Gum Disease to Heart
Disease
Tomatoes
Treadmill Test
Organic Soup
Cholesterol
and Alzheimer's Disease
Walking Efficient
Sexual Health
of American Men
Now She Can Seduce the
Man She Wants
Fibrocystic Breasts
Cancer and the Pill
Gum Disease to Heart Disease
Bacteria known to cause gum disease also contribute to coronary artery
disease in mice, according to a six-month study published in the February
issue of the journal Circulation. Although other research has made
epidemiological connections between gum disease and heart disease, the
recent finding apparently is the first direct evidence that oral bacteria
can play a role in coronary artery disease, also called atherosclerosis
or hardening of the arteries, which contributes to half of all deaths in
the United States. In coronary artery disease, arteries are narrowed by
the buildup of plaques, which are fatty deposits and fibrous tissue.
Salomon Amar, D.D.S., Ph.D., a professor at the Boston University School
of Dental Medicine, who was senior author on the study found that the presence
of the mouth bacteria in the bloodstream does trigger an inflammatory response
and stimulate atherosclerosis. The authors concluded that the bacteria
alone did not cause coronary artery disease, but did contribute to it.
Oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream during oral surgery, treatment
for periodontal disease, a cleaning in the dentist's office, and even during
regular brushing and flossing. Prior laboratory studies have suggested
that P. gingivalis might play a role in atherosclerosis, and statistical
studies have shown that periodontal disease is a risk factor for heart
disease.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes cut prostate cancer risk. Frequent consumption of tomato products
may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer, concludes a study
in the March 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This
confirms previous evidence that eating tomato-based foods may lower a man's
risk for prostate cancer. The researchers found that men who consumed
tomato products in at least two meals a week had a 24 to 36 percent lower
risk of prostate cancer than men who ate tomatoes less often. Cooked
tomatoes, appeared to offer the greatest cancer prevention benefits. The
researchers found that the consumption of tomato sauce was associated with
a reduced risk of prostate cancer among men of Southern European descent
who typically have tomato-rich diets, and among men of Caucasian ancestry.
The researchers say their findings offer further evidence that foods rich
in antioxidants, particularly one called lycopene, reduce the risk of cancer.
It's not just apples that keep the doctors away! Tomatoes also may do the
same, at least for men!
Treadmill Test
According to a study, done by researchers from the Veterans Affairs
Palo Alto Health Care System/Stanford University, that evidence of the
importance of physical fitness, a person's peak exercise capacity as measured
on a treadmill test is a more powerful predictor of how long someone will
live. The study found that a person's chances of staying alive rise
12 percent with each increase of one ``metabolic equivalent'' when exercising
as hard as one can on a treadmill.
Organic Soup
Eating organic soups could help to reduce the risk of developing cancer
or suffering a stroke or heart attack, New Scientist magazine said on March
13, 2002.
Researchers have discovered that organic varieties of soup have almost
six times as much salicylic acid, which helps to prevent hardening of the
arteries and bowel cancer, as regular soup. Paterson and scientists at
the Scotland's University of Strathclyde analysed 11 brands of organic
soup and compared the levels of salicylic acid with amounts in non-organic
varieties. They found the highest levels in an organic carrot and
coriander soup and said amounts were nearly undetectable in some
traditional brands.
Cholesterol and Alzheimer's
Disease
A study, published in the March issue of the Archives of Neurology,
found that high cholesterol levels appear to harm the brain and lead to
mental decline and Alzheimer's disease. But it also found that older women
who took drugs called statins - sold under such brand names as Lipitor,
Zocor and Mevacor - had less mental impairment than non-users.
Women with the highest overall cholesterol readings 235 to 432
faced a 77 percent increased risk of having cognitive impairment compared
with those with lower levels. A similar risk was found in women
with the artery-clogging LDL levels of 145 to 347. While the study
appears to support a link between cholesterol and Alzheimer's it is not
definitive.
Cut Cholesterol: Despite the unending studies and advice about
the benefits of proper nutrition, more than 100 million American adults
have cholesterol levels that are still too high. Too much blood cholesterol
can lead to heart disease, America's No. 1 killer, doctors say. It
can also lead to a stroke. Diet and exercise are the first-line therapy
for high cholesterol. Limit foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol
such as fried foods, fatty red meats, whole milk, ice cream, butter, egg
yolks, cheese, saturated oils such as coconut oil and palm oil, and processed
meats such as sausage, bologna and hot dogs. A statement published in Circulation:
Journal of the American Heart Association stated that Americans with high
cholesterol should eat more soy-based foods daily because many studies
show that soy protein can help reduce blood cholesterol. Consuming 25 to
50 grams of soy protein per day is effective in reducing ``bad'' or low-density
lipoprotein by up to 8 percent. Houston registered dietitian Karen
Calabro suggests eating more walnuts. Studies have shown that eating 2-3
ounces of walnuts four to five times a week can lower the risk of cardiovascular
disease by 50 percent. Karen Siegel, a Houston registered and licensed
dietitian, says garlic is also reported to lower cholesterol. Take odorless
garlic supplements daily or use fresh garlic in cooking.
Exercise: The American Cancer Society's nutrition and activity
guidelines says the evidence now is convincing that exercise reduces risk
of colorectal and breast cancer. The report says there also is a probable
benefit against endometrial cancer, and activity may help against other
forms of cancer as well. A medical panel that weighed the latest
research says activity apparently works directly to lower the risk, and
provides an added indirect benefit if the exercise also keeps a person's
weight down. The experts found what they describe as convincing
evidence that weight control through proper nutrition and/or physical activity
reduces risk. The better-educated already have been keeping their weight
down and their activity levels up, and thereby reduce their cancer risk.
