Sunday, February 24, 2008

Here’s Something New To Worry About: Anxiety Hikes Heart Attack

Anxiety found to increase risk of heart attacks by up to 40%!


We all know that people with a Type A personality and an off-the-charts hostility level may be courting a heart attack. But this might come as a surprise: New research shows that their nervous, socially withdrawn neighbors also have reason to worry.

The research, published in the January 15, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), shows that longstanding anxiety markedly increases the risk of heart attack, even when other common risk factors are taken into account.

“What we’re seeing is over and beyond what can be explained by blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol, age, cigarette smoking, blood sugar levels and other cardiovascular risk factors,” said Biing-Jiun Shen, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

The role of anxiety in hiking heart attack risk also goes beyond the effects of depression, anger, hostility, Type A behavior and other negative emotions. “These psychological factors are important in predicting the risk of heart disease, but anxiety is unique,” Dr. Shen said. “Older men with sustained and pervasive anxiety appear to be at increased risk for a heart attack even after their levels of depression, anger, hostility and Type A behavior are considered.”

For the study, Dr. Shen and his colleagues analyzed data from the Normative Aging Study, which was designed to assess medical and psychological changes associated with aging among a group of initially healthy men. Each of the 735 men participating in the new analysis completed psychological testing in 1986 and was in good cardiovascular health at the time.

Although most people think of anxiety as intense worry, Dr. Shen and his colleagues looked much deeper, examining four different measures of anxiety. The first anxiety scale measured psychasthenia, or excessive doubts, obsessive thoughts and irrational compulsions. The second anxiety scale measured social introversion, or anxiety, insecurity, and discomfort in interpersonal and social situations. The third anxiety scale measured phobias, or excessive anxieties or fears about animals, situations or objects. The fourth anxiety scale, manifest anxiety, measured the tendency to experience tension and physical arousal in stressful situations.

Separate sections of the psychological test measured hostility, anger, Type A behavior, depression, and negative emotions. Study participants also completed questionnaires about health habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption and daily diet, and had a medical exam every three years over a follow-up period that averaged more than 12 years.

The investigators found that men who tested at the highest 15th percentile on any of the four anxiety scales, as well as on a scale combining all four, faced an increase in the risk of heart attack of approximately 30 to 40 percent. Those who were found to have even higher levels of anxiety on psychological testing faced an even higher risk of heart attack. This finding held true even after the findings were adjusted for standard cardiovascular risk factors, health habits, and negative psychological and personality traits.

“The good thing about anxiety is that it’s very treatable,” said Dr. Shen. “If someone is highly anxious—if they’re suffering from panic attacks or social phobia or constant worry—we recommend therapy. Although more research is needed, we hope that by reducing anxiety, we can lower the future risk of heart attack. This is one more reason to seek help.”

Dr. Shen said the new research does not address the role of anxiety in provoking heart attacks in women. He and his colleagues are considering such a study in the future.

Source: American College of Cardiology


Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Yet Another Lurking Link Between Foods and Cancer

New research shows that a high dietary intake of acrylamide can increase the risk of breast cancer. The study was the first epidemiological study using biological markers for measuring acrylamide exposure, and also the first to report an acrylamide/breast cancer link.
The study examined 374 postmenopausal women who had developed breast cancer, and an additional 374 healthy women who were used as controls. An increased acrylamide hemoglobin level doubled the risk of breast cancer.

Acrylamide is a carcinogen created when starchy foods are baked, roasted, fried or toasted. It was found to cause cancer in laboratory rats in 2002.
Sources: FoodNavigator.com January 11, 2008
International Journal of Cancer January 8, 2008 [Epub ahead of print]

Dr Mercola Comments
I first warned readers of the dangers of acrylamide nearly six years ago in April of 2002. Since then many other studies have been published, confirming the initial findings that acrylamide can cause cancer in humans.
For example, this study adds to last year’s findings by Janneke Hogervorst and co-workers from the University of Maastricht, who examined data from more than 62,500 women and found that increased dietary intakes of acrylamide could raise your risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer by 29 and 78 percent respectively.

How is Acrylamide Created?
Acrylamide, a “probable human carcinogen,” is formed in several foods as a result of a reaction between specific amino acids, including asparagine, and sugars found in foods when they reach high temperatures during cooking or processing.
This reactive process is known as the Maillard reaction, and occurs at temperatures above 212°F (100°C). As a general rule, acrylamide is formed in vegetable-type foods when you heat them enough to produce a fairly dry and brown/yellow surface.
Hence, it can be found in many common foods that are baked, fried, roasted or toasted, such as:
• Potatoes; chips, French fries and other roasted or fried potato foods
• Grains; bread crust, toast, crisp bread, roasted breakfast cereals and various processed snacks
• Coffee; roasted coffee beans and ground coffee powder. Surprisingly, coffee substitutes based on chicory actually contains 2-3 times MORE acrylamide than real coffee
Acrylamide is Not the Only Danger
However, acrylamide is not the only dangerous genotoxic compound formed when food is heated to high temperatures.
A three-year long EU project, known as Heat-Generated Food Toxicants (HEATOX) -- whose findings were published at the end of 2007 -- found there are more than 800 heat-induced compounds, of which 52 are potential carcinogens.

In addition to their finding that acrylamide does pose a public health threat, the HEATOX scientists also discovered that you’re far less likely to ingest dangerous levels of the toxin when you eat home-cooked foods compared to industrially or restaurant-prepared foods.

Additionally, the HEATOX findings also suggest that although there are ways to decrease exposure to acrylamide, it cannot be eliminated completely. According to their calculations, successful application of all presently known methods would reduce the acrylamide intake by 40 percent at the most…

For more in-depth information regarding their findings and consumer guidelines, I recommend reading their online report Heat-generated Food Toxicants, Identification, Characterization and Risk Minimization.
How to Protect Yourself from Acrylamide and Other Toxic Compounds
Most of the problems with cancer-causing by-products stem from factory farmed, highly processed foods in general. Ideally, you should consume foods that are minimally processed, and come from local, environmentally sustainable sources.
At the same time, over half of the foods you eat should be uncooked and eaten in the raw state. It may take you awhile to get to that point, but in the meantime, you can start by avoiding processed foods, which simply have no redeeming qualities whatsoever, such as doughnuts, all sodas, French fries, and potato chips.
In addition, you can reduce your exposure to these cancer-causing chemicals by throwing away your Teflon-coated cookware

Related Articles
The Dangers of Over-Cooking Your Food
Finally We Know Why Cooking Grains Can Poison Your Food
How Many Toxins Are in Your Potato Chips?
Source: Dr Mercola Newsletter #1068 – 5 February 2007
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/5/yet-another-lurking-link-between-foods-and-cancer.aspx