Pistachio Linked With Obesity and Heart Disease

Pistachio is traditionally used in Indian cookery, for garnishing in savory and sweet dishes, for there typical flavor.  However they have health benefits which are not very well known. A research study has already proved that Pistachio helps treat erectile dysfunction.

Pistachios are cholesterol free and can be used to lower the cholesterol. They can also be used against high blood pressure and do have cardio protective ability. In order to maintain a good health and treating several disorders Pistachio can be helpful due to its bioactive constituents, fatty acid profile and nutrients properties. Also there are evidences that it can delay ageing, improve vision and prevent cancer.

There is 90% unsaturated fat in Pistachio and 55% MUFA – mono-saturated fatty acids, which are good for health. It is can reduce the bad and increase the good cholesterol levels. Reduction of heart disease and improvement in lipid profiles occur if Pistachios are included in the diet. In a STEP 1 National cholesterol Education program – NECP, when 45g-90g Pistachios were added per day in the diet it resulted in 9%-12% reduction in bad cholesterol.

When 90g were added to diet, there was an increase in good cholesterol in women.

If Pistachios are added to the diet it has good effect on the blood lipids and can protect coronary artery disease via Vasodialtion. Where in it stops the adhesion and aggregation of Platelet and protect us from Angina and Atherosclerosis.

It is rich in Phystosterols and natural substance called antioxidants, which can delay ageing and fight disease that includes:

1) Carotenoids: Lutein and Zeaxanthin 2) Tocopherols: precursor for Vitamin E 3) Beta-carotene: precursor for vitamin A, 4) Flavanoids, 5) Selenium.

Carotenoids help to protect retina degeneration and preventing strokes and heart attacks. The cancer preventing antioxidants are Tocopherols, polyphenols, Selenium, dietary fiber and Lutein.

Pistachio is also good for potassium, fiber and protein. Like other nut trees it is rich in Arginine which is an amino acid and had heart disease preventing abilities. Neurotransmitter synthesis in the brain is done by the amino acid and hence helps in controlling the addictive vibes and depression.

A recent study also asserts that Pistachios can control the body sugar and prevent problems due to Diabetes.
It is also good in weight reduction cause OEA – Oleoylethanolamide, can make you feel less hungry. Also is nuts are used in addition with the low calorie diet it will have well and longer effect on the obese people when they are improving sensitivity over insulin. Hence Pistachio is nutrient food for weight losers.

Weight Loss Surgery Helps Avoid Heart Disease in Youngsters

Level of good cholesterol bettered in teens than in adults. Found in a clinical study.
A new study revealed that teen that underwent gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-Y) had healthier heart condition than adults with same surgery. Cardiac risk factors were seen lower in youngsters than in adults.
Roux-en Y is a type of gastric bypass surgery. New route is created near bowel so that food can bypass small intestine. This way it reduces capacity of stomach.

The study included evaluation of heart health of total 132 patients who had had laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 2004 and 2010. Of them, 99 were adults and 33 were teens of age between 14-18 years. The study was due to represent at Digestive Disease Week conference in Chicago.

The researchers of bariatric surgery department at Stanford University reported hypertension, high cholesterol level and breathing problem during sleep (known as sleep apnea) in almost 66 patients before surgery.

All the patients were examined one year after the surgery. Level of cholesterol, homocysteine and triglycerides had improved in both teens and adults. Level of homocysteine is used to determine risk of cardiovascular events.

However, checkup concluded more improvement in young patients. Level of high density lipoprotein was higher than level in adults. More surprisingly developing insulin resistance lowered by 400% within the time of one year.

The study clearly indicated that having done gastric bypass surgery can be good for obese teens. More and more evidence on what triggers heart diseases are coming to the fore. Dedicated efforts must be made before it is too late to act.

Authors also delivered word of caution that surgery should only be considered when obesity pose life threatening conditions and patient fail to respond exercise along with weight loss medicines such as generic Acomplia or Alli.

