Newsbriefs: Mediterranean Diet; Olanzapine; Women and Afib
Following Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Risk of Certain Diseases
The incidence of cardiovascular events, cancer, and type 2 diabetes may be reduced in people who follow a Mediterranean diet, according to results of a review and meta-analysis of 90 articles representing 56 studies. The Mediterranean diet was defined as including two or more of seven components: high monounsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio, high fruit and vegetable intake, high legume intake, high grain and cereal consumption, moderate red wine consumption, moderate dairy consumption, and low meat/high fish intake. Researchers noted that the obesity epidemic in the U.S. is probably due more to increased con-sumption of refined grains and added sugar than from fat consumption. (July 18, 2016, Annals of Internal Medicine.)
Olanzapine Helps Prevent Nausea, Vomiting in Chemotherapy Patients
A drug that is FDA-approved as an antipsychotic agent, olanzapine (Zyprexa), has been found to help prevent nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy to treat cancer. The drug blocks neurotransmitters involved with nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. Researchers found that 74 percent of study participants given olanzapine along with their chemotherapy experienced no nausea or vomiting within the first day after treatment. The effect extended out five days after chemotherapy for many patients. In patients given placebo, only 45 percent experienced relief. Nausea and vomiting are a major problem that affect patients’ quality of life, said Steven Powell, MD, a cancer researcher and co-author of the study. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, July 14, 2016.
Women and Afib: Higher Stroke Risk, Undertreatment Likely
For patients with atrial fibrillation (Afib), stroke risk is a major concern. But women who have Afib are 23 percent more likely than men to be hospitalized for stroke, according to findings presented at the European Heart Rhythm Association of the European Society of Cardiology and Cardiostim annual meeting in June 2016. Other research suggests that women are less likely to receive anticoagulation therapy than men, leaving them more vulnerable to stroke. One theory suggests that doctors believe women are healthier than men and at lower risk of stroke. As a result, being female is a common predictor of stroke risk. While 60 percent of men who need anticoagulant medications receive it, only 30 percent of women do (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, May 2016). However, the study found that the stroke risk gap between women and men has narrowed in the last 20 years, and new medications offering alternatives to warfarin, which do not require regular blood tests, are expected to equalize treatment.
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