Bird Flu in China – Is There Nondisclosure?
The effects of the current outbreak of the H7N9 avian influenza in China has been as varied as causing the sales of KFC to drop and causing the stock-prices of rubber-glove manufacturers to be on the uptrend..but there’s no mistaking the fact that to date, there has been 9 deaths and 28 confirmed cases (see here).
But a mystery is brewing..the first known human case was in eastern China on Feb. 19, but this was not announced to the public until March 31, some 6 weeks later. This delay in announcement is even being questioned by the heavily censored news media, such as the Communist Youth Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Youth League.
Was there deliberate concealment by the health authorities? The answer may not be that straightforward. Possible reasons for the delay may include that the new virus strain shows unusual properties and that Chinese laboratories might have been doing tests to detect the previous H5N1 strain instead. To recap, the H5N1 outbreak struck in 2003 where a total of 247 people died. Measures instituted at that time included the controversial administration of several million vaccines to the chicken population at a significant economic cost. This could also be a reason why the news has been suppressed.
Sales of KFC have dropped in China since the outbreak, although there is no evidence that the virus can be spread via properly cooked food.
Avian influenza (also called avian flu, bird flu) is a flu virus that infects poultry but can be transmitted to man by direct or indirect exposure to infected live or dead poultry or contaminated environments. It is generally classified of low virulence (it does not spread to man easily). There is no evidence that the disease can be spread to people through properly cooked food. You can get more info from the WHO Fact Sheet here.
Related articles
- China finds bird flu in five new sites-OIE (healthnexercise.com)
- KFC parent Yum says China sales hit by bird flu (cbsnews.com)
The Alarming State of Healthcare Security
Even with Personal Data Protection Acts in place, one can see there can be frequent violation of privacy even in the US. How? See this infographic.
So What Is the Mediterranean Diet?
The fact that the Mediterranean Diet has led to lower rates of heart disease, stroke and cancer has been known for decades; and the latest study highlighted over the media recently (see here) is on the back of several similar studies done over the years. I had written about one such study in an earlier blog posting in 2008 (see here).
So how many more studies do we need before the guidelines on healthy eating habits are changed by governments from the low-fat high carbohydrate that is so widely advocated? Even in those countries where a greater awareness of what constitutes healthy eating exists, the end-product may not be what the consumer paid for – olive oil is adulterated and/or filtered, garlic is taken as a pill than a freshly-crushed clove and even red wine is not aged and commercially processed so that it is lacking in polyphenols.
There are many grades of olive oil – extra virgin being the best
The Mediterranean Diet – low in saturated fat and high in fiber and monounsaturated fat - includes vegetables, whole grains, fish, legumes, fruit, and moderate red wine, if so inclined. The main cooking fat is olive oil – pure unfiltered virgin olive oil is preferable, although the quality varies quite a bit commercially.
It is interesting to note that this oil has been around since time immemorial and its benefits mentioned by most of the world’s major religions, whether its the Muslim Hadith (“Consume olive oil and anoint it upon your bodies since it is of the blessed tree”), the Catholic church (“Oil of the Sick”) or the Jewish Talmud which states that frequent consumption of olive oil is good for one’s memory.
But behind the benefits of this diet, a more stark message is revealed: that the typical ‘Western Diet’ is the antithesis, with processing, additives and chemical substitutes causing many of the lifestyle diseases it is supposed to prevent.
Related articles
- Mediterranean diet proven to reduce risk of heart disease (newsfixnow.com)
New Drugs – How To Assess If They’re Effective
Reading the media, many are fascinated as to the plethora of new drugs claiming to provide a ‘cure’ against diseases which hitherto were considered incurable. Why, new drugs have even pervaded the social media – pharma companies have started posting widgets on Facebook in a bid to attract readers. Recently, FDA cautioned the drug company Novartis for overstating the benefits of a drug without pointing out the ill-effects (see here).
Social Media as a Marketing Tool – even Big Pharmas Use It
This rampant form of advertising naturally may confuse the public about the efficacy of new medications. In fact, its sometimes difficult to know the validity of claims made in the media.
