Search This Blog

Friday, December 4, 2015

Mixed drinks with diet beverages may boost breath alcohol levels


People who mix alcohol and diet drinks end up with more alcohol on their breath, according to a new study.
People who drank vodka mixed with diet soda had higher alcohol concentrations on their breath than those who drank the same amount of vodka mixed with regular soda, researchers write in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Prevention materials should include this information so people know that by trying to avoid some extra calories in a mixed drink, they risk having higher breath alcohol concentrations, write the researchers, led by Amy Stamates of Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights.
Previous research found similar results, but the findings were not generalizable to real-world scenarios, the researchers add.
For the new study, they had 10 men and 10 women between ages 21 and 30 drink five different mixed beverage combinations over five sessions. The drinks contained varying amounts of vodka and either diet or regular sweetened soda. One drink was just regular soda alone.
The researchers then measured the alcohol concentrations in the participants' breaths for three hours.
They found higher concentrations of alcohol on the breaths of the participants when they drank the mixed beverages containing diet soda.
For a low amount of alcohol, the researchers found breath alcohol concentrations were about 22 percent higher when participants had their beverages mixed with diet soda rather than regular soda.
For a larger amount of alcohol, breath alcohol concentrations were about 25 percent higher when the drinks were made with diet soda.
While there were no differences in the results by gender, the researchers say the findings may be particularly relevant to young women, who are most likely to use diet beverages in their mixed drinks.
Dr. Chris Rayner, a gastroenterologist at the University of Adelaide in Australia, told Reuters Health that so-called gastric emptying is likely the reason for higher alcohol concentrations in the participants' breaths.
In a previous study, Rayner found alcohol left the stomach and entered the bloodstream faster when people used diet drinks in their mixed beverages, compared to when they used regularly sweetened drinks.
"Although it makes good press, I wouldn't interpret the findings as indicating that diet beverages are 'bad,'" said Rayner, who was not involved with the new study.
Instead, he said, the effects of alcohol are mitigated if consumed with nutrients like sugar, because it slows the entry of alcohol into the small intestine, where it is absorbed by the body.
"So my message would be that consuming alcohol without any accompanying nutrients will result in a somewhat higher peak blood alcohol concentration," he said. "However, it is at least as important to consume alcohol in moderation, regardless of whether it is taken with or without food."
The authors of the study were unable to respond to a request for comment by deadline.
Read more ...

Sugar-free drinks may damage teeth, study says


Sugar-free drinks may be as damaging to your teeth as those that contain the sweet stuff. New research from the Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre at the University of Melbourne, Australia, found soft drinks and sports drinks without sugar can cause measurable damage to tooth enamel.
Researchers found that sugar-free drinks that contain acidic additives and those with low pH levels led to softening of dental enamel by between one-third and one-half of normal. The team tested 23 different types of sugar-free drinks, according to Medical News Today.
"Many people are not aware that while reducing your sugar intake does reduce your risk of dental decay, the chemical mix of acids in some foods and drinks can cause the equally damaging condition of dental erosion,” said Eric Reynolds, a professor at Melbourne Dental School.
Sugar forms a plaque on the tooth surface that bacteria digest and convert to acid. This acid attacks teeth by dissolving outer layers of tooth enamel— therefore any acidic drink can also erode teeth, according to Medical News Today. If the damage progresses, it can expose the soft pulp inside the tooth, Reynolds said.
In their study, researchers also found that both sugary and sugar-free drinks— including flavored mineral water— cause a measurable loss of tooth enamel, with no significant difference between the two types of drinks. Six of eight of the sports drinks tested caused dental enamel loss.
Researchers suggested the following to protect teeth health:
- Look for acidic additives such as citric acid and phosphoric acid in the ingredient list of sugar-free products.
- After eating or drinking acidic products, rinse your mouth with water and wait for an hour before brushing. Doing so any sooner can remove the softened tooth layer.
- Chew sugarless gum after drinking acidic beverages— such as soda— on its own to increase saliva flow to neutralize the acid.
Read more ...

