Mold and mildew are common contaminants in basements and crawl spaces under houses. The hot and humid weather of summer is especially conducive to mold and mildew growth. A new study from Boston indicates that these fungi can boost the risk of asthma symptoms, especially among people with a genetic susceptibility. Investigators with the Childhood Asthma Management Program measured the amount of mold spores in the children's homes at the outset of the study. Children whose homes were contaminated with more than 25,000 mold colonies per gram of household dust had more severe attacks if they also had certain variants of a gene that breaks down chitin, a compound found in fungi.
[American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, online, June 21, 2010]
Common medications may increase the risk for cataracts. Investigators at the University of Wisconsin studied records from more than 2000 patients over a span of 15 years. People who took drugs that can sensitize the skin or eyes to sun damage were a little more likely to come down with cortical cataracts. Some of the drugs included the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide, which is frequently found in medications to treat hypertension. The popular over-the-counter pain reliever naproxen was also implicated. Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, the diabetes drug glyburide and a drug called amitriptyline, which is prescribed for nerve pain and depression, were other contributors. The lead investigator downplayed the significance of the data because she did not want to scare people.
A different study from the University of Wisconsin found that women who did not smoke, maintained a healthy weight and ate lots of vegetables and fruits had an almost 40 percent lower risk of developing cataracts. If you must take medicine that increases the risk of sunburn or cataracts, it makes sense to stay out of the midday sun, and wear a hat and UV blocking sunglasses. Eating leafy greens and other vegetables is good for your heart, your brain and probably your eyes.
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How can a couple make their marriage better? Paying attention to each other is critical, but what if one of them has ADD? Even without ADD, busy schedules and interruptions with work, text messages, email and other demands can make time together and good communication more challenging. Our guests have personal as well as clinical experience to back up their excellent advice.
Guests: Edward M. (Ned) Hallowell, MD, is a child and adult psychiatrist and founder of the Hallowell Centers for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Sudbury, MA and New York City. He is the author of Driven to Distraction and 17 other books, as well as many scholarly articles. His latest book, written with his wife, is Married to Distraction: Restoring Intimacy and Strengthening Your Marriage in an Age of Interruption.
Sue George Hallowell, LICSW, has been a practicing couples' therapist for more than twenty-five years.
The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. Podcasts can be downloaded for free for six weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.
Edward M. Hallowell, M.D.
10 TIPS ON MARRIAGE / RELATIONSHIPS
1. Remember what you like about the other person. Keep it in the back of your mind for those moments when you're angry.
2. Think not just about what the other person can do to make things better, but what you can do to make things better.
3. Couples are too busy these days. You've got to make protected time for each other, time just for the two of you, and you need to do this at least a half hour a week, preferably more. Many couples spend more time exercising than being with each other. One way around that is to exercise together!
4. Respect. Respect. Respect. Try always to treat your partner with respect. Repeated put-downs can become a habit and mark the beginning of the end of a relationship.
5. Play. Let yourselves set aside your inhibitions and be silly. Do foolish things together. Have a pillow fight. Play tag. Tickle each other. Tell jokes. Play pranks on each other. Never take yourselves too seriously. As long as you can laugh, you'll be ok.
6. Celebrate. Studies show that it is more important to be there for your spouse to celebrate good times than it is to be supportive in bad times. Of course, support in bad times matter, but it is even more predictive of success in a relationship if you can celebrate good times together.
7. Present a united front to your kids. Otherwise you will undermine each other. This is not good for you and it is not good for the kids.
8. Say something nice, something you like about your spouse at least once a day.
9. Feel free to make fun of tips on marriage--like these--but don't make fun of taking seriously the idea of each day doing what you can to make your relationship better.
10. Give your spouse permission to have a life of his or her own outside the marriage, be it friends, gro
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The number of Americans with diabetes has been increasing at an alarming rate. At last count, 23 million Americans had the disease, but more than five million were unaware of it. Diabetes has a huge impact on health and longevity, but the recommendations for treatment have been changing lately. Doctors used to assume that getting blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as close to normal as possible was the best approach. But results from the huge ACCORD study are throwing that assumption into question. Get the latest update on diabetes treatment, diet, and vitamin D.
Guests: John Buse, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine and Chief of Endocrinology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Director of the Diabetes Care Center there. He is past president of the American Diabetes Association.
Many people are aware that high levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol are good for cardiovascular health. Now a new analysis of 24 studies shows that good HDL cholesterol is associated with a lower risk of cancer as well. The studies included 76,000 people who were given statins and approximately 70,000 who were taking placebo. As HDL levels increase, the risk of being diagnosed with any cancer falls. Cancer risk goes down about 36 percent with each 10 point rise in HDL. It isn't easy to boost HDL, but the scientists suggest exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and drinking moderately. Niacin can also raise HDL. These are healthy habits to reduce the risk of heart disease as well as cancer.
A small Italian study reinforces the results of prior research on pancreatic cancer and diet. The investigators questioned 326 people with pancreatic cancer about their diet and lifestyle. Each patient was matched to two healthy adults who answered the same questions. The research team found that a third of the people, those who ate the most sugary foods, were 78 percent more likely than those in the lowest third to have pancreatic cancer. The worst offenders were sweet foods that raise blood sugar quickly, like jam, candy, honey and sugar. There was no link with diabetes or obesity. The absolute risk for any individual is still low, since pancreatic cancer is relatively rare. But together with earlier research showing a link between sugary drinks and pancreatic cancer, this study suggests that regular consumption of sweets may increase the risk of this rare but deadly disease.
Could brown rice help ward off type 2 diabetes? Harvard scientists analyzed data collected in three large long-term epidemiological studies. They included almost 200,000 individuals, mostly women, in the Nurses' Health Studies 1 and 2 and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The researchers adjusted for many other factors including exercise habits, smoking, weight, age, and other dietary habits.
They found that people who ate white rice five times or more in a month had a higher likelihood of type 2 diabetes. Previous research from China has shown a similar pattern. The researchers estimate that replacing just 1/3 serving of white rice with brown rice could lower the chance of developing diabetes by about 16 percent. Replacing that white rice with other whole grains such as barley, which raises blood sugar more slowly, would reduce the diabetes risk even more, by about 36 percent. They recommend that most carbohydrate intake should come from whole grains rather than refined grains as a way to mitigate the epidemic of type 2 diabetes.
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