REPORTING POINT 02-04
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 511/email: skyguy737@cox.net
(Past issues of “Health News” are available on my son’s website, which includes a word-search engine - just go to the site with your browser and insert the key word to find past articles: http://home.earthlink.net/~candace_ball/healtharticles/frameset.htm) - LK
CHIP AND FRIES WARNING - potato chips and french fries may contain dangerous levels of acrylamide, a possible carcinogen, according to a recent Swedish study. Acrylamide forms when starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures. While breads, cereals, and cookies all appear to have high levels, potato chips and fries have the highest levels. The authors of the study urge that people limit their consumption of broiled, fried, or grilled carbohydrate-rich foods until more studies confirm the findings. Men’s Health 9/02.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ 3 - True or False: sweet potatoes are no higher in calories than white potatoes.
Answer is below.
LIFT TO PREVENT DIABETES - lifting weights 3 days a week can help prevent diabetes. Finnish researchers found that when men at risk of diabetes trained with weights three times a week, their sensitivity to insulin improved by 23 percent, compared to no change in those training aerobically. Insulin sensitivity is key to helping the body process sugar (glucose).
Unlike endurance training, resistance training results in an increase in muscle mass, which helps in glucose disposal. Doing a circuit training routine, where one trains a large muscle group at each exercise station, resting for 30 seconds before moving on to the next station, gives an aerobic benefit to a resistance-training routine. Men’s Health 9/02.
WHITE WINE FOR YOUR LUNGS - red and white wine are both good for the heart, but as far as benefitting your lungs, white wine is better than red. In a study of 1,500 men and women, researchers at the University of Buffalo found that white-wine drinkers had stronger lungs than people who either regularly drank red wine or did not drink wine at all. Flavonoids in white wine are thought to be responsible for the improved lung function. Men’s Health 10/02.
SAVE YOUR KNEES - if you are prone to sore knees after any weight-bearing exercise, try icing the knees for 10 minutes to save the knees from osteoarthritis. Weight-bearing exercises such as jogging, draw blood and a lubricant called synovial fluid to the joints. While exercising, this is beneficial, but if extra synovial fluid and blood remain after exercising, the cartilage can crack and osteoarthritis will eventually develop. Post-exercising icing is critical to remove the extra fluid from the joints. Cold packs work well, but bagged ice or even a cold can of soda can do; just place it right below the kneecap, right on the patellar tendon.
A good exercise for those experiencing knee pain is to exercise on the stationary cycle. A study in the Journal of Gerontology found that stationary cycling provided more relief for those experiencing knee pain than those engaged in low-intensity aerobic routines. Men’s Health 9/02.
BAKE AWAY BACK PAIN - heat wraps are up to 50 percent more effective then over-the-counter pills at relieving lower-back pain, according to a study. Researchers found than men who treat their sore backs with heat have less pain and muscle stiffness and are significantly more flexible than patients with similar back problems who take ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Low-level hat increases bloodflow to the muscles, relieving pain and improving muscle elasticity. Men’s Health 10/02.
LOSING YOUR HAIR? - pretend you have dandruff. A study in Dermatology Times showed that balding men who lathered daily with 1 percent zinc pyrithione dandruff shampoo for 26 weeks grew about six times more hair than men using regular shampoo. The researchers believe that a significant number of balding men have inflamed scalps. Low-grade inflammation can speed up the rate of hair loss. Using a zinc pyrithione shampoo can help reduce the inflammation. Generic dandruff shampoo with zinc pyrithione costs about $3. Men’s Health 9/02.
A NEW VIEW OF HEART DISEASE - for years, the conventional thinking has been that heart disease is simply a problem with the plumbing - blood vessels get clogged with fatty deposits called plaque and eventually a blood blot comes along and shuts down the passageways to the heart, with the resulting heart attack. It was assumed that those at highest risk had the highest cholesterol levels. But the troubling fact is that half of all people who have heart disease do not have elevated cholesterol levels, and 25% who have heart attacks have no identifiable risk factors at all.
Recently, it has been found that plaque does not form primarily on the inside walls of the blood vessels, but within those walls. The arteries are nothing like pipes inside which blood cholesterol is passively deposited - blood vessels are made of very active tissue that changes all the time. Plaque results from the uptake of cholesterol from the blood by the vessel walls, as well as the buildup of cells and other material that can provoke an inflammatory reaction. Many things, such as smoking and high blood pressure, can further damage the vessel and aggravate inflammation.
When inflammation sets in, other cells enter the plaque, which causes it to grow more. As it grows, it bulges inward, narrowing the passageway and restricting the amount of blood the vessel can carry. But the greatest danger is if this plaque ruptures. Ruptured plaque can trigger a blood clot, which is the body’s attempt to repair this damage. If the clot is large enough or breaks off, it can block the passage of oxygen-carrying blood. Without oxygen, cells die - if this happens in the heart, it is a heart attack; if it happens in the brain, it is a stroke.
Arterial inflammation may be caused by bacterial infection, general obesity (fat cells release chemicals that cause inflammation), high LDL and low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.
A simple blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP), which is produced by the liver in response to inflammation, may reveal the presence of arterial inflammation. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 3/03.
HEEL HELP - when suffering from plantar fasciitis, a common running injury, the foot feels as if it has a sharp pain, like a nail, embedded in its arch. Stretching, arch supports, and anti-inflammatory medications can help, but now German researchers may have found a better remedy. A quick burst of low-intensity shock waves may be the best way to ease chronic heel pain. The outpatient procedure uses the same type of shock waves doctors use to pulverize kidney stones. The treatment works by improving bloodflow to the damaged tissue, reducing sensitivity and pain. Men’s Health 10/02.
