Physical Fitness Cuts Frequencies of Colds, URTIs
A study has found that those who get aerobic exercise more often have a reduced frequency of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), such as colds. The effect also was seen in those who perceive themselves as physically fit; the severity of cold symptoms was 41 percent less for those who believed they were fit and 31 percent reduced for those who were, in fact, the most active. The total number of days with cold symptoms was about half for those who reported getting aerobic activity five days a week or more, compared to those with the most sedentary lifestyles. Researchers speculate that the effect works this way: bouts of aerobic exercise boost immune system cells but they fall back a few hours later; but each exercise round may increase surveillance by the immune system, of harmful viruses and bacteria. Regardless of exercise, honorable mention for getting fewer URTIs went to those who were male, older and married. This study was released November 1, 2010 and will be published in a future issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It can be read online now at http://bit.ly/cJ4bSB but this requires a subscription or payment.
Black Raspberries Cut Colon Cancer Risk
A study has concluded that consumption of black raspberries is highly effective in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. In a mouse study, researchers fed two groups a Western-style diet (high in fat and low in calcium and vitamin D). They then altered the diet of the test group so that 10 percent of its food intake was comprised of freeze-dried black raspberry powder, which continued for 12 weeks. In the test group, the raspberry supplement produced a broad range of protective effects in the intestine, colon and rectum, and inhibited tumor formation. The black raspberries inhibited tumor development by suppressing a protein, known as beta-catenin. Tumor incidence was reduced by 45 percent and the number of individual tumors was reduced by 60 percent. Because black raspberries also reduce inflammation, this food may also help prevent a variety of inflammatory diseases, including heart disease. This study was released November 2, 2010 by the journal, Cancer Prevention Research. Although it will not be published in the journal until a future issue, it is available online now at http://bit.ly/cPTaWC for subscribers or those who pay the fee.
Further Evidence of Resveratrol's Cancer Preventive Effect
A study has found further evidence that resveratrol contributes to cancer chemopreventive activity (helps prevent cancer). In previous research on rodents, this polyphenol found in plants, notably in red grape skins and wine, has been shown to reduce levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a hormone similar to insulin. Researchers studied 40 human volunteers to assess effects of repeated dosing with resveratrol on two hormones: IGF-1 and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3). A reduction in these factors is associated with anticancer activity. Subjects ingested resveratrol for 29 days, in dosages of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, or 5.0 grams. There was a decrease for all volunteers in circulating IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 hormones but the greatest decrease was noted for those on 2.5 grams a day. Also, resveratrol was found to be safe, except that the higher dosages (2.5 and 5.0 grams) caused mild to moderate gastrointestinal problems. The study team concluded high resveratrol dosing contributes to cancer preventive activity in humans. This study was released November 2, 2010 by the journal, Cancer Research but will not be published until a future issue. It can be read online now at http://bit.ly/dyDfqs with subscription or fee payment.
Vitamin D Sufficiency Cuts Leukemia (CLL) Mortality by Half
A deficiency of vitamin D has been linked previously to a higher risk of cancer generally but studies have never looked at the vitamin's relation to leukemia. Now, a study has concluded that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who had sufficient levels of vitamin D at the time of initial diagnosis, experienced slower progression of the disease and were about half a likely to die from it. Researchers also found that increasing vitamin D levels in CLL patients produced longer survival times; and decreasing vitamin D levels resulted in shorter intervals between diagnosis and cancer progression. CLL is normally a slower progressing cancer and typically, treatment for CLL patients, even they are diagnosed at an early stage, is not initiated until symptoms develop, leaving patients feeling there is nothing they can do. Further studies may prove that the patients can use this period to boost their levels of vitamin D and have levels monitored by their health practitioner. Vitamin D is available from sunlight, certain foods such as fatty fish and eggs, and from supplements. This study was released November 3, 2010 but will not be published until a future issue of the journal, Blood. It is available online at http://bit.ly/cqyfP6 with subscription or fee payment.
