"The effect of secondhand smoke exposure on the association between active cigarette smoking and colorectal cancer."

Peppone LJ, Reid ME, Moysich KB, Morrow GR, Jean-Pierre P, Mohile SG, Darling TV, Hyland A.
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center

Introduction

A 2010 article studies how second-hand smoke (SHS) from active cigarette smoking impacts colorectal cancer. Past studies have failed to find a link between smoking and colorectal cancer. Therefore, this study is significant because researchers determine an association between SHS and colorectal cancer, finding that long-term cigarette smoking is linked with increased colorectal cancer risk in males, but not in females. Although other studies may report an increased risk in individuals with long-term smoking exposure, not all support an association between smoking and colorectal cancer.

Methods

Subjects included 1,203 males and females, from 40 to 88 years of age. All subjects were patients with colorectal cancer, at Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1982 and 1998. The control group included 2,406 individuals free of any neoplasm ranging in age from 40 to 86. SHS exposure was determined by comparing the odds ratios for each smoking variable in the sample and for those who said they had no SHS exposure (Peppone et al., 2010).

Results

Please click the following graphs for a clearer view.

Table 1 displays sociodemographic, lifestyle, and dietary variables of the controls. Cases and controls are alike in age, gender, education, income, alcohol consumption, fruit consumption, and vegetable consumption. Conversely, they are much more likely to have a higher BMI, live outside Western New York (WNY), be non-Caucasian, have a relative previously diagnosed with CRC, consume less cruciferous vegetables, consume more meat, and take less aspirin (Peppone et al., 2010).

Interestingly, Table 2 shows odds ratios which illustrate that there was no increase in colorectal cancer odds for females with the highest exposures of SHS.

Table 3 shows odds ratios which illustrate an increase in colorectal cancer odds for males who smoked more than 1 pack a day, smoked 46 or more pack-years, and smoked 20 or more pack-years before the age of 30. Colorectal cancer odds are more than doubled when compared to non-smokers with no secondhand smoke exposure. But the significant increase in colorectal cancer odds was noted for heavy, long-term smoking males when not accounting for SHS exposure (Peppone et al., 2010).

Discussion

The results show no increased risk of colorectal cancer in non-smoking females with exposure to seven or more hours a day of SHS. However, there seems to be a 58% increased risk in odds for non-smoking males exposed to seven or more hours of SHS everyday (Peppone et al., 2010). This may be because there were less females in the study, with a heavy smoking history. Limitations of this study include dishonesty in the questionnaires about SHS exposure. However, SHS exposure was assessed solely for the current frame in time, and not throughout adulthood (Peppone et al., 2010). Therefore, assessments may underestimate SHS exposure. Overall, further research will determine a direct association between SHS and colorectal cancer risk.

Conclusion

In this study, SHS exposure leads to an increased risk of colorectal cancer for all smoking variables. This is significant because this study proves that future studies must account for SHS exposure when determining a link between smoking and colorectal cancer.




References


Peppone L.J., Reid, M.E., Moysich, K.B., Morrow, G.R., Jean-Pierre, P., Mohile, S.G., Darling, T.V., Hyland, A. (2010). The effect of secondhand smoke exposure on the association between active cigarette smoking and colorectal cancer. Cancer Causes and Control, 21(8), 1247-1255.

How Fitness Relates to the Prevention of Chronic Diseases

Don’t they look so happy together? Wouldn’t you want to be able to bike with your significant other at their age? Well, you’ll be happy to know that physical activity promotes a longer life! In fact, inactivity increases all causes of mortality around the world. 

Physical activity is an important topic in Contemporary Health that relates well to chronic diseases. The ability to respond to regular physical demands with enough reserve energy to cope with sudden challenge, sums up physical fitness (Hales & Lauzon, 2009). Active living protects against many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

For example, cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues on as the first and foremost cause of premature death in Canada. Regularly active people are two times as likely to avoid CVD (Hales & Lauzon, 2009) – which means that something as simple as daily brisk walking for an hour, can greatly reduce the risk of CVD! Activity keeps the blood flowing, making blood clots less likely, thereby reducing chances of strokes or heart attacks (Harvard University, 2002). Other benefits include stronger heart muscles, effective blood pumping, lower hypertension, decreased heart rate, and increased high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

Studies have also shown that physical activity reduces the risk of colon cancer by 50% (Lee, Paffenberger, & Hseih, 1991). This is an astounding finding! Furthermore, physically fit men reduce risks of prostate and colon cancer, while fit women reduce risks of breast cancer. For postmenopausal women, more exercise lowers blood levels of estrogen (Women’s Health Weekly, 2002). Exercise has also been proven to lower risk of endometrial cancers.

