Health News - FINAL POST

REPORTING POINT 02/14

HEALTH NEWS

“Live healthy...Live well”

Dedicated to providing pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.

by Larry Kline

email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net

“THE WANING DAYS OF A MEDIOCRE CAREER….”  a phrase shared with me years ago by my good friend, Captain Carl Lueking.  He related that a good old boy from west Texas who he used to fly with would deliver this line when they flew together in the corporate world.  It always struck me as humorous and pleasantly self-effacing. 

As I approach my retirement, I am truly grateful for being part of something very special at Southwest for the past three decades.  Now that this is the final installment of the Health News that I will deliver, I can look back, reflect, and truly hope that our efforts have aided you and your families in making better, more informed decisions concerning health, fitness, and wellness.  In the 22 years that we have published the Health News (Live Healthy-Live Well), conventional health and wellness wisdom has often changed: Certain touted supplements came and went and trendy diets flashed then vanished, many promising to be the “silver bullet” to health.  There are no short cuts to living a healthy lifestyle; it takes consistent exercise (both resistance and cardiovascular), proper nutrition with minimal processed foods, post-exercise stretching, rest, and a balance of life’s demands. 

A fresh attitude and outlook will commence next month when Dror Erez and Eli Berko assume the responsibility of creating the Health News. The best legacy that I can hope for is that you will continue to embrace living a healthy lifestyle for your own sake as well as for your family.  The example you set will continue on with your progeny. May you all be blessed in health, life, love, and success.  LK

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ASTHMA RELIEF – eating lots of vegetables and fruits may help reduce asthma symptoms.  A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition had adults with asthma eat either a high-antioxidant diet (including five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit a day) or a low-antioxidant diet for two weeks. Those in the high-antioxidant group had better lung function and were less likely to have symptoms worsen than the low-antioxidant group.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 01/13.

3 = 0 – three degrees treadmill incline most closely mimics hiking or jogging on a level trail. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

BEATING A COLD – there is no antiviral treatment for a cold, but there is good evidence that an over-the-counter drug may help reduce the severity and duration of a cold.  A study published in the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy found that people who used a decongestant nasal spray containing oxymetazoline (such as Afrin) three times a day had lower levels of the rhinovirus in their mucus.  By decreasing some of the viruses in the body’s mucus, the spread of the virus can be slowed.  Make sure you wait to use the spray until the second and third days of your cold, when rhinovirus levels are at their peak concentration.  Spraying for longer than three days can cause swollen blood vessels, leading to more congestion. 

            Two other tips to help beat colds are drug-free: take frequent sips of water or broth during the day (a cold can dehydrate you) and get plenty of rest.  People who sleep less than seven hours a night are three times more likely to catch a cold than people who sleep at least eight hours a night. Men’s Health, 01/11.

40% OF MOTHERS introduce solid foods to their babies too soon.  Babies should not start solid foods until they are 4 months old.  WebMD, 06/13.

ASPIRIN MAY REDUCE THE RISK OF MELANOMA – a study from the Women’s Health Initiative, which involved nearly 60,000 white women aged 50 to 79, found that those who took aspirin at least twice a week were 21 percent less likely to develop melanoma than non-users during the 12-year study.  The longer the subjects took aspirin, the greater the apparent benefit.  Researchers controlled for factors such as age, sun exposure, sunscreen use, vitamin D intake, and medical history.  Other pain relievers did not affect melanoma risk. 

            Long-term aspirin use may cause gastrointestinal bleeding so it is not recommended to take aspirin solely for reducing the risk of melanoma, but if you take aspirin for other reasons, there may be added health benefits.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 08/13.

FISH LIST – two servings of fatty fish per week could add a few years to your life and lower your risk for fatal heart disease.  Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, trout, and mackerel, is high in healthy omega-3 fatty acid and vitamins A and D.  In a 16-year study of people 65 and older who ate fish (but did not take fish oil supplements), those with the highest levels of omega-3s in their blood at the start of the study (the equivalent of eating about two servings of fatty fish per week) cut their overall risk of death by 27 percent and their risk of dying from heart disease by 35 percent and lived 2.2 years longer than those who had the lowest levels of omega-3s.  Annals of Internal Medicine-WebMD, 06/13.

AN APPLE A DAY…  a study from Florida State University in the Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that people who ate dried apples for a year (about 2 ½ ounces a day, the equivalent to about two medium-size apples) decreased their LDL (bad) cholesterol by 24 percent, on average, and improved other cardiovascular risk factors.  Apples are a major source of pectin, a soluble fiber known to lower cholesterol, as well as polyphenols (such a quercetin) that have other heart-healthy properties.  The test subjects lost about three pounds, possibly because the insoluble fiber in the dried apples suppressed hunger and thus food intake.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 11/12.

