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January
2001
Low-Sodium
DASH Diet Lowers Blood Pressure
The
effect of reducing dietary salt on controlling hypertension, or high
blood pressure, has been surprisingly controversial. But in a recent
study, a collaboration of scientists, including researchers from Harvard
Medical School and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of
the National Institutes of Health, suggest that reducing salt intake
may dramatically lower blood pressure in people with or without hypertension,
regardless of age, race, or gender.
The trial, known as the Low-Sodium DASH Diet study, tested the effects
on blood pressure of lower levels of sodium intake combined with
the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which is
low in fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat
dairy products. More than 400 subjects were assigned either a typical
American diet or the DASH diet for 12 weeks. The salt content of
every participant's diet was randomly changed every four weeks to
one of three sodium levels: high (3,300 mg), intermediate (2,400
mg), or low (1,500 mg).
The researchers found that with either diet, the lower the salt intake,
the lower the blood pressure. But at each sodium level, blood pressure
was consistently lower for those on the DASH diet. Moreover, the
largest reductions in blood pressure were found among those who followed
the DASH diet while consuming 1,500 mg of salt per day, well below
the government's recommended daily intake of 2,400 mg, or 1 1/4 teaspoons.
This combination worked best for all participants, but particularly
for patients with hypertension, whose systolic blood pressure was
11.5 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) lower than hypertensive participants
on the control diet with a high sodium level. The beneficial effect
of a lower sodium diet was also more pronounced in women than men
and in blacks than people of other races.
Controlling blood pressure reduces the risk of developing complications
associated with hypertension, which include heart disease and stroke.
New dietary guidelines from the American Heart Association recommend
that everyone adopt an eating plan similar to the DASH diet and limit
their sodium intake to less than 2,400 mg per day. Other things you
can do to keep blood pressure in check include maintaining a healthy
body weight, cutting down on dietary fat, and staying active.
January 2001 Update
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Products
Containing Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Pulled From Shelves
Responding to concerns that phenylpropanolamine (PPA), an ingredient
found in many over-the-counter medications, may increase risk of hemorrhagic
stroke (see the Family Health Guide online update on phenylpropanolamine),
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked manufacturers to remove
drugs containing PPA from the market. The following list may not be complete
and does not include drug store and supermarket brands, so please check
the label or ask your pharmacist. You should also discard any items in
your medicine cabinet that contain PPA.
Drugs Pulled From the Market:
Acutrim Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant Plus Dietary Supplements
Acutrim Maximum Strength Appetite Control
Alka-Seltzer Plus Children's Cold Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine (cherry or orange flavor)
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine Original
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Flu Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Sinus Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Time Cold Medicine Effervescent
BC Allergy Sinus Cold Powder
BC Sinus Cold Powder
Comtrex Deep Chest Cold & Congestion Relief
Comtrex Flu Therapy & Fever Relief Day & Night
Contac 12 Hour Cold Capsules
Contac 12 Hour Cold Caplets
Coricidin D Cold, Flu & Sinus
Dexatrim Caffeine Free
Dexatrim Extended Duration
Dexatrim Gelcaps, Dexatrim Vitamin C / Caffeine Free
Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Chewable Tablets
Dimetapp Cold & Cough Liqui-Gels
Dimetapp DM Cold & Cough Elixir
Dimetapp Elixir
Dimetapp 4-Hour Liqui-Gels
Dimetapp 4-Hour Tablets
Dimetapp 12-Hour Extentabs Tablets
Naldecon DX Pediatric Drops
Permathene Mega-16
Robitussin CF
Tavist-D 12 Hour Relief of Sinus & Nasal Congestion
Triaminic DM Cough Relief
Triaminic Expectorant Chest & Head Congestion
Triaminic Syrup Cold & Allergy
Triaminic Triaminicol Cold & Cough
January 2001 Update
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Zinc
Lozenges Have No Beneficial Effect on the Common Cold
Over the past few
years, more and more people have begun to reach for zinc lozenges at
the first sign of a cold. But a study published in the journal Clinical
Infectious Diseases suggests that there is little scientific evidence
of zinc's effectiveness to support the treatment's popularity.
In a study funded by Warner Lambert Consumer Healthcare, a company
that manufactures zinc lozenges, researchers conducted two clinical
trials to test zinc's efficacy. One trial involved 273 people who
were exposed to a specific cold virus, called rhinovirus, to induce
a cold. The other trial involved 281 subjects with natural colds.
Both groups were broken up into four subgroups that received one
of the following treatments: 13.3 milligrams (mg) of zinc gluconate,
11.5 mg of zinc acetate, 5 mg of zinc acetate, or a placebo. Zinc
gluconate and zinc acetate are different formulations of zinc; zinc
gluconate is more commonly found in lozenges. Treatment was started
within a day of the onset of cold symptoms and continued every 2-3
hours (up to 6 lozenges per day) until the cold symptoms disappeared,
or up to 14 days.
The researchers measured the effects of the treatments on both the
duration and severity of the colds. Patients self-scored the severity
of seven cold symptoms: sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction,
sore throat, cough, headache, and hoarseness.
At the end of the study, researchers found that zinc gluconate had
a small but significant effect on the duration of induced cold symptoms.
People who had taken zinc gluconate had cold symptoms for about 2.5
days as opposed to 3.25 for high-dose zinc acetate and 3.5 days for
low-dose zinc acetate and placebo. None of the treatments, including
zinc gluconate, reduced the severity of cold symptoms for the first
three days of the cold. And none of the zinc preparations or placebo
had a significant effect on the duration or severity of symptoms
in people with natural colds.
Overall, the study suggests that zinc lozenges have little, if any,
beneficial effect on the treatment of the common cold.
January 2001 update
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