Kurriosity

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Study Links Antibiotic to Slight Rise in Heart Patients‘ Death Risk

WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- The widely prescribed antibiotic azithromycin may slightly raise the risk of death in patients with heart disease, a new study suggests.

Several antibiotics have been tied to an increased risk of sudden death among heart patients, and recent reports have suggested azithromycin (Zithromax) might be part of that group, said the researchers, from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

"For patients with elevated cardiovascular risk, the cardiovascular effects of azithromycin may be an important clinical consideration," said study author Wayne Ray, a professor of preventive medicine at the school. "All antibiotics have risks and benefits, which must be considered in the prescribing decision."

When patients and their doctors consider an antibiotic, they should weigh the heart risks of azithromycin against the severity of the infection and the effectiveness of alternative antibiotics, Ray said.

"We found that amoxicillin, often used for similar indications as azithromycin, conferred no cardiovascular risk," he noted.

For the study, published in the May 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Ray‘s team collected data on nearly 348,000 Medicaid patients taking azithromycin, as well as people taking other antibiotics.

The sample size included more than 1.3 million patients taking amoxicillin (Amoxil, Moxatag, Trimox, Wymox), more than 264,000 people taking ciprofloxacin (Cipro), and nearly 194,000 patients taking levofloxacin (Levaquin). Another 1.3 million people not taking antibiotics were also included in the study.

Over a five-day period, people taking azithromycin had a slightly increased risk of sudden cardiac death, compared with those not taking any antibiotics. Patients taking amoxicillin had no increase in death risk, the study authors said.

The researchers calculated the absolute risk at 47 cardiovascular deaths for every 1 million prescriptions for azithromycin. Those at highest risk were patients with the most serious cardiovascular disease.

The risk of cardiovascular death was significantly higher with azithromycin than with ciprofloxacin but did not differ significantly from deaths among those taking levofloxacin, the researchers noted.

While the study found an association between the use of azithromycin and potential heart problems, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center and co-director of the UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program, said that "certain antibiotics, such as erythromycin, have been demonstrated to increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias [an irregular heartbeat] and sudden death."

Azithromycin has generally been considered not to increase the risk of arrhythmias, he added.

Although the new study revealed a slightly increased risk for cardiovascular death among heart patients taking azithromycin, an earlier rigorous trial found no risk, Fonarow noted.

"Further studies are needed to determine whether the findings from this observational analysis can be confirmed or not," he said.

More information

For more on azithromycin, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Healthy and Inexpensive? How to Shop With Good Health In Mind on a Limited Budget!

Living on a budget is common place these days, from our college students, to singles, to hard working families. We are all trying to stay healthy while watching where our money goes. Truth is you can have it all by purchasing some staple foods that can keep you healthier without breaking the bank. Take a look at our 7 favorite healthy supermarket must haves to add to your wagon before you head to the check out.

1. Oatmeal – This high fiber breakfast cereal is packed with nutrition. This whole grain complex carbohydrate will provide longer lasting energy while the fiber will help to lower cholesterol. Perfect any time of day, can be made with water or milk, can be used to bread chicken, make into healthy muffin, or added to yogurt for a parfait. Price: $1.45 for 42 ounce container.

2. Potatoes – Who knew that eating a potato with the skin can give you almost half a days vitamin C? Not to mention it is packed with loads of potassium. The resistant starch found in the white potato takes longer to be digested, allowing it to be a very filling food, without packing on the pounds. Baked and topped with veggies and melted part skim cheese for a great meal or snack. Price: $2 for a 3 lb bag.

3. Eggs – Touted as the perfect protein, eggs are a sure pick. Along with protein, they are full of choline, which enhances brain development, and antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes as we age. Hard boil as a snack or load up with veggies as a meal any time of day. Price: $2.29 for a dozen.

4. Broccoli – Calcium, folate, potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, need we say more?This bright green vegetable is rich in antioxidants and low in calories. It is perfect raw with a dip, steamed aside your main dish or thrown into an omelette for a delicious taste. With this vegetable you can’t go wrong! Price: $1.50 a lb.

5. Beans – Garbanzo, kidney, black. red and pintos are among the most common varieties. Beans are packed with protein, fiber, magnesium and iron. Great to throw atop a salad, add to rice for the perfect protein or throw in to make a delicious chili. Dried are cheaper but even the canned ones make the low price grade. Price: $ .02 per ounce for dry and $.04 per ounce for canned.

