***Statins and cognitive function in the elderly***
Sure--they lower cholesterol. But will you be cognizant enough to appreciate your good cholesterol levels? There has been a very, very strong push to increase the use of statin drugs in patients with normal cholesterol. If this push is successful, I'm positive we will start to see some nastier side effects of this class of drugs. While too low of cholesterol has been linked to dementia, this study found that the negative effect of statins on cognitive function was not related to cholesterol. Most likely it would be through the reduction in CoQ10 levels, which is required in high levels in the nervous system.
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***Habitual Caffeine Intake and the Risk of Hypertension in Women***
This study found no link between caffeine from coffee and high blood pressure. However, the relationship was there for cola beverages, both diet and fully sugered. A few comments here. I believe coffee has gotten a bad rap because of the habits usually associated with it (i.e. coffee=breakfast, coffee & danish, stressed out office worker...) but the polyphenol content of coffee is pretty high and would confer a protective effect on a variety of conditions. The fact that colas increased risk should come as no great shocker. But, for those decaffers out there, pay attention to how your coffee is decaffeinated. Many use a process involving trichloroethylene and methylene chloride-compounds which have been shown to cause cancer in the lab. Granted, the levels the animals were exposed to were much lower whatever residues are left in the coffee, but it does leave room for questions.
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***Relationship Between Serum Parathyroid Hormone Levels, Vitamin D Sufficiency, and Calcium Intake***
We've really done a great job convincing the American public that osteoporosis is all about calcium and making sure you get your 3-a-day of dairy. Unfortunately, this has led to much misunderstanding about bone health. Osteoporosis is a disease of lifestyle, NOT a disease of not getting enough cow's milk. A lifetime of more acidic foods and higher levels of inflammation are the major players in bone health. And don't forget to get enough of that dreaded, dangerous sunlight. This study found that, at adequate levels of Vit D in the bloodstream, the is no need for more than 800 mg per day of calcium. However, up to 75% of the population is believed to be deficient in Vit D...
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***Caesarean section delivery and the risk of allergic disorders in childhood***
Probably one of the singlemost important things we can focus on in a newborn up to 2 yrs of age (other than, of course, breastfeeding and good maternal nutrition...) is maintaining a healthy normal bacterial flora. This starts from the passage down the birth canal and is obviously disrupted during C-section birth. Should it not be ob/gyn obligations to warn new mothers of C-sections babies what improper acquisition of normal flora may do to their newborn? Also, while this study showed an association between C-section birth and asthma, I'm sure the asociation would've been much stronger if we compared C-section birth to vaginal births from mother's with high levels of lactobacillis in the vaginal vault (i.e. mom never recieved antibiotics, is prone to yeast infections, etc...).
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***Long-term protein intake and dietary potential renal acid load are associated with bone modeling and remodeling at the proximal radius in healthy children***
This is something the high protein diets do not take into account. In this study, higher protein intake was helpful for building stronger bones, BUT, only when accompanied by higher intakes of alkalizing minerals like potasium and magnesium to offset the acid from the proteins. Interesting, calcium intake had no effect. So, just like everything else, it is about balance-maintaining good intakes of protein in the face of lots of fruits and veggies. You don't hear this message about true bone health from the dairy industry...
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***Phenolic Content of Virgin Olive Oil Improves Ischemic Reactive Hyperemia in Hypercholesterolemic Patients***
I usually recommend to patients to use the cheap olive oil for cooking and the expensive stuff for other uses. Much of the antioxidant compounds are destroyed by heating, so spending extra money on the expensive stuff is pointless if the oil is heated. This article finds that the compounds in the less processed olive oil (as is typical in the Mediterranean diet) has a beneficial effect on our blood vessels.
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***Prescribing Exercise at Varied Levels of Intensity and Frequency***
Many patients want to know just how much exercise they need. While the actual number for every patient is different, the answer is slowly getting clearer. The article adds further clarification. The best group in this study was high intensity walking at a high frequency. Other combinations definately improved health, but only the high intensity walking at a high frequency was able to raise HDL levels. In today's society, exercise is probably one of the toughest thing for many of us to fit in, but much of the research is pointing to daily exercising as the best. And for most people, walking is NOT enough-more needs to be done to get the full benefits from exercise.
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***Metabolic Syndrome as a Precursor of Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus***
Forget about beating the poor, dead horse-we're shooting it with a cannon from 5 feet away. Up to 1/3 of cardiovascular disease and 1/2 of diabetes cases and it's still the big pink elephant in the room. At what point will the entire medical community wake up and recognize this condition for the demon it is? Compare this to smoking (and the risks are just as great). Has anyone in the US not heard that smoking is bad for you?
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***Pet ownership and human health: a brief review of evidence and issues***
Being the owner of just short of a kennel (5 canines) this article really hit home. While there are no hard findings on pet ownership and mortality risk, any pet owner could tell you that their animals are good for them. Most people light up as they talk about their pets, and when Rover snuggles up next to you just prior to taking up the entire bed, I'm sure that stress hormone levels plumment in the bloodstream.
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***non-HDL cholesterol High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Apolipoprotein B in the Prediction of Coronary Heart Disease in Men***
ApoB is the protein component of a lipid molecule that carries around the cholesterol. This study compared which was a better marker for coronary heart disease--non HDL cholesterol (the amount of LDL and VLDL cholesterol together) vs ApoB. Elevated ApoB was the best predictor of risk at 4.18 times the risk. Above and beyond "traditional" risk factors. This is not the first study to come to this conclusion, and yet it's use is still few and far between in clinical practice.
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James Bogash, DC and Amy Strock, DC
1830 S. Alma School Rd, Bldg 7, Ste 135, Mesa, AZ 85210
(Alma School Road, just south of the Superstition Freeway/Highway 60)
Chiropractic Health Care Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert & Tempe, Arizona
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