Dairy Fat Intake Linked to Better Cardiovascular Health and Less Risk for Diabetes

The idea that all saturated fat is a health evil permeates the defunct dogma of Western medicine and its Big Pharma toxic pill pushers. It has probably never occurred to them that saturated fat is perhaps the best calorie for energy production, and quite good for long lasting energy if you don’t consume too much. Two studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition continue a long list of studies questioning the assertion that saturated fat causes disease, in and of itself.

The first study comes from researchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Researchers followed a multiethnic group of 5,209 adults, aged 45 – 84, for 10 years while tracking their diets, and looking into the diets of those who developed cardiovascular disease (316 cases) during the course of the study.  They found that those with the highest intake of saturated fat from dairy had up to a 38 percent risk reduction for developing cardiovascular disease. This is a rather shocking finding for the promoters of skim milk and other no-fat dairy.  On the other hand, the study found that those with the highest intake of saturated fat from meat had up to a 48 percent increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, replacing two percent of meat calories with dairy fat lowered overall risk by 25 percent.

It is likely that many of the cofactor nutrients in dairy help to metabolize the saturated fat, helping to make it a cardio friendly food. In defense of meat fat, my opinion is that it is really an issue of how the beef was raised, and what it was fed. Many sickly and pathetically unhealthy animals have lived on toxic junk food their entire lives and had no exercise – of course their fat is not worth eating. There is no substitute for quality raised and fed meat, such as range raised and grass fed.

Furthermore, those who eat the most toxic meat are also likely to be eating other junk food and also lacking fiber, fruit, and vegetables. This is not rocket science.

In the second study Danish researchers evaluated 340,234 adults from eight European countries for their intake of dairy and risk of type 2 diabetes. This is a very large study representing four million human years of follow up. Researchers found that dairy intake, regardless of the amount of fat taken in, was not linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. To the contrary, certain types of dairy such as cheese and yogurt were linked to a 12 percent risk reduction. 

Americans should keep in mind that the quality of dairy products is much higher in Europe. It is highly advised that Americans consume organic dairy and cheeses of higher quality.

The simple fact of the matter is that there is no need to fear saturated fat. If you consume high quality forms of saturated fat as a reasonable portion of your daily calories, along with omega-3 oils like DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement., fruit, vegetables, and adequate dietary fiber, then saturated fat is likely to be an energy sustaining friend, which actually helps your metabolism run better, and is not at all associated with risk for disease.

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Burnt-Out Nurses Linked to More Hospital Infections

HealthDay – 1 hr 50 mins ago TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Burnout among nurses is linked to an increase in hospital infection rates, researchers have found.

In addition, job-related exhaustion among nursing staff costs millions of health care dollars each year, according to the study from the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

In conducting the study, the researchers analyzed data from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey. They also examined a 2006 survey of more than 7,000 registered nurses from 161 Pennsylvania hospitals that provided insight into their job-related attitudes, including feelings on depersonalization and personal accomplishment. The survey also revealed the nurses' levels of emotional exhaustion, which is a key factor in burnout syndrome.

The study showed that among nurses caring for an average of 5.7 patients, for every additional patient they were assigned there was roughly one additional catheter-associated urinary tract infection per 1,000 patients. This translates to 1,351 more infections every year, according to study co-author Jeannie Cimiotti of the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing and Rutgers School of Nursing in Newark, N.J., and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

Each 10 percent increase in a hospital's high-burnout nurses was associated with almost one more catheter-related infection and two more surgical site infections for every 1,000 patients each year, the investigators noted in a news release from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control.

Catheter-related urinary tract infections cost an average of $749 to $832 each, and surgical site infections can cost up to $29,443. Based on those figures, the researchers projected that 4,160 infections could be prevented and hospitals could save $41 million by reducing rates of nursing staff burnout to 10 percent from an average of 30 percent.

"Health care facilities can improve nurse staffing and other elements of the care environment and alleviate job-related burnout in nurses at a much lower cost than those associated with health care-associated infections," Cimiotti and colleagues concluded. "By reducing nurse burnout, we can improve the well-being of nurses while improving the quality of patient care."

