Category Archives: Uncategorized

Yet Another Reason to Exercise: Fewer Kidney Stones

Posted on May 5, 2013 | Comments Off on Yet Another Reason to Exercise: Fewer Kidney Stones

…according to an article at MedPageToday. It doesn’t even take much physical activity. From the article:

Almost 10% of the adult population in the U.S. will develop a kidney stone at some point. Kidney stone incidence has increased 70% over the past 15 years, and women have accounted for much of the increase, he explained, adding that the increase has been attributed to the rising prevalence of weight gain, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.

The study at hand applies to women. We don’t know about men yet.

The higher rate of kidney stones may reflect higher obesity rates. Obesity makes you sick.

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Middle-Aged Suicide Up By A Third in U.S.

Posted on May 3, 2013 | 1 comment

…over last decade, according to an article at MedPageToday.

Suicide is a permanent “solution” to what is nearly always a temporary problem.

Don’t do it.

If you’re thinking about killing yourself, at least read this first. Here’s more help at WebMD.com.

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Want to Save a Bundle On Your Heart Surgery? Consider India

Posted on April 26, 2013 | Comments Off on Want to Save a Bundle On Your Heart Surgery? Consider India

Does $800 sound about right? Last I checked, it was $50,000 in the U.S. Details are at Business Insider. A snippet:

What if hospitals were run like a mix of Wal-Mart and a low-cost airline? The result might be something like the chain of “no-frills” Narayana Hrudayalaya clinics in southern India.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-indias-no-frills-hospitals-where-heart-surgery-costs-just-800-2013-4#ixzz2RaF3s2KQ

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Even the Experts Can’t Define the Healthy Mediterranean Diet

Posted on April 23, 2013 | 2 comments

…but they have some good ideas as to the healthy components, according to a report in MedPageToday. A snippet:

Through a subtractive statistical technique, the EPIC investigators calculated that the biggest chunk of the health advantage — 24% — came from moderate alcohol consumption (predominantly wine).

The other relative contributions were:

  • 17% from low consumption of meat and meat products
  • 16% from high vegetable consumption
  • 11% from high fruit and nut consumption
  • 11% from high monounsaturated-to-saturated lipid ratio (largely due to olive oil consumption)
  • 10% from high legume consumption

Here’s my definition of the Mediterranean diet.

Reference:
Sofi F, et al “Ideal consumption for each food group composing Mediterranean diet score for preventing total and cardiovascular mortality” EuroPRevent 2013; Abstract P106.

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Light Alcohol Drinking in Pregnancy May Be Safe After All

Posted on April 21, 2013 | Comments Off on Light Alcohol Drinking in Pregnancy May Be Safe After All

…according to a study reported in MedPageToday.

“Light” drinking was defined as no more than 2 units of alcohol a week, where a unit was half a pint of beer, a glass of wine, or a standard measure of spirits.

I may have to revise this old post about the dangers of alcohol and list of who shouldn’t drink at all.

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Conscientiousness: One Key to Longevity

Posted on April 13, 2013 | Comments Off on Conscientiousness: One Key to Longevity

…according to an article at US News-Money. Unfortunately, conscientiousness is personality trait that likely has a strong hereditary component. The article quotes the authors of “The Longevity Project”:

“It was not cheerfulness and it was not having a sociable personality that predicted long life across the many ensuing decades,” she and Friedman wrote in their book. “Certain other factors were also relevant, but the prudent, dependable children lived the longest. The strength of this finding was unexpected, but it proved to be a very important and enduring one.”

The authors discount the role of modern medical technology.

Take the test to see if you’re conscientious.

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Abdominal Fat May Prevent Fractures in Older Women

Posted on April 12, 2013 | Comments Off on Abdominal Fat May Prevent Fractures in Older Women

…according to an article at MedPageToday. The study involved Australian women. The trade-off may be a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. Pick your poison.

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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Linked To Higher Rate of Diabetes and Heart Disease

Posted on April 12, 2013 | Comments Off on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Linked To Higher Rate of Diabetes and Heart Disease

…details are at MedPageToday. Insulin resistance is tied in somehow. PCOS affects five or 10% of women.

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Worried About Carnitine in Meat? Chillax!

Posted on April 12, 2013 | Comments Off on Worried About Carnitine in Meat? Chillax!
Heart attack on a plate? Think again

Heart attack on a plate? Think again

It’s probably not much to worry about, according to an article at MedPageToday. A snippet:

The latest study reviewed 13 controlled trials and found that in patients with an acute myocardial infarction, carnitine was associated with significantly reduced all-cause mortality, ventricular arrhythmias, anginal attacks, and infarct size compared with placebo or controls, according to James J. DiNicolantonio, PharmD, of Ithaca, N.Y., and colleagues.

A report from just a week ago implicated carnitine as a cause of atherosclerosis via TMAO produced by gut bacteria.

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Does Veterinary Chiropractic Work?

Posted on April 12, 2013 | 2 comments

Brennen McKenzie, D.V.M., writes at Science Based Medicine that “…there is virtually no reliable scientific evidence to show any benefit from veterinary chiropractic treatment.”

My daughter has given a little thought to becoming a veterinary chiropractor. I’ll have to share this with her.

Read the rest.

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