Study: Green Tea Lowers Cholesterol
GREEN TEA LOWERS CHOLESTEROL
Researchers have completed a comprehensive meta-analysis and found that drinking green tea or taking green tea extract lowered blood levels of total cholesterol, reduced levels of low-density-lipoprotein (LDL or bad) cholesterol, but did not have any effect on levels of high-density-lipoprotein (HDL or good) cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is often referred to by the media as bad cholesterol because some studies have associated higher levels of these fat particles in the blood with health problems and cardiovascular disease.
The effect of green tea on cholesterol has been controversial. The combined results of 14 trials involving a total of 1,136 test subjects showed an average reduction in total cholesterol of 7.20 mg/dL, and an average reduction in LDL cholesterol of 2.19 mg/dL, both of which are considered statistically significant.
This study was released June 29, 2011 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and will appear in a future print issue. It is accessible online now at http://bit.ly/l4mYEW to subscribers or those who pay the access fee.
Reference:
Green tea intake lowers fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol in adults: a meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials Am J Clin Nutr 2011 ajcn.010926; First published online June 29, 2011.
New Hope for Type I Diabetics (Juvenile)
CHEMICAL MADE BY PANCREAS MAY CURE TYPE 1 DIABETES
A study has found that injection of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a compound that is produced in non-diabetic people by the same pancreatic cells (islet beta cells) that normally make insulin, can prevent and even reverse type 1 diabetes in mice. (In type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that make and secrete insulin, leaving the patient with little or no insulin. GABA is also known as a brain messenger, or neurotransmitter, but its role in the pancreas was unknown.)
This may be an especially effective therapy and prevention for type 1 diabetes because GABA was found both to regenerate insulin-producing beta cells, and to prevent destruction of those cells by the immune system. This treatment would need human trials before it could be considered a new treatment for type 1 diabetes.
This study was released June 27, 2011 and will appear in a future issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/l0YWg9 with subscription or fee.
How Many Commercials Do Kids See a Year?
How much TV do your kids watch?
If you don’t know, you might want to find out, say experts, since the time children spend in front of a TV or computer screen can have a profound effect on their physical and developmental health.
In a new policy statement on the role of media on obesity, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Council on Communications and Media warns parents that TV watching doesn’t just make children more sedentary, but also influences their eating habits, which in turn has consequences for their health. In other words, it’s not just that TV watching encourages youngsters to be less physically active, but it also exposes them to food advertisements that contribute to develop poor eating habits that can set kids up for health problems as adults.
“We created a perfect storm between media use, junk and fast food advertising, and physical inactivity,” says Dr. Victor Strasburger, professor of pediatrics at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and member of the AAP’s Council. “We created a situation where we now have more overweight and obese adults in the U.S, than underweight and normal weight adults; it’s become an urgent public health problem.”
The policy statement highlights the fact that the harms of TV viewing go beyond promoting inactivity. More studies have shown that children who spend more time in front of the tube are more likely to eat higher-calorie foods, drink sugared sodas and grow up to be overweight adults. In a U.K. study that followed children over 30 years into adulthood, for every additional hour of TV youngsters watched on weekends at age five, their risk of being obese as adults rose by 7%. And in some cases, it doesn’t even take that long for the extra pounds to accumulate: a Japanese study found that children who watched more TV at age three were more likely to be overweight at age six.
The culprit: advertising for unhealthy foods.
The average American child sees nearly 8,000 commercials on TV for food and beverages, and only 165 of these are for nutritious options like fruits and vegetables. “Clearly eating behavior changes if you watch a lot of TV,” says Strasburger. “You tend to snack more, eat more unhealthy food and eat more calories if you eat in front of the TV set.”
What can parents do?
- Limiting TV time to no more than two hours a day can help, says the AAP committee.
- Another important step toward breaking the TV-obesity link is to make sure that children don’t have TV sets or Internet connections in their bedrooms.
- Parents should also watch television with their kids, so they can educate them about commercials and learn to distinguish healthy from unhealthy foods.
“Media such as television is the most important and under-appreciated influence on children’s development and behavior,” says Strasburger. “Media affect virtually every concern that parents and pediatricians have about their kids, whether it’s obesity, sex, drugs or school performance. When kids spend up to seven hours a day watching television or on the computer, it’s time to acknowledge that influence and spend money on researching how we can maximize the good effects of media and minimize its bad effects.”
Even Diet Soda Induces Weight Gain in Elderly
June 24, 2011 (San Diego, California) — The perception that diet soft drinks are a benign alternative to highly sweetened beverages might be dangerously wrong, according to the results of the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging, which were reported here at the American Diabetes Association 71st Scientific Sessions.
