New Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Hyperthyroidism Published in Current AACE Journal …
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists releases new guidelines for treatment of hyperthyroidism.
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Health Highlights: June 22, 2011
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
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Food for thought: Avoid high-fat diet during pregnancy
A high-fat diet during pregnancy may program a woman’s baby for future diabetes, even if she herself is not obese or diabetic, says a new University of Illinois study published in the Journal of Physiology.
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CSU professor goes online to defend the “Caveman Diet”
A Colorado State University professor is leading a campaign in the new media world against an old media giant that took shots at the “caveman diet.”
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Baby aspirin seems safer and as effective as higher doses to prevent cardiovascular disease
More than a third of Americans take aspirin every day to ward off heart disease and stroke, based on its…
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Research and Markets: Neurology and Neurosurgery: Clinical & Review Criteria Guidelines for Managing Care
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Neurology and Neurosurgery: Clinical & Review Criteria Guidelines for Managing Care, 2nd Edition” report to their offering.
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US News & World Report ranks DASH diet Best Overall, Best Diabetes Diet
The government-endorsed Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet has been ranked Best Overall Diet and Best Diabetes Diet by the U.S. News & World Report, known for its rankings on the country’s best colleges and hospitals.
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A recent study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association raises a concern about the chemical bisphenol-A, (BPA) in plastic bottles, metal cans and various food packaging, as well as in all those eco-friendly reusable water bottles we’re all carrying around.
Based on a health survey, the study found that those who had higher amounts of BPA in their urine were more likely to report having heart disease and diabetes. Of course the research presents no information that says the BPA caused these conditions, and the study authors agree that you can’t rule out the possibility that people who already have heart disease or diabetes are more vulnerable to having BPA show up in their samples.
True to form, NBC’s Today Show aired a report earlier this year that glossed over the facts and highlighted a fearful danger – needlessly worrying millions of us who’ve fed our children from clear plastic baby bottles and sippy cups, who’ve tried not to add to the world’s pollution by switching to re-useable water bottles.
The story had us turning over our plastic containers in search of numbers (resin ID codes #3, #6 and #7) that it turns out, don’t have anything to do with a product being made from BPA, the chemical bad guy of the piece.
The “Consumer Alert” (inaccurately) said:
- There is no safe level of BPA, when in fact the chemical has been studied for many years and found to be safe, especially considering that the levels we ingest are thousands of times lower than the rats that have been studied.
- Plastics containing BPA aren’t safe in the microwave, yet a Dutch study that focused on BPA migration after microwaving found no evidence of any such thing.
- Codes on the bottom of a container can tell you if it’s safe. Wrong! These resin ID codes are intended to aid in recycling facilities, and have nothing to do with identifying bottles that have BPA. Any item intended to be used for food must pass tough FDA guidelines before its ever allowed on the market.
All this flies in the face of 40 years of science, according to a statement released by the American Chemistry Council a few days after the Today segment aired. Another thoughtful piece by Gilbert Ross, M.D. of the American Council On Science And Health (who also appeared, very briefly in the report) came out and called the Today report what it is – junk science.
Not only that, the in-studio guest, Dr. Leo Trasande of Mount Sinai Medical Center was given ample time during the six minute long segment to convey his message, while Dr. Ross had only 6 seconds to tell viewers that, “The toxic effects found on rats were done at thousands of times higher than we are exposed to in the environment.”
Not so “fair and balanced” now is it?
The media mis-information comes as the result of a report by the National Toxicology Program that was a follow up from an expert panel review completed in 2007. Both the expert panel and the NTP reports similarly concluded a low-rate risk, or negligible concern, for adults and some concern for infants and children.
“That is the third-lowest ranking on NTP’s five-level scale. Yet the media has mischaracterized the conclusions as suggesting a new direction is being given by NTP about the use of BPA. This is inaccurate,” says Sharon Kneiss, vice president of the products division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
Until the science is sorted out, there is no way to tell if a bottle you’re using is made with BPA. If you’re especially concerned, you might want to avoid warming or microwaving food or beverages in plastic containers until more research on the leaking of the chemical can be completed.
In the meantime the FDA is having a second scientific panel give an opinion on the safety of BPA in plastic bottles and other packaging, though the agency has confidence in its own research, more carefully designed and thorough than the human studies that seem to be causing all the concern.
Kirsten Whittaker
Whole and Refined Grains Have a Place within New Dietary Guidelines
Consumers should divide their daily grain servings between whole and refined varieties to avoid missing out on the important health benefits of both, according to experts at a symposium Tuesday during the 2011 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo(r).
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Poor maternal nutrition predisposes offspring to type 2 diabetes
A new study published by the American Physiological Society offers the strongest evidence yet that vulnerability to type 2 diabetes can begin in the womb, giving new insight into the mechanisms that underlie a potentially devastating disease at the center of a worldwide epidemic.
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