Correcting serum sodium slowly was associated with longer length of stay and excess mortality.
Rapid overcorrection of hyponatremia has been associated with osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS), but data also suggest that correcting sodium slowly might be associated with longer hospital length of stay and excess in-hospital mortality. To examine the relation between serum sodium correction rates and clinical outcomes, researchers performed a retrospective study of more than 3000 patients with severe hyponatremia (<120 mEq/L) who were admitted to two Massachusetts hospitals during a 25-year period.
The cohort was divided into three groups according to calculated correction rates: Slow (<6 mEq/L/24 hours), moderate (6 to 10 mEq/L/24 hours), and fast (>10 mEq/L/24 hours). About one third of the cohort fell into each group. The moderate-correction group was chosen as a reference, as that rate aligns with guideline recommendations.
In adjusted analyses, slow correction was associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Fast correction was associated with shorter hospital length of stay and lower mortality in a multivariable analysis, but with no difference in mortality in a propensity-weighted analysis. The overall incidence of ODS in the entire cohort was low (7 patients; 0.2%), and 5 of those cases occurred in patients with sodium correction rates of ≤8 mEq/L/24 hours.
Comment
The prevailing concern when treating patients with severe hyponatremiatraditionally has been to avoid rapid overcorrection of serum sodium levels. These data argue that repleting serum sodium too slowly might be the more important problem. ODS is an uncommon complication of correcting sodium levels and appears to occur because of patients’ clinical factors (e.g., alcohol-use disorder, other electrolyte derangements) rather than because of fast sodium correction.
Uranium. Radium. Arsenic. These chemicals are known to cause cancer. However, these are not the only contaminants in tap water across the United States. A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey reveals that approximately 45% of the country’s tap water contains per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). While there are over 12,000 variants of PFAS, the study specifically examined 32 types, underscoring the limitations of current detection methods.
Thankfully, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced new limits on PFAS, targeting six prominent variants: PFOA, PFOS, GenX, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS. Referred to as maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), these standards dictate the highest permissible concentration of contaminants in drinking water, factoring in health implications, treatment costs, and practicality.
While this is a step in the right direction, the fact remains: the consumption of contaminated tap water is tied to a stunning number of cancer cases throughout a typical generation.
Drinking contaminated tap water puts your health at risk and increases the chances of disease
In a study, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) team evaluated tap water samples from over 2,700 public water systems in California, which provide at least 98% of the West Coast state’s drinking water. These samples contained harmful, carcinogenic chemicals, such as chloroform, tetrachloroethylene, and hexavalent chromium (in addition to many others).
The study’s authors were then able to determine the risk of getting cancer as a result of drinking contaminated water by taking yearly average contamination levels between the years of 2011 and 2015.
As the authors state: “This results in an estimated number of 221 annual cancer cases due to drinking water contaminants in California,” or about 15,500 cases of cancer over the course of about 70 years (the average lifetime).
You’re reading this right: 15,500+ cases of cancer in California are directly caused by drinking contaminated tap water. It’s alarming!
The EWG also states that 495 public water systems in California are considered “high risk.” What they mean by this is that the tap water from these areas will cause cancer in about 1 in 1,000 people over the course of a lifetime.
They also state that 43 public water systems have a relative cancer risk as high as 4 in 1,000. The EWG does not specify which communities are at the highest risk; however, they do indicate that they include “communities of less than a thousand residents and one water system serving a population of 19,000.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that as many as 40% of Americans will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. Based on the recent revelations from the EWG, we can’t help but surmise that the chemicals in our public tap water have something to do with this sobering statistic.
Thirsty? Here’s how to drink water safely
The EWG identifies this contaminated drinking water issue as a “significant environmental justice problem.” We couldn’t agree more. As we can only hope that our public health officials will improve the infrastructure and resources necessary to resolve the root of this public health concern, there are at least some things we can do to protect the health of ourselves and our families:
Use a high-quality water purification system for your home water (those installed directly into the sink are generally more effective than filters on faucets or in pitchers)
Or, at the very least, be sure to use a water purification system on the counter for all your drinking and cooking water.
Whichever system you use, it’s important to maintain and clean your filters regularly.
Uranium. Radium. Arsenic. These chemicals are known to cause cancer. However, these are not the only contaminants in tap water across the United States. A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey reveals that approximately 45% of the country’s tap water contains per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). While there are over 12,000 variants of PFAS, the study specifically examined 32 types, underscoring the limitations of current detection methods.
Thankfully, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced new limits on PFAS, targeting six prominent variants: PFOA, PFOS, GenX, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS. Referred to as maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), these standards dictate the highest permissible concentration of contaminants in drinking water, factoring in health implications, treatment costs, and practicality.
