Pregnancy smoking fertility link

Smoking while pregnant reduces the fertility of boys by affecting a key testis gene, researchers say.

It is already known smoking affects the future fertility of unborn boys, but it has not been understood how.

Aberdeen University researchers found significant reductions in the levels of a gene called DHH, which plays a key role in testicle development.

Small testicles are linked to low sperm counts, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reported.

The DHH (desert hedgehog) gene releases the DHH molecule in the testes, which tells other cells what to do and helps control normal testicle growth.


It is an often misunderstood subject. Male fertility is often determined by what happens in the womb
Dr Allan Pacey, fertility expert

The researchers examined 22 human foetuses between 11 and 19 weeks of pregnancy, looking at the levels of 30 genes key to the development of testicles.

There was no significant change in all but one case - the DHH gene. The study found the foetuses where women smoked 10 or more cigarettes a day had nearly half the DHH gene levels than non-smoking ones.

Problems

Lead researcher Paul Fowler said: "This is the first time that the gene DHH, which plays a key role in the male's normal development, has been linked to maternal smoking and fertility problems.

"Our research is still preliminary and a lot more work needs to be done."

Sheffield University expert Dr Allan Pacey, the secretary of the British Fertility Society, said: "It is an often misunderstood subject. Male fertility is often determined by what happens in the womb.

"Previous research has shown beef and pesticides in drinking water can have an impact on fertility.

"We already know smoking is not advised during pregnancy and this helps us to understand why it affects fertility."


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What Dog Owners Need To Know About Salmon Poisoning

Southern California pet owners may not even know that a deadly disease known as Salmon Poisoning Disease (SPD) is lurking outdoors near lakes that can result in death if the symptoms are not diagnosed properly or treated quickly. A recent occurrence of SPD in Orange County affected a 10-month-old Yorkie named Gigi and is believed to be the first case diagnosed in the southland. Pet owners need to be aware of the potential risks involved in allowing dogs to be exposed to an environment where raw fish may be present and can infect their pets.

SPD is an acute, infectious disease that affects dogs, wolves, ferrets and foxes, when they ingest uncooked salmon, trout, steelhead, and similar freshwater fish. While the disease is typically more prevalent in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon and northern California), since the disease has surfaced locally from a dog ingesting raw fish from Lake Irvine. Pet owners in the greater Los Angeles area need to be aware of how dogs can contract this disease and what treatment is required to keep pets safe and healthy.

Symptoms of SPD include vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, diarrhea, weakness, swollen lymph nodes, and dehydration.

"Most people in this area are unfamiliar with the symptoms of this disease, which appear within five to seven days after eating infected raw fish. Left undiagnosed, SPD can be fatal within several weeks," explained Mike Moore, DVM, at VCA All-Care Animal Referral Center. "SPD is treatable if diagnosed quickly. If your dog has been around raw fish or you are unsure of what they have ingested and symptoms appear, consider SPD a possibility and see your veterinarian immediately for evaluation and treatment," he added.

The standard diagnosis for SPD is the presence of fluke ova, which are found through a fecal examination in the majority of cases. Left untreated, animals usually succumb due to dehydration, electrolyte and acid-base imbalances, and anemia. Therefore, general supportive therapy to maintain hydration and acid-base balance, while meeting nutritional requirements and controlling diarrhea, are essential. Treatment generally involves antibiotics and a "wormer," as well as intravenous fluids. Upon receiving treatment, most dogs show initial improvement within several days, but the course of antibiotic treatment usually lasts for three weeks.

While SPD symptoms can be confused with other gastrointestinal conditions, due to the serious nature of the disease, it is critical to obtain a timely diagnosis and as necessary, initiate supportive veterinary treatment to minimize the serious risks of this disease.

About VCA Antech, Inc.

VCA Antech, Inc. (Nasdaq:WOOF), operates the largest network of freestanding, full-service animal hospitals and diagnostics laboratories across the country and employs more than 1,400 qualified veterinarians at more than 375 animal hospitals in 38 states. VCA Animal Hospitals offer a full range of general medical and surgical services for companion animals, as well as specialized treatments including oncology, ophthalmology, cardiology and neurology. Dedicated to the provision of compassionate and comprehensive veterinary care, VCA also provides advanced diagnostic services.

http://www.vcapets.com


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Brain Hormone Responsible For Effects Of Social Isolation

The anxiety and aggression that result from social isolation have been traced to altered levels of an enzyme that controls production of a brain hormone.

The study, done in mice by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, is reported in this week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"We use this animal model for human stress because social isolation in both animals and humans can be responsible for a range of psychological effects, including anxiety, aggression and memory impairment," said Dr. Erminio Costa, director of the UIC Psychiatric Institute, professor of biochemistry and one of the authors of the study.

Previous studies had suggested that the neural pathways that underlie aggression, anxiety and fear include activation of specific types of neural circuitry that leads into the amygdala, the region of the brain responsible for emotion.

The researchers looked in these types of neurons for changes in the levels of two enzymes that are needed for the production of allopregnanolone, a brain hormone that acts to reduce stress through regulation of GABA, an important neurotransmitter. They found that the level of one of the enzymes, called 5-alpha-reductase type I, was reduced nearly 50 percent in the lonesome mice. Levels of the other enzyme did not change.

The researchers suggest that the decrease of 5-alpha-reductase type I and the consequent reduction in the hormone may impair the function of circuits leading to the amygdala and explain the aggressive behavior, perhaps related to anxiety, in socially isolated mice.

"Humans respond to similar stress in very similar ways," said Dr. Alessandro Guidotti, UIC scientific director and professor of biochemistry in psychiatry. "By identifying the mechanism we may be able to identify drugs that can treat these effects of stress."

UIC researchers Roberto Agis-Balboa, Dr. Graziano Pinna, Fabio Pibiri and Dr. Bashkim Kadriu also contributed to the study. The work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health. Pibiri was supported in part by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Regione Autonoma della Sardegna, Italy.

UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.

For more information about UIC, visit http://www.uic.edu/.

Source: Jeanne Galatzer-Levy
University of Illinois at Chicago


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Forteo Increases Bone Density In Steroid-Induced Osteoporosis

A new US study suggests that the osteoporosis drug Forteo (made by Eli Lilly) was more effective than Fosamax (made by Merck) at increasing bone density in arthritis patients with osteoporosis caused by taking corticosteroids such as prednisone.

The study is the work of Dr Kenneth Saag, a professor in the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and colleagues, and is published in the 15th November issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study showed that patients taking Forteo (teriparatide), a parathyroid hormone, more than doubled their bone density and significantly reduced their risk of new spinal fractures compared to those who took Fosamax (alendronate).

A great number of arthritis and other patients use prednisone and other glucocorticoids to lessen inflammation and reduce swelling in tissue and joints. However there is a downside to the drugs, the possibility of bone loss and osteoporosis, a bone disease that results in bones becoming fragile and prone to fracture.

Saag said that patients with arthritis need to be on medication for their condition, but it is also important that they reduce the risk of hip fracture or spinal compression from taking their medication, thus "patients and their doctors need more bone-building options," he said.

"This study significantly improves our understanding of treatment options for secondary osteoporosis, which is osteoporosis caused by taking glucocorticoid drugs like prednisone," explained Saag.

Current international guidelines recommend the class of drugs that includes Fosamax, called bisphosphonates, for the treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, but according to Saag, many doctors are hoping Forteo is part of the "new wave" of drugs to treat the condition, and there was insufficient evidence of how it compared to the currently recommended ones.

In the 18-month, randomized, double-blind trial, Saag and colleagues recruited 428 men and women with osteoporosis who were aged between 22 and 89 years to take either Forteo or Fosamax. All the participants had been taking glucocorticoids for at least 3 months, at a daily minimum dose of 5 mg of prednisone or its equivalent.

Once a day, 214 patients took 20 micrograms of Forteo (by injection) and 214 patients took 10 mg of Fosamax (oral pill). The researchers measured changes in bone mineral density of the lower lumbar spine and total hip, and also examined markers of bone turnover, the time it took for changes in density to occur, the number of breaks and also measures of safety.

