Thursday March 12, 2009
Optimists live longer and healthier lives: study
Last Updated: 2009-03-06 10:58:17 -0400 (Reuters Health)
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Optimists live longer, healthier lives than
pessimists, U.S. researchers said on Thursday in a study that may give
pessimists one more reason to grumble.
Researchers at University of Pittsburgh looked at rates of death and
chronic health conditions among participants of the Women's Health
Initiative study, which has followed more than 100,000 women ages 50 and
over since 1994.
Women who were optimistic -- those who expect good rather than bad
things to happen -- were 14 percent less likely to die from any cause
than pessimists and 30 percent less likely to die from heart disease
after eight years of follow up in the study.
Optimists also were also less likely to have high blood pressure,
diabetes or smoke cigarettes.
The team, led Dr. Hilary Tindle, also looked at women who were highly
mistrustful of other people -- a group they called "cynically hostile"
-- and compared them with women who were more trusting.
Women in the cynically hostile group tended to agree with questions such
as: "I've often had to take orders from someone who didn't know as much
as I did" or "It's safest to trust nobody," Tindle said in a telephone
interview.
"These questions prove a general mistrust of people," said Tindle, who
presented her study Thursday at the American Psychosomatic Society's
annual meeting in Chicago.
That kind of thinking takes a toll.
"Cynically hostile women were 16 percent more likely to die (during the
study period) compared to women who were the least cynically hostile,"
Tindle said.
They were also 23 percent more likely to die from cancer.
Tindle said the study does not prove negative attitudes cause negative
health effects, but she said the findings do appear to be linked in some
way.
"I think we really need more research to design therapies that will
target people's attitudes to see if they can be modified and if that
modification is beneficial to health," she said.
And she said while a pessimist might think, "'I'm doomed. There is
nothing I can do,' I'm not sure that's true," Tindle said. "We just
don't know."
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/03/06/eline/links/20090306elin
019.html
Mobile phones may be source of hospital infections
Last Updated: 2009-03-06 9:54:47 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mobile phones used by hospital healthcare
workers are often contaminated with germs, including those that can
causes illness in hospitalized patients, a Turkish research team
reports.
Dr. Fatma Ulger and others at Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, swabbed
the dominant hand and the mobile phones of 200 doctors, nurses, and
other healthcare staff working in intensive care units and operating
rooms.
They found that 95 percent of telephones were contaminated, often with
more than one type of microbe, and often with antibiotic-resistant
bacteria.
Potentially serious infectious bugs such as staphylococci were isolated
from phones in intensive care units, the team reports in the online BMC
journal Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials.
When the study participants were questioned, 90 percent said they never
cleaned their mobile phones. The investigators conclude that mobile
phones "may facilitate transmission of bacterial isolates from patient
to patient in wards or hospitals."
They recommend routine decontamination of mobile phones with
alcohol-containing disinfectants.
SOURCE: Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/03/06/eline/links/20090306elin
023.html
BBC NEWS
Menopausal sex 'myths' analysed
New research has suggested more than 80% of menopausal women still want
to have an active sex life.
The study was led by Dr Heather Currie, a gynaecologist and obstetrician
at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.
It surveyed more than 2,500 women in a bid to "banish misconceptions"
about their attitude towards sex.
Dr Currie said one issue to emerge was a reluctance to discuss the
matter and seek treatment which could end up damaging libido and
relationships.
The survey was carried out via the physician-led website Menopause
Matters.
It aimed to establish the effect of the menopause on women's sex drive.
Dr Currie said 84% of respondents wanted an active sex life - but nearly
half found it could become uncomfortable as oestrogen levels dropped.
“ There is a genuine need to highlight these issues and help both
sufferers and health practitioners discuss them openly ”
Dr Heather Currie
However, the study found 73% of women suffering such problems had not
discussed them with a health professional and 92% were not getting any
treatment.
"It is clear that women are embarrassed to bring up this issue with
their GPs, and health professionals aren't spotting the symptoms," said
Dr Currie.
She said such findings were "saddening" as there were "effective, safe
treatments readily available".
"Sex is about physical, emotional and mental well-being - the discomfort
associated with the menopause can lead to reduced sexual satisfaction
and desire," said Dr Currie.
"This in turn leads to a loss of confidence, distress and potential
damage not only to sex lives but relationships in general.
"There is a genuine need to highlight these issues and help both
sufferers and health practitioners discuss them openly."
