WHO Issues New Guidance on Dietary Salt and Potassium

An image of a grain of table salt taken using a scanning electron microscope. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

From the 31 January 2013 press release

 

 

 

Adults should consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium, or 5 grams of salt, and at least 3,510 mg of potassium per day, according to new guidelines issued by the WHO.

 

Related articles

 

• Bring On The Beans! Health Officials Want You To Eat More Potassium (npr.org)
• Why Health Officials Want You To Eat More Potassium (wnyc.org)
• Eat Less Salt; They Changed the Scales Again (scienceworldreport.com)

 

Vegetarianism Can Reduce Risk of Heart Disease by Up to a Third

On a related note, I’ve started collecting vegetarian recipes and posting them online here and also here.

This Lent the goal is to eat vegetarian, with the savings going to CFCA (Christian Foundation for Children and Aging).

(If anyone has any recipes from CFCA countries, please share! You can use the comment section or email me at jmflahiff@yahoo.com
CFCA countries–Mexico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatamala, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuala, Liberia Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania, Uganda, India, and Philippines )

I sponsor Betsy, who lives in Monrovia, Liberia. She is now in 12th grade at age 20. It has been a long haul for her, and I am so very, very proud of her!

From the 30 January 2013 article at Science Daily

The risk of hospitalisation or death from heart disease is 32% lower in vegetarians than people who eat meat and fish, according to a new study from the University of Oxford.

Heart disease is the single largest cause of death in developed countries, and is responsible for 65,000 deaths each year in the UK alone. The new findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that a vegetarian diet could significantly reduce people’s risk of heart disease.

‘Most of the difference in risk is probably caused by effects on cholesterol and blood pressure, and shows the important role of diet in the prevention of heart disease,’ explains Dr Francesca Crowe, lead author of the study at the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford.

Read the entire article here

Related articles

• Report: Vegetarians are a third less likely to suffer heart disease (itv.com)
• Vegetarianism May Cut Heart Disease Risk By Third: Study (news.health.com)
• Vegetarian Diet Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease By A Third (medicalnewstoday.com)

[Reblog] Take A Break

Always thought it was a good idea to take a break from sitting every hour or so…

This came from a post at LearnStuff.org

If you think working overtime, skipping your lunch hour and staying chained to your desk will make you more productive, you need to cut yourself some slack and take a break.Working non-stop without taking a break can increase your chances of weight gain, heart disease and worse. Staring at a computer screen for more than 2 hours per day can cause Computer Vision Syndrome, a real affliction, which causes blurry vision, headaches, dry eyes and can lead to long-term nearsightedness. However, getting up and away from your desk for just 5 minutes can alleviate eye strain and reduce fatigue in addition to making you feel better. The mere act of standing at your desk instead of sitting at it can help you burn up to 2500 calories per week. Not bad for just standing around.Work hard and break hard; doing so will make you a healthier, happier and more productive employee.

Take A Break by LearnStuff.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://www.learnstuff.com/take-a-break/.

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• Blogging and Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) AKA Digital Eye Strain (onecoolsitebloggingtips.com)
• Computer Eye Strain Explained (and How to Avoid It) (greatist.com)
• Computer Vision Syndrome (stevenadunn.wordpress.com)
• How to Prevent Eye Damage from Excessive Computer Use (youngworkathomemoms.wordpress.com)
• Keep Computer and Smartphone Screens from Destroying Your Eyes [Health] (lifehacker.com)
• Eyestrain and Computer Vision Syndrome (visionmd.org)
• Two-thirds of adults report digital eye strain (virginiabusiness.com)

Stress May Hamper Worker Performance and Health (& rebuttal article)

Yes, this is just anecdotal, but I believe there is more to this than an either/or debate.
My husband took high blood pressure medicine for years. And he often complained about the stress at work.
Within a month of changing jobs to an organization that was less stressful, his blood pressure went down and he no longer needed the blood pressure medication.

 

From the 14 September article at news@JAMA

Some bad news for workers facing stress on the job and elsewhere in their life, suggested by 2 studies published this week: stress may contribute to an increased risk of heart disease and may impair short-term memory.

Workers who encounter substantial demands at work and have little control over their situations have an elevated risk of developing heart disease compared with individuals who don’t have to face such psychological stress in the workplace, according to results of  an analysis published in the Lancet yesterday…

..

