Healthy Me - At Home and Away: Alternative Medicine

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Vitamin E "ups prostate cancer risk"

Posted: 12 October 2011

WASHINGTON: US researchers warned Tuesday of an alarming link between vitamin E supplements and a 17 per cent increased risk of prostate cancer, describing the findings as an "important public health concern".

Ten years after the start of a randomised trial of more than 35,000 men, researchers discovered the spike in prostate cancer among those assigned to take vitamin E rather than selenium or a placebo.

"Dietary supplementation with vitamin E significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer among healthy men," said the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Selenium, a trace mineral found in foods like Brazil nuts, tuna and beef, is often deficient in areas such as China and Russia where it is lacking in the soil.

The study was launched based on previous research that had suggested that selenium or vitamin E might reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.

The latest data emerged three years after a preliminary study of the findings, published in 2008, showed a slightly higher but statistically insignificant risk of prostate cancer among those taking vitamin E.

However, since the risk was approaching statistical significance, a safety committee called for a halt to the randomised Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico in 2008.

A longer-term follow up, concluded in July of this year, has revealed the higher cancer incidence in men assigned to the vitamin E portion of the trial.

"Based on these results and the results of large cardiovascular studies using vitamin E, there is no reason for men in the general population to take the dose of vitamin E used in SELECT as the supplements have shown no benefit and some very real risks," said Eric Klein, a study co-chair for SELECT, and a physician at the Cleveland Clinic.

"For now, men who were part of SELECT should continue to see their primary care physician or urologist and bring these results to their attention for further consideration."

The study began in 2001 and broke participants into four groups: one would receive selenium, another would get 400 international units of daily vitamin E, another group would take both, and the fourth was prescribed a placebo.

A total of 620 men in the vitamin E group developed prostate cancer, as did 555 in the combined selenium and vitamin E group.

Those taking selenium only saw 575 develop prostate cancer, compared to 529 on the sugar pill.

"The observed 17 per cent increase in prostate cancer incidence demonstrates the potential for seemingly innocuous yet biologically active substances such as vitamins to cause harm," said the study.

Men entering the trial had no signs of prostate cancer and were considered to exhibit average risk of developing the disease, which is the second most common cancer among US men, after skin cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, 240,890 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2011 and 33,720 men will die of prostate cancer in the United States.

The study found no biological explanation for why vitamin E was driving the risk higher, but warned that the effects of the pills may continue even after the patient stops taking them.

"The fact that the increased risk of prostate cancer in the vitamin E group of participants in SELECT was only apparent after extended follow-up... suggests that health effects from these agents may continue even after the intervention is stopped," it said.

The findings also "underscore the need for consumers to be sceptical of health claims for unregulated over-the-counter products in the absence of strong evidence of benefit demonstrated in clinical trials," it said.

The trial was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Aging and the National Eye Institute.

- AFP/wk

Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:
Vitamin E "ups prostate cancer risk"

Monday, November 14, 2011

Popular herb has no benefit for prostate, says study

Supari Palm or Betelnut Areca catechu. Kolkata...

Image via WikipediaPosted: 28 September 2011

WASHINGTON: An herbal supplement that is widely sold in the United States and Europe to relieve urinary symptoms in men with an enlarged prostate has no benefit over a placebo, a US study said on Tuesday.

The global market for saw palmetto extract is about $700 million a year, but a randomised trial at 11 sites in North America showed that even triple doses of the over-the-counter drug neither worked nor harmed the patients.

"Astonishingly enough, there was not any measurable effect - either in benefits or in toxicity - with increasing doses of the supplement in comparison to placebo," said co-author Claus Roehrborn, chairman of urology at University of Texas Southwestern.

"These supplements are apparently not doing anything measurably above and beyond what we call the placebo effect," said Roehrborn of the research in the latest edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Led by Michael Barry of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, researchers followed 379 men age 45 and older whose symptoms included difficulty emptying their bladders, weak and/or frequent urination.

As part of the randomised trial, some received saw palmetto extract - which comes from the berries of the saw palmetto dwarf plant tree - and others were given a sugar pill that smelled and tasted the same.

Measurements showed the drug, even when increased in dosage over 72 weeks, had no impact on urinary symptoms such as night time urination or incontinence, and did not improve sexual function or allow men to sleep better.

"None of them showed any effect whatsoever in contrast to placebo," Dr Roehrborn said. "These supplements cost about $30 or more a month, and they obviously don't help."

Enlarged prostate is a common condition of aging that affects about half of men in the United States over age 50, and 75 percent by age 80.

The growth of the prostate can make it difficult to urinate and can cause urinary tract infections.

