New research presented at the American Heart Association conference in Philadelphia found that common heart procedures like stents and bypasses don’t have actually lower the risk of heart attack or death. Spearheaded by Dr. Judith Hochman from New York University and funded with $100 million from the federal government, the study examined two strategies used for treating heart disease. The conservative strategy focused on medication and lifestyle changes without invasive treatments unless necessary, and the invasive strategy made use of stents or bypass surgeries. According to Dr. Hochman:

It’s also important now for patients to know if they have no symptoms, if their angina is completely well controlled and they’re going for a routine stress test, or for someone who’s never had symptoms and gets a stress test and it’s abnormal or is diagnosed with narrowing in the coronary by another test, they should know that there was no benefit to routinely doing an invasive strategy if they don’t have symptoms.”

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More is not More

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. There is also a huge swath of the American population managing heart disease. There are more than 35 million people in the U.S. currently prescribed statins like Lipitor and Crestor, and the majority of them will be taking those medications for the rest of their life. Many doctors also suggest other forms of disease management, including stents and bypasses. This study is not the first to suggest those procedures should be recommended with caution, but those surgeries are likely to chest pain. Many doctors also feel the pressure to do something right away, even if continuing with medication or implementing a truly healthy lifestyle can produce the same or better results.

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Unnecessary for Whom?

More than 1.8 million stents are implanted in the U.S. every year. Some estimates say that thirty percent of those are unnecessary. For the uninsured, that procedure can cost a patient anywhere from 11,000 to 41,000 dollars, and that does not include separately billed professionals and institutions. There is a problem with heart disease in the United States, but there is no way our current system can be the answer. Managing symptoms is not the same as fixing issues.

Sources:

• Big study casts doubt on need for many heart procedures – AP News
• Stents no better than drugs for many heart patients: U.S. study – Reuters
• Over 1.8 Million Stents Implanted per Year in the U.S. – iDataResearch
• Statins for high cholesterol: Are the benefits worth the risk? – Drugs.com

A recent study has shown how the sun can help improve gut health. A study was conducted with 21 women who spent the winter in Canada, and as a result, were vitamin D insufficient. At the beginning of the study, researchers took stool samples and blood samples, in order to test the gut microbiome diversity, and Vitamin D levels, respectively. Research has already shown that UVB exposure can trigger gut microbiome changes in rodents. Prior to the start of the study twelve out of the 21 women were taking vitamin D supplements before the study, according to their samples, had higher levels of Vitamin D and more Gut diversity than those who did not take Vitamin D supplements regularly. At the end of the study, the results showed that short exposure to NB-UVB light did increase vitamin D and added diversity to the gut microbiome. 

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“Prior to UVB exposure, these women had a less diverse and balanced gut microbiome than those taking regular vitamin D supplements. UVB exposure boosted the richness and evenness of their microbiome to levels indistinguishable from the supplemented group, whose microbiome was not significantly changed.”

Nearly 70% of Americans suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, and 80% of the body’s Vitamin D requirement is met through skin exposure to UVB light. Vitamin D is technically not a vitamin however it is crucial for important processes in the body. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble hormone your body makes when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is known as the Sunshine Vitamin because the skin produces Vitamin D when exposed to certain wavelengths found in phototherapy modulating cell It is not found in many whole foods but is added to some processed food and is available in supplement form. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because the skin produces vitamin D when exposed to certain wavelengths in phototherapy and is optimal for modulating cell growth, optimizing neuromuscular and immune functions and helping the gut absorb calcium. However, Chronic Vitamin D deficiency is associated with Bone diseases, and low levels of vitamin D, (but not necessarily chronically deficient) can cause Accelerating aging, high blood pressure, behavioral problems in adolescents, and elevated leptin levels. 

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The majority of toddlers and babies eat too much added sugar. A recent study shows that 98% of toddlers and two-thirds of babies are consuming added sugars every day. The American Heart Association recommends that children under the age of 2 not have access to any added sugars. The lead author of the study, Dr. Kirsten Herrick, states that added sugars have negative effects on health, causing cavities, asthma, obesity, elevated blood pressure, and altered lipid profiles. She also states:

 Whether these associations exist for even younger children hasn’t been studied,” she added. “The aim of this study was to focus on one aspect of diet — added sugars [and] consumption among US infants and toddlers — that could inform the dietary guidelines.” 

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Infants in the study of ages 6-11 months were commonly given added sugars from yogurt, baby snacks, and sweet baked goods. Children 12-23 months consumed fruit juice, candy, and sweet baked goods. Yogurt was the greatest source of sugar for infants, and fruit drinks supplied the highest level of added sugars for toddlers. Formula and breastmilk were not counted towards sugar intake.  There was no difference found between gender, family income, or level of household education, but there was a difference in consumption by race. The average infant consumed a teaspoon of added sugars, while toddlers on average consumed 6 teaspoons. Non-Hispanic Asian toddlers were shown to consume the least amount of added sugars with an average of 3.7 teaspoons a day while non-Hispanic black toddlers reported consuming the most added sugars with an average of 8.2 teaspoons a day. 

Overall, sugar consumption among toddlers and infants has dropped the last 5 years. This is a beneficial thing, as sugar consumption at such a young age plays a large role in developing taste buds and eating patterns throughout life. 

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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have released their second Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States report, and antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria are here to stay. According to the report, more than 2.8 million AR infections occur and 35,000 people die every year. Those numbers have increased from the first report in 2013, where conservative estimates tallied 2 million cases of AR infections and at least 23,000 deaths. Robert R. Redfield, M.D., Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized the seriousness of the report’s findings…

Antibiotic resistance has been found in every U.S. state and in every country across the globe. There is no safe place from antibiotic resistance, but everyone can take action against it. Take action where you can, from handwashing to improving antibiotic use.”

