Tag Archives: health

Good Oral Hygiene May Prevent High Blood Pressure

In recognition of World Oral Health Day on March 20th today’s post will examine the relationship between periodontal disease and prehypertension, as well as hypertension.

According to statistics from the CDC, more than 25% of the adults in the U.S. have untreated tooth decay. In addition, almost half of U.S. adults have some signs of gum disease. Periodontitis is defined as the inflammation of the gums and support structures of the teeth. It is caused by certain bacteria, and in turn these bacteria cause inflammation. It is thought that perhaps if this inflammatory state becomes chronic, it may have implications for inflammation elsewhere in the body, such as in cardiovascular health.

A research group in Japan performed a prospective cohort study on a group of university students, examining whether periodontal disease was related to the development of prehypertension, or to hypertension. Over 2500 students enrolled in the study, ages 18-27 years.

Dentists assessed the oral health of each student. Periodontal health was evaluated using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI), which is commonly used to measure periodontal disease. The CPI is an objective measure of periodontal health, and also suggests the proper treatment for the given CPI score. In addition to the CPI, the dentists also measured the Bleeding Upon Probing (BOP), which is felt to be a simple way to assess inflammation. While dentists assessed oral health, the resting blood pressure and body mass index of the subjects was also measured. The participants also completed a questionnaire, which assessed both dental and general health measures.

The Japanese university students were followed over a period of three years. What the researchers discovered was that the risk of developing hypertension over the three years was significantly associated with periodontal disease.

Given the results of this study, consider practicing good oral health as a way to lower your risk for developing high blood pressure. And don’t forget to thank your dentists and hygienists on World Oral Health Day, or the next time you see them.

“I told my dentist my teeth are going yellow, he told me to wear a brown tie.” – Rodney Dangerfield

(Source- American Journal of Hypertension, March 2016)

This blog is a review of published medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

Eat Your Veggies- Help Your Heart

In recognition of registered dietician nutritionist day, our post today will look at how some dietary factors impact cardiovascular health.

A recent study examined a group of Swedish women and their dietary habits. Nearly 39,000 women completed a 96 item food frequency questionnaire. The questionnaire asked about how certain food or beverages had been consumed over the prior year. Researchers then calculated estimates of the total antioxidant capacity of each respondents diet. Four categories including fruit and vegetable consumption, whole grain consumption, and coffee consumption were used. The participants in the study were followed for approximately ten years. Women in the highest ranking group of total antioxidant capacity of diet, compared to the lowest ranking group, had a 20% lower risk of a heart attack.

This study is an interesting one as it examines a group of women. Women have been typically underrepresented in medical research. This was also a large study of nearly 39,000 subjects, and large is better in this regard.

Finally, which one of us has not encouraged our children to “eat more vegetables”? Now we can add that it is good for their heart as well!

“I eat more vegetables than the average vegetarian.”– Dr. Robert Atkins

(Source- American Journal of Medicine, Vol 125, No. 10, Oct. 2012)

This blog is a review of published medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

 

 

Sauna Good For Mental Health

This is the third and final post in recognition of Helsinki Sauna Day, which is March 9th. We will again look at some of the benefits of sauna baths, this time in the realm of mental health.

The sauna continues to be an important part of Finnish culture. The sauna cuts across socio-economic classes- the prime minister has a sauna at his/her disposal as do most companies. Saunas are felt to be very egalitarian.

This particular study again utilizes the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease cohort and is a prospective study. Over 2100 men completed the study, ages 42-61 years. None of the men had any history of psychotic disorders at the time of enrollment. Participants completed a questionnaire that assessed smoking history, use of alcohol, physical activity levels, medical and medication history. The weekly frequency and duration of sauna bathing sessions was also collected. The men were followed for nearly 25 years, on average.

Results of the study showed that frequent sauna bathing is strongly associated with a decreased risk of psychosis, in middle age males.

