Gut Bacteria Links Diet to Colon Cancer

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The link between diet and colon cancer is clear, and now we may be one step closer to understanding why.

New findings published in the journal JAMA Oncology show that certain gut bacteria appear to play a role in the development of colon cancer. A group of Boston researchers tracked the diets of over 137,000 study participants over a period of decades and examined over 1,000 colon tumor samples. The researchers specifically looked for Fusobacterium nucleatum, an inflammatory bacterium that is believed to promote colon cancer. The results showed that individuals who adhered to a high-fiber diet rich in whole grains had a lower risk of colon cancer containing Fusobacterium nucleatum, but their risk for developing colon cancer without the bacterium remained unchanged.

Study co-senior author Dr. Shuji Ogino said of the results, “Though our research dealt with only one type of bacteria, it points to a much broader phenomenon – that intestinal bacteria can act in concert with diet to reduce or increase the risk of certain types of colorectal cancer.”

This study is the first of its kind to establish a link between long-term dietary habits and bacteria in colon tumors. Co-senior author Dr. Andrew Chan explained that further studies are needed to examine the relationship between diet, gut microbiota and cancer development (Source: News Medical).

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Is it Time for Cataract Surgery?

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Cataracts affect about one in every six Americans over the age of 40, making them the most common cause of vision loss in the United States. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens, which is made of water and protein. Through age and oxidative damage, the protein in the lens begins to clump together and create a cloudy area known as a cataract.

The good news is that cataract-related vision loss is reversible through surgery. There is no prescribed age for cataract surgery, so it is up to you and your eye care professional to decide when you should schedule the procedure. Even though it is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States, cataract surgery can still seem quite intimidating. However, the benefits of cataract surgery are numerous, including restored vision and the ability to resume all the daily activities you enjoy.

If you are unsure of when you should have your cataracts removed, you are not alone. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has developed a list of four questions to help you determine when it is time to schedule cataract surgery:

  • Are cataracts negatively impacting your daily or occupational activities? Common symptoms of cataracts are blurred vision, double vision, lack of contrast, increased glare, and sensitivity to light. This can make activities like reading, driving, cooking, or doing housework or yard work increasingly difficult.
  • Are cataracts affecting your ability to drive safely at night? Another symptom of cataracts is the appearance of “halos” around lights and difficulty seeing in low light conditions. This can make driving extremely challenging and even dangerous.
  • Are your cataracts interfering with the outdoor activities you enjoy? Sensitivity to light can be distracting, annoying and even painful because of your cataracts, and this may discourage you from spending time outside.
  • Can you manage your cataracts in other ways? If you are not ready for cataract surgery, can you compensate for changes in your vision by using brighter light bulbs and contrasting colors in your home and workplace? Other small changes may include using a magnifying glass for reading or purchasing polarized sunglasses to reduce glare.

Cataract surgery is available to you when you and your ophthalmologist agree that you are ready. Ravi D. Goel, M.D., cataract surgeon and a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, gives a good explanation by saying, “If cataracts aren’t disrupting your life, you can probably wait and have surgery when they really start to bother you. But for those who are feeling impeded by their blurry or dulled vision, the procedure can make a significant beneficial impact” (Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology).

Try New Methods to Relieve Back Pain during Stress Awareness Month

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There are several factors that can contribute to back pain, but one common cause is muscle tension from stress and anxiety.

April is Stress Awareness Month, a 30-day campaign to raise awareness about the causes and cures for stress. While we typically think of stress as a mental and emotional struggle, what many of us don’t realize is that stress can manifest itself through a number of physical symptoms such as fatigue, body aches and muscle pain.

Medication is often our first line of defense for treating back pain, but new guidelines released by the American College of Physicians (ACP) suggest a different approach. These guidelines recommend non-pharmacological therapies such as yoga, tai chi and massage for treating lower back pain, while reserving medications and prescription opioids as a last resort.

These updated guidelines come as a result of analyzing over 150 studies to determine which treatments are successful – and which ones are not – when addressing lower back pain. Evidence from this analysis indicated that acetaminophen and steroid injections, two common treatments for back pain, were not effective in improving pain outcomes.

