Archive for the ‘Life & Lifestyle’ Category

On November 13, 2009 the FDA issued notification to 30 manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages that it intends to look into the safety and legality of their products. “The increasing popularity of consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages by college students and reports of potential health and safety issues necessitates that we look seriously at the scientific evidence as soon as possible,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs. The problem is that caffeine has not been approved by the FDA to be added to alcoholic beverages. However, some substances which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS), or have been subject to prior sanction, are legality able to be used as food additives. For a substance to be GRAS, there must be evidence of its safety at the levels used and a basis to conclude that this evidence is generally known and accepted by qualified experts. Thus, the FDA is giving these companies 30 days to produce data to support that the use of caffeine in their products is GRAS or have been previously sanctioned. Click here for a full list of companies and products affected. [via FDA]

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Telomeres have been a focus of anti-aging research for quite sometime. Unfortunately, no breakthroughs have yet revealed any glimmer of the fountain of youth. Telomeres are pieces of DNA that cap the ends of our chromosomes. Each time a cell divides (which is required for us to stay alive) telomeres get shorter and shorter until they reach a point where division is halted, thus putting bodily cells into a state where they can no longer renew themselves – thus is part of the aging process. However, new research focusing on Ashkenazi Jews has found that those who lived the longest had inherited a hyperactive version of an enzyme called telomerase that is able to rebuild telomeres. “In effect, centenarians tend to have a top-notch body mechanic at work 24/7 repairing the hardware that runs the body, versus a normal person whose body’s cellular control center is left to wear out with time.” Will this startling research lead to future advances in the pursuit of longevity? Only time will tell. [via Yahoo! News]

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The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has published an update to their popular cookbook entitled “Keep The Beat.” It’s a collection of recipes that are limited in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium, as well as being moderate in calories. The majority of the recipes were created in collaboration with Culinary Institute of America-trained chef and instructor David Kamen and a James Beard Foundation award-winning registered dietitian based on guidelines from NHLBI. For those with heart disease, or those who simply want to eat healthier, it’s often difficult to find nutritionally sound recipes that are delicious at the same time. Costing only a nominal $5 it may just be the healthiest pocket change you spent in a while. The book can be purchased at the NHLBI website. [via NIH News]

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In the midst of the U.S. healthcare debate, a minor provision appears to be stirring up some controversy. The provision, inserted by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) with the support of Democratic Sens. John F. Kerry and the late Edward M. Kennedy (both of Massachusetts, home to the Church of Christ, Scientist), would require insurers to consider covering Christian Science prayer treatments as legitimate medical expenses. The church believes that spiritual healing in the form of prayer treatments is an effective alternative to conventional interventions. However, opponents of the measure are concerned that this could open the door for other groups to seek medical legitimacy for practices that lie outside of science. But, there is precedence for this. Namely, the IRS allows the cost of prayer services to be counted as tax-deductible medical expenses. Is this blurring the line between church and state? Should spiritual health and healing be overlooked as an integral part of physical and mental well-being?  [via LA Times]

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The current issue of the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery reports on a study of bone mineral density in men who used cell phones for extended periods of time. It was noted that men who carried their cell phones on their hips for an average of 15 hours a day had decreased bone mineral density in their hip bone on the side where they carried their phones. The study only included young males (average age 32) so the decrease in bone density wasn’t at the same level as someone with osteoporosis. But, it is an interesting finding which will no doubt continue the ongoing debate on the safety of cell phones. [via Medline Plus]

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Research presented this week at the Neuroscience 2009 meeting in Chicago revealed an interesting side effect of internet use on older brains. Researchers from University of California, Los Angeles found that frequent internet use among the elderly – even those who only recently started using the web – increased brain functioning beyond their baseline. By comparing novice users to seasoned internet veterans the researchers found that even after just one week of using the internet, the novice users’ brains showed activity in areas important for working memory and decision making – activity that wasn’t apparent on brain scans prior to engagement with the web. [via Medical News Today]

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Magnetic and copper bracelets have been popular for quite sometime now. They have become alternative therapies used by many people to treat pain caused by various musculoskeletal diseases, such as arthritis. But do they actually work? Researchers from the UK have shown in the first randomized placebo-controlled trial that these metallic objects are, in fact, ineffective in treating pain. They say that any benefit derived from them can be attributed to psychological placebo effects. “…our findings suggest that such devices have no real advantage over placebo wrist straps that are not magnetic and do not contain copper,” said Stewart Richmond, the lead author of the study. However, he emphasizes that although these products don’t necessarily cause harm, people should be careful about spending a lot of money on products that claim to cure your ailments with magnetic therapy. The study was published in the current issue of Complementary Therapies In Medicine. [via Medical News Today]

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Poor education predisposes one to poorer health. Study after study has confirmed this link, and now experts are honing in on the reasons for it and what can be done.  “Persons with a higher education tend to have better jobs, and better income, better benefits,” said David R. Williams, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and staff director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Commission to Build a Healthier America. These “better benefits” not only include more accessible healthcare but can include factors such as the ability to take time away from work to see the doctor. As well, people with higher levels of education tend to have more resources to cope with stress and life, such as access to a health club to exercise during periods of stress. Being more educated also means that a person can better understand the complexities that go along with modern medicine. In fact, a report from May, 2009 found that adults who did not graduate from high school were 2.5 times more likely to be in less than very good health, compared with counterparts who have a college degree. Williams is advocating that health promotion should be taught earlier in schools and that improvement in literacy rates could better the health of people as they become adults. [via Businessweek]

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An article published in the British medical journal Lancet says that that the process of aging may be “modifiable.” Meaning that advances in science and medicine are allowing us to slow down the rates of aging. Researchers say that most children born in wealthy nations this century will likely live to become centenarians – not surprising given that life expectancy has been increasing rapidly in countries such as Japan, which has the world’s longest life expectancy, where more than half of the country’s 80 year-old women are expected to live to 90. The greying population will soon transform the face society, and retirement ages will likely be pushed back, said Richard Suzman, an expert on aging at the U.S. National Institute on Aging. “We are within five to 10 years of a watershed event where there will be more people on earth over 65 than there under five,” he said. “Those extra years need to be financed somehow and we need to start thinking about it now.” [via CBS News]

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Researchers report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that there may be a seasonality of mortality. After combing through data from Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Sweden, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan they discovered that the lowest mortality rates occurred during the warm months of July to September in the Northern hemisphere and February to March in the Southern hemisphere. A multitude of factors may be at play, including better nutrition or less pandemic diseases during these months. However, the researchers offer up an intriguing thought – could environmental factors, such as taking a summer vacation, lead to decreased death rates? “Vacations can have both physiologic and psychological effects. The positive psychological effects of vacations consist of ameliorating mood, decreasing mental stress and providing a sense of recuperation and well-being that may last for at least a month after the vacation,” said the study authors. Do we really need scientific studies to tell us that vacations are good for the mind, body and soul? I think common sense can tell me that. But, it is interesting data that’s worth looking into. [CMAJ via Medical News Today]

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