The study was published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

While the study uncovered an association between nursing staff burnout and infections among patients, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about health care-related infections.

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Scientists ID New Gene Linked to Vision Loss in Infants

HealthDay – 1 hr 7 mins ago MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- A new gene associated with a rare form of blindness from birth has been identified by researchers.

According to the report published online July 29 in the journal Nature Genetics, mutations in the NMNAT1 gene are linked to Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), an inherited retinal degenerative disease that causes reduced vision in infants. Signs of vision loss are apparent in the first few months of life.

LCA is a common reason for enrolling children in schools for the blind.

This finding is a step forward in developing sight-saving gene therapy for patients with LCA, according to the researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, and their colleagues.

"The immediate benefit of this discovery is that affected patients with mutations in this new LCA gene now know the cause of their condition," study co-senior author Dr. Eric Pierce, director of the Ocular Genomics Institute at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, said in an infirmary news release.

"Scientists now have another piece to the puzzle as to why some children are born with LCA and decreased vision. The long-term goal of our research is to develop therapies to limit or prevent vision loss from these disorders," Pierce said.

NMNAT1 is the 18th identified LCA gene and is located in a region known to harbor another LCA gene.

Leber congenital amaurosis occurs in about three of 100,000 newborns, and is one of the most common causes of blindness in children, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about Leber congenital amaurosis.

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Scientists Uncover Gene Variation Linked to Melanoma

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1 in 20 Cases of Melanoma Linked to Tanning Beds: Study

HealthDay – 6 mins ago TUESDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Those who bronze themselves in tanning beds face a 20 percent increased risk of skin cancer, and that raised risk reaches 87 percent if they start before they are 35 years old, new research indicates.

The European study also estimates that one in every 20 cases (5.4 percent) of the most lethal form of skin cancer, melanoma, can be attributed to tanning bed use.

"Indoor UV tanning devices are real carcinogenic devices, and people should be advised not to attend indoor tanning parlors or to buy them for private use," said lead researcher Philippe Autier, director of the International Prevention Research Institute in Lyon, France.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering a ban on tanning beds for anyone under the age of 18. Bans are already in place in Brazil and New South Wales and the idea is gaining popularity in France, Autier said.

Study co-author Mathieu Boniol, who is also from the International Prevention Research Institute, added that "as the use of these devices produces no positive effect to health, it is now in the hands of policy makers to decide how to manage, minimize or remove this risk."

The report was published online July 24 in the BMJ.

To determine the relationship between tanning beds and skin cancer, the researchers analyzed 27 studies published between 1981 and 2012. In all, they identified more than 11,000 cases of skin cancer.

This process, called a meta-analysis, attempts to find patterns across several studies to uncover connections between unrelated research.

By pooling the data, the researchers found a 20 percent increased risk of developing cancer for people who regularly used tanning beds, compared to people who never used the devices. The risk rose to 87 percent if one started tanning before 35, and increased almost 2 percent for each additional tanning session noted per year.

Of the almost 64,000 new cases of melanoma in Western Europe each year, more than 3,400 can be blamed on tanning bed use, the researchers calculated. Tanning bed use is also estimated to cause 800 deaths from this deadly cancer annually, the team added.

Since the use of tanning beds is relatively new and there is need for more research, the risk might be even greater, the researchers noted.

Dr. Jeffrey C. Salomon, an assistant clinical professor of plastic surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, said that "this study validates the previous studies and adds new risks to the ever growing knowledge of the downside of tanning beds."

Parents should not only be concerned about their children using tanning beds, they should avoid using these devices themselves, he said.

"Tanning beds are worse than the sun for risk of melanoma based on these results," Salomon said. "The risks from tanning beds are real, the untoward results can be dire, and the ultimate solution may require total prohibition."

Not everyone agrees, however. John Overstreet, executive director of the industry group the Indoor Tanning Association, took exception to the findings.

One cannot compare tanning in Europe to the United States, he said. "Commercial tanning salons in the United States are a different matter altogether," he said.

