Health Journal : December 2002

Paul Van Camp MD for CBN

The following are brief summaries of research published in recent medical journals. Topics are selected to be of interest to Cascade Business News readers for general health topics and significant medical advances.

Does participation in organized sports as a young adult lead to a lifelong active lifestyle and protection from heart disease? Previously, this has not been known. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine provides an answer, at least for men. Researchers at Johns Hopkins looked at 1000 men from their medical school that graduated between 1948 and 1964. They had data ranking the men in their ability and participation in 5 sports: tennis, golf, football, baseball, and basketball. Their average age at the time was 22 years.

15 to 30 years later, these same men were re-evaluated for their physical activity, sports participation, and for coronary heart disease. The results showed that a high ability level and participation in tennis, golf, baseball, or basketball (but not football) was associated with a significantly more active physical lifestyle later in life. However, only tennis was associated with a significantly lower risk of heart disease in later years. There was a 40% reduction in heart disease for the "high ability" tennis participants, and a 30% reduction in risk for "lower ability" tennis participants.

These results support public education and participation programs promoting "sports for life" such as tennis, golf (only if you walk), cycling, and cross-country skiing: Sports that lead to life-long participation. This is in contrast to football, for example, which did not lead to life-long participation in this study.

Conflicting claims have been made for the memory enhancing properties of the herb Ginko biloba and preparations of the ginko extract. Some studies have claimed to show improvement in memory, concentration and other brain functions. A new study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in August 2002. 230 healthy adults aged 60 to 82 received either 6 weeks of ginko extract (120 mg.) or an inactive placebo. After six weeks, the participants were given a series of 14 standard tests of their verbal and visual learning, memory, concentration, and language. There was no difference between the ginko group and the placebo group on any of these measures. Likewise, the participants own rating of memory did not differ between the groups. This was one of the best tests yet of ginko in that assignments were random and the participants and evaluators were "blinded" as to who received the active ginko. Results may have been limited since all of the participants were all highly functioning people, making improvement difficult to demonstrate. Even though the results were disappointing, it is not likely to slow the brisk sales of ginko products ($240 million yearly) in the United States.

Researchers at Rutgers University studied the ability of caffeine to prevent skin cancer after ultraviolet light exposure. They exposed hairless lab mice to ultraviolet light (UVB) twice daily for twenty days. This creates a risk for skin cancers similar to that of human beings with heavy sun exposure in early life.

Beginning three weeks later, some of the mice were treated with caffeine solutions on their skin. A second group was treated with a Green-Tea extract called EGCG. A third group received no treatment. The treatment applications continued for 18 weeks.

Compared with the mice that got no treatment, the caffeine treated mice had 72% fewer skin cancers, and 44% fewer benign skin growths. The Green-Tea extract resulted in 56% fewer skin cancers and 55% fewer benign tumors. The authors propose that caffeine was the superior therapeutic ingredient. Caffeine may work by increasing the body’s ability to destroy cells that contain damaged DNA. Ultimately we may see medications that contain these or similar ingredients to repair sun-damaged DNA and protect our skin.

Physicians are often asked whether small hand lacerations (deeper cuts) need to be stitched. For the first time a randomized trial put this question to the test: 91 patients who presented to an emergency room had small hand lacerations up to one inch long that normally would have been sutured. Half of the patients received sutures, while the other half did not. All of the lacerations were carefully cleaned with tap water, and antibiotic ointment and gauze dressings were applied.

The wounds were rechecked at 8 to 10 days after treatment, and again after three months. Of course, treatment times were much shorter without stitches and the pain of treatment was significantly less. The average time to return to normal activities and cosmetic appearance of the lacerations was the same in the two groups. Therefore, for hand lacerations less than an inch long, there is no advantage in suturing them over simple cleansing and bandaging.

Most traveler’s diarrhea is caused by food and water contaminated by fecal bacteria. So, we are advised to avoid raw fruits and vegetables as well as untreated drinking water. Yet what are the risks from prepared sauces in restaurants?

Researchers analyzed samples of tabletop sauces from 100 independent Mexican restaurants in Guadalajara, Mexico and Houston, Texas. They looked for fecal bacteria such as E. Coli and Salmonella. The results appeared in Annals of Internal Medicine in June 2002.

In Guadalajara restaurants, all of the sauces (red salsa, green sauces, guacamole, etc.) were found sitting on the tabletops and were at room temperature. In Houston, the sauces were brought to the table upon request and were cool when they arrived. Of the Guadalajara sauces, 70% grew E. coli bacteria and half of these were of varieties that could cause diarrhea illnesses. Of the Houston sauces, fewer (40%) contained E. coli bacteria and none of these were illness-causing varieties.

The average acidity of the sauces (pH) did not differ between the samples. Thus, acidic ingredients do not make them safe. This study shows that it is prudent to avoid tabletop sauces that stand at room temperature. Refrigerated sauces that arrive cold are far more likely to be safe. Sante!

The above summaries are presented for educational purposes and not to recommend treatment for any individual or condition. Dr. Paul Van Camp is a physician and surgeon and is medical director of Aesthetics MD. Further information is available at www.aesthetics-md.com or by calling 330-6160. References to original publication of these studies is available upon request.