Archive for the ‘Cautions & Concerns’ Category

One of the lesser known risk factors of taking the bisphosphonate class of osteoporosis drugs is osteonecrosis of the jaw bone (ONJ). Osteonecrosis is, quite literally, death of the bone cells. Previous studies already suggested that patients taking bisphosphonates, such as Fosomax, were at increased risk of developing ONJ, but this study shows that the side effect may be more common than had previously been suggested, even with short term use of the drugs since the drugs take so long to leave bone tissue (once stopped it takes 10 years for drug levels to halve). Researchers at University of Southern California’s School of Dentistry say of the 208 patients they identified for the study as having used Fosamax, nine of them had ONJ. That is a significant 4% of patients. The researchers are hoping that further studies will confirm their findings so that more physicians and dentists will be encouraged to speak to their patients regarding this potentially severe side effect.

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Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, including heart attacks. It is, therefore, no surprise that the CDC reported this week that hospitalizations for heart attacks in Pueblo, Colorado have sustained a 3-year decrease after the city implemented a law making public and work places smoke-free. Multiple studies have shown similar rapid and dramatic decreases within one year after the implementation of smoke-free laws. However, this was the first study to show that the benefits continue years after the initial drop.

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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) was widely pulicized in the 1990s as the human form of the cow disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), which is contracted from eating contaminated beef. However, there are sporadic forms of CJD that can occur for unknown reasons - unrelated to eating meat. Now, researchers have found a new variant of this fatal disease that appears to advance faster, causing dementia and even the loss of ability to speak and move. It is yet unclear what the cause is, but scientists speculate that an interaction with a genetic component may be likely.

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Did you know at any given time approximately ten percent of teenage drivers are either talking or texting on their cell phones? Studies have shown that drivers who use cell phones are four times as likely to be involved in a crash, which is why many states have already banned their use while driving. Now researchers at the University of Utah are taking the case one step further by developing a device which disables cell phone usage while the key is in the ignition. Dubbed “Key2SafeDriving” the device affixes to car keys and uses bluetooth radio waves to signal cell phones to go into “driving mode” so long as the key is in the ignition. While in driving mode, drivers cannot use their phones to talk or text, except for calling 911 or other numbers pre-approved by parents. Incoming calls and texts are automatically answered with a message saying, “I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely.”

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Folic acid, or folate, is a vitamin that is currently recommended to pregnant women to reduce the risk of congenital abnormalities in newborns. However, according to an article in the latest Archives of Disease in Childhood, researchers have concerns that folic acid may actually increase the risk of respiratory illness in children. After studying more than 32,000 infants, researchers found that those with mothers who had taken folic acid supplements during the first three months of pregnancy had higher risk of wheezing and other respiratory complaints in the first 18 months. Scientists speculate that folic acid may cause airways to become inflammed. Further studies will be required before any change in recommendations is made. Until then, folic acid remains a recommended supplement during pregnancy.

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Research presented this week at an American Heart Association conference warns of the potential dangers headphones can impose on implanted pacemakers and defibrillators. In a study of 60 people with these devices researchers found when headphones were about an inch from the device, interference was detected nearly one-fourth of the time — in four of the 27 pacemaker patients and 10 of the 33 with defibrillators. A pacemaker even reset itself in one patient. This interference occurs whether the headphone is plugged in or not. The reason this happens is because headphones, especially small earbud types, contain neodymium, one of the most powerful and concentrated magnetic substances. Dr. Kenneth Ellenbogen, a heart device expert at Virginia Commonwealth University and a spokesman for the heart association, said the solution is simple: “Keep your headphones on your ears and when they’re not on your ears, you shouldn’t put them over your chest or your pacemaker.” Although headphones are still safe to use, in general it is a good idea to keep small electronics at least a few inches away from any implanted cardiac devices.

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Yes, really. Cell phones can cause rashes. According to the British Association of Dermatologists doctors have began to see what they are calling “mobile phone dermatitis” - rashes on the ears and cheeks of prolonged cell phone users caused by an allergic reaction to nickel.  Nickel is a metal commonly used in consumer products, especially jewelery and belt buckles, and is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis. The rash is purely due to the nickel coming into contact with the skin. Earlier this year a Brown University study tested 22 popular handsets from eight different manufacturers and found nickel in 10 of the devices. The British group is urging physicians to think about the possibility of mobile phone dermatitis in any patient with a ear/cheek rash that cannot otherwise be explained.

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A Brown University study of European households finds an association between depression and the presence of mold in the home. The risk for depression increased by about 40 percent among people who lived in moldy homes, said lead research author Edmund D. Shenassa. It is as yet unclear what the relationship between the two is - does mold actually cause depression, or are depressed people more likely to not clean their homes and allow mold to grow? The U.S. government has not established general guidelines for acceptable levels of residential mold. And no study has conclusively linked mold exposure to mental health problems.

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The CDC reported earlier this year that approximately 32% of US children were overweight, 16% were obese, and 11% were extremely obese. With concerns about weight on the minds of most Americans these days, many food companies have voluntarily began campaigns to combat the obesity epidemic by categorizing a certain amount of their products as “healthy alternatives.” But do these wellness initiatives truly have the consumer in mind? In a recent JAMA article pediatrician David Ludwig and Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University, argues that makers of popular junk foods ultimately have obligations to their stockholders to encourage children to consume more, not less. In an interview with U.S. News they outlined the top 10 things that the food industry doesn’t want you to know, including the following:

- Junk food makers donate large sums of money to professional nutrition associations.

- Less-processed foods are generally more satiating than their highly processed counterparts.

- The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.

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A new report from the Environmental Working Group, a public health watchdog organization, says that in the 10 brands of bottled water they tested contaminant levels in some samples exceeded industry and state standards. The group is concerned that fertilizer residue, disinfection byproducts, and even pain medication is leaching into our sources for bottled water. The group advocates drinking tap water over bottled water because tap water suppliers must provide information to consumers regarding contaminants, filtration techniques, and source water, whereas bottled water companies do not. EWG says, “Consumers should drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water. Americans pay an average of two-tenths of a cent per gallon to drink water from the tap. A carbon filter at the tap or in a pitcher costs a manageable $0.31 per gallon (12 times lower than the typical cost of bottled water), and removes many of the contaminants found in public tap water supplies.” Full story.

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