Health ShortsJuly 2004Effective ERs Cut Homicide Rate
The presence of effective trauma systems may be a major factor in keeping murder rates from rising in recent years, according to a 2003 study. The authors concluded that the homicide rate in the United States is about three times lower than it should be based on the increase in violent crimes since 1931. Unfortunately, 15 states do not have an organized trauma system.
[SOURCE: Charles DiMaggio, "Improving Trauma Outcomes: Control Is Still Key," JAAPA - Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants, April, 2003; Donald D. Trunkey, "Trauma Centers and Trauma Systems," JAMA, March 26, 2003] Emergency Room Visits Up 20%
Emergency room visits increased more than 20 percent from 1992 through 2001, and only 10 percent of cases handled were classified as non-urgent. Injuries, poisonings and adverse effects of medical care accounted for one-third of ER visits. Falls were the leading injury, and persons over age 75 had the highest rate of visits - 60 per 100 patients.
[SOURCE: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2001 Emergency Department Summary," Medical Benefits, August 15, 2003] Nuts - Good Fats Galore
If you're looking for "good" fats to munch on, look no further: nuts are a perfect choice. Even though about 80 percent of the calories in nuts are from fat, very little is of the "bad" varieties: saturated fat or trans fat. In fact, one study found that persons including significant portions of nuts in their diet reduced their LDL cholesterol by 9 to 20 percent, regardless of the level of fat or nuts they consumed. Peanuts, which are actually legumes, and tree nuts are good sources of copper, fiber, folate, vitamin E and arginine. Arginine is essential to the production of nitric oxide, a substance that relaxes blood vessels and improves their overall health. Walnuts are particularly high in omega-3 fatty acids, linked with improved heart health. Two ounces of almonds give more than half the recommended daily allowance of magnesium, believed to lower the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Brazil nuts are a rich source of selenium.
[SOURCE: "Almonds, Oh Joy! But Peanuts Better?" Harvard Health Letter, July, 2004] An Apple? Or a Granola Bar?
If you're looking for a healthy snack to eat on the run, an apple may be a better choice than a granola bar. It's just as easy to slip into a jacket pocket; it's less expensive and lower in calories; and it offers an abundance of mouth freshening natural flavors. Unlike a packaged bar, an apple contains no fat, cholesterol or sodium. Apples are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber and contain numerous antioxidant substances plus the mineral boron, which strengthens bones.
[SOURCE: Dee Murphy, "How Much Do You Know about the Food You Eat? What You Eat - Or Don't Eat - Is Important. Here's Why," Current Health 2, October, 2002] Drink Tea To Lower Your Body Fat?
Regular consumption of tea has been found to lower harmful cholesterol and thereby protect against heart disease. Laboratory studies have suggested that tea might also aid in the breakdown of fat tissue, resulting in an anti-obesity effect. Testing this hypothesis, a cross-sectional survey of 569 men and 641 women found that subjects who maintained tea consumption the longest (more than 10 years) had the lowest body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio. The reduction was 19.6 percent for body fat percentage and 2.1 percent for waist-to-hip ratio compared to those who did not drink tea regularly.
[SOURCE: C. Wu, et al, "Relationship among Habitual Tea Consumption, Percent Body Fat, and Body Fat Distribution," Obesity Research, September, 2003; Nutrition Research Newsletter, October, 2003] Don't Forget To Eat Blueberries
Don't forget to eat blueberries; they may help your memory. In a recent laboratory study at Tufts, aging rats who were fed one half cup of blueberries a day showed significant reversals of declining memory and coordination. The anti-aging effect was believed to be related to maintaining the brain's ability to produce dopamine, a chemical crucial to memory and coordination. The dark pigment of blueberries is a rich source of anthocyanins, potent antioxidants.
[SOURCE: Daphna Caperonis Cox, "30 Power Foods: These Foods Can Help You Slow Aging, Prevent Disease, and Boost Immunity. They Are the Essentials of a Mighty Diet," Natural Health, March, 2003] Essential Fatty Acids May Protect against Schizophrenia
A mother's poor dietary habits or malnutrition in the prenatal period have been linked to an increased risk of schizophrenia in later life. Some researchers believe this increased risk could be related to a deficiency of essential fatty acids, which play an important role in the development of brain and nerve tissue. Breast fed babies have a reduced risk of schizophrenia; one theory is that the breast milk supplies essential fatty acids - particularly omega-3s such as EPA and DHA - from the mother.
