New Health Tidbits

I thought I would take this opportunity to give you some updates on health related developments from around the industry.

Let’s start off with the latest news on Statin drugs. As I detailed in my June 12, 09 issue of Real Health, statin’s are a class of drugs that lower cholesterol levels in people with or at risk of cardiovascular disease. As you know, I do not recommend using Statin drugs unless it is a very serious situation where they are needed. Too often doctors suggest using statins as a preventative method when your cholesterol total is at 175 or more. I think this is ridiculous and very dangerous because many people are extremely healthy with cholesterol levels up to 300.

The last thing you want to do is be taking dangerous statin drugs for the rest of your life if you don’t have to. When lowering cholesterol is necessary, there are natural ways to reduce cholesterol levels without the side effects that come with statin drugs. Red Yeast Rice is just one alternative and it can be found at Costco and many other health product outlets.

Some People Are Calling Statins a Wonder Drug

Many claims have been touted by the manufacturers and doctors as to the numerous possible benefits that are associated with Statin drug use, but until recently these claims had not been researched independently. One by one I expect most or all of the claims to be rejected with further testing and time.

Two of these claimed benefits are the ability to prevent dementia and pneumonia. Sascha Dublin, M.D., Ph.D., has been investigating the performance of Statin use in humans at Seattle's Group Health Center for Health Studies. Here is a quote from Dr. Dublin as reported in Medical News Today.

"As a doctor, I'm a fan of statins for what they've been proven to do: lowering cholesterol and risk of heart disease and stroke in people who've had either disease or are at risk for them."

I like that quote because it's a rare moment of candor from someone in the pro-statin camp. And by and large she's right. Research has shown that statins MAY reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have already had a heart attack or a stroke. The risk reduction is modest at best, but for those groups there may actually be a small benefit.

But what I find interesting is a study she conducted with colleagues at Seattle's Group Health Center for Health Studies.Dublin's team matched 1125 pneumonia cases against 2235 healthy control subjects (all over the age of 65) and came up with these results: Pneumonia patients were more likely to have chronic lung and heart disease as well as cognitive impairment
Statin use did not reduce pneumonia risk. And the kicker: Pneumonia risk was actually slightly HIGHER among statin users.

There seems to be a segment of the medical community that has a deep desire for statins to break through and become a true wonder drug – stopping heart disease in its tracks, erasing stroke risk, solving Alzheimer's, preventing influenza, etc. And if you ignore the considerable side effects of statin drugs, that's an appealing fantasy. Meanwhile, back here on earth, none of the various statin brands have emerged from clinical trials to become a cure-all super drug. Not even close.

Dr. Dublin states: "We and some others have found that statins may have gotten some unearned credit for health benefits that they don't actually have, including preventing pneumonia." The difference between Dr. Dublin's study and earlier pneumonia/statin research? Diligence. Dr. Dublin and colleagues did something most of the previous studies didn't do: They confirmed that each case of pneumonia was authentic. In addition, they were painstaking in examining records. Dr. Dublin states: "We did an old-fashioned 'chart review.' By reading the text in the medical records, you catch crucial details." Another key factor: None of their subjects lived in nursing homes. Populations in these facilities are easier to study, but pneumonia risk is higher.

And What About Demensia?

Meanwhile, a new study from Cochrane researchers in the UK has effectively shot down a theory that statins might prevent vascular dementia. The Cochrane group examined the results of two large studies that included more than 26,000 subjects over the age of 40. Results: Statins don't protect against dementia among older people with vascular disease risk. Beatrice Golomb, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California told Medscape Psychiatry that no studies have actually shown statin use to be favorable for cognition. And she added: "There are a number of individual cases in case reports and case series where cognition is clearly and reproducibly adversely affected by statins."


Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

Many people who suffer from Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) elect to have surgery to alleviate the pain and allow them to regain use of their hands. While surgery sometimes is helpful, it very often is not and it comes with a list of drawbacks and potential health issues that are better if avoided.

Too bad these people’s doctors don't know about the connection between carpal tunnel, vitamin B-6, and yellow dye no. 5. They might have saved themselves the pain and expense of an operation. According to alternative health care writer Virginia Hopkins, this connection is fairly common knowledge among alternative health professionals, but not so much among conventional doctors. Hopkins notes that a vitamin B-6 deficiency can prompt or aggravate CTS. And research has shown that intake of yellow dye no. 5 (a common food coloring) may deplete your body's stores of B-6. In fact, Hopkins tested this connection herself when she suffered from carpal tunnel. After just one week of cutting all yellow dye no. 5 from her diet, she began to notice pain relief. Within a month the CTS pain was gone. Hopkins adds that avoiding food products that contain the dye will be most effective when combined with a B-6 supplement.

