The research study involved almost 20,000 Americans from across the country individuals 45 years and beyond, was conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama.  Almost 8 percent of the participants, 1,505 had cognitive problems and almost have of the participants were taking medication to lower their blood pressure.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Distraction has is a well known pain reliever.  This new study published in The Journal of Pain determined that listening to music in high-anxiety persons who are easily absorbed in cognitive activities can be effective for reducing pain.

One hundred forty-three people participated in the study. They were instructed to listen to music tracks, follow the melodies, and identify unusual tones. During the music tasks, they were given safe, experimental pain shocks with fingertip electrodes.

The results found that arousal from the pain stimulation consistently decreased with the increasing music-task demand. Music helps reduce pain by activating sensory pathways that compete with pain pathways, stimulating emotional responses, and engaging cognitive attention. Music, provided meaningful engagement, both emotionally and intellectually to help reduce pain.

The participants with high levels of anxiety about pain had the greatest degree of engagement, which contradicted the authors’ initial theory that anxiety would interfere with a person’s capacity to become absorbed in the music listening task. They noted that low anxiety actually may have lowered the ability to effectively engage in the task.

The results indicate that engaging activities like music listening can be effective for reducing pain in people with high anxiety, who can easily become absorbed in activities. They also noted that the interaction of anxiety and absorption is a new finding and implies that these personality characteristics should be considered when recommending engagement strategies for pain relief.

Source

www.naturalhealthvillage.com

However, according to a new study conducted in the Netherlands has determined that healthy women taking Aspirin isn’t helpful to healthy women trying to ward off these two conditions.

Their study found that 50 women will need to take the medication for 10 years for just one to be helped — and that’s assuming they are at high risk for these illnesses.

“There are very few women who actually benefit,” said Dr. Jannick Dorresteijn of University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands. “If you don’t want to treat 49 patients for nothing to benefit one, you shouldn’t treat anyone with aspirin.”

Aspirin is one of the most popularly used drugs in the world. This study contributes to the ongoing  controversy over aspirin. In general, doctors believe it’s worth taking for people who’ve already had a heart attack or a stroke, but they are unclear about the so-called primary prevention.

Currently, the American Heart Association recommends aspirin for people at increased risk for heart problems.

But these findings, published in the European Heart Journal, indicate many women would still be taking the drug needlessly.

The researchers analyzed medical information on nearly 28,000 healthy women age 45 and above who had received either aspirin or dummy pills in an earlier U.S. trial.

The women on aspirin generally took a low dose of 100 milligrams every other day.

Overall, aspirin cut the rate of heart attacks, strokes and death from heart disease from 2.4 percent to 2.2 percent.

“Nine out of 10 women experience less than a one-percent risk reduction for cardiovascular disease in the next ten years, so that is a really small treatment effect,” said Dorresteijn.

He added that aspirin comes with side effects, too. For instance, it can cause bleeding ulcers and make people more likely to bruise due to its blood-thinning effects.

And although it’s cheap — at only a few dollars per month of treatment — putting lots of healthy people on the drug would be a big expenditure in the health care budget, Dorresteijn said.

After subtracting the serious side effects from the health gains, the Dutch team found doctors would have to be willing to treat a lot of women to get a net advantage.

“Women older than 65 years of age benefit more than average, but still for those women the benefit was so small that you would need to treat 49 for nothing to prevent one event,” said Dorresteijn. “Of course it’s disappointing, because you would like a medication to be effective.”

Earlier this year, two large reviews of previous aspirin trials yielded similarly sobering results. One found a tiny reduction in heart attacks with aspirin and no effect on death rates or strokes. The other showed as many as 1,111 men and women would need to take aspirin daily for the duration of the trials to prevent just one death.

The government-backed U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises that men age 45 to 79 take aspirin to stave off heart attacks, as long as the benefit outweighs the risk of bleeding.

For women age 55 to 79, aspirin is recommended to prevent strokes, with the same caveat.

The critical finding of this study is that is a large number of women who are taking Aspirin for preventing heart attacks and strokes, but should not be.