Diet soft drinks have long been thought to be a healthier alternative to their sugary counterparts; however, past reports have linked increased incidence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes to the frequent intake of diet soft drinks.
In the study presented, Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and colleagues examined the effect of the long-term consumption of diet soft drinks by a population of individuals 65 to 74 years of age (n = 474).
At baseline, measures of height, weight, and waist circumference were recorded, as was diet soft drink intake. Three additional exams of the study subjects were conducted over an average follow-up of just over 3.5 years (the study was conducted over a 9-year period).
When the results of these observations were compared with those from subjects who did not drink diet soft drinks, the differences were striking. Overall, consumers of diet soft drinks experienced a 70% greater increase in waist circumference than nonconsumers. Further, among elderly drinkers of 2 or more diet soft drinks per day, mean increases in waist circumference were 5 times greater than those recorded for nonconsumers.
“These results suggest that — amidst the national drive to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks — policies that promote the consumption of diet soft drinks may have unintended deleterious effects,” state the study investigators.
Previous work by Ms. Fowler has evaluated the negative effects of diet drinks (Obesity [Silver Spring]. 2008;16:1894-1900).
Ms. Fowler has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
American Diabetes Association (ADA) 71st Scientific Sessions: Abstract 0062-OR. Presented June 25, 2011.
Reduced Risk of Diabetes with Higher Vitamin D Levels
June 25, 2011 (San Diego, California) — Higher levels of vitamin D in the blood appear to be associated with a reduced risk for incident diabetes among people at high risk for the disease, according to a new report.
Anastassios G. Pittas, MD, from the division of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at the Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues presented the findings here at the American Diabetes Association 71st Scientific Sessions.
According to Dr. Pittas, vitamin D might play a role in diabetes by improving insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. “Most of the evidence focuses on a favorable effect in pancreatic beta cells,” he told Medscape Medical News.
To determine the relation between vitamin D status and risk for incident diabetes, the researchers analyzed data from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a 3-group trial comparing intensive lifestyle modification or metformin with placebo for the prevention of diabetes in patients with prediabetes.
The mean follow-up of the 2039-person cohort was 3.2 years. Plasma vitamin D levels were measured at yearly intervals, and subjects were assessed for incident diabetes. For this analysis, only participants in the intensive lifestyle and placebo groups of the DPP were considered.
Participants with vitamin D levels in the highest tertile (median concentration, 30.1 ng/mL) had a hazard ratio of 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.93) for developing diabetes, compared with those with vitamin D levels in the lowest tertile (median concentration, 12.8 ng/mL).
The findings also suggest a dose-dependent effect for vitamin D levels; the hazard ratio for incident diabetes was lowest (0.46; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.90) in the people with the highest vitamin D levels (50 ng/mL or higher), compared with those with the lowest levels (below 12 ng/mL).
In a subgroup analysis by tertiles of vitamin D, the association was similar in the placebo group (0.72; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.96) and the lifestyle group (0.80; 95% CI, 0.54 to 1.14).
According to Dr. Pittas, “this study offers several methodological advantages over previous studies.” Vitamin D status was assessed multiple times during follow-up, not just once at baseline, which might not reflect long-term vitamin D status.
“Our study also includes a large clinically relevant population at high risk for diabetes, with a substantial proportion of nonwhite participants, which improves the external validity of the results,” he said. However, he added, “this is an observational study and therefore confounding cannot be excluded. It would be premature to recommend vitamin D specifically for prevention of diabetes.”
“This prospective study confirms that there is an association between levels of vitamin D and risk of diabetes, even when correcting for body weight, with no absolute threshold of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D,” said independent commentator Clifford Rosen, MD, from the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. Dr. Rosen is a vitamin D researcher and member of the Institute of Medicine Committee that reviewed the evidence on calcium and vitamin D.
“The implications of this study relate to the importance of performing a randomized placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in those at high risk,” he told Medscape Medical News. “In the interim, clinicians should at least focus on maintaining vitamin D levels in high-risk individuals at or around 20 ng/mL,” he added.
The study was not commercially funded. Dr. Pittas and Dr. Rosen have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
American Diabetes Association (ADA) 71st Scientific Sessions: Abstract 0117-OR. Presented June 25, 2011.
Type II Diabetes Reversal
TYPE 2 DIABETES REVERSED WITH EXTREME DIET
A small but landmark study has found that type 2 diabetes patients who followed for two months, an extreme but tightly supervised diet that restricted calories to just 600 a day experienced a return to normal pre-breakfast blood sugar levels after one week and that 70 percent of those patients remained completely free of diabetes a month after returning to their regular, but newly portion-controlled, diet.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are too high due to insufficient insulin or the inability to use insulin effectively. The researchers believe excess calories eventually cause fat buildup in the liver and pancreas, triggering type 2 diabetes. MRI scans of study subjects showed the pancreas returns quickly to normal fat levels and regains its ability to produce insulin.
