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Articles about current medical research findings on the following topics are presented for your benefit.
Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States. Almost 70 million American adults – one out of three – are affected by arthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA), or degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis. Nutritional supplements, such as glucosamine, help our bodies rebuild and replace cartilage and may offer relief for those suffering from osteoarthritis. Oral glucosamine is 90% absorbed and rapidly incorporated into articular cartilage. Another supplement, chondroitin, is less than 8% absorbed and unproven to be converted into articular cartilage. Currently, there is no information available to demonstrate the combination of glucosamine and chondriotin produces better results than glucosamine alone. Arthritis drugs, Celebrex and Vioxx, COX-2 inhibitors, have been shown to increase the risk for heart attacks and kidney failure.
Glucosamine use delays the progression of knee osteoarthritis
A 3 year placebo-controlled, double-blind study involving 200 patients with knee OA, concluded that oral glucosamine retarded the progression of knee osteoarthritis.
Archives of Internal Medicine 2002 Oct 14;162(18):2113-23.
Acetaminophen found ineffective in treating knee osteoarthritis
A study involving 82 patients at Rush University comparing acetaminophen (Tylenol) with diclofenac concluded that there was improvement with diclofenac, but no significant improvement in those treated with acetaminophen.
Archives of Internal Medicine 2003;163:169-178.
Nitric oxide and prostaglandins increased in osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis has an increased production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin in joints that prevents new cartilage formation and damages existing cartilage.
Current Rheumatology Rep2000 Dec;2(6):447-53.
Celebrex and Vioxx linked to increased risk of heart attacks
COX-2 inhibitors celecoxib (Celebrex) and refecoxib (Vioxx), popular arthritis drugs, may increase the risk of myocardial infarction.
Journal of the American Medical Assn 2001;286:954-959.
COX-2 inhibitors can cause kidney damage
COX-2 isoenzyme is necessary for maintaining normal kidney blood flow. COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex, Vioxx) reduce filtering rates and can cause acute renal failure in patients with chronic renal insufficiency.
Ann Internal Med 2000;133:1-9.
Mosquito protection
The mosquito is an annoying blood-sucking vampire, that can transmit many deadly diseases such as: malaria, yellow fever, dengue, dengue hemorrhagic fever, West Nile virus, encephalitis, elephantiasis, and canine heartworm. Malaria affects 500 million people annually and kills 1.5 to 2.7 million, about twice as many as from AIDS. Resistance to available drugs for prevention and treatment is growing rapidly, and vaccines have been difficult to develop. Topically applied insect repellents are the most logical approach to prevent the mosquito-borne diseases. DEET, a paint solvent, is the most popular repellent, but it is toxic and known to cause skin irritation, irritability and seizures. The most common contaminant found in water by the US Geological Survey was DEET. Eucalyptus oil has been shown to be as effective as DEET, without the side effects. A combination of herbal eucalyptus oil, vitamin A and zinc, to reduce symptoms, with micropulzerized zinc oxide, for photoprotection, may offer a reasonable solution to the outdoor problem.
Eucalyptus oil has antimicrobial activity
Oil of Eucalyptus citriodora (lemon scented) has high antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, salmonella, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans.
J Ethnopharmacol 1996;53(3):143-147.
Eucalyptus-based repellent as effective as DEET
Repellent composed of Eucalyptus citriodora was compared with DEET when sprayed on legs and feet in Tanzania and found no difference in efficacy and duration of protection.
Journal of the American Mosquito Control Assn 1996;12(2):243=246.
Vitamin A and zinc boosts immunity to malaria
A 13 month study by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health on 800 children in Papua New Guinea and reported by UNICEF reported a 30% reduction in the incidence of malaria with vitamin A and 40% fewer attacks with 10mg of zinc. It was felt that zinc strengthened the immune system’s "killer" T cells and raised the level of antibodies to Plasmodium.
UNICEF: State of the World’s Children 1998, Panel 18; The Economist, August 1, 1998.
Vitamin A effective against malaria
One of the causes of malaria, P. falciparum, is retinal-sensitive and favorably responds to vitamin A therapy to clinically treat the symptoms of malaria.
J Acta Trop 1998 May;69(2):111-9.
Zinc Oxide a safe, effective sunblock agent
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US, affecting 600,000 persons each year. Malignant melanoma, the most deadly form, accounts for 4% of all skin cancers and has been increasing faster than any other cancer. Most skin cancers are the result of damage to the skin by ultraviolet radiation. UVA (320-400 nm) causes little burning of the skin but penetrates deep into the dermis causing wrinkling and premature aging. UVB (290-320 nm) are the chief burning and tanning rays and major cause of skin cancer. Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) provides litter protection against UVA. Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide provide protection against UVA and UVB.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 1999;40:85-90.
