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Sat, May 27, 2006 09:06:30 AMFrom:
NewsMax.com
Subject:
Fish Oil Diet, Cigarettes, ADHD Dangers, Pot-Cancer Link, More
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Health Alert from NewsMax.com Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories): |
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1. Japan's Fish-Based, Low-Fat Diet May Be Best Japanese researchers have found what many in the country have long believed - that its traditional fish-based, low-fat diet is much healthier than the average American menu and contributes to a longer life. Results of the study were discussed at a meeting of the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Food Science, held in the central city of Shizuoka, May 19-21, said a society official, Reiko Suguro. A nutritionist created two menus comprising 21 typical foods from the United States and Japan, according to reports of the study seen by The Associated Press. Each meal, freeze dried and mixed into powder, was given to eight mice for a period of three weeks, the reports showed. The American menu included hamburgers and fried chicken, while the Japanese menu included sashimi, or raw fish, and rice porridge. The study found that several genes that work to break down cholesterol and fat were 1.5 times more active in the mice which received the Japanese menu as opposed to those fed with American food. The study also found that the level of cholesterol was 10 percent higher in the American-food-fed mice. The results endorsed the popular view that traditional Japanese food contributes to a longer life, the study said. Japan boasts some of the world's oldest people. Life expectancy for Japanese is 86 years for women and 79 for men, according to Health Ministry figures. The traditional Japanese diet is also touted as the reason for its low levels of obesity. Health experts, however, are worried about rising rates of obesity, especially among young people who prefer fast food. The Tohoku University team used data from the Japanese government's nutrition survey and the USDA Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals to make a typical menu for the study. The team plans to conduct a similar study on humans at a yet-to-be-set date, a researcher said. © 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Editor's Note:
2. One Cigarette Can Spark Addiction Trying just one cigarette may not be so harmless for non-smokers after all, Reuters reports. Scientists have discovered that a single cigarette has a "sleeper effect" that can increase a person's vulnerability for three years or more to becoming a regular smoker. "We know that progression from experimenting with one cigarette to being a smoker can take several years," said Jennifer Fidler of University College London. "But for the first time we've shown that there may be a period of dormancy between trying cigarettes and becoming a regular smoker - a 'sleeper effect' or vulnerability to nicotine addition," she added. Fidler and her team analyzed the impact of smoking a single cigarette on more than 2,000 children, ages 11 to 16, over five years. Of the 260 children, who by age 11 had tried one cigarette, 18 percent were regular smokers by the time they reached 14. But only 7 percent of 11-year-olds who had never smoked had taken up the habit three years later. Editor's Note:
3. Lemonade May Protect Against Kidney Stones Drinking lemonade could help prevent painful kidney stones, new research shows, as reported by Health Day News. Regular consumption of the refreshing drink - or even lemon juice mixed with water - may increase the production of urinary citrate, a chemical in urine that prevents the formation of crystals that may build up into kidney stones. So conclude two studies presented at the American Urological Association annual meeting in Atlanta. Kidney stones develop when minerals from urine crystallize and build up on the inside of the kidney. Although the results of these two studies indicate that lemonade therapy may offer a simple alternative treatment to people with kidney stones who can't tolerate taking potassium citrate, much more research needs to be conducted, the study authors concluded.
4. Study: ADHD Drugs Send Thousands to ERs Accidental overdoses and side effects from attention deficit drugs likely send thousands of children and adults to emergency rooms, according to the first national estimates of the problem. Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated problems with the stimulant drugs drive nearly 3,100 people to ERs each year. Nearly two-thirds - overdoses and accidental use - could be prevented by parents locking the pills away, the researchers say. Other patients had side effects, including potential cardiac problems such as chest pain, stroke, high blood pressure and fast heart-rate. Concerns over those effects have led some doctors to urge the Food and Drug Administration to require a "Black Box Warning," its most serious warning, on package inserts for drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall. Yet even doctors advising the FDA don't agree on whether that's warranted. The issue was discussed in a series of letters in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, including some from doctors worried about the dangers of not treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. "The numbers [of side effects] are puny compared to the numbers of stimulant prescriptions per year," said Dr. Tolga Taneli, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. "I'm not alarmed." An estimated 3.3 million Americans who are 19 or younger and nearly 1.5 million ages 20 and older are taking ADHD medicines. Twenty-five deaths linked to ADHD drugs, 19 involving children, were reported to FDA from 1999 through 2003. Fifty-four other cases of serious heart problems, including heart attacks and strokes, were also reported. Some of the patients had prior heart problems. Still, there hasn't been a clear estimate of the scope of side effects. The CDC report, while not a rigorous scientific study, attempts to provide that by using a new hospital surveillance network. From August 2003 through December 2005, the researchers counted 188 emergency room visits for problems with the drugs at the 64 hospitals in the network, a representative sample of emergency rooms monitored to spot drug side effects. Extrapolating to all U.S. hospitals, the researchers estimated 3,075 emergency room visits occur each year. This week, the FDA said it is "working diligently" on "labeling changes that we feel accurately reflect the available data and the advice of the committees." The agency declined interview requests. © 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
5. Sleep May Help Weight Loss Women who do not get enough sleep are more likely to pile on the pounds, research shows. Scientists found women who sleep for five hours or less a night typically weigh more than those who get at least seven hours. And over a 16-year period they are more likely to end up obese than those who get plenty of sleep. Researchers said it was not entirely clear why a lack of sleep makes women put on weight, but it may disrupt the body's normal metabolism. They also suggested that those who do not get enough sleep may move around less during the day and so burn off fewer calories. The study, presented yesterday at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego, California, underlines the importance of getting a good night's sleep. Experts have warned previously that middle-aged people who sleep for less than five hours a night are more likely to suffer high blood pressure. Rest is also vital for boosting long-term memory by helping consolidate the day's events in the brain. Editor's Note:
6. Drug Companies Fund Drug Studies Drug companies fund a growing number of the studies in leading psychiatric journals, and drugs fare much better in these company-funded studies than in trials done independently or by competitors, researchers reported. There were favorable outcomes for a medication in about:
The findings don't prove the companies are knowingly biasing studies, says co-author Robert Kelly Jr., also with Beth Israel. The report didn't look at the evidence for bias in design of the studies.
7. Study: Pot Doesn't Increase Cancer Risk The findings are a surprise because marijuana smoke has some of the same cancer-causing substances as tobacco smoke, often in higher concentrations, said the senior researcher, Donald Tashkin, a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles. One possible explanation is that THC, a key ingredient in marijuana not present in tobacco, may inhibit tumor growth, he said in an interview. Editor's Note:
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