New advice on meat consumption. How pregnancy problems can lead to postpartum depression. American girls entering puberty earlier than ever. These and other interesting stories from the world of health and medicine in this week’s Medical News Notes.
Cancer Group Issues Advice for Processed Meat Consumption
Close behind the recent release of a National Institutes of Health-AARP study showing strong links between processed meats and bladder and colorectal cancer, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has issued a series of dietary guidelines for people who regularly eat these foods. The group recommends eating no more than 18 ounces of (cooked) red meat per week, and saving processed meats like hot dogs and ham for “special occasions.” Although researchers have not yet identified the specific link between processed meats and higher rates of bladder and colorectal cancer, most experts believe that nitrites and nitrates, chemicals used to preserve color and freshness, are involved.
Pregnancy Complications Linked to Postpartum Depression
Many women experience some form of depression within the first three months after giving birth. Now, Dutch researchers have documented a link between complications during pregnancy and increased occurrences of this debilitating condition. According to the Dutch study, women who experience one complication, such as pre-eclampsia, deep vein thrombosis or fetal distress, are twice as likely to develop postpartum depression as women with no pregnancy complications. For women with four or more complications, those odds rise to more than 500 percent. These findings are considered critical for identifying and then treating women who suffer potentially serious depressive symptoms in the months when their newborn child is the most vulnerable.
More American Girls Starting Puberty Early
The journal Pediatrics just published a new study showing that more U.S. girls are entering puberty as early as age seven, which is earlier than ever before. Black and Hispanic girls are maturing faster than whites, but whites are quickly catching up, compared to a similar study done in the 1990s. The cause for this acceleration is not known, although high-fat, high calorie diets and environmental pollutants are suspected. Early maturation is a serious health concern because girls who enter puberty early are known to have an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer later in life.
New Super-Drug Developed to Combat ‘Superbugs’
Traditional antibiotics are proving increasingly ineffective in combating so-called “superbugs,” bacteria that have evolved immunities to these popular drugs. Now, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline have announced the development of a new compound that may be the first in a new generation of superbug killers. Called GSK 299423, the compound targets a certain enzyme bacteria needed to reproduce. Now scientists have to develop a medicine from the compound and begin the long process of human trials to see if it performs up to expectations. If so, the breakthrough couldn’t come too soon. Between five and 10 percent of all hospital patients develop a drug-resistant infection during their stay, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Pepper Could Lower Blood Pressure
Doctors usually advise people with high blood pressure to avoid spicy foods. But now researchers in Chongquin, China, have discovered that a capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their bite, can actually lower blood pressure by opening constricted blood vessels. The researchers do not yet know how much capsaicin is needed to successfully treat high blood pressure, or how it is best administered. But the discovery could soon lead to a new way to treat a very common and serious health problem faced by tens of millions of people across the world.
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