DAILY ASPIRIN LINKED TO 'WET' AMD

Daily use of aspirin over the long term, as with coumadin, eventually causes the cell wall membrane to fail and bleeding is the end result, and it can be uncontrollable in a large number of cases. 


There are so many safe and effective natural supplements and remedies that will help with maintaining "thinned" blood it is puzzling why people subject themselves to these risks.

 "Regular aspirin users at higher risk of sight problems, research suggests" Martin Evans, The Telegraph, 10/3/11, telegraph.co. uk 

Study after study has shown that daily aspirin use increases the risk of intestinal bleeding and a potentially fatal haemorrhage. Also, a recent study showed some disturbing news for anyone who values their eyesight.

 Dutch researchers examined more than 4,000 elderly patients. Among these patients, 840 took a daily low-dose aspirin. When the researchers compared records, they found that those who used aspirin were TWO TIMES more likely to develop "wet" advanced macular degeneration (AMD) - the advanced form of the disease that sharply increases risk of blindness. 

This does not prove that aspirin promotes wet AMD... but there is a significant link and a very alarming risk that should be taken seriously.

Researchers continued to say that the heart health benefits of aspirin outweigh the AMD risks.

But in a 2005 New England Journal of Medicine study, some 20,000 middle-aged women took 100mg of aspirin daily for 10 years. Another group of nearly the same size took a placebo.

Results showed that aspirin provided no protection from heart attack, but did slightly reduce risk of ischemic stroke. 

Meanwhile, women in the aspirin group were found to have a 40% increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding severe enough to require transfusions!

Add to that wet AMD and this "wonder drug" may not be worth the risk. 

Supplements Support Brain Recovery after Stroke

If you're a regular reader of Natural Health News you'll already be aware that we've written extensively about vitamins and other natural support for brain health, not only here but in our other print and on-line publications.

We don't endorse the low doses referenced in this article but we call your attention to the fact that our recommendations seem to be more prevalent in the news these days.

We suggest 2800 mcg B12 and proper thyroid support  and other select nutrients.  Other providers often use an extensive IV nutrient blend and refer to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.  Certainly I wish this had been offered to my mother, and most likely would have been available to her has she been under the care of a neurologist.

A combination of low dose B-vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids may help improve brain function in people who have suffered a stroke, according to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The new study looked at 1,748 people aged 45 to 80 with a history of heart attack, angina, or stroke. They were assigned to one of these groups:

• 56 mcg of folic acid (as 5-methyltetrahydrofolate), 3 mg of vitamin B6, and 2 mcg vitamin B12 per day,

• 600 mg of the omega 3 fatty acids, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), in a ratio of 2:1 per day,

• B vitamins and omega-3s, or

• placebo.

For four years, the participants continued their supplements, and their thinking (cognitive) function was assessed at the end of the study. No significant effects on brain function were found in the different supplement groups, but looking just at people who had had a stroke yielded different results. Post-stroke, people who took a combination of B-vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids were significantly less likely to score low on a test of the ability to accurately name the month, date, year, day of the week, and time of day (temporal orientation task) than those who took placebo.

While this study only found relatively slight evidence, it makes a good starting place for further research. “These results could be useful in interventions aimed at preventing cognitive decline in high-risk individuals,” said lead study author, Valentina Andreeva, of the University of Paris XIII.

An aging problem

As the world’s population continues to get older, problems related to aging also grow, including the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Alzheimer’s currently affects 1 in 8 people aged 65 and older.

Advancing age is the foremost risk factor for developing dementia. Addressing other risk factors—those that you can actually do something about—might be the most effective way to prevent the disease from developing. Modifiable risk factors for dementia include

• high blood pressure (hypertension),

• obesity,

• high levels of homocysteine in the blood, and

• inflammation.

If these risk factors look familiar, it’s because they’re some of the same ones for heart disease. In fact, about 30% of people who experience a stroke will go on to have dementia.

What you can do to help prevent dementia

While there is no cure for dementia, studies point to the power of prevention. See your doctor if you are concerned about your memory, and try these tips to keep your brain healthy for the long haul.

• Maintain a healthy weight. This will help lower blood pressure, too.

• Eat a diet rich in brightly colored fruits and vegetables. These foods contain powerful antioxidants thought to combat the effects of aging. The spice, turmeric, might also help prevent dementia, so be sure to enjoy your curries.

• Get your B vitamins and omega 3s. Eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, bell peppers, shrimp, scallops, and cold water fish to boost the levels of these nutrients in your diet.

• Have an active social life. People who are more involved in their community are less likely to develop dementia.

• Get your daily exercise. Physical activity comes with many benefits, including weight loss, protection from dementia, lower blood pressure, and better mood. No amount is too little. Work your way up over time to at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.

• Keep your brain busy. Learn a new instrument, do crossword puzzles, play a game of hearts; whatever you can do to exercise your mind will help keep those neurons firing.

(Am J Clin Nutr 2011;doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.006320)

SOURCE: Health Notes newswire

Cholesterol: Another Wrong Conclusion

Poor Predictor: Researchers reported that the cholesterol levels in women were not associated with stroke, while there was only an association in men with levels higher than 9mmol/litre. The average in UK men is 5.5.

I don't know where people's heads have been since the cholesterol bonanza began, but my stand is that these pundits overlooked a known fact, which now seems to be getting press after some 30 years. 

It's triglycerides!  And this is what I learned in college, what will really hurt you and lead you along the slippery slope to heart attack and stroke.

I have often written that once milk began to be homogenized, things started going down hill. This practice by commercial dairies caused dairy fat to be "osmosed" directly into your blood, in fool fat form.  Clogged arteries are the end result, that s if course unless you follow a health promoting food plan or use proper supplementation.

The comes the low-fat/non-fat diet and all kinds of health problems reach new, high levels.  More drugs, less benefit, more cases, no recovery, lack of prevention too!

High levels of cholesterol do not predict the risk of stroke.

They did detect an increased risk in men, but only when cholesterol was at almost twice the average level.

The report in Annals of Neurology recommends using a different type of fat in the blood, non-fasting triglycerides, to measure the risk.

The Stroke Association said triglyceride tests needed to become routine to reduce the risk of stroke.

A total of 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year. Most are ischemic strokes, in which a clot in an artery disrupts the brain's blood supply.

The research followed 13,951 men and women, who took part in the Copenhagen City Heart Study.

During the 33-year study, 837 men and 837 women had strokes.

Poor predictor

They reported that the cholesterol levels in women were not associated with stroke, while there was only an association in men with levels higher than 9mmol/litre. The average in UK men is 5.5.

The researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital said this was "difficult to explain" as LDL, or bad, cholesterol is known to cause atherosclerosis which can block arteries.

They did notice a link, in both men and women, between the risk of stroke and non-fasting triglycerides.

They believe these fats are a marker for "remnant cholesterol" which is left behind when other forms of cholesterol are made.

Dr Peter Coleman, deputy director of research at The Stroke Association said: "Tests for triglyceride levels aren't routinely carried out in the UK unless there is significant concern."

"We know that high levels of fats, such as cholesterol, increase your risk of having a stroke. However, this research shows the importance of measuring the fat triglyceride, as well as cholesterol.

"This study highlights the importance of measuring triglycerides routinely in order to reduce a person's risk of stroke." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12505230