Want to look like Tom Cruise with bright white, sparkling teeth? Well, if so, you have plenty of options. Just try to stay away from the UV light-enhanced bleaching that is a cosmetic dentistry trend right now. A new article in a scientific journal says that this is not only a con, but that it can be outright dangerous to your eyes and skin.
The light treatment gives absolutely no benefit over bleaching without UV, and damages skin and eyes up to four times as much as sunbathing, reports a study in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences.
One lamp actually gave four times the level of radiation exposure that you'd get spending the entire day at the beach.
And as with sunbathing, fair-skinned or light-sensitive people are at even greater risk, said lead author Ellen Bruzell of the Nordic Institute of Dental Materials.
Bleaching, in general, also has its problems. Bruzell and her colleagues saw more exposed grooves on the enamel surfaces of bleached teeth than on unbleached teeth. These grooves make the teeth more vulnerable to mechanical stress. Dental bleaching is one of the most popular cosmetic treatments available. It uses a bleaching agent – usually hydrogen peroxide – to remove stains such as those from red wine, tea and coffee, and smoking.
UV light is claimed to further activate the oxidation process, improving bleaching efficiency. The authors of this article say there is very little substantive evidence to support this claim, and their new study finds no benefit to using UV light.
Dave
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Seniors Who Drink have Reduced Physical Disabilities
As a health conscious reader, you have regularly seen those reports (a few on this site) that say drinking some alcohol may be beneficial, but those reports are generally relegated to research that has been done on cognitive function. Now, there is new research that suggests light-to-moderate alcohol consumption may actually help to stave off the development of physical disabilities in seniors.
It has been known for some time that moderate alcohol consumption can be good for you, for example drinking a couple of glasses of wine can boost heart health. However, results by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles suggest that seniors who are in good health can help to remain so by enjoying the occasional drink.
Data from 4,276 men and women with a mean age of 60.4 years was examined in this report by Dr Arun Karlamangla and his colleagues. At the start of the survey, 32% of men and 51% of women did not drink alcohol (defined as drinking less than 12 drinks per year), 51% of men and 45% of women were light-to-moderate drinkers (defined as drinking less than 15 drinks per week), and 17% of men and 4% women were heavy drinkers (defined as drinking more than 15 drinks per week). No participants had any disabilities at the start of the study.
Five years later a followup study was conducted, showing 7% of participants had died and 15% had become physically disabled. This "disability" was defined by the fact that they had trouble performing, or were unable to perform normal activities of daily living, such as walking, dressing, and eating (after taking into account risk factors for disability, such as age, smoking, exercise, and heart attack and stroke history).
Results showed that seniors who rated their health as good or better and who consumed light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol had reduced their risk of physically disability by 3 to 8% for each additional drink per week. No benefit was seen in seniors who rated their health as fair or poor, nor in heavy drinkers.
“Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption appears to have disability prevention benefits only in men and women in relatively good health. It is possible that those who report poor health have progressed too far on the pathway to disability to accrue benefits from alcohol consumption and that alcohol consumption may even be deleterious for them," reported the scientists.
Dave
It has been known for some time that moderate alcohol consumption can be good for you, for example drinking a couple of glasses of wine can boost heart health. However, results by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles suggest that seniors who are in good health can help to remain so by enjoying the occasional drink.
Data from 4,276 men and women with a mean age of 60.4 years was examined in this report by Dr Arun Karlamangla and his colleagues. At the start of the survey, 32% of men and 51% of women did not drink alcohol (defined as drinking less than 12 drinks per year), 51% of men and 45% of women were light-to-moderate drinkers (defined as drinking less than 15 drinks per week), and 17% of men and 4% women were heavy drinkers (defined as drinking more than 15 drinks per week). No participants had any disabilities at the start of the study.
Five years later a followup study was conducted, showing 7% of participants had died and 15% had become physically disabled. This "disability" was defined by the fact that they had trouble performing, or were unable to perform normal activities of daily living, such as walking, dressing, and eating (after taking into account risk factors for disability, such as age, smoking, exercise, and heart attack and stroke history).
Results showed that seniors who rated their health as good or better and who consumed light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol had reduced their risk of physically disability by 3 to 8% for each additional drink per week. No benefit was seen in seniors who rated their health as fair or poor, nor in heavy drinkers.
“Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption appears to have disability prevention benefits only in men and women in relatively good health. It is possible that those who report poor health have progressed too far on the pathway to disability to accrue benefits from alcohol consumption and that alcohol consumption may even be deleterious for them," reported the scientists.
