Written by
12 July 2006

Vioxx, a Cox-2 inhibitor, was heralded as a wonder drug for weekend warriors and people with arthritis. That changed in 2001 when researchers from the Cleveland Clinic reported that the drug increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. Vioxx® was one of the best-selling drugs in the world, so the news decreased public confidence in all painkillers. Dr. Steven Nissen, lead author of the Vioxx research, announced an ambitious study that will compare the safety and effectiveness of Celebrex®, naproxen and ibuprofen in 20,000 patients in the USA, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Australia. The study will be funded by Pfizer and will cost about $100 million. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute will oversee the study to insure independent and fair results. (USA Today, Dec. 13, 2005)
Weigh to Cut Weight
Are you one of those people who don’t look at your bank balance at the end of the month because you fear you don’t have any money? If so, you’re living in denial. It’s much better to know the truth and do something about it. The same is true of weight control. Avoiding the scale won’t make excess fat go away. In fact, your weight will creep up ounce-by-ounce, pound by pound until you have a serious weight problem. Researchers from the University of Minnesota— led by Jennifer Linde— found that overweight people who weighed themselves daily lost twice as much weight as those who weighed in only occasionally or never. People who never weighed in gained weight during the study. The study involved 1,800 people on weight loss programs. People who weighed themselves daily tended to be older, ate less fat, were current non-smokers, had a greater history of dieting to lose weight and had a lower current body mass index. Weigh in at least once a day if you’re trying to lose weight. (Ann Behav Med, 30:210-216, 2005)

Chilling Increases Cold Risk After All
For years physicians told us that mom’s advice about avoiding chills to prevent colds was an old wives’ tale. British scientists found that mom was right all along. They asked nearly 200 subjects to put their bare feet in either an empty bucket or one containing ice water for 20 minutes a day. Within five days, 29 percent of the subjects in the ice water group developed colds compared to only nine percent in the control group. Chilling increases arousal of the nervous system, which causes constriction of the blood vessels in the nose and throat. This decreases circulating white blood cells in the upper respiratory tract that fight infection and kill cold viruses. While there’s no cure for colds, you can prevent them by keeping your hands and feet warm and dry and wearing a hat on cold winter days. (ABC News, Nov. 13, 2005)

High Intake of Dairy Products Increases the Risk of Prostate Cancer
Men who live long enough will develop prostate cancer, but they’ll probably die from something else first. Nevertheless, it’s the second leading cancer-related cause of death in men. Diet plays an important role in preventing the disease. A Tufts University study found men who consume large amounts of calcium and dairy products, such as milk and cheese, have a slightly elevated risk of getting prostate cancer. High dairy intake increased prostate cancer risk by 11 percent, while high calcium intake boosted the risk by 39 percent. The study was a combined analysis (meta-analysis) of 12 studies conducted between 1966 and 2005 that examined the relationship between dairy and calcium intake and prostate cancer. The authors were critical of the new USDA dietary recommendations that all adults eat three cups of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products a day. Dairy foods are high in calcium and eight essential vitamins and minerals, so moderate consumption is still important— even for aging men. The benefits of consuming dairy foods exceed the small, increased risk of developing prostate cancer. (J Nat Cancer Inst, 97: 1768-1777, 2005)

Bitter Orange Not Bad for the Heart
Weight loss drugs and supplements often contain chemicals, such as ephedra and bitter orange, called sympathomemetic amines that work like adrenaline to increase metabolism and “turn on” the nervous system. Ephedra was a highly popular weight loss supplement before the Food and Drug Administration banned over-the-counter sales in 2004. A federal judge recently overturned the ban— at least temporarily, but most supplement companies are unlikely to include ephedra in their weight loss products because of fear of lawsuits. The FDA claims to have registered nearly 1,000 cases of ephedra toxicity, some of which were linked to stroke and heart attack. Supplement company scientists countered that the FDA’s evidence was scientifically unsound. Weight loss supplement companies substituted other stimulants, such as bitter orange, so they could continue to sell an effective product. Critics of the industry charged that bitter orange was also dangerous and should be banned. Researchers from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy found that a single dose of bitter orange (22 milligrams) had no effect on the electrocardiogram or blood pressure. The next step is to study the effectiveness and safety of the long-term use of the supplement. (Pharmacotherapy, 25: 1719-1724, 2005)

Warm-up and Time of Day Affect Power Output
Legendary Detroit Tiger pitcher Denny McLain was once asked to pitch batting practice at 10 a.m. He responded, “I don’t throw up until 10!” He knew that his performance capacity was lower in the morning than later in the day. Scientists agree. Many studies have identified diurnal variations in performance and body temperature; power, strength, endurance and core temperature are highest late in the afternoon and lowest early in the morning. Some, but not all studies have found that warm-up before exercise increases power output. French scientists found that warming up before exercise in the afternoon resulted in greater power output than either warm-up before morning exercise or afternoon exercise by themselves. People perform better when they train in the afternoon— particularly if they warm-up. Other studies have found that people are more likely to train more consistently if they work out in the morning, so there’s a balance between performance and adherence to the program. (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 37: 2134-2139, 2005)

Sexual Arousal Cuts Strength
“And Rocky, stay away from that tomata— sex weakens the legs!”
“Yo, Mick.”
Rocky Balboa's crusty old trainer followed the coach's long time credo— keep athletes from even thinking about sex at all cost. Sex— so the theory goes— causes physical weakness and robs athletes of their will to win. It turns out that Mick may have been right all long. Australian researchers found that sexually aroused men have lower grip strength. They tested the grip strength of men before and after watching pornographic videos and the subjects were weaker after the films. The researchers speculated that during sexual arousal the nervous system reduces its output to muscles and another organs not related directly to sexual function, which is critical to the survival of the species. So, next time you’re at the gym and a hot babe walks by wearing a skin-tight spandex outfit that shows every bulge, nook and cranny— keep your mind on the weights! (International Journal Impotence Research, 18: 206-209, 2006)