6. Peanut butter – Remember when you were a kid and eating was simple. Everyone was happy with a good old pb and j sandwich. In fact peanut butter packs great nutrition into just 2 tablespoons. It is packed with protein, vitamin E and manganese. All the fat contained is unsaturated so it is safe for the heart. PB on an apple, on crackers, in a shake or on the spoon. It always hits the spot. Price: $ .15 per serving ($2.40 a jar)

7. Bananas – Monkey see, monkey do. Looks like we are onto something. Bananas are packed with potassium, carbohydrate, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Take them on the go, slice up into your yogurt or add to milk to make a a shake. Price: $.19 a banana.

Marlo Mittler, MS RD is a Registered Dietitian, Nutrition Consultant, journalist and public speaker specializing in nutrition, wellness and healthy lifestyles. Marlo has been in practice for over 15 years, specializing in Pediatrics, Adolescents and Family Nutrition. Marlo, has appeared nationally on FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS News.

Morning After Pill- Regardless of Age

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to make the so-called "morning-after pill" -- an emergency contraceptive -- available to all women regardless of age. The judge from the Eastern District of New York gave the FDA 30 days to remove age restrictions on the sale of emergency contraception, such as Plan B One-Step. Until now, girls 16 and younger needed a doctor‘s prescription to get the pill, which typically works if taken within 72 hours after intercourse.

Other brands of emergency contraception include Next Choice and Ella. The judge‘s decision, is the latest step in a 10-year, controversial debate about who should have access to the drug and why. Plan B prevents implantation of a fertilized egg in a woman‘s uterus through use of levonorgestrel, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone used for decades in birth control pills. Plan B contains 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel, more than "the Pill" contains. It is considered a form of birth control, not abortion. The Obama administration had no immediate comment on the judge‘s ruling.

Women‘s health advocates praised the decision by Judge Edward Korman in Brooklyn. "Lifting the age restrictions on over-the-counter emergency contraception is a significant and long-overdue step forward for women‘s health that will benefit women of all ages," Eric Blankenbaker, a spokesman for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement Friday. "When a woman fears she might become pregnant after her contraceptive has failed or she has had unprotected sex, she needs fast access to emergency contraception, not delays at the pharmacy counter," he said.

Planned Parenthood called the ruling "good policy, good science, and good sense." The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health also came out in favor of the court ruling, noting it will benefit Hispanic and other immigrant women. "For Latinas in particular, expanded access to emergency contraception is critical for making the best decisions for our families and ourselves. For too long, this important backup birth control method has been kept behind the counter and out of reach," institute spokeswoman Erin White said in a statement. Minority women in the United States often face significant barriers to health care and suffer from the highest rates of unintended pregnancies, White said.

But not everyone was pleased with Korman‘s ruling. "This is a political decision, made by those who stand to profit financially from an action that puts ideology ahead of the nation‘s girls and young women," said Janice Shaw Crouse, director and senior fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute, the think tank for the conservative women‘s group Concerned Women for America. "It is irresponsible to advocate over-the-counter use of these high-potency drugs, which would make them available to anyone -- including those predators who exploit young girls," Shaw Crouse said.

In his ruling, Korman was dismissive of the government‘s arguments and, in particular, previous decisions by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that required girls under 17 to get a prescription for the emergency contraceptive. Korman wrote that Sebelius‘ actions "with respect to Plan B One-Step . . . were arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable." In 2011, Sebelius overruled a recommendation by the FDA to make the drug available to all women without a prescription. The FDA said at the time that it had well-supported scientific evidence that Plan B One-Step is a safe and effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy.

Sebelius, however, said she was concerned that very young girls couldn‘t properly understand how to use the drug without assistance from an adult. She invoked her authority under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and directed FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg to issue "a complete response letter." As a result, "the supplement for nonprescription use in females under the age of 17 is not approved," Hamburg wrote at the time.

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more about emergency contraception.

Beans a Boon for People With Diabetes

MONDAY, Oct 22 (HealthDay News) -- People suffering from type 2 diabetes can see an improvement in both their blood sugar levels and blood pressure if they add beans and other legumes to their diet, Canadian researchers report.

Chickpeas, lentils and beans are rich in protein and fiber, and these may improve heart health. Because they are low on the glycemic index, a measure of sugar in foods, they may also help control diabetes, the researchers explained.

"Legumes, which we always thought were good for the heart, actually are good for the heart in ways we didn't expect," said lead researcher Dr. David Jenkins, the Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Metabolism at the University of Toronto.

