Month: September 2011

Diet

The Deadly Link Between High Dietary Salt Intake and Obesity

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New research indicates abnormal activation of a protein may explain the deadly combination of salt intake and obesity.

Dietary salt intake and obesity are two important risk factors in the development of high blood pressure. Each packs its own punch, but when combined, they deliver more damage to the heart and kidneys than the sum of their individual contributions. Discovering the molecular mechanisms behind this lethal synergy has presented a challenge to scientists, but research led by Toshiro Fujita, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine and chief of the Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology at the University of Tokyo, suggests that high dietary salt intake and obesity work together to trigger an abnormal activation of a cellular protein called Rac1.

According to Dr. Fujita, the team’s findings carry important implications for the treatment of hypertension. “Our data indicate that the Rac1-mediated pathway in the kidneys can be an alternative therapeutic target for salt-sensitive hypertension and salt-mediated kidney injury,” he said. “Based upon our results, we can speculate that Rac1 in the kidneys regulates salt susceptibility of blood pressure, and that Rac1 inhibitors, as well as MR antagonists, may be effective in the treatment of salt-sensitive hypertension.”

In the meantime though, if you are obese lose the weight and ingest ONLY the appropriate amount of dietary salt.

But, this is good news for patients with persistent high blood pressure and may offer a pathway to mediate the combination effects of dietary salt and obesity.

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Dentistry

Clifton O. Dummett, D.D.S. R.I.P.

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Dr. Clifton O. Dummett

I am very sorry that I missed Dr. Dummett’s passing a few days ago.

Clifton O. Dummett, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, passed away at the age of 92 on September 7, 2011.

Born in Georgetown, British Guyana on May 20, 1919, Dummett studied at Howard and Roosevelt Universities before earning his DDS from Northwestern University in 1941. He went on to earn masters degrees in periodontics and public health from Northwestern and the University of Michigan, respectively.

Before arriving at USC in 1966, Dummett became Dean of the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in 1947 (at age 28, then the youngest dean ever in the U.S.) before working with the Veterans Administration in Tuskegee, Alabama. In 1955, Dummett enlisted in the Air Force, serving for 24 years; upon his retirement in 1979 he had earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded the Certificate of Merit. An unyielding advocate for social justice and equality for all people, it was his resolution in the American Dental Association House of Delegates that led to the lifting of restrictive membership within the organization. He also served the National Dental Association for 22 years as editor in chief and authored the book that recounted the history of the organization.

At the Ostrow School of Dentistry, Dummett taught dental history and led the Community Dentistry department. An internationally acclaimed author and researcher, he wrote hundreds of articles on dental history, public health issues, social and community issues, and more. His perspective on the importance of dentists’ ability to be sensitive to the needs of all people was at first controversial, but was gradually embraced by dental institutions throughout the nation – with USC emerging as a leader in the field of Community Dentistry.

I will never forget Dr. Dummett as he welcomed me and my fellow students at USC Dental School to his Community Dentistry class.

“Good morning, doctors.”

An outstanding Professor of Dentistry, a warm human being and a credit to our profession.

Dr. Dummett, Rest In Peace and thank you for making a difference in all of our lives.

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Dentistry

Poll Watch: Massachusetts and Connecticut Lead America in Dentist Visits

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According to the latest Gallup Poll.

Three in four Massachusetts residents say they visited a dentist in the last 12 months, a higher rate than in any other state in the nation. Those living in Mississippi were least likely to say they go to the dentist, followed by Louisiana and West Virginia residents.

These state-level data, collected as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, are from January through June 2011 and encompass more than 177,000 interviews conducted among national adults, aged 18 and older. Nationwide, an average of 65% of all American adults say they visited a dentist in the last 12 months during this time period, essentially unchanged from past years.

Here is the chart for the most and least dentist visit states:

And, not surprisingly, there is a relationship between having dental insurance and a dentist visit.

Here is the chart:

So, what does this all mean?

There are regional disparities in visiting the dentist. Any programs designed for dental health education will need to be tailored with these regional and perhaps cultural differences in mind.

