Body, Mind & Spirit Articles and Latest News

The dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, together or alone, appeared to fare no better than placebo in slowing loss of cartilage in osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers from the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) team report in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. Interpreting the study results is complicated, however, because participants taking placebo had a smaller loss of cartilage, or joint space width, than predicted. Loss of cartilage, the slippery material that cushions the joints, is a hallmark of osteoarthritis and its loss is typically measured as a reduction in joint space width—the distance between the ends of bones in a joint as seen on an X-ray.

“While these results are of interest, we cannot draw definitive conclusions about the utility of glucosamine or chondroitin in reducing joint space width loss, in part because the placebo group fared better than anticipated based on prior research results,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the study’s funders. “The results of the study provide interesting insights for future research.”

[Read more →]

The dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, together or alone, appeared to fare no better than placebo in slowing loss of cartilage in osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers from the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) team report in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. Interpreting the study results is complicated, however, because participants taking placebo had a smaller loss of cartilage, or joint space width, than predicted. Loss of cartilage, the slippery material that cushions the joints, is a hallmark of osteoarthritis and its loss is typically measured as a reduction in joint space width—the distance between the ends of bones in a joint as seen on an X-ray.

“While these results are of interest, we cannot draw definitive conclusions about the utility of glucosamine or chondroitin in reducing joint space width loss, in part because the placebo group fared better than anticipated based on prior research results,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the study’s funders. “The results of the study provide interesting insights for future research.”

[Read more →]

The questions and answers on this page provide general information
about dioxins, a subject that can be complex and confusing. The materials presented
provide information about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) draft risk
assessment on dioxins.

[Read more →]

Related Articles

Coercion in psychiatry.

Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2008 Sep;21(5):485-9

Authors: Kallert TW

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This paper highlights issues in the field of coercion in psychiatry which have gained importance in 2007. RECENT FINDINGS: Reviews on ‘involuntary hospital admission’ demonstrated negative and positive consequences on various outcome domains. Papers on ‘coercion and the law’ identified cross-national differences of legal regulations, or addressed justice and equality issues. Studies on the ‘patient’s perspective’, and ‘family burden of coercion’ showed that involuntariness is associated with feeling excluded from participation in the treatment. A review on ‘outpatient commitment’ recommended the evaluation of a range of outcomes if this specific legislation is introduced. ‘Coercion in special (healthcare) settings and patient subgroups’ needs to be assessed in detail. This refers to somatic hospitals, establishments for mentally retarded patients, prisons, forensic settings, and coercion mechanisms for addiction treatment, eating disorders, and minors. Empirical findings in other areas focused on attitudes towards involuntary treatment; decision variables for involuntary commitment; guidelines on the use of coercive measures; and intervention programs for staff victims of patient assaults. SUMMARY: Coercion in psychiatry is an important area for future clinical and research initiatives. Because of the linkages with legal, human rights and ethical issues, a huge number of individual questions needs to be addressed.

PMID: 18650692 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Read more →]

Related Articles

A pilot study for circadian gene disturbance in dementia patients.

Neurosci Lett. 2008 Apr 25;435(3):229-33

Authors: Liu HC, Hu CJ, Tang YC, Chang JG

Disturbance of circadian gene regulation might contribute to behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia patients. This study was to evaluate the CpG island methylation status on the circadian gene promoters in dementia patients. We conducted a set of methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) followed by nucleotide sequencing to analyze the methylation status within the promoters of nine circadian-related genes, including PER1, PER2, PER3, CRY1, CRY2, CLOCK, BMAL1, TIM and CK1epsilon, in the genomic DNA from the peripheral blood leukocytes of 80 dementia patients and 80 age- and gender-matched controls. A total of seven dementia patients (7/80) had CpG island methylation in the circadian genes and none of the controls had methylation. There were three and four patients had CpG island methylation on the promoters of PER1 and CRY1, respectively. Dementia with Lewy body (DLB) patients had the significantly highest frequency of circadian gene CpG island methylation (35.7%). It suggested that epigenetic methylation of circadian gene was more prevalent in dementia patients, especially for the DLB patients. The significance of circadian gene methylation in clinical behavior/sleep disturbance in dementia patients needs further study.

PMID: 18358604 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Read more →]

FDA is alerting consumers that seven Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea
products manufactured in China are being recalled by the King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd.
due to possible contamination with melamine.

[Read more →]

The FDA had contacted the companies who manufacture infant formula for
distribution in the United States and received information from the companies that they
are not importing formula or source materials from China.

[Read more →]

The FDA had contacted the companies who manufacture infant formula for
distribution in the United States and received information from the companies that they
are not importing formula or source materials from China.

[Read more →]

Randomized controlled trial of a psychoeducation program for the self-management of chronic cardiac pain.

J Pain Symptom Manage. 2008 Aug;36(2):126-40

Authors: McGillion MH, Watt-Watson J, Stevens B, Lefort SM, Coyte P, Graham A

Cardiac pain arising from chronic stable angina (CSA) is a cardinal symptom of coronary artery disease and has a major negative impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL), including pain, poor general health status, and inability to self-manage. Current secondary prevention approaches lack adequate scope to address CSA as a multidimensional ischemic and persistent pain problem. This trial evaluated the impact of a low-cost six-week angina psychoeducation program, entitled The Chronic Angina Self-Management Program (CASMP), on HRQL, self-efficacy, and resourcefulness to self-manage anginal pain. One hundred thirty participants were randomized to the CASMP or three-month wait-list usual care; 117 completed the study. Measures were taken at baseline and three months. General HRQL was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form and the disease-specific Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ). Self-efficacy and resourcefulness were measured using the Self-Efficacy Scale and the Self-Control Schedule, respectively. The mean age of participants was 68 years, 80% were male. Analysis of variance of change scores yielded significant improvements in treatment group physical functioning [F=11.75(1,114), P<0.001] and general health [F=10.94(1,114), P=0.001] aspects of generic HRQL. Angina frequency [F=5.57(1,115), P=0.02], angina stability [F=7.37(1,115), P=0.001], and self-efficacy to manage disease [F=8.45(1,115), P=0.004] were also significantly improved at three months. The CASMP did not impact resourcefulness. These data indicate that the CASMP was effective for improving physical functioning, general health, anginal pain symptoms, and self-efficacy to manage pain at three months and provide a basis for long-term evaluation of the program.

PMID: 18395397 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Read more →]

Prazosin for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder sleep disturbances.

Pharmacotherapy. 2008 May;28(5):656-66

Authors: Miller LJ

An estimated 70-87% of patients who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience sleep disruption. These patients have distressing dreams or nightmares in which the traumatic event is reexperienced, and they also have difficulty in falling or staying asleep. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the treatment of choice for PTSD, but with the exception of fluvoxamine, they are often ineffective or only partially effective for sleep problems. Sedative-hypnotics may be helpful in the short term but are associated with tolerance and addiction potential. In the central nervous system, alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors are known to be important in both the startle and sleep responses. Stimulation of these receptors may contribute to PTSD-related trauma-content nightmares. Prazosin, a highly lipophilic alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor blocker that is traditionally used to treat hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia, has been shown to decrease the occurrence of trauma nightmares in both combat veterans and patients with non-combat-related PTSD. The available data, although mostly from open-label trials, suggest that this agent also improves sleep quality and patients’ sense of wellbeing and ability to function in daily activities. The optimum dose is unknown; however, a dose-related response appears to be evident. Clinicians should monitor for orthostatic hypotension, usually seen early in therapy, when prazosin is started in patients with PTSD.

PMID: 18447662 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Read more →]