Cancer, Gout, and Bowel Syndrome - Adventist Review

I have a “nervous” stomach, and get cramps and diarrhea easily. The doctor says it is irritable bowel syndrome. Any comments? ; Subscribe InThisIssue ReviewArchives 2006-1524 2006-1524-14 August22,2006 Cancer,Gout,andBowelSyndrome Weliveinanoldmobilehome.It’sa1970model.LatelyIhavebeenhearingalotaboutasbestos,whichwasusedfreelyinyearsgoneby,beingharmfultopeople.Howcanwetellifthereisasbestosinourhome?Ifthereis,howdowegetridofit?Couldasbestosbethecauseofailmentssuchaslupusanddementia? Asbestosisanexcellentinsulationmaterial.However,ithasbeenfoundtocausemesotheliomas—lungcancersofaspecifickind. Thereareacoupleoftypesofasbestosfiber—onemoreirritativethantheother.Thesefibers,whenpowderedsmallenough,canbeinhaledasdust.Theymaketheirwaytothepleuralsurfaceofthelung,andsetupinflammatoryreactions,whichareforerunnersofcancer. Noteveryonewhohasinhaledasbestosfiberscontractscancer,butsufficientnumbersdoshowitisarealhazard.Thefactisthatifasbestosissittingquietlyinthewallofyourtrailer,itwilldoyounoharm.Thedifficultywouldarisewhenyoubegindrillingtofindit,orstartcuttingthroughit.   Asbestosisprobablybestavoidedthesedays;butifitisbeingremoved,ithastobedoneverycarefully,withthepeopledoingtheworksuitablyprotectedwithmasks,etc.   Asforlupusanddementia—weareunawareofanylinkagesbetweentheseconditionsandasbestosexposure,andsuggestyoudonotworrytoomuchaboutthosetwoconditions.   Ratherthanpokingaroundthewallsofyourtrailer,youcouldcontactthemanufacturer,whowouldbeabletoinformyouregardingtheasbestoscontentofyourhome,ifany. Iwasrecentlyonatrip,anddevelopedaverypainfulbigtoe.Isawadoctor,whodiagnosedgout.HegavemeTylenol,becauseIhaveahistoryofanulcer.ButIwonderifitreallywasgout,becauseIthoughtgoutwasadiseaseofthegluttonous. Goutdoeshaveareputationofbeingrelatedtorichfoods,butmanypersonseatinganormaldietcanalsohaveit.Whenpurinesaremetabolized,uricacidisaproductoftheirbreakdown.PurinesareapartofthemakeupofDNAmolecules,soadietrichinmeatswillproducemoreuricacid.Buturicacidlevelsriseinmostpeoplebecausetheirkidneysarenotclearingitwell.Perhapsyouarenotdrinkingenoughwater.   “Gouty”arthritisiscausedbycrystalsofmonosodiumuratebeingdepositedinthetissuesaroundjointsandsettingupinflammation.Menareabouteighttimesmorelikelythanwomentohavegout.Increasingageisanotherfactor.Anyproblemthatdiminisheskidneyfunctioncouldbringongout.Thus,peoplewithhypertension,diabetes,obesity,orevenhighcholesterolmaybeatrisk.Somemedicationsalsoraiseuricacidlevels;thesecouldbelow-doseaspirin,oreventhiazidediuretics. Theacutephaseofgoutisbesttreatedwithnonsteroidalanti-inflammatorymedicine.Butyourstomachconditionprobablyfrightenedyourdoctor.Treatmentwithadrugcalledcolchicinecanhelp,ifgivenwithinafewhoursoftheonsetofgout.Butcolchicinedoeshavesideeffects.   Somepeopleattemptingtopreventacuteepisodestakeallopurinol,whichhelpsblockuricacidformation.Butallopurinolandprobenecid,anothermedicationusedtoloweruricacidlevels,arenottoleratedtoowellby20percentofpeople.   Anewmedication,febuxostat,hasshowngreatertolerabilityandeffectivenessinloweringuricacidlevelsthanallopurinol.Butlong-termsideeffectsoffebuxostatarenotyetevaluated.Still,ifyouhavegout,keepyourearsopen.Thisnewmedicationmighthelp.   