Smoking Increases Risk of Fatal Breast Cancer
A study has clarified a link between smoking and breast cancer that is independent of socioeconomic, clinical and lifestyle factors. Women who are current smokers, or who have a history of smoking, have a greater risk of breast cancer progression and a 39 percent higher rate of dying from breast cancer. Smoking has been linked strongly to lung cancer and several other cancers but the association with breast cancer has been unclear. Smokers, or previous smokers, who were diagnosed with breast cancer also showed double the risk of subsequently dying from non-breast-cancer-related causes compared to women with the disease who had never smoked. The nine year study enrolled 2,265 multi-ethnic women. The researchers presented their findings on November 8, 2010 at the ninth annual Frontiers in Cancer Research hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research, in Philadelphia. It has not yet been published in any of the association's seven journals and it is not available online.
Tai Chi Relieves Arthritis Pain
The largest study to date on the Arthritis Foundation's Tai Chi program has found that participants - including those with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia - showed moderate improvement in pain, fatigue, stiffness and well-being. While some received no tai chi intervention, others took the eight-week, twice-weekly tai chi course. All were assessed after the eight weeks by physical measures, such as walking speed and balance testing, as well as by self-reported differences. Individuals were recruited from urban and rural areas and from a southeastern state, North Carolina, and a northeastern state, New Jersey. Participants were included even if they were unable to stand so long as they could perform tai chi movements. Results proved consistent across these different groups. This study was presented November 8, 2010 at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Atlanta. It has not yet been reported in a journal and is not available online.
Lower Folate Levels Linked to an Increased Risk of Depression
A study has found that boosting folate, or folic acid, intake should be considered as a means to ward off the onset of clinical depression. The study looked at depressive symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and at blood levels of folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine for 2,524 adults aged 20 to 85 years. Overall, women showed a higher score than men on the PHQ, indicating a greater incidence of depression. Also, blood levels of vitamin B12 and homocysteine showed no apparent association with depression generally, although older adults did show a higher risk of depression if they had higher homocysteine levels. However, people in the lowest third of blood levels of folate, compared with those in the highest third of folate status, showed a 37 percent greater risk of having significant depression symptoms (having a higher PHQ score). The researchers concluded that mental health outcomes might be improved if health practitioners took into account the dietary and supplement folate, or folic acid, intake of patients. The study was published in the November/December 2010 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine. It is available online at http://bit.ly/9IrbXc with subscription or access fee.
Brain Chemical May Be Behind Mood Benefits of Yoga
Research has suggested that yoga has a greater effect on mood and anxiety levels than walking and other forms of exercise. But the mechanism for this effect has been unclear. However, a new 12-week study ties together, on the one hand, the yoga-induced increase in the thalamus, of the antidepressant, nerve-regulating, brain chemical known as GABA; and on other hand, and the effect of improved mood and lessened anxiety. GABA activity often is reduced in patients with mood or anxiety disorders and drugs commonly are prescribed to increase GABA levels and treat these conditions. Yoga postures appear to have the same therapeutic effect as GABA activity-boosting medications but without any negative side effects. This may provide an objective basis for yoga's effect but the study team wrote that "the possible role of GABA in mediating the beneficial effects of yoga on mood and anxiety warrants further study." This study was published in the November, 2010 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine and is available online at http://bit.ly/aLU3WU without subscription or fee.
DHA Improves Age-Related Cognitive Decline
A new, six-month study has found that the omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) improves learning and memory function in healthy, older adults with age-related cognitive decline (ARCD). Fish oils are rich in DHA, which is the most abundant omega-3 fat in the human brain and retina. In previous research, higher DHA intake has been associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease. This study - which was reported in the November 2010 issue of the journal, Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association - underscores the importance of early intervention with DHA. Another study - reported in the November 3, 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) - found DHA did not improve cognitive function in those already diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. But researchers behind the Alzheimer's & Dementia study concluded that the key benefit may be seen only when DHA is taken over time and before Alzheimer's has developed; and the lead author of the JAMA study suggested results may have been different if DHA had been administered before the disease had progressed. The Alzheimer's & Dementia study is available online now at http://bit.ly/9Y556k with subscription or fee payment.
