More Than Half of Americans Use Supplements

A report released yesterday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that over half of all Americans use some form of dietary supplement. That increase, from 42% in 1988 to 53% in 2006, has made nutritional supplements a $27 billion industry. An estimated 39% of Americans take multivitamins, making them the most popular supplements. The largest increase in use for any supplement was calcium among older women. Currently, it's estimated that more than two-thirds of women over 60 years of age take supplemental calcium. What the report doesn't tell is is whether all these supplements are doing us any good. Are we, in fact, living healthier lives? Dietary supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the same way as drugs, and the manufacturers do not have to prove any safety or effectiveness. Yet, many of us take for granted that they will make us healthier, which is not the case. Taking a multivitamin will never provide you with all the nutrition your body needs. There are compounds found only in fresh fruits and vegetables which we cannot put into a capsule – yet. Furthermore, taking a supplement will never make up for poor diet and lifestyle choices, no matter how much you take

Study: Physicians Not Always Objective In Decision Making

Study: Physicians Not Always Objective In Decision Making

A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that physicians may not always be objective when it comes to decision making. Almost 1000 physicians were asked to make theoretical decisions for patients and themselves. The majority of those surveyed reported that they would choose treatment options for their patients which had the least risk of death, but higher rate of side effects. However, if they were to choose for themselves, the majority of physicians would opt for interventions which had greater risk of death, but lower risk of side effects. The researchers concluded that, "The act of making a recommendation changes the ways that physicians think regarding medical choices." This type of decision-making is logical since, in most cases, patients would prefer to live with side effects than risk death. However, the thought of experiencing certain side effects yourself may make you shy away from the interventions which could cause them. So what's the take home message? Your physician may not always be objective. According to the study, "…the advice you get could depend on whether your doctor is thinking about what you should do, or instead thinking about what he or she would do in your situation."

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Hair Braids May Lead To Baldness

A new study, published this week on the website of the Archives of Dermatology, shows an association between weaves and braids and a type of permanent hair loss called central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA). Researchers believe that these so-called "traction" hairstyles, which exert a great deal of stress on the scalp due to how tight the hairs are pulled, can lead to the development of pus-filled bumps which later become infected by bacteria and lead to scarring and thinning of hair. "Making matters worse, women who are already losing their hair are more likely to favor these hairstyles because they help disguise thinning hair, the study notes." The study doesn't show that these hairstyles directly cause CCCA, just that there may be an association. Furthermore, the study only included women. Those with CCCA were more likely to have balding maternal grandfathers, as well as diabetes. Based on the study the average age of women with CCCA was 58. However, the condition often presents itself among women in their 40s, and sometimes as young as their 20s and 30

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Amrita Institute of Medical Science

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Is erectile dysfunction a problem with the veins?

A: Erectile dysfunction (ED) has many causes. Because male sexual arousal involves a complex coordination between the brain, peripheral nervous system, blood vessels (veins and arteries), muscles, hormones, as well as one's emotional state, anything that goes wrong with any of these components could contribute to ED. When it comes to blood vessels it's more common for arterial problems to cause ED, rather than venous problems. The most common arterial problem which contributes to ED is atherosclerosis – the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to plaques which build up inside them. Yes, this is the same atherosclerosis that can lead to heart disease. Atherosclerosis reduces the amount of blood that arteries can deliver to the heart and penis which, over time, can lead to heart disease and ED. As a matter of fact, because the arteries supplying the penis are much smaller than those supplying the heart, symptoms of atherosclerosis may first manifest as ED. Some even say that ED can be an early sign of heart disease. In this case, part of the treatment for ED is the same as for atherosclerotic heart disease – lifestyle changes, including weight loss, stopping smoking, and healthy dieting. More serious cases may warrant further investigation and treatment.

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Can Generic and Mail Order Drugs Save Us Billions?

The 2010 Drug Trend Report, a study on medication usage in the U.S., suggests that most patients prefer generic drugs and mail-order pharmacies. According to the report, sponsored by Express Scripts, 82% of patients who use brand name medications actually prefer generics. As well, 70% of patients who use retail pharmacies to fill medications for chronic conditions prefer to use a home delivery pharmacy because of discounts offered by their insurance companies. The study suggests that if physicians were to heed patient preferences in this manner, it could eliminate up to 33% of wasteful dollars spent on pharmacy-related costs annually. This amounts to a total of $134 billion dollars. Express Scripts is a publicly traded American company with a revenue of $25 billion and net income of over $800 million in 2009.

