Magnets and Pain Relief

Many people recommend magnets for therapy in pain relief. To test this hypothesis, an 8 week double blind study using magnets and a placebo (fake magnets) was conducted. The results are shown in this graph. There was no statistical difference between the groups. About 1/3 in both groups reported improvement – either “all better”, or “mostly better”. If people “believed” that magnets would relieve pain, they had an even better percent improvement – 40%.

This study illustrates two points. One: if you believe that a specific therapy will help you, it probably will. Two: magnets were no better in relieving pain than a placebo or fake magnet.

Journal of the American Medical Association, Sept. 10, 2003

Rate of Wrist Fractures Increasing in Children

The number of wrist fractures among kids and teens is on the rise. In the last 30 years, the number of wrist fractures has increased by 42%. Girls ages 8 to 11 and boys ages 11 to 14 had the highest rates of fractures. Researchers speculate that this increase in fractures may be linked to the change in dietary practices of our children. Children are drinking less milk and drinking more soda pop. This is not a formula for healthy bones. A decrease in activity may also lead to weaker bones. Getting outside and getting adequate vitamin D also helps increase bone health.

Journal of the American Medical Association, Sept. 17, 2003

Adverse Drug Events

When indicated, medications may be needed to help control serious health problems such as high blood pressure, a heart problem, or a life threatening infection. If taken inappropriately (the wrong medication, an improper dose, or interaction with another medication being taken) drugs can cause serious and life threatening problems.

Seniors, age 65 plus, are the largest users of medication. It is estimated that 40% of seniors use 5 or more different medications every week. 12% of seniors use 10 or more different medications weekly! The more medications you take, the greater the likelihood of an adverse event occurring. A study conducted this year among 27,000 seniors highlights this problem. Based on their findings they estimate that nearly 2 million adverse drug events occur each year among seniors resulting in more than 180,000 life threatening or fatal adverse drug events.

The most common, preventable adverse drug effects occurred in the following medications: cardiovascular drugs, diuretics, analgesics (pain relievers), hypoglycemics (lowers blood sugar), and anticoagulants.

Here are practical suggestions for helping eliminate this problem for yourself, a parent, or a friend.

• When taking medications, be sure to follow the doctor's instructions. If you are not sure what to do, inquire.
• Tell your doctor (and pharmacists) what other medications you are already taking in order to avoid serious drug interactions.
• If you have symptoms that occur after taking the medication, be sure to contact your doctor right away.
• Don't take medicines longer than the time prescribed.
• Don't take other people's medicine!
• If you have trouble remembering if you took your medication or not, put your pills in a daily pill box, one compartment for each day of the week. Or, have someone else administer the medications daily.
• Lastly, you may be able to make lifestyle changes (such as losing weight, cutting back on salt and saturated fat, and getting regular exercise) that correct problems so that medications need not be taken or taken so often. Be sure you get your doctor's guidance in making changes.

By using medications properly you can greatly reduce the likelihood of an adverse drug problem.

Adverse drug events, Journal of the American Medical Association, March 5, 2003

Obesity Top Health Problem in U.S.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, new director for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) rates obesity as the number one health threat in the United States. In a statement this month she cites statistics showing that 65% of U.S. adults are overweight and nearly 40 million are obese, putting them at high health risk.

In three states, she pointed out, 25% of the residents are obese - not overweight but obese! The three states are Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia. "It's a catastrophe in our country." She said that the government is working hard and will do more to encourage better eating and exercise habits. "We really have to change our behavior in astonishing ways if we are going to get over this bottle neck to good health," she said.

One of her first acts as new director of CDCP was to carpet the stair wells, add pictures on the walls (made by children) to make it look more appealing, and add music to encourage people to take the stairs. She also turned off some of the elevators. That's what I call taking action!

CDCP News Release, Oct 28, 2003

Restaurants May Soon Have to List Calories of Meals

There is a new bill in Congress that would require restaurants to list how many calories and fat grams are in each meal. Over 1/3 of all meals are now eaten in restaurants. With the trend for super sized meals and the problem of rapid increase in obesity, it appears this kind of information would be most helpful. A poll shows that 2/3 of Americans would strongly appreciate this information. Here is what customers at certain fast food chains might learn:

• A chicken Burrito at McDonald's-owned Chipotle restaurant has nearly 1,000 calories
• Wendy's owned Baja Fresh serves up nachos with over 2,000 calories and 2+ days supply of saturated and trans fats
• 2 slices of Domino's large hand-tossed cheese pizza has 622 calories and 10 grams of saturated fat, while 2 slices of Pizza Hut's hand-tossed pizza has 440 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat
• Taco Bell's taco salad has nearly twice the calories and saturated fat as its beef burrito supreme
• Upgrading from fries to super-sized fries may cost only 80 cents but it adds an additional 400 calories

MSNBC Health News, Nov. 11, 2003

B Vitamin May Help Ease Depression

Recent research suggests that there is a link between low folic acid (a B-vitamin) and depression. The School of Nutrition study (3000 people) at Tufts University found that those people with major depression had significantly lower levels of folic acid than those who were not depressed. People with minor depression also exhibited lower folic acid levels.

