| Don't miss any of Bottom Line's Daily Health News. Add our address, dailyhealthnews@edhn.bottomlinesecrets.com, to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. February 3, 2011  In This Issue...
 Has the SECRET to Your GOOD HEALTH Been "Known" Since 1500 B.C.? Christopher Columbus used it to keep him and his sailors healthy... Now modern scientists are amazed at the results they're seeing... "This natural health treasure may be the most important step forward in the history of mankind" DISCOVER what this nutritional powerhouse can do for your:
Read the Health Story that Has Been Waiting 3,000 Years To Be Told! Bad Break -- Bone-Strengthening Drugs Can Cause Fractures A colleague told me that a recent bone-density test showed that she had what her doctor called a "bone-thinning disease" and that he wanted her to take a bisphosphonate drug for it. No, the disease wasn’t osteoporosis, the serious weakening of bones that can come with age -- it was simply osteopenia, which means having bone mineral density below normal levels but not low enough to be osteoporosis. And I wondered whether that doctor -- along with the many, many other doctors who do the same thing -- really knew what he was doing when he prescribed such a powerful and risky drug as the first line of defense for it. I called Susan Ott, MD, a leading researcher in bone disease and medications that treat it and professor of medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. She told me right off the bat that osteopenia isn’t actually a disease at all, but that it is very common among middle-aged women (my friend is 44) -- and that bisphosphonates are not only unnecessary for most of these women but can be quite harmful. Dr. Ott said that treatments for bone thinning are not keeping up with the research and that she is one of several physicians voicing strong concern about treating such patients with bisphosphonate drugs, including alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva), risedronate (Actonel) and zoledronate (Reclast), meant for the treatment of the far more serious osteoporosis. In addition to recent reports of dangerous side effects from these drugs, Dr. Ott told me that research shows that for some women with osteopenia, taking a bisphosphonate drug for too long may ultimately make their condition worse, potentially leading to serious issues including -- ironically -- an increase in bone fractures. A History Lesson about Osteopenia Dr. Ott told me that one of the reasons bisphosphonates are overused is the "ridiculous and arbitrary" way that mild bone thinning has become categorized as problematic. Scientists measured bone density in a group of women in their mid-20s (when bone mass is at its peak) and categorized those in the bottom 16% as having "osteopenia" -- but in fact, they were merely at the low end of the healthy scale. It’s true that women with these scores don’t have the enviably strong bones of their peers who are at or above average, but they’re not ill -- and the fact is, calling a condition a disease ups the ante for treating it. That, says Dr. Ott, has made for real complications. Drug marketers saw huge potential in an opportunity to sell bisphosphonates to middle-aged osteopenia patients -- but Dr. Ott said that this is harmful for most of them. Bisphosphonates not only don’t help avoid fractures in people with osteopenia, but these powerful drugs have potentially dangerous side effects, including upper gastrointestinal tract irritation and even esophageal ulceration. While patients with osteoporosis may benefit initially from bisphosphonates, research shows that even for that group, taking the drugs for longer than five years may increase fracture risk. Dr. Ott said that it’s not yet clear why, but noted that many women who have experienced fractures after being on these drugs longer than five years reported that they began to experience pain in the area of the bone that broke weeks or months before the fracture occurred. Another problem: Some incidence of poor healing in the jaw after tooth extraction is also associated with bisphosphonates, although Dr. Ott says that is mostly seen in cancer patients who are treated with much higher dosages to counteract their other medications. Should Anyone Take Bisphosphonates? Based on the research currently available, Dr. Ott told me that she would continue to advise using bisphosphonate drugs only for osteoporosis patients (men and women)... osteopenia patients in whom an x-ray reveals a spinal (vertebral compression) fracture... and also osteopenia patients who suffer a fracture anywhere else. Note: Dr. Ott said that generally this last category consists of women with a chronic medical condition such as anorexia (the most common scenario) or a malabsorption problem, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease or sometimes kidney or liver disease. Bone loss is a natural part of aging, but there are a number of ways to improve and protect bone health. Here is Dr. Ott’s bone-health advice...
Fat has benefits: A bit of it (not too much though) protects the bones in a fall... carrying more weight makes the bones stronger... and hormones in fat tissue seem to enhance bone strength.
