March 6, 2024 · 11:48 PM

I Was Right! Mediterranean Diet Prevents Cardiovascular Disease

Branzino, aka European Bass, live in Mediterranean waters

Yet another epidemiologic study supports the contention that the Mediterranean diet reduces cardiovascular disease. The higher the adherence to the Medi diet, the less cardiovascular disease over the next 20 years. I scanned the report down to the Discussion section and, surprisingly, didn’t catch their definition of cardiovascular disease. It usually refers to heart attacks, strokes, angina, congestive heart failure, and hypertension. Some would include aneurysms. The study at hand was done in Greece. You can read the whole thing.

Abstract

Background and aims

Only few studies have assessed longitudinal dietary trends in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We aimed to evaluate the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet, both baseline and longitudinal, and 20-year CVD incidence.

Methods and results

This was a prospective study among 1988 Greek adults (50% men, age: 45 ± 14years). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated at baseline and 10 years through the MedDietScore, based on which longitudinal Mediterranean diet trajectories were identified. CVD incidence was recorded at 20 years. Each one-unit increase in baseline MedDietScore was associated with an 8% reduction in 20-year CVD incidence. Compared to subjects in the lowest tertile of baseline MedDietScore, those in the highest exhibited a 44% lower 20-year CVD risk (relative risk: 0.56, 95% confidence interval: 0.32, 0.97) adjusted for age, sex, baseline body mass index, smoking, physical activity, presence of hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and family history of CVD; further adjustment for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, uric acid and estimated glomerular filtration rate attenuated this association. Results were similar in models adjusted for longitudinal changes in body weight, physical activity and smoking, and 10-year medical status. Mediterranean diet trajectory analysis revealed that 24.7%, 8.6%, 45.8% and 20.9% of participants longitudinally sustained a low adherence, moved closer, moved away or sustained a high adherence, respectively; among those, the corresponding CVD incidence was 63.3%, 65.5%, 28.1% and 9.4% (p-value<0.001).

Conclusion

The Mediterranean diet offers long-term protection against CVD, part of which is mediated by inflammation, uricemia and renal function.

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS: The study is in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Disease: “Mediterranean diet trajectories and 20-year incidence of cardiovascular disease: The ATTICA cohort study (2002–2022),” published in January 2024.

front cover of Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes
Buy Now at Amazon.com
Buy E-book Now at Smashwords

Comments Off on I Was Right! Mediterranean Diet Prevents Cardiovascular Disease

Filed under coronary heart disease, Health Benefits, Heart Disease, Stroke

March 6, 2024 · 10:29 PM

What About Ketogenic Diet for Kids?

Diabetes Daily has in interesting article that addresses that question. A snippet:

In October 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a report examining low-carbohydrate diets like keto in children and adolescents. You probably won’t be surprised that the authors are concerned. Despite the increasing popularity of carbohydrate restriction, evidence to support the benefits of low-carb diets in young people under 18 with obesity or diabetes is very limited. And though diabetes authorities have acknowledged that carb restriction has “the most evidence” for improving blood sugar levels, the American Diabetes Association has only endorsed low-carb eating as one of multiple possible eating patterns.

And yet, there are many people in the diabetes community who believe in the effectiveness of low, even very-low, carbohydrate diets for their children. There’s at least one study that supports their advocacy

I’m not a pediatrician and never treat children in my hospital practice, not even 17-year-olds. Nor have I reviewed the pertinent pediatric scientific literature. So I’ve never been comfortable writing about keto diets for children. The linked DD article was reviewed by Anna Goldman, M.D.

Steve Parker, M.D.

front cover of KMD: ketogenic mediterranean diet
Buy Now at Amazon.com
Buy E-book Now at Smashwords

Comments Off on What About Ketogenic Diet for Kids?

Filed under ketogenic diet

February 28, 2024 · 11:20 PM

Leap Year Customs and Superstitions

Jan over at The Low Carb Diabetic has a fun post regarding Feb 29.

