What is Milk Thistle and Does it Affect Patients with Asthma?

A 56-yo male with severe asthma and cirrhosis due to hepatitis C takes milk thistle (Silybum marianum) for his liver disease. He is on maximal asthma therapy including ICS plus LABA, LTRA and prednisone 5 mg po qd. His pulmonologist is wondering if his milk thistle intake has anything do to with his difficult to control asthma.

What is milk thistle?

Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterized by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins. Prickles often occur all over the plant and are an adaptation to protect the plant against herbivorous animals, discouraging them from feeding on the plant.

The national flower of Scotland is Scots Thistle possibly stemming from the story that a Viking attacker stepped on one at night and cried out, so alerting the defenders of a Scottish castle.

Milk thistles are thistles of the genus Silybum Adans., flowering plants of the daisy family. They are native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Health uses, mainly for chronic liver disease, have been traditionally claimed for the plant.

What is the therapeutic use of milk thistle?

Milk thistle has been used medicinally for over 2,000 years, most commonly for the treatment of liver and gallbladder disorders. The active compound in milk thistle is silymarin, a mixture of at least 4 flavonolignans. The terms “milk thistle” and “silymarin” are often used interchangeably. Silymarin is typically administered orally in amount ranging from 200-500mg per day.

Uses based on scientific evidence rated by grade:

Chronic hepatitis

Several studies of oral milk thistle reported improvements in LFTs. Most studies were small and poorly designed.
Grade B

Cirrhosis

In several studies from Europe milk thistle improved LFTs and decreased death rate.
Grade B

Acute viral hepatitis

Not recommended.
Grade C

Amanita phalloides mushroom poisoning

Milk thistle has been used traditionally to treat Amanita phalloides mushroom poisoning. Not recommended.
Grade C

Key to grades

A Strong scientific evidence for this use
B Good scientific evidence for this use
C Unclear scientific evidence for this use
D Fair scientific evidence against this use

According to AHRQ, clinical efficacy of milk thistle is not clearly established. Interpretation of the evidence is hampered by poor study methods and/or poor quality of reporting in publications. Possible benefit has been shown for improvement in LFTs. Milk thistle is associated with few, and generally minor, adverse effects.

Synonyms for milk thistle

Bull thistle, cardo blanco, Cardui mariae fructus, Cardui mariae herba, emetic root, flavonolignans, heal thistle, holy thistle, isosilibinin, isosilybin, lady’s thistle, Marian thistle, mariana mariana, Mary thistle, mild thistle, milk ipecac, pig leaves, royal thistle, silybin, silybinin, Silybum marianum, snake milk, St. Mary’s thistle, thisylin, wild artichoke.

Does milk thistle affect the respiratory status of patients with asthma?

Pubmed search does not show any studies which have formally evaluated the effect of milk thistle on the respiratory system of patients with asthma or COPD but a significant effect appears unlikely.

References:
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum). Mayo Clinic.
Milk Thistle: Effects on Liver Disease and Cirrhosis and Clinical Adverse Effects. AHRQ.
Milk thistle. University of Maryland.
Milk thistle, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Image source: Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.

Related:
Milk Thistle: Benefits and Side Effects. WebMD.

12/11/2008

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Oral Contraceptives & Age of Menarche Affect The Risk of Asthma

Oral contraceptives and age of menarche affect the risk of asthma

Endogenous and exogenous sex hormones allegedly linked to the development of asthma and respiratory asthma-like disorders in young women, according to a team of researchers in the May issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

In the study, 905 were studied menstruating women aged 13 to 28 years old.

It was found that women with the appearance of menarche to 12 years, the risk of asthma after puberty was 2.08 times higher than in patients with the start of menarche at age 12 years.

Use of oral contraceptives is also correlated with an increase in the probability of occurrence of 1.75 in patients without a history of asthma, wheezing. It is not clear how the change in the level of sex hormones increases the risk of developing asthma. Perhaps this is due to unaccounted lifestyle factors, or is due to decrease in the content of physiological levels of estrogen and progesterone during phases of each menstrual cycle.