Bone density was measured in the spine and hips using DEXA scans, a low-level X-ray that shows small changes in bone density.

The results showed that:

* The final set of measurements showed that the lumbar spine mean bone mineral density had increased more in the Forteo patients than the Fosamax patients.
* The increase was 7.2 plus or minus 0.7 per cent for Forteo and 3.4 plus or minus 0.7 per cent for Fosamax.
* The figures showed there was a significant difference between the groups by the 6 month mark.
*
* At the 12 month mark, total hip bone mineral density had also increased more in the Forteo group.
* The Forteo group also had fewer new vertebral fractures (0.6 per cent versus 6.1 per cent).
* The rate of nonvertebral fractures was similar in both groups (5.6 per cent versus 3.7 per cent).
* Forteo also increased calcium levels in more patients compared to Fosamax.
* There was a significantly higher number of patients in the Forteo group with at least one elevated measure of serum calcium.

Saag and colleagues concluded that:

"Among patients with osteoporosis who were at high risk for fracture, bone mineral density increased more in patients receiving teriparatide [Forteo] than in those receiving alendronate [Fosamax]".

In terms of side effects, the differences between the two drugs was insignificant said the researchers.

Explaining the effect of Forteo, the researchers suggested that because it was a parathyroid hormone, it stimulated the growth of bone-forming cells called osteoblasts, effectively counteracting the bone diminishing effect of glucocorticoids, whereas Fosamax works through a different cell pathway, with a lower impact on bone regeneration.

Eli Lilly is waiting for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to add Forteo to the list of drugs approved for use in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

At present, Forteo is only FDA approved for treating women with postmenopausal osteoporosis, or men with primary osteoporosis or hormone-related osteoporosis.

The study was funded by Eli Lilly, while Saag is a consultant to both Eli Lilly and Merck.

"Teriparatide or Alendronate in Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis."
Saag, Kenneth G., Shane, Elizabeth, Boonen, Steven, Marin, Fernando, Donley, David W., Taylor, Kathleen A., Dalsky, Gail P., Marcus, Robert.
N Engl J Med 2007 357: 2028-2039.
Volume 357:2028-2039, November 15, 2007, Number 20


Written by: Catharine Paddock
Copyright: Medical News Today



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Using Smac To Kill Lung Cancer

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have developed a small molecule that can turn the survival signal for a variety of cancer cells into a death signal. The molecule mimics the activity of Smac, a protein that triggers the suicide of some types of cancer cells.

The researchers say their findings suggest that Smac-mimetic compounds could be useful as targeted cancer treatments for lung and other cancers. Such therapy may be less toxic to healthy cells than current compounds used in cancer chemotherapy.

The researchers, led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Xiaodong Wang, published their findings in the November, 2007, issue of the journal Cancer Cell. Wang is at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Cells that are defective or that become unnecessary during growth and development are induced to commit suicide through a finely balanced process known as apoptosis, or programmed cell death. A protein called Smac, which is a shortened version of "second mitochondria-derived activator of apoptosis," is a part of the cell's programmed cell death machinery. When that machinery is switched on, Smac is released from the mitochondria and triggers the pathway that kills damaged or abnormal cells. Cancer cells, however, can survive Smac's death signal by switching off the apoptotic machinery.

To see if they could get around this problem, Wang and other researchers have developed small-molecule mimetics of Smac that can enter the cell and trigger apoptosis. These mimetic molecules do their damage without the need for the Smac signal from the mitochondria. In earlier studies, Wang and his colleagues found that a Smac mimetic that they developed in the lab could kill cancer cells in culture. But they found that the cancer cells are only killed when the mimetic molecule is introduced in conjunction with another component of the apoptotic machinery known as TNFá.

In the new studies published in Cancer Cell, Wang and his colleagues found that a significant percentage of human non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines were sensitive to treatment by the Smac mimetic alone. When the researchers introduced those sensitive cells into mice and allowed them to produce tumors, they found that the Smac mimetic caused the tumors to regress and, in some cases, even disappear.

"These findings made us wonder what it was about these cell lines that made them sensitive to the Smac mimetic alone," said Wang. "Cancer cells are hard to kill, but these cell lines seemed to have already become sensitized to apoptosis."

The researchers' studies revealed that the sensitive cell lines produced their own TNFá, so they were already "primed" for apoptosis. The paradox, said Wang, is that TNFá signaling is also part of a complex pathway that gives cancer cells a "survival" signal, offering them a growth advantage. The researchers also found that some breast cancer and melanoma cell lines were sensitive to the Smac mimetic alone.

"Thus, in these cancer cell lines, the TNFá survival advantage turns out to be a fatal flaw, because the same pathway can be switched to apoptosis by Smac mimetics," said Wang. "So, for some cancers, we might be able to use Smac mimetics as a single treatment agent. And we can use the presence of TNFá as a marker to tell us which tumors will respond to the Smac mimetic alone."

"People have been suspecting for a long time that some cancer cells may somehow turn on their apoptotic pathway already," said Wang. "And now we know what pathway they turn on and why. We can take advantage of this phenomenon for potential cancer therapy by switching a signal into a deadly one with Smac mimetics."

Source: Jennifer Michalowski
Howard Hughes Medical Institute


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Finding A Psychologist Now An Easy Task, Australia

Psychologists can help with a variety of everyday problems, such as stress and relationship troubles, but taking the step to find a psychologist can be perceived to be the hardest hurdle.

Commenting during the Australian Psychological Society's (APS) National Psychology Week, APS president Amanda Gordon said many people just don't realise how easy it is to research and find a psychologist.

"The internet has become a valuable tool for people who are seeking psychological services," said Ms Gordon.

"Many psychologists advertise online or have their own websites. If you are looking for a psychologist, this can be a great way to do your research before you call to make an appointment."

Ms Gordon believes that peer referrals are also a great way of finding the right psychologist and suggests talking to friends or family about your search.

"If you don't feel comfortable about asking people you know, talk to your family doctor. They will be able to refer you to psychologists within your area."

Before seeing a psychologist Ms Gordon said people should ensure the psychologist is registered with the appropriate registration board in their State or Territory and a member of the APS.

"APS members need to meet strict standards and guidelines about professional conduct, responsibilities and confidentiality."

She also suggests having a brief over-the-phone discussion with a psychologist prior to making your first appointment to ensure that they have experience in dealing with your specific issues.

The APS also provides a free referral service for members of the general public who are seeking the assistance of a qualified psychologist.

Australian Psychological Society.



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Program helps moms get fussy infants to sleep

NEW YORK - Teaching new mothers strategies to help their babies overcome sleep problems yields significant benefits for both of them, according to a study conducted in Australia.

Among 328 moms who reported that their 7-month-old was having sleep problems, those who were randomly assigned to participate in a brief behavioral intervention noticed an improvement in their child's sleep problem, and in their own sleep, and felt less depressed compared with those randomly assigned not to participate in the program.

Dr. Harriet Hiscock, of the Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, and associates report their study in this month's Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The sleep intervention entailed having a trained nurse determine the nature of the sleep problem, identify solutions, and write an individualized sleep management plan with the mother. Moms were also educated on normal sleep patterns for 6- to 12-month-olds.

The mothers in the intervention group had to pick one of two strategies: the "controlled crying" strategy, whereby parents respond to their infant's cry at increasing time intervals to allow "independent settling;" or the "camping out" strategy, whereby a parent sits with the baby until the child falls asleep and gradually leaves the room over 3 weeks.

After adjusting the data to account for factors that might influence the results, the odds of reporting a sleep problem in the intervention group were 42 percent lower at 10 months and 50 percent lower at 12 months compared with the 154 moms who did not participate in the intervention, the investigators report.

The sleep intervention also had "important" beneficial effects on mothers' mental health. Moms in the intervention group were less depressed at 10 and 12 months than moms in the control group, and they had better overall scores on a validated measure of mental health.

Sleep quantity and quality also improved in mothers in the intervention group. Better overall sleep may reduce problems associated with maternal sleep deprivation such as "maternal overload and dysfunction and later child behavior problems," Hiscock and colleagues contend.