This suggests type 2 diabetes may be reversed by calorie restriction alone.
A 600-calorie diet is a drastic, starvation diet that should only be followed temporarily and only under close practitioner supervision.
Presented June 24, 2011 at the American Diabetes Association conference, this study will appear in a future issue of the journal Diabetologia, but is now accessible online at http://bit.ly/mDicGp without cost.
The Polyphenol for Baby Boomers
HUMAN BENEFIT FROM RESVERATROL FURTHER SUGGESTED
Following their research review of the limited number of studies conducted so far that have direct relevance to humans, researchers have suggested that, although the polyphenol compound known as resveratrol may not prevent or retard actual aging, it may indeed help prevent some of the chronic conditions associated with old age, although more long-term human studies are urgently needed.
Despite an abundance of evidence pointing to the beneficial effects of resveratrol, a compound found in grapes and wine, very few studies have been done on humans and the bioavailability of resveratrol in humans, as opposed to animals, is still in doubt.
Gathering together evidence from previous studies on animals, cultures and enzymes, the team found indication that resveratrol may have anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory effects.
Scientists suggest that if the ability of resveratrol to alleviate age-related infirmities is established in humans, it could have vast importance as the baby boomer generation enters old age.
This just-released study will appear in a future issue of the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. The full-text study is available online now at http://bit.ly/kG4aWy with subscription or fee.
High Dose Statin Therapy Increases Risk of Diabetes
High-Dose Statin Therapy Increases the Risk of Diabetes
June 21, 2011 (London, United Kingdom) — A meta-analysis of some of the more high-profile statin trials testing the effectiveness of high-dose therapy has revealed a significant increase in the risk of diabetes mellitus associated with statin use in high doses [1]. Compared with moderate-dose therapy across five statin trials, investigators report that treatment with high-dose statins increased the risk of diabetes by 12%.
Senior investigator Dr Kausik Ray (St George’s University of London, UK) said that while there might be consequences from the raised blood glucose levels, researchers do not yet know what these long-term effects mean. The net benefit of high-dose statin therapy “is definitely in favor” of using the drugs, he said.
“One thing we do know is that there does appear to be a dose effect with statin therapy, with the risk of diabetes mellitus increasing with higher doses,” Ray told heartwire . “Statins have multiple effects and cause a number of changes. What we’re seeing is probably an off-target effect, and right now we have no obvious mechanisms. However, lowering LDL-cholesterol levels is probably more important than the increase in blood-sugar levels.”
In their analysis, the number of patients needed to treat with high-dose statin therapy to prevent one cardiovascular event was 155, whereas the number needed to treat to cause one case of new-onset diabetes mellitus was 498. Overall, high-dose statin therapy reduced the risk of cardiovascular events in their meta-analysis by 16% compared with low- or moderate-dose statin therapy.
The results of the study are published in the June 22, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Previous Observed Diabetes Risk
Ray said that the idea for the meta-analysis began two years ago, when the signal for diabetes risk was observed in Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER). The group later performed an analysis of some of the early statin trials comparing the lipid-lowering drugs with placebo in 90 000 individuals and observed a significant 9% increase in the risk of diabetes mellitus. That study was reported in the Lancet in 2010 [2].
In this newest analysis, the researchers included large, randomized, controlled, hard-end-point studies that compared intensive–dose statin therapy with moderate-dose statin therapy followed for more than one year. The trials included in the meta-analysis were PROVE-IT, A to Z, TNT, IDEAL, and SEARCH, five trials that together included 32 752 patients without diabetes mellitus at baseline.
“We wanted to look at the different studies comparing the intensity of statin treatment,” said Ray. “If the diabetes finding was a real finding, we would expect to see it in the statin trials that tested different intensities of treatment in about 33 000 subjects. The trials all ranged from two to five years in duration, and we had information from five trials comparing high versus low/moderate treatment doses. Our results support our initial findings. We observed a 12% increase in risk for those patients treated with high-dose statin therapy.”
In total, 1449 patients treated with high-dose statin therapy developed diabetes compared with 1300 patients assigned to moderate-dose statin therapy. This translated into two additional cases of diabetes mellitus per 1000 patient-years. The odds ratio for new-onset diabetes was 1.12 (95% CI 1.04–1.22). Regarding benefit, 3134 patients treated with high-dose statin therapy and 3550 patients treated with moderate-dose therapy had a cardiovascular event, translating into 6.5 fewer outcomes per 1000 patient-years in the high-dose statin arm, or a relative reduction of 16%.