Among diabetics, "not only did their glucose control become better, but -- and this surprised us -- it had a significant effect on blood pressure," he said.

Exactly why legumes have this effect on blood sugar and blood pressure isn't known, Jenkins said. The effect is most likely due to the protein, fiber and minerals they include, he noted.

Jenkins recommends adding more legumes to the diet. "They will do well for you," he said. "They will help you keep your blood pressure down and your blood glucose under control, and help you keep your cholesterol down."

The report was published online Oct. 22 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

For the study, Jenkins's team randomly assigned 121 patients with type 2 diabetes to eat one cup of legumes a day or whole-wheat products.

Over three months, the researchers found that those eating legumes saw an improvement in their blood sugar of 0.5 compared with 0.3 for those eating whole-wheat products. In addition, those eating legumes saw a reduction in blood pressure of 4.5 mm Hg, compared with a reduction of 2.1 mm Hg among those eating whole-wheat products, they found.

These improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar add up to better diabetes control and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, the researchers said.

The study was funded in part by the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, a nonprofit organization representing pulse-crop farmers in Saskatchewan. Pulse crops include chickpeas, lentils, fava beans and soybeans.

Marion Franz, from Nutrition Concepts by Franz Inc., in Minneapolis, and author of an accompanying journal editorial, said "the study clearly shows that legumes are part of a healthy eating pattern."

Franz noted that patients were able to control blood sugar as well with whole wheat as they did with beans, and it may be easier for people to eat three servings of whole wheat a day rather than a cup of beans a day.

"What's really important for people with type 2 diabetes is not really what they eat, but how much they eat," Franz said. "You can overeat on healthy foods too."

Samantha Heller, an exercise physiologist and clinical nutrition coordinator at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., agreed.

"For people with type 2 diabetes, beans as part of an overall healthy diet are a great addition," Heller said. "Not only do legumes have a relatively low glycemic index, they are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, protein, vitamins and minerals."

Beans provide a heart-healthy, nutritious and affordable alternative to less healthy red and processed meats, Heller said. Several studies suggest a link between eating legumes and lower incidence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancers, along with better weight management, she said.

"While people may not eat a full cup of beans daily, as they did in this small study, including beans in a healthy diet will still provide many health benefits," Heller said. "Beans are great to use in dips, pasta sauce, salads, burritos, soups, stews and even brownies."

Another expert, who does believe in a low glycemic diet, said patients still need individualized eating plans.

"There is no standard recommendation with a low glycemic diet," said Dr. Minisha Sood, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "It is more beneficial to my patients to tailor diet recommendations."

Sood said she looks for specific problem areas, such as portion control or snacking. No single diet or food fits all patients.

"Dietary recommendations should be based on a patient's lifestyle, food likes and dislikes," she noted. "It really requires in-depth nutritional counseling."

Although the study found an association between eating legumes and decreased blood sugar and blood pressure, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

More information

For more information on a healthy diabetic diet, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

3 reasons your diet is making you fat

Many of us get discouraged when we look at the scale while dieting and don’t see the number dropping or maybe you even gained a pound or two! There are a few reasons why your diet maybe having the opposite effect.

1. A diet throws your body off balance. Most of the time when we diet we make the diet too strict which slows down our metabolism drastically. For example, cutting fat too much can lead to a surplus of carbs your body can’t burn, which then get stored in your fat cells.

2. On and Off Mode. On a diet you need to allow yourself to mess up. Most people when they have a cheat meal think they blew the entire diet and slip back into their old ways. You just need consistency! Try not to let it happen but if it does, get right back to the diet the next day or meal.

3. Diets forbid the most tempting foods you can’t give up. People need to understand it is okay to treat yourself. The more you tell yourself you will never be able to eat that food again, the quicker you will be to indulge in your goodies.

Balance and consistency is the main part of a diet. You have to reach out and eat a lot things you probably don’t like but don’t be afraid to reward yourself with something you do like.

Brittany Cascone, has spent the past 15-years building her reputation and career not only in-front of the camera but also working as a fitness and dance professional with some of the biggest names in the industry. If her face looks familiar, you may have seen Brittany in numerous national fitness campaigns. Brittany has obtained ISO Expert Certifications in Aerobics, Yoga and Pilates.

Smallpox Virus May Help Treat Deadly Form of Breast Cance

(CHICAGO) -- A new form of breast cancer treatment may be… smallpox?

