Asthma-related death
Dead Air
It sounds like something out of "Ripley's Believe It Or Not," but there's a drug out there that may cause death by the very condition it's supposed to treat: asthma.
The FDA recently required drug giant GlaxoSmithKline to add a warning to its asthma drugs Advair and Serevent that the main component of these drugs -- called Salmeterol -- may result in asthma-related death. Even before this latest bit of news, these drugs' labels already contained a black box warning, the strongest warning the FDA requires, usually in only the worst circumstances.
Salmeterol is a long-acting beta-agonist, which means that it widens your airway, and keeps it widened until your next dose -- usually about 12 hours later -- making it easier to breathe.
In a study of 26,355 children and adults with asthma, researchers monitored the difference between patients who took Salmeterol or a placebo. During the study, 13 people taking the Salmeterol died, versus the three that died while taking the placebo.
You see, even though these drugs can help calm and stop asthma attacks, the study revealed that they can make the asthma attacks that do occur substantially worse.
If you really want to be proactive in fighting asthma, there are natural things you can do to prevent attacks, such as avoiding allergy triggers. When your allergies act up, you're more likely to have an asthma attack.
As far as supplements go, one of the best nutrients for fighting asthma is fish oil. The omega-3 fats contained in fish oil have anti-inflammatory effects that can reduce the inflammation in your airway caused by asthma, and prevent the long-term damage to your lungs. I suggest you add at least three capsules of fish oil (about 1 gram total EPA and DHA) to your daily diet.
For more information on treating your allergies, read my article "Snuff out your sniffles," in this month's issue of America's Country Doctor. If you're a subscriber, you can download it for free from my archives by visiting www.AmericasCountryDoctor.com.
Build me up with buttercup
People have always talked about the benefits of black cohosh for relieving menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes. This member of the buttercup family is native to North America, and its popularity has spread around the globe. Now, studies are finding that the benefits of black cohosh are more than just hearsay and wives' tales.
In a recent trial, 304 postmenopausal women were given either a black cohosh formulation or a placebo. Researchers found that the women's responses to black cohosh were about the same as hormone replacement therapy, and they noticed true differences between the groups taking the placebo and the groups taking the black cohosh.
One word of advice: start supplementing with this early on. The research also showed that black cohosh was most effective when it was used in the earliest stages of menopause.
The best studied black cohosh supplement is Remifemin, a German pharmaceutical product that's easy to find in drugstores and on the Internet. My own experience is that -- like most proven drugs and herbal remedies -- black cohosh works for most people, but not everyone. The other thing you should know is that even though it has a long history of safe use, most studies involving black cohosh have last less than six months, so technically we don't know how safe it is for a longer period of time.
Know your kidney disease risk
You've heard me talk about the numerous health risks linked to diabetes and high blood pressure. But one risk that people often fail to recognize is that of kidney disease.
Diabetes and high blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys that filter your blood and remove waste. As a result, waste can build up in your body, often very slowly, so slowly that you may have no idea what's going on. You may find yourself in a hospital bed before you ever know that there's a problem. And if it progresses too far, your only options may be dialysis or a kidney transplant, both of which can be very painful.
The best piece of advice I can give you is to know your risk factors. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, ask your doctor to test you for kidney disease. This disease is best treated early on, and there are medicines that can help keep your kidneys healthy.
One of the most useful tests your doctor can order is a urine analysis for microalbuminuria -- a protein leak in your urine that can be a symptom of early kidney disease. It's best to treat this problem early on. ACE inhibitors can help slow or even reverse the disease's progression.
Also, remember: preventing diseases caused by diabetes and high blood pressure is very much about learning to control these conditions. If you can control them, you can minimize your risk for other problems.