For patients who want to use medications to control back pain, the guidelines recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or skeletal muscle relaxants. However, ACP President Dr. Nitin S. Damle stresses the importance of trying non-pharmacological treatments first. For patients with chronic low back pain, the ACP recommends some of the following non-drug therapies:

  • Exercise
  • Multidisciplinary rehabilitation
  • Acupuncture
  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction
  • Tai chi
  • Yoga
  • Motor control exercise
  • Progressive relaxation
  • Spinal manipulation

Patients should discuss alternative therapy options with their doctors to determine which treatment will best meet their needs. However, Damle explains that most back pain resolves itself over time regardless of which therapy is used. “For the treatment of chronic low back pain, physicians should select therapies that have the fewest harms and costs, since there were no clear comparative advantages for most treatments compared to one another,” he said (Source: American College of Physicians).

The complete guidelines are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Spring Clean Your Diet and Medicine Cabinet

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There’s nothing quite like spring cleaning, is there? No matter whether you consider yourself tidy or cluttered, there’s a certain joy that can be attained from dusting airflow returns, wiping down window sills, vacuuming behind couches, and polishing windows. In the midst of organizing your linen closet, take some time to spring clean your pantry and medicine cabinet. Having a clean house can promote good health, but it comes secondary to having optimum digestive health.

New Year’s resolutions may seem like ages ago, but spring cleaning can be a good time to renew those commitments of healthy eating and exercise. The fiber-rich oatmeal and nutrition-packed salads of January somehow give way to Egg McMuffins and frozen pizzas, which often leads to weight gain and heartburn. If you are like millions of other Americans, you probably keep a bottle of acid-reducing proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in your medicine cabinet for those frequent bouts of heartburn and reflux. However, PPIs may be posing a significant danger to your overall health.

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How Does Having Diabetes Affect My Vision?

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Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses sugar. It is one of the most common diseases in the United States, and about 8.3 percent of Americans have diabetes (about 26 million people). Unfortunately, 7 million diabetics are unaware that they have the disease.

Diabetic eye disease is a group of eye conditions that can affect people with diabetes. Not all diabetics will develop diabetic eye disease, but untreated or uncontrolled diabetes can lead to permanent vision loss.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease among working adults and a leading cause of blindness. Diabetes can cause the blood vessels in the eye to leak fluid, causing the retina to swell. Accumulated fluid on the retina can cause blurred vision. As the condition progresses, new blood vessels can grow on the surface of the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy can cause a condition called diabetic macular edema (DME). DME is characterized by swelling in an area of the retina called the macula.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. Diabetics are 2 to 5 times more likely than those without diabetes to develop cataracts. Cataracts also tend to develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes.

Glaucoma is a family of diseases that damage the optic nerve, the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the eye to the brain. In some diabetic patients, new blood vessels grow on the iris and block the flow of inner eye fluid, which increases eye pressure and places stress on the optic nerve. This condition is called neovascular glaucoma.

Here are some guidelines to help you preserve your vision:

  • Visit your primary care physician regularly for blood sugar monitoring.
  • Control your diet by eating foods that are high in nutrients and low in fat. Limit sugar to small servings.
  • Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. This will help control blood sugars and reduce your risk for heart disease and nerve damage.
  • Schedule regular comprehensive eye exams to screen for diabetic eye disease.

New Guidelines Recommend Alternative Therapies for Back Pain

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April is Stress Awareness Month, which serves as a helpful reminder for everyone to evaluate areas of stress in their lives and understand how it affects them physically.

Back pain is one of the most common medical complaints among American adults, and it is sometimes linked to muscle tension from stress. Medication has long been considered a convenient and simple way to address back pain, but new guidelines released by the American College of Physicians (ACP) could change that. Departing from their previous recommendations, the organization now recommends that patients use alternative therapies such as yoga, massage or exercise before turning to medication.

The updated guidelines come as a result of analyzing over 150 studies to determine which treatments are successful in relieving back pain and which ones are not. Evidence showed that acetaminophen and steroid injections – two common treatments for back pain – were not effective in improving pain outcomes.

Patients with lower back pain may benefit from a variety of treatments including exercise, acupuncture, tai chi, yoga, progressive relaxation, or spinal manipulation. However, ACP President Dr. Nitin S. Damle says that most acute and subacute low back pain usually resolves on its own regardless of treatment. “Physicians should avoid prescribing unnecessary tests and costly and potentially harmful drugs, especially narcotics, for these patients,” he says.