Influential health survey needs to slim down, officials say

food label
When the government launched what would become most influential survey to monitor the nation's public health, there were just 75 questions - and 95 percent of those asked agreed to sit for it.
But that was nearly 60 years ago, and the National Health Interview Survey has mushroomed along with the government and its interests. There are now 1,200 potential questions, and the average family takes more than 90 minutes to complete the survey.
Not surprisingly, the refusal rate has gone up, as well: Thirty percent are refusing to take part. And that has raised concerns that the survey - conducted in people's homes - has gotten too big.
"If you tell them it's going to take an hour and it could be longer... right away people are going to say no," said Joseph Paysen, who oversees the survey in the New York City area.
These and other issues have prompted plans for dramatic changes. But as government officials embark on a redesign, they're contending with bureaucratic obstacles and pleas from researchers who want more questions asked, not less.
"They're kind of in a hard place," observed James Lepkowski, a survey research expert at the University of Michigan.
U.S. Census Bureau workers conduct the survey every year, on behalf of another federal agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's a $30 million annual project, and somewhere around 50,000 people answer the survey's questions each year.
Their answers have shaped our understanding of topics ranging from how common arthritis is to how many people get X-rays to what proportion of U.S. children suffers seizures. The survey's responses also are the foundation of how we measure the nation's progress (or backslide) on problems like obesity and smoking.
Tellingly, the CDC recently added questions to it about use of electronic cigarettes - even though other surveys already asked about that subject - because the agency wants a new, unimpeachable statistical baseline on the controversial topic.
"It's been kind of the gold standard" for continuous, nationally-representative information on the American public's health, said Lynn Blewett, a University of Minnesota expert on health data.
The survey has been a crucial source of health information for a long time.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, infectious diseases ranked as the nation's leading causes of death, so most government health statistics involved births, deaths, and germ illnesses. But with the development of germ-fighting antibiotics and other advances, illnesses like heart disease and cancer became the top killers, and new kinds of statistics were needed.
In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a law creating the health interview survey. The purpose was to learn how common chronic illnesses and disabilities were, and to learn about the characteristics and behaviors of people who had them. The survey began in 1957. It was placed under the CDC's umbrella in 1987.
The survey's data became the basis for measuring the nation's progress in fighting disease. It spurred funding for a CDC arthritis program, and shaped the agency's policy on cervical cancer screening. It was the first federal household survey to track the growing popularity of cell phones. And it's been a primary measuring stick for how many people are gaining health insurance under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
But now it's just one data source in a crowded field. The CDC has conducted or funded hundreds of surveys designed to improve researchers' understanding of peoples' health and health behaviors. That includes roughly 20 ongoing surveys of all or parts of the U.S. public. Many are focused on specific topics, like HIV or teen smoking.
Meanwhile, people are being approached for political polls or other surveys, or asked for personal information by businesses trying to sell them things. Bombarded by so many solicitations, "you're not trusting" when approached to be part of the government health survey, said Susan Cochran, a UCLA researcher who works with the survey data.
That uneasiness, coupled with people's busy schedules, means more and more potential participants decline. It's not just the health interview survey that's affected - response rates have been declining for surveys in general.
No one's talking about doing away with the health interview survey, but there have been proposals to merge it with other government health surveys.
But researchers and advocacy groups have been sharply opposed to the idea. Indeed, many of them want the survey to get bigger, not slimmer.
"I'm concerned about mental health," Vickie Mays, a UCLA researcher who works with survey data. A more comprehensive, ongoing set of questions on that topic is needed to better understand the nation's psychological well-being, she said.
Each survey also has a constituency within CDC, some located in at CDC headquarters in Atlanta and some at a CDC sub-agency - the National Center for Health Statistics - in Hyattsville, Maryland.
"They have these silos," Lepkowski said.



The CDC's budget has been relatively flat over the last decade, and in some years, the health interview survey has had to cut back the number of people interviewed, even though smaller samples can weaken the accuracy of a survey's findings. The survey benefited from an extra $5 million to $7 million a year after passage of the Affordable Care Act, engineered by Obama administration officials eager to demonstrate the law's impact. But that added money is ending and survey administrators expect a more modest budget moving forward.
The CDC is currently soliciting public comment for a redesigned survey that's to be used starting in 2018.
The last such redesign was in 1997, after the survey had crept up to a two-hour experience.
Paysen - the New York supervisor who works for the Census Bureau - has watched families go through the health interview survey in recent years, and he has detected frustration with what seemed to them to be redundant questions.
"The shorter it is," Paysen said, "the easier it will be."
Read more ...

12 exercises for a better night's sleep


taking a nap
When it comes to your health, getting the right amount of sleep may be the most important thing you can do for your body and mind. Maybe you eat healthy and exercise an hour (or even two) a day, but those pale in comparison to sleep, something you spend one-third of your life doing. Unfortunately, almost everyone struggles with sleep at some point, whether it’s falling asleep, staying asleep, or just getting enough. That’s why we spoke with fitness professionals, doctors, and sleep specialists to give you a list of exercises, and tips, for a better night’s rest.

