Heartburn Drugs Linked to up to 94% Increased Risk of Ischemic Stroke

Ads for heartburn medication are everywhere, with media being littered with ads for “the big guns” like Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, and Protonix. They must be safe, right? Well, it’s still important to know the risks – as one study shows that people who take proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) have a higher risk of stroke.

Lead study author Dr. Thomas Sehested says that, overall, taking PPI’s increase your stroke risk by 21%. [1]

What are PPI’s?

This popular class of drugs works by reducing the amount of acid produced in the stomach, which cuts the amount of stomach acid that backs up into the esophagus, producing that all-too-familiar burning sensation.

Everyone has heartburn from time to time, but a person who experiences heartburn twice a week may have a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Over time, if GERD is not treated, it can cause serious illness and injury to the esophagus, including ulcers, scarring, and even cancer.

These drugs are supposed to help with that.

Mapping the PPI-Stroke Link

In the study, Sehested and colleagues analyzed data from 244,679 adults from Denmark (average age 57) who underwent endoscopy to determine the cause of their stomach pain or indigestion.

During the average of 6 years of follow-up, 9,489 patients experienced a first-time ischemic stroke.

The researchers looked at the patients’ use of 1 of 4 PPI’s – omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), lansoprazole (Prevacid), and esomeprazole (Nexium) – to see if use of the medications was associated with ischemic stroke risk, which occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain.

Overall, the researchers found that individuals were at 21% greater risk of ischemic stroke when they were using PPI’s compared to when they were not using the drugs.

The team found that there was little or no greater risk of stroke with low doses of PPI’s. What’s more, another group of medications used to treat heartburn – called H2 blockers – were not linked to increased stroke risk.

People taking lansoprazole (Prevacid) had the greatest increased risk of ischemic stroke – 94%. Lansoprazole (Prevacid) fared the best, increasing the risk of ischemic stroke 30%. [2]

In previous studies, PPI use has been associated with heart disease, heart attacks, and dementia. [1]

Cause-and-Effect Not Proven

Because the study was observational, the researchers could not prove cause and effect between PPI use and increased stroke risk. However, the increased risk remained after the team accounted for possible confounding factors, including age, gender, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, and use of medications that have been linked to poorer cardiovascular health.

The scientists said that people should be cautious about taking PPI medications, which are now available over the counter.

Sehested said that doctors, too, should be cautious when deciding to prescribe PPI medications to patients, and for how long. He added:

“We know that from prior studies that a lot of individuals are using PPIs for a much longer time than indicated, which is especially true for elderly patients.”

Sehested said it’s not clear why PPI’s may be harmful to cardiovascular health. He did point out that the medications might reduce levels of biochemicals which are vital to the maintenance of blood vessels. A lack of these biochemicals in the body could cause hardening of the arteries. [2]

PPI’s have also been linked to increased risks of bone fractures and malabsorption, as well as Clostridum difficile (C. diff), a bacteria known to cause severe, sometimes fatal, diarrhea and inflammation of the colon.

Source: SteadyHealth

If you’re a heartburn sufferer, there are natural ways to get rid of your pain. A 2007 study in Molecular Research and Food Nutrition, researchers found that ginger got rid of heartburn 8 times better than Prevacid. Other people have had success with drinking apple cider vinegar, or consuming a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in 4 ounces of water.

Sources:

[1] Medical News Today

[2] Chicago Tribune

Steady Health

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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.

Poor Diet Caused Nearly Half of All Deaths in the U.S. in 2012

A study released earlier this year reveals that some 45% of all deaths in the U.S. in 2012 were due to “cardiometabolic disease,” or CMD – all because of the average diet. CMD encompasses heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. [1]

Researchers say that the largest number of diet-related CMD deaths are due to high consumption of sodium, processed meats, and sugar-sweetened drinks, and low intake of nuts and seeds, seafood omega-3 fats, and fruits and vegetables.

Related: Drinking ANY Sugar Increases Your Risk of Diabetes

Says first author Renata Micha, R.D., Ph.D., assistant research professor, Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy in Boston, Massachusetts:

“These results should help identify priorities, guide public health planning, and inform strategies to alter dietary habits and improve health.

