Article by Brian Sutton, DC 1/4/98 for Publication February 9, 1998 1144 Chambers Drive Colorado Springs Colorado 80904 (719) 477-1198
Email: BSuttonDC-aol.com 73160.676-compuserve.com
"Good Salt" You've heard about "good" and "bad" cholesterol and fatty acids--now how about salt? Researchers from the University of California say that they've found salts that lower blood pressure. In addition, they suspect that it may be the chloride in ordinary table salt that aggravates salt-sensitive hypertension. They suggest that the chloride component of potassium chloride (used in many salt substitutes) may cancel out any beneficial effects of potassium. In their experiments, potassium bicarbonate and potassium citrate did a much better job at lowering blood pressure and the incidence of stroke.1
Healthy Fat If you thought you were beginning to get a handle on the relationship between dietary fat and disease, here's a fat tidbit: a new study2 finds that the more fat you eat, the less likely you are to suffer a stroke. What type of fat produces the benefit may also surprise you: saturated fats (found in meats and dairy products) and monounsaturated fats (as in nuts and olive oil) seem to do it, while polyunsaturated fats have little effect. Researchers found that subjects decreased their risk of stroke by 15 percent for every three percent their fat intake increased.3 There have been other studies in the eastern hemisphere that produced similar results, apparently, though this may be the first major work in the West. This study analyzed data from more than 800 men over a twenty year time period. The lead author characterizes the work as "very preliminary."4
Gluten Disorder and Oats Persons suffering from gluten-sensitive dermatitis herpetiformis may be interested in a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.5 These patients break out in a rash after eating gluten-rich foods such as wheat and other grains. Such patients are normally told to avoid wheat, rye, barley, and oats. London researchers conclude, after this small study, that oats do not produce the reaction. Volunteers were fed an oat- containing porridge for a twelve-week period of time while consuming an otherwise gluten-free diet; no untoward effects were observed.
Another Prescription for Longevity In a paper that many husbands may want to clip for their wives, the British Medical Journal6 reports a startling lower death rate among men who have a high rate of sexual activity. In this study of over 900 men ages 45 to 59, epidemiologists report that a 50 percent lower death rate was observed in those subjects who reported orgasmic activity at least twice weekly, compared to those who experienced it less than once a month. Lowered heart disease deaths seemed to be the largest factor. Interpretation of the data is not conclusive, however, as researchers are not certain if sexual activity strengthens the cardiovascular system or if healthier individuals naturally tend to have sex more often. Obviously, more research is needed.
Painful Circumcisions A new study of the impact of pain during infant circumcision has been halted prematurely. Researchers at the University of Alberta found that infants in their study suffered great distress when no anesthetic was administered, and now consider it unethical to continue with the study that called for a certain number of the infants to experience the procedure without any pain inhibitors. Among the critics of the study, though, are those who note that the anesthetic of choice is itself somewhat traumatic: the researchers recommended a ring block, which involves injections at various locations around the circumference of the penis.7
Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Bone Research from Purdue University suggests that omega-3 fatty acids, already thought to be good for cardiovascular health and protect against some types of cancers, also strengthen bones. In this study of laboratory chickens and rats, supplementation increased the formation and growth of young bones.8 Omega-3 fatty acids are prevalent in fish and soybean oils.
Ottawa Knee Rule Physicians at the University of Ottawa, Canada, say they have developed a screening system for knee injuries that very effectively determines the need to order an x-ray. In a two year study of 3,900 adults, the guidelines resulted in 26 percent fewer x-ray examinations without missing significant fractures.9 According to the "Ottawa Knee Rule", an X-ray study should be done when one of the following factors is present: age 55 years or beyond; isolated tenderness of the kneecap; tenderness at the head of the calf bone; inability to flex the knee 90 degrees; or inability to bear weight both immediately after the injury and later in the emergency department.10
Epileptic Drugs Demineralization Scientists from the University of Washington were surprised to find that young men taking anti-convulsant drugs for epilepsy appear to lose a large amount of bone mass. They found that some in the 22 to 43 year age group had skeletal densities that resembled that of 70 year old men, with an accompanying four-fold increase in fracture risk. One researcher estimates that about half of persons on such medications are affected, but more research needs to be done to quantify the effects, as well as to follow the long-term effects.11
Wild Oats A nutritional experiment conducted years ago has resulted in a $1.85 million settlement offer from Quaker Oats and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During the 1940s and 1950s, more than 100 boys joined the "Fernald Science Club" which was used as a volunteer pool for a research project for the company and MIT. The children were fed oatmeal that was, without the subjects' knowledge, fortified with radioactive calcium and iron. The thrust of the project was to prove that nutrients from the oatmeal traveled throughout the body. A governmental task force has been unable to show conclusive evidence of damage from the relatively low doses of radiation, but they did find that the children's civil rights had been violated.12
Golf Fractures A California radiologist13 is warning that short golf clubs can cause wrist fractures. He has seen a number of patients with fractures of the hamate, the bone on the little finger side of the wrist. When a club is too short, he says, the butt end of the club rests against the hook-like protrusion of the hamate of the non-dominant hand. During the swing, force is transferred that can shear off the appendage or cause a stress fracture over a period of time. They symptom is typically an aching pain in that area. The fracture is rarely seen on normal x-ray films, but usually can be visualized with small-focus MRI equipment. He says it is probably "the most common cause of wrist pain on the side away from the thumb."14 To prevent such fractures, the end of the club should extend at least one inch past the hamate.
New Superbugs
A few months ago, you heard about a new strain of
staphylococcus aureus that had developed a resistance to vancomycin. Vancomycin has been called the "antibiotic of last resort," because it was the only antibiotic still effective for some infections. Because of this, some might say that it quickly became the "antibiotic of first choice." Now, Japanese doctors have discovered more new strains that are also resistant to this drug,15 sending many health officials into a panic. Staph aureus is blamed for many deaths from blood poisoning, meningitis, and pneumonia. Many experts are now pleading with medical doctors to use extreme care when diagnosing and treating infections, and to restrict antibiotics to only those cases that truly justify their use.16
Blood Transfusions May Also Transfer CJD As if blood product recipients such as trauma victims and hemophiliacs don't have enough to worry about, now there is concern that proteins associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (the human equivalent of Mad Cow Disease) may be transferred to another person through blood from asymptomatic donors. At least two batches of clotting factor have been destroyed in Britain after donors later began showing signs of the disease; this was after researchers began to discover abnormal proteins associated with CJD in the spleen and tonsils of victims. Scientists suspect that white blood cells can carry the infection into whole blood products and derivatives.17 _______________________________ 1 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, December 24, 1997. 2 JAMA, December 24, 1997, Gillman et al. 3 United Press, December 23, 1997. 4 Associated Press, December 23, 1997. 5 NEJM, December 25, 1997. 6 December 20, 1997. 7 JAMA, December 24, 1997. 8 United Press, November 27, 1997, reporting on the work of Bruce Watkins of Purdue University. 9 JAMA, December 17, 1997. 10 Reuter, December 17, 1997. 11 Presented to the American Epilepsy Society's annual meeting in December 1997 by Dr. Dennis Andress. 12 Associated Press, December 31, 1997. 13 Dr. John Feller of Rancho Mirage, California, in a presentation to the December meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago. 14 Associated Press, December 7, 1997. 15 The Lancet, December 6, 1997. 16 Reuter, December 5, 1997. 17 Dr. Christopher Ludlam of the UK Haemophilia Centre in a letter to The Lancet, December 6, 1997.
