Chocolate and Health

A free public service for a better community

Jul 03, 2024

A Good Day To Advocate for Better Healthcare

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Cocoa May Help Lower Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Risk

A new meta-study of random controlled trials examined the effect of consuming cocoa on cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Results

Cocoa use was associated with varying degrees of improvement in total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose. All of these are risk factors for heart or cardiovascular disease.

The researchers also found that cocoa consumption showed no effects on body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, triglycerides, “good” HDL cholesterol, and HbA1c, an important biomarker of diabetes.

Details

The meta-study analyzed 31 randomized, controlled trials that tracked the above risk factors. The trials that qualified for analysis involved a combined 1,986 participants. Together, the intervention group included 1,110 participants who consumed either cocoa extract or dark chocolate with a 70% or higher cocoa content for at least four weeks. The control group involved 876 participants who consumed a placebo or white or milk chocolate containing less than 70% cocoa.

Individuals who qualified for the trials were all 18 or older. Of the 31 studies analyzed, four only included older adults, and five included only younger adults.

The majority of the studies involved participants with one or more health conditions, including metabolic syndrome (3), dyslipidemia (4), pre-hypertension or hypertension (2), excess weight (4), type 2 diabetes (7), and insulin resistance (1). The remaining 13 studies included only healthy participants with no known confounding Cardio Vascular Disease risk factors.

The analysis revealed, on average:

an 8.35 mg/dL reduction in overall cholesterol
a 9.47 mg/dL reduction in LDL cholesterol
a 4.91 mg/dL lowering of fasting blood glucose
a 2.52 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure
a 1.58 mmHg lowering of diastolic blood pressure.

The study is published in MDPI.

New Cancer Tests

Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is one of the most common forms of cancer of the immune cells in the bone marrow. It is considered incurable. Even when patients respond to treatment at first, the cancer comes back. To be able to intervene faster and on a more targeted basis, researchers at Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), and the Max Delbrück Center teamed up with other partners for a comprehensive study of this disease at the molecular level. The team now describes how highly aggressive types of tumors can be detected early on in an article published in the journal Nature Cancer. They show how changes in genetic material affect the protein profile of the tumor cells, and thus the mechanisms involved in the disease. (Science Daily)

Liquid Biopsy

Oncologists use biopsy and imaging techniques to diagnose and monitor tumor diseases and assess treatment success. Researchers have further developed an advanced method to analyze liquid biopsies of DNA fragments in the blood. The new method is fast and practical, without putting much of a strain on patients. This could make it possible to provide diagnostics and treatments that are more closely tailored to individual patients in the future.

The new method for analyzing liquid biopsies can help oncologists to more accurately determine tumor activity and spread. This will enable them to develop therapies that are tailored to individual patients.

In the lab, the researchers analyzed gene fragments circulating in the blood for changes in the DNA that are characteristic to a specific type of cancer. The method analyzed alterations in the number and length distribution of the fragments. The liquid biopsy technique enabled them to discriminate between biologically less and more aggressive metastatic cancer disease. (University of Zurich)

COVID Recommendations from the CDC

As cases of COVID-19 are on the rise and with a new variant of the disease emerging this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending updated vaccines ahead of the fall and winter virus season. "Make a plan now for you and your family to get both updated flu and COVID vaccines this fall, ahead of the respiratory virus season," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said.

COVID Vaccine Dis Information SET RIGHT

Maternal COVID-19 vaccination in the first trimester of pregnancy is not linked to major structural birth defects, according to a study yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics. The study was based on outcomes seen among women who received one or two mRNA COVID-19 vaccine doses in the first trimester of pregnancy and gave birth from March 5, 2021, to January 25, 2022, at eight US study sites.

Junk Patents Under Attack

The FTC opened an investigation into Teva Pharmaceutical, saying the company refuses to take down bogus patents for its inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Inhalers that cost less than $10 in Europe are sold for hundreds of dollars here.

While certain other drugmakers have relented in the face of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) assault on “junk” patents in the FDA’s Orange Book, Teva has largely stood its ground.

Now, as the situation escalates, the FTC has launched an investigation into the Israeli-American drug giant over Teva’s refusal to remove roughly two dozen patents for its asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) inhalers, The Washington Post first reported, citing confidential agency documents.

The FTC’s initial patent challenge came in November, targeting more than 100 Orange Book patents for drugs marketed by the likes of Teva, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and GSK. In all, the commission sent letters to 10 companies flagging patent disputes.

Then, in May, the FTC targeted another tranche of 300-plus patent listings by eight pharma firms, once again including AZ, BI, GSK and Teva. (Fierce Pharma)

The upshot is that this administration is not letting drug makers get away with insignificant modifications to drugs or delivery systems that they have used for years to garner illegitimate profits from patients pockets.

ACTION

Let’s send a thank you note to the FTC for their diligence in protecting all of us. Here is their phone number (202) 326-2222 and email antitrust@ftc.gov

Or click this link to send the email below. Remember to replace [name], and [city,state] with your name and location.

“I want to take a moment and thank the FTC for pursuing drug makers that file junk patents to keep medications from becoming generics. They are reaping millions in ill-gotten gains from our pockets. Again, thank you for looking after the interests of patients.

[name]

[city, state]”

Resources

Find My Elected Officials

Contact State and Federal Representatives - phone and email

https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Healthcare Advocacy (Us) Website

Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare - Healthcare Advocacy Reading List

Important Healthcare Resources

League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit

Organizations to Contact

National Nurses United Medicare4All

Physicians for a National Health Program

One Payer States

Healthcare Now

Reproductive Health

NARAL - Pro Choice America

Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion

Planned Parenthood

Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.

United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.

Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.