Moderate drinking reduces men’s heart attack risk
Even as studies have consistently found an association between moderate alcohol consumption and reduced heart attack risk in men, an important question has persisted: What if the men who drank in moderation were the same individuals who maintained good eating habits, didn’t smoke, exercised and watched their weight - How would you know that their reduced risk of myocardial infarction wasn’t the result of one or more of these other healthy habits?
A new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) helps answer this question. Reported in the October 23, 2006 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the findings show for the first time that among men with healthy lifestyles, those who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol - defined as between one-half and two drinks daily - had a 40 to 60 percent reduced risk of heart attack compared with healthy men who didn’t drink at all.
“This latest research speaks to how robust the link is between moderate drinking and heart attack risk,” explains lead author Kenneth Mukamal, MD, MPH, an internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “The fact that we found the association [between alcohol consumption and heart attack] to be just as strong in this tightly controlled group of men as we’ve found it to be in more general studies suggests that physicians should not avoid alcohol consumption as a topic for discussion when talking with patients about ways to reduce their risk of myocardial infarction.”
Anxiety disorders linked to thyroid disease, respiratory disease, arthritis and migraine headaches
Anxiety disorders appear to be independently associated with several physical conditions, including thyroid disease, respiratory disease, arthritis and migraine headaches, according to a report in the October 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. This co-occurrence of disorders may significantly increase the risk of disability and negatively affect quality of life.
Although depression has long been linked to physical illness, evidence supporting an association between anxiety disorders and physical health problems is more recent, according to background information in the article. Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, agoraphobia (fear of being in a situation where panic or anxiety may occur and escape from the situation might be difficult), social phobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Studies have found that those with phobic (fearful) anxiety may be more likely to experience sudden cardiac death, and rates of anxiety disorders are higher than expected in patients with thyroid disease, cancer, hypertension and several other conditions.
Overweight women more likely to have polycystic ovary syndrome
Overweight and obese Spanish women appear five times as likely as lean women to have polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that decreases fertility and contributes to other illnesses, according to an article in the October 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Polycystic ovary syndrome occurs when the ovaries malfunction and levels of the sex hormone androgen are unusually high. Symptoms may include irregular or no menstrual periods, acne and excess hair growth. In addition to its implications for reproductive health, polycystic ovary syndrome is also associated with sleep apnea, poor quality of life and an increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to background information in the article.
Although more than half of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome are obese, the prevalence of the condition in overweight or obese women is unknown.
Statins show promise in slowing smoking-induced lung damage
Statins, the widely used class of drugs for cholesterol management, are now showing promising results in slowing smoking-induced lung damage.
In a new study presented at CHEST 2006, the 72nd annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), current and former smokers who used statins had lower lung function decline than those not using statins, regardless of whether patients continued or stopped smoking.
“Until now, no medication has shown to slow smoking-induced lung damage,” said Walid G. Younis, MD, University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK. “Our study is the first to show that statins may decrease the decline in lung function in smokers and former smokers, and, therefore, prevent millions from developing debilitating diseases that could eventually lead to death.”
Combination therapy of salmeterol and fluticasone improves survival in patients with COPD
A combination of two common medications may help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) live longer.
New research presented at CHEST 2006, the 72nd annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows that when used in combination, inhaled salmeterol (SAL) and fluticasone propionate (FP) reduced the risk of dying by up to 17.5 percent in patients with COPD. Currently, FP, an inhaled corticosteroid, and SAL, a long-acting B2-agonist bronchodilator, are used alone and in combination to treat both asthma and COPD.
Statins can significantly reduce the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction
New research suggests that statins can significantly reduce the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or all-cause death in patients with severe carotid arterial disease not revascularized.
The study, presented at CHEST 2006, the 72nd annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), showed that statins notably reduced such incidences in these nonrevascularized patients with chronic high cholesterol, as well.
Cell Wall of Pneumonia Bacteria Can Cause Brain and Heart Damage
Investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have discovered in mouse models how cell walls from certain pneumonia-causing bacteria can cause fatal heart damage; researchers have also shown how antibiotic therapy can contribute to this damage by increasing the number of cell wall pieces shed by dying bacteria. The team also demonstrated in a mouse model how to prevent this from happening.
The study shows that pieces of cell walls from Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria “hijack” a protein on the lining of the blood vessel wall and use it to slip out of the bloodstream and into the brain and heart. A report on this study appears in the November 1 issue of the Journal of Immunology.
These findings explain why blood stream infection with S. pneumoniae commonly leads to temporary impairment of heart function, and they suggest a way to prevent that from occurring, according to Elaine Tuomanen, M.D., chair of the St. Jude Department of Infectious Diseases. S. pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia, sepsis (a potentially life-threatening bloodstream infection) and meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord).
Vegetables may help keep the brain young
People who eat their vegetables may help keep their minds sharp into old age, a study published Monday suggests. Fruit, on the other hand, seems to have less of a benefit.
Researchers found that among more than 3,700 older adults they followed for six years, those who ate plenty of vegetables showed a significantly slower rate of decline in memory and other mental abilities.