Dave
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Aspirin May Prevent Liver Damage
A new study claims that a daily dose of a common product could prevent liver damage. This may mean that millions of people who abuse alcohol and/or who are obese could reduce their chances of harming the body's biggest internal organ. Surprisingly, this may be possible with the lowly painkiller, aspirin.
Scientists writing in the Journal of Clinical Investigation said that tests on mice showed aspirin reduced death caused by an overdose of acetaminophen, best known in the USA as the over-the-counter product Tylenol. In addition, aspirin may help prevent and treat liver damage from a host of other non-infectious causes, said Wajahat Mehal from Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, CT).
"Many agents such as drugs and alcohol cause liver damage, and we have found two ways to block a central pathway responsible for such liver injury. Our strategy is to use aspirin on a daily basis to prevent liver injury," Mehal reports.
As an added bonus to this new research, certain promising drugs that have failed clinical trials because of liver toxicity could potentially be resurrected if they are later combined with aspirin. Mr Mehal said: "This offers the exciting possibility of reducing a lot of pain and suffering in patients with liver diseases, using a new and very practical approach."
Previous work has shown that women who take aspirin once a day may slightly reduce their risk of the most common type of breast cancer; of course, it is well known that a daily aspirin is recommended to prevent heart attacks in people at high risk of having one. Nine recent studies have shown how aspirin can help treat heart attacks. Doses between 75 milligrams and 325 milligrams help thin the blood, scientists have found. (Aspirin isn't without complications -- blood thinning can be a problem for someone going into surgery. As always, discuss an aspirin regimen with a doctor before implementing.)
Dave
Scientists writing in the Journal of Clinical Investigation said that tests on mice showed aspirin reduced death caused by an overdose of acetaminophen, best known in the USA as the over-the-counter product Tylenol. In addition, aspirin may help prevent and treat liver damage from a host of other non-infectious causes, said Wajahat Mehal from Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, CT).
"Many agents such as drugs and alcohol cause liver damage, and we have found two ways to block a central pathway responsible for such liver injury. Our strategy is to use aspirin on a daily basis to prevent liver injury," Mehal reports.
As an added bonus to this new research, certain promising drugs that have failed clinical trials because of liver toxicity could potentially be resurrected if they are later combined with aspirin. Mr Mehal said: "This offers the exciting possibility of reducing a lot of pain and suffering in patients with liver diseases, using a new and very practical approach."
Previous work has shown that women who take aspirin once a day may slightly reduce their risk of the most common type of breast cancer; of course, it is well known that a daily aspirin is recommended to prevent heart attacks in people at high risk of having one. Nine recent studies have shown how aspirin can help treat heart attacks. Doses between 75 milligrams and 325 milligrams help thin the blood, scientists have found. (Aspirin isn't without complications -- blood thinning can be a problem for someone going into surgery. As always, discuss an aspirin regimen with a doctor before implementing.)
Dave
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
ADHD Drugs and Hallucinations in Children
There's a dark side to the drugs that are used on children with ADHD. In some cases, these young patients have hallucinated that worms, bugs or snakes were crawling on them. These issues should be very seriously considered before putting your child on these drugs.
U.S. government researchers said on Monday that data from 49 clinical studies conducted by makers of ADHD drugs showed that these pharmaceuticals can cause psychosis and mania in some patients, including some with no obvious risk factors.
Dr. Andrew Mosholder and his colleagues wrote in the journal Pediatrics that "Patients and physicians should be aware of the possibility that psychiatric symptoms consistent with psychosis or mania might arise in the course of treatment."
The questionable drugs include Novartis AG's Ritalin and Focalin XR, Shire Plc's Adderall XR and Daytrana patch, Johnson's Concerta, Eli Lilly and Co's Strattera and Celltech Pharmaceuticals Inc's Metadate CD. The review also includes data on Cephalon Inc's modafinil, sold as Provigil.
FDA spokeswoman Sandy Walsh said the data formed the basis for recent warnings about psychiatric side effects that have been added to product labels in recent years. Millions of children use drugs to treat symptoms of ADHD, which affects about three to seven percent of U.S. children.
While the majority of kids on ADHD drugs won't see these side effects, they are out there and represent something quite important for parents to consider before putting their young children on pharmaceuticals.
