healthbriefs


Eating Greens Can Change Genes A


n international team of scientists led by researchers at McMaster and McGill


universities, in Canada, were surprised to find that consuming generous amounts of fruit and raw vegetables modified a gene designated 9p21, the strongest marker for heart disease. In one of the largest gene-diet interaction studies ever conducted related to cardiovascular disease, the researchers analyzed more than 27,000 individuals from five ethnicities—Latin American, European, Chinese, South Asian and Arab—and the effect their diets had on the target gene. They discovered that men and women with the high-risk genotype that consumed a healthy diet with plenty of raw vegetables and fruits had a risk of heart attack similar to individuals carrying the low-risk genotype. “We know that 9p21 genetic variants increase the risk of heart disease for those that carry it,” says Genetic Epidemiologist Jamie Engert, joint principal inves- tigator of the study, “but it was a surprise to find that a healthy diet could signifi- cantly weaken its effect.”


Source: PLoS Medicine


Acupuncture Cools Hot Flashes A


B


FLEXIBLE WORK PLACES BOOST WELL-BEING


etter sleep and feelings of health are among the benefits of a flexible


small, yet intriguing study published in Acupuncture in Medicine found that tradi- tional Chinese acupuncture curbed the severity of hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Fifty-three middle-aged, postmenopausal women were divided into two groups; one received such treatments twice weekly for 10 weeks, while the other experienced “sham” acupuncture with blunt needles that did not penetrate the skin. In both groups, levels of estrogen and other hormones were measured before the study began and before and after the last session. Menopausal symp- toms—hot flashes, vaginal dryness, urinary tract infections and mood swings—were also measured before and after the treatments, using a five-point menopause rating scale (MRS) in order to assess their severity. At the end of the study, the women receiving


Chinese acupuncture scored significantly lower on the MRS scale, with hot flashes seeing the sharpest decrease. The researchers explain that acupuncture boosts production of endorphins, which may stabilize the temperature control system of the body. They say that more investigation is needed because the study was small, but note that its results seem promising, suggesting that traditional Chinese acu- puncture could be an alternative for women unable or unwilling to use hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms.


18 Westchester/Putnam NY Edition


workplace, according to a new study by University of Minnesota sociology professors that followed 608 office em- ployees in a collaborating company. The initiation of a performance-focused work environment that redirected the focus of employees and managers towards measurable results and away from when and where work was completed, yielded positive markers. Employees that were allowed to routinely change when and where they worked, based upon their individual needs and job responsibili- ties, experienced improved sleep quality, higher energy levels, better self-reported health and a sense of personal mastery.


Source: Journal of Health and Social Behavior


E


NICOTINE: MOTHERS JUST SAY NO


xpectant moms using nic- otine patches and gum to


help kick a smoking habit are putting their unborn babies at risk, say research- ers at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, in California. In a study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, they note that the fetus absorbs the addic- tive substance, which can damage the baby’s blood vessels and may lead to high blood pressure and heart problems later in life.


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