[SOURCE: John W. Jones and Marilyn Sidwell, "Essential Fatty Acids and the Treatment of Psychiatric Diseases," Original Internist, March, 2001] Vegetable Fat in Youth May Protect against Breast Cancer
Two decades ago, it was believed that dietary fat increased the risk of breast cancer. The large Nurses Health Study (NHS), however, failed to confirm this association and, in fact, suggested that increased intake of vegetable fat during youth may offer some protection. Three recent analyses of NHS data suggested that high school girls with greater consumption of fat derived from vegetable sources decreased their relative risk by as much as 39 percent. No protection was found for intake of vegetable fat during middle age.
[SOURCE: Bruce Jancin, "Breast Cancer Risk Linked to Early Dietary Fat Intake: Nurses' Health Study Data: High Consumption of Vegetable Fat in Adolescence May Reduce Risk Later in Life," Internal Medicine News, February 1, 2004] Pigging Out - Just Once - Can Be Risky
Many Americans worry about provoking a heart attack through over-exertion. A greater risk may be eating a heavy meal. A recent study gave 15 young, healthy subjects a liquid concoction containing 1,200 calories and 100 grams of fat, 50 of them saturated (the equivalent of a medium tub of buttered popcorn at the movies or one slice of the Cheesecake Factory's carrot cheesecake). About five hours after the meal, the subjects experienced an 18 percent reduction in blood flow through their backup arteries and a doubling of triglyceride levels. In an individual with heart disease, such an effect might stress the heart enough to bring on a heart attack.
[SOURCE: Heart Beat - Deliver Me from Temptation," Harvard Heart Letter, August, 2002] How Diet Affects Colon Cancer Risk
Americans have a significantly higher rate of colorectal cancer than persons in countries such as Japan where the typical diet is much lower in fat. A recent study suggests the high fat-cancer connection may be attributed to the body's inability to handle lithocholic acid, a secondary bile acid produced when cholesterol is processed. Lithocholic acid, much of which remains in the intestine, is known to cause cancer in mice, and colorectal cancer patients generally have high concentrations of it.
[SOURCE: Researchers Uncover Biochemical Connection to High-Fat Diets," Cancer Weekly, June 11, 2002] Social Phobia Grips 13% of Population
A person who is painfully shy - to the point of avoiding certain social situations or being unable to initiate conversations - may have social anxiety disorder or social phobia, a problem affecting 13 percent of Americans. Some persons are fearful of a certain type of situation such as speaking in public or taking tests; others have an unusually high sensitivity to interpersonal relations, fearing rejection or saying something foolish. Most patients develop behaviors that allow them to avoid the feared situation, and this avoidance may severely limit normal activities. Some degree of shyness or performance anxiety is common; social phobia involves more intense physical symptoms and causes more disruption in daily functioning. Treatment today usually involves behavioral therapy and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor such as Prozac.
[SOURCE: H. Michael Zal, "Social Anxiety Disorder: How To Help," Consultant, August, 2000] Good Fear, Bad Fear
Fear is an innate instinct, necessary for survival. If something causes you pain, the memory is etched in your brain until another, more positive, memory overrides it. A phobia, on the other hand, is a fear that is not based on a specific, rational memory. More than six million Americans have specific phobias such as arachnophobia (fear of spiders), acrophobia (fear of heights), scolechiphobia (fear of worms) or belonephobia (fear of needles, pins or other sharp objects).
[SOURCE: Libby Tucker, "Fear Factors: Everyone Reacts to Fear Differently. Scientists Are Beginning To Understand Why," Science World, February 7, 2003] Vitamin E Pills Not as Good as Food
Vitamin E plays an important role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers, and most Americans don't get enough from their regular diet. Many health-conscious persons take vitamin E supplements (alpha tocopherol), but studies haven't consistently found the same benefits from pills as from food. It's believed this may be because supplements contain only the alpha form, which may actually reduce levels of the more beneficial forms of vitamin E. Foods rich in vitamin E include nuts, vegetable oils, whole grains, tomatoes and dark-green, leafy vegetables.
[SOURCE: "Second Opinion," Mayo Clinic Health Letter, July, 2004] | 
