http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/12/02/1683908/heres-to-a-smokeless-new-year.html

Researchers just reported a large review of 15 studies with over 9300 strokes among over 380,000 people, looking at whether people who eat more fish are less likely to have a stroke.  According to the research, those who eat the most fish are significantly less likely to have a stroke.  Yet, to be honest, the researchers showed that for every increase of 3 servings per week in fish consumption, there was a 6% reduction in risk of total stroke.  So…….

We know there are a high number of new strokes each year in the United States, strokes that are debilitating and often deadly.   While increasing fish and omega -3fatty acid consumption offers multiple good health benefits, most of us will not eat more fish just to reduce our stroke risk.  That is because most people can do far more for their health dollar by making major lifestyle changes like smoking cessation, reducing excessive alcohol consumption when present, weight loss and blood sugar control, and lowering high blood pressure.

Certainly, increased fish consumption that replaces high saturated fats, is a benefit.  If you have increased risk of stroke, and if you aren’t eating enough fish, this should be motivation enough to incorporate this simple research TODAY!

To prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), it has long been recommended that babies sleep on their backs.  Recently, medical authorities have issued recommendations that suggest parents avoid placing soft things, such as blankets and stuffed animals, in the crib that could lead an infant to suffocate.

The Journal Pediatrics interviewed over 80 African American mothers, all of whom had a new baby at home, to study their infants sleeping habits.  As it turns out, many of them were using blankets and cushions to keep the babies ‘comfortable’ because they thought this would help the baby to sleep better or to feel more loved.

Even though it seems they were acting in the best interest of the baby, authorities now say this is problematic because such items could actually be dangerous to babies.  Doctors have started advising against placing these types of items in cribs, assure parents that babies will sleep just fine without them and won’t feel any less secure or comfortable.

We feel, however, that this whole discussion misses the mark really.  Common sense dictates that parents be aware of all the ways young infants can suffocate or become entrapped.  It is just as if not more important to address multiple causes of SIDS that produce safe sleep environment s for young infants.  These include a positioning on the back, use of a firm sleep surface, breastfeeding, not letting infants sleep in the adult bed, getting routine immunizations, and complete elimination of exposure to tobacco smoke.

As mothers (and fathers) we know our first priority is to keep our children safe, so it’s extremely important to not just look in the trees, but think about the forest!

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• Saturday, December 3^rd at 9am
• Sunday, December 4^th at 9am and 5pm
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• Research that Matters (min 0-11): stroke & Coumadin, stents in neck vessels, prehypertension, teenagers & binge drinking
• Conversations with Dr. Eric Peterson about Post-Heart Attack Care: It’s More Than Just Money. (min 11-32)
• House Calls (min 32-40): alcohol benefits vs. harm, health savings account, hives

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• Saturday, November 26^th at 9am
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• Research that Matters (min 0-12): seeing an orthopedist with broken bones in children, asthma medication & emergency room, coffee & lower depression risk in women, dog owners & fitness
• Conversations with Dr. Jonathan Fischer about Improving End of Life Care for Low Income Patients (min 12-33)
• House Calls (min 33-43): hoarseness, not eating & cancer, muscle problems & antibiotics, blood pressure

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• Sunday, November 20^th at 9am and 5pm
• Monday, November 21^st at 6pm and 10pm

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• Research that Matters (min 0-9): lung cancer & stroke, teen driving restrictions, raw milk & asthma, exercise & teen smoking cessation
• Conversations with Dr. Khati Hendry about Demystifying the Canadian Health System (min 9-32)
• House Calls (min 32-43): urinary tract infection & e coli, celiac disease & carbohydrates, concussions, food allergy

A recent study in the International Journal of Cancer looked at whether circumcision lowers the risk of flat penile lesions associated with precancerous and cancerous penile lesions in men. This study was actually part of a bigger study that primarily looked at whether circumcision made a difference in the transmission of HIV disease among men in Africa.

Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill looked at the connection of circumcision to human papillomavirus-associated precancerous lesions of the penis. What they found was dramatic: the rate of flat penile lesions was significantlylower in those men who had been circumcised. The percentage with these lesions that were not circumcised was 26%, as compared to less than 1% in those who were circumcised. That’s a clinical as well as statistically significant difference.  The authors also noted that these same flat lesions had a strong association with DNA associated with high risk human papillomavirus, the virus associated with penile cancer in men and cervical cancer in women.

This research adds to other reports that shows male circumcision can dramatically reduce risks of male genital human papillomavirus infection, penile cancer and even HIV infection.  In 1999, in the Journal Pediatrics, research showed that newborn circumcision was highly protective against invasive penile cancer.  A randomized controlled trial by RTI researchers, published in Lancet in 2007, showed  a 60% reduction in HIV transmission among circumcised men in Africa compared to those not circumcised.  Review of this data and two other randomized controlled trials was published in 2008 in the International Journal AIDS.  They reported that three randomized controlled trial of circumcision among consenting, healthy adult men in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa were all halted early after recommendations by independent Data and Safety Monitoring Boards, as analyses found a highly reduced risk of HIV among the men randomly assigned to circumcision compared to those who did not receive the procedure. A large systematic review published this year in the Journal of Infectious Disease, reached similar conclusions.

It’s important as we look at such health data to remember that parental decisions to circumcise a newborn male child are intimately tied not only health outcomes but frequently to religious and cultural beliefs.  Most of the studies cited above were looking at adult men in areas where a much higher prevalence of HPV and HIV infection exists.  Penile cancer is also rarer compared to most other cancer types.  Yet, we feel it is important for parents to have access to health information that may help them decide what is right for them and their child when they have health questions about circumcision.

For all the chocolate lovers out there who are wondering if there is a positive correlation between chocolate and your health…this is not the final word, but it is another step. Here you go.

A study just released looks at whether getting a “dose” of chocolate every day, 50- 100 grams or 2-4 ounces, lowers your chances of heart disease.  The authors looked at over 30,000 women for over ten years.  The study showed substantial reductions in stroke.  These same results, if proven with a pill, would really be very significant.  Perhaps we admit we don’t give enough credit to chocolate.  But at the same time it would be great to see a randomized, controlled trial look at this more closely…so don’t get too excited just YET chocolate lovers!

http://www.eatlocalsimplesteps.com/

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• Saturday, November 12^th at 9am
• Sunday, November 13^th at 9am and 5pm
• Monday, November 14^th at 6pm and 10pm

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Show Topics:

• Research that Matters (min 0-9): fish & strokes, well-child visits, overweight children & social problems, hospital privacy curtains & germs
• Conversations with Jasia Steinmetz about her book, Eat Local: Simple Steps to Enjoy Real, Healthy & Affordable Food (min 9-30)
• House Calls (min 30-40): increasing iron with vegetarian diet, supplement safety, asthma, organic food

 

We were always taught when giving a presentation to say what you are going to talk about, then talk about, and finally in conclusion, review what you said. Well, when it comes to diet advice, you’ve heard it before and you will most likely hear it again…plant based diets carry major benefits.

We reviewed a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology that examined more than 86,000 women for over 25 years!  The study showed that the women who were in the DASH diet group were about 20% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who were not on the DASH diet.

The DASH diet is a diet based mostly around fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans.  We often talk about the many health benefits of eating this way, and the evidence keeps on accumulating.

While more research is needed to find out how strong the link is between such diets and breast cancer, we do know the diet is really a good way to help decrease chances of developing many forms of cancer without side effects or risks. This is just another reason for us to recommend making this lifestyle change.  What would YOU recommend?