Inthemeantime,drinklotsofwatertohelpflushyoursystem,and—ifyouareameat-eater—whynotgoveggie?Youwillreduceyourpurineintakethatway. Ihavea“nervous”stomach,andgetcrampsanddiarrheaeasily.Thedoctorsaysitisirritablebowelsyndrome.Anycomments? Foryearswehaveknownofthefrequentupsetofgastrointestinalfunctionifstressgetstoohigh.BeforethediscoverythatpepticulcerwasrelatedtoHelicobacterpyloriinfection,(aspecificbacteriathatcausesaninfectioninthestomach),ittoowasthoughttobeastress-relateddisease.Nowweknowtheulcercausedthestress.Withirritablebowelsyndrome,thecauseisnotyetidentifiedwithsuchprecision.Whatisofinterest,though,isanincreasingawarenessofanetworkofnervessupplyingthegut.Itisbecomingapparentthatthisgastrointestinal(GI)nervoussystemmayplayalargeroleincommunicatingbetweenthebrainandthegut.Hunger,satiety,toxinsinthestomach—allsendmessagesfromtheGItracttothebrain.Thisnervoussystem,moreproperlycalledentericnervoussystem(ENS),produceschemicalssuchasserotonin,andmayinfluencemood.Infact,someofthemedicationsusedfordepressionhaveeffectsontheGItractalso.ThisisstillanearlystageinourunderstandingoftheENS,butitcouldbethatpersonswithirritablebowelsyndromewillbefoundtohaveaproblemwiththeentericnervoussystem. Fornow,werecommendeliminatinghighlyspicedfoodsand,bytrialanderror,pickingtheotherfoodsyoutoleratebest.   Ofcourse,ifyoucanreducethestressinyourlifebymakingaspecialtimeforBiblereading,meditation,andprayer,youwillhavebenefitsthataremuchgreaterthanaquietingofyour“nervous”stomach. Ireadrecentlythatalargestudy,theWomen’sHealthInitiative,showedthatalow-fatdietdidn’tmakeanydifferencetoheartdiseaseandbreastcancer.Whatdoyouthink? TheWomen’sHealthInitiativestudyisthefirstlargegovernmentstudytocommencetheevaluationofchronicdiseasesinpostmenopausalwomen.Thestudyhasraisedseveralinterestingissues,butalso—toourmind—questionsaboutitsdesign.   Instudyingpostmenopausalwomen,unfortunately,theproblemsunderstudymayalreadyexistandmaybeirreversible.Additionally,womeninthestudyfounditdifficulttochangetheirpatternofeating.It’stoobadweareoftennotinterestedinhealthuntilit’stoolate,orwearerigidlyfixedinourhabits. Thestudyshowedinoneareathathormonereplacementdidnotalteroutcomesforheartproblems.Infact,afewmoreproblemsexistedinthosetakinghormonesthaninthosenottakinghormones.Butthesewereolderwomen,probablyalreadydamagedbyatherosclerosis.Animalstudies,whileshowingaprotectiveeffectofestrogen,havenevershownacurativeeffect—emphasizingthedifferencebetweenpreventionandcure.Forexample,monkeyswithgoodarterieswerehelpedtokeepthemthatwaybyestrogen,butmonkeyswithatherosclerosisshowednoresponsetotheestrogen.   Inregardtofatintake,itseemsthathighorlowfatintakeisnotnearlyasimportantaswhattypeoffatistaken.Again,thestudyisshort—sevenyears.Canwetrulyexpectalifetimeofincorrecteatingtobereversedinsevenyears?   Itisimportantforouryoungpeopletobecomehealthconscious.Itmaybetoolateoncewestarthavingproblemsinour60stomakemajorlife-extendingdifferencesbylifestyleadjustments.   ______________________ AllanR.Handysides,M.B.,Ch.B.,F.R.C.P.(c),F.R.C.S.(c),F.A.C.O.G.,isdirectoroftheGeneralConferenceHealthMinistriesDepartment;PeterN.Landless,M.B.,B.Ch.,M.Med.,F.C.P.(SA),F.A.C.C.,isICPAexecutivedirectorandassociatedirectorofHealthMinistries.   ______________________ Sendyourquestionsto:AsktheDoctors,AdventistReview,12501OldColumbiaPike,SilverSpring,Maryland,20904.Oryoumaysendyourquestionsviae-mailtoshieldsb@gc.adventist.org.Whilethiscolumnisprovidedasaservicetoourreaders,Drs.LandlessandHandysidesunfortunatelycannotenterintopersonalandprivatecommunicationwithourreaders.Werecommendthatyouconsultwithyourpersonalphysicianonallmattersofyourhealth. 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