naturopathydigest.com -- Critical Research

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Critical Research

Critical Research is a regular feature in Naturopathy Digest. Each month, we provide abstracts from studies published in the top peer-reviewed journals; each abstract includes the complete citation and an online link to the journal. Whenever possible, this link directs you to a page where you can order the full text of the study, if desired.

This Month's Featured Abstract

Patterns and correlates of physical activity and nutrition behaviors in adolescents.

Alvaro Sanchez PhD, Gregory J. Norman PhD, James F. Sallis PhD, et al.

Background: Knowledge of the prevalence, clustering, and correlates of multiple adolescent health behaviors can inform the design of health promotion interventions.
Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to assess 878 adolescents aged 11 to 15 years (53.6% girls, 58% non-Hispanic white) recruited in primary care clinics in 2001-2002. Adolescent physical activity (assessed with accelerometers), television viewing time (reported), percent calories from fat, and servings of fruits and vegetables (assessed with multiple 24-hour recalls) were dichotomized into meeting or not meeting national guidelines. Parent health behaviors were assessed with self-reported measures. Analyses were conducted in 2006.
Results: Fifty-five percent of adolescents did not meet the physical activity guideline, and 30% exceeded 2 hours daily of television viewing time, with boys more active and less sedentary than girls (p <0.01). The majority of the adolescents did not meet dietary guidelines. Nearly 80% had multiple risk behaviors and only 2% met all four guidelines. The number of risk behaviors was associated with being older and being at risk for overweight or being overweight, for boys and girls (p <0.05). Two parent health behaviors-history of smoking and failure to meet the fruits and vegetables guideline-were significantly associated with a higher number of risk behaviors for girls (p <0.05).
Conclusions: Eight of 10 adolescents in this sample failed to meet guidelines for two or more diet, physical activity, and sedentary risk behaviors. Some parent health behaviors, along with the adolescent’s weight status and age, were associated with a higher number of adolescent health risk behaviors.
Source: Am J Prev Med. Feb. 2007;32(2):124-30.

Moderate-intensity exercise reduces the incidence of colds among postmenopausal women.

Jessica Chubak, MBHL, Anne McTiernan, MD, et al.

Purpose: Our aim was to assess the effect of a moderate-intensity, year-long exercise program on the risk of colds and other upper respiratory tract infections in postmenopausal women.
Subjects: A total of 115 overweight and obese, sedentary, postmenopausal women in the Seattle area participated.
Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the moderate-intensity exercise group or the control group. The intervention consisted of 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days per week for 12 months. Control participants attended once-weekly, 45-minute stretching sessions. Questionnaires asking about upper respiratory tract infections in the previous 3 months were administered quarterly during the course of the year-long trial. Poisson regression was used to estimate the effect of exercise on colds and other upper respiratory tract infections.
Results: Over 12 months, the risk of colds decreased in exercisers relative to stretchers (P = .02): In the final 3 months of the study, the risk of colds in stretchers was more than threefold that of exercisers (P = .03). Risk of upper respiratory tract infections overall did not differ (P = .16), yet may have been biased by differential proportions of influenza vaccinations in the intervention and control groups.
Conclusions: This study suggests that 1-year of moderate-intensity exercise training can reduce the incidence of colds among postmenopausal women. These findings are of public health relevance and add a new facet to the growing literature on the health benefits of moderate exercise.
Source: Am J Med. Nov. 2006;119(11):937-42.

Suppression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 viral load with selenium supplementation: a randomized controlled trial.

Barry E. Hurwitz, PhD, Johanna R. Klaus, PhD, Maria M. Llabre, PhD, et al.

Background: Despite findings that selenium supplementation may improve immune functioning, definitive evidence of its impact on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease severity is lacking.
Methods: High selenium yeast supplementation (200 mug/d) was evaluated in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Intention-to-treat analyses assessed the effect on HIV-1 viral load and CD4 count after 9 months of treatment. Unless otherwise indicated, values are presented as mean +/- SD.
Results: Of the 450 HIV-1-seropositive men and women who underwent screening, 262 initiated treatment and 174 completed the 9-month follow-up assessment. Mean adherence to study treatment was good (73.0% +/- 24.7%) with no related adverse events. The intention-to-treat analyses indicated that the mean change (Delta) in serum selenium concentration increased significantly in the selenium-treated group and not the placebo-treated group (Delta = 32.2 +/- 24.5 vs 0.5 +/- 8.8 microg/L; P<.001), and greater levels predicted decreased HIV-1 viral load (P<.02), which predicted increased CD4 count (P<.04). Findings remained significant after covarying age, sex, ethnicity, income, education, current and past cocaine and other drug use, HIV symptom classification, antiretroviral medication regimen and adherence, time since HIV diagnosis, and hepatitis C virus coinfection. Follow-up analyses evaluating treatment effectiveness indicated that the nonresponding selenium-treated subjects whose serum selenium change was less than or equal to 26.1 microg/L displayed poor treatment adherence (56.8% +/- 29.8%), HIV-1 viral load elevation (Delta = +0.29 +/- 1.1 log(10) units), and decreased CD4 count (Delta = -25.8 +/- 147.4 cells/microL). In contrast, selenium-treated subjects whose serum selenium increase was greater than 26.1 microg/L evidenced excellent treatment adherence (86.2% +/- 13.0%), no change in HIV-1 viral load (Delta = -0.04 +/- 0.7 log(10) units), and an increase in CD4 count (Delta = +27.9 +/- 150.2 cells/microL).
Conclusions: Daily selenium supplementation can suppress the progression of HIV-1 viral burden and provide indirect improvement of CD4 count. The results support the use of selenium as a simple, inexpensive, and safe adjunct therapy in HIV spectrum disease.
Source: Arch Intern Med. Jan 22, 2007;167(2):148-54.