While Damle stresses that non-pharmacological treatments should be considered first, the guidelines do recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or skeletal muscle relaxants for patients who desire medications.

The guidelines also recommend opioids only be prescribed as a last resort treatment. Due to the high risk of addiction and accidental overdose, these medications should only be given when all other therapies have failed.

The complete clinical practice guidelines are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Source: American College of Physicians).

The Importance of Community Support in Colon Cancer Prevention

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According to Oncology Nurse Advisor, the community in which you live could impact colon cancer diagnosis. For patients who live in segregated communities, geographic region plays a significant factor in the timing of individuals being diagnosed with colon cancer. This is important because the degree of advancement of the disease at time of diagnosis affects patient prognosis. Detecting colon cancer in advanced stages means that the cancer is more difficult to treat.

A recent study found that patients who live in highly segregated Asian communities in coastal California are more likely to have late-stage colon cancer at diagnosis, yet patients who lived in highly segregated African American communities in large urban areas and the Sun Belt are less likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage colon cancer.

Using information from the United States Cancer Center Database, researchers looked at data from more than 500,000 cases of colon cancer newly diagnosed from 2004 to 2009. Researchers also reviewed literature that found examples of a variety of initiatives to promote urban populations to have a colon screening. These campaigns’ audiences were mostly minority, low-income and non-English speaking sections of urban people groups. Very few campaigns targeted rural populations and no campaigns targeted Asian communities. 

One of the most important findings of the study was that people who lived in segregated locations among their same race or ethnicity may be slightly protected from developing colon cancer. Furthermore, they may have a lower risk of late-stage diagnosis of colon cancer. The reason for this may be that segregated communities often provide more encouragement and support, which may boost screening rates.

This study underscores the importance of support among family, friends, communities, and racial and ethnic groups. Colon cancer is preventable through routine screening, and it is highly treatable when diagnosed in the early stages, but colonoscopies require the assistance of a caregiver. The patient needs a caregiver to provide transportation and post-procedure care because of the sedative medication. Having a strong network of support means that it is easier to ask for patients to request help from their inner circle. A closer community often means higher screening rates and lower colon cancer incidence. 

This study is pivotal as research groups seek to educate our geographic areas and communities on the importance of colon cancer education. Currently, colon cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in the United States among men and women, but it does not have to remain this way. Through education, communication, and community support, we can help all eligible individuals receive preventative screenings. Talk to your doctor about when you should schedule your first colonoscopy, and be confident in asking your loved ones if they are up-to-date on their screenings. Offering to be a caregiver for a parent, relative or neighbor could save a life, so take action today.

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Red, Bloodshot Eyes Making You Feel Like the Evil Villain?

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Are your red, bloodshot eyes making you look like an evil superhero? According to SpongeBob SquarePants, “It’s the red beady eyes that’s a dead giveaway for the evil fellas.” Unless it’s Halloween and you want to add dramatic effect, you probably don’t want to accentuate eye redness.

Although a case of red-eye is a common condition, it can be embarrassing and annoying to have to answer the same question over and over, “What happened to your eyes?” Chronic red eye can also be alarming if you are concerned that you may be developing an infection that could harm your vision.

When your eyes are red or bloodshot, it means that they have become irritated by an internal or external factor. Depending on the source of irritation, the redness may extend across the entire sclera, or it may be isolated to a few spots or lines in the whites of your eyes.
Associated symptoms of this condition can include:

  • Itchy eyes
  • Watery eyes
  • Swollen eyelids
  • Burning sensation
  • Light sensitivity
  • Thick or watery discharge
  • Crusting or scaling of the eyelid skin

There are several common causes of red, bloodshot eyes. Dry eye is an eye condition that is gaining nationwide awareness, thanks to Jennifer Aniston’s educational campaign. When tear glands don’t produce enough tears to keep eyes lubricated, your eyes feel scratchy and irritated. It may be tempting to reach for that little bottle of whitening drops. These drops promise to reduce redness by constricting the blood vessels in your eyes, but they can exacerbate the condition and actually make redness worse after the initial effect wears of

Allergies are another common culprit of red, bloodshot eyes. Millions of Americans are allergic to pollen, mold, ragweed, pet dander, and dust. Spring and fall allergies can be especially brutal, but allergies can cause red eye all year round. Eyes can feel itchy, stinging, and inflamed if allergies are not diagnosed and treated by an allergist.

