Eat better and skip the supplements
A new evidence review suggests that few nutritional supplements or dietary interventions offer any protection against cardiovascular disease or death, and some may actually cause harm. Findings from a meta-analysis were published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Current U.S. dietary guidelines recommend several healthy eating patterns, including Mediterranean and vegetarian diets, but they do not recommend routine supplement use to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease or other chronic diseases. Nonetheless, one out of two persons in the U.S. uses some form of supplements with the reported goal of improving overall health. Evidence does indeed suggest that reduced salt intake is protective for all-cause mortality in participants with normal blood pressure, and that omega-3, long-chain fatty acids are protective for myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease. And yes, folic acid shows some protective benefit for stroke. BUT combined calcium plus vitamin D intake may increase the risk for stroke. Other supplements, such as multivitamins, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D alone, calcium alone, folic acid, and iron, or such dietary interventions as the Mediterranean diet, reduced saturated fat intake, modified fat intake, reduced dietary fat intake, and increased intake of fish oil supplements, do NOT seem to have significant effect on mortality or cardiovascular outcomes.
Truth or consequences
You might assume that well-accepted medical advice (e.g., fish oil reduces risk of heart disease) is supported by mounds of scientific research. Not so, according to an article in The New York Times. Researchers recently discovered that nearly 400 routine practices were flatly contradicted by studies published in leading journals. Following are just 5 true things that contradict conventional “wisdom:” 1) Peanut allergies occur whether or not a child is exposed to peanuts before age three; 2) fish oil does NOT reduce the risk of heart disease; 3) testosterone treatment does NOT help older men retain their memory; 4) if a pregnant woman’s water breaks prematurely, the baby does NOT have to be delivered immediately; and 5) to protect against asthma attacks, it will NOT help to keep your house free of dust mites, mice and cockroaches.
Go fish
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released revised advice regarding the consumption of fish, The guidelines, which provide advice for people in the U.S. 2 years of age and older, recommend that adults eat at least 8 ounces of seafood per week based on a 2,000-calorie diet. They also emphasize that seafood has many nutrients, several of which have important roles in growth and development during pregnancy and early childhood. The revisions are designed to help consumers who should limit their exposure to mercury choose from the many types of fish that are lower in mercury, including salmon, shrimp, pollock, canned light tuna, tilapia, catfish and cod. It is important to note that women who might become pregnant, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding – along with young children – should avoid the few types of commercial fish with the highest levels of mercury listed on the FDA’s chart. To view the guidelines, go to https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish
Acne drug and pregnancy
The acne drug isotretinoin – formerly sold as Accutane – is known to cause miscarriages and birth defects. Yet a recent study published in JAMA Network finds that many women on the drug still become pregnant. Looking through the FDA’s adverse event reporting system, researchers found that between 1997 and 2017, more than 6,700 women became pregnant while taking isotretinoin, and some 11% of these pregnancies ended in miscarriages. The year with the highest number of pregnancies – 768 – was 2006. That same year, the FDA mandated a program known an iPledge to make women aware of the drug’s risks and require them to take contraceptives or vow abstinence. The rate of women on isotretinoin getting pregnant then dropped by more than half by 2010, although other factors – including the use of IUDs and other long-term contraceptives – could have contributed to the dip in pregnancies.
Who should use testosterone replacement therapy
Many people can benefit from testosterone replacement therapy, according to experts at MD Anderson Cancer Center. They include people who have had a serious medical treatment like chemotherapy or radiation, or who have injured a testicle. But taking testosterone to solve problems with fatigue, low energy or sinking sex drive without a full check-up can disguise the real causes of these symptoms. Testosterone should be checked at least twice using a blood test, says Conor Best, M.D., assistant professor in Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Both tests should be done in the morning between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. If the tests show a low level, patients should discuss the possible causes with their doctor before deciding if testosterone replacement therapy is right for them. Diabetes and obesity, as well as increasing age, can lead to low testosterone. But if there’s no clear cause for low testosterone, working on diet and increasing exercise can often be the answer.