The investigators did observe differential effects with the different drugs. Whereas atorvastatin 80 mg and simvastatin 80 mg were both associated with similar risks of diabetes mellitus, the benefit differed significantly, with evidence in favor of atorvastatin (22% vs 5% risk reduction for cardiovascular events). The data, said Ray, support the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision to warn physicians to not start new patients on simvastatin 80 mg and to be vigilant to the risks of muscle toxicity caused by the drug in those who are still taking it.
Getting Patients to Goal
Dr Brendan Everett (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA), who was not involved in the analysis, agreed with the conclusions of Ray and colleagues, that the signal observed in this latest analysis supports the findings from JUPITER and the Lancet meta-analysis “and supports the idea of a dose effect, that there is an increasing risk of diabetes with increasing doses of statins.”
Everett said the investigators helped clinicians by providing data on the relative benefits and relative harms of high-dose statin therapy. The number needed to treat to prevent one cardiovascular event and number needed to treat to cause one new case of diabetes mellitus clearly support the use of high-dose statin therapy in the patients studied in the five clinical trials.
“The benefits of statins for reducing important macrovascular events is so overwhelming that the balance is clearly on the side of benefit,” said Everett. “This is an important point that shouldn’t be forgotten.”
Dr Roger Blumenthal (Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore, MD) agreed, stating that while “it makes sense that higher doses [of statins] would have slightly higher adverse effects,” there is still no proposed mechanism for the increased risk of diabetes. Like the others, the benefits of moderate/high doses of statins outweigh the risks, although he added that some physicians might decide to downgrade the dose based on these new data.
In addition, Dr Steven Nissen (Cleveland Clinic, OH) said that the effect is likely real as it has been observed in enough trials and analyses. That said, “it is notable that despite the increase in the risk of diabetes mellitus, the reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is maintained,” he added. “It leads me to believe that the effect is not very clinically significant.”
Everett added that what is currently unknown is how the risks of diabetes mellitus differ in other patient populations. Clinicians need to understand their patients’ baseline risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus when making a decision about high-dose statin therapy, and it will be important to determine whether patients at greater risk for adverse side effects can be identified. Researchers will also need to determine what effects high-dose statin therapy has on microvascular complications, such as retinopathy.
“The bottom line is that we need to follow up on the signal, but I don’t believe the results should change treatment goals,” said Everett. A failure to aggressively treat patients at high risk for cardiovascular events will result in an excess of clinical events, he added.
Ray suggested that clinicians monitor HbA1c levels when treating patients with high-dose statin therapy.
Like Ray, Everett said the results support the FDA decision regarding simvastatin 80 mg, that the drug is associated with more side effects without a corresponding balance of efficacy. In the interest of getting patients to treatment goal and trying to do so in a cost-efficient manner, some physicians had been using high-dose simvastatin. However, if they are unable to get to goal at 40-mg simvastatin, switching over to other, nongeneric drugs is not difficult, although it does involve extra paperwork when dealing with drug payers, he said.
This Sunday at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2011 Scientific Sessions, Dr David Preiss (University of Glasgow, Scotland), the first author of the analysis, will present their data at a special symposium organized by the ADA and FDA. The presentation will highlight the newly observed risks with high-dose statin therapy, as well as their Lancet analysis of 13 randomized trials comparing placebo and standard-therapy trials.
References
- Preiss D, Seshasai SR, Welsh P, et al. Risk of incident diabetes with intensive-dose compared with moderate-dose statin therapy. JAMA 2011; 305:2556-2564.
- Sattar N, Preiss D, Murray HM, et al. Statins and risk of incident diabetes: a collaborative meta-analysis of randomized statins trials. Lancet 2010; 375:735-742. Abstract
Smokers & Prostate Cancer
SMOKERS HAVE HIGHER RISK OF PROSTATE CANCER RECURRENCE AND DEATH
A study has found that smokers who develop prostate cancer have a 61% greater risk of a recurrence after treatment, and a 61% higher risk of dying from prostate cancer, compared to nonsmokers diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Researchers also found that smokers who are initially diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer have an 80 percent greater risk of dying from this disease than nonsmokers.
A link was also found between smoking and more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
Smokers who were diagnosed with prostate cancer also showed a 131% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. However, men who had quit smoking for ten years or more prior to being diagnosed with prostate cancer had the same level of risk as nonsmokers.
Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed form of cancer in the US.
The team stressed that quitting smoking directly reduces the risk of dying from prostate cancer. This study will be published in the June 22-29, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. It is accessible online now at http://bit.ly/lnj1Ur with subscription or fee.
