Category "Health"

The report found that the most common cancer sites continue to be cancers of the prostate (128 cases per 100,000 men), female breast (122 cases per 100,000 women), lung and bronchus (61 cases per 100,000 persons), and colon and rectum (40 cases per 100,000 persons). Among these common cancer sites, 5-year relative survival was 97 percent for prostate cancer, 88 percent for breast cancer, 63 percent for colorectal cancer, and 18 percent for lung cancer.

The cancer survivor estimates are from CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries. CDC scientists reviewed the most recent data on cases of invasive cancers reported during 2011. With the exception of urinary bladder cancer, invasive cancer is defined as cancer that has spread to surrounding normal tissue from where it began.

The authors noted that disparities in cancer incidence still persist, with greater rates among men than women and the highest rates among blacks. Additionally, 5-year relative survival after any cancer diagnosis was lower for blacks (60 percent) than for whites (65 percent).

Data by state show incidence rates for all cancer sites ranged from 374 cases per 100,000 persons in New Mexico to 509 cases per 100,000 persons in the District of Columbia.

Source: CDC

The Presidential Healthcare Center’s Executive Physicals include cancer screening and tumor marker tracking.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: a perfect time to direct attention to the tail end of your digestive tract. Contrary to what many believe, the colon isn’t an inert hollow tube that simply serves as a reservoir for waste until you can find a toilet. Rather, it’s a complex organ that performs the essential function of facilitating balance of fluid and electrolytes in the body in addition to its role in storing and eliminating waste. Equally important – if not moreso – the colon hosts a crucial ecosystem of bacteria that plays a vital role in health. Unfortunately, many of us fail to appreciate just how central the colon is to our health and survival until something goes wrong.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., claiming the lives of more than 50,000 Americans annually. The vast majority of cases occur in people over age 50, and African Americans have the highest rates of colon cancer incidence among all racial groups. 

As scary as these stats may sound, a large percentage of cases are preventable. Here are 10 lifestyle changes that may be of benefit in colorectal cancer risk reduction:

1. Reduce your alcohol intake. When it comes to cancer prevention, less (alcohol) is more. Alcohol use is a known risk factor for colorectal cancer – among other cancers – with risk increasing as alcohol intake increases. If you choose to drink, try limiting your intake to no more than one drink daily.
2. Quit smoking. Smoking is not just a risk factor for lung cancer, but for all digestive system cancers, including colorectal, stomach and esophageal. Make the decision to quit this month, once and for all.
3. Get moving! Sedentary lifestyles are associated with an increased risk of digestive system cancers. Evidence supporting a significant protective effect of physical activity on colorectal cancer risk is particularly strong. The body of available research suggests that the most active adults have a 40 to 50 percent  reduced risk of developing colon cancer, compared to the least active adults. Importantly, the protective effect of exercise appears to be independent of weight status, meaning that regular physical activity appears to reduce risk of colon cancer even in people who are overweight or obese. So if regular exercise hasn’t yielded the weight loss you’ve hoped for, don’t be discouraged: There are substantial health benefits to physical activity that may not show up on the scale. 
4. Get serious about weight loss. Obesity is a strong risk factor for colorectal cancer, and researchers estimate that risk increases about 15 percent with each five additional points of body mass index beyond the upper end of normal range. So, for example, weight loss that results in a reduction of BMI from 35 to 30 would be expected to result in about a 15 percent risk reduction.
5. Eat less red meat. There is strong evidence supporting high intake of red meat as a risk factor for colorectal cancer. One large study that examined the diets of adults aged 50 to 71 showed that people with the highest intakes of red meat – an average of 5 ounces per day – had a 24 percent greater risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to those with the lowest intake – an average of about half an ounce per day. It has been proposed that multiple mechanisms may be at play, including the type of iron found in red meat (heme iron) and increased exposure to carcinogens called HCAs that are produced when red meat in particular is charred or cooked at a high temperature. If you can’t imagine life without red meat, try thinking of red meat as a garnish to veggie-heavy meals such as stir fries or salads, rather than a center-of-the-plate affair. And consider lower-temperature cooking methods such as braising, boiling or even sautéing instead of broiling or grilling.
6. Avoid foods preserved with sodium nitrite. As you go about reducing your meat intake, start with “pink” processed meats like bacon, salami and hot dogs. These foods – as well as other processed lunchmeats – are commonly preserved with sodium nitrite. When sodium nitrite encounters stomach acid during digestion, it may convert to a compound called a nitrosamine, which is a known carcinogen. Indeed, both high intake of nitrites and processed meats have been associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to lower intakes. If you choose to consume processed meats, look for nitrite-free products, such as those marketed by the Applegate Farms brand.

Read more here: U.S News & World Report

Higher levels of vitamin D have been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer in many observational studies. A new analysis has found a possible reason.