Obesity Raises Odds Of Acne in Teenagers

A non medical study found that for teen age overweight girls chances double to have acne than girls with normal weight. The study was conducted in teenagers of Norway. But that same is not applicable to boys.
The study collected data of pimples, regular diet and weight from youngsters of age 18 to 19. This means connection between weight gain and acne develops in last stage of teen age. 18-19 is last stage of puberty and age at which puberty start is 11.

Examination of BMI (Body Mass Index) showed that 10th of girls and 15% of the boys were found to be obese. Although, more boys were overweight, acne was less as compare to girls.

Nineteen obese girls out of 100 said to have developed severe acne in last couple of week of their puberty. 13 girls with normal weight developed acne.

Along with weight information, researchers also took other factors into consideration such as stress, diet and smoking. Checking all the factors to acne development, extra weight was found to be more influential for acne break out.

14 of 100 boys had acne regardless of their BMI. blood pressure drugs and ed

According to experts 10%-20% teens develop acne. Studies in past have attributed acne break out to emotional and social issues normally faced by every teenagers.

The rate at which youngsters becoming overweight, and impact of being obese or having acne on social life, promoted Norwegian researchers to inspect link between. Stated in Archives of Dermatology.
According to Dr Nanette Silverberg physiological factors of obesity well describe the result of the study. Dr. Silverberg happens to be director of pediatric and adolescent dermatology department at St. Luke's and also a clinical professor at University of Columbia.

Obesity has been held responsible for causing hypertension, diabetes medicine and heart disease. That is the reason Dr Silverberg believes that diabetes, hormonal changes and hypertension could be an influential factor for acne.

Study: Weight Loss Surgery Highly Effective To Cure Diabetes, Obesity

Diabetes is right now amongst top ten disorders responsible to cause death in USA. If CDCP (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is to be believed then USA will have one third of its population leaving with diabetes by 2050.

Results of numerous research studies have indicated internal link between several diseases. Those diseases/disorders/health conditions are high cholesterol level, obesity, blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, cardiovascular disease and stroke. The group has got new member, diabetes. Keeping obesity's link with diabetes in mind, a new term is being tossed around in health community - Diabesity.

A latest finding suggests bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) as a way to cope up Diabesity before it becomes nationwide epidemic like obesity. Diabetes completely changes one's life as it may lead to Glaucoma blindness or amputation (in case of severe diabetics). The study has been published on reputed journal, New England Journal of Medicine.

Read the story here http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1200111

Please check this to see effect of surgery (the blog has nothing to do with research study, it is just for reference)

Within couple of weeks, post weight loss surgery, patients were allowed to stop taking diabetes medicines such as Prandin or Amaryl or Actoplus Met. After 2 years diabetes was found remitted by 75% to 95% in patients who had weight loss surgery - found in two clinical trials.

That concludes weight loss surgery is one of the diabetes treatments with highest efficacy. No other treatment (be it drug treatment or surgical therapy) is near to bariatric surgery when it comes to rate of improvement. Other complications caused because of diabetes such as blood pressure, sleep disorder, asthma, arthritis and abnormal cholesterol level were found receding after the surgery, the study added further.

However, experts do not consider the surgery as one stop solution to cure obesity and diabetes. Patients are advised to undergo surgery as a small step to further improve quality of life. With that being said, exercise; proper diet; lifestyle amendment, will be remain essential parts of diabetes treatment regimen, at least in near future.

Clinical Trial on Heart Risk Required for Obesity Drug

In a meeting on Thursday, drug review panel of FDA has announced that studies for heart safety would require for approval of obesity drug.

Regardless of whether an obesity drug pose heart risk, pharmaceutical companies would have to conduct trial to demonstrate effect of obesity drug on heart, said USA FDA advisory panel. Majority of the members voted in favor of this regulation.

Most of the obesity drugs have history of posing heart risk, according to Dr. Marvin Konstam - one of the member of advisory panel who voted in favor.

FDA is not bound to follow recommendations given by advisory panel, however, FDA does follow most of the time.