Walking Efficient
The walking human can be imagined as a small steel ball (the center
of mass) propelled forward on top of two stiff wires (the legs). With each
step forward, one end of a wire is planted on the ground, and the steel
ball swings in an arc around the other end, just like an upside-down pendulum.
As the ball reaches the end of its arc, the other wire is planted farther
forward on the ground, and the process is repeated. To maintain forward
movement, the energy of the steel ball needs to be transferred from one
pendulum to the other. In normal walking humans, only 65 percent of that
energy is actually transferred; the rest is dissipated and must be replaced
by additional muscle energy. But the African women have a secret
weapon, the researchers discovered. As they transfer their weight, they
transfer at least 80 percent of their forward energy to the next step.
Only 20 percent must be replaced by the muscles, leaving plenty of energy
in reserve to carry the weight on their heads. The secret of this
efficiency lies in the difference between the two components of energy,
potential and kinetic. Potential energy is stored by moving an object
to a higher location, able to be released as kinetic energy when the object
falls. Interestingly, they apply this trick only when they are carrying
things on their
heads. When they walk unloaded they waste as much energy as all other
walkers. It is only as they begin to balance heavy loads on their heads
that they change their steps.
Sexual Health of American
Men
The Alan Guttmacher Institute found that 9 out of 10 American men have
intercourse before their 20th birthday. One in six men, ages 15 to 49,
have genital herpes; 11 million men in all. Yet in 1995, just 2 percent
of the 4.5 million visits made to publicly financed family clinics were
by men. Women shoulder the burden of pregnancy and bearing children,
and family planning specialists don't view themselves as providers for
men. Standards of reproductive health care have been
established for women, but there is no similar code for men.
Pap smears bring women in for annual visits to the gynecologist, but there
is no equivalent for men. Insurance doesn't cover what men need most: information
and counseling. And few health professionals are specifically trained to
provide men with sexual and reproductive education and medical care.
The federal government is encouraging federally financed family planning
clinics to reach out to men, with the hope that doing so will reduce the
teen-age pregnancy rate. The Guttmacher report cited a 1992 survey
of private primary care physicians, which found that fewer than half usually
ask their patients about sexually transmitted disease, and just 22 percent
ask their patients questions about how many sexual partners they have had.
Now She Can Seduce the Man She Wants
A San Francisco State University study on pheromones (natural substances
we excrete that attract others through scent) appearing in Physiology and
Behavior journal, says if sex is your aim, make a beeline through
his nasal cavity. A little dab of pheromone containing scent under
the nose, on the cheeks or behind the ears of a woman, resulted in an increase
in the frequency of intimate encounters like sexual intercourse with men.
The sexual appeal in a bottle will cost you nearly $100 per a 2-ounce vial
that can be purchased directly from the Athena Institute. The product is
sold all over the world, including Mexico, England, Germany and Australia.
Fibrocystic Breasts
At least 50 percent of all women experience lumpy, painful, swollen
breasts at some point in their lives, according to the American Cancer
Society. This benign condition, fibrocystic breast change, is most common
in women aged 30 to 50, but it can occur at any age. Fibrocystic
breast changes include variations in tissue that occur during the menstrual
cycle as well as benign lumps and fluid filled sacs or cysts. Though
sometimes mistakenly referred to as a disease, fibrocystic changes occur
in varying degrees in almost all women over 30. In 95 percent of
cases, fibrocystic breast changes do not increase a woman's risk of breast
cancer. They do, however, lead to thicker and denser breast tissue, which
can mask cancerous changes. Thus, this condition can make breast exams
and mammograms difficult to interpret, rendering early breast cancer detection
more challenging. This does not mean women who know or suspect they
have fibrocystic breasts should ignore lumps. Instead, if they are premenopausal
and they find a lump, they should wait one menstrual cycle; in 60-70 percent
of cases, the lump will go away. If it doesn't,
she should see her doctor immediately. Eliminating caffeine,
reducing salt intake and taking vitamin E (400-800 IU daily) and A (150,000
IU daily) may help some women. Using diuretics during the week before the
menstrual period can help ease uncomfortable, swollen breasts. Birth control
pills can alleviate symptoms for some women, and in severe cases, doctors
may suggest an antihormone treatment called danazol.
Cancer and the Pill
According to a study published in the online version of the British
journal The Lancet, birth control pills may increase some women's risk
of developing cervical cancer. The World Health Organization study
found that women infected with human papilloma virus (HPV) who have taken
birth control pills for more than five years were significantly more likely
to develop cancer than women with HPV who did not use oral contraceptives.
According to the 3rd European Breast Cancer Conference heard on Friday
22 MarchWomen who have ever used the Pill face a slightly increased risk
of developing breast cancer, according to one of the largest studies on
oral contraceptive use. The women's risk rose by just over a quarter
(26%) compared with women who had never used the Pill. Women who were still
using the Pill had an increased risk of just over a half (58%) compared
with never-users. The highest increased risk was amongst women aged 45
or over who were still using the Pill - their risk of developing breast
cancer was nearly one and a half times (144%) the risk of never-users.
Sreenivasarao Vepachedu, March 2002