WELLNESS FACTS

[Warph]

Wellness Facts

■ More young and middle-aged Americans have hearing loss than was previously estimated―16% of those age 20 to 69, according to a study of 5,742 people. That's about 29 million Americans, and doesn't include people age 70 and over, who are even more likely to be hard of hearing. Men are up to five times more likely to have hearing loss than women, and smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and excessive noise exposure greatly increase the risk. Many men in their twenties and thirties already have some degree of hearing loss, and by their sixties almost all men do.

■ Despite anecdotal reports that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may increase memory loss in some people, studies over the years have not found this link. In fact, some research suggests that statins may actually reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Recently, for instance, a study in the journal Neurology of nearly 1,700 older Latino Americans found that statin users were about half as likely to develop these problems as nonusers over a period of five to seven years.

■ Screening for colorectal cancer, via colonoscopy or another test, is a proven lifesaver. Yet new research from the CDC shows that only about half of Americans over 50 have ever had a test. One problem is lack of health insurance: compared to those who are insured and have a regular source of health care, only about half as many people without insurance are screened. Those with less education and less income also tend not to get tested. Medicare covers screening for those over 65.

■ Many people take selenium for reducing the risk of heart disease (and other hoped-for benefits), but there has been little or no evidence to support its effectiveness. Now a large national analysis has found that Americans with higher blood levels of selenium have modestly worse cholesterol levels as well as higher triglycerides. This doesn't prove that selenium boosts cholesterol or coronary risk, but a study last year did link selenium supplements to an increased risk of diabetes. High doses of selenium are not a good idea.

■ You need not avoid nuts, corn, and popcorn if you have diverticulosis (small pouches in the intestinal walls) or even diverticulitis (a severe disorder in which the pouches get infected). Some doctors still advise patients with diverticulosis not to eat these foods, particularly nuts, thinking that undigested bits will lodge in the pouches and thus lead to diverticulitis―even though there has been no evidence to support this notion. A recent study from the University of Washington in Seattle confirmed that nuts, corn, and popcorn do not increase the risk of diverticulitis or its complications.

■ Lots of research has now linked heart disease with periodontal disease, suggesting that if you have one of these conditions you may also be at risk for the other―and that treating one may help treat the other as well. Recently a Finnish study in the journal Oral Health found that people with periodontal disease who were on cholesterol-lowering statin drugs had less severe gum disease than those not taking them. Statins are known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, so the finding was not a complete surprise, since gum disease is characterized by inflammation.

■ More evidence that vitamin D helps keep bones strong and prevent fractures: Women with low blood levels of D are 70% more likely to fracture a hip than those with high levels, according to a new study of postmenopausal women taking part in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. While sun exposure makes the skin produce vitamin D, the safest way to get it is from milk and other fortified foods, fatty fish such as salmon, and supplements. Most people should aim for 800 to 1,000 IU a day.

■ Two for the price of one: When one spouse makes healthy changes, the other is likely to do the same, Yale researchers concluded after studying more than 3,000 married couples. People were about five times more likely to quit smoking or get a flu shot, 50% more likely to start exercising, and 80% more likely to have their cholesterol measured if their spouses did. Though some previous research suggested that men are more often the beneficiaries of the "spillover effect," in this study husbands and wives influenced each other equally.

■ Dietary fat and meat do not appear to increase the risk of prostate cancer, according to a recent study involving 82,000 men in Hawaii and Los Angeles. Omega-3 fats from fish seemed to be modestly protective. Fat (notably saturated fat) and meat (especially red meat) have been linked to prostate cancer risk since the 1970s, though the evidence has been inconsistent. However, even if these foods do not by themselves increase the risk, people who eat lots of them tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Produce may help protect against prostate and other cancers.

■ Light to moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, a growing body of research suggests. Recently Australian scientists helped explain the potential benefit when they showed that alcohol (beer, gin, and especially wine) drunk one hour before or during a meal reduces the spikes in blood sugar that occur after eating. The American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association advise women to limit themselves to one drink a day, and men, to two drinks a day.

■ Weight-loss products are the No.1 type of consumer fraud in the U.S., according to a new report by the Federal Trade Commission. About 5 million Americans fall for these scams each year, some of them buying more than one item. The products include dietary supplements, nonprescription drugs, skin patches, creams, wraps, and even earrings (yes, there are earrings that are supposed to suppress appetite). The marketers typically promise substantial, rapid, no-effort weight loss without dieting or exercise―guaranteed. The only thing you're guaranteed to lose is your money.

■ The death rate from heart disease in the U.S. has fallen by a remarkable 50% since 1980, but the downward trend has stopped in younger people, according to a recent study from the CDC. Among men age 35 to 44, the rate stopped declining between 1997 and 2002 (the most recent years studied), and among women in that age group it actually increased slightly. Since relatively few young people die of heart disease, the numbers involved are small. But this could be an early sign of the impact of increasing obesity, diabetes, and hypertension among young adults, the study concluded.