Medication and surgery are some of the treatment options, though herbal supplements with anti-inflammatory properties have also been widely used for decades in the belief that they can ease symptoms.

The men in the study did tend to experience a slight improvement in symptoms, but the trend was observed in both groups.

"We commonly see this in clinical trials," said co-author Gerald Andriole, chief of urologic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

"Patients often report an improvement in symptoms because they are taking something, even if it is a placebo. But in this study, there was no benefit to taking saw palmetto over the placebo."

The research was conducted under an investigational new drug application from the Food and Drug Administration, and was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The saw palmetto pills and placebos were donated for the study by Rottapharm/Madaus in Cologne, Germany.

- AFP/de

Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:
Popular herb has no benefit for prostate, says study

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Don't ignore the itch

THE next time you dismiss your itchy eyes and congested nose as minor irritations, consider this: Experts say such common symptoms, caused by allergic rhinitis (AR), can affect work and school performance.

AR is caused by an allergic response to certain airborne substances such as house dust mites. Sufferers experience cold-like symptoms affecting the nose, throat and eyes. These range from a stuffy or runny nose to itchy, red and watery eyes, and can occur irregularly or all year round.

"AR is not a life-threatening condition, but many people underestimate its impact on daily activities," said Dr Samuel Yeak, president of the Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Singapore, at a media conference last week.

According to Dr Yeak, about 730,000 people here suffer from this condition. And 44 per cent of them are children, who are less able to cope with the symptoms, added Dr Lee Bee Wah, an adjunct associate professor at the Department of Paediatrics at the National University of Singapore, and president of the College of Paediatrics and Child Health Singapore.

He said studies have found that adolescents with moderate to severe AR symptoms have a 50-per-cent increased risk of dropping an exam grade.

"Nasal congestion can affect quality of sleep. The symptoms of AR can also be very tiring and adversely affect performance in school or at work. Imagine how exhausting it would be if you kept sneezing or if your eyes were constantly itchy," explained Dr Lee.

However, only about half of AR patients seek medical help, and most of them ask only to be relieved of their nasal symptoms, said Dr Yeak.

"Often, patients are told by their GPs that it's just a runny nose. Many cases are undertreated, and people just live with their symptoms."

Presently, intranasal steroids (INS), a type of nasal spray, is the recommended treatment for relieving moderate to severe AR nasal and eye symptoms, even for children, said both doctors.

For mild cases, anti-histamines can help, said Dr Yeak.

"Many parents are worried that using nasal steroids may be harmful for kids, but the types of INS currently available are actually very safe and have no side effects on children," he added. Eveline Gan

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 22-Sep-2009

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Double trouble

VISION
Seeing two of a kind may be an indication of more serious problems
Eveline Gan, eveline@mediacorp.com.sg

More than meets the eye: Seeing double may point to a neurological problem.

It started with a headache and pain around her left eye. A week later, Mdm K began seeing double images.

"I lay in bed the whole day. I couldn't even watch TV because I would see two of everything," said the 61-year-old homemaker.

She initially thought it was a side effect of her on-off headache and wanted to brush it off. Thankfully, her brother insisted on taking her to the hospital.

A scan revealed that the muscles in her left eye had swelled up. Any delay in treatment would have led to more complications.

Certain benign eye conditions such as astigmatism - caused by an irregularly-shaped cornea - can cause you to see double images. So can extreme fatigue or overindulging in alcohol.

But if you start having double vision out of the blue, or if it keeps recurring, then you have every reason to worry.

According to Dr Wang Jenn Chyuan, senior consultant ophthalmologist and medical director of Nobel Eye and Vision Centre at Mt Alvernia Hospital, any visual problem should be taken seriously as it may be caused by more serious medical conditions.

In fact, double vision, or diplopia in medical lingo, is "almost always" one of the symptoms of a host of neurological disorders, added Dr Nagaendran Kandiah, a consultant neurologist at National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore. They include brain tumours, stroke, and diseases affecting the eye muscle and nerves around the eyes.

Being able to see a single image with two eyes is a complex process that involves the brain, muscles and nerves.

Explaining how healthy eyes work, Dr Wang said: "When a person with normal vision looks at an object, the brain and nerves coordinate the alignment of both eyes. This is so that the two images sent to the brain are perfectly superimposed on each other and he sees only one image."

A neurological or muscle problem can cause the eyes to be misaligned, so each has a different focus. When this happens, explained Dr Nagaendran, the brain will misinterpret the images to be in two different locations, causing you to see double.