It would be helpful to carry out a similar study in females. It would also be useful to perform the study amongst a more diverse population, such as we have in the United States.

It is felt that the sauna baths promote relaxation and decrease stress, and perhaps in doing so increase mental health. Saunas are also an opportunity to spend time with friends and family, which also promotes wellness. Given these results, and the low risk nature of sauna bathing, perhaps you may want to consider incorporating this as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.

“A sauna- the poor man’s pharmacy.”–  Finnish Proverb

(Source- Medical Principles and Practice, Sept. 2018)

This blog is a review of published medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

Sauna Lowers Risk of High Blood Pressure

This is the second post in recognition of Helsinki Sauna Day, which is March 9th. In this post we will examine research regarding sauna bathing and subsequent development of hypertension.

Sauna is a part of life in Finland, and an important element in Finnish culture. Saunas go back at least 2000 years, and perhaps even much longer. The first saunas were simply dug into embankments, and later free-standing log structures were developed. There are more saunas than cars in FInland.

A prospective cohort study was completed as part of the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Study, this was the same study group that was discussed in our last post. The sample size included over 1600 men, ages from 42 to 60 years. It is important to note that these men did not have high blood pressure at baseline.

The subjects were enrolled in the study between 1984 to 1989. Information such as smoking habits, body mass index, serum creatinine (kidney function), glucose and cholesterol were collected. Sauna bathing habits were assessed via a self-administered questionnaire. The median age was 52.9 years. The average duration of a single sauna session was 14.4 minutes.

The mean time of follow-up was 22 years. During this time, subjects were monitored for the development of hypertension. The researchers discovered that the higher frequency of sauna bathing was independently associated with a lower risk of the development of high blood pressure, in a dose-response manner.

This is an important study- none of the subjects had hypertension when they enrolled into the study. Also, the more sauna sessions a participant had each week, the lower the risk of developing hypertension.

While this study shows impressive results in an all-male study, it should be repeated in a population of female participants to see if the results would still apply. Also, it would be interesting to see if the results would apply in a more diverse population, such as we have in the United States. In any case, taking a sauna bath certainly seems like a low risk endeavour that could potentially lead to the prevention of high blood pressure.

“Build the sauna, then the house.”–  Finnish Saying

(Source- American Journal of Hypertension 30(11), November 2017)

This blog is a review of published medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

Sauna Is Good For Your Heart

March 9th is Helsinki Sauna Day, and in recognition of this day our post will review research related to Finnish sauna bathing and cardiovascular events. This will be our first of three posts on the benefits of sauna bathing.

The sauna is an important part of Finnish culture. One of the first recorded writings on sauna baths are from the monk Nestor the Chronicler in 1112. Some versions of the Finnish sauna are thought to go back at least two thousand years. There is an average of one sauna per household in FInland, where saunas are a place to relax with family and friends. A traditional Finnish sauna usually has warm (80-100 C), dry (10-20% humidity) air.

A recent study looked at the association of the frequency as well as duration of sauna bathing and several cardiovascular markers, such as sudden cardiovascular death and fatal cardiovascular diseases. A prospective cohort study was performed by enrolling over 2300 men, ages 42-60 years, from eastern Finland. Subjects were from the Finnish Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.

The subjects were subdivided into groups based on the frequency of sauna bathing (1, 2-3, and 4-7 times each week) and also the duration of the sauna sessions (<11, 11-19, and >19 minutes per session). Baseline evaluations were conducted beginning in 1984 through 1989. On average, participants were followed for 18.8 years.

Results of the study demonstrated that the subjects with a higher frequency of sauna bathing per week had a lower risk of both fatal coronary heart disease and fatal cardiovascular disease. In fact, the risk of fatal coronary heart disease was 23% lower for 2-3 sauna sessions per week, and 48% lower for 4-7 sauna bathing sessions per week.