1. Control Your Breath
A hectic lifestyle means your mind and body are constantly on the go. Before you go to bed, though, it is helpful to slow everything down. One of the best methods is to practice some breathing exercises. The simplest: sit cross-legged (or in any position that’s comfortable) on a soft surface like a yoga mat, inhale deeply for 5 to 7 seconds, hold the breath for an equal amount of time, then exhale for as long as you can. By the time you’ve finished repeating this for 10 rounds, you should feel a lot calmer, and hopefully, a lot sleepier.
2. Massage Your Feet
Your feet are the main point of contact with the earth, and over the course of a day, they can take a heck of a beating. Rubbing them not only relaxes those tiny, overused little muscles, but also slows your nervous system and stimulates your internal organs, explains Angi McClure, a licensed massage therapist, fitness instructor, and founder of MYMA Movement. McClure says to especially focus on an acupuncture point in the center of the foot, just below the knuckles, where, when pressure is applied, will calm you down like nothing else.

3. Feel Your Forearms
Whether it’s typing all day at a computer, carrying heavy bags, or lifting weights in the gym, your forearms are constantly being used throughout the day. “They tend to hold a lot of tension, and [massaging them] can resonate not only in the neck, but also emotionally in the head,” says McClure.
4. Hug and Love Yourself 
In a standing position, reach your arms out wide as you inhale, then exhale as you wrap your arms around your body, as if giving yourself a hug, advises McClure. Focusing on your breath as your perform the move with help draw your energy inward and push aside all external distractions.

5. Stretch Your Chest
“Stretching the front of the chest can open up the heart and release any tension that we hold in that area, [be it] physically or mentally,” says McClure. One technique: Stand in a doorway and push your arms into the frame, palms facing outward, creating an ‘M’ shape. Next, step forward a foot or two to create a deeper opening in the chest. If it feels like too much, back off, or stretch with only one arm at a time. Be aware of your breath as you do this, and close your eyes if it feels comfortable.
6. Howdy Horse Stance
The horse stance is a Qigong exercise where you stand, feet a bit wider than shoulder width, soften your knees, and drop your tailbone down until your butt is parallel to the ground. Next, reach your hands above your head as you inhale then slowly lower your hands to your stomach as you exhale. The aim of this exercise is to connect your body’s energy (called chi) with the earth, and to center your mind. Repeat the arms movement and inhale/exhale ten times, and your mind should be clear and relaxed.

7. Qi Ball Hold
The Qi ball hold is a Tai Chi exercise where you stand and place your hands in front of your stomach as if you were holding a beach ball with your right hand on the top, and your left hand on the bottom. Matching your breath with the movement, alternate your hands so your left hand is on the top, right hand on the bottom, continuing to switch hands as you breathe. The soft swinging movement of your arms works “to center the body, calm the breath, and prepare the mind for sleep,” says McClure.
8. Keep a Routine
With everything going on in life, maintaining a solid routine can be difficult, but given its importance, that’s no excuse. “Having a routine and going to sleep at a similar time every night is extremely important because one of the things that fights against us is what is call our circadian rhythm,” says Dr. Jeremy Weingarten, M.D., M.S., director of the Center for Sleep Disorders and the Pulmonary Physiology Laboratory at New York Methodist Hospital. “Circadian rhythm is a timing of sleep that our body naturally has and that’s based on light, daytime and nighttime patterns, and the release of melatonin. If we’re not going to sleep at the same time every night, we’re fighting our intrinsic biological sleep initiation pattern.”
9. Take a Hot Bath
Your core body temperature drops when you sleep, so taking a hot bath would seem counter-intuitive, but Dr. Weingarten says it may actually help you fall asleep quicker. “If you take a hot bath before bedtime, when you come out of the bath, your body temperature immediately drops, and so [taking a bath] sometimes helps people drift off to sleep.”

10. Stay Out of Bed Until Bedtime
Your bed is for one thing: sleeping. Keep it that way, says Dr. Weingarten. “The associations we develop of being in bed and doing other activities sets up a very bad pattern where our minds and our subconscious start to believe that being in bed and being awake is an alright thing,” Dr. Weingarten explains. “Avoid any activities in the bed, like watching television, eating, even reading in bed.” And if reading before bed is your thing, use a book, not an iPad or computer. The reason: bright light from computer screens suppress the release of melatonin.
11. Listen to Your Body
Some people believe exercising in the morning helps you sleep because by night, you’re exhausted. Others believe exercising at night is a better choice. In the end, it’s up to you. “It’s really a trial and error kind of thing,” says Dr. Wiengarten. “You can’t predict how an individual is going to respond to exercise in terms of their sleep initiation or quality.” Try exercising in the morning one week, gauge your sleep, and then try exercising at night. Whichever one helps you sleep better is the answer for you.

