June 4, 2012 in Health Five
new studies provide evidence to support simple steps we can take to prevent illness
and improve our overall health. In the June issue of The American Journal of
Medicine, researchers report on fish consumption to reduce the risk of colon
cancer; the effectiveness of hypnotherapy and acupuncture for smoking
cessation; regular teeth cleaning to improve cardiovascular health; the
effectiveness of primary care physicians in weight loss programs; and the use
of low-dose aspirin to reduce cancer risk.Colorectal cancer is the third
leading cause of cancer death in the Western world. Research linking fish
consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer has been inconclusive, although
people who live in countries with high levels of fish consumption are known to
develop the disease less frequently. Now, scientists from Xi'an ,
China ,
have reviewed the literature and find that eating fresh fish regularly reduces
the risk of colorectal cancer by 12%. They evaluated 41 studies on fish
consumption and colorectal cancer risk published between 1990 and 2011 and
tracked cancer diagnoses. The protective effect of fish consumption is more
prominent in rectal cancer than in colon cancer. The risk reduction for rectal
cancer was as much as 21%, whereas the reduction for colon cancer was
4%."Despite the fact that colon and rectal cancer share many features and
are often referred to as 'colorectal cancer,' they tend to demonstrate many
different characteristics," notes lead author Daiming Fan, of the Fourth Military
Medical University .
"One possible reason for the difference may be because colon cancers are
generally more molecularly diverse, whereas rectal cancers mostly arise via a
single neoplastic pathway."Mark J. Eisenberg, MD, MPH, of McGill University ,
in Montreal , Quebec , and colleagues report that the use
of unconventional smoking cessation aids, including acupuncture and
hypnotherapy, results in substantial increases of smoking cessation. A
meta-analysis of 14 trials found that smokers who underwent hypnotherapy were
4.55 times more likely, and those who underwent acupuncture were 3.53 times
more likely, to abstain from smoking than those who did not. Aversive smoking
may also help smokers quit; however, there were no recent trials investigating
this intervention.Regular tooth scaling is associated with a decreased risk for
future cardiovascular events. A study by H-B. Leu, MD, of Taipei Veterans
General Hospital, Taiwan, and colleagues examined 10,887 subjects who had
undergone tooth scaling, and 10,989 subjects who had not received tooth
scaling. During an average follow-up period of seven years, the group that had
undergone tooth scaling had a lower incidence of myocardial infarction, stroke,
and total cardiovascular events. Increasing frequency of tooth scaling
correlates with a higher risk reduction.A study by William C. Haas, MD, of East Carolina
University , Greenville , NC ,
and colleagues finds that physicians in primary care practices can be as
effective as weight loss clinics in helping the moderately obese lose weight.
Patients received behavioral modification sessions and a diet plan partially or
fully supplemented by meal replacements at either a primary care clinic or a
weight loss center. Primary care clinics were as effective as weight loss
centers at reducing weight, and better at reducing body fat. Regardless of
location, participants completing 12 weeks of treatment lost an average of
11.1% of their body weight. Participants who selected full meal replacement had
better results.Low-dose aspirin, a common strategy for preventing
cardiovascular disease, can also reduce nonvascular deaths, including cancer
deaths. A meta-analysis of 23 randomized studies by Edward J. Mills, PhD, MSc,
of the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues offers conclusive
evidence that low-dose aspirin offers cancer preventive effects, and showed
significant treatment effects after approximately four years of follow up.
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