A malignant tumor contains not just cancer cells but many types of cells, some of which affect how fast a tumor may grow or spread. Among them are a group of immune system cells called T lymphocytes, or T cells, that can target tumor cells and limit their growth. Having a tumor with more T cells correlates with a better prognosis.

The study, published in the journal Gut, included 318 people who had developed colorectal cancer and 624 matched controls. All had vitamin D levels measured before the appearance of any cancers.

The higher the blood levels of vitamin D, the less likely people were to develop colorectal tumors. Vitamin D, the authors suggest, interacts with the immune system to prevent the growth of this type of malignancy.

“This study really shows that vitamin D has an effect on immunity,” said the senior author, Dr. Shuji Ogino, an associate professor of pathology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, “and it’s the first study to show that in a human population. Vitamin D boosts immunity not just in cancer, but in fighting infections as well.”

Source: New York Times

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the top killer in women and is largely preventable. The call for women to reduce their risk comes from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) today on International Women’s Day.

Dr. Susanna Price, ESC spokesperson and consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, UK, said:

“CVD is still largely considered a man’s problem with breast cancer commonly perceived as the greater issue for women. However, CVD is the top killer of women in Europe, resulting in 51% of deaths compared to 3% caused by breast cancer.” (1)

She added: “Women’s risk of heart disease tends to be underestimated by both the public and the medical profession because of the perception that estrogen protects them. In reality this just delays the onset of CVD by 10 years. (2) The result is that women’s risk factors are left untreated, leaving them more vulnerable to heart attack, heart failure and sudden cardiac death when the protection fades after menopause.”

Despite these misconceptions, the facts are that:

-CVD is the main cause of death in women in all countries of Europe (3)

-CVD causes 51% of deaths in women and 42% of deaths in men in Europe (1)

-CVD kills 51% of women in Europe and breast cancer causes 3% of deaths (1)

-The risks of smoking are higher in women because women metabolize nicotine faster, especially those taking oral contraceptives (2)

-Type 2 diabetes doubles CVD risk in men but more than triples the risk in women (4)

-Women are more likely to be severely disabled after a stroke than men (5).

Source: European Society of Cardiology

Gwyneth Paltrow, Ryan Gosling and Jenny McCarthy are just some of the celebrities who have adopted a gluten-free diet – not necessarily because they have a gluten intolerance, but because they deem the diet to be healthier. As such, the diet seems to have become the latest “trend.” It is estimated that around 1.6 million people in the US follow a gluten-free diet without having been diagnosed with celiac disease – a severe gluten intolerance. But does this diet really benefit our health?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a combination of wheat and rye). It acts as a “glue” in foods such as cereal, bread and pasta, helping them hold their shape. Gluten can also be found in some cosmetic products, such as lip balm, and it is even present in that nasty tasting glue on the back of stamps and envelopes.

In some individuals, consuming gluten can cause illness. It is estimated that around 18 million people in the US have some form of gluten intolerance – referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) – causing symptoms such as bloating or gas, diarrhea, fatigue, headache and itchy skin rash.

Around 1 in 133 people in the US, or 1% of the population, have celiac disease – a more serious form of gluten intolerance. In celiac disease, gluten triggers an immune response that attacks the lining of the small intestine. This means the body is unable to effectively absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to anemia, delayed growth and weight loss.

Celiac disease can lead to other conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), osteoporosis, infertility and neurological conditions if left untreated, and the only effective treatment for celiac disease is to adopt a strict lifelong gluten-free diet.

Source: Medical News Today

Scientists have discovered a molecule that can interrupt an important stage in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The molecule sticks to faulty proteins and stops them forming toxic clusters in the brain.

The UK and Swedish researchers suggest their finding will help the discovery of drugs that could halt Alzheimer’s disease progression.

They write about their discovery and its implications in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

Lead author Dr. Samuel Cohen – a research fellow at St John’s College in Cambridge, UK – says with studies like theirs, we are beginning to reap the rewards of the extensive work that has been done to increase our understanding of the microscopic processes involved in the development of Alzheimer’s. He adds:

“Our study shows, for the first time, one of these critical processes being specifically inhibited, and reveals that by doing so we can prevent the toxic effects of protein aggregation that are associated with this terrible condition.”

Many functions in cells are carried out by carefully folded proteins. Folding is an energy-efficient way of ensuring distant parts of the protein molecule that need to interact are near each other. Some of these structures are complex and need the help of housekeeping molecules called “chaperones.”

A key step in the development of Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases is the accumulation or “nucleation” of misfolded proteins – known as amyloid fibrils – that do not disperse or dissolve away but form toxic clusters and help the disease spread in the brain.

The molecule that the international team has discovered is a chaperone called Brichos that sticks to threads of amyloid fibrils and stops them coming into contact with each other, thus breaking the toxic chain reaction.

Source: Medical News Today

Clinical depression is associated with a 30% increase of inflammation in the brain, according to a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Inflammation is the immune system’s natural response to infection or disease. The body often uses inflammation to protect itself, such as when an ankle is sprained and becomes inflamed, and the same principle also applies to the brain. However, too much inflammation is unhelpful and can be damaging.

