Health news, tips and features: Healia Health Blog

November 2009

November 29th, 2009

Unexpressed Anger at Work May Increase Risk of Heart Disease

All that pent-up rage you’ve been feeling on the job could cause damage to the heart. Holding back anger when you’re being treated unfairly at work may increase your chances of having a heart attack, according to new information from the Stress Research Institute of Stockholm University.

Photo by: Yoshiffles, Flikr, Creative CommonsInformation is based on a study of 2,755 men with no history of heart attack. Researchers wanted to examine how covert coping mechanisms for unfair treatment in the workplace affected heart health.

“There was a close-response relationship between covert coping and the risk of incident myocardial infarction (heart attack) or cardiac death,” authors of the study write.

Covert coping mechanisms included waiting for things to “just go away,” letting unfair actions slide and walking away from conflict. These responses were measured using questionnaires on how the participants responded to situations they believed were unfair between themselves and co-workers or employers.

Using their responses, participants were divided into three groups based on how they coped. They were classified as either being low (8-14), medium (15-18) or high (19-32).

On follow-up, 47 of the men had had a heart attack or died from ischemic heart disease. Men who had higher covert coping scores were up to three times as likely to have a heart attack when treated unfairly by a boss than those with lower scores.

“Men who frequently used covert coping had a 2.29 times higher risk than those who did not use this coping,” authors write. “In this study, covert coping is strongly related to increased risk of hard-end-point cardiovascular disease.

While stifling anger appears to be harmful, keeping a cool head is advised. Although more investigation is needed, the authors say this poses an interesting speculation on whether or not covert coping behavior intervention would change the risk of heart attack or cardiac death.


Read the study's abstract in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
November 25th, 2009

Eating Turkey on Thanksgiving Could Help Cut Impulsive Spending

Good health, family, friends—there’s plenty to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Super savings can now be added to the list. People who enjoy a nice Thanksgiving meal are less likely to impulse buy, according to a study found in the Journal of Marketing Research.

Photo by: WendaLicious, Flikr, Creative CommonsThe secret ingredient behind this information is tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that helps the body create and use serotonin. Serotonin is the body’s natural “feel good” drug. Serotonin helps regulate sleep and boost moods, but it’s also been known to have an effect on impulsive behavior.

For the study, researchers surveyed participants after Thanksgiving dinner. They asked participants to rank how likely they were to make certain purchases. Those who ate a traditional Thanksgiving meal were much less likely to impulse buy than individuals who ate pasta or burritos.

In a similar study, researchers examined how impulsive spending differed between vice products (such as ice cream) and virtue products (frozen yogurt). They categorized 170 college students as either impulsive or cautious spenders.

Regardless of how likely students were to impulse buy, the amount spent on virtue products was unaffected. Students who were prone to impulse buying spent more on vice products, while their counterparts were more likely to save money.

According to another report, roughly 62 percent of supermarket and 80 percent of luxury-good purchases by Americans are made on impulse. With stores dishing out some of their biggest bargains, the temptation to spend is likely to be high, and cutting impulsive spending could save some serious cash. The effects of tryptophan only last for about four hours, so you may want to grab a turkey sub before hitting the stores this Friday.

Read the source article by the Scientific American.

November 20th, 2009

You Can Actually Get Two Colds At Once

Batten down the hatches and break out the vitamin C. Cold season is officially here, and it’s possible to get two strains at once!

Photo by: EyeSoGreen, Flikr, Creative CommonsTwo new studies of human rhinovirus (HRV), the common cold, have welcomed a new cold bug to the family. Previously, there were only two known species of the virus—HRV-A and HRV-B. Now a third, HRV-C, can be added to the list.

The HRV-A and HRV-B species alone represent different strains of the virus, 99 to be exact. What’s surprising is that HRV-C, which has an additional seven strains, appears to be a hybrid of both.

Researchers of the first study discovered the new species while doing genome sequences for all 99 strains of the original HRV set. Genome sequencing allows scientists to break down and more closely examine a virus’ RNA to find different combinations of genetic material.

When a person carries two strains of a virus, the strains can come together to exchange this material, a process called recombination. Because the new species shares characteristics of both HRV-A and HRV-B, researchers have concluded that it is possible for a person to carry both strains at once. So yes, you can have two colds at once.

“Coinfection with multiple HRVs is known to occur,” authors of the second study write, “We now know that this can lead to strains that may have distinct biologic properties and clinical characteristics.”

The second study examined 64 Chinese children, many of whom had what they called a “triple infection.” Many had a form of rhinovirus and another respiratory virus (such as the flu), but some had two rhinovirus strains in addition to another respiratory virus.

When the body hosts a cocktail of viruses, this makes it easier for different strains to exchange RNA and multiply quickly. Further investigation suggests that there may actually be another species of the cold on the way—HRV-D.

Researchers of the second study plan to continue exploring HRV genetic material, and hope this will help lead to better treatment and more effective medications.

“The clustering of small clades (biological groups), the recombinations, and the mutations found in all regions of these genomes suggest that future HRV epidemiologic studies might benefit from full genome sequencing rather than the more limited serotyping,” they say.