The full findings of the study feature in Menopause International
published by the Royal Society of Medicine.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/7925946.st
m
Processed Meats Raise Leukemia Risk, Vegetables Lower It
by David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) A diet high in cured meats may lead to a 74 percent higher
risk of childhood leukemia, according to a study conducted by
researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and published in
the journal BMC Cancer.
Researchers examined the dietary habits and leukemia rates among 515
Taiwanese children and youths between the ages of 2 and 20. A total of
145 leukemia patients were included in the study, and each was compared
with two healthy participants of the same age and sex. The scientists
used detailed dietary questionnaires to determine participants' intake
of cured meats including bacon, ham, hot dogs, dried salted duck, salted
fish and Chinese sausage. For leukemia
<http://www.naturalnews.com/leukemia.html> patients, cured meat intake
was calculated for the time period before the onset of the disease; for
healthy patients, intake was calculated for the beginning of the study.
The researchers found that the rate of leukemia was 74 percent higher
among those who ate cured meat products more than once per week than
among those who ate it less frequently. In contrast, children who ate
vegetables and soy products
<http://www.naturalnews.com/soy_products.html> frequently had a 50
percent lower leukemia risk than children who ate vegetables
<http://www.naturalnews.com/vegetables.html> and soy products rarely.
The risk of cancer <http://www.naturalnews.com/cancer.html> among
children who ate large amounts of both cured meats and soy
<http://www.naturalnews.com/soy.html> or vegetable products was
significantly lower than the rate among those who ate large amounts of
cured meats alone.
Based on the results of the study, the researchers have recommended that
children limit their intake of cured meats and fish.
Cured meats have previously been linked to an elevated risk of other
cancers <http://www.naturalnews.com/cancers.html> . One of the primary
suspects for this effect are the chemicals known as nitrites that are
used in the preservation process.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025793.html
Eat Like the Mediterraneans and Lower Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and
Cognitive Impairment
by Barbara Minton, NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) The good news about the Mediterranean diet just keeps
coming. New studies have shown that eating like the Mediterraneans
lowers the risk of having metabolic syndrome and stroke. It also lowers
the chances for mild cognitive impairment, and the risk of progression
from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. Survivors of
heart attack had lower inflammatory markers when they adhered to the
Mediterranean way of eating. Scientists have even isolated one of the
most beneficial components of the diet.
Study finds Mediterranean eating cuts risk of metabolic syndrome
<http://www.naturalnews.com/metabolic_syndrome.html>
University scientists in Spain <http://www.naturalnews.com/Spain.html>
evaluated the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet
and metabolic syndrome, which is defined as a combination of medical
disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
<http://www.naturalnews.com/cardiovascular_disease.html> and diabetes.
One quarter of the world's population has metabolic syndrome. These
people are three times as likely to have a heart attack
<http://www.naturalnews.com/heart_attack.html> as those who do not have
the syndrome, and twice as likely to die from their heart attacks. They
have a five fold greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes
<http://www.naturalnews.com/diabetes.html> . Up to 80% of the 200
million people with diabetes globally will die of cardiovascular disease
<http://www.naturalnews.com/disease.html> . This puts metabolic syndrome
way above HIV/AIDS in terms of morbidity and mortality, yet the syndrome
is not well recognized by the medical establishment.
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 808 high cardiovascular risk
participants. Metabolic syndrome was defined by the updated National
Cholesterol and Education Program Adult Treatment Panel criteria. The
scientists found an inverse association between quartiles of adherence
to the diet and the prevalence of the syndrome. Participants with the
highest adherence to Mediterranean eating had up to 54 percent lower
odds of having low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides
<http://www.naturalnews.com/triglycerides.html> compared to those in
the lowest quartile. Components of the diet such as olive oil
<http://www.naturalnews.com/olive_oil.html> , legumes, and red wine
<http://www.naturalnews.com/wine.html> were associated with lower
prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The study was published in the January
26 edition of Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease.
Potent beneficial compound of Mediterranean eating revealed
A study in Italy considered the relationship between dietary intake of
allium vegetables <http://www.naturalnews.com/vegetables.html> and
cardiovascular diseases. The allium family consists of versatile
vegetables high in beneficial sulfur compounds that give them their
distinctive taste and aroma. Onions and garlic
<http://www.naturalnews.com/garlic.html> are allium vegetables as are
shallots, leeks and chives.
