Many people with heart disease try to banish fats, but they're missing out on lots of foods that can protect the heart. Avocados, nuts, fish, olive oil—they're all fatty, and they can all help keep you alive.
But other fats act as napalm to the heart. You can't protect your heart by simply counting fat grams, says Alice Lichtenstein, director of the cardiovascular nutrition laboratory at the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging. "It's the type of fats that matter."
Fats to avoid
* Trans fat: An artery-clogging element of partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats are found in many fried foods, commercial baked goods, and stick margarine. These fats increase your LDL (bad cholesterol) while lowering your HDL (good cholesterol), weakening your natural defenses against heart disease. Harvard researchers have estimated that banning trans fats from the American diet could prevent some 228,000 heart attacks each year.
* Saturated fat: While it isn't quite as destructive as trans fat, saturated fat is much more abundant. The saturated fat in meat or dairy products encourage a buildup of plaques in the arteries by increasing LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in the blood. A recent study found that saturated fat also inhibits the anti-inflammatory benefits of HDL (good cholesterol), while fats from fish, grains, and nuts boosted it.
It included 81 patients with early-stage MS randomly selected to take either 80 milligrams a day of Lipitor (atorvastatin) or a placebo. After 12 months of treatment, 55.3 percent of patients taking the drug had developed no new brain lesions, compared with 27.6 percent of those who took the placebo.
The results of the phase II, multi-center trial were presented Wednesday at the annual scientific meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Lipitor, placebo and additional support were provided by Pfizer, Inc., which makes Lipitor.
“Our data is preliminary, and we need a larger study to confirm the effects of the drug and their magnitude,” study co-leader Dr. Emmanuelle Waubant, an associate professor of neurology at the MS Center at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a news release.
“It is important that we understand how statins impact the progression of multiple sclerosis in order to better inform physicians and patients of their effect since these drugs are so broadly used throughout the United States and the world, and to learn whether a relatively inexpensive oral therapy can slow the course of the disease,” he added.
MS is an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack the central nervous system and destroy the protective sheath (myelin) that surrounds nerves. This results in scars or lesions in demyelinated areas of the brain and spinal cord.
Your body needs some cholesterol. But if you have too much—of the wrong kind—it starts to build up in your arteries. Cholesterol is produced naturally by the liver, and also comes from eating certain foods, such as eggs and red meat. Too much of the bad kind, LDL cholesterol, raises your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other conditions. Low levels of the good kind, HDL cholesterol, can have the same effect.
Make your grocery list
While Resistant Starch (RS) is definitely the star player in The CarbLovers Diet, it has a strong string of supporters. This is a balanced diet, one that includes all the foods you need to look and feel your best.
Yes, you’ll eat carbs—pasta, bread, potatoes…but you’ll also enjoy protein and a little fat, too. Make sure you have the following within reach at all times.
Overview
What is obesity?
Being obese means having so much body fat that your health is in danger. Having too much body fat can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnea, and stroke.
Because of these risks, it is important to lose weight even if you do not feel bad now. It is hard to change eating habits and exercise habits. But you can do it if you make a plan.
How do you know if you are obese?
You can use a measurement called a body mass index, or BMI, to decide whether your weight is dangerous to your health. The BMI is a combination of your height and weight. If you have a BMI of 30 or higher, your extra weight is putting your health in danger. If you are Asian, your health may be at risk with a BMI of 27.5 or higher.
Use the Interactive Tool: Weight and Health Risks Click here to see an interactive tool. to check your body mass index.
Where you carry your body fat may be as important as how many extra pounds you have. People who carry too much fat around the middle, rather than around the hips, are more likely to have health problems. In women, a waist size Click here to see an illustration. of 35 in. (88 cm) or more raises the chance for disease. In men, a waist size of 40 in. (101 cm) or more raises the chance for disease.1 In Asian people, health problems are seen with a smaller waist size. In Asian women, a waist size of 32 in. (80 cm) or more raises the chance for disease. In Asian men, a waist size of 36 in. (90 cm) or more raises the chance for disease.2
What causes obesity?
When you take in more calories than you burn off, you gain weight. How you eat, how active you are, and other things affect how your body uses calories and whether you gain weight.
If your family members are obese, you may have inherited a tendency to gain weight. And your family also helps form your eating and lifestyle habits, which can lead to obesity.