Read about marriage proposals, gloves, leap day babies, bad luck, and St. Oswald’s Day, all from an occidental perspective.

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

February 18, 2024 · 2:49 AM

Does Vitamin D Prevent Dementia?

Dr. John Campbell is “totally convinced” that high-dose vitamin D supplementation would prevent many cases of dementia, particularly Alzheimer dementia, which is 75% of all dementia cases. He takes 4,000 IU of vitamin D/day plus 100 mcg of vitamin K2. Unclear to me if that’s year-round or only in fall and winter, when there’s less sunshine in the northern hemisphere. I assume it’s oral vitamin D3 (there are several types of vitamin D). Dr. Campbell didn’t say why he takes the K2. Click for a brief review of K2. In contrast to his vitamin D dose of 4,000 IU/day, U.K. health authorities recommend a tenth of that — 400 IU — in autumn and winter.

Several observational studies link higher risk of dementia with blood levels of vitamin D that are deficient or insufficient. Blood levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D under 25 mg/ml are particularly linked to dementia. Dr. Campbell admits that it’s difficult to prove that adequate vitamin D supplementation would prevent Alzheimer dementia.

  Steve Parker, M.D.

front cover of Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes
Buy Now at Amazon.com
Buy E-book Now at Smashwords

Comments Off on Does Vitamin D Prevent Dementia?

Filed under Uncategorized

February 8, 2024 · 11:26 AM

Male Versus Female Longevity

Working on powerlines is dangerous and it’s mostly men who do it.
Photo by Ana-Maria Antonenco on Pexels.com

Jim Goad is one of my favorite living cultural commentators. On par with a young P. J. O’Rourke, who died in 2022 at age 74. Last year Goad wrote a thoughtful and thought-provoking article on why women outlive men. A sample:

This disparity is not exclusive to the United States. In fact, it’s worse elsewhere. Worldwide, women outlive men by an average of seven years. According to a 2001 report, the only five countries on Earth where men outlived women were the flea-bitten open-air latrines we call Afghanistan, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. But a report from 2017 says there’s no longer any country on the planet where men outlive women.

It wasn’t always this way.

According to data from developed countries, men lived longer than women throughout most of the 1800s, only for the longevity stats to tip in favor of females during the 1890s — an advantage that women have held ever since. Women are supposedly more vulnerable than men to infectious diseases, but once male scientists got a grip on the microbes and brought those pesky critters to heel, women started living longer than men.

As far as I know, women have never thanked men for it.

+ + +

For another example of Goad’s work, check out his valentine, Why I Never Gave Up On Women.

  Steve Parker, M.D.

Comments Off on Male Versus Female Longevity

Filed under Longevity

February 1, 2024 · 7:00 AM

Red Meat and Diabetes Risk

Photo by Malidate Van on Pexels.com

Red meat consumption — whether processed or not — was linked to onset of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. according to a 2023 article in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The research was a long-term observational study by mostly Harvard-based scientists. Among the authors that might be familiar to you are Walter Willett, Frank Hu, and Frank Sacks. Click the link for the deets.

This doesn’t prove that red meat consumption causes diabetes. But if you enjoy a fair or high amount of red meat, you might benefit by cutting back, especially if diabetes runs in your family. I’d also suggest regular exercise and avoiding overweight and obesity to reduce your risks of type 2 diabetes. The author suggest red meat alternatives: nuts, legumes, dairy foods.

In the same journal issue is a commentary by Daan Kremer. Some snippets:

The current observational study is unlikely to end the discussion on whether red meat intake increases risk of type 2 diabetes and even less likely to end the epistemological debates on how to grade quality of observational evidence when many efforts are made to reduce bias and confounding.

+ + +

All in all, the study by Gu et al. may arguably be the best evidence to date on the relation between red meat intake and type 2 diabetes. Yet somehow, I feel that the books have not been closed.

