Acne vulgaris has anecdotally been attributed to diet by individuals affected by this skin condition.
In a 2009 systematic literature review of 21 observational studies and 6 clinical trials, the association between acne and diet was evaluated. Observational studies, including 2 large controlled prospective trials, reported that cow's milk intake increased acne prevalence and severity. Furthermore, prospective studies, including randomized controlled trials, demonstrated a positive association between a high-glycemic-load diet, hormonal mediators, and acne risk.
Based on these findings, there exists convincing data supporting the role of dairy products and high-glycemic-index foods in influencing hormonal and inflammatory factors, which can increase acne prevalence and severity. Studies have been inconclusive regarding the association between acne and other foods.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Higher 'good' cholesterol linked to lower cancer risk
People who have low levels of the so-called good cholesterol have long been known to be at higher risk of heart attacks and heart disease. Now, a new study suggests they may have a higher risk of cancer, too. Read more
Chocolate Might Help Cut Cholesterol
Eating chocolate could bring down cholesterol levels in some people, a new meta-analysis shows.
But chocolate lovers shouldn't take the news as license to indulge. Chocolate only helped people who already had risk factors for heart disease, and only when consumed in modest amounts, Dr. Rutai Hui of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing and colleagues found.
Several studies have suggested that chocolate may be good for you. One study released in March showed that among 19,300 people, those who ate the most chocolate had lower blood pressure and were less likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack over the next 10 years. But like the new analysis, that research came with caveats; the difference in chocolate consumption between the top and bottom chocolate-consuming groups was around 6 grams, or about one-seventh of a Hershey's milk chocolate bar.
In the new analysis, Dr. Hui and colleagues searched the medical literature to find studies that looked at how cocoa affected lipids. They found eight trials including 215 people. When the data were pooled, the researchers found eating cocoa cut levels of LDL cholesterol, by about 6 mg/dL and reduced total cholesterol by the same amount. But cocoa had no effect on cholesterol in the three highest-quality studies.
Further analysis showed that only people who ate small amounts of cocoa, an amount containing 260 mg of polyphenols or less, experienced cholesterol lowering effects; people who consumed more showed no effect. (A 1.25-ounce bar of milk chocolate contains about 300 mg of polyphenols.)
The researchers also found that healthy people didn't get any cholesterol-lowering benefits from cocoa, but people with risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, saw their LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol drop by around 8 mg/dL each.
Eating moderate amounts of cocoa could be "a worthwhile dietary approach" for preventing high cholesterol in certain groups of people, Dr. Hui and colleagues conclude in their report, which was published online May 26th in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
But chocolate lovers shouldn't take the news as license to indulge. Chocolate only helped people who already had risk factors for heart disease, and only when consumed in modest amounts, Dr. Rutai Hui of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing and colleagues found.
Several studies have suggested that chocolate may be good for you. One study released in March showed that among 19,300 people, those who ate the most chocolate had lower blood pressure and were less likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack over the next 10 years. But like the new analysis, that research came with caveats; the difference in chocolate consumption between the top and bottom chocolate-consuming groups was around 6 grams, or about one-seventh of a Hershey's milk chocolate bar.
In the new analysis, Dr. Hui and colleagues searched the medical literature to find studies that looked at how cocoa affected lipids. They found eight trials including 215 people. When the data were pooled, the researchers found eating cocoa cut levels of LDL cholesterol, by about 6 mg/dL and reduced total cholesterol by the same amount. But cocoa had no effect on cholesterol in the three highest-quality studies.
Further analysis showed that only people who ate small amounts of cocoa, an amount containing 260 mg of polyphenols or less, experienced cholesterol lowering effects; people who consumed more showed no effect. (A 1.25-ounce bar of milk chocolate contains about 300 mg of polyphenols.)
The researchers also found that healthy people didn't get any cholesterol-lowering benefits from cocoa, but people with risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, saw their LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol drop by around 8 mg/dL each.
Eating moderate amounts of cocoa could be "a worthwhile dietary approach" for preventing high cholesterol in certain groups of people, Dr. Hui and colleagues conclude in their report, which was published online May 26th in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Long-Term Metformin Treatment Linked to Vitamin B12 Deficiency
A recent study found long-term metformin treatment is linked to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Metformin is considered a cornerstone in the treatment of diabetes and is the most frequently prescribed first line therapy for individuals with type 2 diabetes. It is one of a few antihyperglycaemic agents associated with improvements in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which is a major cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes.
However, metformin can induce vitamin B-12 malabsorption, which may increase the risk of developing vitamin B-12 deficiency — a clinically important and treatable condition
Metformin is considered a cornerstone in the treatment of diabetes and is the most frequently prescribed first line therapy for individuals with type 2 diabetes. It is one of a few antihyperglycaemic agents associated with improvements in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which is a major cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes.
However, metformin can induce vitamin B-12 malabsorption, which may increase the risk of developing vitamin B-12 deficiency — a clinically important and treatable condition
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Malnutrition killing elderly in U.S.
Although malnutrition is often thought of as a killer in the developing world, it's also a problem for the elderly in the United States, according to research published in the May issue of the Annals of Epidemiology. Read more
American cigarettes contain more harmful carcinogens
Cigarette-smoking Americans receive higher doses of the most potent carcinogens than do smokers in many foreign countries because of variations in the way tobacco is processed for cigarettes, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported June 1.
American cigarettes are typically made from "American blend" tobacco, a specific blend that, because of growing and curing practices, contains higher levels of cancer-causing tobacco-specific nitrosamines. The most popular Canadian, Australian and British brands, in contrast, are made from "bright" tobacco, which is lighter in color and cured differently.
Read more
American cigarettes are typically made from "American blend" tobacco, a specific blend that, because of growing and curing practices, contains higher levels of cancer-causing tobacco-specific nitrosamines. The most popular Canadian, Australian and British brands, in contrast, are made from "bright" tobacco, which is lighter in color and cured differently.
Read more
Bisphenol A and Other Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Pose Cancer Risk
Longtime environmental health researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine describe the carcinogenic effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), ubiquitous chemicals that have hormone-like effects in the body. In a review article published online May 25 in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, the researchers express the need for more complex strategies for studying how these chemicals affect health but report that ample evidence already supports changing public health and environmental policies to protect the public from exposure to EDCs.
Melasma: Treatment with 10% tretinoin peeling mask
Melasma is one of the most frequently acquired hyperpigmentation disorders clinically characterized by symmetrical brown patches on sun exposed areas. The first approach is an avoidance of sun exposure and inflammation combined with a use of photoprotection. Patient treatment is particularly difficult and challenging, and necessitates consideration of many therapies, including tretinoin to obtain an amelioration of this important skin condition.
A recent study showed moderate or marked improvement of melasma in all patients using a 10% tretinoin peeling mask. Tretinoin is the acid form of vitamin A and so also known as all-trans retinoic acid or ATRA.
A recent study showed moderate or marked improvement of melasma in all patients using a 10% tretinoin peeling mask. Tretinoin is the acid form of vitamin A and so also known as all-trans retinoic acid or ATRA.
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