How and Why You Should Prevent a Kissing Bug Infestation

Chagas disease, or “kissing bug disease,” could have a higher mortality rate than previously thought. Why? Because it often goes unreported, and more than half of the U.S. is reporting new cases. [1] [2]

Source: Good Housekeeping

Chagas is largely asymptomatic, so most people don’t know they have it. Chagas, which is transmitted by the so-called “kissing bug,” can cause heart and intestinal problems, but too often the damage isn’t realized until it’s too late, or doctors don’t associate symptoms with the disease. [1]

Dr. Ester Cerdeira Sabino, a co-leader in the study, explained:

“Most people who get infected, carry on with their lives … unaware they were bitten. A lot of mortality data doesn’t account for Chagas, so you underestimate the effect of the disease. What the parasite does to the body takes a long time; [it] slowly goes into the heart and destroys it.”

Read: Rare Diseases Chagas and Leprosy Becoming Commonplace in U.S.

Chagas disease is 1 of 5 parasitic infections the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is currently targeting for public health action. [2]

Kissing Bugs and Their Deadly Parasites

The scientific name for kissing bugs is Triatomine bugs, but they’re also sometimes called assassin bugs and vampire bugs. The blood-sucking insects usually bite humans when they’re asleep, either on the eyes or the lips. People can also accidentally scratch or rub the bugs’ feces into their eyes or mouth, or accidentally consume contaminated food. [1] [2]

After feeding on a person, parasites in the kissing bug’s feces can enter the body through breaks in the skin. [2]

When people do show symptoms, it is during the acute phase, the first few weeks after infection. An infected person might experience mild symptoms, such as fever, aches, and fatigue. The most noticeable sign of infection is called Romaña’s sign – when the eyelids near the point of infection start to swell.

During the chronic phase, cardiac or intestinal complications can develop.

Controlling the Kissing Bug Population

There are antiparasitic drugs on the market that can treat Chagas, but considering how rarely the disease goes detected, the best offense is a good defense. The most effective way to do this is by controlling the kissing bug population.

Kissing bugs like to hang out under porches, in dog houses, and under piles of rocks and wood. To prevent infestation, seal cracks and gaps, remove wood or rock piles near your home, and don’t let pets sleep outdoors. Roach hotels and other bait-like traps don’t work against kissing bugs.

Your chances of being bitten by a Triatomine bug are relatively low, but if you suspect you have been bitten, don’t ignore it – talk to your doctor immediately. [3]

In a May, 2017 study published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, infection with Chagas was found to increase risk of death by 2 to 3 times from all causes.

Dr. Ligia Capuani, an infectious disease researcher at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, in Brazil, who led the research, said:

“In every age category, people who had Chagas died more than people who didn’t have Chagas. So if you’re infected early in life, you should be treated.” [1]

Sources:

[1] Pulse Headlines

[2] Good Housekeeping

[3] CNN

Pulse Headlines

CDC

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Fresh Concerns Emerge over Energy Drinks’ Damage to the Heart

Energy drinks have been linked to heart problems in a new study published April 26 in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAMA).

Oh, but it’s not the first time, not by a long shot. A 2013 study showed that energy drinks put an additional strain on the heart, causing it to contract more rapidly than usual. Over time, this can weaken the heart and cause palpitations.

A November 2015 study revealed that consuming just 1 energy drink per day puts you at risk of heart attack and stroke because they cause harmful spikes in the ‘fight or flight’ hormone noradrenaline, as well as blood pressure.

In March 2016, researchers warned that the sugary, uber-caffeinated beverages increase the risk of having an abnormal heart rhythm and can increase blood pressure, making the products especially dangerous for people who have preexisting heart conditions.

It’s not just the caffeine that can cause the heart to go haywire, though. The vitamins, stimulants, and herbs in the drinks, combined with caffeine, super-charge your ticker in ways it can’t handle.

Emily A. Fletcher, Pharm.D., study author and deputy pharmacy flight commander at David Grant U.S.A.F. Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in California, says:

“For the 1 in 3 Americans who already have hypertension, this increase in blood pressure from consuming energy drinks could pose a potentially serious risk.” [2]

Regular Caffeine vs. Energy Drinks

Little is known about the safety of some of the other ingredients in energy drinks, so researchers decided to find out what kind of effect these components have on the heart.

Source: Daily Mail

For the most recent study reported on in this piece, researchers compared physical changes in a group of 18 healthy men and women after they drank a commercially-available energy drink, and after they consumed another mixture containing the same amount of caffeine, but none of the other ingredients.

The energy drinks used in the study contained 320 mg of caffeine (the amount found in 4 cups of coffee), 4 oz of sugar, several B vitamins, and a “proprietary” blend of taurine and other ingredients commonly found in drinks like Monster Energy, Red Bull, and 5-Hour Energy.

Sachin A. Shah of David Grant Medical Center on Travis Air Force Base and University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and colleagues measured the volunteers’ blood pressure and used an electrocardiogram (ECG, or sometimes called an EKG) to measure heart electrical activity for 24 hours after participants consumed the drinks.