What was once a feared killer of millions of people may someday be used to treat one of the most dangerous forms of breast cancer. So far it’s worked in mice, and researchers are encouraged.

The researchers, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, have found that a virus from the smallpox family can be used in the treatment of a certain type of breast cancer, called triple-negative breast cancer or TNBC.

This form of breast cancer is especially difficult to treat because it is not sensitive to the special hormonal and immune therapies that many other forms of breast cancer are. These tumors can often be treated with some chemotherapy, but they tend to be more aggressive and recur more often.

“One of the reasons I wanted to focus on TNBC is that there aren’t many long-term treatment options,” said Dr. Sepideh Gholami, the lead study author and a surgical resident at Stanford University Medical Center. “Right now the only options are surgery and chemotherapy, but these cancers metastasize early on and are really aggressive. Resistance develops fast to multiple agents of chemotherapy so patients run out of options easily.”

It is estimated that about 10 to 20 percent of all breast cancer cases are triple-negative. It is particularly prevalent in women under the age of 35.

Study findings presented today at the 2012 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons showed that the vaccinia virus, called GLV-1h164, was able to enter cells and cause destruction of the tumor, as well as prevent blood vessel growth in the tumors in mouse animal models, resulting in significant tumor destruction.

Since smallpox vaccines have been given to billions of people to eradicate smallpox, this new vaccine will likely have a similar level of safety. However, its use as a therapy in patients with triple negative breast cancer would require a clinical trial to evaluate its effectiveness.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Chest Pain

(HealthDay News) -- Timely follow-up care with a doctor after going to an emergency department with chest pain significantly reduces the risk of heart attack or death among high-risk patients previously diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes, a new study says. Chest pain is the most common reason patients go to the ER, accounting for more than 5 million visits each year in the United States.

In this study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 57,000 adults, average age 66, in Canada who were diagnosed with chest pain in an ER and had been previously diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes.

Only 17 percent of the patients were evaluated by a cardiologist within a month after their ER visit, 58 percent saw only a primary care doctor, and 25 percent had no doctor follow-up, according to the study published April 1 in the journal Circulation.

Compared to patients who did not seek additional care within a month after their ER visit, those who followed up with a cardiologist were 21 percent less likely to have a heart attack or die within a year and those who saw a primary care doctor had a 7 percent lower risk.

Patients treated by cardiologists received more testing and treatment within 100 days of their ER visit and had the best outcomes. Patients seen by cardiologists were 15 percent less likely to have a heart attack or die within a year than those who were seen by primary care doctors. Patients who did not seek any follow-up care whatsoever within a month had the worst outcomes.

The findings show the need to improve follow-up with high-risk chest pain patients after they leave the ER, said study senior author Dr. Dennis Ko, a cardiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, in Toronto. "Being discharged from the emergency department is reassuring for patients, but it is critical that they follow up with their doctor to reduce their risks of future heart attacks or premature death," Ko said in a journal news release.

"Patients need to advocate for themselves and physicians need to be more diligent about arranging follow-up care."

More information

The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia has more about chest pain.

Child's Cancer Vs. Smog Exposure

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and the first year of life might increase the likelihood of developing certain childhood cancers, California researchers say.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health collected data on children diagnosed with cancer before the age of 6 and local traffic exposure. The greater the traffic pollution, the higher the odds for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (white blood cell cancer), germ cell tumors (cancers of the testicles, ovaries and other organs) and eye cancer, they found.

These findings do not mean pollution actually causes these cancers, said lead researcher Julia Heck, an assistant researcher in the department of epidemiology. "This finding is an association, because nothing is proven yet," she said.

But the results do suggest that exposure to traffic pollution might increase risk for childhood cancers, Heck added. "Since this was the first study to report risks for these [uncommon childhood] cancers, these findings need to be confirmed in other studies," she said.

Areas of California are known for their unhealthy air. The state‘s topography and its warm, sunny climate tend to form and trap air pollutants, creating smog, according to the California Air Resources Board. The researchers focused on pregnancy because certain cancers originate in the womb, Heck said.

But women shouldn‘t worry about their baby‘s risk for cancer based on this study, another expert said.

"There has been an association between air pollution and other diseases," said Dr. Rubin Cohen, director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis and Bronchiectasis Center at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. "We know that pollution causes asthma, and that is probably more real than the cancer issue."

Cohen isn‘t sure the association between pollution and childhood cancers is causal, and he said there isn‘t much one can do about it anyway. "Moving is easier said than done," he said.

