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Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
What do these three things have in common? Well, men who are non-smokers and who eat more soy MAY have a lower risk of getting lung cancer than other men. Okay, the non-smoking part may be an obvious one, but the soy?
Soybeans contain natural compounds called isoflavanones. Isoflavanones mimic estrogen, a hormone which women have in spades. In contrast, men have high levels of testosterone. Estrogen is associated with lower levels of breast cancer and prostate cancer, which makes intuitive sense. (Yes, men do get breast cancer. Women, however, do NOT get prostate cancer).
Enter researchers in Japan at the National Cancer Center in Tokyo who studied over 36,000 Japanese men between 45 to 75 years of age who were cancer free at the outset. The group was compared with some 40,000 Japanese women. Over the course of 11 years.
The results? 1 in 75 men (and 1 in 225 women) were diagnosed with lung cancer within 11 years. (Men tend to get lung cancer at higher rates than women). Of 13,000 men who never smoked, only 22 of them who ate very little soy were diagnosed with lung cancer. Only 13 of them who ate a lot of soy (up to 162 grams per day) contracted lung cancer.
I was sold up until this point too, however, the authors of the study were very equivocal as to whether the intake of soy itself was the cause of the lower risk or whether non-smoking males adopted other healthier behaviors, such as exercise, which could explain the lower risk.
So what should one take away from such a study? Well, there is a suggestion that eating more isoflavanones may be good for men. In fact increased soy intake has already been demonstrated to lower risk of prostate cancer. It follows that increased soy intake may also be beneficial for non-smoking males who wish to avoid lung cancer as well. Again, just a suggestion.
~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire
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Source: Reuters; British Journal of Gynecology, Jan. 14, 2010.
Partial hysterectomies (where the cervix and lower portion of the uterus are left intact) have been on the increase since 1991. The majority of these surgeries are performed for non-cancerous conditions such as uterine fibroids whcih can cause bleeding and chronic pelvic pain. Total hysterectomy is medically more effective. 20% of women undergoing partial hysterectomy in one study continued to experience bleeding, pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction.
The rise in partial vs. total hysterectomies was thought to be for psychological reasons. Namely, women felt “more intact” not undergoing a total hysterectomy.
However, psychological testing of women undergoing total and partial hysterectomies to measure anxiety and depression showed that the women scored similarly in both groups. Meaning there is little difference in the way women felt about themselves after a partial or total hysterectomy. This seems to suggest that women may not be receiving all of the information they need from their doctors when it comes to deciding between surgeries.
I encourage all women considering hysterectomy (partial or total) to discuss the planned surgery thoroughly with their gynecological surgeon. Do not be the victim of the wrong surgical procedure for the wrong reasons.
~Posted by Gayle R. Lewis, Esquire
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Source: U.S. National Institutes of Health; Journal of the American Medical Association, February 3, 2010
I know, I know…Let them sleep on their backs…No wait, only on their stomachs…No wait, on their backs but no pillows…or blankets…No smoking…No pets…Never in bed with you…
Perhaps it’s no wonder why the Amercian Academy of Pediatrics is constantly revising guidelines for infant sleep. There is a wealth of information seemingly linking SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) with, well, everything. The latest? Serotonin. Huh? Okay, back to biochemistry class we go. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, don’t worry about what kind, it’s presence or absence in sufficient quantities is broadly responsible for the regulation of mood, appetite, sleep, muscle contraction, and some cognitive functions including memory and learning. Modulation of serotonin at synapses is thought to be a major action of several classes of pharmacological antidepressants. As an interesting aside (well interesting to me anyway) certain foods, carbohydrates mostly -pasta, chips also seem to have a serotonin level response.
So why all the chemistry talk? Because researchers studying the brains of infants who have died from SIDS have found that they were producing low levels of serotonin. No, they weren’t depressed, well not emotionally anyway. However, to the extent that serotonin may be responsible for breathing they may be onto something. How much lower? 26% lower according to this study. Measures of an enzyme required to manufacture serotonin (tryptophan hydroxylase for those of you playing the home game) were also 22% lower in the brains of the SIDS death infants studied.
Yes, they are still currently recommending the whole back sleeping thing. For a complete list of sleeping guidelines see http://www.nicdh.nih.gov/sids/ or speak with your pediatrician or obstetrician.
~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire
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Source: BBC Health; British Journal of Psychiatry
Australian researchers took time away from wrestling crocodiles and protecting babies from dingoes to study 1,241 women in the perinatal and postnatal time frame (Before and after they were pregnant). Why? to determine whether memory and concentration problems are really a cognitive defect of pregnancy.
Their conclusions? Sorry, neither pregnancy nor motherhood mix up a woman’s brain. While it is generally accepted that physical and emotional stresses on women can make them tired and depressed, they apparently don’t make you wifty. Yes, you do that all upon your own. (I kid because I care).
The next study on tap, do men really think with their…Well, let’s just leave that for another day, shall we?
~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire
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Source: BBC Health; Karolinska Institute (Sweeden)
Admittedly it was a small, focused study of 36 newborns, 17 of whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. It is, however, alarming and instructive. Babies that had been exposed to cigarette smoke in utero (While in Mommy’s belly) demonstrated abnormal heart rates and blood pressures.