Here are some tips on how to evaluate the validity of medical news items that you may come across..
- It is a fact that competition is intense among medical journals, research bodies and medical journals to attract media attention. Media themselves compete with each other to come out with the latest. Try to read the same news from several sources. Obviously, if the item is reported in just one obscure source, it should carry less weight.
- Look for key-words like suggestive or may (as opposed to will) as this does not always indicate a cause and effect meaning. Many people make hard-core assumptions based on such words.
- It is the nature of scientific studies that, for a given topic, several would say one thing and a few would say the complete opposite. It is for the trained professional and their peer-groups to make an informed decision to advise consumers. Bear in mind that space is a premium with the mass media and such reports usually omit vital details which will affect accuracy.
- Separate the wheat from the chaff..make sure the website you’re looking at is a reliable one!
- Personally, I feel reports originating from researchers and pharma companies should not appear in the mass media without vetting by an appropriate professional body so as to convey the proper perspective to the audience at large. So if a news report originates from a known professional body, this should carry a lot of weight; as opposed to a solitary item in a nondescript health magazine.
Lance Armstrong – Cheat, Liar & Cancer Survivor
Confession on TV..the body language speaks volumes
A serial cheat and liar he may be after his confession on the Oprah Winfrey show, but there’s no denying he’s a cancer survivor. In this blog entry, I would like to elaborate on what he suffered from – cancer of the testes with spread to the brain and lungs – and the chances of survival in patients with this condition.
In October 1996, after delaying seeing a doctor and after his testes had swollen up to three times the normal size( he was also coughing up blood), he finally sought a medical consultation which confirmed that he had advanced stage three testicular cancer, of the subtype embryonal carcinoma. Worse, the cancer had already spread to the lungs and brain. Immediate surgery was done to remove the diseased testicle as well as the satellite tumors in the brain. Subsequently, chemotherapy, an essential part of the two-step treatment, was planned.
Here, instead of the standard chemotherapeutic regimen (the BEP regime), he opted for one (the VIP regime) which did not contain the drug bleomycin, which has toxic effects on the lungs and would probably have meant that his cycling career would have been finished. The course of chemotherapy finished in December 1996, and in February 1997, he was declared cancer-free, which he apparently remains to this day.
An interesting fact to note is that, prior to the surgery, he had already won two Tour de France titles. Following the cancer treatment, he was recruited by US Postals, resumed training, and was able to win the Tour de France every year from 1999 till 2005, when he officially retired.
Quite an amazing feat, even if it was tainted by the use of performance-enhancing substances. I would be hesitant to call them drugs, as the alleged substances involved (EPO, testosterone , human growth hormone, corticosteriods and blood transfusions) are all part of normal body constituents.
So, is what Armstrong the cancer survivor experiencing something out of the ordinary? Unknown to many, testicular cancer has one of the 
highest cure rates of all cancers - in excess of 90 percent overall; almost 100 percent if it has not spread elsewhere. Even if the cancer had spread widely, as in Armstrong’s case, the cure rate is over 80% following chemotherapy. Indeed, it is the most common form of cancer in males aged 20-39 years.
Related articles
- Editorial: Lance Armstrong, world-class liar (denverpost.com)
- Zero Worship: Did Surviving Cancer Make Armstrong a Hero? (psychologytoday.com)
Travelling? Keep the Germs at Bay.
Its the holiday season again, and many will be embarking to distant lands.. and with it comes the risk of exposure to new bugs (currently, the Norovirus virus outbreak is the vogue. Read more here.) Seasoned business travelers know that to reduce their chances of getting sick, its best to maximize the use of soap, water and hand sanitizer and minimize the number of times they touch their face.
