Selenium No Impact on Mood: Three small, published studies have suggested an effect of selenium supplementation or deprivation on mood in healthy volunteers. In a much larger 6-month DB PC study of 501 UK adults ages 60-74 randomized to 100, 200 or 300 mug selenium/d as high-selenium yeast or placebo yeast, selenium increased blood levels, but had no affect on total mood or mood-subscale scores or on quality of life scores. Impact of Selenium on Mood and Quality of Life: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Rayman M, et al. University of Surrey, United Kingdom. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Sep 19.

Selenium Lowered Colon Adenoma Risk in Smokers and in those Low in Selenium: Selenium status has been inversely associated with colorectal cancers (CRC) and adenomas. In a DB PC study of 598 adults who underwent endoscopic screening at follow-up, 160 had adenomas. Those on 200 mcg of selenized yeast had 33% lower risk of developing adenomas, although this was not quite statistically significant. The primary benefit was for those in the lowest tertile of baseline selenium (OR = 0.27) and current smokers (OR = 0.27) who each had significant 73% reductions in risk. Selenium supplementation and colorectal adenomas: An analysis of the nutritional prevention of cancer trial. Reid ME, et al. Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY. Int J Cancer. 2005 Oct 10. Ed: Vegetarians, especially, should take selenium 200 mcg/d, although I recommend it for all adults and older children. For more, see Selenium.

Vitamin C May Help: Not Vitamin A, Carotene, Vitamin E, or Selenium: In a study of 11,068 women ages 50-79 in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, vitamin A, retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium were estimated by using a self-reported food-frequency questionnaire and a random subset (n = 379) had serum levels of retinol, carotenoids, and tocopherols measured. After adjustment for important BMD-related covariates, only vitamin C (lower three-fourths compared with highest one-fourth) and use of hormone therapy (HT) (P < 0.01) were linked to higher bone density in the femoral neck, total-body (P < 0.045), spine (P = 0.03), and total-hip BMDs (P = 0.029). Lack of a relation between vitamin and mineral antioxidants and bone mineral density: results from the Women's Health Initiative. Wolf RL, et al. Columbia University. . Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Sep;82(3):581-8. For more, see Osteoporosis. 

Vitamin D Linked to Improved Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Vitamin D may inhibit the development and progression of a wide spectrum of cancers. In a study of the associations of surgery season and vitamin D intake with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival in 456 early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients, patients who had surgery in summer had a better RFS than those who had surgery in winter (HR= 0.75), with 5-year RFS rates of 53% vs. 40% (P = 0.10). Patients who had surgery during summer with the highest vitamin D intake had much better RFS (HR=0.33) than patients who had surgery during winter with the lowest vitamin D intake, with the 5-year RFS rates of 56% vs. 23%. Similar associations of surgery season and vitamin D intake with overall survival were also observed. Vitamin d is associated with improved survival in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients. Zhou W, et al. Harvard. . Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005 Oct;14(10):2303-9. For more, see Vitamin D. 

Haldol and Benzodiazepines Associated with More Strokes in Elderly Than Atypical Anti-Psychotics: Using Medicaid data from 8 million enrollees  for the incidence of a stroke within 3 months of starting an atypical antipsychotic, haloperidol or a benzodiazepine, risperidone (OR=1.00 by definition) was no different from olanzapine (OR=1.05). Quetiapine (OR=0.66) did better, but the difference was not significant. Haloperidol was significantly worse (OR=1.91) as were benzodiazepines (OR=1.97. Risperidone treatment in elderly patients with dementia: relative risk of cerebrovascular events versus other antipsychotics. Finkel S, et al. University of Chicago. Int Psychogeriatr. 2005 Oct 5:1-13

Black Cohosh and Herbal Remedies No Value for Hot Flushes: In a 12-month DB PC study of post-menopausal women, —compared black cohosh, placebo, and hormone therapy, neither black cohosh (35%) nor a multiple botanical supplement containing 10 different herbs (15%), including black cohosh nor the same multibotanical supplement together with counselling to increase dietary soya (30%) did any better that placebo (21%) while estrogen hormone therapy (Premarin or Prempro) was very effective reducing hot flushes by 88%. Results were very similar for the menopausal symptoms score. Katherine Newton et al. University of Washington and Bastyr University. Maturitas 2005;16:134–46

Left Handed Women Get More Breast Cancer: Left handed women have more than twice the risk of developing breast cancer before reaching the menopause than right handed women. In a population based prospective case-cohort study of more than 12 000 women who were followed up for 16 years, Ramadhani, et al. Brit Med J 10/15/05.

Three Question for Depression: Three questions by family doctors: "Do you want immediate help for depression" with "During the past month have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?" and "During the past month have you often been bothered by little interest or pleasure in doing things?" correctly diagnosed 79% of major depression and ruled it out in 94%.

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Thomas E. Radecki, M.D., J.D.

modern-psychiatry.com