While this is a step in the right direction, the fact remains: the consumption of contaminated tap water is tied to a stunning number of cancer cases throughout a typical generation.
Drinking contaminated tap water puts your health at risk and increases the chances of disease
In a study, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) team evaluated tap water samples from over 2,700 public water systems in California, which provide at least 98% of the West Coast state’s drinking water. These samples contained harmful, carcinogenic chemicals, such as chloroform, tetrachloroethylene, and hexavalent chromium (in addition to many others).
The study’s authors were then able to determine the risk of getting cancer as a result of drinking contaminated water by taking yearly average contamination levels between the years of 2011 and 2015.
As the authors state: “This results in an estimated number of 221 annual cancer cases due to drinking water contaminants in California,” or about 15,500 cases of cancer over the course of about 70 years (the average lifetime).
You’re reading this right: 15,500+ cases of cancer in California are directly caused by drinking contaminated tap water. It’s alarming!
The EWG also states that 495 public water systems in California are considered “high risk.” What they mean by this is that the tap water from these areas will cause cancer in about 1 in 1,000 people over the course of a lifetime.
They also state that 43 public water systems have a relative cancer risk as high as 4 in 1,000. The EWG does not specify which communities are at the highest risk; however, they do indicate that they include “communities of less than a thousand residents and one water system serving a population of 19,000.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that as many as 40% of Americans will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. Based on the recent revelations from the EWG, we can’t help but surmise that the chemicals in our public tap water have something to do with this sobering statistic.
Thirsty? Here’s how to drink water safely
The EWG identifies this contaminated drinking water issue as a “significant environmental justice problem.” We couldn’t agree more. As we can only hope that our public health officials will improve the infrastructure and resources necessary to resolve the root of this public health concern, there are at least some things we can do to protect the health of ourselves and our families:
Use a high-quality water purification system for your home water (those installed directly into the sink are generally more effective than filters on faucets or in pitchers)
Or, at the very least, be sure to use a water purification system on the counter for all your drinking and cooking water.
Whichever system you use, it’s important to maintain and clean your filters regularly.
Uranium. Radium. Arsenic. These chemicals are known to cause cancer. However, these are not the only contaminants in tap water across the United States. A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey reveals that approximately 45% of the country’s tap water contains per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). While there are over 12,000 variants of PFAS, the study specifically examined 32 types, underscoring the limitations of current detection methods.
Thankfully, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced new limits on PFAS, targeting six prominent variants: PFOA, PFOS, GenX, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS. Referred to as maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), these standards dictate the highest permissible concentration of contaminants in drinking water, factoring in health implications, treatment costs, and practicality.
While this is a step in the right direction, the fact remains: the consumption of contaminated tap water is tied to a stunning number of cancer cases throughout a typical generation.
Drinking contaminated tap water puts your health at risk and increases the chances of disease
In a study, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) team evaluated tap water samples from over 2,700 public water systems in California, which provide at least 98% of the West Coast state’s drinking water. These samples contained harmful, carcinogenic chemicals, such as chloroform, tetrachloroethylene, and hexavalent chromium (in addition to many others).
The study’s authors were then able to determine the risk of getting cancer as a result of drinking contaminated water by taking yearly average contamination levels between the years of 2011 and 2015.
As the authors state: “This results in an estimated number of 221 annual cancer cases due to drinking water contaminants in California,” or about 15,500 cases of cancer over the course of about 70 years (the average lifetime).
You’re reading this right: 15,500+ cases of cancer in California are directly caused by drinking contaminated tap water. It’s alarming!
The EWG also states that 495 public water systems in California are considered “high risk.” What they mean by this is that the tap water from these areas will cause cancer in about 1 in 1,000 people over the course of a lifetime.
They also state that 43 public water systems have a relative cancer risk as high as 4 in 1,000. The EWG does not specify which communities are at the highest risk; however, they do indicate that they include “communities of less than a thousand residents and one water system serving a population of 19,000.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that as many as 40% of Americans will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. Based on the recent revelations from the EWG, we can’t help but surmise that the chemicals in our public tap water have something to do with this sobering statistic.
Thirsty? Here’s how to drink water safely
The EWG identifies this contaminated drinking water issue as a “significant environmental justice problem.” We couldn’t agree more. As we can only hope that our public health officials will improve the infrastructure and resources necessary to resolve the root of this public health concern, there are at least some things we can do to protect the health of ourselves and our families:
Use a high-quality water purification system for your home water (those installed directly into the sink are generally more effective than filters on faucets or in pitchers)
Or, at the very least, be sure to use a water purification system on the counter for all your drinking and cooking water.
