Soda Raises Gout Risk

Over-consuming sugary drinks like orange juice and soda may increase your risk of gout, claims a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Causes of gout vary; medical conditions like obesity, metabolic syndrome, and high blood pressure may lead to gout, so can lifestyle factors such as poor diet and lack of physical activity. Genetics are also a factor.

Symptoms of gout may include redness and swollen joints, usually in the feet and big toes, resulting in pain, fatigue, and high fever.

Researchers found women who drank two or more cans of non-diet soda per day were,more than twicer as likely to develop gout compared to women who rarely drank soft drinks. Drinking 12 or more ounces of orange juice each day also increased gout risk, similarly to soda.

Women drinking one soda per day were 74% more likely to develop gout. And drinking 6 ounces of orange juice each day raised gout risk by 41%.

But the scientist point out the overall risk of getting gout is very low, over a 22 year period only 1% of the 79,000 study participants developed the condition.

An acute outbreak of gout will usually resolve within 5 to 7 days, but medications, like steroids, are often used to relieve symptoms.

Job Stress Raises Women’s Heart Risks

Women with stressful jobs have nearly twice the risk of heart attack as women with less stressful jobs, suggests a new study.

Symptoms of prolonged stress include headache, insomnia, depression, high blood pressure, upset stomach, anxiety, mood swings, and irritability.

Presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, researchers found women with stressful jobs were 88% more likely to have a heart attack than women with easier jobs. They were also 43% more likely to need heart surgery.

The scientists analyzed survey data on more than 17,000 women, ages 50 to early 60s, working in the healthcare industry, who were currently enrolled in a 10 year study on cardiovascular disease.

Women who reported that their job required them to work “very hard” or “very fast” and have little say over their daily tasks were at increased risk of heart attack.

According to the researchers, the results highlight the importance of lowering stress in the workplace and finding ways to relax and unwind.

Healthy diet, exercise, getting sufficient sleep, stress management, and relaxation techniques, like hobbies, are all effective ways to help reduce stress.

Pomegranate Juice Lowers Kidney Infection Risk

Drinking pomegranate juice may help lower infections in kidney patients on dialysis, claims a new study presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s meeting in Denver.

Pomegranates and pomegranate juice have been linked to reduced risk of atherosclerosis, the hardening of blood vessels leading to cardiovascular disease.

Researchers found patients drinking a few cups of pomegranate juice every week lowered their chances of infections.

According to data, among 50 patients drinking pomegranate juice for one year, roughly two would need to go to the hospital at least twice, compared to patients not drinking pomegranate juice; 11 patients would require a trip to the hospital.

In the study, 101 patients were randomly assigned to drink a beverage with or without pomegranate juice. After drinking a half cup of juice over a year, participants drinking the pomegranate juice had fewer inflammatory molecules in their blood.

Pomegranates are a known source of antioxidants. Antioxidants have been proven to decrease the risk of cancer.

The intrigue surrounding the health benefits of pomegranates has lead to twenty-three clinical trials being ordered in 2010 on pomegranates effectiveness in against prostate cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lymphoma, the common cold, and other maladies.

Wealthy People in Poor Nations are More Obese

Rich people in developing countries are bearing the heaviest brunt of the obesity epidemic, suggests a new study.

In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 1.6 billion adults, ages 15 and older, were overweight and at least 400 million adults were obese.

Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Harvard researchers found developing nations’ wealthy citizens were more likely to be obese than poor people, which is in stark contrast to U.S. trends, where lower income individuals tend to be fatter.

The WHO projects that by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and over 700 million adults will be obese.

For the study, researchers identified trends in the weights of more than half a million women across 54 developing countries between 1994 and 2008 and found people ranking in the top 25% of the population based on wealth had more than double the risk of being overweight, compared to the bottom 25%.

Researchers speculate that food is cheaper and easier for wealthy populations to afford and more upscale neighborhoods also have more restaurants.

But despite the obesity issues, the scientists found a significant portion of the population still suffered from being underweight.

Variety of Vegetables Lowers Lung Cancer Risk

Consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables each day may help lower lung cancer risk, especially if you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, suggests a new study.

The World Health Organization estimates lung cancer causes 1.3 million deaths worldwide each year. Globally, cancer-related deaths total 7.4 million per year.

Published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, researchers found individuals eating a mix of fruits and vegetables were 23% less likely to develop lung cancer. And the more variety of fruits and vegetables consumed, cancer risk drops an additional 4% with each serving.

The scientists state a significant link between fruit and vegetable consumption and lung cancer was only found among smokers, with every two additional servings of fruits and vegetables smokers reduced lung cancer risk by another 3%.

The study, part of The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), involved people from numerous countries, such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Greece.

Despite the benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables, smoking remains the major cause of lung cancer worldwide. In the United States, smoking accounted for 87% of lung cancer cases; 90% for men and 85% for women.

Image credit: Manjith Kainickara

Number of Obese Americans to Hit 42%

Experts are saying the obesity rate in the United States will eventually “top out” at 42%, up 8% from a 2007 prediction of 34%.Common risks of obesity include type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Writing in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Computational Biology, researchers expect the number of obese people in the United States to climb to 42% over the next 40 years.

In the study, a mathematical model was applied to four decades of data from the Framingham study; a long term study analyzing the health and habits of a town in Massachusetts.

The researchers say the friends you keep may explain the continued increase in obesity; an American has an additional 0.5% chance of becoming obese with each obese social contact, i.e. friend, they make per year.

Obesity and the desire to lose weight have created a huge weight-loss market in the United States. In 2003, a report claimed Americans spend between $40 and $100 billion on diet products every year.

According to a World Health Organization estimate, in 2007, 400 million adults were obese worldwide.

Image credit: Erupting Mind