otolaryngology. "Strikingly, they also experienced 50 percent lower odds of frequent nasal symptoms compared with the spray group."

The findings, which appear in the new issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, could be significant for the multitudes of people who suffer from chronic nasal and sinus conditions. In the United States, 36 million people are affected by chronic rhinosinusitis each year, and millions more are affected by other types of allergic and non-allergic rhinitis.

Treatments including antibiotics, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory drugs can be helpful, but for many patients, symptoms persist. "A lot of symptoms still aren't very well treated," Pynnonen says.

Treatment with saline irrigations - the flushing of nasal passages with a salt water mixture - often is recommended by otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat physicians) for a variety of sinus conditions. It has long been used as a treatment following sinus surgery, and more recently is becoming common in non-surgical patients. The authors of this study say their findings suggest that otolaryngologists and primary care physicians should recommend this treatment to their patients more often.

Saline sprays are often used as an alternative to irrigations because spray "is often perceived to be equivalent to and better tolerated than irrigation," the researchers note. But the effectiveness of sprays has not been proven in clinical trials.

Among the 121 adults in this study - all of whom have chronic nasal and sinus symptoms - 60 were treated for eight weeks with saline irrigation and 61 were treated with saline spray. The severity of their symptoms was measured with the 20-Item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test, and the frequency of symptoms was measured with a questionnaire.

The irrigation group's average score on the severity test had dropped (improved) by more points than the spray group's average at intervals of two weeks, four weeks and eight weeks (4.4 points out of 100 lower at two weeks, 8.2 points lower at four weeks, and 6.4 points lower at eight weeks).

Frequency of symptoms also improved in both groups, though more for the irrigation group. While 61 percent of the spray group reported having symptoms "often or always" after the eight-week study, just 40 percent of the irrigation group did.

"It's clear from our results that both treatments led to a decrease in frequency and severity of symptoms, but the difference is that the salt water flush led to substantial improvement," Pynnonen says.

Both groups experienced adverse effects, with more reported in the irrigation group. Most were minor, however, and none required that the treatment be stopped. The most commonly reported adverse effect was post-treatment drainage.

"One of the greatest benefits of the nasal irrigation we are using is that it is very cheap and very safe," Pynnonen says.

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Diabetics: Why they wear shoes that are too tight

Something very unusual about diabetics - they tend to wear the wrong-sized shoes. Researchers from Dundee University, led by diabetes expert Graham Leese, reckon that around 60 per cent of sufferers are walking around in ill-fitting shoes.
Aside from the discomfort, the habit could also cause serious health problems, from ulcers, infections - which could lead even to amputation of the foot or leg if the problems are left untreated.

When the researchers reviewed the footwear of 100 diabetics, they found that 63 of them were wearing shoes that did not fit. Usually, the shoe was too tight, and researchers believe they know why the tight-fitting shoe is being chosen by the diabetic.

With diabetes, the sufferer loses his or her nerve sensation in the toes and feet, and so the shoe has to be tight fitting in order to even feel that it's a good fit.

Aspirin: It kills 20,000 Americans every year

Common over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin kill around 20,000 Americans every year, and another 100,000 end up in hospital as a result of taking the drug, new research reveals.
Painkillers known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) are far more dangerous than people have been told, and can cause life-threatening gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, stomach perforations and ulcers.

More than 14 million Americans regularly take an NSAID for their arthritis pain alone, and around 60 per cent of these will suffer gastrointestinal side effects – and will probably never blame the drug, researchers from the Eastern Virginia Medical School estimate.

Researchers realized that patients weren’t associating the painkiller with their stomach problems when they carried out a survey among patients at a clinic that specialises in gastrointestinal disease. Around one in five of the patients was taking an NSAID such as an aspirin, and was not reporting the fact to medical staff because they didn’t regard it as significant.

"This reflects a common misperception that these medications are insignificant or benign when actually their chronic use, particularly among the elderly and those with conditions such as arthritis, is linked to serious and potentially fatal GI injury and bleeding," said Dr David Johnson, one of the researchers.

Sunlight Cuts Risk of Many Cancers

Sunbathing, considered risky by skin cancer experts, may actually reduce the risk of breast and other cancers, new research has found.

Some women who had higher sun exposure had their risk of advanced breast cancer reduced by almost half, according to the scientific study.

The researchers from Stanford University, who report their findings in the American Journal of Epidemiology this week, said: "This study supports the idea that sunlight exposure reduces risk of advanced breast cancer among women with light skin pigmentation.''

The Stanford cancer specialists measured 4,000 women aged 35 to 79, half of them diagnosed with breast cancer, for the effects of long-term sun exposure.

Sun exposure may also protect against a number of other cancers, according to a second research team who studied more than four million people in 11 countries, including 416,000 who had been diagnosed with skin cancer.

These results, reported in the European Journal of Cancer, show that the risk of internal cancers after skin cancers was lower among people living in sunny countries.