Mothers who participated in the intervention were also less apt to seek paid professional help for infant sleep problems, suggesting the intervention may also save money.

Given the apparent benefits of such a program, "the change now is to translate this intervention to the wider population in a sustainable and feasible way," the team concludes.

SOURCE: Archives of Disease in Childhood, November 2007.


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Want to eat better? Add more color to your diet

The secret to youthful skin, healthy bones, sharp memory, and disease prevention can be found in your fridge. The more colorful your diet, the more antioxidants you get. These compounds reduce overall cellular damage and prevent the hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart disease, stroke, even memory loss. "Every hue — green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and even white — signifies a different class of nutrients, each of which offers a unique benefit," explains USDA research chemist Ronald Prior, PhD, who was among the first researchers to measure the antioxidants in food that protect us as we age. For instance:

1. Yellow/Orange
Sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, mango, corn, and melon all contain a variety of carotenoids, which reduce the risk of developing cancer.

2. Green
Vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are high in lutein, which keeps your vision sharp and clear.

3. Blue/Purple
Blueberries and blackberries are chock-full of anthocyanins, which prevent tumors from forming and suppress their growth.

4. Red
Tomatoes and watermelon are loaded with lycopene, which may protect against cancer and heart disease.

5. White
Cauliflower offers the same cancer-fighting benefits as broccoli, its cruciferous cousin, and potatoes are a good source of vitamin C. There's also some evidence that the sulfur compounds in garlic and onions may ward off stomach and colon cancers. Other white foods, like poached chicken, seafood, reduced-fat cheeses, eggs, and tofu, provide all-important protein.

For a true age-defying eating plan, mix and match these colors to ensure variety at every meal. Research indicates that antioxidants can work together like a team, each boosting the other's effects. For a head start, try one of these delicious recipes, which have a minimum of two colors each — most have three.

Corn, Mango, and Edamame Salad
In addition to folate and fiber, corn contains a carotenoid called beta-cryptoxanthin. Eating a diet high in this compound, which is also found in papaya, pumpkin, tangerines, and peaches, may reduce lung cancer risk by up to 24%, according to a recent study.

* 2 c frozen shelled edamame
* 1 1/2 c fresh corn kernels (from 2 lg ears)
* 1 1/2 c mango cubes (about 1 med mango)
* 1 c chopped tomato (about 1 lg)
* 1/2 c chopped red onion (about 1 sm)
* 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed
* lime juice
* 3/4 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6

Prepare edamame per package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in corn, mango, tomato, onion, cilantro, oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Toss well.

Nutritional info per serving: 160 cal, 9g pro, 22g carb, 5g fat, 0.5g sat fat, 0mg chol, 6g fiber, 303mg sodium

Crudités with Romesco Sauce
This nibbling platter is packed with beta-carotene and vitamin C, two cancer-fighting antioxidants that work together to ward off cellular damage. Red bell pepper and tomatoes — the base of the tangy sauce — are also a good source of cancer-protective lycopene.

* 3 lg red bell peppers
* 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 2 Tbsp sliced almonds
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed
* 1 plum tomato, quartered
* 1 slice multigrain bread, cubed
* 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
* 1 tsp paprika
* 3/4 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 4 carrots, trimmed and cut into 2"-3" strips
* 1 lg or 2 sm cucumbers, cut into 2"-3" strips
* 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and cut into 2"-3" strips
* 1/2 lb yellow wax beans, trimmed
* 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed

Time: 35 minutes + chilling time
Servings: 8

1. Preheat broiler with rack about 4" from heat.

2. Place the 3 whole peppers on baking sheet and broil, turning every 3 minutes, until skins are blistered and charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer peppers to medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam 10 minutes. Peel, and discard stems, seeds, and ribs.

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3. Combine oil, almonds, and garlic in small skillet over medium heat while peppers roast. Cook, stirring often, until almonds and garlic are lightly golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Put roasted peppers and tomato in blender and puree. Add oil mixture and bread and puree. Pour in vinegar, paprika, salt, and black pepper and puree. Transfer to serving bowl and chill sauce 20 minutes or until ready to serve.

5. Arrange carrots, cucumber, fennel, and beans on platter. Serve with romesco sauce.

Nutritional info per serving: 118 cal, 3g pro, 14g carb, 7g fat, 1g sat fat, 0mg chol, 5g fiber, 278mg sodium

Cauliflower Soup with Grilled Shrimp
One cup of cauliflower contains nearly two-thirds of a full day's worth of vitamin C, a high intake of which may be linked to a lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

* 3 tsp olive oil, divided
* 1 c chopped red onion (1 med)
* 1/2 c chopped celery
* 4 c cauliflower florets (about 1 1/2 lb)
* 1/2 tsp ground coriander
* 2 cans (14.5 oz each) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
* 12 oz lg shrimp, peeled and deveined (8-12 shrimp)
* 1/2 tsp salt, divided
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
* 1/3 c fat-free evaporated milk

Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Coat grill rack with cooking spray.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and coriander. Cook 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.

3. Season shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Grill until opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

4. Puree soup in batches. Return to pot. Stir in milk and remaining salt and pepper. Warm over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve with shrimp.

Nutritional info per serving: (1 1/4 cups) 198 cal, 23g pro, 17g carb, 6g fat, 1g sat fat, 127mg chol, 4.5g fiber, 579mg sodium

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Herb-Roasted Potato Medley
All potatoes are good sources of vitamin C and fiber, but purple potatoes offer a dose of anthocyanins, which may help protect against heart disease and diabetes.

* 2 lb baby potato mix (purple, red creamers, white creamers)
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
* 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and toss well. Arrange potatoes in single layer on baking sheet. Roast, turning occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, 23 to 25 minutes.

Nutritional info per serving: 146 cal, 4g pro, 27g carb, 2.5g fat, 0.5g sat fat, 0mg chol, 2g fiber, 397mg sodium

Copyright© 2007 Rodale Inc. All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Rodale Inc.


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The Claim: Zinc Can Help You Beat a Cold

As cold season gets under way, countless sneezing and sniffling Americans will turn to zinc as their treatment of choice.

But does it actually work?

More than 100 studies in the past two decades have examined the question. Some have found zinc to be effective, and have proposed various reasons. But many more have found little or no evidence that it works.

One of the most extensive studies appeared in the journal Clinical and Infectious Diseases in 2000. In it, scientists randomly assigned more than 500 people — about half with natural colds, and the other half deliberately infected — to receive placebo or zinc lozenges in various doses. After secluding the subjects in hotel rooms and examining them for five days, the researchers concluded that zinc gluconate lozenges produced "modest" benefit, while zinc acetate lozenges did nothing.

Another study, published this year by researchers at Stanford Medical School, collected and analyzed data from 14 previous placebo-controlled studies of zinc. Over all, the scientists determined, the effectiveness of zinc lozenges "has yet to be established," while there was some slight evidence for zinc nasal gels.

For those who do insist on zinc, it is worth knowing that the studies that endorse it have found that it should be taken within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms to be most effective.


Via Nytimes

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Causes of Death Are Linked to a Personâ s Weight

By GINA KOLATA

About two years ago, a group of federal researchers reported that overweight people have a lower death rate than people who are normal weight, underweight or obese. Now, investigating further, they found out which diseases are more likely to lead to death in each weight group.

Linking, for the first time, causes of death to specific weights, they report that overweight people have a lower death rate because they are much less likely to die from a grab bag of diseases that includes Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, infections and lung disease. And that lower risk is not counteracted by increased risks of dying from any other disease, including cancer, diabetes or heart disease.

As a consequence, the group from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute reports, there were more than 100,000 fewer deaths among the overweight in 2004, the most recent year for which data were available, than would have expected if those people had been of normal weight.

Their paper is published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The researchers also confirmed that obese people and people whose weights are below normal have higher death rates than people of normal weight. But, when they asked why, they found that the reasons were different for the different weight categories.

Some who studied the relation between weight and health said the nation might want to reconsider what are ideal weights.

"If we use the criteria of mortality, then the term 'overweight' is a misnomer," said Daniel McGee, professor of statistics at Florida State University.