November 19th, 2009

Some Video Games Count as Real Exercise

Good news for gamers and parents—playing certain video games could actually count as exercise. New research shows that playing Wii Sports, if used correctly, could be the equivalent of a mild workout.

Photo by: Samantha Celera, Flikr, Creative CommonsSixteen volunteers, ages 20 to 24, took a fitness test to determine a baseline rating of perceived exertion (RPE).  Participants were instructed on proper usage of the game and played various Wii games while researchers monitored oxygen intake, heart rate and RPE.

The study, led by John Porcari, Ph. D., and Alexa Carroll, M.S., focused on six different activities—Free Run, Island Run, Free and Advanced Steps, Super Hula Hoop, and Rhythm Boxing.

Volunteers participated in each of the six activities randomly for 6 minutes. The Free and Island Run exercises required more energy, but neither used enough to meet the American College of Sports Medicine’s standard to affect cardio endurance.  The other activities fell below these health guidelines as well.

All of the activities did, however, burn calories. In 30 minutes, each activity burned the following number of calories:

  • Free Step, 99 calories
  • Advanced Step, 108 calories
  • Super Hula Hoop, 111 calories
  • Boxing, 114 calories
  • Free Run, 165 calories
  • Island Run, 165 calories

Although these exertion levels are significantly lower than doing similar exercise without the game, Wii Fit still used twice the calories of other video games. This is enough exertion to be considered a very mild workout.

“I guess anything is better than nothing,” Porcari says, “ but we were a little bit underwhelmed by the intensity of some of the exercises.”

An earlier study showed that certain Wii Sports activities burned more calories.

“You’re better off doing Wii Sports than Wii Fit,” Porcari explains. “In Wii Sports there’s more jumping around, and you’re not constrained by having to stand on the balance pad. I think there’s much more freedom of movement and you get a better workout.”

Thirty minutes each of Wii Sports activities burned the following number of calories:

  • Wii Baseball, 84 calories
  • Wii Golf, 93 calories
  • Bowling, 117 calories
  • Tennis, 159 calories
  • Boxing, 306 calories

These findings could cut pounds for gamers in the long run, Carroll says, but it’s best not to rely on Wii alone. “Since using the Wii Fit alone may not produce results that meet recommended physical activity guidelines it is important that individuals participate in additional exercises to effectively reach these guidelines,” she says.

Read more about the Wii Fit and Wii Sports studies.

November 17th, 2009

Doctors May Diagnose Pneumonia By Cell Phone Cough

New software using cell phones may allow doctors to analyze coughs and diagnose respiratory illness, including pneumonia.

Photo by: Papalars, Flikr, Creative Commons“A cough is one of the most common symptoms of illness and a common mode of disease spread,” says researcher Suzanne Smith, PhD, of STAR Analytical Services. “Yet we don’t use technology in any way to measure or understand what coughs mean.”

The program is designed to distinguish different coughs using acoustic vocalization analysis, a way to distinguish different audio tones. Researchers hypothesize that the sound of coughing varies by illness, and that these subtle differences may be enough to determine which illness a patient has.

If this is true, it could mean greater accessibility to medical services for individuals who live far from a doctor. An early diagnosis would also help determine what treatments are necessary and ensure that patients receive the proper medications they need to recover.

Efforts are currently focused on pneumonia,  a disease that kills 1.8 million children every year. Most of them live in developing countries. Software capabilities, if initially successful, are likely to grow. Cell phones could potentially be used to diagnose everything from the common cold to influenza.

The project is in its beginning stages, but the possibility of such a program could save millions of lives, not to mention billions of dollars in health care costs.

Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the Global Health Program says that this is the exact sort of thinking it will take to tackle the world’s health challenges.

"I'm excited about their ideas and look forward to seeing some of these exploratory projects turn into life-saving breakthroughs," he says.

November 15th, 2009

Drink Chocolate Milk or Hot Cocoa to Prevent Atherosclerosis

Like chocolate milk and hot cocoa? You could be just two glasses a day away from a healthier heart. New information indicates that drinking chocolate milk containing cocoa could help improve abnormal blood lipid and cholesterol levels, which puts people at risk for  atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Photo by: Paul David, Creative Commons, FlikrDr. Ramón Estruch of the University of Barcelona’s Department of Internal Medicine was the study’s senior author. Estruch and his team asked 42 high-risk men and women age 55 or older to take part in an experiment examining the effects of cocoa on heart disease.

“Cocoa and its derived products, such as chocolate, represent a very rich source of dietary flavonoids, which contain a higher content per serving than tea or red wine,” authors write. “The health benefits associated with cocoa consumption have been related to their capacity to improve the lipid profile and insulin sensitivity, diminish blood pressure, reduce platelet activity and function, and ameliorate endothelial dysfunction.”