Awareness is Key

Though the number of deaths from AR bacteria has risen since 2013, the overall percentage of deaths has gone down by eighteen percent. Yet AR bacteria were the cause of more than 85 percent of total deaths calculated in this report. The CDC listed 18 bacteria to monitor, with five designated as urgent threats: Candida Auris, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Clostridioides difficile.

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A Brand New Day

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are no longer the bad guy in a science fiction film. They are an everyday fact of life.

The Threat Report has strategies for stopping antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but that’s no longer possible. Past experience will show that no amount of scrubbing, regardless of who’s cleaning and what they’re using, will be able to completely eliminate bacteria. Much of the difficulties we are now dealing with come from institutional failures, where the medical and agricultural fields chose antibiotic shortcuts over building a microbially healthy world. That has created bacteria on a scale that we are no longer able to easily contain. The bubble is gone.

Related: How to Detoxify From Antibiotics and Other Chemical Antimicrobials

Sources:

• The ‘post-antibiotic era’ is here: Drug-resistant superbugs sicken 2.8M and kill 35K each year – USA Today
• Antibiotic Resistant Threats in the United States 2019 – CDC
• More People in the United States Dying from Antibiotic-Resistant Infections than Previously Estimated – CDC

A new study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology found that copper hospital beds in the ICU housed 95 percent fewer bacteria than standard hospital beds. The copper beds also maintained their low levels of microbial activity for the patient’s entire stay in the hospital. Dr. Michael G. Schmidt is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston and one of the co-authors of the study.

The findings indicate that antimicrobial copper beds can assist infection control practitioners in their quest to keep healthcare surfaces hygienic between regular cleanings, thereby reducing the potential risk of transmitting bacteria associated with healthcare associated infections…”

American Society of Microbiology

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Copper is anti-microbial, yet the idea to use the chemical to stop the spread of bacteria is even more timely considering the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains.

Stop the Spread of Bacteria

If the healthcare system changes nothing about the way it treats bacterial and microbial infections, 10 million people a year will die from antibiotic-resistant bacteria by the year 2050. As healthcare professionals prescribe increasing stronger antibiotics (including the “antibiotics of last resort”), bacteria are evolving to withstand those treatments. Some, like the multi-drug resistant Enterococcus faecium, have also developed an alcohol tolerance, rendering traditional hospital cleaning methods ineffective.

Copper can help with that. Copper ions are negatively charged. When those particles interact with microbes, the negative charge of the ions disrupt cell membranes and allow necessary nutrients to leak out, weakening and often destroying the microbe.

A Simple Solution

Copper has the potential to be a valuable tool in the current crises to treat infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Our current system won’t be able to continue as it is, and the more common-sense solutions we can find, the better. Copper’s antimicrobial properties are common knowledge, and we already have the materials. Eighty-six percent of the copper earmarked for consumer products ends up in pennies. How about we use some sense (terrible, I know), and put that resource towards something more meaningful?

Sources:

• Copper Hospital Beds Kill Bacteria, Save Lives – American Society for Microbiology
• Copper hospital beds kill bacteria, save lives, study finds – Atlanta Journal Constitution
• WHO Says the World Will Run Out of Antibiotics Able to Treat Bacteria Superbugs – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Copper is great at killing superbugs – so why don’t hospitals use it? – The Conversation
• How Much Does it Really Cost (the Planet) to Make a Penny? – Smithsonian Magazine

Ten people were hospitalized on Wednesday in Bartlesville, Oklahoma after being given insulin instead of the flu shot. Out of the 10 people who were given insulin 8 were residents of Jacquelyn House, an assisted living environment for those with intellectual disabilities. The other 2 were employees of Jacquelyn House. The insulin was given by a pharmacist who was contracted by the business to come to the facility and administer flu vaccines. 

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The patients given the insulin were unresponsive, and many of them were not vocal or able to walk, making it difficult to communicate the symptoms they were experiencing. High levels of insulin can cause dizziness or result in passing out, and in severe cases can cause comas or death. The patients were later taken to Jane Phillips Hospital in Bartlesville where some remained hospitalized for an extended period of time due to the type of long-lasting insulin that was administered. 

Related: Influenza Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness of the Flu Shot

New York Democratic Governor, Andrew Cuomo, has signed a new law that requires manufacturers of menstrual products to disclose the ingredients on their products. The law will be put into effect 180 days from now and gives manufacturers 18 months to develop new packaging and labels. As stated by Gov. Cuomo, many consumers aren’t aware of the toxic and/or allergy-causing ingredients in their menstrual products, and the FDA has avoided requiring manufacturers to disclose ingredients for several decades. 

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The law was signed Friday by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said menstrual products could contain toxic or allergy-causing chemicals unknown to consumers.

The law takes effect in 180 days. Manufacturers of menstrual products, including pads and tampons, will then have 18 months to develop new packaging or labels.

NBC New York

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Tampons are widely reported as containing toxins, allergens, carcinogens, and endocrine disruptors that impact the hormonal system, including but not limited to dioxin, chlorine, rayon, GMO cotton, and fragrances. dioxin and chlorine are both used in the bleaching process and are widely known to cause hormonal issues as well as immunity problems. Rayon is a high absorbency compound linked to toxic shock syndrome, while GMO cotton contains traces of pesticides. Tampons containing fragrance can cause allergies and PH imbalance.  Consumers can avoid these ingredients by choosing menstrual products that disclose their ingredients and by sticking to products that are 100% organic. We at OLM recommend pads over tampons for health and recommend reusable pads over disposable ones for the environment.