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brains of the boys, but not the men, while there by 7 percent, and folate linkked to a 20 percent
was no difference seen in the brain structures of reduced risk of stroke.
the boys given a placebo. The only problem is that the studies
w
Radiology, 2019; 182528 the researchers analyzed were limited
to randomized controlled trials, many off
Blood pressure meds cause which came up with partial results, had
dangerous gut problem drug company funding or were designed
w
A common blood pressure drug can cause without an adequate understanding
h
h
Doctors prescribe opioids even diverticulosis, a bowel problem that affects nutrition. Plenty of indepenndent studies have
reported benefits of taking vitamins.
many elderly people.
to small children
Calcium-channel blockers are Ann Intern Med, 2019; 171: 190–8
Doctors are prescribing opioids—the powerful
antihypertensives—they keep high blood
and highly addictive painkillers—to young pressure under control—that also raise the risk Antibiotics raisebbowel
children. Around 60 percent of children who
of diverticulosis, a bowel problem that causes cancer risk
have their tonsils removed are being given the
el
small bulges or pouches in the intestine. Antibiotics increase the risk of bowel, ,
k
el
l
l
drugs, a new study has discovered.
Left untreated, diverticulosis can lead to or colon, cancer. Nearly 72 percent t t t
The children are being given an average of
diverticulitis, when the pouches become of people with the cancer ad tak
48 doses of opioids after a tonsillectomy, say
inflamed. the drug within 10 years b fore th
researchers at the University of Michigan, who
The problem affects around 65 percent of were diagnosed, a new study has
reviewed case records of 15,793 children who
people over 85. It can be life-threatening and discovered.
had the operation in a private clinic.
e
may need emergency treatment if the pouches The drugs can double the risk for
Some 60 percent of these children, who
burst or become infected. bowel cancer, although this varied
were between one and 18 years old, were given
Calcium-channel blockers are the only according to the length of time the
opioids. The painkillers are thought to reduce
antihypertensives linked to diverticulosis, say drugs were taken and their potency.
complications after surgery, but the researchers
e
researchers from Imperial College London. Other cancers of the digestive
say there is no evidence the drugs are any more
They also tested ACE inhibitors and beta system were also more likely after
protective than standard NSAIDs (nonsteroidal
blockers by analyzing gene variants in around taking antibiotics, but,paraadoxically,
anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen.
750,000 people. the risk of rectal cancer was s
Constipation was more likely to occur among
The researchers aren’t sure why the drugs reduced.This could be because the
children taking opioids, the researchers found,
should cause diverticulosis but suspect they rectum is at the end of the d digestive
and in one case, the child became addicted.
could be affecting the ability of muscles in the system, and the pattern of risk
On average, each child was given an eight-day
intestine to push food through the gut. seems to follow the way foo od travels
prescription, equivalent to 48 doses—far more
Genetic variant testing is a relatively new through the gut.
than they should need, the researchers say. This
science that allows researchers to assess the The cancer risk is increased because
overprescribing could put the health of family
benefits and side-effects of drugs without antibiotics cause dysbiosis, a disturbance of
and friends at risk if they take the unused pills.
having to launch expensive, lengthy trials the gut microbiome, the bo ody’s
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019 Aug 8
involving thousands of patients. universe of bacteria, say
Circulation, 2019; 140: 270–9 researchers from Johns
Ritalin changes children’s Hopkins University School
brain structure Why cheaper isn’t better when of Medicine.
ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactive disorder) it comes to vitamins Using a database of 11.3
drugs such as Ritalin alter the structure of
Buy high-quality vitamins—the inexpensive million patient histories,
children’s brains. They change the distribution
brands probably won’t do a thing for your the researchers found near rly
of white matter in the brain, which affects their
health, new research suggests. 29,000 cases of colorectal
ability to learn—paradoxically, the very thing
The popular brands won’t help you live cancer diagnosed between 1989 and 2012
the drug is supposed to improve.
longer, and they don’t protect against heart and compared their histories of antibiotic
Profound changes to the brain were
disease, say researchers from Johns Hopkins use against 137,000 health hy people.
seen within four months of taking ADHD
School of Medicine, who took a second look at Penicillin seemed to carry the greatest
medication—and the researchers who made
277 clinical trials of popular vitamins, minerals cancer risk.
the discovery have urged doctors to prescribe
and nutritional supplements. Although doctors have been told to
the drugs only when absolutely necessary.
They certainly won’t do you any harm, but reduce antibiotic prescribin ng to slow the
Researchers from the University of
with 52 percent of Americans taking at least rise of antibiotic-resistant ‘s superbugs,’ the
Amsterdam carried out MRI scans on the
one vitamin a day and spending a total of $31 fact that the drugs also raise the risk of colon
brains of 50 boys and 48 men who had been
billion a year in the process, it might be hoped cancer is another good reason why alternatives
diagnosed with ADHD. Half the participants had
they’d do some good as well. need to be found, the resea archers say.
been prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate) and
Only omega-3 and folate supplements had People are taking an ave erage of 10
the rest were instead given a placebo.
o
a
any health benefits, the researchers found, antibiotics each year, which h adds up to a
After four months of taking the drug, the
with omega-3s reducing the risk of a heart global annual total of 70 billion doses.
researchers saw significant changes in the
attack by 8 percent and coronary heart disease Gut,2019;pii:gutjnl-2019-318593
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