Dave
U.S. government researchers said on Monday that data from 49 clinical studies conducted by makers of ADHD drugs showed that these pharmaceuticals can cause psychosis and mania in some patients, including some with no obvious risk factors.
Dr. Andrew Mosholder and his colleagues wrote in the journal Pediatrics that "Patients and physicians should be aware of the possibility that psychiatric symptoms consistent with psychosis or mania might arise in the course of treatment."
The questionable drugs include Novartis AG's Ritalin and Focalin XR, Shire Plc's Adderall XR and Daytrana patch, Johnson's Concerta, Eli Lilly and Co's Strattera and Celltech Pharmaceuticals Inc's Metadate CD. The review also includes data on Cephalon Inc's modafinil, sold as Provigil.
FDA spokeswoman Sandy Walsh said the data formed the basis for recent warnings about psychiatric side effects that have been added to product labels in recent years. Millions of children use drugs to treat symptoms of ADHD, which affects about three to seven percent of U.S. children.
While the majority of kids on ADHD drugs won't see these side effects, they are out there and represent something quite important for parents to consider before putting their young children on pharmaceuticals.
Dave
Monday, January 26, 2009
Apple Juice Appears to Delay Onset of Alzheimer's Disease
A new study is part of a growing body of evidence that demonstrates how we can take steps to delay age-related cognitive decline -- including, in some cases, that which accompanies Alzheimer’s disease. This claim was made in a study published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Thomas B. Shea, PhD, of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology; Neurodegeneration Research University of Massachusetts (Lowell, MA) and his research team have carried out a number of laboratory studies demonstrating that drinking apple juice helped mice perform better than normal in maze trials, and prevented the decline in performance that was otherwise observed as these mice aged.
Shea and his team demonstrated recently that mice receiving the human equivalent of 2 glasses of apple juice per day for 1 month produced less of the protein known as “beta-amyloid” (which is responsible for forming the “senile plaques” that are commonly found in brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease).
Dr. Shea commented that “These findings provide further evidence linking nutritional and genetic risk factors for age-related neurodegeneration and suggest that regular consumption of apple juice can not only help to keep one’s mind functioning at its best, but may also be able to delay key aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and augment therapeutic approaches.”
Dave
Thomas B. Shea, PhD, of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology; Neurodegeneration Research University of Massachusetts (Lowell, MA) and his research team have carried out a number of laboratory studies demonstrating that drinking apple juice helped mice perform better than normal in maze trials, and prevented the decline in performance that was otherwise observed as these mice aged.
Shea and his team demonstrated recently that mice receiving the human equivalent of 2 glasses of apple juice per day for 1 month produced less of the protein known as “beta-amyloid” (which is responsible for forming the “senile plaques” that are commonly found in brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease).
Dr. Shea commented that “These findings provide further evidence linking nutritional and genetic risk factors for age-related neurodegeneration and suggest that regular consumption of apple juice can not only help to keep one’s mind functioning at its best, but may also be able to delay key aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and augment therapeutic approaches.”
Dave
Friday, January 23, 2009
Coffee Report from Scandinavia Shows Anti-Alzheimer's Benefit
I know that the reports on coffee, even on this site, vary considerably. I like the sound of this new research, however, because it shows that drinking several cups of coffee each day during middle-age may "significantly reduce the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life." Anything that I can do to reduce my odds on that one, I'll take!
Finnish and Swedish researchers studied the association between tea and coffee consumption during middle-age and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in late-life. The researchers first questioned people about their tea and coffee drinking habits. A total of 1409 participants were available for the follow-up re-examination approximately 21 years later. At follow-up participants were aged between 65 to 79, and 61 participants were found to be suffering from dementia, 48 of which had Alzheimer’s disease.
Results showed that people who drank coffee while in their middle years had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than those who drank little or no coffee. With participants who reported a moderate coffee consumption (3 to 5 cups each day) being 65% less likely to develop dementia/Alzheimer’s disease than those who drank little or no coffee. Tea drinking was uncommon in this Scandinavian population and so the researchers found no association between drinking tea and dementia/Alzheimer’s disease -- (this may not say anything about tea, but more about the lifestyle of those in the region.)
“Given the large amount of coffee consumption globally, the results might have important implications for the prevention of or delaying the onset of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease,” said lead researcher, Miia Kivipelto. “The finding needs to be confirmed by other studies, but it opens the possibility that dietary interventions could modify the risk of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. Also, identification of mechanisms of how coffee exerts its protection against dementia/Alzheimer’s disease might help in the development of new therapies for these diseases."
