October 22, 2016 · 2:51 AM

Is City Life Making Us Bonkers?

Evolutionistx thinks so. She started pondering this in view of the fact that one of every four women in the U.S. is on medication for depression or anxiety. Why so many drug users? A quote:

People seem to do best, emotionally, when they have the support of their kin, some degree of ethnic or national pride, economic and physical security, attend religious services, and avoid crowded cities. (Here I am, an atheist, recommending church for people.) The knowledge you are at peace with your tribe and your tribe has your back seems almost entirely absent from most people’s modern lives; instead, people are increasingly pushed into environments where they have no tribe and most people they encounter in daily life have no connection to them. Indeed, tribalism and city living don’t seem to get along very well.

RTWT.

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS: Here’s a starter article on how to find a church.

 

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October 21, 2016 · 6:19 AM

Gastric Bypass Surgery May Increase Risk of Suicide

…according to an article at MedPageToday.

Steve Parker MD, bariatric surgery

Band Gastric Bypass Surgery

Self-harm emergencies rose by 50% after gastric bypass surgery in the Canadians in this study.

Folks on my diets lose weight without an increase in suicide risk, as far as I know. Click on my name for the diets.

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS: If you’re thinking about killing yourself, please please please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or some other reliable source for help!

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Filed under Longevity, Weight Loss

October 19, 2016 · 12:23 AM

Sure, Exercise Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, But How Much Does It Take?

Hop on and ride, ride, ride to prevent diabetes

Hop on and ride, ride, ride to prevent diabetes

Even if you have T2 diabetes already, share this post with someone who has prediabetes or risk of getting diabetes. You could save a life and prevent a lot of hassle.

“A new study, published this week in the journal Diabetologia, takes a deeper look at the role of exercise in the development of type 2 diabetes. It is the most in-depth study to examine exercise independent from other influential factors, such as diet. The conclusions from the report are clear: “This research shows that some physical activity is good, but more is better.” (says study co-author Dr. Soren Brage)

Currently, physical activity guidelines in the U.S. and the United Kingdom recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week; this could include cycling, walking, or sports. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fewer than 50 percent of American adults meet these recommendations.

The current study was a result of collaborative work between two institutions – University College London and the University of Cambridge, both of which are based in the U.K. Data from more than 1 million people was collated. In all, the team analyzed 23 studies from the U.S., Asia, Australia, and Europe.

***

According to the analysis, cycling or walking briskly for 150 minutes each week cuts the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 26 percent.

Those who exercise moderately or vigorously for an hour each day reduced their risk by 40 percent. At the other end of the scale, for those who did not manage to reach the 150 minute target, any amount of physical activity they carried out still reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes, but to a lesser extent.,

Source: Exercise vs. diabetes: New level of detail uncovered – Medical News Today

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS: If you want to start an exercise program, my books will get you started.

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Filed under Causes of Diabetes, Exercise

October 14, 2016 · 10:25 AM

From a British Medical Journal blog: What are we meant to eat?

“Roll the clock forward, and here we are in 2016 with whole countries refuting the fat is bad, sugar is good mentality. Sweden has adopted a low-carbohydrate approach to public health messaging, lifestyle choice, and health interventions. The switch in dietary advice followed the publication of a two-year study by the independent Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment. The committee reviewed 16,000 studies published up until 31 May 2013 and upended existing advice in favour of a low-carbohydrate model. Here in the UK we see, almost weekly, documentaries and publications advocating that we reduce our carbohydrate intake, especially for the treatment of obesity and diabetes, and yet the accepted advice is still low fat.”

Source: BMJ Blogs: The BMJ » Blog Archive » Paul Buchanan: What are we meant to eat?

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October 13, 2016 · 4:17 PM

From P.D. Mangan: Higher Altitude Means Much Lower Death Rates

Adult life is a battle against gravity. Eventually we all lose.

Adult life is a battle against gravity. Eventually we all lose.

I quote:

“Death rates from both of these cancers [breast in women, colon in men] were about half as high at an altitude of greater than 1000 meters (3300 feet).  The study also found about a 30% reduction in deaths from coronary artery disease at >1000 meters.

This accords well with a number of other studies. For example, “Lower Mortality From Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke at Higher Altitudes in Switzerland“. This study found 22% less heart disease death for every +1000 meters in altitude, and 12% less stroke death.

“Association Between Alzheimer Dementia Mortality Rate and Altitude in California Counties“: This study found about half the death rate from Alzheimer’s at an altitude of 1600 meters vs that at sea level.

There’s less diabetes at high altitude.”

Source: Higher Altitude Means Much Lower Death Rates – Rogue Health and Fitness

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Filed under cancer, Causes of Diabetes, Dementia, Heart Disease

October 12, 2016 · 5:02 PM

From Kelley Pounds: “I HAVE to Take Insulin Anyways – My Diet is Not THAT Important” 

“I see this comment SO many times. “I have to take insulin anyways, so my diet is not THAT important. I can eat what I want and cover it with insulin.”