In addition, as people age, their bones become denser. Peak bone mass is around 30 years of age. Weak bones are more common for those who don’t exercise (Hales & Lauzon, 2009). When bones lose mineral density, they become more prone to injury. Women especially, have less dense bones to begin with, and bone loss increases after menopause.

 Another chronic disease whose risk increases as people age, is diabetes. About one in 18 Canadians has been diagnosed with diabetes (Hales & Lauzon, 2009). Physical activity improves insulin sensitivity and reduces weight, thereby lowering the risk of diabetes.


As you can see, there are numerous benefits to regular physical activity – many of which can help in preventing chronic diseases. Most people exercise to look good for others, but health can be another great incentive to go for a run on the treadmill, or enjoy a sunny day outside cycling. As with many things (such as learning languages), starting young will provide much more benefit than starting later. Exercise today, keep your body fit, and you’ll be rewarded a long, healthy life!







References

Exercise lowers levels of blood estrogen. (2002, August 8). Women’s Health Weekly, 10.

Hales, D., & Lauzon, L. (2009). An Invitation to Health. Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd.

Harvard University. (2002). Heart beat – Activity keeps the blood flowing. Harvard Heart Letter, 12(11).

Lee, I.-M., Paffenberger, R.S. Jr., & Hseih, C.-C. (1991). Physical activity and risk of developing colorectal cancer 
          among college alumni. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 83, 1324-29.

Stem Cell Controversy

Stem cell research has expanded infinitely since its benefits were first discovered in the 1960’s. Now, stem cells can be used to treat many chronic diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, and schizophrenia. These special cells can develop into different types of cells in the body, and also repair tissues by almost limitless dividing to replenish other cells. After dividing, the cells can either become specialized, such as be a muscle cell, or a red blood cell, or stay as a stem cell. Because of a stem cell’s regenerative abilities, it is extremely useful in chronic disease treatment.

Presently, there are three types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are able to transform into any type of body cell because they are pluripotent. Adult stem cells are more limited – they can only divide into the same cells from their original tissue. Induced pluripotent stem cells are genetically reprogrammed adult cells that function like an embryonic stem cell (National Institute of Health, 2011).

As you can see, stem cells offer an amazing potential for treatments of many diseases.  Not to mention, the regenerative medicine and cloning sectors can benefit from stem cell research. Researchers can learn more about the development and growth of human cells. Furthermore, with stem cells, scientists will not have to experiment on animals and humans any longer. Drugs can be tested directly on a cell population. Regarding stem cell therapy, researchers are able to study the developmental stages of a human embryo, which will lead to a better treatment for abnormal development in pregnancies. In addition, stem cell therapy lowers the rejection risk of adult cells because they come from the same human body (Health Guidance, 2011). Thus, stem cell therapy has the potential to be more beneficial than other types of treatments.

Adult stem cells have the disadvantage that they can only divide into cells of the same type. Therefore, embryonic stem cells are much more valuable beneficially. The controversy surrounding stem cell research focuses on embryonic stem cells. From using stem cells for research, blastocytes from the laboratory-fertilized human eggs are destroyed. This brings up the ethical debate of what a human is, and when human life exactly begins. Some people believe that human life begins at the exact moment when the sperm fuses with the egg (becoming a zygote). Thus, to these people, embryonic stem cell research and use is morally and ethically wrong. On the other hand, because there is so much still that needs to be explored in the area of stem cell research, there may also be unknown long-term side effects due to stem cell therapy (Health Guidance, 2011). So what do you think? Which side of this controversy do you agree or disagree with?

One thing’s for sure – before using stem cells as regular treatment for chronic diseases, scientists have a lot of work ahead of them!






References
"What Are the Similarities and Differences between Embryonic and Adult Stem Cells? [Stem Cell Information]." NIH Stem Cell Information Home Page. National Institute of Health, 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 27 June 2011. <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics5.asp>.

Ladock, Jason. "Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Therapy." Health Guidance.com. Health Guidance. Web. 27 June 2011. <http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/12366/1/Pros-and-Cons-of-Stem-Cell-Therapy.html>.

Diabetes

Yearly deaths from diabetes total more than breast cancer and AIDS combined. The facts about diabetes are widely available everywhere, and yet there are still numerous websites that encourage myths. In this blog post, I will pick apart one such site, and lead you to reliable websites that give trustworthy information about diabetes.

Take a look at the following website:  http://30daydiabetescure.com/

The first indication that this is an unreliable site, is the advertisement that pops up asking you to purchase a book.

 
The following is a list of other factors:

1.    “Dr. Ripich” is not a medical doctor.