Whichever system you use, it’s important to maintain and clean your filters regularly.
People have long sought the secret to living a longer and healthier life, and researchers believe they’ve discovered part of that equation. It could be as simple as drinking enough water.
A new study published in The Lancet journal eBioMedicine, finds people who stay properly hydrated are less likely to show signs of premature aging and chronic illnesses.
Higher Blood Sodium Levels Linked to Older Biological Age
Researchers looked at health data accumulated for over 25 years from nearly 16,000 adults between 45 and 66 years old from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study to analyze their serum sodium levels—the amount of sodium in their blood—as a proxy for how much water they regularly drink.
Data collection began in 1987, and the average age of participants at the final assessment during the study period was 76.
The findings indicate that adults with serum sodium levels at the higher end of the normal range (135 to 146 milliequivalents per liter, or mEq/L) experienced worse health outcomes than those at the lower end of that range.
Participants with levels above 142 mEq/L experienced up to a 64 percent higher risk for chronic diseases that include stroke, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and dementia.
They also had a 10 to 15 percent increased risk of being biologically older than their actual age, compared with adults whose levels were within 137 to 142 mEq/L.
Those with levels between 144.5 and 146 mEq/L showed a 21 percent increased risk of premature death. However, adults who maintained their serum sodium levels between 138 and 140 mEq/L showed the lowest risk of developing chronic diseases.
While these findings can’t prove that staying hydrated can reduce disease risk, the researchers did establish an association between water intake and long-term health.
“Decreased body water content is the most common factor that increases serum sodium, which is why the results suggest that staying well hydrated may slow down the aging process and prevent or delay chronic disease,” study author Natalia Dmitrieva, a researcher at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, said in a statement.
The authors also cited research that finds about half of all people worldwide don’t meet recommendations for daily total water intake, which typically starts at six cups or 1.5 liters.
“I think it [sodium] is one piece of the puzzle,” Dr. Jessica Zwerling, a neurologist affiliated with Montefiore Medical Center, told The Epoch Times. She thought the study did a nice job using sodium as a proxy for aging.
She pointed out that it’s necessary to look at many other factors, like hormones, inflammation, and cytokines (signaling cells), that may also influence aging.
The findings suggest it’s important to keep serum sodium in an optimal range. Researchers found health risks were also higher among people with low serum sodium. This is consistent with previous research that found increased mortality in healthy people with low serum sodium levels.
The findings of that study indicate that regardless of blood pressure status, lower-than-normal sodium levels are associated with more heart attacks, strokes, and deaths compared to average intake.
How Much Water We Need Depends on Different Factors
According to research published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), adult women should drink about 2.2 liters of water per day, and adult men should aim for roughly three liters.
However, this doesn’t mean you need to drink those exact amounts.
“There have been good studies looking for ranges in women and men, around the two to two and a half liters per day range,” said Zwerling. “But [only] 80 percent of that [water intake] comes from drink.”
There’s water content in the food we eat that counts toward our daily intake. The recommendation can also be different according to the health conditions we have, or certain medications we’re taking.
“Or if you have an acute infection, which can require drinking more water than the recommended amount,” said Zwerling.
You Can Drink Too Much Water
Electrolytes, like sodium, are vital minerals that act as charged particles to carry electrical current across cells. This electrical current is essential for nerve stimulation, muscle contraction, and fluid regularity.
A deficiency can lead to a variety of undesirable symptoms like lack of energy, extreme fatigue, muscle soreness, blood pressure irregularity, and confusion. So maintaining a balance is essential to maintain overall health.
“Sodium plays one of the most important roles in the body,” said Beata Rydyger, a registered nutritionist based in Los Angeles and clinical nutritional advisor to Zen Nutrients. “However, other electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, and calcium also play vital roles and thus require daily maintenance.”
While proper daily hydration is essential for optimal health, drinking too much can pose a health risk and even become life-threatening.
“The kidneys release approximately a quart of fluid per hour,” explained Rydyger. “Excess amounts of water intake can lead to a condition known as hyponatremia (low blood sodium).”
Drinking more than the kidneys can eliminate causes the dilution of sodium, which is an essential electrolyte, and cause cells to swell and inflame.
Symptoms of hyponatremia include headache, nausea, vomiting, and confusion—and in serious cases, seizures or death.
Certain lifestyle factors, like exercise, can exacerbate this risk [by causing excessive thirst], cautioned Rydyger.
Now a team of scientists in Japan has sequenced their genomes, and finally shed some light on how they got so tough. It turns out tardigrades have developed a range of handy tools to help them avoid death time and time again – including a protein that acts as an in-built radiation shield for DNA.