Other studies have indicated that there are much better ways to curb stroke risk than taking aspirin.  Lifestyle, diet and exercise are more effective in stroke and heart disease prevention in comparison to taking aspirin, which also causes side effects, including bleeding ulcers.

SOURCE:  http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/32/23/2962 European Heart Journal, online November 16, 2011.

Processed fast foods containing trans-fats (found in fried foods, cakes and biscuits) were linked to lower scores in tests and more shrinkage, similar to what occurs with Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the medical journal, Neurology, senior citizens, with the highest levels of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids in their blood experienced less brain shrinkage and better mental performance.

The study evaluated blood nutrient levels, instead of attempting to rely on questionnaires to assess a person’s diet.

Researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University, Portland; Portland VA Medical Center; and Oregon State University, Corvallis, then conducted brain scans on 42 of the participants analyzed blood samples from 104 healthy people with an average age of 87 who had few known risk factors for Alzheimer’s.

They determined that the participants who had more vitamin B, C, D and E in their blood performed better in tests of memory and cognitive (thinking) abilities.  Also, those with high omega 3 fatty acids levels – found mainly in fish – also had high scores. The lowest scores were found in people who had more trans-fats in their blood.

They found individuals with high levels of vitamins and omega 3 in their blood were more likely to have a large brain volume; while those with high levels of trans fat had a smaller total brain volume.

Lead author Gene Bowman of Oregon Health and Science University stated, “These results need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet.

“I’m a firm believer these nutrients have strong potential to protect your brain and make it work better.”

Source:  Neurology

Optimize Your Vitamin D

Having  an optimal vitamin D level is critical to your good health.  It’s deficiency is linked to sub-optimal functioning of your immune system.  Just one example of an important gene that vitamin D up-regulates is your ward off infections, including cods and the flu.  It creates over ver 200 antimicrobial proteins, the most important is cathelicidin, a naturally occurring broad-spectrum antibiotic.

At least five studies show a relationship between lower respiratory tract infections and low vitamin D levels. That is, the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Getting adequate sleep and rest is helps your body to efficiently and effectively ward off infections.

Decrease Your Sugar Consumption

Eating sugar, fructose and grains will increase your insulin level, which is one of the easiest ways to get sick and also experience premature aging. Leptin is another heavyweight hormone associated with disease and the aging process.

Like your insulin levels, if your leptin levels become elevated, your body systems will develop a resistance to this hormone, which will wreak havoc in your body.

Exercise

If you are exercising regularly, just as if your vitamin D levels are optimized, the likelihood of your acquiring the flu or other viral illness decreases quite dramatically, and studies have clearly shown this.

In one study, exercise caused a 50 percent reduction of catching a cold,  and decreased  the severity of symptoms by 31 percent among those who did catch a cold. The researchers noted that each round of exercise may lead to a boost in circulating immune system cells that could help ward off a virus.

It’s a well-known fact that exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. The job of these cells is to neutralize pathogens throughout your body. The better these cells circulate, the more efficient your immune system is at locating and defending against viruses and diseases trying to attack your body.

Eat Plenty of Raw Food

One of the most important aspects of a healthy diet that is frequently overlooked is the issue of eating your food uncooked, in its natural raw state.

Unfortunately, as you may be aware, over 90 percent of the food purchased by Americans is processed. And when you’re consuming these kinds of denatured and chemically altered foods, it’s no surprise we have an epidemic of chronic and degenerative diseases, not to mention way too many cases of colds and flu.

Ideally you’ll want to eat as many foods as possible in their unprocessed state; typically organic, biodynamic foods that have been grown locally, and are therefore in season. But even when you choose the best foods available you can destroy most of the nutrition if you cook them. I believe it’s really wise to strive to get as much raw food in your diet as possible.

I personally try to eat about 80 percent of my food raw, including raw eggs and organic, naturally raised meats.

Learn How to More Effectively Cope With Stress

Stress is a leading contributor to chronic diseases and has a significant impact on your immune system’s functioning.  It is easier to catch a cold or the flu when you’re under a lot of stress. This is true for both acute stressful episodes, such as preparing a big project for work, and chronic stress, such as relationship troubles or grief. Both  forms will suppress your immune system and render your body more susceptible to an infection.  