Data of previous large studies of postmenopausal women showed that hormone replacement therapy increases the risk of developing asthma. Oral contraceptives with higher doses of estrogen and progesterone can have a pronounced effect on asthma or asthma-like respiratory disorders.

However, the researchers argue that a combination of asthma and oral contraceptives have no contraindications.

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Does Second-Hand Smoke Affect Pets?

By Ruthie Bently

Second-hand smoke (also known as ETS or environmental tobacco smoke) comes from anything that is smoked: cigarettes, cigars and pipes. Second-hand smoke is a carcinogen that can cause cancer in both dogs and cats. Dogs that live with smokers in a building that is not well ventilated have a higher risk of not only lung cancer but nasal cancer as well. Dogs with short noses like Pugs, French and English Bulldogs and Boxers are susceptible to lung cancer, while dogs with long noses like Afghans, Collies and Labrador Retrievers are susceptible to nasal cancer. The difference is where the carcinogens accumulate in a dog’s body.

Second-hand smoke can also be associated with cardiovascular and respiratory disease, chronic lung infections, asthma, and eye problems. ETS has been extensively researched where humans are concerned, but not as many studies have been done for our companion animals. Studies have shown that tobacco smoke contains up to twenty different carcinogens which can be inhaled by non-smoking bystanders. ETS consists of the smoke released by a burning cigar, cigarette or pipe as well as the smoke exhaled by the smoker themselves. There are over 4,000 chemicals contained in second-hand smoke including arsenic, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nickel, benzene, chromium and vinyl chloride.

If you are not ready to quit smoking, or are having a hard time accomplishing it, there are several things you can do to help minimize the dangers to your pet. Using air purifiers around the house and air filters on your furnace will help but not alleviate the problem as it takes so long for ETS to clear. Consider smoking outside the house, or make a smoke-free room or two in your house where your pet can go to get away from the smoke.

If it is too cold for you to smoke outside, choose a room to smoke in that can be shut off from the rest of the house. Crack a window in your “smoking room” while you are smoking to help vent the ETS from the house faster. Another important way to help your pet is to brush and groom them regularly; this can remove the smoke residue that collects on their coat. They clean themselves with their tongues and can ingest the toxins as they are grooming their coats. Your veterinarian may suggest an anti-oxidant to minimize the cancer causing effects. If you are concerned and want to learn more about the dangers of second-hand smoke to pets, give your veterinarian a call.

Read more articles by Ruthie Bently

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Latex Allergy Symptoms Severely Affect Many People

Tree Allergies

Some people found latex allergy symptoms can be very troubling. Normally these products are everywhere so anyone can be affected with this type of allergy, especially with people working on medical or dental facilities and on rubber industries.

Tree Allergies

These people have to be very careful in their daily lives as latex has been used extensively for more than twenty years, and this substance is especially used in the healthcare industry.

Tree Allergies

The natural substance that is the basis for latex is mixed with other substances to come up with this special material. Latex is a rubber product that comes from the same trees that provide other important materials for business and industry.

Tree Allergies

When people come into contact with the manufactured product or contact with the natural substance of latex, then they may get affected by this type of allergy.

People can avoid the allergy symptoms if the manufactured substances are produced properly, but there is no guarantee that the substances are produced properly all the time. People can not avoid contacting many products such as rubber gloves and condoms, balloons, gloves.

Latex Allergy Symptoms Are Most Distressing

Doctors, healthcare workers are mostly likely to develop the allergy symptoms because they have to use products made from latex. Theses peoples often use gloves made of latex for their work.

The use of gloves is very important for their work as it provide hygiene to workers who come into contact with patients or sick people. People who have to use products made from latex can check out for the symptoms due to its allergy. The symptoms are like simple or very severe rash.

The greatest danger for those people with this type of allergies is a condition known as anaphylaxis. This reaction result in breathing problems, low blood pressure and may lead to patient's death.

Latex allergy symptoms can appear because of a slight gesture with a glove in the office of a doctor or dentist. The dust of the latex can escape from the glove if someone snaps the glove as they put it on or take it off.

This movement could bring about some misery if there is someone with an allergy to latex. These people could immediately develop latex allergy symptoms.

Latex Allergy Symptoms Severely Affect Many People

Tree Allergies

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