Even cooler, the researchers showed that, when incorporated into human cells, this radiation-blocking protein also reduced the damage to human DNA from X-rays by an impressive 40 percent.
“We were really surprised,” one of the researchers, Takuma Hashimoto from the University of Tokyo, told AFP.
“It is striking that a single gene is enough to improve the radiation tolerance of human cultured cells.”
The team performed their genetic analysis on a specific species of water bear called Ramazzottius varieornatus, which is arguably the toughest of all tardigrade species.
Among other anomalies, what they found in the tiny creature’s genome was a protein called Dsup – short for “damage suppressor” – which suppresses radiation damage, as well as the damage caused by desiccation, which be just as destructive to DNA.
“Tolerance against X-ray is thought to be a side-product of [the] animal’s adaption to severe dehydration,” lead researcher Takekazu Kunieda, also from the University of Tokyo, told Jason Bittel from Nature.
(An experiment last year showed that water bears can survive being totally dehydrated by turning into glass.)
Because it’s so much easier to study the animal’s genome within mammalian cells, the researchers manipulated the DNA in human cells to get them to produce pieces of the tardigrade’s genome – which is where they noticed that Dsup could also protect human cells.
If Dsup could also be transplanted into live humans, it could make us more resilient to radiation – something that would be extremely useful when we venture out further into space.
In addition to Dsup, the researchers also showed that the tardigrade genome contained 16 copies of anti-oxidant enzymes, while most animals have just 10, and they also have four copies of DNA repair genes – most animal cells only have one.
And the study could also help put to rest a debate that started last year, when a team of scientists sequenced a tardigrade’s genome and showed that almost one-sixth of its DNA came from other species – more than any other known animal species.
The researchers suggested that foreign DNA might be able to explain some of water bears’ unique properties, but a few weeks later, a separate group of scientists disputed the claim, and showed that the foreign DNA was most likely a result of contamination, not genetic transfer.
The new Japanese study backs up those critics, by finding less than 1.2 percent of the species’ DNA to be foreign after carefully purifying the Ramazzottius varieornatus DNA – a very normal amount for most animals.
And while some of the protective genes were imported from other species – such as the antioxidant enzymes – most were “home-grown”, Kunieda told Andy Coghlan from New Scientist.
“It lays to rest the proposal that tardigrades acquired their extreme survival biology through massive acquisition of genes from other species,” added Mark Blaxter from the University of Edinburgh in the UK.
The fact that water bears are so damn indestructible because of their own adaptations just makes them even cooler in our book – and in the future we might even find out that those protective genes could be useful for humans, too. We just got reminded why these guys are our favourite animals.
You’ve probably heard you’re supposed to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of waterdaily. That’s almost enough to fill a 2 liter bottle—which even the most diligent water-drinkers may find daunting. But the classic advice is not the end-all-be-all of water intake. In fact, it’s pretty misleading.
“Fluid requirements vary among individuals based on age, sex, activity level, and even where you live,” Jessica Fishman Levinson, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., founder of nutrition counseling company Nutritioulicious tells SELF. Your personal fluid requirements also can vary each day, depending on the other things you’re doing, eating, and drinking.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that women get 2.7 liters—that’s 11 cups—of water per day. Note, they don’t say you need to drink 11 cups of water a day. That includes all sources of water—from a basic glass of tap, to a cup of coffee, to the water content of the foods you eat (which, the IOM estimates, makes up about one-fifth of your daily fluid intake). If you listen to your body—drink when you’re thirsty, eat when you’re hungry—chances are you’re going to get what you need, or pretty close to it. So stop sweating the eight glasses a day hubbub and think about it this way instead:
According to the Mayo Clinic, the benchmark should really say “eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid,” not water, because drinking things like milk, tea, and juice contribute to your total. “Good options for hydration without added calories are waters infused with fruit and herbs, unsweetened tea, and sparkling water,” Levinson says.
So does the water you get from the foods you eat.
“Your body absorbs water in foods just like it would liquids,” Levinson says. Many fruits and vegetables have high water content. Some good options: watermelon (duh), cucumbers, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, strawberries, oranges, and grapefruit. Even soup, Jell-O, and ice pops count as fluid.
On the flip side, some foods and drinks can increase how much water you need.
“Foods with a diuretic effect, such as alcohol and asparagus, may cause you to excrete more water so you may need more,” Levinson says.
If you eat high-sodium foods, your body likely will retain more water, leaving you thirstier. Drinking more fluids will help dilute your system and get fluids moving regularly again.