In addition, the frequency of sauna bathing was also inversely associated with all-cause mortality, with a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality when comparing 4-7 sessions per week of sauna bathing to one session per week.

The mechanism by which sauna bathing confers these protective cardiovascular benefits is not entirely clear. Heart rate may rise to 100-150 beats per minute during a sauna bath, which is comparable to some types of low and moderate exercise training. It is also believed that sauna bathing is beneficial for the endothelial lining of the blood vessels.

It would be helpful to perform this same study in a population of female participants, to see if the results would be comparable.

While sauna bathing may not be for everyone, again we have a simple low risk intervention that may yield great benefits. Happy Helsinki Sauna Day!

“The ideal sauna is a small building made of logs, set near a lakeshore, facing towards the sunset.”  Bernhard Hillila

(Source- JAMA Internal Medicine 2015: 175(4):542-548)

This bog is a review of published medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

 

Acupuncture for Post-Operative Pain

 

As the new year begins the opioid epidemic continues to be a significant problem in the United States. Statistics from 2016-2017 provided by the Department of Health and Human Services paint a grim picture- 11.4 million people misused prescription opioids while approximately 2 million abused them for the first time.

Opioid medications are commonly used for post-operative pain, and one of the strategies considered to decrease the use of opioids is to use other drug-free interventions after surgery, in place of opioids.

A study published in 2017 looked at the use of such drug-free therapies to reduce pain after total knee arthroplasty. The research group, affiliated primarily with Stanford University and the University of Bologna (Italy) performed a meta-analysis of 39 random controlled trials, involving nearly 2400 subjects. Five different non-drug interventions were examined, including acupuncture, continuous passive motion, cryotherapy, electrotherapy, and preoperative exercise.

The researchers concluded that there was “modest but clinically significant evidence” that both acupuncture and electrotherapy could potentially reduce and delay the amount of post-operative opioid consumption.

As we look at multiple strategies to stem the tide of opioid abuse, it is encouraging to see research studies again supporting the use of alternative therapies, such as acupuncture.

 

(Source- JAMA Surgery, 2017; 152 (10))

This blog is a review of published medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

Acupuncture May Help With Opioid Abuse

As we head into 2019 one of the most significant problems facing the U.S. is the on-going opioid crisis. Data from the CDC illustrates the enormity of the opioid epidemic. On average, 130 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. More than 2/3rds of the 70,000 drug overdose deaths in 2017 were due to an opioid. Finally, in financial terms, the economic burden of prescription opioid misuse in the U.S. is estimated to be $78.5 billion annually.

As awareness of the opioid crisis increases, interest in other medical treatments which do not involve pain medications has increased as well. For instance, acupuncture is now given more consideration as a possible treatment for various pain syndromes, versus opioid medications.

A recently published study by a group of Chinese researchers examined the use of acupuncture for treating opioid use disorder (OUD) in adults. This was a meta-analysis, including nine studies and over 1000 participants in total. The studies were completed in China, the U.K., and the U.S. Various forms of acupuncture were used including electroacupuncture, manual acupuncture, auricular (ear) acupuncture, and transcutaneous accupoint electrical stimulation.

Results of the meta-analysis showed that acupuncture could be effective in treating opioid use disorder among adults. The mechanism by which acupuncture treats OUD is not clear, but may be related to release of the body’s endogenous peptides, which have opiate-like activity. These include dysmorphins, endorphins, and enkephalins.

In general acupuncture has been found to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment for a number of medical conditions. Given this, and the positive results of the above study, acupuncture may prove to be a helpful tool for opioid use disorder treatment.

(Source- Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 2018, ID 3724708)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

HIgh Glycemic Index Diet Increases Cancer Risks

In honor of World Cancer Day, today’s post will examine research from Italy published last year, regarding dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, and subsequent cancer risk.

Researchers enrolled nearly 48,000 subjects into this study, from five different clinical centers in Italy. Subjects completed food frequency questionnaires, and were followed for an average of nearly 15 years. The questionnaires were designed to access glycemic Index, as well as glycemic Load, of the diet of each participant.