A DOUBLE WHAMMY

And as if the discomfort of seeing double images isn't bad enough, patients also often experience headaches with their double vision, as in Mdm K's case.

Dr Nagaendran said that the pain may suggest that there is an inflammation or aneurysm - a ballooning of the arteries - in the brain. Eye pain can also occur if the swollen arteries press on the nerves connected to the eye.

TUNING OUT

Sometimes, double vision which has been ignored for a long time may go away without any treatment. It may mean that your brain has learnt to "suppress" one of the images seen by one of the eyes, said Dr Wang.

"It's the body's way of preventing confusion when the mind perceives two different images."

But don't rejoice too soon.

Suppression of one of the images can result in lazy eye. And in the case of a more serious condition such as a brain tumour or aneurysm, ignoring the problem can lead to blindness or death, Dr Wang warned.

In most cases, treating the underlying medical problem will help resolve the double vision.

"As long as there is no irreversible damage to the nerve or brainstem, most symptoms often go away, either partially or completely, in six to 12 weeks," added Dr Nagaendran.

For Mdm K, the prompt anti-inflammatory treatment she got after being diagnosed helped her to regain normal vision.

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 30-Jun-2009
In collaboration with Health Promotion Board

Monday, April 27, 2009

Exercise? It’s a walk in the park

EASY DOES IT

Moderate workouts are as good as intense ones

In Collaboration with Health Promotion Board

EVELINE GAN, eveline@mediacorp.com.sg

MY HUSBAND’S idea of a “proper and fruitful” exercise session involves a lot of panting, perspiration and pain.

Like some people I know, he doesn’t think moderate-intensity exercises such as walking and cycling have many health benefits.

“No pain, no gain,” he says, whenever he collapses in a heap after a strenuous 20-minute run.

But several studies, as well as exercise experts Today spoke to, suggest that this mindset could be outdated.

According to Mr Eric Ho, a senior physiotherapist at Singapore General Hospital’s (SGH) department of physiotherapy, most studies have shown that moderate intensity exercises are just as beneficial to health as intense workouts.

A few — such as a 2007 US study on 240 middle-aged sedentary people — even suggest that moderate exercises may offer better protection against heart disease and diabetes, compared to vigorous-intensity exercises.

Another recent study on over 2,000 chronic heart failure patients also showed that moderate exercise helped them feel better and reduced mortality.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association early this month, the study was one of the largest exercise studies in people with chronic heart failure.
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WHAT EXACTLY IS MODERATE?

Moderate exercise means brisk walking about 100 steps every minute, according to a new US study that will be published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine next month.

To determine how hard you’re exercising, you could also measure your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR = 220 minus your age). For moderate intensity, one should aim to achieve 70 to 80 per cent of your MHR.

If you’re still confused, SGH’s senior physiotherapist Mr Eric Ho recommended the “walk and talk” test.

“At a moderate-intensity level, one should still be able to talk (but not in long sentences), breathe harder and perspire lightly,” said Mr Ho.
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STICKING TO IT

The good thing about a moderate exercise regimen, said Mr Ho, is that people are more likely to stick to it, unlike strenuous workouts. Other moderate-intensity exercises include swimming, hiking, tai chi, Pilates and playing golf.

“This allows them to be more active regularly, thereby deriving the benefits of regular exercise. In addition, individuals are also more likely to be able to participate in moderate-intensity exercises longer than vigorous-intensity exercises,” said Mr Ho, who stressed that the duration of a good exercise routine is just as important as its intensity.

An average-sized adult — who wants to make the most of the health benefits that a moderate-intensity exercise programme offers — has to go through at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a session for five days a week, said Ms Chan Yoke Yin, deputy director of physical activity at the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) adult health division.

“Additional health benefits may occur with greater frequency and longer duration,” said Ms Chan.

For those who want to lose weight, Mr Ho recommended between 150 and 200 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. This must be carried out with a healthy and balanced, but reduced calorie diet.

With vigorous exercises, there is the “issue of safety”, said Mr Ho.

“It might not be safe for sedentary individuals to participate in vigorous exercises suddenly, as it can potentially lead to musculo-skeletal problems and possibly even cardiac problems, especially in more elderly individuals,” he explained.

But does this mean intense workouts should be scrapped? Not necessarily. According to HPB’s Ms Chan, both moderate and intense exercises promote health.

In fact, any form of regular physical activity will improve your quality of life, lower your risk of chronic diseases and maintain strong bone and muscle mass.

“The intensity level at which one should undertake the activity would depend on his fitness level. For people who are healthy and fit, a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities could be included as part of a complete physical activity programme,” said Ms Chan.

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 21-April-2009