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The Gary Null Show Notes - 06.24.21

  1. The Politics of ‘Follow the Science’

  2. Norway Says Risk Of Dying From AstraZeneca CoviShield Vaccine Higher Than Of COVID-19

  3. Black Sea: U.S., Ukraine to lead naval exercise with 32 nations from six continents

  4. ‘Disturbing’: US Military Document Puts Socialists in Same Category as Neo-Nazis

  5. WHITEHEAD – One Nation Under Greed: The Profit Incentives Driving the American Police State

  7. Pfizer COVID Vaccine Linked to Rare Blood Clot Disorder, Israeli Researchers Say

  8. Almost 4,000 fully vaccinated people in Massachusetts have tested positive for COVID-19G

  9. Rising greenhouse gases pose continued threat to Arctic ozone layer

  10. ‘The worst is yet to come’: Draft UN climate report warns of drastic changes over 30 years

  11. MORE THAN HALF OF THE WORLD’S RIVERS RUN DRY NOW AND THEN

    Multivitamin use associated with lower hip fracture risk

    Harvard Medical School, June 18 2021. 

    Findings from a systemic review and meta-analysis reported on February 11, 2021 in the Archives of Osteoporosis revealed an association between the use of multivitamin supplements and a lower risk of sustaining a fragility hip fracture, a complication of osteoporosis.

    “The protective effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on hip fracture risk has been a popular topic of study for decades,” observed authors Indeevar Beeram of Harvard Medical School and colleagues. “In recent years, this focus has been extended to numerous other supplements such as carotenoids; fatty acids; minerals; and vitamins A, C, and E. Despite the abundance of available research on single vitamin supplementation, few studies have explored the impact of combined multivitamins on hip fracture risk.”

    Dr Beeram and associates selected eight studies that reported multivitamin use among a total of 80,148 men and women with osteoporotic hip fracture. Multivitamin use was associated with a 51% lower risk of fragility hip fracture compared to non-use. 

    Among the included studies, just one found a significant association between the risk of hip fracture and multivitamin use. Concerning this study, the authors of the current review noted that the finding may be the result of controlling for the supplements’ calcium and vitamin D content by the researchers. Nevertheless, another study found that multivitamin use was more effective than calcium alone. 

    The authors suggested that further investigation of the effects of multivitamin use on hip fracture risk is warranted due to their wider usage compared to single nutrients. 

    “Our results indicated that combined multivitamin supplementation was significantly associated with reduced hip fracture risk in a pooled multi-ethnic cohort,” they concluded. “This finding

    strengthens the case for future randomized controlled trials to explore the protective effects of multivitamins on fragility hip fracture risk.”

    Potato nutrients can help reduce sodium retention, may help reduce risk of hypertension

    New study finds that individuals with higher cardiometabolic risk may benefit from adding more dietary potassium, via potatoes, to a typical American diet

    Alliance for Potato Research, June 21, 2021 

    A new study published in Nutrients investigated the effect of increased dietary potassium from a whole food source–baked/boiled potatoes and baked French fries–or a potassium supplement on blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease risk factors compared to a ‘typical American’ control diet (lower potassium intake) among 30 pre-hypertensive to hypertensive men and women. Results showed that including baked/boiled potato consumption as part of a typical American diet had the greatest benefit on reducing sodium retention, even more than the supplement, and resulted in a greater systolic blood pressure reduction compared to the control diet. Further, despite commonly held misbeliefs about French fries and their role in heart-healthy lifestyles, the authors observed that a 330-calorie serving of baked French fries, when eaten as part of a typical American diet, had no adverse effect on blood pressure or blood vessel function.

    “While significant emphasis is often placed on reducing dietary sodium intakes to better control for blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk, that’s only half of the story,” says Connie Weaver, PhD, the primary investigator. “Potassium plays just as an important role, and perhaps the ratio of potassium to sodium is most important in the context of the entire food matrix, as the potato meal resulted in a greater reduction of sodium retention than the potassium supplement alone.” 

    Evidence on the effect of increased dietary potassium on blood pressure from clinical trials is extremely limited, and this is one of the first known controlled feeding interventions investigating dietary potassium as the primary variable of interest. 

    “It’s important to establish clinical trials that follow observational research to establish a causal link between diet and health,” notes Weaver. “For example, in this clinical study baked French fries had a null effect on blood pressure, which counters observational findings, at least in the short term, and helps to prioritize the importance of focusing on a total diet approach for maintaining health versus one that overemphasizes avoidance of any single food or food group.” 