The researchers state that they don't know if this relationship is causal or not but they did note that previous research indicated that folate supplements helped improve depression and also made antidepressants work better. A multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of folate has been found effective according to Martha Morris, PhD, lead researcher. Good food sources of folic acid are lentils, legumes, oranges and orange juice, wheat germ, food yeast, and leafy greens.

This adds to the impressive list of serious health problems folic acid may help prevent: colon cancer, breast cancer, birth defects, high homocysteine levels in the blood, and now depression.

Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter, August 2003

Dietary Fat and Breast Cancer

Animal studies and human epidemiology studies have long suggested that a high intake of saturated fat is linked to the risk of breast cancer. Individual based studies, however, have given conflicting results.

To help resolve this question, the Ontario Cancer Center of Canada did a meta-analysis, combining the results of 45 studies (over 600,000 women) to look at fat intake and risk of breast cancer. They compared women with the highest intake of fat to the lowest and here is what they found.

• Women eating high intakes of saturated fat were 19% more likely to develop breast cancer
• Women with the highest meat intake had a 17% increased risk of breast cancer

The researchers said their figures may actually underestimate the true risk. The effect of a high intake of saturated fat seems to be over and above the increased risk from obesity. This may seem like a small difference but consider the impact if you could prevent one of every five cases of breast cancer in women eating a high saturated fat diet by simply eating less saturated fat and a more balanced diet, including more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

This is good news for prevention and gives additional emphasis to the importance of a low saturated fat diet for optimum health.

British Journal of Cancer 89:1672-1685, Nov. 2003

Costs for Health Care Administration in U.S.

One of the concerns about high health care costs in the United States is the large amount of money required for overhead or administration. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated these costs to be 31% of all medical expenses. In other words, out of every dollar spent on medical care in the U.S., 31 cents goes for overhead, including insurance, employer's cost to manage health benefits, hospital administration, cost of medical clinics for staff to bill insurance and do paper work, and administration of nursing homes and home care services. That leaves 69% for actual medical services (doctor's services, hospital care, etc.).

Administrative overhead amounts to $1,059 per year for every person in the United States (see the breakdown in the chart above). Many feel that if there were not so much "paper work" health care costs could be much less expensive. Most doctors would readily agree with this conclusion. The authors of this study compared the cost of overhead of the U.S. system to Canada's system. Canada spends approximately 16.7 percent on administrative overhead in their system or $307 per capita per year. One way to reduce health care costs is to simplify the system and cut administrative costs. Look for political proposals in the coming year that address this issue.

Costs of Health Care Administration, New England Journal of Medicine, Aug 21, 2003

Prevention of Heart Disease Should Start Early in Life

Two new studies this month highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle early in life to prevent heart disease. The University of Texas studied 486 young adults and found that obesity and high LDL cholesterol during childhood were directly related to the thickness of the lining of the carotid artery (main artery going to the brain). A thickening of this layer indicates the early stages of atherosclerosis, a damaging of the artery wall which may lead to clogged arteries and eventually heart attacks and strokes.

The thickening of the artery walls was directly related to the level of LDL cholesterol (the "bad" form of cholesterol) and body mass index (BMI) a measure of body weight during childhood. The authors suggest the importance of testing for high cholesterol and obesity in children and that early intervention with good diet and an active lifestyle may help prevent heart disease later in life.

A second study of 2,000 young Finns showed similar results. They found that higher blood pressure, smoking, high BMI, and higher LDL levels measured in 3-18 year old young people were directly related to thickening of the carotid artery lining 21 years later.

The researchers conclude their study with this advice. "The prevention of atherosclerosis... could be most effective when initiated in childhood or adolescence." Don't wait until serious symptoms occur before initiating a heart healthy lifestyle. Start as young as you can, even in childhood to build lifelong heart health.