 

Sudden Cardiac Death Among Student Athletes More Common Than Previously Thought

A new study from the University of Washington suggests that the rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in college athletes is higher than previously thought. SCD is the leading medical cause of death and death during exercise in NCAA student-athletes. However, there is currently no formal measurement of SCD numbers. In fact, recent estimates of SCD have been based on questionable data sources, such as public media reports, and are believed to be underestimated. The current study attempts to more accurately identify cases of SCD by use of insurance claims databases, media reports, as well as NCAA information databases. Data from these sources between the years 2004 to 2008 showed there were 273 deaths among NCAA athletes, with 45 of them dying from SCD. Public media sources alone only identified 25 of these. Because of this, the study authors are emphasizing the importance of accurate data and its role in prevention of death from SCD. "Accurate assessment of SCD incidence is necessary to shape appropriate health policy decisions and develop effective strategies for prevention," they said.

 

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Heart Disease Plagued Ancient Egyptians Too

New research presented this week at the annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology show that coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as coronary heart disease, is not an ailment of modernity. Coronary artery disease refers to the hardening and narrowing of blood vessels of the heart due to atherosclerosis, a process whereby plaques made of cholesterol, fat, calcium and minerals deposit and harden in the arteries. This can eventually lead to heart attacks and strokes. The scientists used CT scans to view the coronary arteries of 52 mummies and found that 20 of them had definite plaques and 8 of them had plaques in locations where they expected arteries to be. Each CT scan was read and confirmed by eight different cardiologists. The researchers say this is the earliest evidence we have of CAD in humans, putting into question the notion that CAD is due to our modern diet and sedentary lifestyle. One of the mummies was a princess that lived over 3,500 years ago. Perhaps she, too, led a pretty tame and glutinous life.

 

 

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U.S. Birth Rate Declines

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) recently released their latest numbers on the U.S. national birth rate, which demonstrated a 4% decline between 2007 and 2009 – the highest rate of decline in any two-year period during the past 30 years. The sharpest rate of decline (9%) was among women aged 20 to 24. By region, Western and Southeastern states saw the greatest decline. The cause of the trend is likely multifactorial. Some researchers attribute the decline to the current recession, while new research from Stanford University suggest that more college students are reporting that they are virgins. Iowa State University sociologist Teresa Downing-Matibag theorizes that technology may also play a role, suggesting that virtual sex may be competing with the real thing. "They can go to those websites and have sexual relationships watching a webcam. They can still be a virgin and have 100 different partners online through chat rooms or webcams," she says. And what about younger children? Data from the NCHS shows that for women between 15-19 years old, the birth rate fell 8%, to 39.1 babies per 1,000 women

Western Notions of Obesity Globalizing

A new study in the April, 2011 issue of the journal Current Anthropology suggests that the stigma associated with obesity often encountered in Western cultures has spread rapidly to countries that have traditionally valued large bodies. Researchers from Arizona State University surveyed adults in 10 countries around the world, including Argentina, Iceland, Mexico, Paraguay, New Zealand, the UK and the US, on their attitudes toward obesity. The results were compared with respondents in countries which traditionally had positive attitudes toward fatness, including American Samoa, Puerto Rico and Tanzania. The researchers found that negative attitudes toward large bodies in were present in every country they surveyed. In fact, they said that overweight individuals are increasingly regarded as lazy, ugly, undesirable, or lacking in self control. The study didn't investigate the cause of this rapid shift in attitude. However, they speculate that one contributing factor may actually be our anti-obesity public health messages. It remains to be seen what kind of societal impacts these negative notions of obesity will have on these cultures. [via Medical News Today]

 

 

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FDA Issues Warning Against Soladek Vitamin Solution

FDA Issues Warning Against Soladek Vitamin Solution

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a consumer warning against the use of Soladek, an over-the-counter vitamin supplement produced by Indo Pharma, S.A., of the Dominican Republic because the product may contain dangerously high levels of vitamins A and D. Soladek claims to treat "hypo and avitaminosis, rickets, growth, dentition, lactation, fractures, infection, convalescence, protection and regeneration of certain epithelium (bronchial, glandular, ocular, cutaneous), corticotherapy, aging and pregnancy." The product is sold in a box labeled in Spanish and contains a vial of the solution. The FDA has, so far, received seven reports of serious health problems caused by the product. Symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include anemia, anorexia, alopecia, joint pain, bone weakness, bulging eyes, liver abnormalities, and birth defects. Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity include weakness, fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in mental status, increased blood pressure, abnormal heart rate or rhythm, kidney damage, and coma. [via FDA]

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