Stated clearly on the “About Dr. Ripich” tab, he is a nurse practitioner. Compared to a doctor’s many years of training, a nurse practitioner only has 24 months (Gupta, 2002). How can a registered nurse’s knowledge of health compete with that of a doctor’s? If nurses and doctors were exchangeable, “we would have stopped using doctors in primary care years ago; doctors would only be in specialty fields” (Gupta, 2002).

2.    He does not take any responsibility for his patients and even admits that the information he provides on his site is not a substitute for professional advice. The disclaimer at the very bottom of his site says:

“The information on this site is intended solely for general educational purposes, and it is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before making changes to your medication program, diet, or exercise regimen. Reliance on any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.”

3.    The evidence provided is all anecdotal. There are numerous videos that Dr. Ripich posted of his patients giving testimony to the wondrous results they gained from Dr. Ripich’s methods. Here is a screen-shot of one:

Plus, you get $20 back if you agree to a testimony, so there’s no way to tell if the testimonies are true or something book-buyers were forced to say.

4.    A potential bias is that Dr. Ripich is selling his book for $49.95. As incentives, he offers eight free gifts for purchasing his book online. If you take a look at the Page Source of this website, you will see that he uses “marketing.yahoo.com” and “moonraymarketing.com.” These sites are clearly centered on marketing, and further prove the notion that Dr. Ripich’s priority is to sell his book. Here is a picture of the book that details his “ingenious 30-day plan.”

5.    Dr. Ripich claims that the drug industry will “lose billions of dollars in profits if the truth gets out” – the truth being his “natural cure” for diabetes. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that there is a great economical impact on society caused by diabetes. For example, “in the period 2006-2015, China will lose $558 billion in foregone national income due to heart disease, stroke and diabetes alone” (2011).

6.    Dr. Ripich offers “Diabetes Healing Superfoods that you’ll discover on Day 10 of The 30-Day Diabetes Cure.” However, the American Diabetes Association says that “diabetic and ‘dietetic’ foods generally offer no special benefit.” They still raise blood glucose levels, even though they are more expensive. If these “Superfoods” have sugar alcohols, they can also have a “laxative effect” (American Diabetes Association, 2011).

Dr. Rip, as his "patients" affectionately call him? More like Dr. Rip-off!




References
American Diabetes Association. (2011). Diabetes Myths. Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-myths/

Gupta, Rahul. (2002). Nurse practitioners increase access to quality health care for many patients. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1123683/

World Health Organization. (2011). Diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/index.html

Born This Way

My name is Jamie and I've started this blog to promote awareness of various chronic diseases in the world. For example, has anyone heard of Xeroderma Pigmentosum (more commonly shortened to XP)? To be completely honest, I had never heard of XP until I saw a character on a TV show that was diagnosed with the disease. I'm a little ashamed that that's the way I learned about the disease, but I'm glad I know about it now. Knowledge of XP is important because if you can recognize the signs early on, you'll be able to prolong the life of its victims. Although it is a rare disease, parents above all should be aware of its symptoms so that they can catch early symptoms. Through future blog posts, I expect to learn the details, controversies, and myths of many chronic diseases. I hope that this blog reaches out to everyone - those who have never heard of such diseases, those who want to learn more about them, and especially those who are familiar with them. Please teach, and guide me on this journey as I delve deeper into this topic.

Let's start with a brief introduction of one chronic disease - what is XP? Xeroderma Pigmentosum is a very rare hereditary disease that causes one to be extremely vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation. Signs of XP are:

•  Early freckling
• Sever burns after a short time in the sun, sometimes even in the shade
• Photosensitive eyes (could lead to blindness)

As I have learned in my Kinesiology classes at university, prevention is always preferable to treatment. However, hereditary diseases are impossible to prevent, and sometimes incurable. Therefore, the best one can do is to catch symptoms of XP early on, and avoid exposure to sunlight. That's the main message that I want to put out there. All we can do is increase out knowledge bank of diseases and recognize symptoms when we see them. Life is short, and I want to add that everyone should slow down and enjoy life while it lasts. Don't stress yourself out too much - relax and have fun. Here's a cute photo I found:

On a lighter note, is anyone reminded of something that has recently been brought back to fame by pop culture? (Hint: Avoiding the sun) Yes, that's right - vampires. A mythical, supernatural being that has been recently transformed into sexy, irresistible creatures of the night. Before, they would prey on innocent humans, but now, human innocence intrigues them. And even in some tween teen novels, vampires sparkle in the sunlight! (cough-Twilight-cough) But going back to our topic, I just thought that learning about XP in an era of terrifying romantic vampires, would be interesting.

So that's it for my first blog post! Thanks for reading, and I'll make my next post in a couple weeks.