Does Nexium Cause Kidney Problems?

I have just run across a study released today that seems to show that there is an elevated risk of Kidney damage by taking certain stomach drugs, called PPIs (proton-pump inhibitors), like Nexium or Prilosec.

In the very large study by John Hopkins involved looking at two studies which followed over 250,000 people over 10 years and found that people taking a drug like Prilosec or Nexium had just over a 12% higher risk of chronic kidney disease.

 

An estimated 15 million Americans use these PPI drugs,

“They’re very, very common medications,” says Morgan Grams, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health who led the research, being published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

The History of PPI Drugs

When PPIs were first approved in the 1980s, the drugs appeared to be very safe. Since then, concerns have been rising about their safety. Evidence has emerged that the drugs may increase the risk for a variety of problems, including bone fractures,infections and possibly even heart problems.

Morgan Grams and her colleagues decided to examine whether PPIs might increase the risk for chronic kidney disease.

They examined the medical records of two groups of people: 10,482 participants in the Artherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study and 248,751 patients in the Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania.

Among the 322 people using PPIs in the ARIC study, the 10-year estimated absolute risk for chronic kidney disease was 11.8 percent, the researchers reported.

The expected risk would have been 8.5 percent. The 10-year absolute risk among the 16,900 patients using PPIs in the Geisinger Health System was 15.6 percent, whereas 13.9 percent would have been expected to develop chronic kidney disease.

The post Does Nexium Cause Kidney Problems? appeared first on .

Related posts:

FDA says OK to Prilosec and Nexium Ginger for Recovery from Kidney Disease 2 Week Kidney Transplant Countdown

http://ift.tt/1Pk0Hxm

Natural Cough Remedy For Dry And Wet Coughs

A Natural Cough Remedy is important to all of us. At different times of the year we will all get a cough and the cough may be caused by many things but it seems like overkill to take medication. So what are some natural cough remedy?

There are two types of cough and you will need a different cough remedy for each.

Natural Cough Remedies

Dry Cough Remedy

A dry cough is when you have a tickle in the back of your throat. When you cough, the throat becomes irritated, making you cough more. In this case you need to stop coughing. Remedies that soothe the throat are required.

Natural Cough Remedy

Honey can be very soothing to an irritated throat. The traditional honey and lemon drink is great for a dry cough. You can also add ginger to warm the body, turmeric to treat the inflamed throat and – strange as it may seem – pepper, which can be a great cough remedy.

You can also gargle with raw spinach juice to relieve the throat. You will need a juicer that can handle leaves, or use a blender and then strain the resulting liquid. You can add turmeric and/or garlic for added effectiveness if you wish.

Warm the juice to body temperature before you use it. Gargle a few times and then swallow some of the juice. If you hate the taste, try mixing equal parts spinach and carrot juice.

Almonds can be a good remedy too. Soak whole raw almonds overnight or for at least 6 hours. Peel off the brown skin. Crush, grind or blend them and mix with a little honey. This will form a paste which can be eaten alone or on bread.

Marjoram tea can be good for a dry cough. Marjoram is a relaxing herb that eases tension and stress. It can also ease the irritation in your throat.

Wet Cough Remedy

A wet cough is when you are coughing up mucus from the chest. In this case you should not suppress the cough. You need remedies that loosen the mucus so it will come up more easily.

A wet cough is often associated with a chest infection, cold or flu. Garlic can help to treat the infection. Use raw garlic if you can take it, or add it at the last minute to soups and other hot dishes.

Onion also has anti bacterial properties. Juice or blend one medium size onion, add the juice of one lemon and a couple of tablespoons of hot (not boiling) water. Sip this warm liquid slowly.

Grapes can be very good for a wet cough. If you have a cold or flu, you might try eating only grapes for a couple of days. This mono diet will be very easy for the body to digest, leaving it free to focus all of its resources on fighting the virus.

Staying warm is important for all types of cough. Being in a warm, moist environment is ideal. You can inhale steam with some essential oils – eucalyptus for loosening mucus or juniper for a dry cough. Some people like to take a sauna.

It is possible to find a natural cough remedy that works but if your cough persists you should see your doctor in case it is a sign of a more serious problem.

The post Natural Cough Remedy For Dry And Wet Coughs appeared first on .

Related posts:

Sore Throat Remedy Natural Arthritis Remedy Solutions: Ease Your Pain Natural Asthma Remedy

http://ift.tt/1HWn9FV

What Kicks Motivation Into High Gear?

What gets you motivated to workout, or to eat well? I know that sometimes this is a struggle for me and if I create a habit that makes exercise a part of my day automatically then it will happen.

Today is a very snowy day in Calgary (how many times has that come up on this blog?) and I know that my normal daily schedule tomorrow is going to get thrown off. I like to get on my bike and ride to work but there is no way that I can ride in a foot of snow and will take the bus instead.

Eating is the same way. I have a plan in the morning of exactly what goes into my lunch bag and I know right now that I will be having oatmeal for breakfast, bringing an apple and orange for snacks as well as a coke and chocolate bar and I will be having chicken left over from tonights dinner

Here are some tips to get that motivation that you need if you are struggling.

Plan Ahead Instead Of Motivating Yourself

Just as I wrote earlier it is a good idea to plan you evercise and meals ahead of time. If you know that you are going kickboxing every Tuesday night and every morning you are going to get up and ride an exercise bike while watching the news then you will do it.

If you just decide to take things as they come then everything else in life will get in the way.

Make A List Of Your Favorite Kinds Of Exercise

Make a list of all the types of exercise that you like to do. Just because running is good for you is not any good if you do not like running. A list of things that you like to do or want to try will give you a chance to try new things and have a list of what kind of exercise that you will do during the week.

Not only is this a good way to get those new things into your schedule but you will also be a lot more excited when you get to the point of exercising for the day instead of it looking like drugery.

Plan Your Exercise In Short Bursts

We have all seen those lists that work well. Try to park a few blocks from work everyday. Take stairs instead of the elevator. Go for a walk at lunch.

These ways of working out are not easy to start. On Monday morning you make a decision to do these things and then you just do them. On Tuesday you can just dovetail what you did Monday into making Tuesday the same way.

After the first week of doing this you will look forward to that quiet time on your walks, weeling your muscles as you go up the stairs and getting away from the computer at lunch.

The habits that you have in your life now were motivations once as well and if you want to change them then just getting these few things right will just naturally change you lifestyle.

I hate the idea of motivating yourself to do exercise because you mind so often just does not want to agree and then you feel guilty for not doing what you need to do. It is just so much better not to have to motivate yourself with big plans when these little changes will make you much more healthy without much pain.

The post What Kicks Motivation Into High Gear? appeared first on .

Related posts:

Sometimes you just aren’t in good enough shape My legs are sore today Splitting up your workout

http://ift.tt/1RBeMbM