Increased intakes of specific minimally processed foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, vegetable oils, and decreased intakes of salt, processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages appear to be key relevant priorities for dietary and policy recommendations. Future studies should evaluate the potential effects of specific interventions to address the diet-related cardiometabolic mortality and reduce disparities.” [2]

Published on 7 March 2017 in JAMA, the study found that more men than women die from diet-related causes. The researchers say that, generally speaking, the findings are consistent with the fact that men tend to have unhealthier eating habits. Additionally, there were a greater number of diet-related deaths among African-Americans and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic whites. [1], [3]

According to Micha, the estimated number of deaths that were linked to not getting enough of the healthy foods listed was at least as substantial as the number of deaths associated with eating too much of the unhealthy foods listed.

Researchers report that the highest number of deaths was linked to high sodium intake; about 66,500 CMD deaths in 2012 were linked to eating too much salt, followed by (in order):

• Not eating enough nuts and seeds (59,000 deaths)


• Eating too much processed meats (58,000 deaths)


• Eating too little seafood omega-3s (55,000 deaths)


• Not eating enough vegetables (53,000 deaths)


• Not eating enough fruits (52,500 deaths)


• Drinking too many sugar-sweetened beverages (52,000 deaths) [1]

Read: Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Be the Key to Preventing Most Disease

The study did have its limitations. For instance, the studies the researchers used were observational, which don’t prove cause-and-effect. In addition, other dietary factors may have been at play, such as saturated fat and added sugar. And some dietary factors are potentially linked, like sodium and processed meats.

On a positive note, the researchers say that from 2002 to 2012, there were fewer diet-related CMD deaths due to insufficient polyunsaturated fats, nuts and seeds, and to excess sugary drinks. [1]

Sources:

[1] Live Science

[2] Medscape

[3] CNN

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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.

Yummy! Weekly Chocolate Snack Protects Against Atrial Fibrillation

If your significant other hands you a box of chocolates, your heart might skip a beat; but that’s pretty much the only time you want to feel your heart flutter. Even sweeter, eating what’s in that box may protect you from a dangerous form of heart palpitations called atrial fibrillation, a study shows.

Published in May of 2017 in the journal Heart, the study found that adults who ate chocolate 1-3 times per month were 10-20% less likely to suffer from atrial fibrillation, or AFib, than those who snacked on chocolate once a month or less. [1]

Discovering the Heart-Healthy Properties of Chocolate

Researchers looked at long-term data regarding the diets of more than 55,500 men and women aged 50-64 years old in Denmark. The participants submitted information relating to their eating habits upon entering the study, between 1993 and 1997.

The researchers then used data from Denmark’s national health registry to determine which participants had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation since the start of the study. The data revealed that 3,350 people had been diagnosed with AFib over an average of 13.5 years.

They found that:

• People who ate approximately 1 oz. of chocolate per week had a 17% lower risk of developing atrial fibrillation by the end of the study compared to those who ate less than an ounce of chocolate a month.

• Participants who consumed 2-6 oz. of chocolate a week were 20% less likely to develop AFib by the end of the study.

• Women who ate just one serving of chocolate a week were found to be the least likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. The biggest risk reduction for men was associated with eating 2-6 servings of chocolate per week. [1]

Many of the health benefits associated with chocolate are found in dark chocolate, but most people in Denmark consume milk chocolate. The researchers said they weren’t sure they’d find such a large reduction in AFib risk among the population. [2]

Elizabeth Mostofsky, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and one of the leaders of the study, said:

“We were pleasantly surprised that — despite the fact that most of the chocolate may have [had] relatively low cocoa concentrations — we were still able to see robust findings.” [2]

However, the amount of cocoa in chocolate varies significantly between the U.S. and Denmark. In the United States, milk chocolate must contain 10% cocoa solids – the suspected beneficial ingredient, compared to Denmark, where the sweet treat is required to contain 30%. [3]

The study’s authors note in an editorial published alongside the research that chocolate lovers had fewer cases of hypertension and diabetes, and had overall lower blood pressure – all factors that could help explain why those same individuals were less likely to develop atrial fibrillation. [2]

Read: 10+ Healthful Reasons to Consume Chocolate

Atrial fibrillation is believed to be caused by the release of certain molecules that damage heart tissue. Chocolate contains flavanols that can ward off the type of inflammation that can lead to tissue damage. Furthermore, flavanols may counteract the clots that could form when an irregular heartbeat allows blood to pool in the heart. [3]

Past studies have shown that eating chocolate can reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack, as well as lower blood pressure and even prevent obesity.

