International Health News
Useful, authoritative and timely summaries
of the latest research in health, nutrition and medicine.

ARCHIVES 2008

Issue 193...December 2008/January 2009....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

Intensive diabetic glucose control
Weight loss and remission of type 2 diabetes
Eating fast and eating until full - not advisable
Dietary patterns and heart attack risk in 52 countries
Statins - the good news
Statins - mixed good and bad news
Statins for children
Coenzyme Q10 and chronic heart failure
Coronary calcium score and Framingham coronary risk
Vitamin D and risk of premenopausal breast cancer
Vitamin D and depression in overweight and obese individuals
References
RESEARCH REVIEW How do you know if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes?
By William R. Ware, Ph.D.

THE PROSTATE MONITOR
EDITORIAL

Discouraging news from the SELECT trial
Hormone therapy - its use when not indicated, Risks vs. benefits
Percent free PSA and the risk of prostate cancer
Prostate growth and PSA velocity - a source of confounding?
Prostatitis and elevated PSA levels
Nerve-sparing surgery and risk of positive margins
Vasectomy and risk of prostate cancer
References

THE AFIB REPORT

Issue 192...November 2008....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

Homocysteine, B-vitamins and cardiovascular disease
Primary prevention of stroke
Secondhand smoke and breast cancer
Omega-3 fatty acids and child development
Green tea and glucose metabolism.
A case of mistaken identity - A breast cancer cell line
More negative results from the Woman's Health Initiative trials
Psychological factors and breast cancer risk
Arthroscopic knee surgery for arthritis
References
RESEARCH REVIEW  Low-dose radiation exposure and risk of cancer:
      Is conventional wisdom wrong?
      By William R. Ware, Ph.D.

THE AFIB REPORT

Issue 191...October 2008....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

Emerging risk factors for stroke and coronary heart disease
Mediterranean diet and risk of adult-onset diabetes
Vitamin C and risk of adult-onset diabetes
Success of smoking ban in Scotland
Percutaneous coronary intervention. Slim early gains soon disappear.
Blood lipids and stroke
Black tea and prevention of Parkinson's disease
Cancer of the esophagus and dietary supplements
Aspirin and recurrence of colorectal adenomas
Alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer risk
Mixing a statin and an anti-arrhythmic drug may be dangerous
References
BOOK REVIEW
Hippocrates' Shadow. Secrets form the House of Medicine
By David H. Newman, M.D.
Reviewed by William R. Ware, PhD

THE PROSTATE MONITOR
EDITORIAL

Watchful waiting and active surveillance - An update

Outcomes in University of Connecticut Health Center program
University of California at San Francisco experience
University of Miami experience
Earlier studies

Finasteride (Proscar) and prevention of prostate cancer
References

THE AFIB REPORT

Issue 190...September 2008....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

Coronary calcium update
Impact of prevention on cardiovascular disease
Vitamin D and heart attacks in men
Vitamin D and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality
Circulating vitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D
Autism and vitamin D
Dietary patterns and mortality in women
Garlic and blood pressure
Pycnogenol for knee osteoarthritis
Whole grains and cardiovascular disease
Green tea and endothelial function
Coffee and mortality
Antidepressants and cancer
References
THE AFIB REPORT

Issue 189...July/August 2008....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

Gaining perspective on evidence-based medicine
Conflict of ethics, professional responsibility and evidence-based medicine
Lowering serum triglycerides with omega-3 fatty acids
Adopting moderate alcohol consumption in middle age
Physical activity and BMI in coronary heart disease risk
Complementary and alternative treatment of metabolic syndrome
Do statin drugs increase the risk of cancer?
Screening for breast cancer. Combining mammography with ultrasound
Breast cancer and carbohydrate intake
Problem of undiagnosed diabetes
References
Some Suggestions for Summer Reading
The Deniers by Lawrence Solomon
Climate Confusion by Roy Spence
The Blue Zone by Dan Buettner
Best Care Anywhere by Philip Longman
Ending the Food Fight by David Ludwig
Spark by John J. Ratey
RESEARCH REVIEW Coronary Heart Disease Risk and its Reduction - Part 2
By William R. Ware, Ph.D.

THE PROSTATE MONITOR

EDITORIAL
Are prostate cancer treatments evidence-based?
Prostate cancer prevention
Chemoprevention of prostate cancer with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. A meta-analysis
Debate over PSA screening continues
References

THE AFIB REPORT

Issue 188...June 2008....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

Salvestrols - A new approach to cancer therapy?
Breast cancer and alcohol
Exercise and risk of colorectal cancer
A tale of two trials
Risks of elevated triglycerides. The evidence accumulates
Assessing CHD risk without blood work
Lithium and amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
References
RESEARCH REVIEW Coronary Heart Disease Risk and its Reduction - Part 1
By William R. Ware, Ph.D.