Abdominal pain,nausea,vomiting and diarrhoea -symptoms of Norovirus infection
Apart from that, what about other risks? Dehydration poses a greater risk, drying out the body’s natural defenses against germs. Avoid coffee and alcohol (no, its not a devious plan by airlines to reduce their beverage costs), which act as diuretics, and try to drink a cup of water an hour. Saline solutions can keep your nose and eyes moist, providing a barrier against germs. Dehydration makes the body’s defence mechanisms perform less efficiently and thus make the entry of germs easier.
While going around, preventing dehydration remains important, particularly in hot arid climates, where body water loss is not too obvious due to the absence of sweating.To avoid drinking contaminated water, watch out for recycled tap-water impersonating as bottled mineral water (look for a sealed cap). For that matter, possibly contaminated water could also be present in ice, uncooked salads and fruits that are eaten without peeling. These methods of reducing the odds of getting sick are important, as contaminated foods (due to agents causing infectious diseases) remain the number one killer of humans on earth.It is said that 80% of all infectious diseases are transmitted by direct or indirect human contact
Many air travellers claim they caught an infection from other passengers but, with the efficient air filtering systems of modern aircraft, where air is circulated 15-20 times per hour through efficient biofilters, chances of this happening is low unless the offending party is coughing and sneezing repeatedly within two rows of oneself.
At the hotel, I do recommend laying the bedspread aside, because it is washed rarely, and making sure the sheets are crisp and clean; if they are not, request another room. Check the mattress for bed bugs. Wipe down the telephone, night stand, remote control and bathroom with disinfectant. Disinfect the handle on the minibar fridge, and relax.
The Silky Dreamsack..a bed bug barrier
Indeed, various gadgets are available to make travelling safe – personal hand-sanitizers, personal air purifiers, UV scanners that destroy contaminants and the Silky Dreamsack, which “puts a layer between you and suspect bedding.”
All very exotic, but I would really recommend that the only cost-effective device that you will ever need is a bottle of hand-sanitiser..and refraining from touching your eyes,face or mouth. Not forgetting the ubiquitous mineral water bottle!
Have a great 2013!
Taking Better Care Of Your Heart..
This being the end of another year, I thought it might be worthwhile to focus on the top game-changers in 2012, as far as the treatment of heart diseases are concerned. As a cardiologist, the rate of new advances in this field is bewildering and unless one were to update regularly, it is all too easy to fall behind..
The Polypill - the concept of a pill containing more than a single medication was first introduced in 
2003, but the idea of adding several medications into one pill for people with multiple conditions have gained appeal in recent years. This year, it was shown at the American Heart Association meeting (the UMPIRE study) that a fixed-dose polypill that included aspirin, a statin (anti-cholesterol medication) and two blood pressure drugs, all rolled into one, were more efficient and improved compliance among people when compared to them taking 4 or more pills a day.
The Good Cholesterol - this year, more evidence were presented (the AIM-HIGH study)to say that increasing the good cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) does not necessarily protect one better from a heart attack. However, it remains important to reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) to reduce the risk for a heart attack.
Bypass vs BlowJob -if you’re diabetic and have multiple blockages in your heart arteries, then you’re better off going for a heart bypass surgery than subjecting yourself to multiple angioplasties.(the FREEDOM trial)
Bless the Generics -For years, clopidogrel (Plavix) , a blood-thinner pill used to prevent heart attacks and stroke among others, remained the second-most popular pill in the world..but at a premium: its high cost. Now, with the expiry of the patent, it is available at a quarter of its original cost.
A box of Plavix (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Replacing a Heart Valve Without Open-Heart Surgery - replacing a diseased aortic valve in the heart via a tube inserted into the femoral artery (in much the same way as an angiogram) using an FDA-approved device offers hope for those who cannot undergo an open-heart surgery for various reasons. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is now an approved treatment.
TAVR – replacing the aortic valve without open-heart surgery
New Side-Effects of Statins - many on these cholesterol-lowering drugs are familiar with the possible side-effects of muscle damage and impotence, but the FDA has issued a warning that it can increase both blood glucose and blood HBA1C levels (read: cause or worsen diabetes).