    Potatoes comprise roughly 20 percent of the vegetable intake in the American diet and help fill several nutrient gaps, including dietary fiber and potassium.1 Eating just one medium potato meets approximately 10 percent of an adult’s daily potassium needs. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, potassium is an essential nutrient of concern, indicating most Americans aren’t consuming enough. The mineral has been linked to improvements in cardiovascular and other metabolic health outcomes – including decreased blood pressure in those with hypertension. Overall, potatoes and French fries represent about 7 percent and 3 percent of potassium intake, respectively, in the United States.1 

    “Considering Americans fall significantly short in meeting daily potassium intakes, these findings show the importance of promoting, not restricting, whole food good-to-excellent sources of potassium in Americans’ diets, like potatoes,” Weaver said. 

    A Closer Look at the Study Methodology, Strengths and Limitations 

    Participants were randomly assigned to one of four 16-day dietary potassium interventions: 

    • Control diet including 2300 mg potassium/day (reflective of typical intake, considered to be ‘low potassium’) 
    • Control diet + 1000 mg of potassium from potatoes (baked, boiled, or pan-heated with no additional fat) 
    • Control diet + 1000 mg from baked French fries 
    • Control diet + 1000 mg from a potassium-gluconate supplement 

    Each diet was tailored to participants’ specific caloric needs while all other nutrients were kept constant. Blood pressure was measured across multiple visits of each phase, and participants also collected daily urine/stool samples to assess potassium and sodium excretion and retention. 

    The strengths of the study include a highly controlled diet, cross-over design, and excellent compliance. However, the researchers note a few limitations as well, including the study’s relatively small sample size, poor retention in study participation and relatively short study duration. 

    “All clinical studies are faced with limitations; however, despite those found in this study, the rigor of the study design is strong and unlike any other studies that have investigated the effect of a whole food – and potassium – on high blood pressure,” Weaver notes. “Through our carefully controlled balance study, we could determine the mechanism by which potatoes reduced blood pressure. Overall, we concluded that boiled or baked potatoes can help reduce systolic blood pressure – and baked French fries have no adverse effects on blood pressure and can be included as part of an overall healthy diet.”

    Meta-analysis affirms association between greater intake of grape products containing polyphenols and lower C-reactive protein levels

    Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences (Iran), June 18, 2021

    According to news originating from Yazd, Iran, research stated, “Although grape polyphenols can decrease chronic inflammations, their effect on C-reactive protein (CRP) levels is still controversial. So, this meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of grape products containing polyphenols on CRP concentrations.”

    Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, “In order to collect the relevant randomised controlled trials (RCT), the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched up to 30 March 2020. The random effects model, standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95 % CI were applied in data analysis. Meta-analysis was conducted over seventeen eligible RCT containing a total of 668 participants. The study registration number is CRD42018110169. Based on the results, grape products containing polyphenols decreased CRP levels significantly (SMD = -0.229; 95 % CI -0.41, -0.05; P = 0.013). Sensitivity analysis was performed by removing each individual study and the results did not change. According to the subgroup analysis, higher doses of grape polyphenols (>500 mg/d) and longer intervention periods (>= 12 weeks) had significant effects on CRP levels. Furthermore, grape polyphenols significantly reduced the CRP levels in patients with a clinical condition. In the same vein, grape seed extract and other grape products, such as grape extract, juice and raisins, decreased CRP levels significantly. According to the meta-regression results, the CRP level depends on the dose and duration of the grape polyphenol supplementation. Based on the findings, grape products containing polyphenols had a significant effect on CRP levels.”

    According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Further well-designed and long-term clinical trials are highly recommended to achieve more comprehensive and accurate results.”

    This research has been peer-reviewed.

    Systolic blood pressure above 120 mmHg increases rate of cardiovascular disease

    Nigata University (Japan), June 23, 2021

    An estimated 1.13 billion people worldwide have hypertension or high blood pressure, and two-thirds of these individuals are living in low- and middle-income countries. Blood pressure is the force manifested by circulating blood against the walls of the body’s arteries, the major blood vessels in the body. Hypertension is when blood pressure is too high.

    Blood pressure is written as two numbers. The first (systolic) number represents the pressure in blood vessels when the heart contracts or beats. The second (diastolic) number represents the pressure in the vessels when the heart rests between beats. Hypertension is diagnosed if, when it is measured on two different days, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) readings on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) readings on both days is ≥90 mmHg.