"The United States Food and Drug Administration has conducted tests to determine the amount of ultraviolet radiation required to burn persons with a variety of different skin types, and requires that all tanning equipment used in the United States carry labels specifying the recommended exposure times for each skin type, which have been calculated to prevent burning," Overstreet explained.

Enforcement of the FDA recommendations is left to the individual states, he noted.

"Most states have strict enforcement, requiring on-site records to be kept of each customer session listing name, date of session, skin type, type of equipment used, and length of exposure, so that state inspectors can assure compliance with regulations. Burning of customers in these states is virtually nonexistent," Overstreet said.

More information

For more information on melanoma, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

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Snacking and BMI linked to double effect of brain activity and self-control

ScienceDaily (July 23, 2012) — Snack consumption and BMI are linked to both brain activity and self-control, new research has found.

See Also:Health & MedicineDiet and Weight LossBrain TumorObesityMind & BrainDieting and Weight ControlIntelligencePsychologyLiving WellReferenceBody mass indexOverweightAppetiteLimbic system

The research, carried out by academics from the Universities of Exeter, Cardiff, Bristol, and Bangor, discovered that an individual's brain 'reward centre' response to pictures of food predicted how much they subsequently ate. This had a greater effect on the amount they ate than their conscious feelings of hunger or how much they wanted the food,

A strong brain response was also associated with increased weight (BMI), but only in individuals reporting low levels of self-control on a questionnaire. For those reporting high levels of self-control a stronger brain response to food was actually related to a lower BMI.

This study, which is now published in the journal NeuroImage, adds to mounting evidence that overeating and increased weight are linked, in part, to a region of the brain associated with motivation and reward, called the nucleus accumbens. Responses in this brain region have been shown to predict weight gain in healthy weight and obese individuals, but only now have academics discovered that this is independent of conscious feelings of hunger, and that self-control also plays a key role.

Following these results, academics at the University of Exeter and Cardiff have begun testing 'brain training' techniques designed to reduce the influence of food cues on individuals who report low levels of self-control. Similar tests are being used to assist those with gambling or alcohol addiction.

Dr Natalia Lawrence of Psychology at the University of Exeter, lead researcher in both the original research and the new studies, said: "Our research suggests why some individuals are more likely to overeat and put on weight than others when confronted with frequent images of snacks and treats. Food images, such as those used in advertising, cause direct increases in activity in brain 'reward areas' in some individuals but not in others. If those sensitive individuals also struggle with self-control, which may be partly innate, they are more likely to be overweight. We are now developing computer programs that we hope will counteract the effects of this high sensitivity to food cues by training the brain to respond less positively to these cues."

Twenty-five young, healthy females with BMIs ranging from 17-30 were involved in the study. Female participants were chosen because research shows females typically exhibit stronger responses to food-related cues. The hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle affect this reaction, so all participants were taking the monophasic combined oral contraceptive pill. Participants had not eaten for at least six hours to ensure they were hungry at the time of the scan and were given a bowl containing 150 g (four and a half packets) of potato chips to eat at the end of the study; they were informed that potato chip intake had been measured afterwards.

Researchers used MRI scanning to detect the participants' brain activity while they were shown images of household objects, and food that varied in desirability and calorific content. After scanning, participants rated the food images for desirability and rated their levels of hunger and food craving. Results showed that participants' brain responses to food (relative to objects) in the nucleus accumbens predicted how many potato chips they ate after the scan. However, participants' own ratings of hunger and how much they liked and wanted the foods, including potato chips, were unrelated to their potato chip intake.

This study was funded by the Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.

What this study shows:

Brain responses to food images vary considerably between individuals. Brain responses to food images but not conscious feelings of hunger or desire to eat predict subsequent potato chip consumption. Individuals' reported levels of self-control influence whether this brain response is associated with a higher or lower BMI.

What this study does NOT show:

Brain responses to food cues cause overeating. The associations reported here are true in everyone -- only healthy young women were included. Whether our brain response and levels of self-control are learned or innate.Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

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Childhood obesity linked to cancer risk

ScienceDaily (July 23, 2012) — Parents are increasingly conscious of the dangers of childhood obesity. There is a growing recognition of health problems associated with extra pounds, including the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and joint and muscle pain.