THE PROSTATE MONITOR

EDITORIAL
Selenium, vitamin E and prostate cancer
Trans-fatty acids and risk of prostate cancer
Meat and meat mutagens and risk of prostate cancer
Dietary fat and prostate cancer
Occupational physical activity and risk of prostate cancer
Prostate chemotherapy and unexpected acute leukemias
Vitamin K and prostate cancer prevention
References

THE AFIB REPORT

Issue 187...May 2008....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

Mediterranean diet improves survival after heart attack
Mediterranean diet reduces incidence of metabolic syndrome
Systemic inflammation and the mediterranean diet
Metabolic syndrome predicts acute coronary syndromes
Endothelial function and metabolic syndrome
Fasting glucose and risk of cardiovascular events
Specific treatments for metabolic syndrome
A healthy lifestyle - turning back the calendar by 14 years
Coronary calcium as predictor of coronary events
Coronary heart disease - is the battle being lost?
NEWSBRIEFS
Statin drugs and the brain
Statins and tendon problems
Central obesity and dementia
Old blood - bad news
Wine and type-2 diabetes

THE PROSTATE MONITOR

EDITORIAL
Halting progression of BPH with lycopene
Diet and risk of BPH
Physical activity, BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms
Prostatitis and BPH
Combination therapy for BPH/LUTS
Inflammation of the prostate - related to BPH, cancer or both?

THE AFIB REPORT

Issue 186...April 2008....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

Vitamin D and hypertension
Autism and vitamin D
Vitamin D, aging and telomere length
More evidence of vitamin D's impact on breast cancer
Vitamin D and influenza
Vitamin B6 and risk of colorectal cancer
Eggs win another round
Variation of heart attacks with time of day
Vitamin and trace mineral intake and CRP levels
ADHD - Is it related to omega-3 deficiency?
NEWSBRIEFS
The floppy iris syndrome
Preventing cataracts
Soft drinks and gout
Adverse drug events in ED visits
Alcohol and artery disease of legs and feet
Alcohol and venous thrombosis
References
RESEARCH REPORT Milk - The Devil in Disguise?
By Maurice McKeown, PhD

THE PROSTATE MONITOR

EDITORIAL
Prostate cancer - A reality check from the Cleveland Clinic
Trans-fatty acids and risk of prostate cancer
Cryoablation vs. external beam radiotherapy
Risks of androgen deprivation therapy
Radical prostatectomy in men over 70 years of age

THE AFIB REPORT

Issue 185...March 2008....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

New studies of stroke risk factors
Metabolic syndrome and stroke risk
Vitamin C and risk of stroke
Alcohol and stroke risk
Alcohol intake and risk of colorectal cancer
Vitamin D and cardiovascular risk
Under-estimation of cardiovascular risk in women
Positive study regarding supplements
Alcohol and type 2 diabetes
NEWSBRIEFS
Statins and vitamin D
Predicting heart disease with a tape measure
Diet and all-cause mortality in the U.S.
Heart attacks without chest pain
Childhood weight and obesity and CHD risk as adults
References
BOOK REVIEW
Good Calories, Bad Calories - Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control and Disease
By Gary Taubes
Reviewed by William R. Ware, PhD

THE PROSTATE MONITOR

EDITORIAL
Focal Prostate Cancer Therapy

THE AFIB REPORT

Issue 184...February 2008....18th Year

EDITORIAL

THIS MONTH's TOPICS

What's New for Alpha Lipoic Acid?
ALA and Diabetic Polyneuropathy
ALA and Peripheral Arterial Disease
Benefits of ALA + Acetyl-L-Carnitine on Vascular Health
Possible but Rare Adverse Effect of ALA Supplementation
CT Scans and Risk of Cancer
Vitamin D and Cancer Mortality in USA
Do We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?
NEWSBRIEFS
Chemotherapy and Antioxidants
More Good News for Red Wine Lovers
RESEARCH REPORT Cholesterol - A Review: Part III
By William R. Ware, PhD

The Prostate Monitor

EDITORIAL
New studies on PSA and risk of prostate cancer
Merits of radical prostatectomy when positive lymph nodes are present
Hormone therapy and risk of cardiovascular mortality
Expectant management of prostate cancer with curative intent

THE AFIB REPORT