Journal of the American Medical Association, Nov. 5, 2003

New Food Guide Pyramid

The current food guide pyramid published by the USDA has been heavily criticized as being inadequate. Dr. Walter Willett, head of Harvard's Department of Nutrition, is lobbying for a new pyramid that emphasizes healthy fats, nuts, legumes, whole grains, physical activity, and weight control. He published such a guide in the December issue of the Scientific American in 2002.

Wellsource has taken this new food guide pyramid and adapted it slightly by adding information from the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health's DASH Diet to lower blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular disease. Until we get a new government food guide pyramid, Wellsource has adopted this "New Food Guide Pyramid." A PDF copy is downloadable if you would like to review it. Put it on your refrigerator as a reminder and guide to making healthy eating choices. Here are the major new features in this pyramid that are improvements over the old:

1. Emphasis on daily exercise and weight control
2. Fruits and vegetables are near the foundation (DASH diet recommends 8-10 servings daily
3. Emphasis on whole grain breads and cereals
4. Emphasis on choosing healthy fats (vegetable oils) and olives, avocado, trans fat free margarines etc. as part of a good diet (Mediterranean diet concept)
5. Emphasis on eating more legumes (vegetable proteins and high in soluble fiber)
6. Eating nuts daily (linked to less heart disease, a healthy fat)
7. Choosing lower saturated fat protein foods such as tofu, fish, skinless poultry, and vegetable protein foods in place of red meats
8. Using low fat milk and yogurt, or calcium fortified soy milk in place of high fat dairy
9. Limiting intake of red meat and butter, if eaten at all
10. Limiting high glycemic foods such as soda pop, French fried potatoes, and highly refined foods including baked goods high in trans-fatty acids

New Diabetes Statistics

New numbers are out on diabetes. The number of Americans with diabetes is now estimated to be 18.2 million, up from 17 million in 2000. HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson remarking on this increase said, "Clearly, diabetes remains a serious and growing health threat. We are fighting this terrible disease by promoting better lifestyle choices and increasing awareness among all Americans." (HHS News Release Nov. 13, 2003)

Here is a summary of the new findings:

• Diabetes continues as the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S.
• Of the 18.2 million diabetics, 5.2 million are not aware they have diabetes yet
• Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults ages 20-74
• 15% of American Indians and Alaska Natives have diabetes (even higher in certain select groups)
• 11% of African American adults have diabetes
• 8% of whites and Hispanic adults have diabetes (1 out of every 12 adults)
• Direct medical costs for diabetes has grown to $92 billion per year plus an additional $40 billion for indirect costs (disability, work loss, premature mortality etc.) for a total financial impact of $132 billion per year

CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding states," Prevention is the key to stemming this unfolding epidemic." Eating more healthfully, engaging in regular physical activity, and trimming excess weight (even as little as 5-7%) can greatly reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. For more information on the latest diabetes statistics and information you can download the HHS National Diabetes Fact Sheet (8 page PDF).

QuickFacts  Important health stats you need to know and share.

Every day 30 million people take over-the-counter drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs for relief from pain, headaches, and arthritis. Serious side effects from these drugs can occur, such as stomach bleeding, which results in 103,000 hospitalizations and 16,500 deaths each year in the U.S. That's more deaths than from AIDS and more than 4 times as many deaths as from cervical cancer each year. See featured health link below for more information on reducing this risk. American Gastroenterological Association Web site, Oct. 23, 2003

In people aged 65 plus, 40% take 5 or more medications every week - 12% take 10 or more medications weekly. Each year seniors experience 180,000 life threatening or fatal adverse drug events from taking the wrong medicine, improper doses, or interactions with other drugs they are already taking (see story above).  JAMA,  Mar 5, 2003

More people are applying to study medicine in the U.S., and for the first time women outnumber men.  Association of American Medical Colleges, Nov. 2003

Headaches, back pain, arthritis, and other muscle and joint pain costs U.S. businesses more then $60 billion a year in lost productivity. An estimated one in eight workers in the United States lose an average of five hours of productivity a week due to a pain condition. Taking time to determine what is causing the headaches and backaches then taking corrective steps could save business billions of lost dollars.  JAMA,  Oct. 12, 2003

The latest statistics on diabetes now estimate that 18.2 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, up from 17 million just two years ago. Of this 18.2 million, 5.2 million are unaware they have diabetes. Diabetes is a rapidly growing disease that is seriously impacting the quality of life of millions of Americans. 95% of these diabetics are type 2 or mature onset diabetics. Over 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are obese. Maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular exercise is the best way to prevent diabetes.  JAMA,  Interview with Tommy Thomson, DHHS, in USA Today Nov. 12, 2003

The American Diabetes Association has set a new upper limit for acceptable or "normal" blood sugar levels. Normal fasting blood sugar used to be less than 110 mg/dL. It is now set at less than 100 mg/dL. That means that if your fasting blood glucose level is 100 to 125, you have prediabetes. Fasting blood sugar levels over 100 damage the heart and circulatory system and put you at high risk for developing full blown diabetes in the near future unless you take dramatic steps to adopt a healthier lifestyle.  American Diabetes Association News Release, Oct. 28, 2003 and published in Diabetes Care, Nov. 2003.