Poor or Insufficient Sleep Increases Heart Risk
Researchers have found that insufficient or poor-quality sleep causes higher levels of inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The study team recorded sleep quality, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index survey, as well as the number of hours of sleep. Subjects regularly getting fewer than six hours of sleep, as well as those regularly getting a poor quality of sleep, had higher levels of three inflammation markers: fibrinogen, IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP). People in the highest third of CRP levels have been shown to have roughly twice the risk of heart attack, compared to those with lower levels, according to the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Previous studies have shown that people getting between seven and eight hours of sleep live longer, while those getting more than eight, or less than seven, are more likely to have high blood pressure, obesity, or psychological stress. Inflammation may be the mechanism by which poor sleep quality increases heart disease and stroke risk. This study was presented in Chicago on November 14, 2010 at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. It has not yet been journal-published.
Dim Light at Night Linked to Depression
Researchers have found that exposure to even a dim light while sleeping is sufficient to cause physical changes in an area of the brain that is associated with clinical depression. This is the first study to find that light at night, by itself, leads to a lower density of dendritic spines in the hippocampus region of the brain. (Dendritic spines are hair-like growths on brain cells, which are used to send chemical messages from one cell to another.) One previous study found that bright light during sleep periods causes depressive symptoms and another found light at night is linked to weight gain. But the new study focused on the dim light of 5 lux, which is similar to a switched-on television in an otherwise darkened room. The researchers speculate that exposure to light during sleep suppresses secretion of melatonin, the hormone that lets the body know when it is nighttime. This study was presented November 17, 2010 in San Diego at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. It has not yet been published in a journal and is not yet available online.
Pomegranate Juice Fights Cardiovascular Disease, Infection
A new study has concluded that drinking pomegranate juice three times daily for one year reduces the incidence of infections, inflammation, and oxidative stress in chronic kidney disease dialysis patients. (Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of chemically-reactive molecules containing oxygen and the body's ability to detoxify them; oxidation is implicated in numerous diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and heart failure.) This means that pomegranate juice wards off a number of common complications of kidney dialysis, including a higher mortality rate due to infections and cardiovascular disease. (Cardiovascular disease can result from inflammation.) These findings support other studies that found pomegranate juice has a potent antioxidant effect. Pomegranate juice consumption could produce similar benefits in people with healthy kidneys but further research would be required. The study team stressed the need to monitor potassium levels in any juice taken by kidney patients, especially those with dietary potassium restrictions. This study was presented in Denver on the evening of November 18, 2010 at the 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition of the American Society of Nephrology. It has not yet been published and is not available online.
High-Produce Diet Can Improve Kidney Function
In kidney patients, the Western diet produces an acidic environment, which has numerous negative effects that worsen with age and kidney functional decline. A new study has concluded that adhering to a diet high in fruits and vegetables, which counteracts this acidity, improves kidney function in patients with moderately reduced kidney function due to high blood pressure. Thirty days on a high-produce diet resulted in lower levels, in the urine, of three common indicators of kidney injury, which are known as albumin, transforming growth factor, and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. Researchers suggested that further studies be conducted to determine whether a diet high in fruits and vegetables could be a relatively inexpensive and natural intervention to prevent the worsening of kidney function in patients with high-blood-pressure-associated kidney disease. This study was presented November 20, 2010 in Denver at Renal Week 2010, a conference of the American Society of Nephrology. It has not yet been published in a journal and is not yet available online.
Smoking Increases Arthritis Risk
Researchers have concluded that cigarette smoking doubles the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), at least among African-Americans. Both current and previous smokers are at greater risk. Also, smokers who have a genetic risk factor for RA - because they have the genetic factor known as "HLA-DRB1 shared epitope" - are four times as likely to develop the autoimmune disease. (RA is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joint lining, called the synovial membrane, and causes pain, swelling and redness in the joints. Seventy percent of those diagnosed with RA are women.) Heavy smoking was found in 54 percent of RA patients. These findings are generally consistent with previous studies suggesting a link between smoking and rheumatoid arthritis. However, this study specifically shows the link also applies to African-Americans and to what extent. This study will be published in the December 2010 issue of the journal, Arthritis & Rheumatism. It will be available online in December at the journal website at http://bit.ly/ikiA85 with subscription or access fee payment.
