Medical
Imaging Tests Can Damage Kidneys, Increase Stroke and Heart
Attack Risk
from NaturalNews.com
No
matter what your health complaint is, if you go see your doctor
you might end up undergoing some kind of high tech imaging
procedure such as cardiac angiography, CT (computed tomography)
or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). According to a study
published in the journal Health Affairs, medical imaging
has soared over the last few years across all types of these
tests. In fact, the study confirmed previous reports that
patients are far-too-often being subjected to unnecessary
imaging.
At least, most of these tests are minimally invasive and
thoroughly studied to make sure they carry few risks so they are
safe, right?
Unfortunately, the answer
is no. New reports of lasting, health-harming effects from some
imaging tests are accumulating. A case in point: a new study
just published in the Clinical Journal of the American
Society of Nephrology warns that
kidney damage which can arise after undergoing certain
common
medical imaging procedures is a serious
health threat. The reason? It is linked to a greatly
increased risk of stroke,
heart attack and death.
University of
Vermont physician Richard Solomon,MD, and his colleagues
investigated 294 patients with kidney
disease who were exposed to contrast agents during cardiac
angiography. Patients in this study, dubbed the CARE
(Cardiac Angiography in Renally Impaired Patients) trial, were
randomly divided with half receiving the contrast agent
iopamidol and the other receiving the contrast agent iodixanol.
Many medical imaging techniques, including cardiac angiography
and
CT scans, often involve the use of contrast agents,
substances that contain iodine (like iopamidol and iodixanol)
and barium, because they enhance the contrast between body
structures or fluids within the body. This allows blood vessels
and changes in tissues to be more clearly visualized. When Dr.
Solomon and his colleagues followed the CARE patients for
one year or longer, they found that 92 of the research subjects
experienced negative health effects after their imaging test.
Their risk of having a
stroke or heart attack over the next year or two after the
test was elevated. Overall, 38 of the patients experienced a
major event, such as death, stroke, heart attack, or end-stage
renal disease. Those who developed contrast-induced kidney
injuries had twice as many long-term negative health effects
compared with patients who didn't suffer kidney damage.
It isn't only people who
already have problems with their kidneys who can be at risk from
the imaging testing, either. Doctors have long known exposure to
contrast agents can cause damage in seemingly healthy kidneys,
but patients are usually assured this is just a temporary side
effect that will resolve on its own. However, recent studies
have suggested that contrast-induced kidney damage might
actually be lasting and serious. In a statement to the media,
the University of Vermont researchers said
"the trial
findings should prompt investigators to design additional
studies on the long-term negative health effects of
contrast-induced kidney damage".
In addition to kidney damage, the contrast agent iopamidol
has also been known to sometimes cause
seizures in people with a history of epilepsy. However, in
rare case reports, including one published earlier this year in
the Internet Journal of Neurology, iopamidol has
been found to cause severe seizures and respiratory arrest in
non-epileptic patients undergoing imaging tests. Reported in
Natural News in April
http://naturalnews.com/026001.html, the use of
contrast agents isn't the only potentially dangerous downside to
some common imaging procedures. A study in the medical journal
Radiology found that people who had numerous CT scans
over their lifetime had a significantly increased risk of
cancer. In fact, CT scans increased the risk of cancer by
2.7 times.
Americans
Spend
$34 billion a
Year
on Alternative
Medicine
from the
Associated Press
--
Americans
spend over $34 billion annually on alternative medicine,
according to the first national estimate of such out-of-pocket
spending in more than a decade.
Chiropractors, acupuncturists and herbal remedies are commanding
more consumer dollars as people seek high-touch care in a
high-tech society, the report released Thursday by the
government shows.
"We are talking
about a very wide range of health practices that range from
promising and sensible to potentially harmful," said
Dr. Josephine Briggs,
director of the
National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine,
the federal agency that leads research in this field.
More research into which therapies work is critically needed,
because the spending on them is "substantial," she said.Some
consumer advocates say people are wasting money on some products
that rigorous studies already have shown don't work.