New Blood Thinners -for years, people have depended on warfarin although it is notorious for being difficult to give the correct dosage continually and requiring frequent blood tests. New blood-thinners like dabigatran and rivaroxaban are more efficient and do not need regular blood tests.
More Fuel To The Fire: Red Meat Leads to Cancer and Heart Disease
Its been speculated for some time..that eating red meat leads to an increased incidence of heart disease and cancer. And an analysis, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, using data from two studies that involved 121,342 men and women, further confirms the fact that consuming red meat is associated with a sharply increased risk of death from cancer and heart disease; and the more of it you eat, the greater the risk.
People who ate more red meat were less physically active and more likely to smoke and had a higher body mass index, researchers found. Still, after controlling for those and other variables, they found that each daily increase of three ounces of red meat was associated with a 12 percent greater risk of dying over all, including a 16 percent greater risk of cardiovascular death and a 10 percent greater risk of cancer death.
The increased risks linked to processed meat, like bacon, were even greater: 20 percent over all, 21 percent for cardiovascular disease and 16 percent for cancer.
You might say that you had suspected this all along, but the new results suggest a surprisingly strong link and further reinforce this conclusion.
The cooking method is said to play a role in causing cancers
The modus operandi for red meats and heart disease is quite clear-cut: the high saturated fats content leads to cholesterol deposition in the walls of the arteries. In the case of cancer, the mode of action is less clear-cut. Some postulated causes include:
- the presence of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in grass-fed meat which has anti-cancer properties.
- the mode of cooking, with preference to ‘low and slow’ and doneness.
- chemicals (nitro compounds) used in preservation of processed meats.
- breakdown of blood components like haem to harmful cancer-causing chemicals (read more here).
This probably why meat-eating countries like Argentina do not report high incidences of gut cancer..
Court Ruling: Mobile Phones Cause Brain Tumor
For the very first time, a supreme court has ruled that using mobile or cordless phones is directly linked to causing brain tumors, affirming what many scientists have been saying for years now about the dangers of cell phone radiation. The U.K.’s Telegraph reports that 60-year-old Innocente Marcolini, who developed a tumor in his trigeminal nerve, was ruled to have suffered this fate as a result of using his mobile handset for up to six hours every day for 12 years.
Italy’s Supreme Court in Rome, ruled that there is a “causal link” between Marcolini’s mobile phone use and the non-cancerous tumor that caused the entire left side of his face to become paralyzed. Experts provided evidence at a recent trial showing that the electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobile and cordless phones damages cells.
Though Marcolini’s brain tumor is non-cancerous, it still reportedly threatened to kill him because it had been encroaching on his carotid artery, which is the major blood vessel responsible for transporting blood to the brain. The tumor also developed directly next to where Marcolini typically held his phone next to his ear, illustrating how significantly mobile phone radiation can disrupt proper brain cell function.
WHO classified mobile phones as Class B carcinogens last year.
In the face of repeated studies that there was no direct causative effect, this landmark ruling takes a new perspective on the possible dangers of prolonged mobile phone usage. To add fuel to the debate, last year the WHO ( World Health Organisation) urged limits on mobile use, calling them a Class B carcinogen.
International radiation biology expert Michael Repacholi said: “Studies show no evidence of cancer”. But he quickly adds : “If you are worried, use a headset, hands-free or loudspeaker.”
Related articles
- Mobiles can give you a tumour, court rules (thesun.co.uk)
Stroke..A Timely Reminder
Some friends asked me how can they know when someone has a stroke and what they should do about it. Its summarised quite well on this chart.
A few words about the last point - stroke is a medical emergency. If given through the veins within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke, by dissolving the clot that caused the blockage. In some cases, the stroke may be completely cured. As this drug can only be given in hospital, its important to transport a person suspected of a stroke to the Emergency Department as soon as possible.
Related articles
- Earlier Treatment with Clot-Busters Boosts Survival in Stroke (everydayhealth.com)
- Emergency Medicine: Recognize the Signs of Stroke (omtimes.com)
- Stroke Treatment – Why Every Second Counts (everydayhealth.com)