The Glycemic Index is a measure of the ability of different types of carbohydrate containing foods to raise blood glucose levels within two hours. Pure glucose is given the value of 100. High Glycemic Index foods cause more rapid rise in blood glucose levels. High Glycemic Index foods include white bread, white rice, high fructose corn syrup, and sodas. Low Glycemic Index foods include beans, most vegetables, and nuts such as cashews, peanuts, and walnuts. High Glycemic foods elevate blood glucose as well as insulin levels, and in turn promote fat storage. Low Glycemic Index foods tend not to overly elevate blood glucose levels or insulin levels in the body.

The Glycemic Load on the other hand is a function of the amount of carbohydrate and the Glycemic Index of that particular food. The Glycemic Load is calculated as the Glycemic Index multiplied by the grams of carbohydrate per serving size.

What the Italian researchers found was a high Glycemic Index diet increased risk of colon cancer, bladder cancer, and melanoma, among others. High Glycemic Load diets were related to a high risk of developing colon cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancers, among others.

This study provides evidence that limiting carbohydrates may be a strategy for limiting risk of certain cancers later in life.

(Source- Scientific Reports, 7:9757)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss and health concerns with your personal physician.

 

 

Let’s Help Prevent Diabetes in Women-Just Say No to Soda for 2018 Part 3

On Wear Red Day 2018, we will review a recently published study that examined the relationship between beverages, both artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened, and subsequent development of diabetes, in a group of menopausal women. This is our third recent post regarding the ill effects of drinking soda.

The research group examined data from the Women’s Health Initiative, a massive study of more than 90,000 women spread out at over 40 clinical centers throughout the US. Nearly 65,000 women were eventually part of this prospective observational study, with over 8 years of follow-up on average.

Participants were queried about their intake of artificially sweetened beverages, sugar-sweetened beverages, and plain water, via questionnaires. Subjects were assessed for diabetes at enrollment, and at annual follow-up.

Even when researchers controlled for other risk factors such as body mass index or total energy intake, their analysis showed both artificially sweetened beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages were associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes, in this group of post-menopausal women.

Both artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened beverages showed a dose-dependent increase risk of diabetes. The more soda one drank, the higher the risk of developing diabetes.

One of the most interesting “take-home messages” from this study was that while the risk of developing diabetes was a bit lower in the artificially sweetened group, compared to the sugar-sweetened group, there still was an increased risk. This casts doubt over whether or not artificially sweetened beverages are a safer alternative to the sugar-sweetened ones. Both should be avoided.

Data from the American Heart association show that adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than those without diabetes. In addition, of those 65 and older with diabetes, 68% will die from some sort of heart disease. So on Wear Red Day 2018 let’s take a step in avoiding diabetes and heart disease by eliminating or avoiding entirely soda, both the artificially and sugar-sweetened varieties.

(Source- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2017; 106)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Smoking Increases Risk of Erectile Dysfunction in Men

A common New Year’s resolution is to quit smoking, as it should be, as this may be the most important intervention to improve one’s health. A study from 2013 may provide some incentive to men who are considering quitting smoking in 2018.

This was a meta-analysis, which included 8 studies in total, with over 28,000 participants. The studies were from the U.S., Brazil, Jamaica, and Finland. The researchers reviewed the studies in an effort to analyze the association between smoking and the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED).

The reviewers had some issues with combining data from the various studies, due to differences in study design. They felt the data from the prospective studies was more accurate. Using these prospective studies, it was estimated that the risk of ED was increased 51% for current smokers, and 20% for ex-smokers, when compared to never smokers.

Given this profound increased risk of ED in smokers, perhaps this will provide the additional incentive needed for men smokers to finally give up cigarettes in 2018.

(Source- PLOS ONE, April 3, 2013)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used to information purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.