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a quivering or irregular heartbeat, according to the American Heart Association. The condition can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications.

Read: Know the Causes and Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation

A healthy heart normally contracts and relaxes to a regular beat. However, in people with AFib, the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat irregularly (quiver) instead of maintaining a regular beat to effectively move blood into the ventricles. [4]

Many people with atrial fibrillation are unaware that they have it; yet it affects more than 33 million people worldwide, and an estimated 25% of adults will develop the heart condition sometime in their lifetime, the accompanying editorial states.

Sources:

[1] Newsweek

[2] NPR

[3] Los Angeles Times

[4] American Heart Association

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Fewer Dying from 3 of the 5 Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.

A study published online in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report says that fewer people are dying from 3 of the 5 leading causes of death in the United States – heart disease, cancer, and stroke. [1] [2]

Potentially preventable deaths from asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and other chronic lower respiratory diseases didn’t budge, though.

But, eh, more people died from unintentional injuries, mainly caused by falls and by overdoses from both prescription and illegal drugs.

Former CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a statement:

“Fewer Americans are dying young from preventable causes of death. Tragically, deaths from overdose are increasing because of the opioid epidemic, and there are still large differences between states in all preventable causes of death, indicating that many more lives can be saved through use of prevention and treatment available today.” [3]

The rates of death from each cause vary geographically. Where people live is generally a good indicator of the health problems they face, their access to and use of social services, and public health efforts. Deaths from all leading causes are highest in the South.

Macarena C. García, DrPH, from the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), wrote:

Source: NIDA

“Public health officials can use the decreases observed as benchmarks for improving population health, while using observed increases to direct targeted efforts to reduce the number of potentially preventable deaths.

Specifically, given the reported increase in potentially preventable deaths from unintentional injuries, these findings might inform the selection and implementation of evidence-based interventions to prevent deaths from injuries such as falls and drug overdoses, based on epidemiologic burden.” [2]

For the study, Garcia and her team analyzed mortality data from the National Vital Statistic System, using the same model as that used in a 2010 analysis to allow for comparison.

Overall, the 5 top causes of death in the U.S. – heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD), stroke, and unintentional injuries – increased from 2010 to 2014, which was consistent with population increases. But the rate of heart disease, cancer, and stroke deaths increased more slowly than the population grew.

Of those who died of heart disease, cancer, CLRD, stroke, and unintentional injuries, the CDC estimates that 15% of the cancer deaths, 30% of the heart disease deaths, 36% of the CLRD deaths, and 28% of the stroke deaths were preventable. A whopping 43% of the unintentional deaths were preventable. [3]

Potentially preventable cancer deaths fell 25% from 2010-2014, driven by a 12% decrease in the age-adjusted death rate from lung cancer. The authors of the study credit the decline in cancer deaths to prevention, early detection, and treatment.

There was an 11% decrease in potentially preventable deaths from stroke and a 4% decrease in potentially preventable deaths from heart disease. The researchers wrote that the reduction in both causes of death is attributable to improved quality of care and a drop in risk factors, including better blood pressure control among people who have hypertension.

In comparison, potentially preventable deaths caused by accidents increased 23%. Those caused by CLRD rose1%, which the CDC said was not considered statistically significant. [3]

Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999, the CDC said. Nearly two million Americans abused or were addicted to prescription opioids in 2014, and more than 14,000 people died from overdoses involving those drugs.

Source:

[1] Medscape

[2] CDC

[3] Fox News

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

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This Blood Test can Detect Stroke in 10 Minutes

Researchers at Cornell University’s Baker Institute for Animal Health are working on a test that could detect a stroke in just 10 minutes, and it requires a tiny drop of blood barely big enough to moisten the fingertip.

Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States, and half of Americans have at least one risk factor. Those factors include high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

A stroke occurs when either a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain (ischemic stroke) or a blood vessel in the brain bursts (hemorrhagic stroke). The brain is starved of oxygen and brain cells begin to die, often resulting in permanent disability or death.