The researchers said: "Vitamin D production in the skin seems to decrease the risk of several solid cancers, especially stomach, colo-rectal, liver and gall- bladder, pancreas, lung, female breast, prostate, bladder and kidney cancers."

Sunlight plays a vital role in the production of beneficial vitamin D in the body. Although food provides some vitamin D, up to 90 per cent comes from exposure to sunlight.

Antibacterial Soaps, Body Care & Other Home Products Containing Triclosan Pose Public Health Hazard

A chemical called triclosan poses a health risk, as it is a toxic compound which can promote cancer. The most shocking thing is that triclosan is commonly found in everyday consumer goods such as antibacterial soaps, deodorants, body washes, creams, lotions, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, detergents, dishwashing liquids, and yes, mouthwash and toothpaste.

Toothpaste is supposed to help clean your teeth, but what it actually does just might horrify you. When tap water meets toothpaste, the triclosan reacts freely with the chlorine in the tap water to become chloroform (a chlorinated aromatic) and is similar to the dioxins found in the compound Agent Orange. It's a chemical reaction occurring right in your mouth while you brush your teeth. And don't think you are safe once you rinse it all out of your mouth: research shows that it can remain in your mouth after brushing for up to 12 hours, and can be easily absorbed into the tongue and through mucus into the body. (Children are at the greatest risk, as they tend to swallow their toothpaste more while brushing their teeth.)

According to the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides (NCAMP), "Manufacturers of a number of triclosan-containing toothpaste and soap products claim that the active ingredient continues to work for as long as 12 hours after use. Thus, consumers are exposed to triclosan for much longer than the 20 seconds it takes to wash their hands or brush their teeth."

"These products produce low levels of chloroform, but that adds up over time. The amount of gas formed is very low but I think the key thing is that we just don't know what the effects are. However, manufacturers do have to list triclosan on their ingredients, so if consumers are worried the best advice is to avoid products with the chemical," said Giles Watson, a toxicology expert.

Triclosan is officially a probably human carcinogen The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union currently regulate triclosan, and the Environmental Protection Agency classifies this substance as a probable human carcinogen.

Toothpaste manufacturers claim that triclosan is used because it helps to reduce plaque and kill bacteria, but it actually aids in gum damage and can cause mouth ulcers, say some health experts. These companies like the chemical because it allows them to state the product is a "99.9% bacteria killer" and make claims about the product being a "medicated formula."

According to the chemical creator's website, Ciba Specialty Chemicals "invented triclosan more than 35 years ago and in this long time of application without any adverse effects it has proven itself as the 'aspirin' of the antibacterial actives -- helpful without side effects.

"The popularity of triclosan is a reflection of its unique combination of efficacy against almost all types of bacteria and safety to man and nature which with the currently known substances used cannot be surmounted."

The toothpaste manufacturers haven't done any substantial studies that reach a decision on whether to take triclosan out of their products. They continue to say that it is safe and only harmful if ingested. Even then, they say it only affects the nervous system (as if that's something very minor to have harmed).

No good science supporting safety of triclosan According to the American Medical Association: "Despite their recent proliferation in consumer products, the use of antimicrobial agents such as triclosan in consumer products has not been studied extensively. No data exist to support their efficacy when used in such products or any need for them.it may be prudent to avoid the use of antimicrobial agents in consumer products."

The chemical company states: "Ciba supports the use of triclosan only if there is a benefit to human beings."

So, what if it is shown to offer no benefit to humans? Will they pull it off the shelves now that evidence points to its danger from exposure? (Some toothpaste manufacturers, like Tom's of Maine, specifically state that they do not contain triclosan.)

Also found in toys, bedding, clothing and more Triclosan is also used in plastics and fabrics, where it goes under the trade names Microban and Biofresh respectively. It is infused into or used as an additive in a number of consumer products like toys, bedding, trash bags, socks, kitchen utensils, textiles and plastics.

"Over 95% of the uses of triclosan are in consumer products that are disposed of in residential drains. In a U.S. Geological Survey study of 95 different organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, triclosan was one of the most frequently detected compounds, and in some of the highest concentrations," according to the NCAMP.

According to Worldwatch Institute: "In the United States, 75% of liquid soaps and nearly 30% of bar soaps now contain triclosan and other germ-fighting compounds whose prevalence can foster the growth of bacterial resistance."

The widespread use of triclosan is now known to create the risk of breeding new, resistant superbugs that may be far more dangerous to human health than the original germs killed by triclosan in the first place.

Action items * Avoid all products that make "antibacterial" claims (unless they are using herbs to accomplish it).

* Be aware of the harmful environmental impact of consuming products containing triclosan. The ingredient is not only unhealthy for humans, it's also unhealthy for the environment.

* Read the ingredients labels of all consumer products in order to make sure they do not contain triclosan.