Researchers analyzed the relationship between onion intake and acute
myocardial infarction (AMI), or heart attack. They used data from a
case-control study of 760 patients with a first episode of non fatal
heart attack, and 682 controls admitted to the same hospital.
Information was collected by trained interviewers using a food-frequency
questionnaire. They found that compared with non-users, the odds ratio
of AMI for the following categories of onion intake were .90 for less
than one portion per week and .78 for greater than one portion per week.
From this study, reported in the January 13 edition of the European
Journal of Nutrition, the researchers concluded that a diet rich in
onions <http://www.naturalnews.com/onions.html> has a favorable effect
on heart attack risk.
Mediterranean style eating is good for the brain
Researchers at Columbia University in New York
<http://www.naturalnews.com/New_York.html> explored the association
between the Mediterranean diet and mild cognitive impairment. In a
multi-ethnic community study in New York, 1393 cognitively normal
participants were followed for a mean period of 4.5 years. During that
time, 275 of them developed mild cognitive impairment. Compared with
subjects in the lowest third for adherence to the Mediterranean diet,
those in the middle third had 17 percent less risk of developing mild
cognitive impairment, and those in the highest third had 28 percent less
risk of developing mild cognitive impairment. There were 482 subjects
who had pre-existing mild cognitive impairment, 106 of whom developed
Alzheimer's disease <http://www.naturalnews.com/Alzheimers_disease.html>
during a mean follow up of 4.3 years. Compared with subjects in the
lowest third in diet adherence, subjects in the middle third had 45
percent less risk of developing Alzheimer's
<http://www.naturalnews.com/Alzheimers.html> , and those in the highest
third had 48 percent less risk. This study was reported in the February
Archives of Neurology.
The Mediterranean diet is based on abundance, not deprivation
While it is common to think of diets
<http://www.naturalnews.com/diets.html> restricting food intake, the
Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that compasses a love of eating.
It has nothing to do with deprivation. It is based on the glorious array
of fresh foods that are products of the region.
The diet was discovered by Dr. Ancel Keys, from the University of
Minnesota Public Health School, given its name by the International
Conference on Diets in the Mediterranean in 1993, and promoted by Dr.
Willett, Head of the Nutrition Department at Harvard University. It is
the diet of the common people living in Greece, Italy and Spain.
What is thought of as the traditional Mediterranean diet has been
interpreted into a pyramid with daily physical activity
<http://www.naturalnews.com/physical_activity.html> at its base.
Regular physical activity is seen as bedrock for promoting healthy
weight, fitness and well-being. This is not grueling exercise, but
enjoyable activity like walking, soccer, tennis, golf, dancing, weight
lifting and love making. It includes activities with immediate paybacks,
like house cleaning and gardening.
The food <http://www.naturalnews.com/food.html> base of the pyramid is
comprised of plant sources, including fruits
<http://www.naturalnews.com/fruits.html> , vegetables, potatoes, breads
and grains, beans, and nuts and seeds
<http://www.naturalnews.com/nuts_and_seeds.html> . Common foods on this
step are pasta, rice, couscous, and polenta. Emphasis is on a variety of
minimally processed, and whenever possible, seasonally fresh and locally
grown foods. Foods typically grown in the region include olives,
avocadoes, grapes, spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers,
mushrooms, garlic, capers, onions, almonds, walnuts, chick peas, white
beans, lentils and other beans, and peanuts.
Olive oil is the principle fat used in Mediterranean cuisine. Total fat
consumption ranges from less than 25 percent to over 35 percent of
calories, with saturated fat
<http://www.naturalnews.com/saturated_fat.html> making up no more than
7 to 8 percent of all fat calories. Olive oil is predominantly
monounsaturated fat. Mediterraneans do not generally use highly process
polyunsaturated vegetable or seed oils.
Small amounts of cheese and yogurt
<http://www.naturalnews.com/yogurt.html> are consumed by the
Mediterraneans on a daily basis. Consumption of fish is also a
traditional part of their diet, but fish is usually consumed only once a
week and in small amounts. The fish is primarily shellfish or sardines.
Weekly consumption of poultry is also common. Mediterraneans eat eggs
<http://www.naturalnews.com/eggs.html> too, but don't consume more than
four eggs a week including those used in cooking and baking.
Sweets such as pastries, ice cream and cookies are consumed
occasionally. They are not a part of the daily diet.