Several pharmaceutical giants have been bracing hard to acquire approval for first weight loss drug in a decade. Vivus and Arena are two companies ahead of other drug manufacturers. In past, FDA had sought clinical trial data on heart risk for the drug Contrave.
Demand for current weight loss drug (such as Xenical) is going to be high following this regulatory guidance as new weight loss drug would take several years to reach market.
Experts are eying on what companies would do next in order to pass the new obstacle; would they conduct entirely new trial on heart risk? or they would just submit analytical data of existing trial. Needless to say, conducting clinical trial is super expensive. Drug companies recover the trial cost from consumers by increasing drug cost. So, even if a company manages to acquire approval for obesity drug, price of the drug would be too high to purchase for obese patients.

This is the second time FDA asked for clinical trial on heart risk, first time it was for diabetes drugs of type two diabetes. Apart from proving efficacy of drug in treatment, manufacturers of obesity drug and diabetes drug have to prove that their drug do not pose risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Tax on Sugar Beverages will Help Check Diabetes and Obesity

Nowadays not only Obesity but many other risks like diabetes, stroke, and numerous heart ailments are due to sugar based drinks. A study conducted at University California, San Francisco (UCSF) has brought statics to fore. The study proposes a penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages.

A study on American residents showed that around 13.8 billion gallons of such sugar beverages is consumed every year, and a rapid increase in the number of diabetes and obesity cases. Control in heart disease occurrences and stokes will be balanced by penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks over the decade. It will also help prevent diabetes.

It would not only save $17 billion but help public expenses over such health problems in coming decade.

An article published in January issue of Health Affairs highlighted, being a part of chief Obesity Prevention strategies in 2009, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had already recommended to lower the intake of sugar beverages. California and New York are currently working on this strategy of tax. That will bring down the consumption value of such beverages.

Overweight Children Can Develop GERD (HeartBurn)

Link between obesity and GERD (heartburn) is established in new study. Needless to say obesity (being overweight) leads to many dangerous diseases in both adult and children. Overweight children are also very much prone to develop high cholesterol level which may lead to various heart diseases. New facts added one more disease in the list caused by obesity.

Adolescents (age between 2 and 19) are likely to develop GERD (Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease) by 30%-40% if BMI (Body Mass Index) is equal to or greater than 85. Further more, Overweight children of age 6-19 are at greater risk than those of age 2-6. Of total 690,000 enrolled participants, 10350 boys and 12420 girls were diagnosed with GRED.

GERD

GERD at so toung age is matter of grave concerns as GERD is known to cause serious damage to esophagus and increases risk to develop cancer.

GERD is characterized by bouncing back of stomach acid in esophagus tube. Body system produces acid to digest eaten foods. When a protective layer (called mucosa) in eophagus gets damaged symptoms such as heartburn, irritation and burning sensation are felt/seen when acid comes in contact with inner layer.

Drugs that were for adult-use only are being made children oriented. Lately Pfizer has also got approval for cholesterol lowering drug for children only.

Future Depression Medication May Help Control Obesity

Theoretical study published in American Journal of Public Health suggests that depression and obesity are correlated. Two findings that study revealed were; Depression may lead to weight gain and Obesity may not lead to depression.

Belinda Needham, Ph.D and a professor at University of Alabama, used a study named Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA). CARDIA included 5,115 males and females of ages between 18 and 30. It was intended to identify the health condition(s) that eventually results into cardiovascular disease.

Professor Needham used data of the study to find out relation between depression and abdominal obesity. BMI, abbreviation of Body Mass Index, and depression level were calculated to establish relation between the two most wide spread health conditions.

Conclusions were:

People who were reported to have depression gained weight faster than people without depression,

People were not prone to develop depression regardless of weight gain or weight loss.

"Conclusions of the study are important when a patient is looking to control weight, obesity, that subsequently invites other cardiovascular or diseases related to obesity".

Dr Needham assumes that supposedly relations between stress hormone, depression and obesity will be targeted by future depression medication.

Publised Study Link