See Also:Health & MedicineObesityDiet and Weight LossColon CancerBreast CancerDiseases and ConditionsCancerReferenceBody mass indexOverweightNutrition and pregnancyBirth weight

New research from Tel Aviv University has revealed another significant reason for children to maintain a healthy weight. Dr. Ari Shamiss and Dr. Adi Leiba of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Sheba Medical Center and his fellow researchers found that obesity in adolescence, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) in the 85th percentile and above, has a direct link to the incidence of urothelial (bladder and urinary tract) and colorectal cancers in adulthood. According to the American Heart Association, one in three children and teenagers are now considered overweight or obese.

Children above the 84th percentile in BMI have a 1.42% greater chance, representing a 50% higher risk, of developing urothelial or colorectal cancers in adulthood compared to those beneath it, explains Dr. Shamiss, whose research has been published in the journals Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention and Obesity.

Understanding the connection

To examine the relationship between obesity and cancers, the researchers conducted a longitudinal study of a cohort of 1.1 million males in the Israeli Defense Forces. Their health information was gathered by the army, with a follow-up period of 18 years. When they controlled for factors such as year of birth and education, the researchers discovered a clear link between childhood BMI and those who were diagnosed with urothelial or colorectal cancers later in life.

While the researchers have so far uncovered risk in two different types of cancer, Dr. Shamiss believes that further research will reveal connections between childhood obesity and a wide range of other cancers, including pancreatic cancer, which he is currently researching.

These findings show a distinct need for more research in this field, he notes. "We need to examine the questions of whether obesity is a direct risk factor for cancer or a confounding factor for a genetic variation, for example," he explains, pointing out that basic research could help researchers to understand the connection between obesity and cancer on a deeper level.

The role of weight loss

One of the crucial questions, says Dr. Shamiss, is whether or not a successful weight loss attempt can reduce a child's risk of developing urothelial or colorectal cancer in adulthood. Their current sample looks at children who were obese and those who were of normal weight, but does not reveal whether weight loss makes a significant difference.

New research should focus on researching the pathogenetic link between obesity and cancer, and whether losing weight in adulthood could lower the risk, Dr. Shamiss says. Although healthcare professionals are already stressing the importance of preventing childhood obesity, this finding certainly adds to the urgency.

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Heavy Drinking in Pregnancy Linked to Host of Problems in Children

HealthDay – 1 hr 40 mins ago MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Central nervous system abnormalities are common among children whose mothers drink large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy, a small new study finds.

Most children exposed to large amounts of alcohol while in the womb do not go on to develop fetal alcohol syndrome. Diagnosis of this condition requires abnormalities in three areas: facial features, physical growth and the central nervous system.

The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.

In many cases of children exposed to alcohol in the womb, specific problems are classified under the term "fetal alcohol spectrum disorders," which includes a wide range of potential physical and neurological problems.

The effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders may be mild or severe and may affect each child differently, explained study corresponding author Dr. Devon Kuehn, a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. National Institute for Child Health and Human Development.

She and her colleagues looked at the risk of developing components of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders among the children of 101 women in Chile who consumed at least four alcoholic drinks per day while pregnant. The children were evaluated until they were about 8 years old.

About 80 percent of the children had one or more abnormalities associated with alcohol exposure. Central nervous system abnormalities were the most common problem in the children and can affect learning, behavior, language or mental function, Kuehn said.

"Other studies have shown that binge drinking may have the greatest risk on children, but we are the first to show binge drinking remains a risk factor even in women drinking heavily every day," Kuehn said in a journal news release.

The study appears online July 23 and in the October print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

"It is critical to note that while physical characteristics associated with

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Childhood Abuse Linked to Diabetes, Heart Disease in Middle-Aged Women

HealthDay – 1 hr 23 mins ago FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged women who suffered physical abuse as children may be at increased risk for diabetes and heart disease, a new study suggests.

Researchers examined nearly 350 black and white women in the Pittsburgh area who were between 42 to 52 years old at the start of the study. About 34 percent of the women said they had been victims of some form of childhood abuse.