At the very top of the pyramid is animal meat, such as veal
<http://www.naturalnews.com/veal.html> or lamb. This is consumed about
once a month, a very different scenario that the typical American diet
in which large chunks of animals are often eaten two or three times a
day. The Mediterraneans are able to meet most of their protein needs by
consuming vegetables, nuts and seeds
<http://www.naturalnews.com/seeds.html> , and beans. The daily small
serving of cheese or yogurt makes these proteins complete, providing all
the essential amino acids.
Alcohol, particularly red wine
<http://www.naturalnews.com/red_wine.html> , is consumed in moderation
with meals.
The Mediterranean diet provides the nutrients needed for good health
<http://www.naturalnews.com/health.html>
The reliance of the Mediterraneans on fruits and vegetables
<http://www.naturalnews.com/fruits_and_vegetables.html> as the major
force in their diets means they are consuming large amounts of vitamins,
minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants from what they eat, so supplements
are not usually needed. The diet provides a high amount of health
promoting polyphenols, compounds found in fruits and vegetables that
protect against the ravages of aging and ward off degenerative diseases.
Their red wine provides resveratrol, the compound that mimics a diet of
calorie restriction, making the Mediterranean diet one that does not
make its eaters overweight. Through the dairy products and occasional
fish and meats, the diet provides critical nutrients for brain health.
Olive oil also helps produce many of the beneficial effects of the diet
with its ability to lower cholesterol levels in the blood
<http://www.naturalnews.com/blood.html> . Olive oil is known to lower
blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Research indicates that olive oil
prevents peptic ulcers and is effective in the treatment of peptic ulcer
disease. It has recently been shown to protect women from HER-2 breast
cancer <http://www.naturalnews.com/breast_cancer.html> . Olive oil,
along with the nuts <http://www.naturalnews.com/nuts.html> , seeds and
fish of the diet provides beneficial omega-3 fatty acids
<http://www.naturalnews.com/omega-3_fatty_acids.html> . Studies have
shown that omega-3 fatty acids
<http://www.naturalnews.com/fatty_acids.html> lower triglycerides and
have an anti-inflammatory effect that helps to stabilize blood vessel
lining. Omega-3 fats promote optimal cognitive functioning.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025792.html
Excessive Television for Teens Raises Risk of Depression as Adults
by Reuben Chow, NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) Teenagers today are spending more and more time slouched
on a couch in front of the electronic box - although nowadays it's
rather too flat to really be called a box anymore - called a television.
And a recent University of Pittsburg and Harvard Medical School study
has found that TV time for teens could elevate their risk of becoming
depressed adults.
Details and Findings of Study
The study was published in the Archives of General Psychology and the
research team had looked at the lifestyle habits of 4,142 healthy
adolescents, obtained from data from the National Longitudinal Study of
Adolescent Health. That study had covered a nationally representative
sample of teens <http://www.naturalnews.com/teens.html> in the US for a
period of 7 years.
The initial survey had taken place in 1995 and the subjects, then in
junior high and high school, watched a mean of 2.3 hours of TV per day.
Each day, they also spent an average of 37 minutes watching
videocassettes, 2.3 hours tuning in to the radio, as well as 25 minutes
on computer games.
7 years later, in 2002, a follow-up survey was carried out. It was
discovered that 308 of the subjects, now young adults in their 20s, had
met the criteria for depression
<http://www.naturalnews.com/depression.html> . It was found that these
persons had watched an average of 22 minutes more TV each day than their
non-depressed counterparts. The researchers calculated that each
additional hour spent watching TV each day translated to an increase of
8% in depression risk.
Interestingly, such a link was only observed for television
<http://www.naturalnews.com/television.html> , whereas computer games
and videos were not associated with higher chances of being depressed.
What Caused What?
But, is it a case of TV causing depression, or is it a case of low
spirits making people turn to the tube? "It could be argued that people
with the predilection for later development of depression also happen to
have a predilection for watching lots of TV," said Dr Brian Primack from
the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Research on Health Care, the
leader of the study.
The evidence does seem to indicate that TV is the causative factor.
According to Primack, the dose-response relationship does suggest that
television would at least be partly accountable for the increased risk
of depression.
The Link Between Television and Happiness Levels
This study is by no means the first to draw a link between television
watching and one's mental health
<http://www.naturalnews.com/mental_health.html> . A University of
Maryland study, for example, looked at 35 years of data of about 45,000
Americans and found that the happiest people watched the least TV, while
the least happy people spent the most time in front of the tube.