But that’s not all. . .rather than dissipate with age, the abnormalities appear to have worsened from one week to age one. According to lead researcher, Dr. Gary Cohen, “Babies of smokers have evidence of persistent problems in blood pressure regulation that start at birth and get worse over time” and “[E]arly life exposure to tobacco can lead to long lasting reprogramming of the infant blood pressure control mechanism.”
And Dr. Cohen adds, this might be the mechanism which explains why infants of smokers are at increased risk for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) or “Cot death” as it is known in the UK.
~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire
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Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. An estimated 192,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
Not all breast cancers are the same, however. Some breast cancers are hormone positive meaning that the presence of certain hormones (estrogen for example) contributes to cancer and its rate of growth. Breast cancer may also be protein based with HER2 being a common protein positive breast cancer.
Two chemotherapy drugs which have been effective in treating cancer, Tykerb (lapantinib) and Femara (letrozole) have now been approved for use in combination with one another. When a drug receives FDA approval it is typically for a “labeled use” only, meaning that it was developed to treat one specific disease or condition in a specific manner. While medications are used “off label” at times at the discretion of physicians, the explicit approval of the FDA results in wider adoption and use.
Accordingly when the FDA permits the extension of approvals for the use of breast cancer drugs it is a big deal. It is hoped that the combination of the two medications will be twice as effective in slowing the progression of this killer of women.
~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire
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Source: BBC News
In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s vaccination study appeared in the Brit Medical Journal Lancet. The study was seized upon by those of the anti-vaccination set.
The problem? His research has been discredited for a number of reasons including the he is reported to have paid his son’s friends to obtain blood samples while they attended his birthday party and the fact that he was working for attorneys hired by parents pursuing legal action for autism they believe was caused by the MMR (Measles Mumps and Rubella) vaccine.
Dr. Wakefield, who now lives (and works) in the US was, “Extremely disappointed” by the recent rulings of the General Medical Counsel against him. The study, which was later retracted by Lancet, has been cited as a critical factor in causing the plummet of MMR vaccination rates and the expected rise in new cases of measles since 2005.
~Posted by D.M.  Schwadron, Esquire
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Source: BBC Health; Pediatrics.
Okay, okay…confession time. I throw “righty” and bat “lefty” and I can punt around on the pitch with either foot. Shocking, I’m sure.
A study performed at the Imperial College London and published in Pediatrics journal has linked ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) with mixed handedness. Why? Damned if I know, read on…
Apparently one in every 100 children are ambidextrous (I’m a semi-rare one!). Quick anatomy lesson…Your brain is divided into 2 hemispheres. More accurately, a longitudinal fissure connected by the corpus callosum separates the brain into 2 distinctly identifiable cortical parts. While very generalized, modern psychology still accepts the notion of brain function lateralization, meaning that one side of the brain does one thing well while the other does something else. Typically it is felt that the right side of the brain is responsible for math and spatial reasoning while the left side of the brain is responsible for creativity and language.
Enter the ambidextrous child. It is believed that right hand dominance corresponds with the left hemisphere of the brain. Accordingly a lesser preference for the right hand might mean more difficulty with learning language.
So is there any validity to any of this? Well you can count the study of 8,000 Finnish children (those that are from Finland, not those that are “done”) 87 of whom were mixed-handed and who at ages 6-7 were twice as likely as their right handed peers to be singled out in school as having ADHD and learning “difficulties.” I’m reserving opinion at this point. <whistles and walks away slowly>
~Posted by D. M. Schwadron, Esquire
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Source: Reuters Health; American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, December 2009
Remember that post about the safety of prescription medications for pregnant women? http://www.medicalmalpracticelawyerblogphiladelphia.com/?p=528
Well, researchers in Washington (State not the Nation’s capital) have found in a study of 3,000 women, those taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) into their 2nd and 3rd trimesters had an increased risk (14%) of giving birth prematurely.
Medications such as Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac were felt to have no appreciable impact during the 1st trimester, however benzodiazepines, such as Ativan and Xanax were linked with preterm labor, low birth weight, respiratory distress and low Apgar Scores.
Among the women in the study who did not take any such medications, only 9% gave birth prematurely as opposed to nearly half of the women taking benzodiazepines.
One might very well question why, with the prevalence of such prescriptions, studies such as this were not published earlier.
~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire.
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Contact:
Chris Hines or Deborah Hines
214-939-0253
Hines Nut Company has initiated a recall of 270 packages of Pine Nuts, packaged under the brand name Harris Teeter Farmers Market. The Pine Nuts were purchased from Red River Foods in Camarillo, CA, and have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The recalled product was sold in 8 oz foam trays wrapped in cellophane and carry the UPC code 0 72036 88121 0. The Pine Nuts were distributed solely to Harris Teeter Markets in North Carolina. Consumers who purchased this product between December 30, 2009, and January 14, 2010 should contact Hines Nut Company for information on how to return the product for a refund.
There have been no complaints or any reported illnesses related to the products to date. The problem was discovered through routine sampling by the supplier, Red River Foods. Consumers with questions may contact Hines Nut Company at 214-939-0253 (M-F, 6:30 AM to 3:30 PM CDT).
And quitting while I am marginally ahead. . .
~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire
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