Compared to other women in the study, which was published online in the journal Health Psychology, those with a history of childhood physical abuse were about twice as likely to have high blood pressure, high blood sugar, a larger waistline and poor cholesterol levels.

Collectively, these health issues are known as metabolic syndrome. Previous research suggests that people with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The link between childhood physical abuse and metabolic syndrome was separate from traditional risk factors for the syndrome, such as smoking, lack of physical activity, menopause, alcohol use and depression. This persistent association suggests that abuse plays a unique role in women's cardiovascular health, the researchers said.

"Our research shows us that childhood abuse can have long-lasting consequences -- even decades later -- on women's health, and is related to more health problems down the road," study co-author Aimee Midei, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a journal news release.

"It's possible that women with histories of physical abuse engage in unhealthy eating behaviors or have poor stress regulation," Midei said. "It appears that psychology plays a role in physical health even when we're talking about traumatic incidents that happened when these women were children."

Although the study found an association between childhood physical abuse and an increased occurrence of metabolic syndrome later in life, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. The study also found no association between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and metabolic syndrome.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about metabolic syndrome.

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Sodium Buildup in Brain Linked to Disability in MS Patients

HealthDay – 2 hrs 1 min ago TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Sodium buildup in the brain seems to be linked to disability in people with multiple sclerosis, researchers have found.

This accumulation of sodium could be an indicator of the degeneration of nerve cells that results from the disease, according to a team of European researchers. Although multiple sclerosis, or MS, symptoms vary from patient to patient, the study authors suggested that their findings may help predict the severity of disease progression and disability.

"A major challenge with multiple sclerosis is providing patients with a prognosis of disease progression. It's very hard to predict the course of the disease," Patrick Cozzone, director emeritus of the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine, a joint unit of National Center for Scientific Research and Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France, said in a news release from the Radiological Society of North America.

In conducting the study, the researchers used a specific type of imaging technology that provides information on the sodium content of cells in the body, known as 3 Tesla sodium MRI. The test was performed on 26 patients with relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form of the disease, in which flare-ups of symptoms are followed by periods of recovery.

Of the study's participants, 14 had early stage relapsing-remitting MS and 12 had advanced forms of the disease. The researchers also examined 15 healthy participants without MS that they matched for the patients' ages and genders.

"We collaborated for two years with chemists and physicists to develop techniques to perform

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Fiber Intake Linked to a Longer Life and Healthier Arteries

The importance of adequate fiber intake as a part of a healthy diet has been driven home by two studies published this month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  One study proves that fiber helps you live longer, and the other shows that consistent fiber consumption over many years is linked to healthier arteries.

The first study involved 452,717 European men and women followed for 12 years, comparing fiber intake to causes of death.  Fiber was inversely associated with mortality risk.  For each 10 gram increase in dietary fiber intake there was a 10 percent risk reduction in death from all causes.  Fiber offered a 39 percent risk reduction for digestion-related mortality, a 23 percent risk reduction for respiratory-related mortality, and a 15 percent risk reduction for inflammatory disease mortality. 

A second study of 373 people evaluated their fiber intake over a 24 year period, from ages 13 – 36.  At age 36 the participants had their arteries evaluated for stiffness using ultrasonography.  Those with stiffer carotid arteries had lower intakes of fiber over the 24 years.  This study speaks to the importance of a good diet throughout life and makes the point that a low fiber diet results in measurable adverse decline in the health of arteries at the relatively young age of 36.

Fiber is one of the most lacking components in the Western diet, one of several key nutritional substances that when lacking sets the stage for early disease and a shorter life. 

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Methadone linked to 30 percent of painkiller overdoses

"A drug addict receives his daily dose of methadone. The prescription drug methadone is linked to over 30 percent of painkiller overdose deaths, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Tuesday. (AFP Photo/Hoang Dinh Nam)" title

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Antipsychotic Drugs Linked to Higher Odds for Diabetes in Pregnancy

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Phthalate, environmental chemical is linked to higher rates of childhood obesity

ScienceDaily (June 26, 2012) — Obese children show greater exposure than nonobese children to a phthalate, a chemical used to soften plastics in some children's toys and many household products, according to a new study, which found that the obesity risk increases according to the level of the chemical found in the bloodstream.