60% of Arthritis Cases Affect…?
feet.
Did you know?…
High heels are partly to blame for an arthritis problem that has become epidemic in the UK.
A June 2011 study by the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists reports that in the UK, one in four adults (25% of the adult population) has a muskuloskeletal condition, and 60 percent of arthritis cases are in the feet!
Given the popularity and resurgence of high heels in the US, we probably aren’t far behind.
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In August, we’ll be introducing NOVAJOINT, the latest innovation in joint health. Studies show that glucosamine & chondroitin perform no better than placebo. Stop wasting money, time and hope. Look for NovaJoint online later this summer.
Just Say No to Vending Machine Foods
SNACK-BASED, HIGH-FAT DIET RISKIER THAN SIMPLE HIGH-FAT DIET
A study has found that – compared to rats in most studies that are fed high-fat diets through the introduction of foods made from lard – rats fed a high-fat diet comprised of snack foods humans actually eat experienced higher consumption, greater weight gain, more tissue inflammation, and intolerance to glucose and insulin.
Researchers suggest that while rodent studies have often pointed to serious health risks resulting from a high-fat diet, even more severe health risks result from a high-fat diet in which the dietary fat comes from the so-called cafeteria diet, a lab research term describing the common Western diet of buffet-style access to junk food such as processed meats, cookies, and chips. The team found that rats fed the real-life cafeteria diet consumed about 30 percent more calories than those on a high-sugar, or regular high-fat diet, and were more prone to metabolic syndrome (a cluster of factors that increase the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, and diabetes type 2).
Published June 17, 2011 in the online issue of Obesity, this study is accessible at http://bit.ly/lFVppQ free of charge.
Shellfish Linked to Lower Risk of Diabetes
SHELLFISH LINKED TO LOWER RISK OF DIABETES
Researchers have found an association, for women only, between higher consumption of fish and reduced risk of diabetes type 2, as well as an association for both men and women, between higher consumption of shellfish and reduced risk of diabetes.
Previously, some experts had suggested that long-chain, polyunsaturated, omega-3 fatty acids, which are found mainly in fish, may be a factor in helping to prevent diabetes type 2, but this theory remains unresolved. This study reviewed the diets of 116,156 people and found that women in the highest fifth of fish consumption had an 11 percent reduced risk of diabetes, while men in the highest fifth of fish consumption showed a lower risk that was not statistically significant.
They also found that women in the highest fifth of shellfish consumption had a 14 percent reduced risk of diabetes, while men in the highest fifth of shellfish had an 18 percent lower risk. The team did not find a health risk linked to greater fish consumption. This just-released study will appear in a future issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/kla0Uw with subscription or access fee.
Another Benefit of Olive Oil
OLIVE OIL REDUCES RISK OF STROKE IN OLDER PERSONS
Scientists have found that older people who regularly consume olive oil both as cooking oil and as salad dressing have a 41 percent lower risk of having a stroke than those who never use olive oil.
The study followed 7,625 people aged 65 and over for five years. The team also looked at blood levels of oleic acid, a biological indicator of olive oil intake, and found that those in the highest third of blood levels had a 27 percent lower chance of having a stroke.
Previous research showed olive oil is linked to a reduced incidence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol. In these cases, and in the current study, there is insufficient proof that any component in olive oil affects these risks; it is possible, for instance, that olive oil makes other healthy food choices such as salads or cooked vegetables taste better, thus increasing consumption of healthier foods.
This study was released June 15, 2011 but will not appear in print until a future issue of the journal, Neurology. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/j9Cyym with subscription or fee.
What Wrinkles Say About Your Bone Health
Skin Wrinkles May Provide a Glimpse Into Bone Health
June 6, 2011 (Boston, Massachusetts) — A close look at the skin of early postmenopausal women might provide a glimpse into their skeletal health, according to a study presented here at ENDO 2011: The Endocrine Society 93rd Annual Meeting.
The study found a significant inverse association between skin wrinkles and bone mineral density (BMD) in a population of women within 3 years of menopause who were not on any hormone therapy and who had not had any cosmetic skin procedures.
“It’s a unique population when changes are happening in a dynamic fashion.” This is a relation “not previously described,” said study presenter Lubna Pal, MBBS, MRCOG, MSc, a reproductive endocrinologist and associate professor at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
Common Building Block
The architecture of the skeleton and the skin share a common building block: collagen, Dr. Pal explained. Age-related changes in collagen contribute to age-related skin changes like wrinkles and sagging, and might also contribute to reduced BMD.