"Even in these recessionary times, a great deal of money is
being spent on some forms of complementary and alternative
medicine whose efficacy is questionable," said
Bruce Silverglade, director of legal affairs for the
Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer
advocacy group. Another advocate,
Dr. Sidney Wolfe, who leads
Public Citizen's health research, has long criticized the
government for what he considers lax regulation of prescription
drugs and mainstream medicine. Yet, he also sees problems with
the widespread use of supplements.
"People think
they are cleared" by the
Food and Drug
Administration,
he said, when in fact they do not need proof of safety or
effectiveness to go on the market.
The report is
based on a 2007 survey by the
U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
of more than 23,000 adults nationwide. An earlier report from
this survey, released in December, found that more than
one-third of adults use alternative medicine.
That includes a wide range of services from meditation and yoga
to dietary supplements, such as echinacea and ginseng. Vitamins
and minerals are not included in this report but will be
addressed in a future one.Pain was the main reason people tried
massage, chiropractic care and other alternative therapies.
Among supplement users, most popular were glucosamine for joint
pain and fish oil to cut the risk of heart disease.
The new survey results focus on how often Americans use these
things, and how much they pay for them.
Alternative
medicine now accounts for more than 11 percent of out-of-pocket
spending on health care in the
United States,
the researchers said.
Children Taking ADHD Medication at Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
from NY Daily News --
If
your child has ADHD, a new federally funded study that links
ADHD drugs like
Ritalin
to an increased risk of sudden cardiac death may be making you
crazy. The study, funded by the
National Institute of
Mental Health
and the FDA, identified 564 children and teenagers who had died
suddenly for unexplained reasons, and who had no structural
heart defects.
Researchers also looked at 564 young people who had died as
passengers in car accidents, many of whose deaths were later
attributed to undiagnosed cardiac problems.
The
researchers concluded that the odds of using a stimulant like
Ritalin were six to seven times higher among the children who
had died suddenly of unexplained causes than among those who
died in auto accidents.
The study, which is in
The American Journal of
Psychiatry,
highlights the importance of screening kids and teens for heart
problems before putting them on a stimulant medication, says
Charlotte Armstrong,
a NIMH spokesperson.
"One of the concerns is that there need to be improvements in
screening for cardiac abnormalities in young people before
putting them on medications like Ritalin," she says.
Dr. Ramon Solhkhah,
director of the Child and
Family Institute of St.
Luke’s
Roosevelt Hospital,
says that while medication is the "gold standard of treatment
for moderate to severe ADHD," some kids may benefit from
non-drug therapies. "There are definitely some behavioral and
lifestyle changes that could be beneficial," he says. "These
include cognitive behavioral therapy, certain organizational
skills, more individual attention in the classroom and life
coaches who can get kids organized."
Dr. Robert Melillo,
author of Disconnected Kids, recommends not just
behavioral modification, but careful attention to diet and
nutrition. "ADHD medications can help with
symptoms," he says. "But there are a lot of alternatives out
there that address the underlying problem.
From
London's Daily Mail
--
The
animated newspapers of the Harry Potter books will come a step
closer next month with the appearance of the world's first video
magazine advert.
America's Entertainment Weekly will contain a wafer-thin screen
and mini-speaker that will allow readers to watch a video when
the publication is opened. CBS, the US TV network paying for the
advert, said the device would be tough enough to cope with the
rough and tumble of printing, binding and delivery.
Science Proves
Meditation
Good for Health
from
The Sydney Morning Herald,
Australia--
Meditation
has long been lauded. Now science has shown that deep relaxation
changes our bodies on a genetic level - for the better. It's a
piece of advice yogis have given for thousands of years: take a
deep breath and relax. Somehow we all know that relaxation is
good for us.
Now hard science has caught
up: a comprehensive scientific study showing that deep
relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level has just been
published.
