July 29, 2003 [Volume 4, Issue 16]
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In this issue of To Your Health:
Racking Our Children's Brains
Medications
once intended only for adults are being prescribed to children at an alarming
rate. The problem is that the potential dangers of allowing children to
take many drugs are uncertain: Most of the research on these medications
has only been performed thoroughly on adults. Psychiatric drugs, such
as the stimulants Ritalin and Dexedrine, are now being prescribed for
behavioral or emotional problems in children.
Researchers writing in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine evaluated data on approximately 900,000 children under age 20 enrolled in one of three health-care systems: a Midwestern or mid-Atlantic Medicaid program, or an HMO organization in the northwestern U.S. Data were analyzed for each year from 1987 through 1996, focusing on psychiatric drug use.
Total use of mood-altering medications by children increased by 2-3 times (varying by health-care system) over the 10-year period. Approximately 6% of youths younger than age 20 were taking at least one of these drugs by 1996. Most of the increase in drug prescriptions occurred in the last five years of the study period. "Mood stabilizers" accounted for much of the increase; for example, Ritalin accounted for 77-87% of all stimulant use. Stimulants and antidepressants ranked first and second across all three health-care systems, with the most dramatic increases seen in amphetamine use - under the HMO, 15 times more children were on these drugs in 1996, compared to just 10 years earlier.
Are American children being overmedicated? According to this study, utilization of psychiatric medications in youths nearly reached adult usage levels over a single decade. These facts may be depressing - but please don't start taking a drug without consulting thoroughly with a health care professional first, and investigate all the options before starting your child on any medication.
Reference: Zito JM, Safer DJ, et al. Psychotropic practice patterns for youth: A 10-year perspective. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2003:157(1), pp. 17-25.
For more information on the potential dangers of drugs, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/general/consumer/index.html.
A Narrow Focus
People diet for many reasons. Maintaining sound health may be the most important reason, but many people also diet to look good, or to fit into a particular outfit. If you are simply eating less to attain this goal, you might be taking the wrong path to getting leaner.
A study released earlier this year in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise investigated the response of abdominal fat related to exercise by young men. Thirty obese men (average age: 20 years) were examined before and after four months of disciplined training in the Singapore Armed Forces, and compared to another 30 men of similar age and body composition not undergoing training. Researchers also focused on overall fat mass, muscle mass and percentage of body fat based on skinfold measurements.
Besides losing an average of 26 pounds during training, the soldiers also maintained their muscle mass, which remained unchanged. Most importantly were the significant reductions observed in waist and hip circumference through fat loss, and the relationship between them. Waist circumference was reduced significantly more than hip circumference - 14% compared to 8%.
In other words, fat loss was clearly the most pronounced around the waistline due to working out. This may not be the case for weight loss from dieting alone, which can also cause the loss of some muscle mass. The most successful long-term dieters often cite one common element to their success: an ongoing exercise regimen. Be sure to combine an exercise program with your diet for not only lasting results, but also fat loss focused on your midsection.
Reference: Mayo MJ, Grantham JR, Balasekaran G. Exercise-induced weight loss preferentially reduces abdominal fat. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 2003:35(2), pp. 207-213.
For more tips on sports and exercise, check out www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/sports.html.
Standing Tall
Worried about shrinking as you get older? Before you laugh, bear in mind that excessive curvature and shrinkage of the upper spine in the elderly can sometimes result in a deformity known as a "dowager's hump," which causes severe pain and loss of movement. Developing this condition may be preventable, however: Risk for excessive spinal curvature appears to be influenced by lower bone mineral density (BMD) and poor posture.
Disc degeneration and loss of vertebral bone density from aging lead to weakening and deformity of spinal disc structures, induced by gravity and postural stress, according to a recent study appearing in the journal Spine. A biomechanical full-spine model created using X-rays predicted osteoporotic spinal deformity and height loss in aging patients. The computerized model calculated reductions in vertebral strength, taking into account osteoporosis and a person's posture.
In people with low BMD and poor posture, gross deformities of the spine developed, including spinal fracture deformities in the upper back; abnormal increases in curvature; and decreases in vertebra height. These deformities caused a 25% reduction in spinal height and a 9% decrease in total body height in models of elderly individuals.
Traumatic wear and tear is not necessarily the cause of severely curved upper spines or back shrinkage. These problems may instead be caused by the stresses of everyday living, as a combination of low BMD and poor posture. Upwards of 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, and a significant number of these individuals have less-than-perfect posture. Don't let yourself be one of them. Exercise your back and torso, consume adequate calcium in your diet and maintain proper upright posture to help defend against unhealthy spinal curvature. Your chiropractor can provide you with plenty of information on maintaining a healthy back.
Reference: Keller TS, Harrison DE, et al. Prediction of osteoporotic spinal deformity. Spine 2003:28(5), pp. 455-462.
Head to www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/senior for more studies related to senior health.
Safer Alternatives
The herbal supplement ephedra has been used for thousands of years to treat asthma and similar respiratory problems. Ephedra elicits physiological responses, such as increased blood pressure and heart rate and constriction of blood vessels, which led to its introduction to the U.S. in the 1920s to treat nasal decongestion and to stimulate the nervous system. More recently, the herb became extremely popular in supplements used for weight loss and increased energy, but its safety has been called into question after numerous reports of negative side effects.
Herbs are considered dietary supplements in the U.S., and are thus sold without the Food and Drug Administration approval required for pharmaceutical drugs. A recent study estimated the safety of ephedra by comparing the frequency of negative reactions per unit sold between this and other supplements, a method often used for gauging the safety of pharmaceuticals. Information on adverse reactions to ephedra and other herbs in 2001 was available through the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
Ephedra-containing products were responsible for 64% of all negative reactions to herbal products, although they made up less than 1% of herbal supplement sales. The odds for an adverse reaction to ephedra were at least 100 times higher than for reactions to any other herbal supplement, ranging from 100 times more likely compared to kava to 720 times more likely compared to Ginkgo biloba.
Even when considering ephedra's extremely high share of the herbal market, risks for negative reactions to supplements containing the herb remained 10-40 times higher compared to other products. Possible negative reactions to this herb range from increased blood pressure to life-threatening heart attack or stroke. Considering that the American Medical Association and the organization Health Canada have recommended banning legal sales of ephedra, there are certainly safer weight-loss options. Talk to your chiropractor for information on which supplements can help you achieve long-lasting health and wellness.
Reference: Bent S, Tiedt TN, et al. The relative safety of ephedra compared with other herbal products. Annals of Internal Medicine 2003:138(6), pp. 468-471.
To learn more about herbs and supplements, go to www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/.
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