This study was reported in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, issue 2009;16.
Dave
Finnish and Swedish researchers studied the association between tea and coffee consumption during middle-age and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in late-life. The researchers first questioned people about their tea and coffee drinking habits. A total of 1409 participants were available for the follow-up re-examination approximately 21 years later. At follow-up participants were aged between 65 to 79, and 61 participants were found to be suffering from dementia, 48 of which had Alzheimer’s disease.
Results showed that people who drank coffee while in their middle years had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than those who drank little or no coffee. With participants who reported a moderate coffee consumption (3 to 5 cups each day) being 65% less likely to develop dementia/Alzheimer’s disease than those who drank little or no coffee. Tea drinking was uncommon in this Scandinavian population and so the researchers found no association between drinking tea and dementia/Alzheimer’s disease -- (this may not say anything about tea, but more about the lifestyle of those in the region.)
“Given the large amount of coffee consumption globally, the results might have important implications for the prevention of or delaying the onset of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease,” said lead researcher, Miia Kivipelto. “The finding needs to be confirmed by other studies, but it opens the possibility that dietary interventions could modify the risk of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. Also, identification of mechanisms of how coffee exerts its protection against dementia/Alzheimer’s disease might help in the development of new therapies for these diseases."
This study was reported in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, issue 2009;16.
Dave
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Viagra's Other Benefits
Johns Hopkins researchers have recently discovered that Viagra has a few "other talents" (as they described it in their press release). It turns out that this drug also helps a 'signaling' protein shield the heart from high blood pressure damage. This is interesting because Viagra had been seen more and more frequently as a "lifestyle" drug, and not something with a genuine healthcare benefit.
These researchers report what is believed to be the first direct evidence in lab animals that the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil amplifies the effects of a heart-protective protein, in a new article published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Jan. 5. Their work helps explain why sildenafil, more widely known as Viagra, has already been shown to improve heart function and may one day have value in either treating or preventing heart damage due to chronic high blood pressure.
The key, investigators say, is sildenafil's effects on a single protein, RGS2, newly identified in the latest study as an essential link in the chain reactions that initially protect the body's main blood-pumping organ from spiraling into heart failure.
Experimenting in mice, the team of heart experts first established that after a week of induced high blood pressure, the hearts of animals engineered to lack RGS2, or regulator of G-protein signaling 2, quickly expanded in weight by 90 percent. Almost half the mice died of heart failure. In mice with RGS2, by contrast, the dangerous muscle expansion, known as hypertrophy, was delayed, growing only 30 percent, and no mice died.
Subsequent tests treating hypertensive mice that had RGS2 with sildenafil showed enhanced buffering, with less hypertrophy, stronger heart muscle contraction and relaxation, and as much as 10 times lower stress-related enzyme activity compared to their untreated counterparts. In mice lacking RGS2, sildenafil had no effect.
"Sildenafil (Viagra) clearly prolongs the protective effects of RGS2 in mouse hearts," says study senior investigator and cardiologist David Kass, M.D.
Dave
These researchers report what is believed to be the first direct evidence in lab animals that the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil amplifies the effects of a heart-protective protein, in a new article published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Jan. 5. Their work helps explain why sildenafil, more widely known as Viagra, has already been shown to improve heart function and may one day have value in either treating or preventing heart damage due to chronic high blood pressure.
The key, investigators say, is sildenafil's effects on a single protein, RGS2, newly identified in the latest study as an essential link in the chain reactions that initially protect the body's main blood-pumping organ from spiraling into heart failure.
Experimenting in mice, the team of heart experts first established that after a week of induced high blood pressure, the hearts of animals engineered to lack RGS2, or regulator of G-protein signaling 2, quickly expanded in weight by 90 percent. Almost half the mice died of heart failure. In mice with RGS2, by contrast, the dangerous muscle expansion, known as hypertrophy, was delayed, growing only 30 percent, and no mice died.
Subsequent tests treating hypertensive mice that had RGS2 with sildenafil showed enhanced buffering, with less hypertrophy, stronger heart muscle contraction and relaxation, and as much as 10 times lower stress-related enzyme activity compared to their untreated counterparts. In mice lacking RGS2, sildenafil had no effect.
"Sildenafil (Viagra) clearly prolongs the protective effects of RGS2 in mouse hearts," says study senior investigator and cardiologist David Kass, M.D.
Dave
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