"I believe the data," said Dr. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, a professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego. A body mass index of 25 to 30, the so-called overweight range, "may be optimal," she said.

Others said there were plenty of reasons that being overweight was not desirable.

"Health extends far beyond mortality rates," said Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Dr. Manson added that other studies, including ones at Harvard, found that being obese or overweight increased a person's risk for any of a number of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and several forms of cancer. And, she added, excess weight makes it more difficult to move about and impairs the quality of life.

"That's the big picture in terms of health outcomes," Dr. Manson said. "That's what the public needs to look at."

Researchers generally divide weight into four categories — normal, underweight, overweight and obese — based on the body mass index, which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. A woman who is 5 foot 4, for instance, would be considered at normal weight at 130, underweight at 107 pounds, overweight at 150 pounds and obese at 180.

In this study, those with normal weight were considered the baseline and others were compared to them.

The federal researchers, led by Katherine Flegal, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the big picture they found was surprisingly complex. The higher death rate in obese people, as might be expected, was almost entirely driven by a higher death rate from heart disease.

But, contrary to expectations, the obese did not have an increased risk of dying from cancer. They were slightly more likely than people of normal weights to die of a handful of cancers that are thought to be related to excess weight — cancers of the colon, breast, esophagus, uterus, ovary, kidney and pancreas. Yet they had a lower risk of dying from other cancers, including lung cancer. In the end, the increases and decreases in cancer risks balanced out.

As for diabetes, it showed up in the death rates only when the researchers grouped diabetes and kidney disease as one category. Diabetes can cause kidney disease, they note. But, the researchers point out, the number of diabetes deaths may be too low because many people with diabetes die from heart disease, and often the cause of death is listed as a heart attack.

The diverse collection of diseases other than cancer, heart disease and diabetes, which show up in the analyses of the underweight and the overweight, have gone relatively unscrutinized among epidemiologists, noted Dr. Mitchell Gail, a cancer institute scientist and an author of the paper. But, Dr. Gail added, "these are not a negligible source of mortality."

The new study began several years ago when the investigators used national data to look at death risks according to body weight. They concluded that, compared with people of normal weight, the overweight had a decreased death risk and the underweight and obese had increased risk.

That led them to ask if being fat or thin affects a person's life span, what diseases, exactly, are those individuals at risk for, or protected from?

The research involved analyzing data from three large national surveys, the National Health and Nutrition surveys, which are administered by the National Center for Health Statistics. Their participants are a nationally representative group of Americans who are weighed and measured, assuring that heights and weights are accurate, and followed until death. The investigators determined the causes of death by asking what was recorded on death certificates.

The researchers caution that a study like theirs cannot speak to cause and effect. They do not yet know, precisely, what it is about being underweight, for instance, that increases the death rate from everything except heart disease and cancer. Researchers tried to rule out those who were thin, because they might have been already sick. They also ruled out smokers, and the results did not change.

Dr. Gail, though, had some advice, which, he said, is his personal opinion as a physician and researcher: "If you are in the pink and feeling well and getting a good amount of exercise and if your doctor is very happy with your lab values and other test results, then I am not sure there is any urgency to change your weight."


Via Nytimes

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The Hollywood Diet

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
Published: November 11, 2007

Nothing over the course of many years of having dinner parties prepared me for the list, provided without request, by the couple I invited to my new Los Angeles home. It contained the items they would not consume: no red meat; no dairy; fish only if grilled, but no salmon; and please, no button mushrooms. Once at my table to eat their prenegotiated meal of grilled tuna and dry couscous, the husband spotted flecks of garlic in the mango salsa and recoiled, demanding to know if he had indeed spied a mote of cheese.
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Food issues — a sign of weakness in many parts of our nation — are celebrated personality traits in Hollywood. Raw-almond obsessions, self-diagnosed lactose intolerance, carbophobia, demands on chefs to grill and desauce menu items that are meant to be pan-fried in mounds of butter — these tactics are employed by everyone from the talent to their lawyers to the wives of the lawyers, whose principal form of activity seems to be planning lunches that do not actually include consuming food.

Refusing to eat food the way it is meant to be prepared is apparently one way of projecting discipline and by proxy its close cousin, power. When a certain Hollywood mogul served a beautiful tarte Tatin at a small dinner party I attended, he asked his kitchen staff to bring him red Jell-O in a sherbet glass. Another guest, not to be out-restrained, pushed her tart away midbite and asked for her own glass of Jell-O.

Substitutions are the norm, as are bizarre modifications: a customer at the lunch spot Clementine orders "sloppy joes without the sloppy."

Some chefs fight back. Sang Yoon, the owner of the cult-hit gastropub Father's Office, doesn't allow substitutions. (You don't like cheese on your burger? Tough tamarind!) Quinn Hatfield, the chef at Hatfield's, once refused to prepare a new order of lamb for a customer who had already sent his back twice. "A lot of people like to use the hospitality industry to say, 'Whatever I say goes,' " he says. "I wasn't feeling it, honestly."

But in the midst of all of the waistline mania and fabricated pathologies exists a contradictory but equally true food fact: Los Angeles is more abundant with wildly popular and totally pervasive fattening foods than perhaps any other American city. Taco carts are on every major boulevard, stand-alone cupcake shops open every other month and lines form at Pink's hotdogs at all hours of the night. At Beacon in Culver City, fatty pork belly is one of the most popular items on the menu. Yes, much of this food is consumed by the Los Angelenos who labor in industries far from Hollywood, but the entertainment crowd has been seen piling its collective plate high with Sprinkles cupcakes and carnitas for years.

It is a contradiction not lost on the city's food purveyors. "People in this town have a terrible definition of what they are," says Eric Greenspan, the owner and chef of the Foundry on Melrose in Hollywood. "They spend their whole lives obsessing over a healthy body, so they come to a restaurant like mine and order their salmon steamed and then wake up at 2 a.m. and go to Tommy's and get chili cheese fries."

Greenspan's analysis of this Hollywood phenomenon is part chemistry — people don't really know what they are eating — and part psychology. "If their souls were satisfied," he reasons, "they would be eating the salmon the way it should it be ordered."

Perhaps. But on to dessert. Beyond the overhyped, slightly dry cupcakes that seem to dominate US Magazine and its ilk, some newcomers offer even sweeter alternatives. Take, for example, the fresh-whipped-cream-stuffed offerings at Dainties, or the toasted-coconut cream-cheese frosting that unapologetically embellishes the small mounds of cake at Vanilla Bake Shop. Hedging her bets, Amy Berman, who owns the Santa Monica store, also offers minicupcakes. "People can have their cupcake babies and get their little fix," she says.

And then they can immediately return to eating unsalted nuts.

•

Peanut Butter Cupcakes With Milk Chocolate Frosting

For the cupcakes:

3 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2/3 (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably Skippy

4 eggs

1 cup whole milk

For the frosting:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

Dash of salt

2/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons

whole milk

Chocolate flakes or sprinkles (optional).

1. To make the cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with baking cups. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.

2. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on low to combine and then beat on high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the peanut butter, then add the eggs, one at time. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the batter in three parts. Fill the baking cups with batter. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

3. For the frosting: Sift together the confectioners' sugar, salt and cocoa powder. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. On low speed, slowly add the chocolate mixture. Pour in the vanilla and the milk, a little at a time, until the frosting reaches a creamy consistency.

4. When the cupcakes are cool, frost them. If you choose, decorate with chocolate flakes or sprinkles. Makes about 24 cupcakes. Adapted from Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica, Calif.

•

Braised Pork Belly

1 bunch scallions

1 4-pound pork belly

Salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 ounces ginger, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

¼ cup plum wine

¼ cup white wine

2 cups soy sauce

1 cup mirin

5 star anise

8 baby bok choy, rinsed and cut through the core into ½ -inch pieces

Chinese hot mustard (optional)

Cooked udon noodles or rice (optional).

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove and thinly slice the dark green parts of the scallions, enough for 2 tablespoons, and set them aside. Cut the white and light green parts into 1-inch pieces.