Aspirin
If any medicine could claim the title of "magic pill" it must be aspirin, technically known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). For centuries, it was known that chewing willow bark reduced fever and pain. A chemist isolated salicylic acid as the active ingredient in willow bark. Felix Hoffmann in 1897 created acetylsalicylic acid for his father who couldn't tolerate sodium salicylate for his arthritis. It is estimated that 60 billion tablets are consumed each year. Aspirin has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and blood thinning properties and used for headaches, fever, prevention of heart attacks, stroke, and cancer. Serious effects of aspirin abuse can cause GI ulceration (perforation and hemorrhage) resulting in 16,500 deaths in the U.S. By using a fast dissolving tablet, aspirin is absorbed in the mouth and into the blood stream in 5 minutes and the GI ulceration is reduced or eliminated. The following articles are presented for your benefit.
Time is important in treating heart attacks
Each year 1.5 million Americans suffer heart attacks, and 1/3 die of that first attack, one half being females. Most of the 500,000 deaths occur within 2 hours after chest pain or other symptoms. In Britain, half of all heart attack patients die within 2 hours of symptom onset and 2/3rds of the deaths occur before hospital admission.
Pre-Hospital Immediate Care 1997;1:12-18.
Aspirin for the prevention of coronary artery disease
Thrombus formation is the proximate cause of heart attacks. A 5 year study involving 22,000 US male physicians demonstrated a 44% reduction in the incidence of first myocardial infarction and a 25% reduction in the incidence of second heart attacks, stroke or death from cardiovascular disease after taking aspirin every other day.
Postgraduate Medicine 1996;99(2):109-120.
Aspirin for the prevention of strokes
Stroke is the third leading cause of death (after heart disease and cancer). Americans suffer about 500,000 strokes each year and 150,000 stroke deaths. Cerebral thrombosis and cerebral embolism, known as ischemic stroke, account for about 80% of strokes. About 1/3 of those who experience a transient ischemic attack (TIA) have a stroke within 5 years. Those on aspirin had 42% fewer strokes.
Lancet 1997;349:1563-1565, 1569-1581.
COX-2 inhibitors do not have cardioprotective effects of aspirin
The cardioprotective effects of aspirin are not seen with COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex, Vioxx) which do not inhibit thromboxane A2 production by platelets.
Modern Drug Discovery May/June 1999.
Baby aspirin, coated aspirin may not prevent stroke
A study involving 250 persons showed that 50% who took coated or 81 mg. low-dose "baby" aspirin had normal platelet function, or half of the patients had no protection against heart attacks or stroke. Those taking 325mg aspirin, 72% had measurable effects.
Alberts M, American Stroke Assn, Phoenix Arizona, February 14, 2003.
Aspirin protects against gastric cancer
Aspirin has been reported to be effective in reducing the risk of gastric cancer.
International Journal of Cancer 1999;82:473-476.
Zinc salts can prevent hearing loss associated with salicylates
Salicylate-induced (aspirin) hearing loss was completely prevented by the simultaneous administration of zinc.
Journal of Trace Elements Electrolytes Health Disease 1989 Mar;3(1):51-3.
Zinc salts useful in treating tinnnitus
Zinc salts were found to be useful in treating tinnitus (ringing in the ear).
Nippon Jibiinkola Gakkai Kaiho 1997 Sep:100(9):915-9.
Neurocysticercosis
The Economic Times 06/12/03
Distributed by Financial Times Information Limited - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
Swear by salads? Then read this: Jayashree Kumar (name changed), a bubbly 13-year-old, was doing her homework when suddenly her mind went blank, her eyeballs rolled and her face twitched uncontrollably. Her parents rushed her to hospital where they were told she had neurocysticercosis. The cause - consumption of uncooked or undercooked pork, or unclean raw vegetables in the form of salads.
Dr. H. V. Satish Babu, consultant neurosurgeon, Elbit Diagnostics, Basavanagudi, has patients with the disorder almost every other day, and in all age groups, from the early teens to the elderly. It affects patients of both sexes equally. Symptoms vary from simple chronic headache to multiple neurological problems like unconsciousness, epilepsy or weakness of the limbs.
The root cause of all this is unplanned public health sanitation and unchecked meat dispensation. Epilepsy is a serious disorder of the central nervous system, which results in sudden, violent and involuntary movements in the body along with a host of neurological disorders. These range from an innocuous fever to a brain tumor. Also, accidents, brain hemorrhages and infections.
According to Dr. Satish Babu, Brain infection in the form of cysticercosis is one of the commonest causes of epilepsy, which in turn, occurs because of uncooked pork meat and unclean salads. Vegetables are sometimes grown in low-lying areas where the water source is contaminated by the excreta of animals.
The larval stage of the tape worm taenia solium in pigs causes this. Human beings serve as the final host of this parasite. The larval stage enters the human body, and the intestines, into the blood stream and gets lodged in the brain, muscle or eyes.
Vegetables to watch out for are carrots, radish and coriander leaves. The World Health Organization estimates that throughout the world at least 50 million people are infected by this parasite annually and results in nearly 50,000 deaths annually worldwide.
However, what is heartening is that the disease is not contagious. It is totally curable and rarely if not treated well can lead to a persistent epilepsy disorder.