An exercise program that includes both aerobic activities (like brisk walking) and resistance training (muscle strengthening exercises) is more effective in reducing blood sugar levels than aerobic exercise alone. The resistance training builds muscle tissue which enhances glucose clearance in addition to loss of abdominal fat tissue caused by the aerobic exercise.  Diabetes Care 26:2977-82, 2003

Smokers are 2-3 times more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) than nonsmokers.  Web/MD Oct. 27, 2003

Women who take aspirin daily for many years are at higher risk (58% increase) of developing pancreatic cancer.  The Washington Post, Oct 28, 2003

Power Point Slides

The following slides are taken from studies reviewed in this newsletter and are available to view and download for your use in presenting health information in your local health promotion programs. Do not copy slides to distribute to other people.

Tips for Preventing Overweight Children
Magnets and Pain Relief 
Eye Health -- Preventing AMD
Smoking and Probability of Dying Before 70
Saturated fat and Risk of Breast Cancer
Resistance training and Diabetes 
Chocolate lovers slide! Dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure
Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in teens
New blood glucose norms  

Featured Health Links

Reduce. A campaign to reduce health risk from NSAIDs (pain relievers) by the American Gastroenterological Association and American Pharmacists Association. Learn if you are at risk and ways to reduce your risk of stomach bleeding. Get a brochure you can give to others who may need this information too.

Senior Health A new site for senior health developed by the National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine. It has articles on the major health problems of seniors. Print can be enlarged to make it easier to read, or you can "Turn Speech ON" and click on the text to have the computer read it for you. An excellent site for reliable health information. Encourage seniors you know to access this site for health information.

MEDLINEplus is a new health information site developed by the National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine for the general public. It features health topics, drug information, a medical encyclopedia, and health news. It has over 165 interactive tutorials with slide shows, sound, and pictures. This is an excellent health site to use for reliable health information.

Having Trouble Sleeping? Check out this article on the "Top 10 Sleep Tips -- for a healthy lifestyle" by the National Sleep Foundation.

4Women.gov is a new National Women's Health Information Center developed by the Department of Health and Human Services. It is the best site on women's health I've seen and is an excellent, reliable resource. For example, if you have questions about hormone replacement therapy, they have an excellent document covering the risks and benefits -- Facts About Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy (PDF) . It also covers many other key issues women need to know for good health. Check it out!

AlmondsAreIn.com is an interesting site on the benefits of almonds. If you enjoy almonds, you will enjoy this site with recipes and ideas on making almonds a fun and healthy part of your diet. You can also compare almonds with other nuts in nutritional value (fat, protein, vitamins etc.).

Diabetes Prevention Guide. The National Institute of Health developed this excellent guide on preventing diabetes for the general public. It is called, Small Steps, Big Rewards. It outlines in simple steps what you need to do to prevent diabetes. It is a 20 page PDF.

Healthy Recipes

Looking for something new and good to eat? Here are a few ideas for you to try that are tasty and good for you!

• Old Fashioned Fruit Candy - Here is a great idea for the holidays. Making your own fruit candy can by as fun as eating it. Get the whole family involved.
• Savory Kale with Peppers and Onions - All leafy greens are especially healthy. Here is a special way to enjoy kale.
• Indian Lentil Soup - Soups are warm and comforting, especially in winter. This lentil soup is also a good source of plant protein.
• Fresh Cranberry Relish - Tis the season for cranberries. Here is a recipe that includes apples, oranges, and nuts -- all good for you!

Online Wellness Center

With a comprehensive library of wellness related articles, personalized health questionnaires, and other resources, Online Wellness Center is the one-stop source for wellness information.

The Online Wellness Center can be fully branded and customized to integrate with your existing Web site. The attractive design, relevant topics, and interactive nature fosters rapid learning. Repeat visits are encouraged with up-to-date content, monthly features and current health news. Learn how you can make this site available for your organization.

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