A ‘Western’ diet dramatically ups the risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a just-published study of 1,800 adolescents.

According to the researchers, a ‘Western’ diet includes takeaway foods, confectionary, processed, fried and refined foods. These diets tend to be higher in total fat, saturated fat, refined sugar and sodium. On the other hand, a ‘healthy’ diet is high in fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and fish. It tends to be higher in omega-3 fatty acids, folate and fiber.

“We found a diet high in the Western pattern of foods was associated with more than double the risk of having an ADHD diagnosis compared with a diet low in the Western pattern, after adjusting for numerous other social and family influences,” says study leader Dr Wendy Oddy.

“When we looked at specific foods, having an ADHD diagnosis was associated with a diet high in takeaway foods, processed meats, red meat, high fat dairy products and confectionary,” Dr Oddy adds.

“We suggest that a Western dietary pattern may indicate the adolescent has a less optimal fatty acid profile, whereas a diet higher in omega-3 fatty acids is thought to hold benefits for mental health and optimal brain function.”

Journal of Attention Disorders – July 29;Epub.
jad.sagepub.com

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) may impact physical and mental health, according to an article published in the journal Spine.

As part of the study, 34,944 twins completed a questionnaire including the Short Form-12 (SF-12) health assessment. All subjects were born between 1931 and 1982. The researchers identified 220 subjects with AIS. Of these, the SF-12 could be calculated in 187 twins.

The authors write: “We found the perceived both mental and physical health status from SF-12 to be moderately but significantly worse than in controls. Approximately 75% of the twins with AIS reported to have the same or a better health than their twin- and age-matched peers.”

Spine – July 15, 2010;35:1571-74.
www.spinejournal.com

Custom-made mattresses based on sleeping position may significantly reduce symptoms in people with chronic low-back pain (LBP), say researchers.

The study included 27 chiropractic patients who were asked to record back and shoulder discomfort and sleep quality. For the first 21 days the study participants slept in their own beds.

“Subsequently, participants’ beds were replaced by medium-firm mattresses specifically layered with foam and latex based on the participants’ reported prominent sleeping position and they again rated their sleep comfort and quality daily for the following 12 weeks.”

Significant improvements were seen after the patients changed mattresses.

“It was concluded that sleep surfaces are related to sleep discomfort and that is indeed possible to reduce pain and discomfort and to increase sleep quality in those with chronic back pain by replacing mattresses based on sleeping position,” write the study’s authors.

Applied Ergonomics – June 24;Epub.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00036870

Misalignment in the lumbosacral region, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, and related strain of pelvic ligaments is common during pregnancy and postpartum. These findings are from an evaluation of 30 women who were followed from their eighth month of pregnancy through three months after childbirth.

According to the study, “static alteration of the pelvis was evaluated in both the sitting and standing positions on the basis of alignment of the posterior superior iliac spines. Irritation of the iliolumbar ligaments, sacrotuberous, sacroiliac, and interspinous ligaments was evaluated by means of pressure palpation. Disorders of sacroiliac joint function were evaluated with the Patrick FABERE test, the standing Gillet test, and the standing and sitting flexion tests.”

The study’s authors found that “in women, in their eighth month of pregnancy and after childbirth, disorders of static alterations in pelvis alignment and sacroiliac joint dysfunction may occur. The state of pregnancy may result in strain symptoms in the lumbosacral region and pelvis with variable pain intensifying in various static positions.”

Specifically, “the most frequently irritated ligaments in the lumbar region are interspinous (60%), iliolumbar (40%), and sacroiliac (36%).” 

JMPT – June 2010;33:370-77.
www.jmptonline.org

High blood levels of vitamin E may ward off Alzheimer’s disease (AD), say scientists.

The analysis included 232 people. All participants were aged 80 years or more, and were dementia-free at the beginning of the study. After six years of follow-up, 57 AD cases were identified.

The blood levels of all eight natural vitamin E components were measured at the beginning of the study. The study found that subjects with higher blood levels of all the vitamin E forms had a reduced risk of developing AD, compared to subjects with lower levels. After adjusting for various confounders, the risk was reduced by 45% to 54%, depending on the vitamin E component.

The protective effect of vitamin E seems to be related to the combination of the different forms, notes lead author, Dr. Francesca Mangialasche. On the other hand, she warns that high doses of a single form may be detrimental.