  Steve Parker, M.D.

front cover of Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes
Buy Now at Amazon.com
Buy E-book Now at Smashwords

Comments Off on Red Meat and Diabetes Risk

Filed under Causes of Diabetes

January 28, 2024 · 11:21 AM

Faster Walking Speed is Linked to Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com

You probably want to shoot for a speed of 3 miles per hour or higher. Or 4.8 kilometers/hr or faster.

The British Journal of Sports Medicine published an article by researchers based in Iran. They analyzed 10 cohort studies that looked at average habitual walking speed and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Study subjects were not in Iran, but in the U.S., U.K., and Japan.

An easy, casual walking speed is 2 miles per hour (mph) or less. Brisk walking speed is 3-4 mph. The researchers found that a habitual walking speed of even 2.5 mph was linked to a slightly lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to the casual walkers. A more definitive reduction of diabetes incidence (25%) was seen in those who walk at 3 to 4 mph.

For those of you who think in terms of km/hr: An easy, casual walking speed is 3.2 km/hr or less. Brisk walking speed is 4.8-6.4 km/hr. The researchers found that a habitual walking speed of even 4 km/hr was linked to a slightly lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to the casual walkers. A more definitive reduction of diabetes incidence (25%) was seen in those who walk at 4.8-6.4 km/hr.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll cut your risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you increase your habitual walking speed from an easy stroll to 3 mph or higher. But it is suggestive and there is physiological science to support that suggestion. The problem is that this study was observational. Which means it’s possible that faster walkers are simply overall healthier than slower ones. They walk faster because they’re healthier and are just constitutionally (genetically?) less prone to illness. To prove that faster walking speeds prevent some cases of type 2 diabetes, you’d have to take 2,000 slow walkers and somehow motivate 1,000 of them to walk faster habitually, while making sure the slow-pokes stay slow for 5-10 years. Keep everything else the same for all 2,000. After 5-10 years, you compare the incidence of diabetes. That study will not, probably cannot, be done.

  Steve Parker, M.D.

h/t to Diabetes Daily for a well-written article on this.

front cover of Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes
Buy Now at Amazon.com
Buy E-book Now at Smashwords

Comments Off on Faster Walking Speed is Linked to Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Filed under Causes of Diabetes, Exercise

January 18, 2024 · 3:25 AM

10,000 Steps a Day: C’mon, Man! Is That Really Necessary?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

For perhaps 15-20 years, many health experts have recommended you walk 10,000 steps/day as important for maximizing your health and longevity. Depending on your stride length, that’s roughly 5 miles (8 km). When I walk my dogs 4 miles, it takes about 90 minutes, which is a big time commitment. Frankly, it’s often boring. But not for the dogs. So many fascinating odors!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The good news is, you don’t need to walk the 10,000 steps in one fell swoop. Your walking around your residence and workplace throughout the day counts, too.

More good news. If you’re an older woman, maybe 4,400 steps/day is enough for a longevity benefit. In other populations studied, 6,000 to 8,000 steps/day was optimal.

I admitted a patient to the hospital a few days ago who told me her health insurer sends her a small check monthly if she meets their step goal. She’s saving them money via lower healthcare expenditures, and they’re sharing with her. I love it!

  Steve Parker, M.D.

front cover of Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes
Buy Now at Amazon.com
Buy E-book Now at Smashwords

2 Comments

Filed under Exercise, Longevity

January 12, 2024 · 8:23 AM

What Really Matters?

Only one thing really matters. That’s your relationship with Jesus Christ/God. Who was Jesus? Did he exist? Was he crucified for your eternal salvation?

Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He died for my sins. After my death, I’ll be with him in heaven forever.

  Steve Parker, M.D.