Since you’re not always keeping track of these “sneaky” sources of fluids, the best way to gauge your intake is by how your body feels.
If you’re thirsty, your body’s telling you that you need more water. “You might already be dehydrated,” Levinson says. Another good way to determine your fluid status is by taking a peek inside the toilet after you pee. “If your urine is light yellow, you’re probably getting enough fluids. If it’s dark or smells strongly, you probably need more water.”
To make sure you’re hydrated, keep a refillable water bottle with you all day so you can constantly sip whenever you want, and make a conscious effort to drink more whenever you’re getting sweaty. For more tips, check out these 12 easy ways to drink more water every day.
Dehydration can sneak up on you. Here’s how to tell if you need to drink up.
I was rollerblading (yes, rollerblading, don’t judge) around the neighborhood I was visiting—just cruising around, nothing crazy, so I didn’t bring any water with me.
About an hour in, I suddenly felt dizzy. I sat down under a tree in the shade for 15 minutes to get my bearings, then rolled home to enjoy a long stretch of A/C and sweet tea.
I’ve since had some scary episodes during long bike rides, but the fact is you don’t have to be pushing hard or going long to succumb to dehydration.
“It’s normal to experience mild dehydration during exercise,” says Rob Pickels, physiology director at CU Sports Medicine and Performance Center in Boulder, Colorado—especially if you’re in the heat and sweating.
“However, prolonged moderate dehydration or severe dehydration can be detrimental to your health; especially your kidney function,” he says.
You already know you need water when you feel thirsty, but there are less obvious signs that you’re on your way to serious dehydration. Here’s what Pickels warns to watch for.
A faster heart rate can be a sign of dehydration
Heart rate goes up with intensity, and it will tend to drift with long exercise (especially in the heat). However, if you’re seeing heart rates that are 15 to 20 beats higher than you’d expect, it could be your heart is compensating for reduced blood volume (aka dehydration) by beating faster.
Dizziness can be a sign of dehydration
You know how your head swims a bit when you suddenly stand from a sitting position? It’s called postural hypotension, and it’s the result of blood not reaching your head quickly enough as you change positions, thanks to low blood volume.
If you start feeling that at the gym when switching from seated to standing workouts, it could be a sign of dehydration.
Saggy skin can be a sign of dehydration
Technically called “decreased skin turgor,” when the skin on the back of your hand doesn’t snap back from being pinched, it’s a sign you need more fluids, stat.
“With normal hydration, the pinched skin should return back to normal essentially immediately,” says Pickels.
With moderate to severe dehydration, it will be slow to return.
“Try it now (I know you are) by pinching your skin for 2 to 3 seconds and then letting go. That’s your baseline,” he says.
Smelly urine can be a sign of dehydration
If nature calls and it smells like you’ve wandered into a bus station bathroom, that’s another good sign to drink more.
“A strong urine smell can be a sign of dehydration,” says Pickels.
Of course, it’s still good that you have to pee at this point, since once you hit severe dehydration, urine production decreases dramatically. Avoid slipping into that next stage by boosting your fluid intake as soon as possible.
The article How To Know if You’re Dangerously Dehydrated orginally ran on Bicycling.com.
A new study by researchers from the University of Illinois, USA found that increasing your water consumption by even 1% can cause you to eat less saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol, and bring down your calorie intake. Drinking 7 glasses of water a day can help you cut out 200 calories from your diet!
“The impact of plain water intake on diet was similar across race, ethnicity, education and income levels and body weight status,” said Dr. Ruopeng An, a kinesiology and community heath professor at the university.
The study involved over 18,300 participants. This is what the researchers found:
• One extra glass of water each day was tied to eating 68 fewer calories.
• Three extra cups of water each day was tied to eating 205 fewer calories.
• 205 fewer calories each day could lead to weight loss of around half a pound per week.
• Sodium intake decreased by 78 to 235 milligrams depending on how much water the participants drank.
• Sugar intake decreased by 5 to 18 grams.
• Cholesterol intake decreased by about 7 to 21 milligrams daily.
Does water really help with weight loss?
Water isn’t a magic bullet for weight loss, as much as we wish it were. What it mainly does is fill you up, so that you eat less at mealtimes. It also keeps your system moving efficiently, and flushes out toxins from your body.
Researchers also recommend that you drink water when you’re hungry because studies have found that the body mistakes hunger for thirst. So by quenching your thirst, you can avoid eating a whole bunch of extra calories that you didn’t really want in the first place.
There is another school of scientists who believe that water doesn’t help with weight loss. They think that water can help burn a few more calories overall, but not much. They also believe that it’s not necessary to stick only to water – any other fluid will do.
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