MORE BENEFITS OF WINE – it seems that a little wine may be good for your digestive system.  A study from Spain revealed that people who drank red wine daily for 20 days showed higher levels of beneficial bacteria in their digestive tracts and also lower levels of a type of Clostridium bacteria linked to bowel disease and colon cancer.  The researchers speculate that the polyphenol antioxidants in wine may promote a better balance of bacteria.  The study participants benefited from 9 ounces of wine a day (about two glasses).  Men’s Health, 10/12.

Cholesterol levels linked to early signs of Alzheimer's in brain - high levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and low levels of the “bad” LDL kind are not just helpful for your heart, they’re better for your brain as well, a new study finds. In fact, the wrong levels of the two types of cholesterol are associated with more of the protein deposits in the brain associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

That’s according to the first study, published recently in the journal JAMA Neurology, which looked at the relationship between specific cholesterol levels and brain amyloid deposits in living humans, not just autopsy patients. The study results found that unhealthy patterns of cholesterol could be directly causing higher levels of amyloid known to contribute to Alzheimer’s, in the same way that such patterns promote heart disease.

Scientists studied brain scans of patients in stroke clinics and senior centers using Pittsburgh Compound B, or PIB, a tracer dye that highlights amyloid in the brain. The patients were, for the most part, normal and free of any symptoms of dementia. But when the scientists measured the cholesterol in their blood, and separated out the two types, they found that patients with high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol) showed higher PIB levels. That means that the good and bad effects of the two kinds of cholesterol may occur long before people develop Alzheimer’s symptoms, perhaps offering a new chance for early intervention.

The American Heart Association has long said that keeping levels of HDL “good” cholesterol up — above 60 milligrams per deciliter of blood — and levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol — below 100 mg/dL — can prevent heart disease, but this new study underscores the benefit for the brain.  When you look at the biology, HDL seems very important to the brain.

Dr. Charles DeCarli, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center and a study co-author, called the work “a wake-up call.” “If you have an LDL above 100 or an HDL that is less than 40, even if you’re taking a statin drug, you want to make sure that you are getting those numbers into alignment,” he said. “You have to get the HDL up and the LDL down.”  JAMA Neurology 01/06/13, 12/01/10.

FASTER IS NOT BETTER – very fit people tend to have a lower resting heart rate because consistent aerobic activities strengthen the heart so it pumps more blood with each contraction.

            A Danish study in the journal Heart followed 2,800 healthy middle-aged and older men for 16 years.  They found that for every 10-beats-per-minute increase over 50, the risk of death rose by 16 percent, after other factors that can affect heart rate were accounted for.

            These results suggest that in healthy subjects, elevated resting heart rate is not merely a marker of poor general fitness but an independent risk factor.  Previous studies have linked higher resting heart rate to poorer health outcomes in both healthy people and those with heart disease, and in both men and women.  A study published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases found that resting heart rate may be a better predictor of premature death than cholesterol and blood pressure, though there is no consensus on what an optimal heart rate is and where increased health risks begin.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 08/13.

HEALTH NEWS

HEALTH NEWS

“Live healthy...Live well”

Dedicated to providing pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.

by Larry Kline

email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net

TWO NEW BENEFITS OF ALCOHOL FOR WOMEN – BONE HEATH -a study from Oregon State University, published in Menopause, included women in early menopause who were daily alcohol drinkers.  When they stopped drinking for two weeks, they showed increases in blood markers of bone turnover. (Having a high bone turnover contributes to osteoporosis, since more bone is lost than reformed.) When the women resumed drinking, the markers returned to their prior levels within 24 hours.  The findings support the hypothesis that moderate dietary alcohol consumption may slow bone loss in postmenopausal women.  Previous studies have observed a positive relationship between moderate alcohol intake and bone mineral density - though excess amounts can harm bones.

            JOINT HEALTH –a study published in BMJ collected data on the drinking habits of 34,000 women and then followed up with them seven years later.  Those who drank more than three alcoholic beverages a week had half the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis over the study period compared to women who never drank.  Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects joints and is more common in women.  Some (but not all) previous studies have linked alcohol to reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis, as well as to less severe symptoms in people with the disease.

            It is too early to recommend that women start drinking to avoid either bone loss or rheumatoid arthritis, but these studies add to the evidence that moderate amounts of alcohol may have health benefits beyond the heart. Excess alcohol has adverse effects, and even a moderate intake may increase the risk of breast cancer.  Most physicians recommend women to limit alcohol to one drink a day.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 01/13.

