CCH Health Review
Ideas & Strategies to Improve Your Health
November 2004
Efficacy of Blood Pressure Drug Questioned
Atenolol (brand name Tenormin) is a leading drug used by millions of people to lower blood pressure. However, it does not prevent deaths from heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems as well as other treatments, according to research just released.
Atenolol belongs to a class of drugs known as beta blockers that are prescribed for high blood pressure, angina and to prevent repeat heart attacks. The drugs are supposed to help relieve stress on the heart and slow its beat.
Swedish scientists have questioned atenolol's benefits after reviewing the results of nine previous studies of the drug.
They found that the drug was no better than a placebo in reducing deaths from heart attacks or heart disease. Moreover, atenolol did not have the same preventive effects on cardiovascular disease as other common anti-hypertension drugs.
Most cases of high blood pressure can be effectively treated with natural therapies, including supplements, dietary modifications, exercise and other lifestyle modifications. For more information, see our high blood pressure page. If you are now taking Tenormin or any beta blocker, call one of our clinics. We have services and therapies that are a healthier approach to dealing with high blood pressure.
Source: Carlberg, B et al, Atenolol in hypertension: is it a wise choice?, Lancet 2004; 364:1684-89
Processed Meats Increase Diabetes Risk
Red meats and processed meats such as hot dogs appear to increase the risk of diabetes, as does the typical "Western" diet, according to the latest research.
U.S. investigators found that people that ate mostly Western foods - including sweets, French fries, refined grains such as white bread, and red and processed meats - were nearly 50% more likely to develop diabetes over a 14-year period than people who ate minimal amounts of Western-type foods.
Breaking down the diet into its parts, the researchers found that the more red and processed meats people ate, the more their risk of diabetes increased. For example, each additional daily serving of red meat increased a person's risk of diabetes by 26%, and adding another serving of processed meat increased their risk by nearly 40%.
The researchers suggest that people should eat processed meats "as little as possible," and "very little" red meat. When many processed and red meats and other high fat foods are cooked at high temperatures, they form substances that appear to help trigger the development of diabetes.
The study focused on type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity. The researchers analyzed data on almost 70,000 women who were followed for 14 years. All of the women were diabetes-free at the beginning of the study. Nearly 2,700 women developed type 2 diabetes. Both a Western diet and eating large amounts of red or processed meats increased their risk.
The researchers also found that women who followed a largely "prudent" diet -- consisting of high amounts of fish, legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains -- the risk of diabetes appeared to decrease.
For more information, see our diabetes page.
Source: Archives of Internal Medicine, November 8, 2004
Honey Relieves Herpes Better than Acyclovir
Cold sores or genital herpes outbreaks are very annoying and sometimes difficult to treat. If you have herpes, consider using honey the next time you have an outbreak.
In a study of 16 men and women with recurrent cold sores or genital herpes, topical application of honey was compared to administration of acyclovir cream, a drug commonly used to treat herpes.
As compared to acyclovir, application of honey to the sores was much better in terms of reduced attacks and pain, occurrence of crusting, and healing time. The people who used honey instead of acyclovir cream shortened their healing time by 43% for cold sores and 59% for genital herpes sores.
With acyclovir treatment, none of the attacks went into complete remission, and all the lesions developed a crust. No side effects were noted with repeated applications of honey, whereas 3 patients developed local itching with acyclovir.
The patients were asked to randomly use either acyclovir or honey treatment during the first attack. They were instructed to initiate treatment within 1 hour of the appearance of first sign or symptom of recurrence.
When honey was used as the treatment, the lesions were firmly pressed with gauze soaked with honey for 15 minutes, 4 times a day, until completely healed. When acyclovir cream was used, it was applied 6 times a day.
In this study, topical honey was found to be safe and effective in the management of the symptoms of recurrent herpes infections. We suggest you use an unprocessed honey from wildflower sources.
Source: Al-Waili N, Topical Honey Application vs Acyclovir for the Treatment of Recurrent Herpes Simplex Lesions, Med Sci Monit, 2004;10(8):MT94-MT98
