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.

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.

It's time to update the US Dietary Guidelines (remember the good old food pyramid?) and for the first time in about 40 years, "experts" state it's OK to eat cholesterol again! It's time to celebrate with cheesy eggs cooked in butter and a side of shrimp. Not so fast...dieticians may no longer be afraid of cholesterol, but they still fear saturated fat.

High-cholesterol foods like eggs are healthy

Once again, experts eventually have to follow the science, which shows eating cholesterol has little impact on blood cholesterol levels - research names sugar and refined grains as the real culprit. However, experts aren't ready to believe the abundance of scientific evidence that saturated fats have no effect on heart disease or other health issues. Saturated fats are still just too scary after so many years of warnings, so they still recommend limited intake.

The most important limit is sugar

Another historic change is the first specific limit for sugar. It's not as good as the World Health Organization's recommendation of 6 teaspoons or less each day, but the recommendation of 12 teaspoons of sugar or less each day is a step in the right direction. What does 6-12 teaspoons of sugar equate to? One cup of "fruit" flavored yogurt would take you over the 6 teaspoon limit. One 20oz of Minute Made orange juice would hit the 12 teaspoon limit, and one 20oz coke would take you over it. Prepare for a barrage of artificial sweetener & diet drink ads.

While experts are still overly concerned about saturated fats and animal meat, these recommendations are an improvement over decades of bad advice. We can all agree on the importance of eating less processed food and more whole foods - good quality meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts & seeds, good fats, etc. Maybe in another 5 years, US Diet Guidelines will be even better.

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recently issued new cholesterol guidelines that are estimated to double the number of American adults on statins (cholesterol lowering medications) from about 15% to 30%.

New Cholesterol guidelines would place 1/3 of adults on statins

Dr. Neil Stone, who headed the cholesterol guideline panel, explained to reporters, "We're going to give statins to those who are the most likely to benefit." The guidelines increase the emphasis on factors like age, gender, race, and smoking rather than cholesterol levels.

Trying to be more selective about the use of cholesterol medication sounds like a good idea, especially with increasing warnings about newly recognized risks over the past couple years. But when the plan results in doubling the number of American adults on cholesterol lowering medication (and those adults may not even have high cholesterol)...it seems like something went wrong.

We're not the only ones wondering about the new guidelines. The AHA and ACC have taken considerable heat from doctors and researchers.

Rita F. Redberg, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center and the editor of JAMA Internal Medicine and John D. Abramson, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and the author of “Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine,” noted flaws with these guidelines in a New York Times article:

"[This would be good news for patients] if statins actually offered meaningful protection from our No. 1 killer, heart disease; if they helped people live longer or better; and if they had minimal adverse side effects. However, none of these are the case."

After years of recognizing trans fat as a safe food additive, the FDA has finally buckled under mounting research that finds no evidence of safety at any level. The FDA announced trans fats are no longer generally recognized as safe and will move toward eliminating them from the American food supply.

Trans fat has been allowed at low levels in a variety of processed foods. Food companies have even been allowed to label packages as "no trans fat" when the food actually has low levels of trans fat.

The elimination of trans fat from the American diet is expected to cause reductions in diabetes, cholesterol problems, heart attacks, and heart deaths.

Increased trans fat consumption came about with growing use of "healthy" processed liquid oils (corn, soybean, canola, "vegetable"). Manufacturers needed a way to stabilize these fragile liquid oils and in some cases solidify them (think margarine). Food refiners chemically altered them with hydrogenation to form trans fats that would last longer.

Eventually, research confirmed that "healthy" hydrogenated fats were unhealthy, but experts still promoted partially hydrogenated fats as a good choice. Finally, experts have recognized that "healthy" partially hydrogenated oils are unhealthy also because trans fats at any level increase health problems.

What now?

The change is not official yet. Food manufacturers and their "experts" will have a chance to voice their opinion. Fortunately for them, a new type of fat has been created by food scientists- "interesterified fat". Sound yummy? We recommend you avoid trans fats and processed oils, and eat good fats - butter, olive oil, coconut oil...