No odd heart activity was reported after the regular caffeine beverage was consumed, but it was a vastly different story after participants consumed the energy drink. An ECG change called QTc prolongation that is sometimes associated with life-threatening irregularities in the heartbeat was observed. [1]

The authors point out that several drugs have been pulled from the market just for causing ECG changes of a similar magnitude.

After consuming the energy drink, participants saw a nearly 5-point increase in blood pressure, compared with a 1-point increase after consuming the caffeine drink. The energy drink also caused the participants’ blood pressure to remain elevated for 6 hours.

Aisle with a variety of energy drinks – Europe.

If you’re a healthy person, those changes aren’t cause for concern. But if you have heart problems, you should steer clear of energy drinks.

Dr. Jennifer L. Harris from University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity in Storrs, who wasn’t involved in the study, says:

“The energy drink industry claims that their products are safe because they have no more caffeine than a premium coffee house coffee.

However, energy drinks also contain a proprietary ‘energy blend,’ which typically consists of stimulants and other additives. Some of these ingredients (including taurine and guarana) have not been FDA-approved as safe in the food supply, and few studies have tested the effects of caffeine consumption together with these ‘novelty’ ingredients.

On top of that, energy drinks are highly marketed to adolescent boys in ways that encourage risky behavior, including rapid and excessive consumption. As a result, emergency room visits by young people in connection with energy drinks are rising.”

Between 2010-2013, the U.S. poison control center received more than 5,000 reports of people who got sick from energy drinks.  Nearly half of those cases were in children who didn’t realize what they were drinking.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says energy drinks have “no place” in the diet of children and adolescents. 

Sources:

[1] Reuters

[2] Consumer Reports

Daily Mail

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Study: A Mediterranean Diet Beats Statins for People with Heart Disease

In a new study looking at the effects of a Mediterranean diet on people with poor heart health, the popular diet appeared to help heart patients more than statin drugs.

What the Research has to Say

Researchers detailed the findings of the observational study at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Rome last weekend. [1]

For the study, leading heart disease expert Professor Giovanni de Gaetano and his colleagues followed 1,200 people with a history of heart attacks, strokes, and blocked arteries over 7 years. Over the duration of the study, 208 participants died. [2]

The researchers found that the more participants adhered to a Mediterranean diet, the less likely they were to die over the course of the study.

Specifically, patients who ate a mainly Mediterranean diet were 37% less likely to die during the study than those whose dietary patterns were furthest from the Omega-3 fatty acid-rich diet. That did not change, even after researchers adjusted for age, sex, class, exercise and other habits.

Earlier studies showed that statin drugs reduce the risk of heart problems by 24%.

A Little Info on the Popular Mediterranean Diet

Many people eat a Mediterranean diet because it’s a healthy eating pattern that isn’t overly restrictive. For example, it’s perfectly OK to have a beer a day while still adhering to the diet. [1]

And while a Mediterranean diet is known for being low-carb, some pretty sweet research emerged in July 2016 suggesting that eating small portions of pasta may be OK. In fact, it might actually help people lose weight.

Generally speaking, however, a Mediterranean diet emphasizes:

• Eating mostly plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts.


• Using “healthy” olive oil and canola oil in place of butter.


• Flavoring foods with herbs and spices, versus salt.


• Consuming red meat no more than a few times a month.


• Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week.


• Drinking red wine in moderation (optional). [3]

A recent study shows that, unlike other types of fats and cooking oils, it’s OK to consume high amounts of the healthy fats found in olive oil and canola oil.

So, a Mediterranean diet is a healthy diet for people with heart problems, but olive oil has also been shown to prevent heart disease. This eating pattern has been shown to have numerous other health benefits.

Statin Use in the U.S.

A quick look at Centers for Disease Control (CDC) statistics shows that the number of Americans using statins, which are intended to lower cholesterol, has been increasing. Here are a few key findings from CDC report released in December 2014:

• From 2003 to 2012, the use of statins increased from 18% to 26%.

• During that time period, statin use increased with age, from 17% of adults aged 40-59, to 48% of adults aged 75 and older.

• About 71% of adults with cardiovascular disease, and 54% of adults with hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol in the blood) used a cholesterol-lowering medication. [4]

The Dark Side of Statin Drugs

As you can see from the statistics above, the majority of people with high cholesterol will be prescribed a statin. Many patients with Type 2 diabetes will also be prescribed a statin drug as a preventative measure, as diabetes is a leading cause of heart disease.

But these medications have a dark side. They’re so common, however, that many people have no idea that statins are associated with over 300 adverse events, including thyroid cancer in women, and cataracts and other eye problems. Past research even suggests that statins may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Every pharmaceutical drug comes with risks, many of which are pretty serious, so it’s encouraging whenever a natural alternative is shown to be just as effective as – or more effective than – pills.

Since the study was observational and relied on participants to self-report what they ate, more research is needed. However, with all the other health benefits that a Mediterranean diet provides, it might be a good idea to make the switch now. [1]

Sources:

[1] CNN

[2] The Guardian

[3] U.S. Centers for Disease Control

[4] Mayo Clinic

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.