When I hear it in people with Type 2, I shake my head. We should know better!  Poor lifestyle choices are what got most of us in this place to begin with.  Giving insulin to a population that still usually makes plenty of insulin just to cover poor lifestyle choices is beyond disturbing. Insulin in this population should be for those that have made every effort at living a healthy lifestyle and still need a little help achieving NORMAL blood sugar.”

Source: I HAVE to Take Insulin Anyways – My Diet is Not THAT Important – Low Carb RN (CDE)

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October 10, 2016 · 12:07 PM

Elders on a Weight-Loss Diet Preserve Bone Mineral Density With Resistance Training, Not Aerobic Exercise

…according to an article at MedPageToday.

"One more rep then I'm outa here!"

“One more rep then I’m outa here!”

In the study at hand, the two experimental groups had about 60 participants each, so it was a relatively small study. (In general, the larger the study, the more reliable the findings.) Most participants were white women; mean age was 69. The experimental intervention ran for five months. An excerpt:

In one trial, the participants were randomized to a structured resistance training program in which three sets of 10 repetitions of eight upper and lower body exercises were done 3 days each week at 70% of one repetition maximum for 5 weeks, with or without calorie restriction of 600 calories per day.
In the second study, participants were randomized to an aerobic program which was conducted for 30 minutes at 65% to 70% heart rate reserve 4 days per week, with or without calorie restriction of 600 calories per day.

The beneficial bone effect was seen at the hip but not the lumbar spine. (I’ve treated lots of hip and lumbar spine fractures. If I’m going to break one of those bones, I’d rather it be the spine.)

Thin old bones—i.e., osteoporotic ones—are prone to fractures. Maintaining or improving bone mineral density probably prevents age-related fractures. In a five-month small study like this, I wouldn’t expect the researchers to find any fracture rate reduction; that takes years.

Most mainstream articles on prevention and treatment of osteoporosis mention “weight-bearing” exercises as what you should do, like walking, jogging, tai chi, and volleyball. The current study adds resistance training to our therapeutic armamentarium. Resistance training is also called weight training or strength training.  

Most elders starting a weight-training program should work with a personal trainer.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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October 6, 2016 · 4:14 PM

Night shift work does NOT raise breast cancer risk, new study finds

MNT has the details:

“In 2007, the World Health Organization published a review that concluded night shift work is likely to raise the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer. A new review of more than 1.4 million women challenges this conclusion, after revealing night shift work had little or no impact on breast cancer incidence.

Working night shifts has little or no impact on women’s risk of breast cancer, a new study suggests.Study co-author Dr. Ruth Travis, of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, and colleagues publish their findings in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 15 million adults in the United States work full-time night shifts, rotating shifts, or other irregular schedules.It is well established that such working patterns can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm – the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that occur over a 24-hour cycle, which mainly respond to light and dark in the environment.

Circadian rhythm disruption has been associated with an array of health problems, including sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, depression, and bipolar disorder.”

Source: Night shift work ‘does not raise breast cancer risk,’ study finds – Medical News Today

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October 5, 2016 · 9:05 PM

J&J insulin pump vulnerable to hacking

If you’re one of the 114,000 users of this device in the U.S. or Canada, listen up:

“Johnson & Johnson is telling patients that it has learned of a security vulnerability in one of its insulin pumps that a hacker could exploit to overdose diabetic patients with insulin, though it describes the risk as low.

Medical device experts said they believe it was the first time a manufacturer had issued such a warning to patients about a cyber vulnerability, a hot topic in the industry following revelations last month about possible bugs in pacemakers and defibrillators.

J&J executives told Reuters they knew of no examples of attempted hacking attacks on the device, the J&J Animas OneTouch Ping insulin pump. The company is nonetheless warning customers and providing advice on how to fix the problem.”

Source: J&J warns diabetic patients: Insulin pump vulnerable to hacking | Reuters

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October 5, 2016 · 12:39 PM

FDA approves “artificial pancreas” for type 1 diabetes

CNN has a few details on the Medtronic MiniMed 670G, which should be available to consumers this spring:

“The Food and Drug Administration approved a so-called artificial pancreas Wednesday. The first-of-its-kind device, the size of a cell phone, monitors and treats patients with type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes.In those with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, a hormone people need to get energy from food. The Medtronic MiniMed 670G system continuously monitors glucose (blood sugar) levels and delivers needed insulin to patients.

“This is a revolutionary day for the treatment of diabetes. We’ve been long awaiting the artificial pancreas, and it’s exciting to see it,” said Dr. Robert Courgi, an endocrinologist at Northwell Health’s South Side Hospital in Bay Shore, New York.”

Source: ‘Artificial pancreas’ for type 1 diabetes wins FDA approval – CNN.com

Cost and insurance coverage issues should be interesting.

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