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

January 10, 2024 · 9:54 PM

19 Expert Weight-Loss Tips and Tricks

1.  Record-keeping is often the key to success.

2.  Accountability is another key to success. Consider documenting your program and progress on a free website such as FitDay, SparkPeople, 3FatChicks, or others. Consider blogging about your adventure on a free platform such as WordPress or Blogger, or try the newer social media sites. Such a public commitment may be just what you need to keep you motivated.

3.  Do you have a friend or spouse who wants to lose weight? Start the same program at the same time and support each other. That’s built-in accountability.

4.  If you tend to over-eat, floss and brush your teeth after you’re full. You’ll be less likely to go back for more anytime soon.

5.  Eat at least two or three meals daily. Skipping meals may lead to uncontrollable overeating later on. On the other hand, ignore the diet gurus who say you must eat every two or three hours. That’s codswallop.

6.  Eat meals at a leisurely pace, chewing and enjoying each bite thoroughly before swallowing.

7.  Plan to give yourself a specific reward for every 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of weight lost. You know what you like. Consider a weekend get-away, a trip to the beauty salon, jewelry, an evening at the theater, a professional massage, home entertainment equipment, new clothes, etc.

8.  Carefully consider when would be a good time to start your new lifestyle. It should be a period of low or usual stress. Bad times would be Thanksgiving day, Christmas/New Years’ holiday, the first day of a Caribbean cruise, and during a divorce.

9.  If you know you’ve eaten enough at a meal to satisfy your nutritional requirements yet you still feel hungry, drink a large glass of water and wait a while.

10  Limit television to a maximum of a few hours a day.

11.  Maintain a consistent eating pattern throughout the week and year.

12.  Eat breakfast routinely.

13.  Control emotional eating.

14.  Weigh frequently: daily during active weight-loss efforts and during the first two months of your maintenance-of-weight-loss phase. After that, cut back to weekly weights if you want. Daily weights will remind you how hard you worked to achieve your goal.

15.  Be aware that you might regain five or 10 pounds (2-4 kg) of fat now and then. You probably will. Don’t freak out. It’s human nature. You’re not a failure; you’re human. But draw the line and get back on the old weight-loss program for one or two months. Analyze and learn from the episode. Why did it happen? Slipping back into your old ways? Slacking off on exercise? Too many special occasion feasts or cheat days? Allowing junk food or non-essential carbs back into the house?

16.  Learn which food item is your nemesis—the food that consistently torpedoes your resolve to eat right. For example, mine is anything sweet. Remember an old ad campaign for a potato chip: “Betcha can’t eat just one!”? Well, I can’t eat just one cookie. So I don’t get started. I might eat one if it’s the last one available. Or I satisfy my sweet craving with a diet soda, small piece of dark chocolate, or sugar-free gelatin. Just as a recovering alcoholic can’t drink any alcohol, perhaps you should totally abstain from…? You know your own personal gastronomic Achilles heel. Or heels. Experiment with various strategies for vanquishing your nemesis.

17.  If you’re not losing excess weight as expected (about a pound or half a kilogram per week), you may benefit from eating just two meals a day. This will often turn on your cellular weight-loss machinery even when total calorie consumption doesn’t seem much less than usual. The two meals to eat would be breakfast and a mid-afternoon meal (call it what you wish). The key is to not eat within six hours of bedtime. Of course, this trick could cause dangerous hypoglycemia if you’re taking drugs with potential to cause low blood sugars, like insulin and sulfonylureas. If you take drugs for diabetes, talk to your dietitian or physician before instituting a semi-radical diet change like this.

18.  One of the fitness bloggers I used to follow was James Fell. He said, “If you want to lose weight you need to cook. Period.”

19.  Regular exercise is much more important for prevention of weight regain rather than for actually losing weight.

Steve Parker, M.D.

 

front cover of Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes
Buy Now at Amazon.com
Buy E-book Now at Smashwords

Comments Off on 19 Expert Weight-Loss Tips and Tricks

Filed under Weight Loss