We are Still Getting Sunburns at an Alarming Rate

Despite increased use of sunscreen and wearing of hats and long sleeved clothes, 51% of women and 49% of men reported getting at least one significant sunburn during the previous year. This puts people at risk of skin cancer. The safest habit to promote is to be out in the sun for shorter times and perhaps at off-peak hours of the day. We certainly need the vitamin D production from sun exposure, but burning is to be avoided. See the Healthy People Objectives 2020 from the CDC.

Heavy Smoking Can Lead to Major Depression

The risk for major depression was 27% in heavy smokers, compared to 7% in patients who previously smoked but had quit. Heavy smokers were defined as those who smoke a pack a day or more. It was not clear if smoking caused the depression or if patients genetically prone to depression were also prone to smoking, but the association added one more risk factor to this deadly habit. See Salma Khaled at the University of Calgary, J. Psychiatric Research 2012;46:436-43.

Increasing Case Reports of Measles in the U.S.

Last year there were 222 measles cases reported to the CDC, compared to an average of 60 cases per year during the last decade. Most of the cases were in unvaccinated patients or in those in which the vaccine status was unknown. However, 90% of the cases were associated with importation from other countries. Increasing numbers of parents are refusing or delaying immunizations due to perceived risks of autism and autoimmune diseases. Despite reassurances from the CDC and most doctors that vaccines are “safe”, there are risks, especially when multiple vaccines are given at the same time. Delaying vaccines, spreading them out, and using homeopathics to prevent complications are prudent measures. Avoiding vaccines in children who may be at risk of autism is a parental choice that should be respected. Such a small increase in reported cases of measles is not cause for alarm. See the CDC Weekly Report, 2012;61:253-7.

Subclinical Hypothyroidism

Treatment with thyroid replacement (T4) reduced the risk of all-cause mortality and heart disease, the latter by 39%, in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, a condition that many doctors have refused to treat. A British study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine has laid to rest a long-standing controversy on whether this condition should be treated. Millions of patients who have symptoms of low thyroid but whose blood tests are in the normal range need to be treated. T4 has to be converted into T3 to be active, and not everyone makes this conversion efficiently. Therefore, I prefer a T4/T3 combination treatment, which occurs in natural thyroid preparations. See Family Practice News, May 1, 2012, p. 22.

Osteoarthritis is Linked to Heart Disease

A Canadian study showed that patients with arthritis had an increased risk of heart disease. The highest association was 41% in women younger than 65 y.o. but both men and women were affected. The reason was not clear, but the authors speculated that less physical activity or the drugs prescribed for arthritis caused the increased risk. These mechanisms could be avoided by using natural therapies like glucosamine and emphasizing more creative forms of exercise like swimming and mini-trampolines. From the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Rheumatology Assoc., reported in Family Practice News, May 1, 2012, p. 1.

Threshold for Lead Poisoning in Children Lowered by the CDC

Almost twice as many children, an estimated 450,000, are now classified as lead toxic, since the CDC lowered the blood threshold from 10 mcg/dl to 5. Most affected children are undiagnosed. There is no safe level of lead, which can lead to mental retardation and an increased risk for various chronic diseases. Even more affected children would be found if a challenge test were performed to detect lead that is stored in the body 2 weeks after exposure. Even those who are detected are rarely treated by oral chelating substances, which are effective. Mercury toxicity is also common, but largely ignored by conventional medicine. The most obvious consequences of toxic metals are the autism spectrum disorders, but that is being swept under the rug. Wake up, America, your kids are being poisoned. See Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, report on lead toxicity, January, 2012.

Female Hormone Therapy Shown to be Safe

The massive Women’s Health Initiative from Harvard showed that postmenopausal women who had hysterectomies and took estrogen had a lower incidence of breast cancer than those who took placebos. This should be comforting to those who take hormone replacement for an average of 6 years to control disturbing menopausal symptoms. Two important caveats: avoid synthetic progestins (Provera), which are dangerous, and I believe that natural hormones from soy or yams are safer yet than Premarin, which is an extract from horse urine. See Lancet on line, March 6, 2012.