Also, our busy lives make it harder to plan and cook healthy meals. For many of us, it's easier to reach for prepared foods, go out to eat, or go to the drive-through. But these foods are often high in fat and calories. Portions are often too large. Work schedules, long commutes, and other commitments also cut into the time we have for physical activity.
There is no quick fix to being overweight. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in.
You've tried diets, but you always gain the weight back. What can you do?
Focus on health, not diets. Diets are hard to stay on and usually do not work in the long run. It is very hard to stay with a diet that includes lots of big changes in your eating habits.
Instead of a diet, focus on lifestyle changes that will improve your health and achieve the right balance of energy and calories. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. You can do it by eating healthy foods in reasonable amounts and becoming more active. And you need to do it every day.
Little steps mean a lot. Losing just 10 lb (4.5 kg) can make a difference in your health.
Make a plan for change. Work with your doctor to create a plan that will work for you. Click here to view an Actionset. Ask family members and friends for help in keeping with your plan. Ask your doctor to recommend a dietitian to help you with meal planning.
When you stray from your plan, do not get upset. Figure out what got you off track and how you can fix it.
How can you stay on your plan for change?
It is hard to change habits. You have to be ready. Make sure this is the right time for you. Are you ready to make a plan and stay on it? Do you have the support of your family and friends? Do you know what your first steps will be? Becoming healthier and staying that way is a lifelong effort.
Most people have more success when they make small changes, one step at a time. For example, you might eat an extra piece of fruit, walk 10 minutes more, or add more vegetables to your meals.
Studies show that people who keep track of what they eat are better at losing weight. Keep a notebook where you can write down everything you eat and drink each day. You may be surprised to see how much you are eating. Use a calorie counter to add up your calories. (You can find calorie counters online and at bookstores.)
As you keep track of calories, look at whether you skip meals, when you eat, how often you eat out, and how many fruits and vegetables you eat. This will help you see patterns that you may want to change.
You may want to write down the amount of physical activity you've had each day and compare the calories you burned to those you took in. Use the Interactive Tool: Calories Burned Click here to see an interactive tool. to see how many calories you burn through daily activities.
Can you take medicines or have surgery?
Surgery and medicines do not work by themselves. Most people also need to make changes in what they eat and how active they are.
Before your doctor will prescribe medicines or surgery, he or she will probably want you to work on diet and activity for at least 6 months. Even if your doctor gives you medicines or recommends surgery, you will need to keep your new healthy habits for the rest of your life.
Almost 1 in 4 teenagers considers suicide. It is uncommon for younger children to attempt suicide unless they are victims of abuse.
It is extremely important that you take all threats of suicide seriously and seek immediate treatment for your child or teenager. If you are a child or teen and have these feelings, talk with your parents, an adult friend, or your doctor right away to get some help.
Certain problems increase the chances of suicidal thoughts in children and teens, while other problems may trigger a suicide attempt.
Problems that increase the chances of suicidal thoughts include having:
* Depression or another mental health problem, such as bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) or schizophrenia.
* A parent with depression or substance abuse problems.
* Tried suicide before.
* A friend, peer, family member, or hero (such as a sports figure or musician) who recently attempted or committed suicide.
* A disruptive or abusive family life.
* A history of sexual abuse.
Problems that may trigger a suicide attempt in children and teens include:
* Possession or purchase of a weapon, pills, or other means of inflicting self-harm.
* Drug or alcohol use problems.
* Witnessing the suicide of a family member.
* Problems at school, such as falling grades, disruptive behavior, or frequent absences.
* Loss of a parent or close family member through death or divorce.
* Legal or discipline problems.
* Stress caused by physical changes related to puberty, chronic illness, and sexually transmitted diseases.
* Staying separate from others and keeping thoughts to themselves.
* Uncertainty surrounding sexual orientation (such as bisexuality or homosexuality).
Some common warning signs for suicide include:
* Making suicidal statements.
* Preoccupation with death in conversation, writing, or drawing.
* Giving away belongings.
* Withdrawal from friends and family.
* Aggressive or hostile behavior.
Other warning signs can include:
* Running away from home.
* Risk-taking behavior, such as reckless driving or being sexually promiscuous.
* Neglect of personal appearance.
* A change in personality (such as from upbeat to quiet).