CONSIDER EATING LESS RED MEAT – Researchers believe they have found a new link between the consumption of red meat and heart disease – the carnitine link.  Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke have all been tied to red meat in recent years.  Yet Americans still eat more red meat (beef, pork, lamb, and veal) than poultry and seafood combined. 

LIVE LONGER

            In 2012, scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health published data on more than 120,000 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study.  After 28 years, those who ate the most red meat (roughly two servings a day) had a 30 percent higher risk of dying than those who ate the least (about half a serving a day).

            It is estimated that 8 percent of deaths in women and almost 10 percent in men could be prevented if people consumed less than half a serving per day of red meat.  (In this study, a serving was three ounces of cooked steak, hamburger, pork chop, or other unprocessed meat, but only one ounce of sausage, ham, or other processed meat and half an ounce of bacon.)

            In 2009, the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study reported results on half a million people.  After 10 years, those who ate the most red meat (about 5 ounces a day) were 30 percent more likely to die than those who ate the least (about two-thirds of an ounce a day).

PROTECT YOUR HEART

            Many recommendations for limiting red meat intake are based on its saturated fat and cholesterol content.  Red meat is one of the largest sources of saturated fat in the average American’s diet.  We know that saturated fat can raise LDL (bad cholesterol). 

            In the 84,000 women studied in the Nurses’ Health Study for 26 years, those who ate the most red meat (at least two servings a day) had a 29 percent higher risk of heart disease than those who ate the least (half a serving a day).

            Sticking with lean meat may not eliminate that risk.  There are probably a combination of half a dozen different compounds and nutrients that lead to the ill-health effects of meat, among which are heme iron, nitrite, salt, and compounds that are created when meats are cooked at high temperatures.

            In April, 2013, the Cleveland Clinic published a study that named a new compound in meat that increases health risk: carnitine. The researchers believe that carnitine ingestion leads to accelerated atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.  But carnitine, a nutrient that carries fuel into our cells (the mitochondria), may not cause damage on its own.  When animals and humans ingest carnitine, microbes that live in the intestines digest the carnitine.  As a byproduct, the microbes make something that gets converted into a compound called TMAO.

            The bacteria in our intestines consume carnitine (or choline) which produces TMA (trimethylamine) which gets converted to TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide) in the liver.  Carnitine is found largely in red meat. 

            Your everyday diet can affect how much TMAO microbes make.  In one study, scientists fed a large dose of carnitine to omnivores (who reported eating beef, pork, lamb, or other meat almost every day) and to long-term vegans.  The omnivores had a rise in blood levels of TMAO, but the vegans had virtually none.  When the omnivores consumed oral antibiotics to eliminate the gut bacteria, they made no TMAO either.  Three weeks after stopping the antibiotics, they once again had TMAO, confirming gut microbes’ role in producing TMAO.

            Further research from the Cleveland Clinic examined 2,600 people who had gone to the Clinic for a cardiac catheterization – a procedure that enables doctors to see if the arteries feeding the heart muscle are clogged.

            They found that increased blood carnitine levels in patients strongly predicted increased risks for cardiovascular disease and major adverse events like heart attack, stroke, and death, but this was only true in subjects who also had high TMAO levels.

            Those who had higher blood levels of TMAO were about 50 percent more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event over the next three years.  TMAO was a strong and independent predictor of future heart attack, stroke, and death.

CANCER RISK

            Limit consumption of processed meat and red meat, advises the American Cancer Society.  To reduce your cancer risk, eat no more than 18 ounces per week of red meats and avoid processed meat such as ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs, and sausages.  A report by the American Institute for Cancer Research concludes that the risk of colon and rectal cancer rises by about 20 percent for every serving of red or processed meat eaten per day.  A few studies have found that red meat eaters have a higher risk of pancreatic, prostate, or esophageal cancer.

            N-nitroso compounds cause cancer in laboratory animals.  They are created by the nitrite that is used to color and preserve processed meats like bacon, sausage, and lunch meats.

            N-nitroso compounds do not show up in the meat itself now that companies must add sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate to keep N-nitroso from forming in meats that have added nitrite.  Instead, the N-nitroso compounds form in the gut in a reaction that is catalyzed by bacteria.  This might explain why processed-meat eaters have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.  When people were fed increasing doses of unprocessed red meat, levels of N-nitroso compounds increased.  When those people were fed the same amount of white meat, there was no increase in the damaging compounds in the gut.  Why the difference in red and white meat?  One possibility is that the iron attached to hemoglobin in blood.  Further research fed low red-meat consumers a supplemental dose of blood sausage, which resulted in an increase in N-nitroso compounds similar to those found in a high red-meat diet.

