STB's News You Can Use -- 12 March 1997

* News You Can Use! -- 12 March 1997 *

Stress hormones kill "socially dominant" men
An epidemic of obesity in America
Stress can causes women to go bald
Ibuprofen may cut risk of Alzheimer's
Iguanas carry dangerous salmonella
Wash your hands, save your life
Heart disorder often called panic attack
Health News & Notes
Buffalo News_ article on STB
Index of past newsletters

Stress hormones can kill "socially dominant" men

Researchers from Duke University Medical Center say that men whose personalities are driven by stress hormones and adrenaline are more likely to die younger. These "socially dominant" men are 60% more likely to die of all causes, particularly heart disease. As the scientists describe him, this is the kind of man who always likes to be the center of attention, continually interrupts conversations, always tries to get his way. He's basically insecure, driven to be on top, obnoxious, and not well-liked. A man living in this constant state of stress is unpleasant to be around, but absolutely lethal to himself. (CBS Radio, 30 January 1997)

America's not-so-great expanse: the waistline

*** More than a third of Americans are overweight: We're getting bigger and fatter. Oh, there's a bulletin. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey looked at more than 22,000 people between 1988 and 1994. They concluded that more than a third of adult Americans are overweight, along with 12% of teenagers and 14% of children. Americans are fatter than at any time since the government began keeping track in the 1960's. Why? Modern conveniences are one reason, according to Richard Troiano, an epidemiologist with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We take the elevator instead of the stairs, drive instead of bike, and rely on remote controls for the TV and automatic garage-door openers. Troiano says they "essentially eliminate" physical effort. See the Yahoo!/Reuters story.
***And it's not getting any better: It's been five years since the Food and Drug Administration introduced the food guide pyramid, but it hasn't done much to change America's poor eating habits. Dr. Barbara Levine, director of the Nutrition Information Center at Cornell Medical Center, says people know the pyramid, but don't follow it. They're eating more calories than before, consuming more sugar-laden drinks, and are being fooled by those "fat free" labels. Dr. Levine says beware of sugar content in those "fat free" foods. She also warns about "quick-fix" diets which trim muscle, fluid and bone, but not real weight. Her advice? Go back to the food pyramid, and follow it.
*** What makes a city fat?: The National Weight Report studied 33 American cities to try and find trends that make one city fatter than another. America's plumpest city is New Orleans, in which 37.55% of residents are obese. The "larger" cities tended to have high unemployment rates, low per capita income, a high number of food stores and larger numbers of black residents. Denver had the lowest obesity rate, at 22.1%. See the Yahoo!/Reuters story.
*** And it starts young: A report in the March issue of "Pediatrics" says the number of overweight people age 5 to 24 has doubled over a 20-year period. The big concern is that overweight youngsters become overweight adults, complete with the heightened risk of heart disease and respiratory ailments. The cause is obvious: a combination of poor diet, lack of exercise and too much television.
*** When should you begin cutting calories?: Finnish researchers reporting in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine says it's almost never too early to cut fat out of your diet. While U.S. guidelines recommend that parents not cut fat intake until age two, the Finnish study found the youngsters fared well even when fat was cut back soon after they turned one.
*** But don't cut out all food: That doesn't mean starvation diets. It means proper diets. One junior high school is learning firsthand that proper diet can go a long way toward improving a child's mental health. Old West End Junior High gave its students a free, hot breakfast the week of March 3-7, to increase attendance for proficiency tests. Attendance was more than 90%, up from 60% last year. But the school also hopes that the hearty breakfast will lead to better test scores. After last year's 8% passage rate, they're putting a big push into this year's exams, complete with pep rallies, offering prizes and T-shirts ... and a piping hot meal to start the day. (Associated Press, 22 February 1997, 3 March, 6 March, 7 March, 10 March)

Millions of women are going bald from stress

Dermatologist Kathryn Duplantis says, "There is more and more stress in women's lives." And as a result, she says, "We are seeing an epidemic of female baldness." Jonathan Cape, editor of Hair International Magazine, says as many as half of all women experience some sort of hair loss. And it's a growing trend. He notes that the fast pace of modern life and on-the-job stress leads women to neglect a proper diet. "Hair loss is often a direct result," Cape said. And worrying about hair loss causes many women to change their lifestyle to avoid certain activities that draw attention to their thinning hair, which boosts their stress levels even higher. After first ruling out underlying medical causes, Duplantis says there is help for such women. "If a woman is suffering from hair loss associated with stress, Rogaine is very useful and works better on women than men." (National Enquirer)

Ibuprofen may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease

Pain relievers such as Advil and Motrin are known best to reduce joint inflammation, may cut the risk of Alzheimer's as much as 60 percent. In the study of 2,065 men and women, those taking NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) had a 50% lower chance of contracting Alzheimer's than those who did not. It's exciting news, but there are drawbacks. The study was published by Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging, with a large caveat. They believe more clinical trials are needed to prove the conclusion, and there are serious cautions to taking ibuprofen. MedicineNet has a short list of those side-effects and cautions. (Associated Press, 10 March 1997)
See the CNN story, or the Yahoo!/Reuters story.