In that study, TV was the only activity which registered a negative
score, while the other 9 activities studied, which included going to
church and visiting friends, were associated with happier people. The
same issue with that the study's findings existed, though - it was not
totally clear, between watching TV and being unhappy, which was the
cause and which was the effect.
A 1998 study found, too, that too much time spent watching TV can triple
one's hunger for more physical possessions, while every hour spent each
day on the tube can lower one's personal contentment by about 5%.
Why Could TV Depress Mental Health?
Television has become so much a part of modern life that it is almost
shocking to learn of somebody who does not own a TV or who does not
watch any programs on it. But why could TV be linked to unhappiness and
depression?
The truth is, while TV has brought a fair amount of entertainment into
our lives, it has numerous side effects. It subjects us, for example, to
hours of political propaganda and consumerism brainwashing. It can thus
instill fear and anxiety into us - TV, could, for example, alert us to
possible dangers like viruses or natural disasters, causing unnecessary
worry.
And it can make us feel inadequate and worthless, too. For example, we
may become unhappy that we are not as pretty, or as slim, or as rich as
TV personalities, or that we are incomplete because we don't own the
latest electronic gadgets or expensive handbags being advertised.
TV watching is a passive activity which reduces our brains to mush. How
hard, after all, do we have to think while watching TV? And time spent
watching TV means less time for other active, meaningful,
health-promoting and happiness-boosting pursuits.
TV time, too, could affect one's sleep patterns, which is important for
good mental and emotional health
<http://www.naturalnews.com/health.html> . It is also a direct cause of
junk food <http://www.naturalnews.com/food.html> feasting and couch
potato lifestyles, which in turn translate to sluggish bodies and
obesity.
What exacerbates all of the above possibilities is that TV is such an
absorbing and time-consuming activity (if it can be called an activity
at all). It's not uncommon, after all, to hear of people fixated on the
set for 5 or even 10 hours at a stretch. That's pretty frightening. And
the massive amounts of advertisements certainly do not help.
Conclusion
It is becoming increasingly clear that excessive TV time has no place in
a happy and healthy person's lifestyle. Some even choose to totally
steer clear of television. If that's too drastic for you, you may want
to consider starting a habit of picking your programs and watching only
what you really want to watch, as supposed to what most people do, which
is just to spend time with the TV regardless of whatever programs are on
it.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025790.html
Nonstick Cookware Fluoride Chemicals Linked to Large Infertility Boost
by David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) High blood levels of common chemicals found in everything
from cookware to clothing can significantly increase women's risk of
infertility, according to a study conducted by researchers from the
University of California and published in the journal Human
Reproduction.
"This is an important finding and certainly warrants further detailed
research, particularly in those trying for a family," said Tony
Rutherford, chair of the British Fertility Society. "This study
emphasizes the importance of remaining vigilant to potential
environmental factors that may impact on fertility
<http://www.naturalnews.com/fertility.html> ."
Researchers tested the blood <http://www.naturalnews.com/blood.html> of
1,240 Danish women for levels of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Both chemicals
<http://www.naturalnews.com/chemicals.html> are in the family known as
perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs). All study participants had become
pregnant between the years of 1996 and 2002. Those with the highest
blood levels of PFCs, however, were one and a half times more likely to
have needed fertility treatments or more than a year of trying before
becoming pregnant.
PFCs are common industrial chemicals used in applications such as
nonstick cookware <http://www.naturalnews.com/cookware.html> (such as
Teflon), waterproof clothing (including Gore-Tex brand), food packaging,
upholstery and pesticides. For many years, scientists insisted that the
chemicals were "biologically inactive," study co-author Chunyuan Fei
noted.
"But recently animal studies have shown that these chemicals may have a
variety of toxic effects on the liver, immune system and developmental
and reproductive organs," Fei said. "Very few human studies have been
done, but one of our earlier studies showed that PFOA, although not
PFOS, may impair the growth of babies in the womb, and another two
epidemiological studies linked PFOA and PFOS to impaired fetal growth."
Some studies have also found a connection between PFCs in the blood and
increased cancer risk.
The researchers could not determine exactly how PFCs might boost the
risk of infertility <http://www.naturalnews.com/infertility.html> , but
they speculated that the chemicals might tamper with levels of female
sex hormones in the body.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025779.html
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