    Worldwide, high blood pressure is a common and strong risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. As reported by previous studies in Asia and elsewhere, as the level of SBP rises, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease increases, too. Similarly, the likelihood of dying from a cardiovascular event increases as the SBP rises. However, whether these observations hold for increases in DBP is not known. Moreover, although a high blood glucose status is itself associated with a high likelihood for the development of cardiovascular disease, it is not known whether the blood glucose status plays any role in the relationship between high blood pressure and cardiovascular events.

    This theory led the authors to propose a hypothesis for their study. Commenting further, Dr. Kazuya Fujihara of the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Niigata University, said “The 2017 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) BP guideline defined blood pressure >130/80 mm Hg as hypertension. This guideline showed that the normal level is less than 120/80 mm Hg and SBP 120-129 mm Hg and DBP<80 mm Hg is elevated BP. However, little is known regarding whether elevated BP versus normal BP is specifically associated with a higher risk for coronary artery disease / cerebrovascular disease according to glucose tolerance status in real-world settings. This is the first study investigating the impact of SBP/DBP levels on coronary artery disease / cerebrovascular disease in the same population according to glucose tolerance status in real-world settings”. Therefore, these concerns lead Dr. Mayuko Harada Yamada and colleagues to investigate the relationships between elevated blood pressure, glucose status and cardiovascular disease (like new-onset coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease). “Therefore, our cohort study aimed to determine the associations of SBP and DBP with the incidence of coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease according to glucose status” says Prof. Hirohito Sone, the senior author.

    In the Diabetes Care paper, the authors addressed these research questions using a nationwide claims-based database that included information on 805,992 people enrolled with a health insurance provider for company employees and their dependents in Japan. In one arm of the study, they compared the cumulative incidence of coronary artery disease according to their SBP in individuals with normal, borderline and elevated blood glucose, separately (Figure). The authors reported that, “a linear relationship was observed between cumulative incidence rates of coronary artery disease and SBP categories across all glucose tolerance status designations using SBP below 119 mmHg as the reference”. In another arm of the study, the investigators compared the cumulative incidence of cerebrovascular disease according to their SBP in individuals with normal, borderline and elevated blood glucose, separately (Figure). Similarly, the authors observed a linear dose-response relationship between cumulative incidence rates of cerebrovascular disease and SBP categories across all glucose tolerance status. Furthermore, the investigators repeated similar analyses using the DBP and reported that “Similar to the relationship between SBP and coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease; the coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease risk concurrently increased with higher DBP categories”.

    The study also found that combined together, the blood glucose status and blood pressure values had a synergistic effect on the incidence of coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease. Commenting on the significance of their findings, Prof. Sone said, “Compared to Westerners, Asians have significantly less coronary artery disease, but more stroke. In addition, Asians have a much lower obesity level than Westerners, and the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus is also very different between the two. Therefore, this data should be an important reference for determining blood pressure thresholds for guidelines for Asians”. Commenting further, Dr. Fujihara said “Recent study [the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) Final Report] showed that intensive treatment (SBP, <120 mm Hg) significantly reduced the rates of the primary composite outcome and all-cause mortality compared with standard treatment (SBP, <140 mm Hg). Our findings suggested even if blood pressure levels are slightly higher than normal level, it is essential to engage in lifestyle improvement, including salt reduction, from an early stage”.

    While the findings of these analytical study are impressive and provide new insight on what blood pressure targets in patients with hypertension according to glucose status should be, the authors recommended that “Further trials to examine strict BP interventions for preventing cardiovascular diseases should focus on patients with borderline glycemia and diabetes to confirm findings from the current cohort study and apply them to clinical practice”.

    Research links dental mercury amalgam fillings to arthritis

    International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, June 22, 2021

    The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) is raising awareness of research linking cases of arthritis to dental amalgam fillings. These silver-colored fillings are 50% mercury and are still used in the United States, often in disadvantaged children and adults.

    In this new study, researchers David and Mark Geier report on a significant relationship between the number of dental amalgam filling surfaces and diagnoses of arthritis. They find that incidences of arthritis peak among adults with 4 to 7 dental amalgam filling surfaces. 

    It is important to note that the number of surfaces is not the same as the number of fillings. Each tooth has five surfaces, which means that a person with only one filling could have up to five surfaces.  

    The authors examined data from the 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) including demographics, dental exams, and arthritis diagnoses. Data about the patient’s type of dental filling recently became accessible. With this information, the researchers were able to discover higher incidences of arthritis in people with silver-colored mercury amalgam fillings than those with other fillings such as tooth-colored composites.