2. Season the pork with salt and pepper. In a braising pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the pork on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add the 1-inch scallion pieces, the ginger, carrot and celery to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until the scallions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the wines, bring to a boil and reduce by half. Return the pork to the pan, skin-side up. Stir in the soy sauce, mirin, star anise and enough water to cover the meat by three-fourths. Bring to a boil, then cover the liquid with parchment and the pan with a tightly fitting lid or foil. Braise in the oven until the pork is tender, about 2 hours.

4. Transfer the pork to a plate. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pan, skim off the fat and bring to a boil. In batches, add the bok choy and boil until tender, about 2 minutes. Cut pork into ½ -inch-thick slices and divide, along with the bok choy, among 8 soup bowls. Pour the braising liquid over each and top with the sliced green scallions. If you choose, serve with Chinese hot mustard and cooked udon noodles or rice. Serves 8. Adapted from Beacon in Culver City, Calif.



Via Nytimes

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Progress Toward New Therapies For Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of mortality in Western countries. It cannot be cured. Recent research, led by Pilar Ruiz-Lozano, Ph.D., at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, may lead to new therapies for coronary artery disease. The research demonstrated that stimulation of the Wnt signaling pathway is essential for the formation of the coronary vasculature. The Wnt pathways of secreted factors has been known previously to play a role in embryogenesis and development, and it also functions as a regulator of some stem cell populations.

Previous research by the team demonstrated that vitamin A signaling is necessary to the coronary progenitors and suggested that the action of vitamin A may be mediated, at least in part, by means of the activation of Wnt in the coronary progenitor cells. The recent study provides hope for the millions of people affected by coronary disease. The group demonstrated that the mutation of the gene ß-catenin (effector of the Wnt-signaling pathway), in a subset of cells destined to form the coronary vasculature, disrupts the formation of the vasculature of the heart in mammalian embryos. The mutation impairs differentiation of the vascular media, composed of smooth muscle cells. In turn, activation of these cells with Wnt ligands results in increased vasculature and formation of smooth muscle cells. The work was published in PNAS and provides the groundwork for alternative approaches to the cure of coronary artery disease.

About Burnham Institute for Medical Research:

Burnham Institute for Medical Research conducts world-class collaborative research dedicated to finding cures for human disease, improving quality of life, and thus creating a legacy for its employees, partners, donors, and community. The La Jolla, California campus was established as a nonprofit, public benefit corporation in 1976 and is now home to three major centers: a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, the Del E. Webb Center for Neuroscience, Aging, and Stem Cell Research, and the Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center. Burnham today employs nearly 800 people, ranks consistently among the world's top 20 organizations for the impact of its research publications, and rates fourth among all research institutes in the United States for obtaining grant funds from the National Institutes of Health. In 2006, Burnham established a center for vascular mapping and bionanotechnology in Santa Barbara, California. Burnham is also establishing a campus at Lake No! na in Orlando, Florida that will focus on diabetes and obesity research and will expand the Institute's drug discovery capabilities, employing over 300 people. For additional information about Burnham and to learn about ways to support its research, visit http://www.burnham.org/.

Source: Andrea Moser
Burnham Institute


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"Excessive" PC game-time impairs sleep, memory

NEW YORK - Adolescent boys who "relax" in the evening after doing their homework by playing a heart-pounding computer game may have trouble sleeping and remembering what they just learned, new research hints.

"The impact of media on children's health and well-being is widely recognized and considered a serious problem," note the investigators. "Our results provide supplementary evidence for a negative influence of excessive media consumption on children's sleep, health, and performance," they say.

The study, described in the journal Pediatrics this month, involved 11 healthy 12- to 14-year-old boys with no sleep complaints and who were taking no medications. On two different experiment days, the boys played an age-appropriate interactive racing computer game called Need for Speed for 60 minutes or watched an exciting video on TV, such as a Harry Potter or Star Trek movie. They did this in the evening, 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.

As part of their experiments, Dr. Markus Dworak and colleagues from German Sport University Cologne performed overnight sleep studies, and before and after visual and verbal memory tests.

The results showed that after playing the interactive computer game, the boys took longer to fall asleep, spent less time in slow-wave sleep -- the type that helps a person form factual memories - and spent more time in stage 2 non-REM sleep - the stage of sleep first crops up right after the initial, "drifting-off" phase of sleep, and precedes deep, slow-wave sleep.

Studies in children have shown that playing interactive video games can lead to significant increases in heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate, "and thus a higher arousal state of the central nervous system," the investigators note.

Pre- and post-computer game cognitive tests also showed a decline in verbal memory performance after playing the hour-long computer game session.

This is an "interesting" finding, the researchers say, one that suggests that strong emotional experiences, such as playing a computer game or watching a thrilling movie, could decisively impact the learning process.

"Because recently acquired knowledge," they explain, "is very sensitive in the subsequent consolidation period, emotional experiences within the hours after learning could influence memory consolidation considerably."

Watching the movie did not affect memory performance or overall sleep patterns, but it did significantly reduce "sleep efficiency" - actual time spent sleeping versus the total time spent in bed. It's possible, the investigators say, that they picked the wrong movies for the experiment, as none of the boys judged the chosen films as very thrilling to watch.

SOURCE: Pediatrics, November 2007.


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Drug-resistant bacteria found to trick immune system

WASHINGTON - Drug-resistant bacteria called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, may be able to first lure and then destroy immune system cells when they are the most vulnerable, researchers said on Sunday.

The study may help explain why MRSA spread outside of hospitals are harder to fight and seem to be spreading more easily.

But the findings may also lead to new and better antibiotics to fight the bacteria, the researchers reported in the journal Nature Medicine.

"This elegant work helps reveal the complex strategy that S. aureus has developed to evade our normal immune defenses," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a statement.

"Understanding what makes the infections caused by these new strains so severe and developing new drugs to treat them are urgent public health priorities."

The NIAID's Michael Otto and colleagues found that some strains on MRSA secrete a compound called phenol-soluble modulin or PSM. It attracts immune system cells called neutrophils, the researchers found, and then blows them up in a process called lysis.

S. aureus is common and usually only causes pimples or boils, although infections can spread to surrounding tissue.

MRSA is treatable only with a few antibiotics. It is common in hospitals, where it can killed weakened patients...


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Strategies to curb your hunger while you lose

By Curt Pesmen
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Health

It's 9 p.m. and you know just where that bag of peanut M&Ms is -- it's stashed in the pantry behind the ultravirtuous oatmeal and seriously fortified cereal. Out of sight, but not out of mind.

People who eat fiber-rich, complex-carb-loaded foods such as lentils and apples tend to lose more weight.

How can you be hungry, you wonder, when you ate a mere hour and a half ago? The answer isn't so simple. Everything from stress to hormones to people, places, and situations can kick your appetite into overdrive. The good news: Whatever the cause, you can beat your hunger pangs. Read on for the latest stay-full strategies from the experts.

Whip up a side of potato salad.

Surprise! White potatoes aren't the dietary demons Atkins devotees led us to believe. Potatoes contain a type of starch known as natural resistant starch that acts a lot like fiber once it's in your digestive system, according to Katherine Beals, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition professor at the University of Utah. That means they make you feel full longer, keep your blood sugar level after a meal, and may even reduce body fat.

But there's a trick to maximizing this benefit: Chilling cooked potatoes nearly doubles the amount of natural resistant starch in a serving. Try an Italian-style potato salad. Boil peeled, sliced potatoes until they're fork-tender; drain, and toss them with salt, pepper, and your favorite red wine vinaigrette. Cool the salad in the fridge, and garnish it with chopped parsley before you dig in. Not a spud fan? Try black beans (or any other bean) or split peas, warm or cold, for the same benefit. Health.com: Best new foods of 2007

Front-load your day's calories.

