LEDs Making us Fat?

Am thinking they are trying way too hard to get headlines. According to the American Medical Association, which represents about 15% of physicians, "Recent large surveys found that brighter residential nighttime lighting is associated with reduced sleep times, dissatisfaction with sleep quality, excessive sleepiness, impaired daytime functioning, and obesity." It says, "the effect of streetlight LEDs on drivers and passengers lingers even after we have locked our cars and headed indoors, especially if we have LEDs in our houses."

Incidentally, Doximity, a social network for doctors founded in 2011 now has more members than the AMA.

BMI and Life Expectancy

A comprehensive review published in 2013 in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association' examined the relationship of BMI (Body Mass Index) to death rates. The study researchers found that increasing levels of obesity were associated with progressively higher premature death rates.

Mildly obese people, however, did not have a significantly greater risk of death compared to those with a normal BMI. In fact, the finding that people classified as overweight but not obese had a lower overall death rate compared to those with a normal BMI. Researchers are exploring possible reasons for this finding.

The 'International Journal of Obesity' published a study in 2012 comparing BMI and waist circumference as predictors of life expectancy. The authors reported that waist circumference is a better predictor of death from any cause than BMI. The researchers also found that adults with a high waist circumference had an increased risk of death regardless of BMI. Although neither BMI nor waist size can accurately foretell the life expectancy of any individual, waist circumference may be a better tool for estimating longevity. In other words, they are saying 'we cannot accurately tell life expectancy with either of these measurements, but it does help get us grants and headlines'.

Salty Talk

We have seen the advice to reduce salt intake for blood pressure. The American Heart Association encourages people to consume no more than 1,500 milligrams a day of sodium, which is less than half of what people consume. It also says 90% of all Americans will develop hypertension over their lifetime.

Of course there is also scientific evidence that shows increased salt intake keeps blood pressure low for those with low blood pressure and keeps it high for those with high blood pressure. Now there is another new study that raises questions about sodium and its effect on the heart. European researchers followed 3,681 people, average age 40, for about eight years, testing sodium excretion in the urine. They found that systolic blood pressure (the top number) was slightly lower in those who excreted less sodium and those with lower sodium excretion had an increased risk of cardiovascular death. The findings were consistent in participants younger and older than 60 years. So, if you consume less salt you have more chance of cardiovascular death.

The AMA weighs in with, "Lower sodium intake is recommended for people with high blood pressure and people with heart failure."

The Salt Institute is delighted with the findings and I would think Orville Redenbacher is feeling vindicated. Maybe it's time to put a bit more salt on your bacon. . .

American Medical Association

As of 2005, latest numbers I could find, the AMA represented 15% of the physicians in the US. (30% of that number are medical school students, residents, or fellows.) Gone are the glory days when it represented the majority of physicians, but for some reason, it still has political clout through its lobbying efforts.

Next time someone tells you the AMA approves, remember that means only 15% of doctors approve.