Talking About Health; Why Health Communication Matters

Old science, new science, and conflicting science about coffee and caffeine–and health

January 12, 2012

Shortly before the holidays, I heard Dr. Oz talking about coffee. He played a game with audience members and emphasized that coarsely ground, light roast coffee made with cold water and NEVER microwaved is best when aiming for the benefits of coffee. Benefits? I thought. Isn’t it interesting how different stories emphasize different results?

On the hunt for the science I went. In 2009, a study reported that 3-5 cups of coffee a day related to a reduced risk –65% less — for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease [http://iospress.metapress.com/content/d885346618q57103/].

I was reminded of my discussion in my book, Talking about health, about old science, new science, conflicting science, and no science. I went online in search of some more science to discuss the coffee and caffeine health benefits. I found the Dr. Oz story: http://www.drozfans.com/dr-ozs-advice/dr-oz-american-roast-coffee-prevents-colon-cancer-coffee-trivia/

An article in 1990 reports findings that the participants who reported drinking more coffee had a higher incidence of colon cancer [http://www.jstor.org/pss/20065645].

A study reported in 1993 found no relationship between more than 34,000 women’s reports of caffeine consumption and breast cancer [http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/138/6/380.short].

In 2007, a study found that 2 cups of black tea or decaf. coffee each day related to reduced risk for ovarian cancer, but regular coffee did not show this relationship. Again, women self-reported their behaviors [ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1525-1438.2006.00773.x/full].

Also in 2007, a study found that drinking 2 cups a day of regular coffee greatly reduced — 43% — risk for liver cancer [http://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(07)00568-9/abstract].

What does it all mean? Talking about health means thinking about when a study was conducted, who particpated, and how the research was done. Self-reports are different from clinical studies. I don’t know of any clinical trials where participants are given coffee over time and compared to participants who do not consume coffee. So the research depends on individuals reporting how much coffee they drink. And then clinical reports about their health status provide a picture of what might be making a difference in the health of some compared to others. So when talking about health, don’t lose sight of the meaning of shorthand expressions like, ‘drinking 2 cups of coffee a day reduces your risk for cancer’…

Why I am annoyed by this Nexium commercial

January 11, 2012

OK. Running on the networks is this annoying commercial. The key message is, “You wouldn’t want your doctor doing your job.”

I suppose it is intended to somehow make us feel guilty because we are somehow offending our doctor in our personal efforts to read product labels and make informed decisions about over the counter drug purchases.

I don’t think my doctor would be offended. Instead, I think both my doctor and I are annoyed by an ad that suggests only a doctor knows best.

Reading product labels and discovering hidden sources of ‘salt’ in vitamin supplements

January 10, 2012

When traveling over the holidays in crowded airports with many many many others, I often add a supplement to my daily routine. Airborne is one product I have used over the past several years. One of my sisters recommended Emergen-C and so I tried it. I liked it. It comes in tangerine and I like the flavor. Then I compared the cost…and that favored Airborne in the retail store where I was looking. So I flipped the products over to see if I could learn anything more to help me make a decision. And I did.

For some reason, Airborne has 230 mg or 10% of the daily recommended amount of sodium [salt] in a tablet. Yikes. I try to limit my salt intake. I eat reduced sodium products in nearly everything that offers a choice of low or reduced sodium. I wouldn’t want to take a simple supplement with so much salt in it if I could avoid it.

Emergen-C on the other hand only had 60 mg of sodium in one dose of the supplment. I don’t know why either product needs any sodium in it but finding nearly 400 percent more sodium in Airborne than in Emergen-C, I chose Emergen-C.

Moral of this story: do read the product labels even for supplements and vitamins to see what hidden sources of salt/sodium may be lurking in them.

Did you hear about the voluntary recall of Bufferin products?

January 9, 2012

I’m back. It was a fabulous break. The piles on my desks at home and on campus grew smaller. I was nourished by hugs and kisses from my grandchildren, children, and parents. I set some new goals for the next five years that include using up all the good stuff that I have a tendency to ‘save’. And I heard a lot of communication about health that I can’t wait to start sharing. But a news’ story this morning set today’s topic for me.

You see, I have this gallon size resealable plastic bag that I have been carrying around for months now. Inside the bag are broken aspirin. I thought it was just me and just the bottle I purchased. But it turns out that a lot of people have been complaining about this problem. And so today, the company making these products issued a ‘voluntary’ recall. Here is a link to a list of products being recalled — http://www.novartis-otc.com/otc/index.html. It includes Bufferin and Excedrin products.

And according to this story — http://www.click2houston.com/lifestyle/health/Novartis-issues-voluntary-recall/-/2597500/7663306/-/w0taie/-/index.html — the problem may be more than quality control related to broken pills. Stray pills or parts of pills may be getting mixed into products. So please check this out and share the recall information with friends and family members who may use these products. Doing so is an important part of communicating about health.

Consumer Reports and Apple Juice: Why Did Dr. Besser Apologize to Dr. Oz?

December 11, 2011

Not long ago, near the end of September, I reflected on the debate that took place between Dr. Besser and Dr. Oz about apple juice. It was a chance to consider the meaning of evidence when reports appear about the safety of food or other substances. I noted that I would have appreciated it if Dr. Besser had spent more time talking about why the evidence was of poor quality and less time attacking Dr. Oz.

Well, new data is in. Dr. Besser apologized to Dr. Oz and aimed his criticism at the FDA where data about arsenic in applie juice had been piling up for a number of years. A new study released by Consumer Reports added to that data. Dr. Oz gives tips about the amount of apple juice that should be safe for children at different ages to drink. It is clear that all of us need to keep asking for answers to the question: how did the science reach that conclusion? When we ask, someone just might listen and try to give a more valid answer…

Could a cold shower reduce depressive symptoms?