If you do become infected, emotional stress can actually make your cold and flu symptoms worse.  One of the most important aspects of stress reduction is to pay attention and learn how to change your reaction so as not to trigger the stress response.  Your perception is the critical key to the way your body responds to stress. Also, take time in life to de-stress and unwind using stress management tools like exercise, meditation, massage, and solid social support.  Theanine,  an amino acid found in green tea, also effectively halts the stress response.

Following these guidelines will help you optimize both your health and immune function, and by doing so minimize your risk of the flu and other infectious disease.

An article published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association statues that vitamin therapy, once frequently recommended to lower homocysteine levels, should continue to play a role in stroke prevention, despite recent findings that indicate this therapy is not effective. High levels of homocysteine are linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and therapy with certain B vitamins (B12,  B6 and folate) have been found to lower it’s level. 

Dr. David Spence, professor at the University of Western Ontario and Harvard University School of Public Health professor, Dr. Meir Stampfer argue that two important issues  have been overlooked in the interpretation of recent studies: the key role of vitamin B12, and the newly recognized role of kidney failure.

The scientists noted that the large studies finding no benefit of vitamin therapy, failed to identify the benefit because they grouped together patients with good  kidney function and those with kidney failure.

The vitamins are beneficial in patients with good kidney function, but armful in those with kidney failure, so they cancel each other out.

B vitamin therapy could reduce its level and lowering it damaging effect and be harmful in patients with kidney failure.

Several recently published studies have found that B vitamin therapy had no benefit, and were regarded as ineffective.

But, many of the studies did not take into account the patient’s kidney function.

Drs. Spence and Meir argued, that “It seems that benefit or arm from vitamin therapy used to lower homocysteine levels depended not only on adequate dosing and absorption of vitamin B12 but also kidney function.

Source:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/306/23/2610.full

Researchers at Rush University Medical School in Chicago, IL determined there is a link between poor nutrition and cognitive problems in older adults. The report was published the journal Neurology.  It  found that people who are  over 65 with a vitamin B12 deficiency are more likely to have lower brain volumes and cognitive impairment than those with adequate B12.

The study, conducted at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, measured  levels of chemicals that indicate a B12 deficiency such as homocysteine, as well as levels of B12 in 121 senior citizens.  The researchers looked at markers because measuring levels of B12 alone is thought to be an inaccurate way to gauge deficiency. High homocysteine is also linked to heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

The adults took several cognitive tests and about four years later, they had an MRI to measure their total brain volume.

According to the report’s lead author, associate professor of Clinical Nutrition at Rush, Christine Tangney, Ph.D, “We showed that four out of five markers of B12 deficiency were strongly associated with poor cognitive performance overall, and more specifically, poor episodic memory and perceptual speed.” The researchers also found that brain volume was significantly lower in those with high levels of markers for B12 deficiency.

“We may be missing a potential reason why someone might suffer cognitive decline over time because we’re not making sure they have adequate B12,” Tangney said.

This study supports other research showing an association between the B vitamin and cognition.

A British study determined that taking a supplement composed of vitamin B6, B12 and folate caused a slowing of the rate of brain shrinkage (atrophy)  in adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Tangney theorizes that B12 may impact cognition in two ways.

“One may be by reducing brain volume, and another is that the buildup of markers, like homocysteine, may actually be damaging the brain,” Tangney said.

Currently, B12 is not measured in a standard blood workup, and research suggests that testing blood levels of B12 may not be an accurate way of detecting a deficiency if your scores fall in a gray zone.

In the meantime, here’s how you can take in more vitamin B12:

• Eat foods rich in B12 like fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and milk products

• As you age, your body becomes less efficient at absorbing B12 from food, so the Institute of Medicine  recommends that adults over 50 take a B12 supplement or eat consumer-fortified foods.

• “We recommend taking two to six micrograms of vitamin B12 a day,” Tangney said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/23/study-finds-vitamin-b12-may-prevent-memory-loss/#ixzz1eDI7oO5x’’

Two unique studies were recently presented at the American College of Gastroenterology’s 76th Annual Scientific Meeting.  Investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital reviewed the link between the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, geographic location, and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.  