“When I am seeing an older patient, her bigger concern is what is happening to her skin; the clinician’s concern is what is happening to her bones,” Dr. Pal said. “So part of the question was: Can I fine tune to the patient’s concern and get a sense of the bone health?”
Dr. Pal and colleagues performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data on 114 early postmenopausal women (70% white) enrolled in the longitudinal Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS).
As part of an ancillary study of the skin, the distribution and depth of skin wrinkles were assessed at 11 sites on the face and neck using the Lemperle wrinkle scale. Skin firmness was assessed at the forehead and cheek using a durometer, which has been validated in patients with scleroderma, and bone density was assessed with dual x-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine, hip, and total body.
The researchers observed a clear inverse correlation between skin wrinkling and BMD at the spine (r, –0.27; P < .01), femoral neck (r, –0.29; P < .01), and total body (r, –0.26; P =.01), independent of age, body composition, or other factors known to influence BMD.
“Basically, what we found was that the higher the wrinkle score, the worse the bone mineral density,” Dr. Pal said, “so our hypothesis was substantiated by these associations.”
Firmer skin of the face and forehead was associated with higher BMD.
“Powerful Potential Relevance”
Madhusmita Misra, MD, MPH, from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in Boston, who was not involved in this study, said: “This is a meaningful association if, indeed, it is real; we need future data to confirm that.”
“We have multiple clinical risk factors that are already available that identify an individual’s fracture risk; this may be yet another piece that would enhance the overall predictability. I think it is of powerful potential relevance, but it needs to be substantiated,” Dr. Misra added.
“Ultimately,” Dr. Pal said, “we want to know if the intensity of skin wrinkles can allow the identification of women who are more likely to fracture a bone, especially the femoral neck or hip.” If this is the case, then looking at skin wrinkles plus other clinical risk factors “may allow the identification of fracture risk in populations that do not have access to more costly technology.”
But Dr. Pal agrees with Dr. Misra that much more study is needed.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Dr. Pal said. “It’s a tantalizing association” that needs to be followed-up in long-term studies to substantiate a relation between wrinkles and the risk for bone fracture.
Dr. Pal noted that the women in the study are being followed longitudinally, and that it will be “interesting to see in the coming years whether women with deeper wrinkles are losing bone at a faster rate than other women.”
The study was funded by Aurora Foundation to the Kronos Longevity Research Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Pal and Dr. Misra have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
ENDO 2011: The Endocrine Society 93rd Annual Meeting: Abstract P3-126. Presented June 4, 2011.
Another Argument in Favor of Organic Meats
From Medscape Medical News
Poultry Drug to Be Pulled From Market Due to Arsenic Concern
June 8, 2011 — Alpharma, a subsidiary of Pfizer, will voluntarily suspend domestic sales of roxarsone (3-Nitro), a poultry drug, 30 days from now in response to a study by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that found above-average levels of inorganic arsenic — a carcinogen — in the livers of treated chickens, the agency announced today.
However, because these above-average levels of inorganic arsenic are still very low, the FDA stated that continuing to eat chickens already treated with roxarsone does not pose a health risk. It also stated that there is no need to recall such chickens from the marketplace. Still, the suspension of sales is warranted, according to the agency.
“The levels are low, but the fact they represent an added source of human exposure [to a carcinogen], and a source that is completely avoidable, the agency feels it’s important to take action,” said Bill Flynn, DVM, deputy director for science policy at the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine in a press conference this afternoon.
Used primarily in broiler chickens, roxarsone is approved by the FDA to help prevent a parasitic disease called coccidiosis. It is also approved for weight gain, feed efficiency, and improved pigmentation. FDA allows turkeys and pigs to be treated with roxarsone as well, although Pfizer stated in a press release that its use in pigs is negligible.
Roxarsone contains organic arsenic, a noncarcinogenic form of the element that is considered less harmful than inorganic arsenic. The FDA stated that when it approved roxarsone in 1944, it believed that the organic arsenic contained in it would be excreted as organic arsenic. Recent scientific evidence, however, indicates that organic arsenic can transform into the inorganic version.
Based on this new understanding of arsenic, FDA scientists developed a new analytic method capable of detecting very low levels of inorganic arsenic in edible tissue. In a study of 100 broiler chickens, using this method, scientists found that levels of inorganic arsenic in the livers of treated chickens were higher than the levels in untreated chickens.
In a press release, Pfizer described those levels in treated chickens as “equivalent to the amount of inorganic arsenic found in an 8-ounce glass of drinking water.”
The FDA has approved other arsenic-containing animal drugs during the years. In addition to roxarsone, the only one that still appears to be on the market is nitarsone, an Alpharma feed additive for turkeys that prevents and treats a deadly infection called histomoniasis, according to the agency.
