September 20th, 2010 by JenniferKearneyStrouse in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, News, Quackery Exposed
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Ever heard of adrenal fatigue? Wilson’s temperature syndrome? If not, there’s a good reason: They exist only on the Internet.
The Hormone Foundation, an affiliate of the Endocrine Society, recently issued two fact sheets for patients debunking these so-called conditions, which were “apparently conceived only in an effort to sell products promoted to treat them,” the LA Times reported. No medical evidence supports either faux disease and there are no tests or treatments for them, but patients still try to alleviate them with supplements, some of them potentially dangerous, the Times said.
Adrenal fatigue is characterized by such “symptoms” as having salt and sugar cravings and needing coffee to get you through the day, while the man who discovered Wilson’s temperature syndrome also coincidentally promotes a product to treat it, according to the Times. (Hormone Foundation, LA Times)
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
September 5th, 2010 by JenniferKearneyStrouse in Better Health Network, News, Research
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Rates of rectal cancer in those younger than 40 have been increasing, the LA Times reported recently.
Researchers studied data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Registry and looked at the change in rectal and colon cancer incidence in those under 40 from 1973 to 2005. Overall rates were low, but while colon cancer incidence remained constant, rectal cancer incidence increased by an average of 3.8 percent annually, the authors reported in the journal Cancer.
The authors didn’t advocate routine screening in those under 40, but did recommend that physicians be more alert to the possibility of rectal cancer in those presenting with symptoms such as rectal bleeding, according to the Times. (LA Times)
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
August 29th, 2010 by JenniferKearneyStrouse in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News
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With back-to-school time around the corner, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning about the risk for heat-related illness in young athletes, especially football players, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Coaches and parents should be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat stroke, dehydration and other problems, and fluid replacement formulas should be used during practices and workouts, among other precautions, the LA Times said.
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
August 21st, 2010 by JenniferKearneyStrouse in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Research
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A new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology reports that low levels of vitamin D may be linked to early-onset preeclampsia in pregnant women.
The trial found that the average vitamin D level in 50 pregnant women with preeclampsia was 18 ng/mL, compared with 32 ng/mL in 100 women with healthy pregnancies. No casual relationship was proven, and the study’s lead author told Reuters Health that the recommended vitamin D intake in pregnant women hasn’t changed, but the study results raise yet more questions about this much-discussed nutrient.
ACP Internist covered the pros and cons of vitamin D in its November 2009 issue. (Reuters, ACP Internist)
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
July 31st, 2010 by JenniferKearneyStrouse in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Research
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A study published in the July PLoS Medicine is getting a lot of press for its conclusion that strong social networks are related to increased lifespan.
The meta-analysis of 148 studies involving 308,849 people found that those with stronger relationships were 50 percent more likely to survive over 7.5 years of follow-up. What’s more, the researchers reported that a lack of strong social ties is as bad healthwise as drinking or smoking, and worse than not exercising or being obese.
But although the association between strong social ties and improved longevity seems robust, other factors could be at play, and applying the findings in clinical practice could be difficult. And sorry, Facebook fanatics: Online “friendships” aren’t thought to count as much as in-person ones do. (PLoS Medicine, New York Times, TIME, The Atlantic)
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