We all know that breakfast helps keep your waistline trim, but here's more solid proof: In a recent study, University of Texas at El Paso researchers found that people who ate breakfast took in 5 percent fewer calories over the course of the day. That's only about 100 calories (if you typically eat the 2,000 calories per day recommended for adult women), but, over time, it adds up. Saving 100 calories a day for one year equals a loss of more than 10 pounds. Experts estimate most of us eat 20 percent of our daily calories at breakfast, 30 percent at lunch, and 50 percent at dinner. "You would probably be better off shifting more of your total daily calories to the morning," says lead author John de Castro, Ph.D. If you can't stomach a bigger breakfast (keep it healthy with a combo of low-fat protein, whole grains, and fruit or veggies), add a mid-morning snack (a container of yogurt, some fruit and a few whole-grain crackers, or half a sandwich).

Pull out the blender

Froth beats fat. This is one of the best and least-known discoveries of professor Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., author of "The Volumetrics Eating Plan." Rolls found that study subjects who drank smoothies and other drinks blended for at least twice as long as necessary ate 12 percent less -- and felt fuller -- than those who drank beverages blended for a shorter period. Why? Blending is a no-calorie way to increase serving size by adding air. Adding low- or no-cal ingredients to entrees (such as lettuce and tomato on top of turkey burgers or alongside broiled fish) has a similar effect: They work by increasing the amount of water instead of air.Health.com: Can medicine make you fat?

Fool your sweet tooth with scent

A whiff of vanilla may be the antidote for your craving for a double dip of Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream. Here's the theory, according to experts: The inherent sweetness of vanilla sends neuropeptides (gut-to-brain messengers) into a kind of sensory overload that fools you into feeling like you've satisfied your sweet tooth. Any vanilla scent -- extract, body lotion, or a candle -- has a similar effect. A special spray designed to curb appetite may work, too. One to try: Scentology's Crave Control, which was developed by Rachel Herz, Ph.D., a psychologist at Brown University's Medical School and author of "The Scent of Desire."

Stock up on lentil soup

According to a new study from The Cochrane Collaboration, an independent health-research organization, people on diets that call for fiber-rich, complex-carb-loaded foods such as lentils, sweet potatoes, and apples lost a little over 2 pounds more in five weeks, compared with people on low-fat or other types of diets. These foods rank low on the glycemic index (GI), which means they're less likely to cause blood sugar spikes and leave you feeling hungry.

Low glycemic index foods include fruit, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.


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Birth Control Pills May Clog Arteries

By BLOOMBERG NEWS
Published: November 8, 2007

Birth control pills taken by about 100 million women worldwide may clog arteries when taken more than 10 years, according to a study. Women on oral contraceptives were 20 percent to 30 percent more likely to have buildup of fat and cholesterol in their arteries, reducing blood flow, according to a study of 1,301 Belgian women ages 35 to 55. Most used birth control now made by companies like Johnson & Johnson and Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. for more than 10 years. Fatty clogs can lead to heart disease and stroke. The pills in the study were older forms that combined estrogen and progestin, two sex hormones. The finding differs from advice given by doctors based on previous research, said Sharonne Hayes of the Mayo Clinic. The research was reported at the American Heart Association meeting in Orlando.


Via Nytimes

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Exercise on the Brain

By SANDRA AAMODT and SAM WANG
Published: November 8, 2007

FEELING a little less mentally quick than you did a few years ago? Maybe you are among the many people who do "brain exercises" like sudoku to slow the cognitive decline associated with aging. We've got a better suggestion.

Computer programs to improve brain performance are a booming business. In the United States, consumers are expected to spend $80 million this year on brain exercise products, up from $2 million in 2005. Advertising for these products often emphasizes the claim that they are designed by scientists or based on scientific research. To be charitable, we might call them inspired by science — not to be confused with actually proven by science.

Environmental enrichment does improve mental function in laboratory animals. Rodents and monkeys that get playmates or toys learn to complete a variety of tasks more easily, at all ages. They also have larger brains, larger brain cells and more synaptic connections than animals raised alone in standard cages. But here's the rub: standard laboratory environments are tremendously boring. Lab animals rarely need to search for food or avoid predators. In contrast, most of us get plenty of everyday stimulation in activities like finding a new address, socializing with friends or navigating the treacherous currents of office politics. Animal enrichment research may be telling us something important not about the positive effects of stimulation, but about reversing the negative effects of deprivation.

Another line of evidence cited by marketers comes from studies of elderly people who improve certain skills by practicing a challenging computer-based task. Although most programs work to some extent, the gains tend to be specific to the trained task.

That is, practice can certainly make people better at sudoku puzzles or help them remember lists more accurately. The improvement can even last for years. Similarly, people tend to retain skills and knowledge they learned thoroughly when they were younger. Unless the activities span a broad spectrum of abilities, though, there seems to be no benefit to general mental fitness.

For people whose work is unstimulating, having mentally challenging hobbies, like learning a new language or playing bridge, can help maintain cognitive performance. But the belief that any single brain exercise program late in life can act as a quick fix for general mental function is almost entirely faith-based.

One form of training, however, has been shown to maintain and improve brain health — physical exercise. In humans, exercise improves what scientists call "executive function," the set of abilities that allows you to select behavior that's appropriate to the situation, inhibit inappropriate behavior and focus on the job at hand in spite of distractions. Executive function includes basic functions like processing speed, response speed and working memory, the type used to remember a house number while walking from the car to a party.

Executive function starts to decline when people reach their 70s. But elderly people who have been athletic all their lives have much better executive function than sedentary people of the same age. This relationship might occur because people who are healthier tend to be more active, but that's not the whole story. When inactive people get more exercise, even starting in their 70s, their executive function improves, as shown in a recent meta-analysis of 18 studies. One effective training program involves just 30 to 60 minutes of fast walking several times a week.

Exercise is also strongly associated with a reduced risk of dementia late in life. People who exercise regularly in middle age are one-third as likely to get Alzheimer's disease in their 70s as those who did not exercise. Even people who begin exercising in their 60s have their risk reduced by half.

How might exercise help the brain? In people, fitness training slows the age-related shrinkage of the frontal cortex, which is important for executive function. In rodents, exercise increases the number of capillaries in the brain, which should improve blood flow, and therefore the availability of energy, to neurons. Exercise may also help the brain by improving cardiovascular health, preventing heart attacks and strokes that can cause brain damage. Finally, exercise causes the release of growth factors, proteins that increase the number of connections between neurons, and the birth of neurons in the hippocampus, a brain region important for memory. Any of these effects might improve cognitive performance, though it's not known which ones are most important.

So instead of spending money on computer games or puzzles to improve your brain's health, invest in a gym membership. Or just turn off the computer and go for a brisk walk.

Sandra Aamodt is the editor in chief of Nature Neuroscience. Sam Wang is an associate professor of molecular biology and neuroscience at Princeton. They are the authors of the forthcoming "Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life."


Via Nytimes

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Vitamin D 'may help slow ageing'

A vitamin made when sunlight hits the skin could help slow down the ageing of cells and tissues, say researchers.

A King's College London study of more than 2,000 women found those with higher vitamin D levels showed fewer ageing-related changes in their DNA.

However, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study stops short of proving cause and effect.

A lack of vitamin D, also found in some foods, has also been linked to multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The genetic material inside every cell has an inbuilt "clock", which counts down every time the cell reproduces itself.

The shortening of these strands of DNA called telomeres is one way of examining the ageing process at a cellular level.

Snapshot measurement

The King's team looked at white blood cells, which tend to experience faster rates of turnover - and faster shortening of telomeres - when the body's tissues are suffering more inflammation.

They looked at a total of 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, and took a snapshot measurement of the levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream, comparing this to the length of the telomeres in their white blood cells.

They found that, after adjusting the results for the age of the volunteer, women with higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to have longer telomeres in these cells, and vice versa.

Professor Brent Richards, who led the study, said: "These results are exciting because they demonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D.

"This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing-related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer."

Another of the study's authors, Professor Tim Spector, said: "Although it might sound absurd, it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the ageing process in general."

No proof

The study authors, however, conceded that while this suggested a link between vitamin D levels and telomere length, it did not provide unequivocal evidence that vitamin D was responsible for this effect, rather than some other factor unaccounted for in the research,.

Professor Thomas von Zglinicki, a leading telomere researcher from the University of Newcastle, said that this was more evidence that telomere length could be related to ageing and age-related diseases.