Stress may also impair an individual’s performance, a study published in PLOS Computational Biology suggests. The researchers found that exposure of rats to stress in the form of blasts of sound alter the firing of neurons in the prefrontal cortex. These changes in firing impair the ability of rats to retain short-term memory, hampering their performance in a maze task. Animals under stress completed the task only about 65% of the time compared with 90% of the unstressed rats.

The rebuttal

Don’t Blame Your Employer If You Are Feeling Stressed By Your Job

From the 18 September 2012 article at Medical News Today

Work stress, job satisfaction and health problems due to high stress have more to do with genes than you might think, according to research by Timothy Judge, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. This information has been published two days after a separate study suggesting that work stress increases an employee’s risk of heart attack by 23%.

The lead author of “Genetic influences on core self-evaluations, job satisfaction, work stress, and employee health: A behavioral genetics mediated model,” published inOrganizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Judge studied nearly 600 twins – some identical, some fraternal – who were raised together and reared apart. He found that being raised in the same environment had very little effect on personality, stress and health. Shared genes turned out to be about four times as important as shared environment.

Related articles

• Stress breaks loops that hold short-term memory together (scienceblog.com)
• Stress Breaks Loops that Hold Short-Term Memory Together (neurosciencenews.com)
• Stress breaks loops that hold short-term memory together (eurekalert.org)
• Stress breaks loops that hold short-term memory together (sciencedaily.com)
• Job Stress Linked To Heart Disease Risk (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Expert Explains Why Workplace Stress Is Killing All Of Us (businessinsider.com)
• Stress-Induced Impairment of a Working Memory Task: Role of Spiking Rate and Spiking History Predicted Discharge (ploscompbiol.org)
• Workers at Fukushima feel the pressure of blame (newscientist.com)
• How Stress Makes Us Lose Sight of Our Goals (livescience.com)
• Being bossed around at work ‘raises risk of heart attack by 23%’ (dailymail.co.uk)

The New Science Behind America’s Deadliest Diseases – WSJ.com

The New Science Behind America’s Deadliest Diseases – WSJ.com (16th July 2012)

What do heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, stroke and cancer have in common? Scientists have linked each of these to a condition known as chronic inflammation, and they are studying how high-fat foods and excess body weight may increase the risk for fatal disorders.

While much focus has been on fighting inflammation with drugs, researchers are getting a better understanding of the links connecting diet, inflammation and illness and discovering ways that foods can help keep inflammation in check. Laura Landro has details on Lunch Break.

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury and outside irritants. But when the irritants don’t let up, because of a diet of high-fat foods, too much body fat and smoking, for example, the immune system can spiral out of control and increase the risk for disease. Experts say when inflammation becomes chronic it can damage heart valves and brain cells, trigger strokes, and promote resistance to insulin, which leads to diabetes. It also is associated with the development of cancer.

Much of the research on chronic inflammation has focused on fighting it with drugs, such as cholesterol-lowering statins for heart disease. A growing body of research is revealing how abdominal fat and an unhealthy diet can lead to inflammation. Some scientists are investigating how certain components in foods might help. Dietary fiber from whole grains, for instance, may play a protective role against inflammation, a recent study found. And dairy foods may help ease inflammation in patients with a combination of risk factors…

…A substance known as C-reactive protein, measured with a simple blood test, is an indicator of inflammation in the body. A report published in Archives of Internal Medicine in 2007, which analyzed results of 33 separate studies, found that losing weight can lower C-reactive protein levels. For each one kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of weight loss, whether by dieting, exercise or surgery, the mean reduction in C-reactive protein among participants was 0.13 milligram per liter…

..At a meeting in Quebec City last week on abdominal obesity and its health risks, experts in cardiology, endocrinology, nutrition and related specialties presented a wide range of new research linking obesity to inflammation-related diseases…

Related articles

• What do heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, stroke and cancer have in common? (warmsouthernbreeze.wordpress.com)
• A.M. Vitals: Inflammation and Disease (blogs.wsj.com)
• Diet, Deadly Ailments Linked to Inflammation (pochp.wordpress.com)
• The silent killer: Modern lifestyle promotes Leaky Gut and low-level chronic inflammation (theaveragejoenewsblogg.com)
• Inflammation and food (therealfoodchannel.com)
• A.M. Vitals: Anticipation on Alzheimer’s (blogs.wsj.com)

Measuring HDL Particles as Opposed to HDL Cholesterol Is a a Better Indicator of Coronary Heart Disease, Study Suggests

English: HDL (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 From the 11 July 2012 ScienceNewsDaily article

Until recently, it seemed well-established that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the “good cholesterol.” However there are many unanswered questions on whether raising someone’s HDL can prevent coronary heart disease, and on whether or not HDL still matters. A team of researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH) and other institutions, have discovered that measuring HDL particles (HDL-P) as opposed to HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) is a much better indicator of coronary heart disease (CHD), and that HDL does indeed, still matter.