Some Flavonoid Types Lower High Blood Pressure Risk
A large, 14-year study has found that regular intake of anthocyanins and some flavones, including apigenin, may help to prevent hypertension, or high blood pressure. (Anthocyanins are flavonoid pigments found in abundance in red or purplish fruits and vegetables, including purple cabbage, beets, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries and purple grapes. Flavones are yellow pigments mainly found in cereals and herbs. Apigenin is a citrus bioflavonoid, found in citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit.) The reduction in high blood risk varied from six percent to 12 percent depending on the specific anthocyanin or flavone. These compounds appeared to exert a protective effect, among individuals who habitually ingested them, against hypertension through their ability to dilate arteries. This study was released November 24, 2010 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition but will not be published until a future issue of the journal. It is available now online at http://bit.ly/eZrseJ with journal subscription or access fee payment.
Pollutant May Cause Multiple Sclerosis
A new study has found the first strong laboratory evidence that an environmental pollutant may play a key role in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). This toxic compound, acrolein (pronounced a-KRO-le-in), is found in tobacco smoke, as well as in some other pollutants such as auto exhaust. It is also produced by the body following serious nerve damage. Acrolein is a neurotoxin (damages nerve tissue) and the researchers believe that acrolein is what degrades the myelin in MS patients. (In multiple sclerosis, the myelin insulation surrounding nerve cells is destroyed and the nerve fibers themselves are damaged.) Also, acrolein induces the production of free radicals, which further injure tissues. Previous studies have shown this compound damages liver cells. Further research will be conducted by the same team, which has identified several compounds that may be able to bind with acrolein and remove it from the body. The group is also working to improve detection methods that can measure acrolein levels in MS patients. This recently-released study will be published in a future issue of the journal, Neuroscience, but is available online now at http://bit.ly/eNCHq1 with subscription or fee payment.
High-Antioxidant Diet May Lower Risk of One Type of Stroke
A study has found that a diet with a high total antioxidant capacity (TAC) may reduce the risk of a cerebral infarction, a type of ischemic stroke in the brain. (Ischemic strokes involve a restriction of the blood supply.) Prior studies have suggested that inflammation and oxidative stress play a role in ischemic strokes; and a high-antioxidant diet has been linked to a reduction of stress and higher levels of circulating anti-oxidants, suggesting a high TAC diet may help prevent ischemic strokes. This study of 41,620 men and women found only a minor reduction in the risks of strokes generally, with a high TAC diet. However, looking only at ischemic strokes, the study found a 59 percent reduction in this risk among those on a high TAC diet. Examining specific antioxidants, vitamin C itself was linked to a 42 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke; but high doses of vitamin E were linked to a three times higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke, a different type of stroke altogether. (Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel bursts inside the brain.) The researchers concluded that a high-antioxidant diet significantly reduces the risk of ischemic stroke. Just released, this study will not be published until a future issue of the Journal of Nutrition but is now available online at http://bit.ly/fMQAqm with fee payment or subscription.
BPA and Anti-Bacterial Soaps May Disrupt Immune System
Building on previous animal studies on bisphenol A (BPA), a new study has concluded that this compound may cause negative alterations to the human immune system. (BPA is found in many plastics, plastic food storage containers, thermal paper used for receipts, dental sealant, and as a protective plastic lining in food cans.) Although 200 previous studies have linked BPA with negative health effects on animals, this is the first study to find a link between the compound and the human immune system. Researchers detected higher levels of cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody levels in people who had highest levels of BPA in their urine, suggesting their "cell-mediated immune system may not be functioning properly." They also noted greater incidence of allergies and hay fever in those with higher urine levels of triclosan. (Triclosan is found in antibacterial soaps, toothpaste, pens and medical devices.) This follows a September 20, 2010 study in the same journal suggesting human exposure to BPA may be greater than formerly suspected and through various avenues. This study was posted online November 30, 2010 by the journal, Environmental Health Perspectives and is available at http://bit.ly/hBVSvT with no fee or subscription required.
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