However, he said: "What we do know is that while telomere length can be used as a biological marker, for an individual, it is not a very precise one.

"Other studies have found that people who die at the same age can have significant differences in their telomere length - up to 30 times the differences described in this study.

"We just still don't know how all the different factors that correlate to telomere length work together."

He said that it was possible that vitamin D might not be delaying the shortening of telomeres, but that another factor which did this might alter the way the vitamin was created and metabolised by the body.


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Dieting hardest for emotional eaters: study

CHICAGO - Emotional eaters -- people who eat when they are lonely or blue -- tend to lose the least amount of weight and have the hardest time keeping it off, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

They said the study may explain why so many people who lose weight gain it all back.

"We found that the more people report eating in response to thoughts and feelings, the less weight they lost," Heather Niemeier, an obesity researcher at The Miriam Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, said in a statement.

"Amongst successful weight losers, those who report emotional eating are more likely to regain," said Niemeier, whose study appears in the journal Obesity.

The study included 286 overweight men and women who were participating in a behavioral weight loss program.

A second group consisted of more than 3,300 adults who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year.

Niemeier and her team analyzed responses to an eating inventory questionnaire.

They focused on people who ate because of external influences, such as people who eat too much at parties, and people who ate because of internal influences, such as feeling lonely or as a reward.

What they found is that the more a person ate for internal reasons, the less weight they lost over time.

"Our results suggest that we need to pay more attention to eating triggered by emotions or thoughts as they clearly play a significant role in weight loss," Niemeier said.

The study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.


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Asthma In Young Children May Be Prevented By The Blocking Effects Of Viral Infections

Babies who get severe respiratory viral infections are much more likely to suffer from asthma as they get older. Now researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have pinpointed a key step in the development of asthma in mice after a severe respiratory infection. They suggest that medications designed to interfere with this mechanism could potentially prevent many cases of childhood asthma.

"A severe respiratory infection in infancy greatly increases the risk of developing asthma," says the study's lead author Mitchell Grayson, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Allergy and Immunology. "Less than one in 30 people who don't suffer a severe respiratory infection as a baby develop asthma, but of those who do get these infections, one in five goes on to have asthma."

Grayson and colleagues published their research in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. They found that mice that developed asthma-like symptoms after a severe respiratory viral infection had an unusual immune reaction. During the infection, the mice produced antibodies and immune signals similar to those produced during an allergic response, instead of those typically made in response to infection. That started a chain reaction that led to asthma. The researchers propose that a similar reaction occurs in some people who suffer severe respiratory viral infections.

"We think genetically predisposed individuals will tend to have this kind of immune reaction to a severe respiratory viral infection," Grayson says. "In those people an allergic-type response could be part of their antiviral immune response. That sets them up to make antibodies against a lot of environmental substances, like pet dander or pollen, and they can go on to develop allergies or asthma."

Reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the number of people with asthma in the United States rose from approximately 7 million in 1980 to about 20 million in 2003. The reasons for this trend are unclear, Grayson indicates. But he suggests that a growing population density and the resulting increase in transmission of respiratory viral infections might be a cause.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common source of respiratory infections. In the United States nearly all children have been infected with RSV by two or three years of age. Severe RSV infections, typified by persistent coughing, wheezing and gasping for breath, send many thousands of children to the hospital each year.

To investigate the connection between severe respiratory viral infections and subsequent asthma, the researchers used mice genetically selected to have an asthma susceptibility and infected them with a virus similar to RSV. They found that severe respiratory infections in the mice induced an allergic-type immune response and ultimately caused long-term changes in the airways of the lungs that are hallmarks of chronic asthma.

The researchers discovered that certain immune cells in the mouse lungs reacted to severe viral infections by releasing compounds that instigated an inflammatory response. That in turn induced many lung airway cells to transform into mucus-producing cells, which can cause the obstruction of lung passages and shortness of breath characteristic of asthma.

The researchers found that interfering with this process by altering the immune cells or removing the inflammatory compounds they secreted prevented overgrowth of mucus-producing cells.

The findings promise a new approach to asthma prevention, according to Grayson. "This offers a different way of thinking about what happens in the development of asthma," Grayson says. "It may be possible to prevent many cases of asthma and other chronic inflammatory airway diseases by stopping allergic-type antibody production after a severe viral infection in infants."

Grayson MH, Cheung D, Rohlfing MM, Kitchens R, Spiegel DE, Tucker J, Battaile JT, Alevy Y, Yan L, Agapov E, Kim EY, Holtzman MJ. Induction of high-affinity IgE receptor on lung dendritic cells during viral infection leads to mucous cell metaplasia. Journal of Experimental Medicine 2007 Oct 29;204(11):2759-69.

Funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Genentech Inc., Novartis International AG, the Martin Schaeffer Fund and the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Charitable Trust supported this research.

Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

Source: Gwen Ericson
Washington University in St. Louis



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Skin Cancer Prevention Update

It is estimated that more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2007. While most skin cancers have excellent cure rates if detected and treated early, dermatologists stress that prevention is still the best medicine. In fact, dermatologists are hopeful that the recent introduction of a new law aimed at warning Americans about the risks of indoor tanning devices and new sunscreen regulations could prevent skin cancer in future generations and reduce the estimated $1.5 billion annual financial toll associated with treating non-melanoma skin cancers alone.

Speaking at the American Academy of Dermatology's (Academy) Skin Academy, dermatologist Sandra I. Read, MD, FAAD, instructor of dermatology at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., presented a summary of the latest developments in skin cancer prevention, including a new study of the most common locations of melanoma in each gender.

"Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, whether natural sunlight or artificial light used in indoor tanning, is a carcinogen that studies have shown directly increases a person's risk of developing skin cancer," said Dr. Read. "We're seeing an increase in skin cancers across all age groups, and the National Cancer Institute reports that melanoma is the second most common skin cancer in younger women aged 20-29. Because of this disturbing trend, lawmakers and regulatory agencies have proposed new initiatives to help protect Americans from this serious health threat."

Men, Women and Melanoma

Dr. Read discussed how clinical studies remain an invaluable tool in further understanding skin cancer. Now, a new study published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in March 2007 examined whether the location where melanoma occurred on the body varied by gender and changed over time along with lifestyle and clothing habits in the 1970s and in 2004.

The study, "Association between the anatomic distribution of melanoma and sex," tracked 152 melanoma patients seen at the University of Pennsylvania dermatology clinic in 2004 and 397 patients seen between 1972 and 1977. Specifically, the authors of the study concluded:

-- For the 2004 patients, men had a higher risk of developing a melanoma on their head and neck than women.

-- In the 1970s, men were more likely to develop melanoma on their upper back, chest, and abdomen, while women during this time period were more prone to developing melanoma on their upper and lower extremities, particularly the lower legs and feet.

-- Examining differences over time, women in 2004 were more likely to develop a melanoma on the trunk than the lower extremities.

-- In 2004, women were more likely to develop a melanoma on their chests compared to the 1970s. In 2004, men were more likely to develop a melanoma on their lower legs compared to the 1970s.

"These findings closely mirror the melanoma patients that dermatologists treat in our practices today," said Dr. Read. "Men tend to develop more melanomas on the head, neck and upper back -- suggesting that they are not wearing sun-protective clothing, particularly wide-brimmed hats, or using adequate sunscreen on these areas. Also, women are now more likely to develop melanoma on their chests and upper backs, which indicates that they might be favoring the latest styles that expose more skin on these areas and forgoing proper sun protection in favor of fashion."

The TAN Act

On September 27, 2007, President Bush signed the Tanning Accountability and Notification Act (TAN Act) into law, which dermatologists believe may help significantly reduce the incidence of skin cancer in Americans. The law calls for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine if the current language and positioning of warning labels on indoor tanning devices is adequate to effectively warn consumers of the known dangers of indoor tanning, including the risk of skin cancer.

"The indoor tanning industry is a $5 billion industry that attracts nearly 30 million users in the U.S. annually -- 2.3 million of which are teens," said Dr. Read. "The Academy worked diligently with congressional leaders to develop this important bill, and we commend President Bush and all of the bill's sponsors for their commitment to reducing the incidence of skin cancer and helping save countless lives. By law, the indoor tanning industry will be accountable to consumers and present the facts about the dangers of their products."