While another group at Weill Cornell Medical Center reviewed  different levels of Vitamin D  supplementation to determine if it had an  impact on severity of Crohn’s disease.

Different Geographic Locations and the Risk of Developing Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

The results of these two large prospective studies among large groups of nurses enrolled in the U.S. Nurses’ Health Study I and II, found a difference in the distribution of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC) in the United States, when comparing the north-south gradient in the association between latitude and incidence of the two conditions.  A similar geographic variation was also previously reported in Europe,  but similar data in the United States until these studies were lacking.

So this research advances understanding of the epidemiology of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, which impacts almost 1.4 million patients in the United States alone.

Acccording to Dr. Hamed Khalili, “This differential risk may be explained by differences in UV light exposure, vitamin D status, or pollution.” He,  Dr. Andrew Chan and colleagues at  the Massachusetts General Hospital, analyzed data that included a 4,209,454 person-year follow up in which they confirmed 332 cases of  ulcerative colitis and 284 cases of Crohn’s disease.

While the average age of diagnosis among the women was 51 for Crohn’s and 48 for UC, the investigators found that the women’s geographic location at age 30 was strongly associated with incidence of disease.

Based on geographic location at age 30, compared to women in northern latitudes, women in southern latitudes had an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.51 for Crohn’s and 0.65 for UC suggesting that the risk of disease is 50% and 35% lower in the southern latitudes compared to northern latitudes for CD and UC, respectively. Further studies are warranted on underlying lifestyle and environmental factors that mediate this association, as well as their interaction with known genetic risk factors for CD and UC.

High-dose Vitamin D3 Improves Clinical Activity in Crohn’s Disease

Results of an analysis of the first 15 patients in a study conducted at Weill-Cornell Medical and presented at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting by Dustin Boothe, MD, sought to determine if high doses of Vitamin D3 supplementation in Vitamin D deficient patients with Crohn’s disease leads to improved clinical outcomes.

Two groups of patients with Crohn’s disease, who had baseline levels of Vitamin D that were low, were randomized to either low-dose (1,000 IU/day) or high-dose (10,000 IU/day) Vitamin D treatment and assessed at day 1, and after 8 weeks and 26 weeks of treatment. The investigators measured the patients’s symptom severity using the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) an index of disease activity in Crohn’s.

Results from the first 15 patients suggest that after 26 weeks of therapy, there were persistently significant differences in Vitamin D levels between the high-dose and low-dose groups, but importantly the low-dose group had no significant change in disease activity as measured by HBI at 26 weeks compared to baseline, whereas the high dose group did.

“Our interim analysis suggests that supplementation with 10,000 IU of Vitamin D3 may be an effective adjunctive therapy for ameliorating symptoms in Crohn’s disease patients,” commented Dr. Boothe on the presentation of these preliminary data.

It’s important to note that this study’s use of high dose vitamin D3 confirms again it’s benefit, when compared to much lower doses that are currently recommended my many health organizations

Source: American College of Gastroenterology

A new study suggests that people who with a family history of heart disease  and genes that increase their likelihood of developing the disease can lower their risk by eating plenty of fruit and raw vegetables. 

It says five or more daily portions should be enough to counteract culprit versions of a gene on chromosome 9, thought to be possessed by a 20 percent of people of European ancestry.

Healthy diets appeared to reduce its effect.

The Canadian researchers investigated more than 27,000 people for their work.

These participants came from around the globe, including Europe, China and Latin America.

The results suggest that individuals with high risk 9p21 gene versions who consumed a diet packed with raw vegetables, fruits and berries had a similar risk of heart attack as those with a low-risk variant of the same gene.

Foods that count:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Frozen fruit and vegetables
• Dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs
• Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables
• Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta dishes
• A glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice
• Smoothies
• Beans and pulses; these only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat

Researcher Prof Sonia Anand, of McMaster University, said: “Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health.”

The scientists, who also included staff from McGill University, say they now need to do more work to establish how diet might have this effect on genes.

Source:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001106