Signs of depression, which can lead to suicidal behavior, include:
* Loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed.
* Changes in eating and sleeping habits.
* Difficulty thinking and concentrating.
* Complaints of continued boredom.
* Complaints of headaches, stomachaches, or fatigue with no actual physical problems.
* Expressions of guilt; not allowing anyone to give him or her praise or rewards.
FDA Advisory. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an advisory on antidepressant medicines and the risk of suicide. The FDA does not recommend that people stop using these medicines. Instead, a person taking antidepressants should be watched for warning signs of suicide. This is especially important at the beginning of treatment or when doses are changed.
MONDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) — There appears to be no difference among antidepressants in raising a kid’s risk of suicidal thoughts, a new long-term study shows.
The research supports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision in 2004 to mandate a “black box” warning on all antidepressants for an increased suicidality risk in children and adolescents who go on the medications. And it answers an oft-raised question about which medications carry the most risk.
“Across the most frequently prescribed antidepressant agents, there was no difference in risk of suicide attempts and completed suicides,” said lead researcher Dr. Sebastian Schneeweiss, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The FDA showed a doubling in the risk of suicidal ideation among children taking antidepressants, compared with placebo, Schneeweiss noted.
But, Schneeweiss added, the FDA analysis did not specify which medications were used. so there was no way to tell whether there were differences in risk.
“Physicians need to know if there is an agent where the risk is reduced or particularly elevated,” he said. “That is important for clinical practice.”
The report is published in the April 12 online edition of Pediatrics.
For the study, Schneeweiss’s team collected data on 20,906 children aged 10 to 18 who had been diagnosed with depression in British Columbia. They were followed for nine years.
The children and adolescents in the study were on a variety of commonly prescribed antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).
In the first year after starting treatment with antidepressants, there were 266 suicide attempts and three completed suicides. However, no significant difference in suicide attempts or completed suicides was noted based on which antidepressant the adolescent was taking, the researchers found.
Given these findings, doctors can focus their attention on which of the several SSRIs is most effective for an individual patient and not be concerned about increasing the potential risk of suicide, Schneeweiss said.
Different SSRIs act differently in individual patients, so now the doctor can find the most effective one and, because the risk is the same with all, “take safety out of the equation,” he added.
“Nevertheless, you will still have to monitor the patient very carefully, because the elevated risk is still there,” Schneeweiss said.
Much debate followed the FDA’s decision to place a black box warning on antidepressants. One of the continuing arguments is that by imposing such a warning, clinicians will shy away from prescribing antidepressants to children and adolescents who really need them. This could in turn make their depression worse, which could lead to suicide.
Dr. David Fassler, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, said that “the results of this study are consistent with previous reports and with general clinical experience.”
The article represents a contribution to the growing literature on this complex issue, Fassler said.
“However, it does not shed much light on the larger question of whether or not the decision to impose a black box warning on these medications was correct and justified in the first place. Nor does the current analysis contribute to our understanding of the public health consequences of the FDA’s action. Hopefully, subsequent large-scale, longitudinal studies will be designed, which will help us more fully address these critical, and as-yet unanswered, questions,” he said.
Another expert, Dr. David A. Brent, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, said that he was “not sure how they draw the conclusion that these findings support the black box warning.”
The fact that those who use the drugs have similar rates of suicide does not justify the black box warning; it just indicates that whatever the warning should be, it should be similar across drugs, Brent said.
“The authors themselves say that the fivefold increased rate of suicide is probably a function of comorbidity and depression rather than drug. In fact, most psychological autopsy studies estimate the risk for suicide with depression to be 10 to 30 times higher, and most of those kids were untreated,” he said. “So there may actually be a protective effect, but certainly the rate is not any higher than in depressed folks without exposure to antidepressants.”
“The conclusions from the paper supporting the black box warning don’t logically follow from the data that they provide,” Brent added. “At a minimum, you would have to show that the incidence of suicidal acts and completions is higher in those who were treated vs. those not treated, and that was not done.”
More information
For more information on adolescent depression, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
SOURCES: Sebastian Schneeweiss, M.D., associate professor, epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; David Fassler, M.D., clinical professor, psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington; David A. Brent, M.D., professor, psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh; April 12, 2010, Pediatrics, online.
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