Related articles

• Some ‘good’ cholesterol unable to protect heart (news.bioscholar.com)
• Some “Good” Cholesterol May Be Bad For Heart (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Some HDL, or ‘good’ cholesterol, may not protect against heart disease (eurekalert.org)
• The Cholesterol-Heart Disease Connection (everydayhealth.com)
• Will high HDL level lower the risk of heart attack? (thehindu.com)
• Algae Extract Increases Good Cholesterol Levels, WSU Researcher Finds (detroit.cbslocal.com)
• How To Raise HDL Cholesterol (answers.com)
• Simple Ways to Boost Your Good Cholesterol (everydayhealth.com)
• Foods To Raise HDL Cholesterol (answers.com)
• High-density lipoprotein still matters, look at the particles! (eurekalert.org)

Some “Good” Cholesterol May Be Bad For Heart

Fr0m the 20 May 2012 article at Medical News Today

It appears that in some cases, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called “good” cholesterol, does not protect againstheart disease, and may even be harmful. A new study suggests a subclass of HDL that carries a particular protein is bad for the heart.

Previous studies have shown that high levels of HDL cholesterol are strongly linked to low risk of heart disease. But trials where people have been given drugs to increase their levels of HDL cholesterol have yielded inconsistent results: leading to the idea that HDL cholesterol may actually have protective and non-protective elements.

Now, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that when the surface of HDL cholesterol bears a small protein called apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III), there is an increase in the risk of heart disease, and when it is absent, HDL cholesterol is especially heart protective….

Related articles

• HDL ‘Good Cholesterol’ Found Not to Cut Heart Risk – NYTimes.com (policyabcs.wordpress.com)
• ‘Good’ cholesterol’s heart benefits challenged (cbc.ca)
• Some ‘good’ cholesterol unable to protect heart (news.bioscholar.com)
• Will high HDL level lower the risk of heart attack? (thehindu.com)
• Some HDL, or ‘good’ cholesterol, may not protect against heart disease (eurekalert.org)
• “Good” HDL Cholesterol May Not Protect Heart After All, Study Suggests (wibw.com)
• HDL Won’t Protect Against Heart Disease, Says Study Proving ‘Good’ Cholesterol Is Wishful Thinking (blisstree.com)
• HDL ‘Good Cholesterol’ Found Not to Cut Heart Risk – NYTimes.com (fitnessgroan.me)
• ‘Good’ cholesterol doctrine may be flawed: study (news.yahoo.com)

No Proof Found That Gum Disease Causes Heart Disease or Stroke

(I will continue to floss, tho, for the sake of my gums.  However it is a relief to know there is one less thing to think about when it comes to heart health)

From the 18th April 2012 article at Science Daily article

Despite popular belief, gum disease hasn’t been proven to cause atherosclerotic heart disease or stroke, and treating gum disease hasn’t been proven to prevent heart disease or stroke, according to a new scientific statement published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.

Keeping teeth and gums healthy is important for your overall health. However, an American Heart Association expert committee — made up of cardiologists, dentists and infectious diseases specialists — found no conclusive scientific evidence that gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, causes or increases the rates of cardiovascular diseases. Current data don’t indicate whether regular brushing and flossing or treatment of gum disease can cut the incidence of atherosclerosis, the narrowing of the arteries that can cause heart attacks and strokes.

Observational studies have noted associations between gum disease and cardiovascular disease, but the 500 journal articles and studies reviewed by the committee didn’t confirm a causative link.

“There’s a lot of confusion out there,” said Peter Lockhart, D.D.S., co-chair of the statement writing group and professor and chair of oral medicine at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C. “The message sent out by some in healthcare professions that heart attack and stroke are directly linked to gum disease, can distort the facts, alarm patients and perhaps shift the focus on prevention away from well known risk factors for these diseases.”

Gum disease and cardiovascular disease both produce markers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein, and share other common risk factors as well, including cigarette smoking, age and diabetes mellitus . These common factors may help explain why diseases of the blood vessels and mouth occur in tandem. Although several studies appeared to show a stronger relationship between these diseases, in those studies researchers didn’t account for the risk factors common to both diseases….