See Also:Health & MedicineObesityDiet and Weight LossPlants & AnimalsMiceExtinctionEarth & ClimateGeochemistryOceanographyReferenceBody mass indexOverweightGrowth hormone deficiencyGeneral fitness training

The study will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

The chemical, di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is a common type of phthalate, a group of industrial chemicals that are suspected endocrine disruptors, or hormone-altering agents.

In the study, children with the highest DEHP levels had nearly five times the odds of being obese compared with children who had the lowest DEHP levels, study co-author Mi Jung Park, MD, PhD, said.

"Although this study cannot prove causality between childhood obesity and phthalate exposure, it alerts the public to recognize the possible harm and make efforts to reduce this exposure, especially in children," said Park, a pediatric endocrinologist in Seoul, Korea, at Sanggye Paik Hospital and professor at Inje University College of Medicine.

Phthalates are found in some pacifiers, plastic food packages, medical equipment and building materials such as vinyl flooring, and even in nonplastic personal care products, including soap, shampoo and nail polish.

Prior research has shown that phthalates may change gene expression associated with fat metabolism, according to Dr. Park. Because past research suggested a link between concentrations of phthalate metabolites and increased waist size in adults, her group studied a possible connection with childhood obesity.

Dr.Park and colleagues measured serum levels of DEHP in 204 children: 105 obese and 99 healthy-weight youth ages 6 to 13 years. The researchers divided these DEHP measurements into four groups from the lowest detectable level (40.2 nanograms per milliliter, or ng/mL) to the highest (69.7 to 177.1 ng/mL).

They found that the obese children had a significantly higher average DEHP level than did the nonobese controls (107 versus 53.8 ng/mL, respectively). In particular, a high DEHP level correlated with body mass index and percentage of fat mass. This increased risk of obesity with elevation of DEHP levels was independent of factors such as physical activity and daily calorie intake, according to the authors.

"More research in people is needed to determine whether DEHP exposure contributes to childhood obesity," Dr.Park said.

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Fear of Childbirth Linked to Longer Labor, Study Says

HealthDay – 31 mins ago WEDNESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are afraid to give birth tend to have longer labor than women who are more relaxed about the process, new research suggests.

Researchers in Norway found women fearful of giving birth spent about an hour and a half longer in labor than other women (about eight hours compared to six and a half hours).

Fear of giving birth was also associated with a greater likelihood of an instrumental vaginal delivery or an emergency Cesarean section.

The study was published June 27 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Researchers surveyed more than 2,200 women pregnant women, about half of whom were going to be first-time mothers, about their attitudes toward childbirth. About 7.5 percent of the women were afraid of childbirth.

Even after taking other factors into account that could prolong labor, such as epidural anesthesia and labor induction, labor for the women who feared childbirth was longer than for more relaxed women.

But, the study authors pointed out that even though women who feared childbirth labored longer, 89 percent managed to deliver vaginally, compared to 93 percent of women who did not fear giving birth.

"Fear of childbirth seems to be an increasingly important issue in obstetric care," study co-author Samantha Salvesen Adams, of Akershus University Hospital, said in a journal news release.

"We found a link between fear of childbirth and longer duration of labor," Adams said. "Generally, longer labor duration increases the risk of instrumental vaginal delivery and emergency caesarean section. However, it is important to note that a large proportion of women with a fear of childbirth successfully had a vaginal delivery and therefore elective Cesarean delivery should not be routinely recommended."

Experts note that while this study found an association between fear of childbirth and longer labor, it didn't prove that anxiety about giving birth caused the longer labors.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health provides more information on childbirth.

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Plastics Chemical Linked to Obesity in Kids

HealthDay – 48 mins ago SATURDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- It's hard to imagine a pacifier or a rubber ducky making your child fat.

But new research suggests that chemicals called phthalates, which are found in the plastics that pacifiers and toys are typically made of, may be linked to higher rates of obesity in children.