GREAT GRAPES - a newly discovered compound in grapes appears to fight both cancer and diabetes. In animal tests, USDA researchers found that the compound pterostilbene protects cells from the effects of damaging carcinogens. The compound may also help keep blood-sugar levels in balance. Dark-skinned grapes have the highest concentrations of pterostilbene.
Also, resveratrol is found abundantly in grapes, grape juice, wine, and some other fruits. This antioxidant is believed to be very effective in protecting against the effects of LDL cholesterol. Men’s Health 10/02, Muscle & Fitness 11/03.
PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENTS - as men age, the prostate can become enlarged, sometimes to the size of a peach, interfering with urination and causing bladder or kidney problems; it is prone to develop tumors, which may spread to the bladder, lymph nodes or bones. Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer in men (after skin cancer) and the second most common cause of cancer death (after lung cancer). While it may progress so slowly that some patients live with it for years and end up dying of something else, once it spreads to the bones it is incurable - like many other cancers.
The risk is directly related to age: the incidence is one in 53 for men in their 40's and 50's, but one in seven for men 60 to 79. People with a family history of the disease are at higher risk, as are African-Americans (perhaps because darker skin produces less protective vitamin D in response to sunlight) and farmers (possibly exposure to herbicides). Some evidence suggests that obesity and a diet rich in animal fats may contribute to the disease, and lycopene, a substance found in tomatoes, may be protective. Vasectomies, bicycling, and sexual frequency do not seems to affect risk of the disease.
In diagnosis, the main indicator in the last 20 years has been the use of the blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein whose blood level reflects changes in the prostate. Generally speaking, a PSA reading above 4 is cause for concern, although the cutoff varies by age - a reading higher than 2.5 may be suspicious for a man in his 40s, and many doctors believe the trend of successive measurements is more significant than the absolute value - showing the benefits of establishing a baseline measurement when entering Amiddle-age”.
Conversely, not all men with cancer have high PSA levels, and high readings often don’t indicate cancer. If a high reading is confirmed on a second test, doctors typically order a biopsy. Cancer cells, if present, are rated on the Gleason scale from 1 to 10, with the higher numbers indicated a more aggressive and dangerous tumor.
After diagnosis of the disease, treatment options and possible side effects need to be discussed between the patient and physician. In older men whose cancer is progressing slowly doing nothing may be the best solution.
Options including radical prostatectomy; the removal of the prostate through conventional open surgery. This is the gold standard of treatment, which is the best way to eliminate a cancer that is confined to the prostate. On average, a cancerous prostate contains seven distinct tumors and many prominent urologists prefer this method of treatment on younger men, to ensure the elimination of the disease.
Side effects including incontinence and sexual impotence as the prostate is situated among a tangle of blood vessels and nerves leading to the bladder and penis. Removing the organ almost always entails damage to these sensitive tissues. The skill of the physician is very important in the long-term effects of the surgery. Most men eventually regain bladder control, although a small minority end up permanently impaired. Most specifically older men, never regain full sexual functioning and experience at least some difficultly maintaining an erection. Without a prostate, ejaculation is impossible, but they can achieve sexual climax.
A variation of the conventional surgery, laparoscopic surgery was introduced in 1990 and is becoming more common. Operating through a small incision, guiding their instruments by video, doctors minimize the loss of blood and scarring, and patients typically resume their routines sooner, often within days rather than weeks. Incontinence, impotence and bowel complications remain common side effects.
Radiation can be administered either externally, by a focused beam, or by rice grain-sized seeds of radioactive iodine or palladium, inserted directly into the prostate. Radiation is easier and cheaper than surgery, and requires almost no recovery time. The disadvantage is that it may not eliminate all the tumor cells, and the tissue damage it causes may make future surgery impossible. Also damage to healthy tissue, over time, may impair sexual function. Radiation is often the choice of older men, who can accept the risk that the tumor might grow back in 15 years.
Prostate tumors thrive on testosterone, and drugs that eliminate or block the hormone seem to shrink the tumors. Hormone therapy is the treatment of choice for men whose cancer has spread beyond the prostate. It never cures cancer, but rather can put it in submission, often for years. However, the cancer typically recurs. Hormones can also be used in combination with radiation therapy for tumors that are still confined to the prostate, as an alternative to surgery.
Side effects of hormone therapy include symptoms similar to those of menopause; hot flashes, headaches, and irritability.
Diet and lifestyle changes, alone or used in addition to other therapies is recommended by Dr. Dean Ornish, a well-known proponent of low-fat diets for reversing heart disease. Dr. Ornish’s diet regime, which restricts fats to only 10 percent of total calories, plus consistent exercising, lowered PSA levels by 6.5 percent over three months in an initial group of subjects. This modest improvement is not a cancer cure, but rather a way to postpone more radical treatment as long as possible. If the Gleason score is relatively low (4 or lower), this approach might postpone more radical measures for a time.
Watchful waiting is often recommended for men older than 75 or 80 who are less able to withstand the rigors of treatment, and likely to die of something else before the cancer becomes fatal. Even younger men may decide to wait and see how their disease progresses before taking action.
Cryoblation is a procedure that freezes the tumor causing immediate cancer cell death. Thousands of men have turned to cryo, a minimally invasive procedure, as an alternative to radical surgery or radiation for localized prostate cancer. The benefits of cryo include rapid recovery, almost no risk of permanent, severe urinary incontinence and new techniques that better preserve sexual function. One recently published study of seven and eight-year-old data shows cryo to be 92 percent effective in low-risk cases, and 87 to 89 percent effective in moderate to high-risk tumors. Newsweek 6/13/03 and 6/30/03 and dedicated to the memory of Captain Ken Sullivan - LK.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ ANSWER: True - they have 100 calories per 3.5 ounce serving, the same as white potatoes, and they are far more nutritious - rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, and folate. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/03.