            The NIH-AARP study found the risk of colorectal cancer was higher in people who ate more heme iron, which is found in all meats, but predominately in red meats.

            Meat mutagens: Starting many years ago, scientists found that heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are formed when meats are cooked to well done at high temperatures.  Animal studies show that both are carcinogenic. 

            The 300,000 NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study found a 20 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer among people who consumed the highest levels of two key heterocyclic amines (HCAs).  But they found no link with the major polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

            Studies have shown that the levels of HCAs and PAHs are much lower in meats that are cooked at lower temperatures and are not well done.  Marinating the meat before cooking it, and pouring off the marinade, also cuts the mutagens.

STROKE

            Most strokes that strike Americans are caused by clogged arteries rather than a ruptured artery.  Researchers followed more than 125,000 people for more than 22 years.  They found the risk of a non-hemorrhagic stroke rose by 30 percent for every one to two ounces of processed meat, and by 21 percent for every four to six ounces of unprocessed meat eaten per day.  A Swedish study on more than 300,000 people reported that the risk of a non-hemorrhagic stroke was 12 percent higher for every serving of red meat eaten per day.  The scientists estimated that swapping one serving a day of red meat for poultry would cut the risk of stroke by 27 percent, that trading a serving a day for fish or nuts would cut the risk by 17 percent, and that trading a serving a day for dairy would cut the risk by about 10 percent.

            High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke.  People that consume no more than two servings of meat a week have significantly lower risk because when you are eating red meat, you are not eating the healthier protein sources.

DIABETES

            Processed red meats, as well as unprocessed red meats have been linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.  Harvard researchers tracked more than 200,000 men and women for up to 28 years.  The risk of type 2 diabetes increased by 32 percent for every two ounces of processed meat, and by 12 percent for every three ounces of unprocessed meat, eaten per day.

            The fats in red meat may also play a role.  Polyunsaturated fatty acids are related to lower risk, and red meat has very low amounts.  In the study, people ate about a quarter cup of nuts a day (nuts are rich in polyunsaturated fat) had a 21 percent lower risk of diabetes than those who ate one serving of red meat.

            At a minimum, red meat will displace healthier fatty acids found in other sources of protein.  Also, the N-nitroso compounds generated by red meats may be toxic to insulin-making cells in the pancreas.

            Carnitine metabolites could also damage cells that secrete insulin.  Nutrition Action Healthletter, 06/13.

Body clock 'reset button' found – drugs that can rapidly adjust the body’s circadian rhythm (body clock) to avoid jet lag have been discovered in research in Japan.  The team at Kyoto University has found the clock's “reset button” inside the brain. Their study, published in the journal Science, showed the button could be used to switch the clock to a new time zone in a single day. Experts said the team was "close to the money" in the hunt for a jet lag cure. There are clocks throughout the body and a "master clock" in the brain, keeping the body in sync with the world around it to make people sleepy at night. Those who routinely conduct long-haul flights across multiple time zones have experienced the disrupted sleep and hunger patterns of a body clock which is out of tune with the rising and setting of the sun. The clock uses light to help keep track of time, but it adjusts slowly. The rough rule is that for every time zone crossed it takes a full day for the body to catch up. Flying from London to Beijing would take a week for the body clock to fully adapt.

The team in Japan has come up with a way to get the master body clock to be more flexible. It is a group of 10,000 brain cells - about the same size as a grain of rice - which constantly communicate with each other to keep a strict control over body time. The scientists found that interfering with the vasopressin receptors, essentially a brain cell's “ears” that allow it to keep in touch with its “neighbors,” let the clock shift rapidly. Genetically modified mice which had no vasopressin receptors were able to adjust to the clocks being put back eight hours within a single day, while normal mice took six days. When the clocks were put forward eight hours, then it took normal mice eight days to adapt, but those without vasopressin receptors adjusted in two. Similar results were then achieved in normal mice using a drug. The results identify vasopressin signaling as a possible therapeutic target for the management of circadian rhythm [body clock] misalignment.

However, vasopressin receptors were also heavily involved in kidney function so any drug developed would need to be designed carefully to target the body clock without disrupting the kidneys. The issue here in terms of public health is rotational shift work. The epidemiological evidence that we have now shows that if a worker has spent a working life doing rotational shift work, they're at higher risk of contracting certain forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease or metabolic syndrome like diabetes. BBC News Health, 10/3/13.