The chemical, called di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is suspected of being able to alter biological functions involved in fat metabolism. In the study, children with the highest DEHP levels had nearly five times the chance of being obese compared with those who had the lowest DEHP levels.

How could a chemical used to soften plastics trigger fat development in a child?

"It may trigger the master regulator of fat creation and lipid metabolism," explained study co-author Dr. Mi-Jung Park, a pediatric endocrinologist and professor at Inje University College of Medicine, in Seoul, South Korea.

DEHP may do two different things that increase fat development, Park said. It may reduce the effect of androgen -- a male sex hormone -- which lowers body-mass index (BMI). It may also disrupt thyroid function, which plays a role in weight gain. Interfering with androgen or thyroid hormones can affect appetite or a person's rate of metabolizing food, she explained.

Other studies have linked phthalates to breast growth in boys, reproductive problems in men and low birth weight.

The researchers measured blood levels of DEHP in 204 children ranging from 6 to 13 years old; 105 were considered obese and 99 were of normal weight.

Children with a higher BMI, a measurement of body fat, had higher DEHP levels. The increased risk of obesity with elevated DEHP levels was not related to the amount of physical activity they got or their daily calorie intake.

The study, scheduled for presentation Saturday at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Houston, did not demonstrate a causal relationship between blood levels of DEHP and obesity.

Park said parents should understand that phthalates are virtually everywhere -- in food, water, plastic bags and packaging wraps, cosmetics, lotions, shampoo and toys. Pregnant women, premature infants and young children may be particularly sensitive to the chemical, she said. "Putting hot water or hot food into a plastic container may be dangerous," she added.

Johanna Congleton, senior scientist and toxicologist at the Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C., recommends avoiding exposure to phthalates. "It's a good precautionary measure, and consumer product manufacturers should phase out the use of such compounds," she said.

Research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

More information

For more on phthalates, go to the Environmental Working Group.

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Eye Diseases Linked to Age Increasingly Sharply: Study

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Carcinogens linked to cancer stem cells, but spinach can help

ScienceDaily (June 20, 2012) — Researchers at Oregon State University have for the first time traced the actions of a known carcinogen in cooked meat to its complex biological effects on microRNA and cancer stem cells.

See Also:Health & MedicineColon CancerLung CancerCancerPlants & AnimalsBiotechnologyGeneticsEpigenetics ResearchLiving WellReferenceTumor suppressor geneTumorEmbryonic stem cellBRCA1

The findings are part of a growing awareness of the role of epigenetics in cancer, or the ways in which gene expression and cell behavior can be changed even though DNA sequence information is unaltered.

The scientists also found that consumption of spinach can partially offset the damaging effects of the carcinogen. In tests with laboratory animals, it cut the incidence of colon tumors almost in half, from 58 percent to 32 percent.

The research at OSU's Linus Pauling Institute was recently reported in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, in work supported by the National Institutes of Health.

"Cancer development is a complex, multi-step process, with damaged cells arising through various means," said Mansi Parasramka, a postdoctoral scholar with LPI. "This study showed that alterations of microRNAs affect cancer stem cell markers in colon cancer formation.

"MicroRNAs are very small factors that do very big things in cells," she said.

Traditionally, cancer was thought to be caused by changes in DNA sequence, or mutations, that allowed for uncontrolled cell growth. That's still true. However, there's also increasing interest in the role played by epigenetics, in which such factors as diet, environmental toxins, and lifestyle affect the expression of genes -- not just in cancer, but also cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurological disorders.

Included in this epigenetic equation is the formation of microRNAs -- once thought to be "junk DNA" -- which researchers were at a loss to understand. It's now known that they influence which areas of DNA get expressed or silenced.

There are hundreds of microRNAs, and the OSU scientists monitored 679 in their experiments. When they don't work right, bad things can happen, including abnormal gene expression leading to cancer.

"Recent research is showing that microRNAs are one of the key epigenetic mechanisms regulating cellular functions in normal and diseased tissues," said Rod Dashwood, the Helen P. Rumbel Professor for Cancer Prevention and director of LPI's Cancer Chemoprotection Program.