Poor oral care can lead to many potential negative health outcomes. When combined with other risk factors, poor oral health can be linked to heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes, among others. Maternal periodontal disease, too, has been linked to preterm births.

The range in good oral health behaviors across the 50 states is considerable and may be indicative of several factors, including household income. Having health insurance coverage — which is related to income — also appears to be a critical factor in dental visits. However, it should be noted that the Well-Being Index only confirms whether a respondent has health insurance, not dental insurance. Based on the Well-Being Index data, a 10-percentage-point increase in the percentage of Americans with health insurance could mean as much as a 6-point increase in the percentage who visit the dentist each year, with a potentially considerable positive effect on many of the negative health outcomes associated with poor oral health.

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Health

CDC: Successful Anti-Smoking Efforts Resulting in Less Lung Cancer?

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Former smoker Debie Austin warns viewers about the dangers of smoking.

Yes, according to a new report.

New diagnoses of lung cancer fell from 2006 to 2008 among Americans of both sexes — the first time in decades that the incidence in women has declined, and probably because of successful anti-smoking efforts, the CDC reported.

Nationwide, the reductions in incidence amounted to 2.2% among women from 2006 to 2008 and 2.9% among men from 2005 to 2008, according to data from two CDC registries appearing Thursday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Accompanying and probably explaining these trends were declines in smoking prevalence and increases in so-called quit ratios, seen in responses to the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, the report indicated.

Quit ratios are the number of “former smokers” (those responding that they did not currently smoke but had previously smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetimes) divided by the total of current and former smokers.

States with higher quit ratios — which the authors suggested were the result of media campaigns, tobacco tax hikes, and other anti-smoking programs — had greater decreases in new lung cancer diagnoses (r=-0.55 for men, -0.33 for women, both P<0.001).

During this period of time, some states also regulated where smoking could take place (due to second hand smoke). With smoking no longer being socially acceptable inside a residence or a restaurant, some of the glamor and more of the pain in the ass type of habit meme becomes more common place.

Graphic videos like the one above may have had some effect.

But, whatever, I will accept less lung cancer as a worthy societal goal.

Although the authors offered no systematic data to link these trends with state-level tobacco control efforts, they argued that these were likely responsible, at least in part.

They pointed to California as a state that has “invest[ed] more fully in these programs” and has also seen “decreases in youth and adult smoking prevalence, decreases in lung cancer, and significant healthcare savings.”

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Health

Study: Quitting Smoking Improves Overall Personality

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Cessation of smoking certain will improve your dental health as well.

University of Missouri researchers have found evidence that shows those who quit smoking show improvements in their overall personality.

“The data indicate that for some young adults smoking is impulsive,” said Andrew Littlefield, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Science. “That means that 18-year-olds are acting without a lot of forethought and favor immediate rewards over long term negative consequences. They might say, ‘I know smoking is bad for me, but I’m going to do it anyway.’ However, we find individuals who show the most decreases in impulsivity also are more likely quit smoking. If we can target anti-smoking efforts at that impulsivity, it may help the young people stop smoking.”

In the study, MU researchers compared people, aged 18-35, who smoked with those who had quit smoking. They found that individuals who smoked were higher in two distinct personality traits during young adulthood:

  •     impulsivity — acting without thinking about the consequences
  •     neuroticism — being emotionally negative and anxious, most of the time

Littlefield found that those with higher levels of impulsivity and neuroticism were more likely to engage in detrimental behaviors, such as smoking. However, Littlefield also found that those who quit smoking had the biggest declines in impulsivity and neuroticism from ages 18 to 25.

“Smokers at age 18 had higher impulsivity rates than non-smokers at age 18, and those who quit tended to display the steepest declines in impulsivity between ages 18 and 25,” Littlefield said. “However, as a person ages and continues to smoke, smoking becomes part of a regular behavior pattern and less impulsive. The motives for smoking later in life — habit, craving, loss of control and tolerance — are key elements of smoking dependence and appear to be more independent of personality traits.”

So, how about it?

Do yourself a favor and quit. Physicians and dentists can help you with a smoking cessation program.

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