Ophthalmologists are getting more and more complaints about a condition called digital eye strain, which results from staring at a computer, tablet or smart phone for too long. Electronic devices emit blue light which reduces your blink rate and can cause dry eye, eye irritation and possibly even vision damage.

If your red, bloodshot eyes are making you look like the bad guy in a graphic novel, get some help by calling your eye care professional. Some cases of red eye can clear up on their own, but untreated redness could be indicative of a more serious condition. Make an appointment for an eye exam to rule out infection or other potentially harmful causes. Preserve your vision and improve your appearance (Source: Bel Marra Health).

Running May Reduce Inflammation and Protect Healthy Knees

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But it seems these negative opinions may be undeserved. New findings suggest that running actually changes the biochemical environment within the knee to prevent inflammation and benefit the overall joint.

Researchers from Brigham Young University conducted a study on 15 male and 15 female runners with no prior history of knee injury or arthritis. Each participant submitted a blood sample from the arm and a small amount of synovial fluid from the right knee at the beginning of the study. The participants were then transported by wheelchair to the university’s biomechanics lab where they were asked to either sit for 30 minutes or run on a treadmill for 30 minutes. Afterwards, the patients were transported back to a clinic for an additional sample of blood and synovial fluid. Each participant completed one sitting session and one running session on different days.

In examining the samples of blood and synovial fluid, researchers specifically looked for GM-CSF and IL-15, which are molecules associated with inflammation, and a substance known as cartilage oligomeric matric protein (COMP). COMP is a marker of disease activity and is about five times more prevalent in the synovial fluid of arthritis patients compared with healthy individuals.

Due to difficulties with safely extracting full samples of synovial fluid, researchers were only able to complete numbers on six participants. However, their findings were consistent among all testable samples. In nearly every case, researchers noted substantially lower levels of GM-CSF and IL-15 compared to baseline readings. Interestingly, COMP levels increased in the blood and decreased in the synovial fluid, suggesting that running may push these molecules out of the knee joint and into the blood.

Sitting appeared to have the opposite effect. Individuals who sat for 30 minutes showed increased COMP levels in the knee and had high concentrations of one of the inflammatory molecules.

While these findings are encouraging, the researchers acknowledge that the study is quite small. Further research involving more participants and larger samples of synovial fluid is needed to produce more conclusive results. In the meantime, lead study author Robert Hyldahl concludes that moderate running is “not likely to harm healthy knees” and likely offers protection against joint damage (Source: The New York Times).

Stress and Digestion: How to Break the Cycle during Stress Awareness Month

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Stress and digestion – the two may seem virtually unrelated, but they are actually quite intricately connected. Stress is known to cause a host of digestive issues including constipation, diarrhea, bloating, nausea, and heartburn. In return, digestive symptoms can often trigger stress, creating an endless cycle of discomfort and frustration.

April is Stress Awareness Month which provides the perfect opportunity to evaluate ways that stress may be affecting your digestion. It is estimated that as many as 80 percent of individuals dealing with irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal problems never even discuss their symptoms with their doctors. The means they are missing out on valuable information and treatments that could put a stop to their discomfort.

To understand how stress contributes to digestive issues, you must first understand the brain-gut connection. This lies in the enteric nervous system, a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that directly controls the digestive system. Often referred to as a second brain, the enteric nervous system contains more than 100 million nerve cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. When we experience stress, the nervous system activates its instinctual “fight or flight” response. This decreases blood flow to the digestive system, inhibits contractions of digestive muscles and decreases digestive secretions, essentially shutting down the digestive process (Source: Everyday Health).

If you’re dealing with stress-induced digestive symptoms, you don’t have to suffer in silence. Begin by examining stressors in your life and finding ways to limit them. You may also benefit from therapies that can help you learn to relax and better cope with stress. These include:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Hypnosis
  • Progressive relaxation
  • Deep breathing exercises
  • Meditation

Talk to your doctor if you are not able to bring your stress to a manageable level or if your digestive issues continue. Together you can devise a treatment plan that addresses the root cause of your symptoms and provides complete relief.

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