    In September 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated risks of dental amalgam fillings for susceptible groups. However, arthritis was not specifically mentioned when the FDA warned of “harmful health effects of mercury vapor released from the device.”

    The groups that FDA advised to avoid getting dental amalgam fillings include pregnant women; women planning to become pregnant; nursing women and their newborns and infants; children; people with neurological disease such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease; people with impaired kidney function; and people with known heightened sensitivity (allergy) to mercury or other components of dental amalgam.

    FDA is currently open for comments on how information about medical devices including dental amalgam fillings should be shared with patients and providers.

    “Mercury is continually off-gassed from dental amalgam fillings,” explains David Kennedy, DDS, Past IAOMT President. “With the Geiers’ new research joining the ranks of thousands of other studies, it is abundantly clear that mercury from amalgams poses a danger to everyone, including patients, dentists, and dental employees.”

    The Geiers’ study was partially funded by the IAOMT, a non-profit organization that evaluates biocompatibility of dental products, including mercury filling risks.

    Improved Natural Killer Cell Function with Seaweed Extract

    New findings on how nori seaweed may enhance the immune system

    Chonbuk National University Hospital (South Korea), June 6, 2021

    Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 8-weeks duration

    To determine if an extract of the seaweed Porphyra tenera (commonly known as nori or laver, and also referred to as Pyropia tenera) has measurable immune-enhancing effects and is safe in humans

    A total of 111 participants out of 120 (men=20, women=100) completed the trial. Researchers equally recruited intervention and placebo groups (60 each). All participants were over the age of 50 at the start of the study and all had white blood cell (WBC) counts in the normal range (3,000 to 8,000 cells/µL).

    Exclusion criteria was extensive and included the following: vaccination for influenza within the prior 3 months, body mass index (BMI) <18 kg/m2 or >35 kg/m2, presence of any acute disease process or chronic disease process, any supplementation with medications or functional foods associated with immune enhancement for the prior month, use of antipsychotic drugs in the prior 3 months, suspected alcoholism or drug abuse, participation in other human tests in the prior 3 months, those who are fertile and not on contraceptives, and those with abnormal liver or kidney function tests (aspartate aminotransferase [AST] or alanine aminotransferase [ALT] more than 3 times the upper normal limit, serum creatinine >2.0 mg/dL).

    Intervention

    Participants in the intervention group consumed 2.5 g/d of Porphyra tenera extract (PTE) in capsule form. The extraction process began as 100 kg of dried Porphyra tenera in 10% ethanol at 80 ± 2.0 degrees Celsius. The ethanol-extracted fluid was then processed through a 1-µm filter, lyophilized, and concentrated to 10–20 degrees Brix at 65–-70 degrees Celsius. The end product contained 68.45 (±20%) mg/g of a specific porphyran called porphyra334 (designating the chemical structure of the porphyran from this species).

    The placebo was identical in weight, color, and flavor and contained 99.6% microcrystalline cellulose, 0.2% caramel coloring, and 0.2% silicon dioxide.

    Primary Outcome Measures

    Function of natural killer (NK) cells at week 0 versus week 8. Researchers measured this using CytoTox 96® Non-Radioactive Cytotoxicity Assay kit (Promega Corp, Madison, WI). Cytotoxicity was expressed as a percentage using both natural release and maximal release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), using K562 as target cells. K562 is a human leukemia cell line. Tests used effector/target cell ratios of 50:1, 25:1, and 12.5:1.

    Secondary Outcome Measures

    Researchers compared laboratory markers of immune augmentation from baseline (week 0) and end of study (week 8). This included: cytokines (interleukin-2 [IL-2], IL6, IL-12, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha]).

    They assessed the incidence of upper respiratory infection (URI) at baseline (week 0), midway (week 4), and end of study (week 8) using the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey.

    All participants had 3 visits total: baseline visit (week 0), midway (week 4), and end of study (week 8).

    Results

    NK-cell activity level in the PTE group increased at every dilution level versus baseline (E:T=12.5:1 P=0.0004; E:T=25:1 P=0.0034; and E:T=50:1 P=0.0055). There was no increase in NK-cell activity in the placebo group.

    While there was a tendency for improved NK-cell activity in the intervention versus placebo group, this did not reach statistical significance.

    There were no differences in the secondary outcome measure of cytokine concentrations after 8 weeks between the 2 groups.

    Safety indicators showed there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, or vital signs.

