Lifestyle Underwriting

You Want Some Asthma With That Burger?

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Medical News: What Kids Eat Is Tied to Asthma Risk – in Allergy & Immunology, Asthma from MedPage Today

Eating a Mediterranean diet — one high in fruits, fish, and vegetables and low in saturated fat — is associated with a reduced likelihood of asthma in children, a large observational study reaffirmed.

Overall, choosing foods increasingly similar to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower prevalence of both wheeze and asthma (P=0.03 for both trends), Gabriele Nagel, MD, MPH, of Ulm University in Germany, and colleagues reported in the June issue of Thorax.

In contrast, children who ate burgers at least three times a week had increased odds of having asthma (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.87).

The medpage Today article goes on to include the following action point for physicians:

Note that these findings, which are consistent with previous studies, do not establish a causal relationship between food choices and the odds of having asthma.

Most of the MSM is focusing on the burger angle.  Be careful what you read.

Thought For Today – 5/15/10

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I know people have been asking about drinking and being diabetic, and it’s a very honest question,” he blogged. “Here is the honest answer, and this is the truth: when I say ‘party’ and ‘let’s have fun,’ I’m one of those guys that just likes to have a great time. I’m not a belligerent drunk. I don’t need to drink. … For a diabetic … it’s a double whammy because here’s what happens with alcohol: when you’re hung-over then you don’t eat right, you don’t take your insulin right. So it’s best to stay away. But, I pick and choose my times when I’m going to have fun.

Reality star and aging rocker Bret Michaels, just weeks before his cerebral hemorrhage.

Stress Increases IHD Risk in Women

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Medical News: Work Stress Adds to Women’s Heart Disease Risk – in Cardiovascular, Prevention from MedPage Today

On-the-job pressure significantly increases the likelihood that women will develop ischemic heart disease, a large Danish study found.

Compared with women who felt their workplace pressure was suitable, those who reported that the pressure was much too high had a nearly 50% increased risk of developing ischemic heart disease (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.88), according to Karen Allesøe, PhD, and colleagues from Glostrup University Hospital.

Lifestyle Underwriting – Update 4/27/10

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Arch Intern Med — Abstract: Influence of Individual and Combined Health Behaviors on Total and Cause-Specific Mortality in Men and Women: The United Kingdom Health and Lifestyle Survey, April 26, 2010, Kvaavik et al. 170 (8): 711

The effect of combined health behaviors was strongest for other deaths and weakest for cancer mortality. Those with 4 compared with those with no poor health behaviors had an all-cause mortality risk equivalent to being 12 years older.

Energy Drinks + ETOH = Bad Combo

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There is a link to the original study in PDF format within the AAFP article.

Alcohol/Energy Drink Combo Leads to Higher Intoxication, Driving Risk — AAFP News Now — American Academy of Family Physicians

“Caffeine appears to reduce subjective perceptions of alcohol intoxication, but it does not ameliorate the performance deficits produced by alcohol,” said Thombs. “(Individuals) are more alert but just as behaviorally impaired as if they did not consume caffeine.”