…

“We already know that some people are less proactive about their cardiovascular health than others. Individuals who do not pay attention to the very powerful and well proven risk factors, like smoking, diabetes or high blood pressure, may not pay close attention to their oral health either” Lockhart said.  [Janice's emphasis]

Statements that imply a cause and effect relationship between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, or claim that dental treatment may prevent heart attack or stroke are “unwarranted,” at this time, the statement authors said.

The American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs agrees with the conclusions of this report. The statement has been endorsed by the World Heart Federation.

 

Related articles

• No proof gum disease causes heart problems (cbc.ca)
• Health: New Research Says No Proof Gum Disease Linked To Heart Disease (washington.cbslocal.com)
• Heart Association: No link between gum disease and heart disease (cbsnews.com)
• Health: New Research Says No Proof Gum Disease Linked To Heart Disease (tampa.cbslocal.com)
• Health: New Research Says No Proof Gum Disease Linked To Heart Disease (connecticut.cbslocal.com)
• Health: New Research Says No Proof Gum Disease Linked To Heart Disease (baltimore.cbslocal.com)
• Is There Proof Gum Disease Causes Heart Disease? (webmd.com)
• No proof that gum disease causes heart disease or stroke (eurekalert.org)
• No Proof That Gum Disease Causes Heart Disease, Experts Say (news.health.com)
• Gum disease doesn’t lead to heart attack or stroke – WANE (drugstoresource.wordpress.com)
• Health: New Research Says No Proof Gum Disease Linked To Heart Disease (philadelphia.cbslocal.com)

Optimism May Help Protect the Heart

myocardial infarction - Myokardinfarkt - scheme (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From the 18th April 2012 article at Medical News Today

Harvard researchers suggest optimism, happiness and other positive emotions may help protect heart health and lower the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events. It also appears that these psychological well-being factors slow the progress of cardiovascular disease.

The findings are the result of the first and largest systematic review of its kind, and are reported in the 16 April online issue of Psychological Bulletin, by lead author Julia Boehm, a research fellow, and senior author Laura Kubzansky, an associate professor, in the department of society, human development, and health, at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) in Boston, Massachusetts….

Related articles

• Positive feelings may help protect cardiovascular health (eurekalert.org)
• Positive feelings, optimism protect heart (upi.com)
• Do Happy People Have Healthier Hearts? (webmd.com)
• Study: Optimism reduces heart attack, stroke risk (cbsnews.com)
• Positive feelings may help protect cardiovascular health (medicalxpress.com)
• Study Says Optimism Can Help Protect Your Heart (washington.cbslocal.com)
• Study Says Optimism Can Help Protect Your Heart (tampa.cbslocal.com)
• Study Says Optimism Can Help Protect Your Heart (connecticut.cbslocal.com)
• Study Says Optimism Can Help Protect Your Heart (baltimore.cbslocal.com)
• Optimism Might Cut Your Risk for Heart Attack (news.health.com)

Dentists Could Screen 20 Million Americans For Chronic Physical Illnesses

 

From a December 2011 press release of New York University

An Opportunity to Identify Diabetes, Hypertension, and Other Chronic Diseases

Nearly 20 million Americans annually visit a dentist but not a general healthcare provider, according to an NYU study published today in the American Journal of Public Health.

The study, conducted by a nursing-dental research team at NYU, is the first of its kind to determine the proportion of Americans who are seen annually by a dentist but not by a general healthcare provider.

This finding suggests dentists can play a crucial role as health care practitioners in the front-line defense of identifying systemic disease which would otherwise go undetected in a significant portion of the population, say the researchers.

“For these and other individuals, dental professionals are in a key position to assess and detect oral signs and symptoms of systemic health disorders that may otherwise go unnoticed, and to refer patients for follow-up care,” said Dr. Shiela Strauss, an associate professor of nursing at the NYU College of Nursing and co-director of the statistics and data management core for NYU’s Colleges of Nursing and Dentistry.

During the course of a routine dental examination, dentists and dental hygienists, as trained healthcare providers, can take a patient’s health history, check blood pressure, and use direct clinical observation and X-rays to detect risk for systemic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. ……

Read the entire news article

Related articles

• Barbers: Cut, Shave, Lower Your Blood Pressure (jflahiff.wordpress.com)
• Dentists Could Screen 20 Million Americans For Chronic Physical Illnesses (medicalnewstoday.com)

• NYU study concludes that dentists could screen 20 million Americans for chronic physical illnesses (eurekalert.org)
• Dentists could screen 20 million Americans for chronic physical illnesses: study (medicalxpress.com)
• Dentists Could Fill Gap in Health Care (nlm.nih.gov)