In the news

Tattoos in the news

            When I was a kid one of the circus side show attractions was the tattooed lady. I think that I saw her great-grand-daughter at my local gym a few days ago. Her entire back, shoulders and arms were covered with rather attractive pieces of art. I only saw the front from a distance, not wanting to be a voyeur, but it seemed to follow the same pattern.

            Humans have been inking, scarifying and piercing their bodies since way back in prehistory. Egyptian mummies and at least one ancient Italian who died about 5,000 years ago had multiple tattoos that were made using soot. Modern tattoo artists have a much greater array of pigments and that is what’s making the news. Among the thousands of dyes used by tattooists there are some that are known to cause cancer. Until a little more than a decade ago there were few reports of cancer arising within tattooed skin but as the number of persons acquiring tattoos has mushroomed, more are coming to light.

            Swedish researchers recently reported that having a tattoo increased the risk of lymphoma by about 21 percent. Since this was an observational study critics were quick to point out that it did not necessarily prove that an association exists. That is correct, but the fact that the number of persons sporting tattoos has increased by approximately 50 percent in less than a generation would indicate that more studies such as this are necessary. Further, the sheer size of today’s tattoos is remarkable, as anyone who has lately visited a gym or beach can attest.

            Stringent regulations have limited the spread via tattoo of infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and C, and a few of lesser severity. Fortunately, a literature search has not revealed any cases of HIV acquired via tattoo, but we need to be on guard for an increase in previously reported cancers such as squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas, and malignant melanoma. Anyone contemplating getting a tattoo might want to put that project on hold.

Lifestyle

Slowing down a cause of blindness

            Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the senior population. Its cause is unknown but there are some nutritional steps that everyone can take to slow its advance. It shouldn’t be any surprise that these factors also benefit other systems, such as the skeleton, the immune system and the heart.

            In one study, eating fatty fish only once a week lowered the incidence by as much as fifty percent, and a daily intake of 300 mg. of omega-3 fats in fish oil can increase that to seventy percent. Even in persons who already have been diagnosed with the condition, supplements containing vitamins A (in the form of beta carotene), B, C, D and E can lower the risk of progression by 13 to 40 percent. Supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin have shown consistently positive results. Although these are available in supplement form, they are also found in dark leafy greens, broccoli, and carrots, all of which should  be in everyone’s diet several times a week. .

            The role of nutrition in the incidence and the progression of AMD continues to be highly controversial, partly because it is a complex disease in which factors such as obesity and hypertension, both of which affect nearly half the population, play a role. But maintaining a high intake of the nutrients listed above can do no harm, and in persons with a genetic disposition to AMD, they could make a significant difference.