12. Manage Your Stress
Maybe the reason everyone struggles with sleep at some point or another is everyone struggles with stress and anxiety now and then. Managing, and decreasing stress and anxiety, might be the most effective way to improve your sleep. “Our stressful lifestyle, and levels of anxiety and depression definitely affect our ability to fall asleep and stay asleep,” says Dr. Weingarten. “Those are probably the most common causes of insomnia.”
Read more ...

Weight gain between pregnancies raises risks for babies, study says

pregnancy istock
Healthy-weight women who gained weight between their first and second pregnancies—even as little as 12 pounds for someone of average height—had an increased risk of a stillbirth or their baby dying within the first year of life, compared with women whose weight remained stable, according to a Swedish study.
The new study, based on a database of more than 456,000 Swedish women and published in the U.K. medical journal the Lancet, is thought to be the first to examine how weight gain between pregnancies is connected to risk of infant death. It suggests that weight gain during this period may be a modifiable risk for reducing stillbirth and infant mortality, which researchers say hasn’t declined much in recent decades in many high-income countries.
The risk of stillbirth and infant mortality remained small overall, but the relative risk was markedly higher for women who gained weight between pregnancies. For women who kept their weight steady, the infant mortality rate was two per 1,000. That rose to 2.3 per 1,000 for women who started off at a normal weight and put on about 12 pounds (5.6 kilograms). The rate of stillbirths increased to three per 1000 from two per 1,000. For women who put on about 12 pounds, the infant mortality risk increased by 30%. The risk increased further with more pronounced weight gain.

Women who were already overweight, whose babies are known to have an elevated risk of both outcomes to begin, didn’t have a greater risk with respect to infant mortality. But overweight women who lost weight between pregnancies reduced the risk of neonatal mortality—their baby dying in the first 28 days of life—for their second babies, according to the study.
“From a public-health perspective, it is possible that lives could be saved if we lived in the ideal world and you go back to your ideal weight,” said Sven Cnattingius, a professor in reproductive epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and first author on the study.
Read more ...

Dizziness, but not fall risk, improves after routine cataract surgery


 Older people with visual impairment who undergo cataract surgery report less dizziness, but may be at the same risk of falls as before the surgery, according to a new study.
You would have expected the fall rate to improve, said senior author David B. Elliott of the Bradford School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Bradford in West Yorkshire, U.K.
Decreased dizziness and improved vision after cataract surgery lower the chances of tripping over small objects, but getting multifocal lenses after cataract surgery blurs the lower visual field, and adapting to this change might increase the risk of falls, Elliott said.
"The vast majority of cataract occurs in older people and is more prevalent the older you get," he told Reuters Health by email. "As visual impairment approximately doubles the risk of falls and as cataract is one of the main causes of visual impairment in older people, then falls are common in people with cataract."
The researchers analyzed self-reported dizziness and falls before, and six months after, cataract surgery among 287 people whose average age was 76 years. Roughly one third had surgery on their first eye, one third had surgery on their second eye and one third had surgery on both eyes at the same time.
Before surgery, just over half of participants reported dizziness, which declined to 38 percent after surgery. Dizziness seemed to be reduced for people having surgery on their first eye or on both eyes, but not on their second eye, according to the results in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics.
Before surgery, 23 percent of participants said they had suffered a fall over the past six months, which was similar to the 20 percent who said they fell in the six months following surgery.
Fall risk after surgery was higher if the patient had switched to multifocal spectacles.
Thirty percent of people that started wearing multifocal, or "progressive lenses," after cataract surgery fell, yet only 15 percent of those taken out of progressives fell after surgery, Elliott noted.
"This study presents valuable findings in that falls may be increased indirectly by people commencing wearing multifocal glasses - an identified risk factor for falls," said Professor Stephen Lord, senior principal research fellow of the Falls and Balance Research Group of Neuroscience Research Australia, who was not part of the new study. "Multifocal glasses increase fall risk by blurring the visual field where people need to look as they walk, i.e. about two steps ahead."


Cataract surgery helps improve all aspects of visually-related activities such as reading, driving and computer work, Elliott said.
It markedly improves vision, reduces vision-related disability and improves quality of life, Lord told Reuters Health by email.
"All surgery has risks, but cataract surgery is one of the safest," Elliott said. "I would strongly recommend it," he said, noting that he even recommended it for his own mother.
"For the vast majority of older people the benefits far outweigh the risks," Lord said. "The implications of this study are that visual management of older people is important."
Read more ...