The study findings were scheduled for presentation Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. For the study, Heck‘s team collected data on nearly 3,600 children under 6 years old who were born between 1998 and 2007 and listed in the California Cancer Registry. The researchers compared them with a similar number of healthy children.

The researchers were able to estimate the amount of traffic pollution at each child‘s home during the mother‘s pregnancy and the child‘s first year of life. The estimates included exposure to gas and diesel engines as well as traffic volume, emission rates and weather.

Based on their findings, Heck‘s group concluded the risk for cancer was increased with higher exposure to vehicular air pollution. "In terms of the risk, greater exposure was associated with a 5 percent increase in [acute lymphoblastic leukemia] cancers, an 11 percent increase in eye cancer and a 15 percent increase in testicle, ovary and other organ tumors," Heck said.

But whether any particular period is critical during pregnancy or the child‘s first year wasn‘t clear. Another expert agreed that more research is needed before conclusions can be drawn about any actual risk for cancer from traffic pollution. The study needs to be replicated to see if the same findings are seen in other cities, said Dr. Guillermo DeAngulo, a pediatric oncologist at Miami Children‘s Hospital, in Florida.

"There has been a concern about environmental factors playing a role in cancers," said DeAngulo, who was not involved in the study. "The question is how much of a role they play."

Genetic components also may be involved that may make cancer more likely for some of these children, he said.

Data and conclusions presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

More information

For more information on air pollution, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Running

Coming from the world of power lifting and bodybuilding as my chosen sports, it’s odd to me that people could derive pleasure out of running. Especially long distance running, not to mention marathons. And judging by the looks on many people’s faces I see running along the beach here in South Florida I suspect most don’t. I believe the reason for this is that most people who choose running as an activity are not doing so as efficiently as possible and therefore feeling as though it’s something they have do as a means to an end. In other words, many runners are doing it to lose weight or build up there cardiovascular system without realizing that running is a skill and that in order to run efficiently and effectively you must have synchronization of the 3 B’s. The big toe, the butt and the belly! Yes, you read that properly! When the big toe, the butt and the belly are getting along during the run the whole body is in synch and the run becomes much more efficient and effective. Now what in the world do these 3 structures have to do with running?

Well allow me to explain: The big toe is important during the mid stance (when one foot is on the ground) and as the ground, mass of our body and momentum moves over that foot in to flight phase. During this time our hip extends (hopefully), our knee starts extending, our ankle starts dorsiflexing (toes toward shins), our heal starts inverting, our subtalor joint starts going through inversion and our mid tarsel joint locks up positioning our foot for good propulsion off the big toe. And when the big toe propels well, it turns on the butt (and all the associated hip muscles) which in turn turns on the belly (and all the associated trunk muscles). Fortunately for us this all happens through grace, gravity and the ground. However, when this chain reaction is not happening problems are caused throughout the body and the running experience leads to a progressive breaking down of the body, exactly opposite of why we do it in the first place.

One interesting thing about running is the impact the body goes through (called the loading phase in functional terms) as the body in flight turns into a body on the ground with one leg. It has been said that the forces that go through the body during the landing phase are equal to at least 10 times your bodyweight. And all the motions we described earlier have to happen in a slit second before the body goes through the exploding phase, a transfer to the other side and back to the loading phase on the opposite side. It’s no wonder those people I see running don’t look very happy! There’s a lot going on.

Exercises specific to running preparation

The goal of any sport specific training program is to ultimately make the sport easier to do. In other words, your exercise program should complement, not confuse, the nervous system patterns being challenged during the sport activity. A running preparation program is no exception. We already spoke about the 3 B’s we need to “turn on” during our training. The following is some sample exercises to help us do just that. The videos that accompany this article will describe each of these.

Phase One – Flexibility/Mobility

Tri Stretch Calf Mobility

Long stride Toed in 3 dimensional Hip flexor stretches

Walking Tri Plane Mobility Stretch

Phase Two – Strengthening

Clubbell Long Stride Core Strength Exercise Series

Phase Three – Dynamic Strength and Balance

Jogging

Leg and Arm Drivers in all 3 planes

Resisted Hip drives

Former Vice President of Education for the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the Apex Fitness Group, McDermott has traveled worldwide educating trainers and fitness professionals on the physiology of exercise and function. Now a proud father, McDermott is sharing his knowledge and practical experience with clients, patients and athletes with the goal of prevention, rehabilitation and enhanced performance.