"But unlike mutations which are permanent genetic changes in DNA," he said, "the good news about epigenetics and microRNA alterations is that we may be able to restore normal cell function, via diet and healthy life style choices, or even drug treatments."

Epigenetics essentially makes every person biologically unique, Dashwood said, a product of both their genetics and their environment. That includes even identical twins.

The findings of the new study should lead to advances in understanding microRNAs, their effects on cancer stem cells, and the regulatory processes disrupted in disease development, the OSU scientists said. This might lead one day to tailored or "patient specific" therapies for cancer, Dashwood said.

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Common blood pressure drug linked to severe gastrointestinal problems

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2012) — Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered an association between a commonly prescribed blood pressure drug, Olmesartan, and severe gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and electrolyte abnormalities -- symptoms common among those who have celiac disease. The findings are published online June 21 in the medical journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

See Also:Health & MedicineHeart DiseaseHypertensionChronic IllnessDiseases and ConditionsToday's HealthcareBlood ClotsReferenceGluten-free, casein-free dietAppendicitisDiarrheaRestless legs syndrome

From 2008-11, Mayo Clinic physicians treated 22 patients with symptoms similar to celiac disease, including intestinal inflammation and abnormalities. Patients came from 17 states, and some had been diagnosed with celiac disease. They had chronic diarrhea and weight loss; the median weight loss was 39 pounds, and one patient lost 125 pounds. Fourteen of the 22 were hospitalized because of the severity of their symptoms. When given a blood test, however, these patients didn't come back with results typical of celiac disease. They also didn't respond to treatments such as gluten-free diets.

After examining their medications, Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Joseph Murray, M.D., pulled several of the patients off Olmesartan. Their symptoms dramatically improved. Eventually, all 22 were taken off the drug, and all showed improvement. Eighteen of the 22 patients had intestinal biopsies after stopping the medication and showed improvement.

"We thought these cases were celiac disease initially because their biopsies showed features very like celiac disease, such as inflammation," says Dr. Murray, the lead author. "What made them different was they didn't have the antibodies in their blood that are typical for celiac disease."

Olmesartan -- prescribed for the treatment of hypertension, or high blood pressure -- works by blocking substances that tighten blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more smoothly and the heart to pump more efficiently, according to the U.S. National Library on Medicine.

"It's really an awareness issue. We want doctors to be aware of this issue, so if they see a patient who is having this type of syndrome -- they think about medications as a possible association," Dr. Murray says. "We've reported an association. What needs to be known next is the science to understand why there is such an association."

The investigators were supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Gastroenterology Junior Faculty Development Award, the Swedish Society of Medicine, the Swedish Research Council and the Fulbright Commission.

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Childhood obesity linked to math performance, researcher says

ScienceDaily (June 14, 2012) — Childhood obesity has increased dramatically throughout the past 40 years and has been tied to many health problems. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has found that children's weight is associated with their math performance.

See Also:Health & MedicineChildren's HealthObesityFitnessMind & BrainChild PsychologyEducational PsychologyChild DevelopmentLiving WellReferenceBody mass indexGeneral fitness trainingOverweightMental retardation

"The findings illustrate the complex relationships among children's weight, social and emotional well-being, academics and time," said Sara Gable, associate professor in the MU Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, who led the study.

Gable looked at more than 6,250 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort, a nationally representative sample. The children were followed from the time they started kindergarten through fifth grade. At five points in time, parents provided information about their families, teachers reported on the children's interpersonal skills and emotional well-being, and children were weighed and measured; they also took academic tests.

When compared with children who were never obese, boys and girls whose obesity persisted from the start of kindergarten through fifth grade performed worse on the math tests, starting in first grade. Their lower performance continued through fifth grade. For boys whose obesity emerged later -- in third or fifth grade -- no such differences were found. For girls who became obese later, poorer math performance was temporary.

In addition, for girls who were persistently obese, having fewer social skills explained some part of their poorer math performance. For both boys and girls who were persistently obese, feeling sadder, lonelier and more anxious also explained some of their poorer math performance.

"Our study suggests that childhood obesity, especially obesity that persists throughout the elementary grades, can harm children's social and emotional well-being and academic performance," Gable said.

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