More cases of salmonella caused by pet iguanas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that the increasing popularity of iguanas as pets has been the cause of a sharp rise in salmonella cases linked to the little lizards. Salmonella infections can lead to more serious problems, such as meningitis. For example, a three-year-old Indiana boy died of salmonella poisoning, apparently caused by his family's iguana. Recommendations from health experts were printed in the March issue of the journal "Pediatrics," including washing hands after handling the iguana, and making sure it gets nowhere near food preparation areas. (Associated Press, 10 March 1997)
See the CNN/Reuters, or the Yahoo!/Reuters story.

40 million Americans get sick from unwashed hands

The headline doesn't include this disclaimer: it isn't only your hands that have to be washed. It's everybody. Doctors say flu, hepatitis A, and dysentery can be transmitted with a handshake or a touch. And a study last year found that just 74% of women and 61% of men wash their hands before leaving the bathroom. As the head of the Massachusetts Medical Society put it, "People don't realize where their hands are going." So they've launched a two-year public service campaign to get people to wash up, featuring a cartoon soap bar named "Soapy" to carry the message. (Associated Press, 5 March 1997)

Treatable heart disorder often misdiagnosed as panic attack

You have a rapid heartbeat, faintness and trouble breathing. Plus, you're fearful. The doctor calls it a panic attack, and ships you off to a psychiatrist. But in many cases, it's actually a heart disorder called PSVT. Researchers say up to 154,000 Americans suffer from new cases of PSVT each year, and it's usually not life-threatening. But it's usually missed by the first doctor, and on average, it took doctors more than three years to arrive at the correct diagnosis. The study was published in the journal "Archives of Internal Medicine." (Associated Press, 9 March 1997)
See the CNN/AP story, or the Yahoo!/Reuters story.

News You Can Use! (but I couldn't squeeze in)

Warning to asthma sufferers:The Food and Drug Administration warns that people allergic to sulfites, or whose asthma is triggered by sulfites, should avoid certain kinds of canned tuna. Sulfites were inadvertantly added to about a third of the canned tuna sold in the United States. All brands of white or albacore canned tuna contain the sulfites, as well as several brands of light tuna. For more specific information, see the FDA Talk Paper, or call the toll-free hotline set up by the industry, at 1-800-283-1112. (Associated Press, 7 March 1997) See the Yahoo!/Reuters story.
Remember the film "Medicine Man"?: Sean Connery portrayed a researcher who discovered a cure for cancer in the rain forest... and lost it. It really happened to William Fenical, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. While exploring a dark cave 100 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Fenical found a jellylike animal, related to the sea squirt, that contain one of the most powerful cancer-fighting compounds ever discovered. He returned to the same spot, in the Bohol Sea in the Philippines, repeatedly, but never found the creature again. Researchers don't even know if the creature produced the compound, or it was the by-product of some other fungus or bacteria. This story's happy ending is that scientists at the University of California - Santa Cruz saved some of the sample, and they expect to be able to synthesize it within a few years. (Associated Press, 9 February 1997)
Link between bath powder and ovarian cancer: The Fred Hutchinson Research Center and the University of Washington found a 50% increase in risk for ovarian cancer among women who apply powder to their genitals. The researchers looked at cornstarch, talcum powder, baby powder, deodorant powder, and scented bath powder, as well as the method of application: in genital sprays, by direct application after bathing, by storing diaphragms in powder, and by applying powder to sanitary napkins. The highest risk was among women who use genital deodorant sprays. The results are published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. (Associated Press, 4 March 1997)
See the CNN/Reuters story.
Will nicotine patches help you?: You'll know in one day. Smokers who take even a single puff of a cigarette on their first day with a nicotina patch probably will be smoking in six months. Those who don't are ten times more likely to kick the habit. If you cave in on the first day, you may have such a strong addicition that stronger medication and counseling may be necessary. The study appears in the journal "Archives of Internal Medicine." (Associated Press, 10 February 1997)
Concern about epidurals: Research in the journal "Pediatrics" says a common anesthesia used during childbirth has been linked to harmless fevers in mothers. If the fevers are harmless, what's the problem? Well, when those fevers are mistaken for signs of illness, it results in unnecessary tests and treatment for babies, prolonging their stay in the hospital, exposing them to pain, and neelessly upsetting their parents. See the stories on CNN and USA Today. (Associated Press, 10 March 1997)

*** News You Can Use! -- 12 March 1997 ***

* News You Can Use! -- 12 March 1997 *