Effect of lifestyle intervention on metabolic coronary heart disease risk factors in obese older adults.

Dennis T Villareal, Bernard V Miller, III, Marian Banks, Luigi Fontana, David R Sinacore and Samuel Klein

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors increase with age and body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2). However, whether lifestyle intervention ameliorates metabolic CHD risk factors in obese older adults is unknown.
Objective: The objective was to determine whether lifestyle intervention improves metabolic CHD risk factors in obese older adults.
Design: A 6-month outpatient randomized controlled trial was conducted in obese (BMI 30) older (65 y) adults randomly assigned to diet and exercise therapy (treatment group; n = 17) or no therapy (control group; n = 10). The main outcomes were CHD risk factors.
Results: Body weight decreased by 8.4% (8.2 kg) in the treatment group; weight did not change significantly (0.7 kg) in the control group (P < 0.001 between groups). Changes between the control and treatment groups, respectively, in waist circumference (1 and –10 cm), plasma glucose (4 and –4 mg/dL), serum triacylglycerols (0 and –45 mg/dL), and systolic (–2 and –10 mm Hg) and diastolic (0 and –8 mm Hg) blood pressure were different (P < 0.05 for all). The number of subjects with the metabolic syndrome decreased by 59% in the treatment group but did not change significantly in the control group (P < 0.05). Serum free fatty acids increased by 10 µmol/L in the control group and decreased by 99 µmol/L in the treatment group (P < 0.05). Changes between the control and treatment groups, respectively, in C-reactive protein (0.8 and –2.5 mg/L) and interleukin 6 (1.6 and –2.4 pg/mL) were different (P < 0.05 for both).
Conclusions: Lifestyle intervention decreases multiple metabolic CHD risk factors simultaneously in obese older adults.
Source: Am J Clin Nutr. Dec. 2006;84(6):1317-23.

Lactobacillus reuteri (American type culture collection strain 55730) versus simethicone in the treatment of infantile colic: a prospective randomized study.

Francesco Savino, MD, Emanuela Pelle, MD, Elisabetta Palumeri, MD, Roberto Oggero, MD, Roberto Miniero, MD

Objective: The goal was to test the hypothesis that oral administration of Lactobacillus reuteri in a prospective randomized study would improve symptoms of infantile colic.
Methods: Ninety breastfed colicky infants were assigned randomly to receive either the probiotic L reuteri (108 live bacteria per day) or simethicone (60 mg/day) each day for 28 days. The mothers avoided cow’s milk in their diet. Parents monitored daily crying times and adverse effects by using a questionnaire.
Results: Eighty-three infants completed the trial: 41 in the probiotic group and 42 in the simethicone group. The infants were similar regarding gestational age, birth weight, gender, and crying time at baseline. Daily median crying times in the probiotic and simethicone groups were 159 minutes/day and 177 minutes/day, respectively, on the seventh day and 51 minutes/day and 145 minutes/day on the 28^th day. On day 28, 39 patients (95%) were responders in the probiotic group and 3 patients (7%) were responders in the simethicone group. No adverse effects were reported.
Conclusions: In our cohort, L reuteri improved colicky symptoms in breastfed infants within 1 week of treatment, compared with simethicone, which suggests that probiotics may have a role in the treatment of infantile colic.
Source: Pediatrics. Jan. 2007;119(1):e124-30.

Sunflower therapy for children with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia): a randomised, controlled trial.

Leona Bull

The aim of the study was to determine the clinical and perceived effectiveness of the Sunflower therapy in the treatment of childhood dyslexia. Sunflower therapy includes applied kinesiology, physical manipulation, massage, homeopathy, herbal remedies and neuro-linguistic programming. A multi-centred, randomised controlled trial was undertaken with 70 dyslexic children aged 6-13 years. The research study aimed to test the research hypothesis that dyslexic children “feel better” and “perform better” as a result of treatment by the Sunflower therapy. Children in the treatment group and the control group were assessed using a battery of standardised cognitive, Literacy and self-esteem tests before and after the intervention. Parents of children in the treatment group gave feedback on their experience of the Sunflower therapy. Test scores were compared using the Mann Whitney, and Wilcoxon statistical tests. While both groups of children improved in some of their test scores over time, there were no statistically significant improvements in cognitive or Literacy test performance associated with the treatment. However, there were statistically significant improvements in academic self-esteem, and reading self-esteem, for the treatment group. The majority of parents (57.13%) felt that the Sunflower therapy was effective in the treatment of learning difficulties. Further research is required to verify these findings, and should include a control group receiving a dummy treatment to exclude placebo effects.
Source: Complement Ther Clin Pract. Feb. 2007;13(1):15-24.