What researchers at
Harvard Medical School
discovered is that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation
methods such as yoga and meditation, far more ''disease-fighting
genes'' were active, compared to those who practiced no form of
relaxation. In particular, they found genes that protect from
disorders such as pain, infertility, high blood pressure and
even rheumatoid arthritis were switched on. The changes, say the
researchers, were induced by what they call ''the relaxation
effect'', a phenomenon that could be just as powerful as any
medical drug but without the side effects.
''We found a range of
disease-fighting genes were active in the relaxation
practitioners that were not active in the control group,'' said
Herbert Benson, MD, a professor of medicine at
Harvard Medical School,
who led the research.
The experiment, which showed
just how responsive genes are to behavior, mood and environment,
revealed that genes can switch on, just as easily as they switch
off. Harvard researchers asked the control group to start
practicing relaxation methods every day,'' says Jake Toby,
hypnotherapist at London's
BodyMind Medicine Center.
“After two months, their bodies began to change: the genes that
help fight inflammation, and protect the body from cancer all
began to switch on says Toby. ''More encouraging still, the
benefits of the relaxation effect were found to increase with
regular practice: the more people practiced relaxation methods
such as meditation or deep breathing, the greater their chances
of remaining free of arthritis and joint pain with stronger
immunity, healthier hormone levels and lower blood
pressure.
Dr. Benson believes the research is pivotal because it shows how
a person's state of mind affects the body on a physical and
genetic level. But just how can relaxation have such
wide-ranging and powerful effects? Research has described the
negative effects of stress on the body. Linked to the release of
the stress-hormones adrenalin and cortisol, stress raises the
heart rate and blood pressure, and weakens immunity.
By contrast, the state of relaxation is linked to higher levels
of feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and to the growth
hormone which repairs cells and tissue. Indeed, studies show
that relaxation has virtually the opposite effect, lowering
heart rate, boosting immunity and enabling the body to thrive.''
On a biological level, stress is linked to fight-flight and
danger,'' Dr Jane Flemming, a London physician says. ''In
survival mode, heart rate rises and blood pressure shoots up.
Meanwhile muscles, preparing for danger, contract and tighten.
And non-essential functions such as immunity and digestion go by
the wayside.''
Deep relaxation, on the other hand, is a state of rest,
enjoyment and physical renewal. Free of danger, muscles can
relax and food can be digested. The heart can slow and blood
circulation flows freely to the body's tissues, feeding it with
nutrients and oxygen. This restful state is good for fertility,
as the body is able to conserve the resources it needs to
generate new life. While relaxation techniques can be very
different, their biological effects are essentially similar.
''When you relax, the parasympathetic nervous system switches
on. That is linked to better digestion, memory and immunity,
among other things,'' Toby says. ''As long as you relax deeply,
you'll reap the rewards.''
But, he says, deep relaxation isn't the sort of switching off
you do relaxing on the sofa or even bed.
''What you're looking for is a state of deep relaxation where
tension is released from the body on a physical level and your
mind completely switches off,'' he says. ''The effect won't be
achieved by lounging round in an everyday way, nor can you force
yourself to relax. You can only really achieve it by learning a
specific technique such as self-hypnosis, guided imagery or
meditation.''
The relaxation effect, however, may not be as pronounced on
everyone. ''Some people are more susceptible to relaxation
methods than others,'' says Joan Borysenko, director of a
relaxation program for outpatients at Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center in Boston. ''Through relaxation, we find some
people experience a little improvement, others a lot. And there
are a few whose lives turn around totally.''
Relaxation appears to boost immunity in recovering cancer
patients. A study at the Ohio State University found that
progressive muscular relaxation, when practiced daily, reduced
the risk of breast cancer recurrence. In another study at Ohio
State, a month of relaxation exercises boosted natural killer
cells in the elderly, giving them a greater resistance to tumors
and to viruses. A study at Harvard Medical School found that
meditation lowered blood pressure by making the body less
responsive to stress hormones, in a similar way to blood
pressure-lowering medication. Meanwhile a British Medical
Journal report found that patients trained how to relax had
significantly lower blood pressure.
Herbs
and spices used to flavor food are also green alternatives to
synthetic pesticides, scientists say.