Participants were given two sachets of non-fat, sugar-free Cola Cao, a popular Spanish cocoa powder mix similar to Nesquik. They were to mix 20 g (about 1 ½ Tbs.) with 250 ml (~8.5 oz) of skim milk and drink twice daily—once with breakfast, and again with dinner or an afternoon snack. All participants followed a Mediterranean-style diet, but were asked to exclude foods with cocoa, olive oil, red wine, tea, or fruits and vegetables with high polyphenol levels.

Participants did have a slight weight gain of about 1 pound. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were slightly (although not significantly) lower.  Cocoa did, however, show anti-inflammatory effects. These were modest compared to those of red wine, but significant nonetheless.

HDL (good cholesterol) levels were also significantly higher after drinking chocolate milk.

“Our results suggest that regular consumption of nutritional doses of cocoa may have an effect on all initial phases of the atherosclerotic process in subjects at high risk of coronary heart disease,” authors wrote. “These anti-inflammatory effects, together with other previously reported effects, including those of antioxidant, anti-platelelet, and positive vascular effects, may contribute to the overall benefits of cocoa consumption against atherosclerosis.”

The study appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

November 9th, 2009

Eating More Fiber May Help You Lose Weight

Adding just a little more fiber to your diet could help you drop pounds and shrink your waistline, according to weight research from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Photo by: Shoothead, Flikr, Creative Commons“In the past decade, the decline in carbohydrate quality has been identified as a likely culprit leading to increased adiposity and metabolic disorders among children and adults,” authors write.

Eighty-five overweight Latino children from the Los Angeles area were asked to participate in the study. Selection criteria included having a family history of type 2 diabetes, likelihood of insulin resistance and pre-diabetes. The children were between the ages of 11 and 17, a stage when most begin developing eating habits. Researchers measured weight and body composition. The children then underwent two trial periods to monitor the effects of sugar and fiber intake.

The first trial lasted 16 weeks. Roughly one in three children who reduced their added sugar intake had improved insulin secretion. In this group, participants who consumed more fiber had a 10 percent reduction in visceral adipose tissue (body fat).

The second trial was based on 24-hour self-reported dietary recalls—two each year for two years. Although sugar intake didn’t have a significant effect, fiber continued to produce positive results.

“Although the healthy reputation of dietary fiber continues to grow, national data consistently show that children consume less than one-half of the recommended amount of dietary fiber,” authors write.

In addition to increasing insulin sensitivity, consuming more fiber appeared to lower body mass. An decrease in dietary and insoluble fiber intake increased fat tissue by 21 percent, compared with a 4 percent fat decrease in children who consumed more.

Those consuming more fiber ate more non-fried vegetables, fruit and legumes—all excellent sources of both dietary and insoluble fibers. Other sources include nuts and seeds, whole grains, and wheat bran.

The study provides great encouragement for individuals wishing to lose weight and improve metabolism. According to authors, even a small change could make a big difference:

"These findings suggest that fairly modest increases in fruit and vegetable intake of 1 or 2 servings and bean intake of 0.5 servings (equivalent to 1/4 cup) daily could have profound effects on lowering visceral adiposity and subsequent related metabolic disorders."

November 6th, 2009

Pleasant Smells Boost Honesty

Certain cleaning products with pleasant smells may leave you with more than a spotless home—they may also leave you with a squeaky-clean conscience. Pleasant smells may actually promote honesty, based on two experiments from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

Photo by: Derek Purdy, Flikr, Creative CommonsFormer studies have shown that using cleaning products with citrus scents can help motivate cleaning-related tasks as well as keeping a cleaner dining environment. In much the same way, cleanliness is associated with physical purity and moral purity.

“By demonstrating that the association between morality and cleanliness is bidirectional, the current research identifies an unobtrusive way—a clean scent—to curb exploitation and promote altruism,” authors wrote.

The first experiment was a trust game designed to test integrity. Twenty-eight participants were assigned to either a scented (with citrus Windex) or an unscented room. For the game, participants acted as receivers. The senders, who they believed to be other study participants in another room, invested $4.

Research assistants told the receivers that the investment had tripled, and it was up to the receiver to decide how the money should be split. They could decide to say the investment was unsuccessful and keep a portion or the entire amount, or they could choose not to exploit the sender and split the money fairly.

Individuals from the scented rooms acted more honestly than those from unscented rooms. They returned almost twice the amount of cash, an average of $5.33 versus $2.81 for individuals from unscented rooms.

In a second experiment with 99 undergraduate students, participants were again assigned randomly to scented or unscented rooms. This time participants were given a packet of unrelated tasks to work on, one of which was for Habitat for Humanity. Participants indicated interest in volunteering as well as donating money to the charitable organization.

To control for variations in mood, participants took a version of the PANAS (Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule) test. In addition to showing more interest in volunteering, the experimental group was also 16 percent more willing to donate than baseline counterparts.

“The link from cleanliness to virtuous behavior appears to be a nonconscious one,” authors write. “In neither experiment did participants recognize an influence of scent on their behavior, and in Experiment 2, perceived cleanliness did not differ by condition nor correlate with the effects."

Much of the effect depends on whether or not the smell is pleasing to the individual. Researchers want to further investigate the different effects scents have on a person's moral behavior.

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