“Elderly people as a group are large consumers of vitamin E supplements, which usually contain only ±-tocopherol, and this often at high doses,” adds Dr Mangialasche. “Our findings need to be confirmed by other studies, but they open up for the possibility that the balanced presence of different vitamin E forms can have an important neuroprotective effect.”

Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease – July 5, 2010;Epub.
www.j-alz.com

Women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormone imbalance in women of reproductive age, may be more vulnerable to exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), found in many plastic household items. These findings were presented at The Endocrine Society’s 92^nd Annual Meeting in San Diego .

Researchers divided 71 women with PCOS and 100 healthy female control subjects into subgroups matched by age and body composition (obese or lean). Blood levels of BPA, compared with those of controls, were nearly 60 percent higher in lean women with PCOS and more than 30 percent higher in obese women with the syndrome.

Additionally, as BPA blood level increased, so did the concentrations of the male sex hormone testosterone and androstenedione, a steroid hormone that converts to testosterone.

“Women with the polycystic ovary syndrome should be alert regarding this environmental contaminant’s potential adverse effects on reproductive aspects of their health problem,” says study coauthor, Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis, MD, PhD.

The Endocrine Society – June 20, 2010 .
ww.endo-society.org

According to a just-published analysis, low-back pain (LBP) is associated with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip — but not of the knee.

The study pooled tracked 983 Ontario residents. The participants were 55 or older and had symptomatic hip or knee OA at the beginning of the study, which was between 1996 and 1998. At that time 58% of subjects also reported LBP.

The participants underwent follow-up between 2000 and 2001. After adjusting for confounding factors, the study’s authors conclude: “In a cohort of individuals with OA of the hip or knee, we found that low back pain predicted subsequent OA-related pain and disability in those with hip disease, but not knee disease. Our study provides valuable prognostic information to clinicians involved in the management of patients with OA of the hip and knee.”

JMPT – June 2010;33:349-54.
www.jmptonline.org

Bisphenol A, or BPA is found in many plastic bottles, toys, food liners and other products. Exposure to BPA in the womb and early life may cause long-lasting harm to testicular function, according to a new study conducted in animals. The results were presented Monday at The Endocrine Society’s 92^nd Annual Meeting in San Diego.

“We are seeing changes in the testis function of rats after exposure to BPA levels that are lower than what the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency consider safe exposure levels for humans,” said Benson Akingbemi, PhD, the study’s lead author. “This is concerning because large segments of the population, including pregnant and nursing mothers, are exposed to this chemical.”

The Endocrine Society – June 20, 2010.
www.endo-society.org

Results of a recent review of nine studies add to brewing evidence that drinking coffee protects against cancer, this time against head and neck cancer.

Study participants who drank four or more cups of coffee a day, compared with those who were non-drinkers, had a 39% decreased risk of oral cavity and pharynx cancers combined. On the other hand, tea intake was not associated with head and neck cancer risk.

“Since coffee is so widely used and there is a relatively high incidence and low survival rate of these forms of cancers, our results have important public health implications that need to be further addressed,” notes lead researcher Mia Hashibe, PhD.

“What makes our results so unique is that we had a very large sample size, and since we combined data across many studies, we had more statistical power to detect associations between cancer and coffee,” she adds.

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention – June 22, 2010;Epub.
cebp.aacrjournals.org

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports an alarming jump in overdoses from prescription pain killers. Specifically, emergency department (ED) visits for the abuse of opioid analgesics rocketed 111% from 2004 to 2008. This reflects a rise from 144,644 in 2004 to 305,885 in 2008. The highest numbers of ED visits were recorded for oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone.

“These increases in nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals suggest that previous prevention measures, such as provider and patient education and restrictions on use of specific formulations, have not been adequate. Given the societal burden of the problem, additional interventions are urgently needed, such as more systematic provider education, universal use of state prescription drug monitoring programs by providers, the routine monitoring of insurance claims information for signs of inappropriate use, and efforts by providers and insurers to intervene when patients use drugs inappropriately … . This report also reinforces the value of timely, population-based national surveillance for nonmedical use of drugs, which can be used to assess the effect of such interventions.”

MMWR – June 18, 2010 ;59;705-9.
www.cdc.gov/mmwr