Alan Gaby, M.D. – former president of the American Holistic Medical Association – recommends 50 mg of B-6 daily to treat carpal tunnel pain. Talk to your doctor before adding additional vitamin B-6 to your daily supplement regimen.

Can you say Serrapeptase?

One other avenue to look into for treating CTS is the enzyme Serrapeptase - the active ingredient of SerraZyme, which is a brand of dietary supplement.

Serrapeptase is an enzyme produced in the body of silkworms. Without Serrapeptase (which dissolves non-living tissue) the silkworm wouldn’t be able to break down its cocoon and emerge as a moth. But Serrapeptase has another appealing quality: It’s an effective anti-inflammatory. Combine inflammation reduction with the ability to dissolve non-living tissue (such as arterial plaque) and you have a potent natural agent that may help prevent and treat atherosclerosis as well as other conditions associated with inflammation.

The late Hans Nieper, M.D., was a prominent alternative medicine internist in Hannover, Germany, and a leader in researching Serrapeptase as a treatment for arterial plaque. Researchers have also tested Serrapeptase’s ability to ease inflammation disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome and fluid retention conditions such as varicose veins.

At the SMS Medical College in Jaipur, India, researchers tested Serrapeptase on 20 patients with carpal tunnel. Subjects were instructed to take 10 mg of Serrapeptase twice a day for six weeks, and then return for reassessment. Sixty-five percent of the patients showed significant improvements. No adverse side effects were reported.

Researchers in Federico, Italy tested Serrapeptase on 20 patients with varicose veins. The patients took 10 mg of Serrapeptase three times a day for 14 days. The supplement generated good to excellent improvement in more than 60 percent of the subjects. It reduced pain in 63 percent of cases, fluid buildup in 56 percent, abnormal skin redness in 58 percent, and nighttime cramps in 53 percent.

If you suffer from inflammation and soreness you might consider trying a Serrapeptase product. Serrapeptase products can be found through many Internet sources and at some health food stores. But because this natural enzyme may impact anticoagulant therapy and other medications, you should consult with your doctor or a healthcare professional before taking Serrapeptase.


The value of Sleep

In recent years we've learned that women are more likely than men to develop heart disease. New research confirms that the amount of sleep you get has a significant effect on heart health. And the downside is much more pronounced in women than men. A team of UK researchers examined records for more than 4,600 men and women who participated in the Whitehall II study – an ongoing research project designed to investigate risk factors of major diseases. The objective: To assess the relationship between sleep habits and two key heart disease markers: interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

In patients with heart disease and other serious heart issues, these two markers are usually elevated. Analysis revealed no relationship in the overall group. But when the records for men and women were reviewed separately, women (but not men) who slept eight hours each night had lower IL-6 levels than women who averaged just one hour less per night. And in women who were "short sleepers" (average: five hours per night), CRP levels were significantly higher than in women who averaged eight hours. Researchers noted that although risk among women was higher compared to men, the guys shouldn't assume they get a free pass. Chronic sleep deprivation is hard on the heart, no matter your gender.

The study revealed one other general trend we've seen in previous sleep research: Subjects who slept too little (an average of less than seven hours per night) or too much (an average of nine hours or more per night) tended to be in poorer health and were more likely to follow unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Sleeping While You Drive

A 2006 car accident did more to alert the world to the dangers of prescription sleep aids than any black box warning ever could. When Rhode Island Representative Patrick Kennedy smashed his Mustang into a highway barrier in Washington, D.C., three years ago, his state of disorientation was attributed to Ambien use. That's when most of us found out that Ambien and other similar sleep aids sometimes prompt extreme cases of sleep walking and other activities that are best done awake. Like driving.

So if you're having trouble sleeping, you might want to take Ambien off your list of potential aids. But there are a myriad of natural sleep aids available that you can try from teas to tablets. Just check at your local supplement or health food store such as Super Supplements found locally or look on the internet for many different options.

But a word of caution: be careful with products that contain higher doses of Melatonin (anything above 3 mg). Melatonin is a hormone and should not be taken for long periods or in high amounts. It can be useful to readjust your body’s circadian rhythm after long plane flights through different time zones and it can help people with sleep issues adjust to normal sleep patterns, but you should use some caution when it is used for extended periods. One othe note: any amount of light, even from a small night-light will suppress your natural production of Melatonin in your body. This can cause problems with your sleep patterns. So try to sleep in a dark room whenever possible.

That will wrap things up for this health tidbits issue.

Until next time, stay healthy and happy

JD Roma