November 29, 2011

I cannot say where I heard this recently. Something in the background while I was working at my computer. But it stuck in my brain. It was a report indicating that research had shown that taking a cold shower could improve mood. It didn’t say what research. Nothing new there…

I began to think about all the camping trips when showers were unavailable but a cold lake or river was nearby and provided a bathing experience. I thought about jumping into swimming pools with cold water. And I remembered camping facilities where the showers offered only cold water. Funny. As I thought about it, in every case I was in a better mood coming out than going in. I thought it was because I got the day’s sweat and dirt off me or had a nice workout swimming, but maybe not.

Since this stayed with me over the past several weeks while I have been buried under papers and research and teaching, I decided to take a break and look up the research. I found a journal that presented a research question and rationale in 2008: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030698770700566X The researchers argue for a study to systematically consider the possible relationship. I cannot find where such a study has been conducted. If you find it, let me know… Inquiring minds want to know.

In the meantime, here is something beautiful to behold:

Why laughter really is the best medicine

November 2, 2011

Several times recently, I’ve heard discussions about the human growth hormone and its relationship to health. And I’ve heard that stress depletes the hormone, while laughter supports the hormone [see http://www.hgh9.com/natural-hgh.html ]. Great! So here is something meant to make you smile and perhaps even laugh out loud.

I guess it’s time to get a new dentist…

October 27, 2011

I don’t have good luck with dentists. I do my best to get recommendations. Things go along OK for awhile. Then I start getting advised to do things that don’t make sense to me. I ask questions. But I don’t get satisfactory answers.

My current dentist knows that I came to him several years ago. Not because I was just moving to the area. But I wasn’t feeling good about how talk with my former dentist was going. So, this dentist seemed great for awhile. But last year, he recommended that I get a crown in a tooth where it seemed to me that we should start with a filling. I should have gotten a second opinion because instead, I put off doing anything, built up resentment that the dentist couldn’t explain why a crown was needed. “It will just be better in the long run” doesn’t tell me anything. I guess we could just put crowns on all my teeth and it would be better in the long run if what that means is that my natural teeth wouldn’t be wearing anymore.

OK, I should’ve gotten a second opinion last year. I didn’t. I have all the same excuses everyone has. I didn’t have time. I didn’t want to offend my current dentist. I didn’t know how to go about finding another dentist and asking for a second opinion. Yikes.

Well, this week I had my first scheduled cleaning since the crown. The technician asked me how it was going and I told her that it hurt to chew a steak on that side where the crown is… “I don’t eat much red maet,” I said, “But when I do, it hurts.”

She said, “That’s nornal. It’s new.” I should’ve known right then that things were not gonna go my way. She took exactly 12 minutes to clean my teeth and then went for the dentist. He took 15 minutes to appear. When he appeared, the technician said, “He’s Mr. Funny man today.”

He took a look and a poke and announced, or mumbled I should say, something to the technician. She said, “So you want to do the four now?” Four what, I wondered.

“Let’s do all six.” Six what, I panicked.

“Six what?” I asked.

“Fillings.”

“What?!” Mind you, I had been to the dentist six months ago. I didn’t have any new x-rays done at the current appointment. What was different today from six months ago?

“Well, you have some wear in the enamel on the top of some of your teeth. The dentin is about to be exposed in some places. I just want to prevent that.” I guess I looked skeptical as he said, “I can show you.” He handed me a mirror. I opened my mouth. He pointed to one of my incisors. “See?” I looked and, yes, I could see a dip in the enamel. Nearly six decades of living might do that, don’t you think? That’s a lot of chewing and, well, grinding my teeth–a bad habit of mine. I must have looked skeptical still as he said, “I could show you the others, but you might have to stand on your head to see them.”

“I see what you mean,” I said to the technician. “He really he is a ‘funny man’ today. What are you going to do? Why?”

“I will just put a bit of filling in there to protect the tooth. It won’t take much drilling at all. But I’ll still numb you up real good.”

I checked out. Literally and figuratively. I didn’t ask any more questions. But I didn’t make the appointment for the fillings. I have been looking and can find no research or recommendations relating to taking this action. I do find some discussions that lead me to believe that the dentist will have to etch my tooth to make the filling stick–my lay term. And that it is the first step toward the filling not sticking and then needing–a crown.

I would love to be wrong about this. I want to trust the health care professionals I pay for my care. But I need them to explain why their recommendations make sense and to respect my decisions about actions labeled ‘preventive’ care. I don’t feel either of these exists in this situation. And so, I guess it’s time to get a new dentist.

What is the opposite of stress?

October 25, 2011

It was Fall Festival time in Bellefonte this past weekend. A historic train ride. Colors. The beauty of autumn. The soothing sound of a train clacking down the tracks. Celebrate the season.

Isn’t Mel a good reminder that life is such a balancing act?

October, 216, 2011

Here is my daughter behind the bullhorn coaching a college crew team. In the fall. On the water at Stone Mountain, Georgia. And there is her ‘firstborn’–a beloved black lab who goes everywhere she goes that it is at all possible for her to go.

My daughter is four months pregnant now. And she has given up coaching her college crew team. And she told me this weekend that Mel has become very protective. And she wonders how this will play out as the weeks and months go by.

I predict that Mel will continue to be as close as she can be to her beloved human. And that they will play out the balancing act that is life…together for many years.