Pfizer Subsidiary Will Continue to Sell Roxarsone Abroad
The idea behind allowing domestic roxarsone sales to continue for another 30 days is to give animal producers time to switch to substitute therapies and help ensure that animal health and welfare do not suffer in the meantime. The sales suspension will apply to pigs and turkeys as well as chickens.
When a reporter at the press conference asked whether the suspension of roxarsone sales means that they could possibly resume, the FDA’s Dr. Flynn replied that Pfizer gave his agency “clear assurances that they will not return the product to market until they address all of the FDA’s concerns.” Dr. Flynn added that the company and the FDA will work together to examine all the relevant scientific data on using roxarsone in animals.
Although Pfizer’s Alpharma subsidiary will suspend sales of roxarsone for domestic use, it will continue to sell it for use abroad. Dr. Flynn said the FDA is sharing its new findings on the poultry drug with its foreign partners.
David Goldman, MD, MPH, an official from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), added during the press conference that the USDA will address the issue of imported chickens treated with roxarsone. Dr. Goldman, the assistant administrator of the Office of Public Health Science at the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service, said that chickens can be imported only from other countries determined to have food-safety systems equivalent to that in the United States.
The USDA, he said, will look at the potential implications of the actions by Pfizer and the FDA “on the equivalence-determinations for those countries that may be using this product in poultry production, and then make further determination about whether those products should be allowed into the country.”
Non-Alcoholic Beer & Athletic Performance: Your Thoughts?
POLYPHENOLS IN BEER BOOST HEALTH FACTORS IN ATHLETES
Researchers have found that foods that contain substantial amounts of a variety of polyphenols, specifically nonalcoholic weissbier or wheat beer, have positive effects on the health of athletes, including a 20 percent reduction in certain indicators of inflammation (leukocytes), a strengthening of the immune system when under physical stress, a one-third reduction in the risk of contracting a cold, and briefer and milder upper respiratory infections.
(Polyphenols are compounds found naturally in plants in the form of pigments, flavors, or tannins, and many polyphenols have been linked with health-promoting and cancer-preventative properties. Many athletes have long suspected that nonalcoholic wheat beer boosts their health.)
The team selected nonalcoholic Erdinger brand weissbier for the study, because it is commonly consumed by marathoners and tri-athletes, and it is rich in varied polyphenols (and vitamins and minerals), making it strongly representative of polyphenol-rich foods. The test group drank 1.5 liters of wheat beer daily for three weeks prior to running a marathon and for two weeks following the race.
This study will be published in the January 2012 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and is not yet available for access.
Research Discovers Compound To Prevent Muscle Wasting
APPLE PEEL COMPOUND PREVENTS MUSCLE WASTING
Researchers have discovered that a waxy compound found in the skin of apples, ursolic acid, prevents the muscle atrophy that is common with aging and illness; and causes increased muscle size, decreased storing of fat, and reduced blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose (sugar). This suggests ursolic acid may be a therapy for age- and illness-related muscle wasting, as well as for other metabolic diseases.
For 92 genes linked to muscle atrophy, scientists pinpointed what are known as gene-expression signatures. After comparing those signatures with the signatures of 1300 bioactive small molecules, they found the signature of ursolic acid to be the opposite of the atrophy-inducing genes. When ursolic acid was fed to fasting mice, it prevented muscle wasting; and when it was fed to non-fasting mice, it increased muscle size.
Further research is needed to confirm this apple skin compound has the same effect on humans and to determine whether therapeutic levels can be attained by increased apple consumption or if ursolic acid supplements are needed. This study was published in the June 8, 2011 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.
The full text is available online at http://bit.ly/jbCyH2 without charge.
3 Different Approaches to Eating – Which is Healthiest?
ON-AND-OFF DIETING HEALTHIER THAN NO DIETING AT ALL…but look to see which was healthiest
A study has found that repeatedly switching between a low-fat diet and a high-fat diet results in greater health and a longer lifespan than not dieting at all.
Many have suggested yo-yo dieting, with its repeated weight loss and gain, may more negatively affect health and longevity than simply remaining obese and not dieting at all; this belief might discourage obese persons from dieting. However, researchers divided study mice into three dietary groups:
- one fed a consistent high-fat diet;
- another alternating between a low-fat and high-fat diet, mirroring people who yo-yo diet;
- and a third group given a consistent low-fat diet.
The high-fat group consumed more calories, weighed more, had greater body fat, experienced higher blood sugar, became pre-diabetic, and lived an average of 1.5 years.
The health profile of the yo-yo diet group worsened during the high-fat phases but bounced back during the low-fat phases, and they lived an average of 2.04 years.