7 sneaky reasons you're always thirsty


When that parched feeling strikes, the reason why is usually clear: You've been skimping on your H2O intake, bingeing on your fave salty treat, or working out ultra-hard. But your mouth morphing into the Sahara may also be your body's way of hinting that you have a health condition. (Make YOUR well-being a priority this year! Join Prevention and other leading minds in health & wellness for our annual R3 Summit)
"Any condition that alters your water or salt balance in the body can trigger thirst," said Dr. Laura M. Hahn, a primary care physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
If you follow good hydration practices (your pee should be within the light yellow to clear range) yet still feel dehydrated, you may want to check in with your doc to rule out these sneaky saboteurs:
1. Diabetes
Diabetes can increase your risk of dehydration—especially if you're not yet aware of it. When blood sugar levels are too high, your body peer-pressures your kidneys into producing more urine to get rid of the excess glucose, said Dr. Heather Rosen, medical director of UPMC Urgent Care North Huntingdon in Pennsylvania.
"Frequent urination, another common symptom, will bring on thirst," she added. "This leads to drinking more fluids, which compounds the problem."
If you experience excessive thirst and urination, as well as other symptoms like unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or irritability, your doc can carry out a blood glucose test to find out if you have diabetes.
2. Diabetes Insipidus
Although diabetes insipidus isn't related to the diabetes we know and loathe, it does share some of the same signs and symptoms, such as dehydration and a busy bladder. Diabetes insipidus is characterized by a hormone imbalance in your body that affects water absorption. Because you end up losing vast amounts of water through your urine and have no say in the matter, thirst strikes as your body tries to compensate for the fluid loss, said Dr. Prudence Hall, founder and medical director of the Hall Center in Santa Monica, Calif. Since there are several types of diabetes insipidus and it can be caused by other conditions, your doctor will perform a variety of tests to determine which treatment option is best for you.
3. Your Period
During the great flood, you may feel the urge to suck up water like a shop vac. Don't worry: It's totally normal.
 "Estrogen and progesterone levels can both affect fluid volume," Rosen said. "Add to that blood loss from the cycle itself—especially if your periods are on the heavy side—and the result is a compensatory increase in thirst."
In other words, when you're stranded in PMS Land, make sure you keep a bottle of water handy.
4. Dry Mouth
Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is often mistaken for excessive thirst. "It's an abnormal dryness of the mucous membranes in the mouth, due to a reduction of the flow or change in the composition of saliva," Rosen said.
If your glands aren't making enough saliva, that can lead to other pesky symptoms like bad breath, trouble chewing, and thick, stringy saliva. Dry mouth can be a side effect of prescription medications, allergy medicines (Benadryl or Claritin), and dizziness or motion sickness medications (Antivert or Dramamine), Hahn said.
"There are also several diseases that can cause dry mouth, so this is always worth bringing up with your doctor," she added.
5. Anemia
Ongoing or sudden blood loss—thanks to issues like heavy periods and bleeding ulcers—is the most common cause of anemia. Your body loses red blood cells faster than they can be replaced, and will try to make up for the fluid loss by triggering thirst, Rosen said.
"A very common yet unrecognized cause of heavy periods is low thyroid conditions," Hall said. "Up to 70 percent of people experience some degree of thyroid deficiency, which translates to a large number of very thirsty women."
A physical exam and blood test will determine if you have anemia, and the treatment you receive will depend on the type you're diagnosed with.
6. Low Blood Pressure
"Chronic stress causes our adrenal glands to underfunction, which may result in low blood pressure when the stress is severe," Hall said. "This can cause dizziness, depression, anxiety, and also extreme thirst."
Thirst is your body's way of adding more water to your blood, in an attempt to raise your blood pressure. Really, the only long-term solution for this is to decrease and better manage your stress.
7. Your Diet
"Foods that have a diuretic effect [think celery, asparagus, beets, lemons, melons, ginger, and parsley] can make you thirsty because they cause you to urinate more," said Jessica Cording, RD, a dietitian at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. "Though these foods have a lot of health benefits, consider this effect yet another reason to incorporate a wide variety of fruits and veggies into your diet: You'll cover your nutritional bases and keep your thirst in check."
You can also balance the scales by eating more fluid-rich foods, like oatmeal and brown rice, which soak up water during the cooking process.
This story originally appeared on Prevention.com.
Read more ...