■ The PSA test for prostate cancer may be less reliable for obese men, suggested a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in November. The test measures blood levels of a protein produced by the prostate, but because obese men have more blood, the circulating PSA is diluted. The lower-than-expected readings can be misleadingly reassuring and delay diagnosis of the cancer. This may be one reason why obese men with prostate cancer are more likely to die from it than thinner men, the researchers said.

■ Most fruits and vegetables retain their antioxidants long after purchase, according to a new study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Grapes, yellow peppers, plums, tomatoes, and other produce did not lose vitamin C, flavonoids, or other antioxidants over time in storage―up to 30 days in some cases. Some even had increases in antioxidants. In general, fruits and vegetables show signs of spoilage before there are significant antioxidant losses. Fresh-cut fruit, when refrigerated, does not lose nutrients faster than whole fruit, either, earlier research has shown.

■ Insoles do not help prevent back pain, and it's unclear if they help treat it, according to a report by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international nonprofit research group, which reviewed six studies involving 2,300 people. Whether custom-made or off-the-shelf, insoles (also called orthoses or orthotic devices) were no more effective than no treatment. Still, insoles may help people with certain foot (especially heel) or leg problems, which were not the focus of this study.

■ Only 7% of Americans get the recommended three servings of whole grains a day, according to a recent USDA survey. Adults living with children tend to eat the fewest servings, since most kids prefer refined grains such as white bread. People consume 40% of their whole grains at breakfast. They get very little whole grains in restaurant meals, which supply more than one-third of Americans' daily calories. Whole grains have been linked to a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other disorders. A grain serving is small, just a 1-ounce slice of whole-grain bread or 1/2 cup of brown rice.

■ Exercise that improves balance is important for older people, according to a report by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international nonprofit research group, which reviewed 34 studies involving more than 2,800 people, most over 70. The exercises included balance training, as well as walking, strength training, dancing, and tai chi. Recently the American College of Sports Medicine updated its guidelines for older people to emphasize balance training, especially for those at
elevated risk for falls.

■ A recent major report from the World Cancer Research Fund (www.dietandcancerreport.org) found a convincing connection between excess weight and cancers of the colon, rectum, esophagus, pancreas, and kidney, as well as breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Obesity has also been linked to other cancers, or at least to the likelihood of dying from them. Though the risk is greatest with obesity, even smaller amounts of extra body fat, especially around the waist, increase the chances of developing cancer.

■ Cod liver oil may weaken bones because of its very high vitamin A content. A recent Norwegian study of middleaged women, in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that those who took cod liver oil as children are twice as likely to have low bone mass as women who did not. Many people take cod liver oil because it is rich in vitamin D. Several studies in the past seven years have linked high vitamin A intake to weaker bones. Fish oil supplements, and fish itself, do not have much vitamin A, which is concentrated in the liver (in beef and chicken liver as well).

■ Alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer substantially in women who are on hormone therapy, according to a 20- year Danish study of 5,000 postmenopausal women. Women on hormones who averaged a drink a day had a two- to threefold higher risk than women who neither drank nor took hormones; those averaging two or more drinks a day, a fivefold increase. In women who did not take hormones, alcohol did not increase cancer risk. Previous studies suggested that alcohol raises the risk of breast cancer (slightly, in most cases)— as can hormone therapy, especially when taken long term.

■ A hard mattress may not be better for people with chronic back pain, despite popular belief. In a new study in Spine, when people with low-back pain slept on a firm mattress for a month, they generally reported increased pain and less sleep; those who used softer, body-conforming foam mattresses or waterbeds had slightly less pain and slept better. Hard beds increase pressure on certain body parts, necessitating more turning during the night, which may cause more pain. Beds should not, on the other hand, be too soft or have worn-out springs. Comfort, however, is subjective.

■ If you buy "green" cleaning products, keep in mind that even plant-based or otherwise "natural" ingredients can cause allergic reactions or be toxic, especially if misused. Moreover, such products are largely unregulated, and any company can call a cleanser "green" or "natural," whatever it contains. Companies are not required to list ingredients on labels, and even when they do, it's hard to know what the terms mean. A few organizations, such as Design for the Environment (in partnership with the EPA) and Green Seal, provide seals of approval for products that meet their criteria.

■ Only 44% of people could identify all five of the most common warning symptoms of a stroke in a recent CDC survey. The five symptoms, all sudden: confusion or trouble speaking; numbness or weakness of the face, an arm, or a leg, especially on one side; trouble seeing; trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance; and severe headache with no known cause. The least-recognized symptom was the sudden severe headache. Call 911 immediately for anyone with even one of these symptoms.

■ Coffee drinkers take heart: Coffee won't shorten yourlife, and may actually prolong it a little, according to a study of 125,000 health professionals. After accounting for smoking, diet, and other factors, the researchers found that people who drank coffee—regular or decaf—were slightly less likely to die over the course of two decades, mainly because of fewer deaths from heart disease. Coffee has been blamed for everything from hypertension to pancreatic cancer,
but in nearly every instance research has found it not guilty.


UC Berkeley Wellness Letter 2009