    Adverse reactions: abdominal discomfort=1, heartburn=4, contact dermatitis=1, left knee pain=1, chronic dermatitis=1, trigger finger=1, increased liver enzyme function tests=1, burn on back of hand=1. Of all the adverse reactions reported, the researchers deemed 6 cases as possibly caused by the intervention.

    Key Findings

    The primary outcome measure, NK-cell activity, showed there was improvement in the intervention group versus their baseline but no significant difference between the intervention and placebo groups.

    Of the evaluable 111 participants, the incidence of URI at week 8 was 10 cases. There was no difference in cases between the 2 groups.

    This 8-week study of Porphyra tenera extract showed overall safety of the preparation.

    Commentary

    In this short study, the effects of the Porphyra tenera extract (PTE) suggest that it increases NK-cell function activity. There was, however, no increase in cytokines and, thus, no systemic immune augmentation. This may be due to the short time course or due to a true lack of stimulation of cytokines from PTE. The low incidence of URIs over the 8-week study is not surprising given that the researchers recruited healthy volunteers who met stringent criteria.

    When lovers touch, their breathing and heartbeat syncs, pain wanes, study shows

    University of Colorado, June 21, 2021

    Fathers-to-be, take note: You may be more useful in the labor and delivery room than you realize.

    That’s one takeaway from a study released last week that found that when an empathetic partner holds the hand of a woman in , their heart and respiratory rates sync and her pain dissipates.

    “The more empathic the partner and the stronger the analgesic effect, the higher the synchronization between the two when they are touching,” said lead author Pavel Goldstein, a postdoctoral pain researcher in the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab at CU Boulder.

    The study of 22 couples, published in the journal Scientific Reports last week, is the latest in a growing body of research on “interpersonal synchronization,” the phenomenon in which individuals begin to physiologically mirror the people they’re with.

    Scientists have long known that people subconsciously sync their footsteps with the person they’re walking with or adjust their posture to mirror a friend’s during conversation. Recent studies also show that when people watch an emotional movie or sing together, their heart rates and respiratory rhythms synchronize. When leaders and followers have a good rapport, their brainwaves fall into a similar pattern. And when romantic couples are simply in each other’s presence, their cardiorespiratory and brainwave patterns sync up, research has shown.

    The new study, co-written with University of Haifa Professor Simone Shamay-Tsoory and Assistant Professor Irit Weissman-Fogel, is the first to explore interpersonal synchronization in the context of pain and . The authors hope it can inform the discussion as health care providers seek opioid-free pain relief options.

    Goldstein came up with the idea after witnessing the birth of his daughter, now 4.

    “My wife was in pain, and all I could think was, ‘What can I do to help her?’ I reached for her hand and it seemed to help,” he recalls. “I wanted to test it out in the lab: Can one really decrease pain with touch, and if so, how?”

    Goldstein recruited 22 long-term heterosexual couples, age 23 to 32, and put them through a series of tests aimed at mimicking that delivery-room scenario.

    Men were assigned the role of observer; women the pain target. As instruments measured their heart and breathing rates, they: sat together, not touching; sat together holding hands; or sat in separate rooms. Then they repeated all three scenarios as the woman was subjected to a mild heat pain on her forearm for 2 minutes.

    As in previous trials, the study showed couples synced physiologically to some degree just sitting together. But when she was subjected to pain and he couldn’t touch her, that synchronization was severed. When he was allowed to hold her hand, their rates fell into sync again and her pain decreased.

    “It appears that pain totally interrupts this interpersonal synchronization between couples,” Goldstein said. “Touch brings it back.”

    Goldstein’s previous research found that the more empathy the man showed for the woman (as measured in other tests), the more her pain subsided during touch. The more physiologically synchronized they were, the less pain she felt.

    It’s not clear yet whether decreased pain is causing increased synchronicity, or vice versa.

    “It could be that touch is a tool for communicating empathy, resulting in an analgesic, or pain-killing, effect,” said Goldstein.

    Further research is necessary to figure out how a partner’s touch eases pain. Goldstein suspects interpersonal synchronization may play a role, possibly by affecting an area of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex, which is associated with , empathy, and heart and respiratory function.

    The study did not explore whether the same effect would occur with same-sex couples, or what happens when the man is the subject of pain. Goldstein did measure brainwave activity and plans to present those results in a future study.

    He hopes the research will help lend scientific credence to the notion that touch can ease pain.

    For now, he has some advice for partners in the : Be ready and available to hold your partner’s hand.