Similarly, the healthy low-fat control group lived an average of 2.09 years.
This study was presented June 6, 2011 at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society in Boston. It has not yet been published or posted.
More Evidence to Support Low Carb Diet for Reduced Belly Fat
LOWER-CARB DIET REDUCES BELLY FAT
Researchers have found that – compared to a lowered-fat diet – a diet that includes a modest reduction in carbohydrates and a slight increase in fat results in a 4% greater weight loss, a greater loss of fat tissue versus lean, and an 11% greater reduction in visceral or deep belly fat, changes that lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease.
All participants lowered calorie intake by 1000. However, the control group adopted a standard weight loss diet in which carbohydrates, fat and protein comprised 55, 27, and 18 percent of total calories, respectfully.
The test group adopted a diet in which carbohydrates, fat and protein made up 43, 39, and 18 percent of total calories, respectfully, and contained low-glycemic foods, which do not cause excessive blood sugar spikes.
The belly reducing effect was found among whites, but not among blacks; whites have a greater amount of deep abdominal fat and may benefit most from trimming fat in this area, the researchers suggested.
This study was presented June 5, 2011 in Boston at the annual meeting of The Endocrinology Society. It has not yet been published or posted.
How Does Your Cell Phone (Radiation Level) Rate?
Yesterday, the International Agency for Research on Cancer announced that radio frequency electromagnetic fields are possibly carcinogenic to humans and linked this to cell phone usage. You can listen to the report or read it from this link: click on IARC.
Find out which cell phones emit the least radiation here from Environmental Working Group: Cell phone list.
Another Reason Why Sleep is Important
SLEEP LOSS DECREASES TESTOSTERONE, INCREASING HEALTH RISKS
A small study has concluded that young men who sleep less than five hours a night for eight days experience an average reduction of 10 to 15 percent in their testosterone levels, with the lowest levels occurring between 2pm and 10 pm, and that these lower levels increase the risk of low-testosterone-related health effects. (Testosterone levels very gradually diminish with age, about one to two percent per year, but especially low levels can cause symptoms such as reduced bone and muscle mass, as well as decreased energy, erectile dysfunction, mood problems, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and low sex drive.)
The men in the study, whose average age was 24, were rigorously screened to rule out any endocrine, psychological, or sleep problems.
They slept 10 hours a night for three days, then five hours a night for eight days, and testosterone was measured after each phase.
Also, the participants reported reduced mood, vigor, and sense of well-being, worsening with each day of the reduced sleep phase.
This study was published in the June 1, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Associations. It is accessible online now at http://bit.ly/iNYIFs with subscription or fee.
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China Leaps Ahead of the US in Banning BPA in Baby Bottles
China bans Bisphenol-A in baby bottles -vows death penalty for serious safety breaches
China has become the latest country to ban the use of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles, while Government officials signalled increasing use of the death penalty to crack down on food safety violators. BPA is currently banned in Europe, Canada and the United Arab emirates.
The Ministry of Health, in conjunction with five other government bodies, issued notices yesterday confirming that inclusion of BPA in the manufacture of infant bottles would be outlawed as of June 1, 2011.
From September 1, 2011 on, it will be illegal to import or sell any BPA-containing baby bottles, said the notice.
Beijing also urged local food inspectors to step up scrutiny on baby bottle producers to ensure compliance with the new measure.
The European Union announced at the end of last year that it was banning BPA in baby bottles. Production of containers with BPA was prohibited from March 1, 2001, with a ban on the importation and sale due to come into force June 1, 2011.
BPA is a monomer used in the manufacture of polycarbonate bottles. Its continued use in food contact materials remains a source of ongoing debate as it has been linked with serious health problems – including cancer, birth defects and heart disease. However, major food safety agencies across the globe – including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – have declared it poses no health hazards at current levels.
Death penalty
Further to Beijing’s target announced a few months ago of punishing food safety violations more severely, government chiefs have ordered the courts to hand out stiffer penalties to offenders.
The Supreme People’s Court said judges should impose the death penalty to those guilty of food safety crimes that result in human fatalities.
Those convicted of committing several violations in the same case – such as production and sale of counterfeit and sub-standard goods – should receive the harshest punishment available, added a Supreme Court notice last week.
Offenders should also be fined more heavily and/or banned from producing food.
Food crime team
A leading Beijing official announced the likely formation of a crack police squad to clamp down on the rising number of adulteration scandals amid growing public concern.
Ji Lin, vice-mayor of the city and director of the city’s food safety commission, said the new team would target the surroundings between the urban and rural areas as they had become production hotbeds for counterfeit or unsafe food.