Women in particular need to be conscientious about protecting their bones whatever their age. It is never too early -- nor too late -- to adopt a bone-healthy lifestyle. Source(s): Susan Ott, MD, a specialist in metabolic bone disease and professor of medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle.  New Treatment Reverses 82% of Deadly Cancers... Without Chemotherapy, Radiation or Surgery Lung cancer? Everybody knows that's usually a death sentence. TV's Peter Jennings died just a few months after announcing he had it. But you won't hear that gloomy outlook from some very fortunate cancer patients. They were treated with a startling new medical cure that harnessed the cancer-killing power of their body's T-cells. These warriors of your immune system usually ignore cancer. But researchers recently found a way to trick T-cells into destroying deadly cancers. How? With a dose of the patient's own tumor cells! Dog Bites Are On the Rise If you love dogs, you may find this latest report unsettling -- but you should be aware of its findings. New data from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows a surge in the number of people requiring hospitalization for dog bites. In 2008 (the latest year that’s been tallied), dog bites accounted for 866 emergency department visits and 26 hospital admissions each day, on average -- that’s a total of more than 300,000 for the year and an increase of 86% compared with reported dog-bite incidents in 1993. Why Are They Biting? I spoke with Wayne Hunthausen, DVM, director of Animal Behavior Consultations at Westwood Animal Hospital in Westwood, Kansas. He told me that the data didn’t delve into why hospitals are seeing such an increase in patients with dog bites, but he provided theories as to what might be happening... Two trends may be feeding into the problem: Larger dog breeds have become more popular and, of course, bites from bigger dogs are more dangerous. According to the American Kennel Club, labradors are now the most popular breed of dog... German shepherds are among the top 10 and rising... and mastiffs and Rhodesian ridgebacks are also becoming more popular. While there’s no data on which dogs are biting all the people who end up in the hospital, it’s obvious that when bigger dogs bite, their victims are more likely to require medical treatment because the wounds are more severe. Larger jaws with bigger teeth inflict more damage. Second, dogs spend more time alone than they used to because most families now require two incomes. Dr. Hunthausen said insufficient training and socialization may be a factor in the increase in biting incidents. "Genetics play a role in a dog’s behavior, but so does environment," he explained. "With family members home less today than they used to be, dogs may spend too much time alone without receiving the socialization, exercise and mental stimulation that they need." Who’s in Harm’s Way? Young children and elderly people are in the greatest danger. Children between the ages of five and nine make the most emergency department visits for dog bites... and adults over 65 and children under five are most likely to be hospitalized. "Young children are at face level with large dogs, and a bite to the face is more serious than a bite to the thigh or leg," Dr. Hunthausen said. And, said Dr. Hunthausen, "elderly people have skin that’s easily torn and might require stitches, and their immune systems may be weaker than younger people’s and more susceptible to infection." Living in the country increases risk. In 2008, people in rural areas made four times as many emergency department visits and had three times as many hospital admissions for dog bites as people in urban areas. "Dogs are more likely to run free in rural areas, and when they run together, they are more likely to develop a pack mentality and practice predatory behavior," said Dr. Hunthausen. "Attacks by a pack can easily cause very serious injuries." Don’t Play Around Be proactive in protecting yourself around unfamiliar dogs. Keep your distance, and don’t assume a dog is friendly. If you’re bitten by a dog, clean the wound immediately with warm water and mild soap. Contact your doctor or go to a hospital emergency department even if the bite doesn’t seem serious, says Dr. Hunthausen, since bacteria below the skin could cause trouble a few days later. It’s also very important to identify the dog so that you can make sure it’s been vaccinated -- otherwise you will need to receive a series of shots to be sure you’re safe from rabies. Dogs may be man’s best friend -- but it’s important to remember that they must be treated with great caution. Source(s): Wayne Hunthausen, DVM, pet behavior consultant and lecturer, director, Animal Behavior Consultations, Westwood Animal Hospital, Westwood, Kansas. He is coauthor of Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat (Saunders), and developed the award-winning video, Dogs, Cats & Kids: Learning to Be Safe with Animals. Be well,
Delicious 'Wonder Drug' for High Blood Pressure Praised by Harvard Researchers According to recent estimates, nearly one in three American adults has high blood pressure. But for the Kuna Indians living on a group of islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama, hypertension doesn't even exist. In fact, after age 60, the average blood pressure for Kuna Indian islanders is a perfect 110/70. So what makes these folks practically "immune" to hypertension -- and lets them enjoy much lower death rates from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and cancer? Harvard researchers were stunned to discover it's because they drink about five cups of cocoa each day. That's right, cocoa! Learn more... You received this free E-letter because you have requested it. You are on the mailing list as healthwellness82@gmail.com. Or... a friend forwarded it to you. Click here to easily subscribe. You can easily unsubscribe by clicking here. To change your e-mail address click here To update your e-mail preferences click here Important: Help your friends live more healthfully -- forward this E-letter to them. Better: Send it to many friends and your whole family. This is a free e-mail service of BottomLineSecrets.com and Boardroom Inc. Need to contact us? Boardroom Inc. Privacy Policy: Required Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than to suggest that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The information and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on information in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. Bottom Line's Daily Health News is a registered trademark of Boardroom, Inc. Copyright (c) 2011 by Boardroom Inc. |
No comments:
Post a Comment