Increasingly, evidence is suggesting that inflammation may drive some depressive symptoms, such as low mood, loss of appetite and reduced ability to sleep.

What the new study set out to investigate was whether inflammation is a driver of clinical depression independent of other physical illness.

Researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH) Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, used positron emission tomography (PET) to scan the brains of 20 patients with depression and 20 healthy control participants.

In particular, the team closely measured the activation of microglia – immune cells that play a key role in the brain’s inflammatory response

The PET scans showed significant inflammation in the brains of the people with depression, and the inflammation was most severe among the participants with the most severe depression. The brains of people who were experiencing clinical depression exhibited an inflammatory increase of 30%.

Previous studies have examined markers of inflammation in the blood of depressed people, in an attempt to solve the “chicken or egg” debate of whether inflammation is a consequence of or contributor to major depression.

For instance, in 2012, a study conducted by Duke University Medical Center researchers and published in Biological Psychiatry found an association between the number of cumulative depressive episodes experienced by study participants and increased levels of an inflammation marker in their blood called C-reactive protein (CRP).

“Our results support a pathway from childhood depression to increased levels of CRP, even after accounting for other health-related behaviors that are known to influence inflammation. We found no support for the pathway from CRP to increased risk for depression,” said Duke study leader Dr. William Copeland.

Source: Medical News Today

A new study has found a significant link between high use of anticholinergic drugs – including popular non-prescription sleep aids and the antihistamine Benadryl (diphenhydramine) – and increased risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older people.

Many medications – including some popular over the counter drugs – have strong anticholinergic effects.

Anticholinergics are a class of drug that blocks the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain and body.

This can lead to many side effects, including drowsiness, constipation, retaining urine and dry mouth and eyes.

The researchers, led by Shelly Gray, a professor in the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in Seattle, report their findings in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Prof. Gray says:

“Older adults should be aware that many medications – including some available without a prescription, such as over-the-counter sleep aids – have strong anticholinergic effects.”

Prof. Gray urges people not to stop their therapy based on the findings of this study – they should talk to their health care provider, and also tell them about all their over-the-counter drug use.

“Health care providers should regularly review their older patients’ drug regimens – including over-the-counter medications – to look for chances to use fewer anticholinergic medications at lower doses,” she says.

If providers need to prescribe anticholinergics to their patients because they offer the best treatment, then “they should use the lowest effective dose, monitor the therapy regularly to ensure it’s working, and stop the therapy if it’s ineffective,” she adds.

Although the link between raised risk of dementia and anticholinergics has been found before, the new study uses more rigorous methods – including over 7 years of follow-up – to establish the strength of the link. By accessing pharmacy records, the researchers were also able to include non-prescription use of anticholinergics in their data.

It is also the first study to show a dose-response effect, note the authors. That is, the higher the cumulative amount of drug taken, the higher the risk of developing dementia.

And another first for the study, is that it also shows that dementia risk linked to anticholinergics may persist long after people stop taking the drugs.

Source: Medical News Today

Among its many rewards, eating a healthy diet might help protect against the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, according to a new study.  

Based on more than 120,000 men and women followed for more than a decade, researchers calculate that those who ate a diet highest in whole grains, vegetables and nuts, and lowest in red meats and sugars were up to a third less likely to develop COPD – even if they smoked – than those who ate the worst diet. 

“I think that we need to emphasize the role of diet in respiratory diseases, which is largely unknown by the general audience,” lead author Dr. Raphaëlle Varraso, from the French

National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Villejuif, told Reuters Health in an email. 

“Respiratory health and lung function strongly predict general health status and all-cause mortality,” she said.

 COPD is an umbrella term for a group of progressive lung diseases that block the flow of air and cause breathing problems. They include emphysema, chronic bronchitis and some types of asthma.

Source: Reuters

Last week, the New York State attorney general’s office uncovered another example of what appeared to be widespread fraud in the dietary supplement industry. The office accused four of the country’s biggest retail stores of selling herbal products that in many cases were contaminated or did not contain any of the herb listed on the label.

For many readers, the news raised an urgent question: Which supplements can I trust?

Experts say that there is no guarantee that supplements will do what they say they do, or that they are safe or won’t interact with any medications you may be taking. But there are several steps people can take to give themselves some reassurance that at least some of the supplements they buy actually contain what they advertise on the label – and nothing else.

For one, you can look for products that receive a seal of approval from the United States Pharmacopeial Convention, an independent, nonprofit organization of scientists that sets high standards for medicine, food ingredients and dietary supplements. The United States Pharmacopeia has a voluntary program through which supplement companies can have their products and facilities tested and reviewed.

Companies whose supplements meet the group’s standards – which ensure purity, identity and potency, among other things – are allowed to carry an official “USP Verified” seal on their labels. The group maintains an evolving list of the brands that have received its seal and the places where they can be purchased.

Source: The New York Times