Husham Mishu, MD, chief of neurology and medical director of stroke services at the Atlanta Medical Center, says the ideal window for treating a stroke is 3 to 4.5 hours. The new test could be performed in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, allowing patients to receive more immediate treatment.

The test uses plates coated with enzymes that can detect a substance called neuron-specific enolase (NSE) that increases in the blood following a stroke. When those enzymes bind with to the chemicals, they trigger a chain reaction that leads to the emission of light. Researchers can measure the amount of NSE in the blood based on how much light is emitted. [1]

“Three-quarters of stroke patients suffer from ischemic stroke – a blockage of a blood vessel in the brain. In those cases, time is of the essence, because there is a good drug available, but for a successful outcome it has to be given within three or four hours after the onset of symptoms,” says the study’s lead author Roy Cohen, a research scientist at the Baker Institute.

Cohen says speeding up the diagnostic process could save many people permanent damage caused by ischemic stroke.

“By the time someone identifies the symptoms, gets to the hospital and sits in the emergency room, you don’t have much time to obtain the full benefit of this drug.”

Currently, the test can detect NSE caused by a stroke and other illness, but Cohen and his colleagues hope to soon be able to adapt the test to detect several key chemicals that will allow them to zoom in on strokes and differentiate between ischemic and hemorrhagic types.

They also hope the test can someday be used to detect concussions, heart disease, some dementias, and cancers.

“This system could be tailored to detect multiple biomarkers,” says co-author Alex Travis. “That’s the strength of the technique. You could assemble a microfluidic card based on this technology that could detect 10 biomarkers in different wells, and the readout would be the same for each one: light.”

But the test can only help stroke patients get help sooner if they know the symptoms of stroke to begin with. All too often, people ignore symptoms or assume they’re related to something other than stroke. And knowing how to prevent a stroke always helps, too.

The signs and symptoms of stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, an arm or leg, especially on one side of the body


• Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding


• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes


• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination


• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Additional Sources:

[1] Cornell Chronicle

[2] 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: People Eating 1 of These a Day are ‘35% Less Likely to be Obese’

There’s nothing better than a health regimen that tastes great, so here’s one almost all of us can get on board with. Researchers have found that those who eat a pear a day are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight when compared to their non-pear-eating conterparts.

In a one study, scientists from Louisiana State University used 9 years of data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey involving 24,808 participants aged 19 and above, and found that people who ate pears were 35% less likely to be obese than individuals who did not consume pears regularly.

The study abstract concludes with:

“Consumers had a higher percentage population meeting the EAR for vitamins A and C, copper, and magnesium; consumers had a higher percentage above the AI for fiber (p<0.01). HEI-2010 [Healthy Eating Index-2010] was higher in consumers…Compared to non-consumers, consumers were 35% less likely to be obese (p<0.05). Fresh pears should be encouraged as a component of an overall healthy diet.”

‘Pear Eaters More Diet-Conscious’

In general, people who regularly ate pears were older, consumed less alcohol, and smoked fewer cigarettes than those who never ate the delicious fruit. These individuals were also found to be more diet-conscious, and they consumed more fiber, vitamins, and less fat and sugar. They also ate less total monounsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids and added sugars.

Yet, the pear eaters weren’t necessarily more active than non-pair eaters.

‘There was no difference in energy intake or level of physical activity between the fresh pear consumers and non-pear consumers,” said Dr. Carol O’Neil, who led the study.

Dr. O’Neil added that her team believes the high fiber content in pears explains why pear eaters tended to have a healthier body weight than those who didn’t indulge once a day in the healthy treat.

Just one medium pear has higher percentages of fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, copper and potassium, and leads to higher mean intakes of total sugars. Pears are free of fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Past studies have shown people who regularly eat pears and apples have a 52% reduced stroke risk.

Per the USDA Guidelines for Americans, people who eat more fruit as part of an overall healthy diet are less likely to develop chronic diseases. The researchers found, however, that only 2% of Americans ate a single, medium-sized pear a day. And that’s all people need to eat to get the recommended daily fruit intake!

The team concluded:

“consumption of fresh pears should be encouraged as part of an overall healthy diet, since pears are nutrient-dense and can help individuals meet the fruit recommendation.”

Sources:

Daily Mail

The Nation

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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.