Dear Health-Conscious Friend,
Thousands of Americans are concerned about losing their freedom because of age-related dementia. And its a legitimate concernespecially when Alzheimers disease is known to be a leading cause of reduced brain function for seniors.
In this Monday Edition of Health News Weekly , Ill tell you about how your genes could make you easy prey for this frightening and deadly disease.
Youll also find out which combination of over-the-counter pain medications could increase your changes of having a stroke. And youll learn about a surprising health danger for people who are underweight.
This issue is packed with important information to help you stay healthy, so lets get started!
Over-The-Counter Pain Med Combo
Boosts Stroke Risk
If you take ibuprofen products for painand take aspirin to help reduce cardiovascular and stroke riskyou could be setting yourself up for another brain disaster.
A new study confirms that ibuprofen weaken aspirins ability to prevent dangerous clots from blocking arteries, said researchers at the University of Buffalo.
Doctors at two offices of the Dent Neurologic Institute found that 28 patients who took both aspirin and ibuprofen experienced no anti-clotting effects from their daily aspirin.
Whats more, 13 of the 28 patients had a second stroke while taking the drug combo. The researchers found that these folks were aspirin resistant at the time of that stroke.
Researchers were astounded to find that 18 of the 28 patients who discontinued ibuprofen use and were tested again had regained their aspirin sensitivity!
This interaction between aspirin and ibuprofen or prescription NSAIDs is one of the best-known, but well-kept secrets in stroke medicine, said Francis M. Gengo, Pharm.D., lead researcher on the study. Gengo is professor of neurology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and professor of pharmacy practice in the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
He said that because clinicians and patients often are unaware of this interactionmany of the strokes caused by the interaction between aspirin and NSAIDs could have been prevented.
Study results were published in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Alzheimers More Likely If Both Parents Have It
Many people are aware ofand even live in fear ofthe brain damage Alzheimers disease (AD) can cause. But new research shows your genes may predict your risk of falling victim to this brain draining illness.
A report published in the March issue of Archives of Neurology said adults whose parents are Alzheimers disease victims may have four times the risk of developing the disease!
The researchers said Alzheimers is a common cause of dementiaand the leading cause of cognitive-impairment in the U.S. elderly population.
They said because the disease is so common in the general population, it is not uncommon for both spouses to develop the disease.
Children of two people affected by the disease would presumably carry more Alzheimers disease-associated genes.
Suman Jayadev, M.D., of the University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues studied the frequency of Alzheimers disease in adult children of 111 families. Both parents in these families had been clinically diagnosed with the disease.
Of the 297 adult children, a whopping 22.6 percent developed Alzheimers disease, compared with an estimated 6 percent to 13 percent of the general population.
The average age at onset for children of couples with the illness was 66.3. Researchers noticed the risk of developing the disease increased with age.
They found that 31 percent of those older than age 60 were affected by the disease, and 41.8 percent of those older than age 70 were affected.
The study authors concluded that family history and the specific genes involved in this trend require a better definition.
Fast Fact
Eat fresh, frozen, stewed or dried fruit without sweeteners to help lower your risk of cancer! You might not realize it, but most canned fruits include sweeteners, so they are not as healthy.
Underweight People May Face Increased
Risk of Diabetes
Youre probably aware that carrying excess weight can increase your risk of developing blood sugar problems. But new research seems to indicate the opposite also could be true!
According to report in the March 2008 Diabetes Care, Japanese researchers said being underweight may place men and women over age 60 at increased risk for developing diabetes.
Dr. Toshimi Sairenchi and colleagues of Dokkyo Medical University in Tochigi, Japan conducted research to examine the association between underweight and diabetes risk. They collected information in 1993 from 39,201 men and 88,012 women between 40 and 79 years old. These individuals did not have diabetes.
The research team followed the men and women for an average of 5.3 years. Annual checkups for diabetes during follow up resulted in a diagnosis of diabetes for 3,863 men and 4,584 women.
People ages 60 to 79 who were underweightdefined as a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5had an excess risk for diabetes compared with those of optimal weight (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9).
The results suggest that being underweight is associated with about 30 percent excess risk of diabetes.
Excess risk was 32 percent in men and 31 percent in women, after adjusting for other factors that affect diabetes risk such as age, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Underweight men and women aged 40 to 59 years old were not at increased risk for diabetes.
These findings underscore the benefits of maintaining your optimal weight. But Sairenchi and colleagues said additional research is needed to determine causes behind these associations.
Health E-Hints
Try This Special Yogurt To Add
YEARS of Healthy Living!
If Ponce de Leon searched for the fountain of youth todayhe might be surprised to find a type of MILK as its magic elixir!
Kefir is a natural pro-biotic made from fermenting milk. Its loaded with enzymes, protein, minerals and vitamin B.
Research shows that kefir has outstanding health benefits that promote longer life. It has been shown to help:
- Improve your circulation.
- Improve your heart, liver and metabolism.
- Increase elasticity in your blood vessels and joints.
- Boost mental clarity by increasing blood flow to your brain.
Kefir contains live cultures and is similar to yogurt. But nutritionists said it is superior because it has more potent bacteria. Plus, kefir is easy to digest and some research even suggested that it has youth-preserving qualities!
Check your local health food stores where they may sell kefir as a drinkable yogurt in a variety of flavors. Youll find a tasty, nutritious way to look and feel fabulous!