HEADLINES / TRENDS l STATS l RESEARCH l MEDIA l PEOPLE

September 2009

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Gasping for Breath:
America’s Asthma Capitals

Asthma sufferers, beware: Some US cities make breathing a lot tougher than others.
St. Louis tops the The Asthma and Allergy Foundation’s 2009 list of Asthma Capitals, metro areas the group says are “the most challenging places to live with asthma.” (If your city or area is not listed here, visit www.AsthmaCapitals.com.) The AAF based its findings on such considerations as prevalence rates and risk factors, including pollen counts and air quality. Roughly 20 million Americans have asthma, including nearly 5 million children. It is responsible for 2 million ER visits each year.

Rank	Metro Area
1	St Louis, Missouri
2	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
3	Birmingham, Alabama
4	Chattanooga, Tennessee
5	Charlotte, North Carolina
6	Memphis, Tennessee
7	Knoxville, Tennessee
8	McAllen, Texas
9	Atlanta, Georgia
10	Little Rock, Arkansas

Natural Ways to Breathe Easier

In an asthma attack the bronchial tubes become constricted, which makes breathing difficult. Episodes can be triggered by environmental factors, such as exposure to allergens or changes in weather, or by exercise or food sensitivities.

An acute attack, which can be life-threatening, requires prompt medical attention. However, the underlying disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that many people have found to be amenable to natural control over the long term (always speak to your healthcare practitioner).

The first step, sensibly enough, is reducing asthma triggers. Stay indoors on high humidity/pollen count days. Use HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filtration units and vacuum frequently with a HEPA-equipped machine. Encase mattresses in dust mite-proof coverings. Find exercises, such as swimming or tai chi, that are less likely to cause flare-ups. If you suspect a food sensitivity, keep a diary of everything you eat for a week with notes on any asthmatic reactions that occur, and eliminate those foods from your diet (eggs and dairy are common offenders).

Speaking of diet, try eating more fruits and vegetables (organically sourced to eliminate possible pesticide exposure) along with more fish (especially the cold-water varieties rich in omega-3 fats) and olive oil. The Mediterranean diet—which features all these foods—was found in one study to reduce the risk of asthma by up to 80% (Thorax 8/07). Spice up your dishes with ginger and turmeric, which fight inflammation, and be sure to drink plenty of water. The following nutrients may be especially helpful:

• Folic acid—low levels associated with increased wheezing risk
• Lycopene—has reduced symptoms caused by exercise
• Magnesium—has decreased bronchial reactivity in studies
• Quercetin—a phytonutrient shown to inhibit an asthma-related enzyme
• Vitamin B6—deficiency common in people with asthma
• Vitamin C—has reduced spasms of the bronchial tubes in studies
• Vitamin D—low levels may increase risk

Herbs that have shown asthma-fighting promise include:

• Boswellia—improved breathing, reduced attack frequency in one study
• Coleus—increases cyclic AMP, a substance that relaxes smooth muscles and inhibits histamine release
• Ginkgo—blocks a compound instrumental in causing symptoms
  
  

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Alternative Health, Demystified

The phrase “complementary and alternative medicine” covers a lot of territory. Some practices—chiropractic and acupuncture come to mind—are practically mainstream. Others, such as Hellerwork, have flitted on the edge of public consciousness for years, while still others are of even more recent origin. Unbreak Your Health (Loving Healing Press; www.lovinghealing.com) by Alan Smith is a straightforward guide to the CAM world. The heart of the book consists of three chapters on therapies that affect body, mind and spirit, respectively. Each entry provides a basic description of how the therapy works followed by user comments, along with a website for readers who want to find more information. “To unbreak your health,” Smith writes, “means discovering the real source of the problem and treating all of it.” This book is a good place to start.

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Cooling Inflammation with Spirulina

Spirulina, a blue-green algae popular as a green-food supplement, contains a substance that has reduced inflammation in the lab. Taiwanese researchers report that C-phycocyanin reduced inflammatory markers, including COX-2 and iNOS, in mice. Spirulina is often used in powdered protein shakes. —Anesthesia & Analgesia 2009 Vol 108

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The Dorm-Room Vegetarian

There’s excitement in seeing a child go off to college for the first time. But there are also
concerns: Will they do well in school and adjust to life away from home? And, just as important, will they eat properly? Proper diet is even more of a problem for vegetarians; college campuses are not known as bastions of healthy eating and beer, vegetarian as its origins are, is not a food group.

That’s where College Vegetarian Cooking (Ten Speed Press; www.tenspeed.com) can come in handy. Graduate students Megan and Jill Carle have been there, done that—and written an easy-to-follow cookbook that doesn’t require a ton of specialized culinary equipment or technique. The authors don’t lean heavily on pasta as the go-to meal, and they do address common student concerns with chapters on inexpensive eating, dining solo and avoiding the “freshman 15” pounds that often come from living out of snack machines. If your scholar doesn’t do meat, have them pack College Vegetarian Cooking.

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Like Exercise, Antioxidants May
Boost Bone Strength

Exercise has long been known to help strengthen bones and stave off osteoporosis, which can lead to disabling fractures. But a new study suggests that antioxidants may equal physical activity as a means of maintaining bone density.

Scientists at the University of Sherbrooke in Canada recruited 34 women who had already passed through menopause. Some of the women exercised and took 600 mg of vitamin E and 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day. Some women took either vitamins or placebos without exercising, while others worked out and took placebos. After six months, only the women who were inactive and taking placebos lost bone in their lower spines. The researchers thought that antioxidants may help by interfering with bone breakdown.

An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis and almost 34 million have low bone mass, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
—Osteoporosis International 7/09

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WORD

Probiotic

Any of a number of beneficial micro-organisms that live in the human body, especially the intestinal tract and upper airway. These microbes, which include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species as well as S. salivarius K12, help promote healthy digestion and a strong immune response.

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N U M B E R S

Anatomy 101

55.6%
The percentage of Britons who could correctly locate the heart on a map
of the body, in a recent survey

50.5%
The percentage of cardiac patients who could do so

94%
People who could locate the intestines

27.1%
Those who could locate the lungs or the kidneys

Source: BMC Family Practice 6/12/09 online

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Senior Friendship Makes
Moving Around Easier

There’s something to be said for staying in touch, especially as you age. It seems that lonely seniors run a higher risk of losing muscle function, which in turn can increase one’s risk of disability or dementia.

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago enrolled 906 older Illinoians who showed no signs of stroke, dementia or Parkinson’s disease. The volunteers were surveyed about how socially engaged they were as measured by attendance at worship or sporting events, visits with friends or family and volunteer activities. The participants were then tested for motor skills, including balance, limb strength and the ability to walk easily.

After five years, those people who participated the least in social events were 65% more likely to be disabled. Being relatively inactive also increased one’s death risk by more than 40%.
—Archives of Internal Medicine 6/22/09

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Air Pollutant May Lower Fetal IQ

In “Brain Danger” (Earth Matters, November/December 2008), we examined how pollution can harm the human brain, especially a developing one. Now a Columbia University study has found a possible link between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pollutants found in vehicle exhaust, and lower IQ scores.

A research team at the Mailman School of Public Health monitored air quality in two New York City neighborhoods from 1998 to 2003, years in which the 249 mothers in the study were pregnant; 140 had been exposed to high PAH levels. All the children were tested at five years of age. Those in the PAH group scored more than four points lower on standard intelligence tests.
—Pediatrics 8/09

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