 These medications may provide more harm than benefit Here's the latest eye-opening research on diet, low back treatment, bariatric surgery, and cholesterol meds:
Low-carb Diet Better Than Low-fat Diet for Weight Loss and Heart Health Researchers reviewed 17 trials including a total of 1797 patients comparing those on a low fat diet and those on a low carbohydrate diet. The low-carb diet was associated with significantly greater weight loss and significantly lower risk of "atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events." The low-carb group showed more improvement in blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. If you want to lose weight and reduce your risk of heart problems, you are better off cutting carbs (sugars, grains, etc.) and eating good fats. Pain Killers and Muscle Relaxers No More Benefit for Acute Low Back Pain When going to the ER for severe back pain, you're likely to get a variety of medication thrown at you before you're sent back home: anti-inflammatories (naproxen), pain killers (percoset), and muscle relaxers (cyclobenzaprine). Researchers looked at whether taking all of these medications actually provide much benefit in low back pain patients without significant trauma or leg problems. Results showed no improved function or pain reduction from adding pain killers or muscle relaxers. They recommended patients only be given naproxen to reduce inflammation. Every medication carries risks and combinations of medications carry additional risks. Avoid unnecessary ineffective medications whenever possible and start with safe and effective conservative treatment like chiropractic for low back pain. Increased Rates of Suicide After Bariatric Surgery Losing weight can be extremely difficult for the obese, and the promise of a quick fix with bariatric surgery (stomach stapling, stomach banding, stomach/intestine bypass) can be irresistible. Bariatric surgery patients frequently experience side-effects, but now researchers analyzing almost 9000 bariatric surgery patients have confirmed worse news. These patients that are already at increased risk for suicide, are even more likely to commit suicide or "self harm" after having surgery compared to before surgery. Every effort should be made to achieve weight loss without surgical intervention. Anti-inflammation eating is the best place to start. No Calcium in Your Arteries = No Need for Statin Cholesterol Meds Medpage Today reported on a recent study that tested patients to determine how much calcium they have in their arteries and looked at their risk of cardiovascular problems. Based on the research, Medpage reports, "People at intermediate risk who would prefer not to take a pill can safely avoid statins if they have a zero calcium score [no calcium in the arteries], the new findings suggest." "The study raises the possibility that about half of people who are eligible to take them might now avoid taking statins. This is particularly important because, under the current guidelines, statins are either recommended or may be considered for almost two-thirds of the U.S. adult population." Recent guidelines had indicated patients with cardiovascular risk factors should be taking cholesterol lowering medications even if they don't have high cholesterol. This study provides further information showing that additional information could help prevent prescribing statins to two-thirds of Americans. Without calcium buildup in the arteries, the risk of a heart problem is low even when some other risk factors are present. It's best for these patients to eat better and be active, avoiding the side-effects of statin use.
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Here's a question that most diabetics get wrong when we ask, but their health depends on it. Unfortunately, proper nutrition education for diabetics often takes a back seat to medication use. Can you answer this question correctly? Which type of food is the most stabilizing to your blood sugar? A. Carbohydrates B. Protein C. Fat Don't peek below until you've guessed... Think hard... Ready? It's not carbohydrates... It's fat. If you said protein, you've been scared away from fat like most Americans. 
Image source: http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk
Good fats are important for all of us (not just diabetics) to maintain a stable blood sugar, which means sustained energy and less food cravings through the day. Fat provides steady energy for hours and protein does a pretty good job too. Carbohydrates (sugars) give us a quick burst of energy, but leave us wanting more as energy levels slump after only two hours. Start your day right with eggs instead of cereal or toast, and feel the difference.
 Sugar-sweetened beverages kill almost 200,000 per year. Still think your sugar-sweetened beverage won't hurt you? It may kill you based a recent study published in Circulation Journal. Put down the pop and toss the sweet tea.
Researchers looked at studies linking sugar consumption and various chronic diseases to make the best estimate of annual deaths related to sugar-sweetened beverages. Here's what they calculated for those drinking sugar-sweetened beverages:
These conditions cover only a fraction of the health problems linked to sugar consumption, and include only beverages not sugary foods. They also excluded store-bought fruit juice, which has been found to cause harmful effects comparable to soda. These numbers likely underestimate the harm from sugar. While Americans have been told to focus on cutting fat, we've largely overlooked the bigger problem - sugar. Start reducing your sugar intake today and don't think artificially sweetened beverages are any better for you. Don't let sugar-sweetened beverages kill you.  We've all heard about the overuse of antibiotics leading to superbugs, but now there's another reason to limit the use of antibiotics in children - arthritis.
Medpage Today reports on a recent study that looked at children and the development of juvenile arthritis. The study found that "children who had been given at least one course of antibiotics had double the risk of [juvenile arthritis]." The researchers found no link between untreated infections and juvenile arthritis. Increased rates were only seen in children treated with antibiotics. This study confirms prior research showing antibiotics damaging the mix of good microbes in a child's body. Their damaged system is then more likely to develop auto-immune problems where the body's immune system attacks itself. In the case of juvenile arthritis, the body's immune system seems to attack its joints. Antibiotics should only be used when needed or they may lead to serious future harm. It's also a good idea to restore the good microbes with probiotics, prebiotics and fermented food to help build a healthier immune system. If you are not sure when or when not to use antibiotics, click here for more info.  Have a healthy Halloween! The sweetest holiday of the year is almost here and if you don't want to end up dealing with an aftermath of boogery noses and coughing kids, it's time to get planning for Halloween. It's no coincidence that Halloween welcomes in cold & flu season. If you can limit your children's sugar intake this holiday, you'll also limit their risk of illness afterwards.
Try some of our tips and tricks to treat your children to healthier Halloween fun. 5 Healthy Treats for Trick-or-Treaters
Click here to check out more healthy and fun ideas for your Halloween party.  Do cholesterol meds make life longer? While most studies on cholesterol meds (statins) have focused on their ability to lower cholesterol or reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems, a recent study took a surprising look at whether cholesterol meds actually lead to a longer life.
The goal of any medication should be to give the user a longer and/or healthier life. But often that research is deemed too expensive and complicated (or impossible), so drug companies don't bother. Instead, researchers test for a change in some other number that they believe is significant. When it comes to cholesterol medications, it's a simple matter of looking for a drop is cholesterol. If cholesterol goes down, the medication is a success! But is it really? Or are we spending billions of dollars on a faulty assumption? Cholesterol meds don't make you feel better, so they better lengthen your life. To find out if cholesterol meds really lengthen life, researchers performed a meta-analysis of available research. The results were surprising. The median postponement of death after taking medication was 3.2 - 4.1 days. Yes, DAYS! Taking cholesterol meds added less than 5 days to the length of life for most patients. Patients were followed between 2 and 6 years so it's possible that another 6 or more years on cholesterol meds could add more time, but we're talking DAYS, not even weeks based on the research. With growing recognition of serious side-effects from cholesterol meds (muscle soreness, loss of memory, increased risk of diabetes), this study should cause doctors to reconsider the high rates of statin prescriptions. The researchers did not go so far as to recommend a change in treatment guidelines but did note: "If the patient has intolerance or unpleasant side effects from statins, for example, muscular problems, physicians should not be too insistent on the patient continuing them. Also, for patients whose life expectancy is short, the benefit of statin therapy in terms of survival gain may be quite limited." If you are noting muscle aches or other symptoms related to your cholesterol meds, consider this study on length of life and have a discussion with your doctor. |
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October 2024
Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your treating doctor. This blog is not a doctor and will not diagnose or treat your problems.
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