The new law will require the FDA to conduct consumer testing to "determine consumer understanding of label warnings." It further requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report back to Congress in one year with the results, including "the measures being implemented by the Secretary to significantly reduce the risks associated with indoor tanning devices."

FDA's 2007 Proposed Sunscreen Rule

In an effort to improve the information available to consumers when purchasing sunscreen, the FDA proposed new regulations for formulating, testing and labeling over-the-counter sunscreens that the Academy believes will help the public make knowledgeable decisions about protecting themselves from the dangers of the sun. Since the FDA released the sunscreen monograph in 1999, the Academy has urged the FDA to include requirements for ultraviolet A (UVA) coverage in sunscreens and to increase the SPF allowed for sunscreens -- both of which are addressed in the 2007 Proposed Sunscreen rule.

Sunlight consists of two types of harmful rays -- UVA rays and UVB rays. The UVB rays are the sun's burning rays (which are blocked by window glass) and are the primary cause of sunburn and skin cancer. UVA rays (which pass through window glass) penetrate deeper into the dermis, or base layer of the skin. UVA rays can cause suppression of the immune system, which interferes with the immune system's ability to protect an individual against the development and spread of skin cancer. Cumulative UVA exposure also is known to lead to signs of premature aging of the skin, such as wrinkling and age spots.

"Since the current SPF only provides a measurement of protection against the sun's shorter wavelength UVB rays, the proposed one-to-four star rating of a sunscreen's UVA protective effect -- corresponding to low, medium, high or very high -- will allow consumers to more easily understand the degree of protection afforded by a particular product against the sun's long wavelength UVA rays," explained Dr. Read. "The Academy also commends the FDA for requiring the use of a warning label on sunscreen products to emphasize the dangers of sun exposure and to educate the public on how to avoid sun damage."

The public comment period for the rule ends in November, at which point the FDA will begin finalizing and implementing the rule.

To further increase public awareness that exposure to the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer and that sunscreen products can reduce the incidence of skin cancer and save lives, the Academy launched the AAD Seal of Recognition(TM) program. Sunscreen products with an SPF of at least 15 that provide broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays can apply for the AAD's Seal of Recognition(TM) on their packaging.

"With so many products on the market that contain sunscreen and new formulas being introduced every year, the Academy has now made it easier for consumers to know which ones provide the best protection simply by looking for the AAD's Seal of Recognition logo," said Dr. Read.

Dr. Read added that dermatologists are hopeful that the current changes in sunscreen labeling, regulating indoor tanning devices and future research on skin cancer will help curb the dangerous trend of rising skin cancer rates.

For more information about skin cancer, visit http://www.skincarephysicians.com and click on "SkinCancerNet."

Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 15,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails.

American Academy of Dermatology
http://www.aad.org


Via Medicalnewstoday

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http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=healthNews&storyid=2007-11-08T135808Z_01_N07587307_RTRUKOC_0_US-OBESITY-DEATH.xml

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO - Being overweight may not kill you, but it could lead to obesity, U.S. health experts cautioned on Wednesday in response to research suggesting that being a bit heavy does not raise the risk of death.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that being overweight did not increase the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer.

It also was linked with a significantly decreased rate of death from non-cancer and non-heart related causes, such as accidents or diseases like Alzheimer's.

Experts noted that the research only looked at death rates, not overall health. It did find that obesity was associated with a significantly higher risk of death from heart disease.

"You should not take heart in the idea that if you are only overweight you are OK," said Dr. Robert Kushner, a professor of medicine at Northwestern University who specializes in nutrition and diet.

"Given time, there is a high likelihood you will be obese because people gain weight as they age in this country," Kushner said in a telephone interview.

He said many studies have shown that as one starts gaining weight, health risks develop. "We've done very well at medicating people to keep the medical complications at bay, which allows people to live longer," he said...


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Breastfeeding babies offers them long-term heart-health benefits

Breastfed babies are less likely to have certain cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adulthood than their bottle-fed counterparts, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.
"Having been breastfed in infancy is associated with a lower average body mass index (BMI) and a higher average HDL (high-density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol) level in adulthood, even after accounting for personal and maternal demographic and CVD risk factors that could influence the results," said Nisha I. Parikh, M.D., M.P.H., author of the study and a cardiovascular fellow at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Mass.

A lower BMI and high HDL both protect against CVD. The study, which used data from two generations of participants in the Framingham Heart Study, showed that middle-aged adults who were breastfed as infants were 55 percent more likely to have high HDL cholesterol than to have low HDL cholesterol. Low HDL was defined as levels of less than 50 mg/dL for women and less than 40 mg/dL for men. HDL is known as "good" cholesterol because high levels help protect against heart disease and stroke.

After adjustment for factors that could potentially influence the results (such as use of blood pressure-lowering medication, maternal education, maternal smoking, maternal body mass index, etc.), breastfed offspring had higher average HDL cholesterol levels in adulthood: 56.6 mg/dL vs. 53.7 mg/dL for the bottle-fed participants (though this was not significantly different once participant BMI was considered in later analysis).

The breastfed infants also had a significantly lower mean BMI in adulthood: 26.1 kg/m2 vs. 26.9 kg/m2 for bottle-fed infants. Adults with a BMI higher than 25 are considered overweight and are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

"This was a modest reduction in BMI, but even a modest reduction leads to a significantly reduced risk of cardiovascular disease-related death," Parikh said.

Breastfeeding was not associated with any other adult CVD risk factor.

Parikh said she got the idea for the study after returning from maternity leave. "The benefits of breastfeeding in infancy and childhood are well established. But I wondered if it were as helpful for health in adulthood," she said.

While other studies have hinted that breastfeeding is protective against several CVD risk factors in adulthood, several prior studies were limited by a lack of adjustment for factors that could potentially influence the results, Parikh said.

By using data from the Framingham Health Study, in which these risk factors are directly measured at regular intervals, Parikh said her team overcame this problem.

The study included 393 mothers enrolled in the Framingham Offspring Study and 962 of their offspring participating in the Framingham Third Generation Study. The average age of the offspring was 41 and 54 percent were women.

Mothers reported whether they breastfed each of their children and for how long using a mailed questionnaire. Overall, 26 percent of the offspring were breastfed.

"The findings show that early environmental exposures have long-term health effects," Parikh said. "They also underscore that atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease are life-course diseases that have their roots early in life."

Source: American Heart Association
» Next Article in Medicine & Health - Research: When Treating High Blood Pressure, Simplicity is Best

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Sleep drugs found only mildly effective, but wildly popular

By Stephanie Saul
Published: October 24, 2007

Your dreams miss you. Or so says a television commercial for Rozerem, the sleeping pill. In the commercial, the dreams involve Abraham Lincoln, a beaver and a deep-sea diver. Not the stuff most dreams are made of. But if the unusual pitch makes you want to try Rozerem, consider that it costs about $3.50 a pill; gets you to sleep seven to 16 minutes faster than a placebo, or fake pill; and increases total sleep time 11 to 19 minutes, according to an analysis last year. If those numbers send you out to buy another brand, consider this as well: Sleeping pills in general do not greatly improve sleep for the average person. American consumers spend $4.5 billion a year for sleep medications. Their popularity may lie in a mystery that confounds researchers. Many people who take them think they work far better than laboratory measurements show they do. An analysis of sleeping pill studies found that when people were monitored in the lab, newer drugs like Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata w! orked better than fake pills. But the results were not overwhelming, said the analysis, which was published this year and financed by the National Institutes of Health. The analysis said that viewed as a group, the pills reduced the average time to go to sleep 12.8 minutes compared with fake pills, and increased total sleep time 11.4 minutes. The drugmakers point to individual studies with better results. Subjects who took older drugs like Halcion and Restoril fell asleep 10 minutes faster and slept 32 minutes longer than the placebo group. Paradoxically, when subjects were asked how well they slept, they reported better results, 52 extra minutes of sleep with the older drugs and 32 minutes with the newer drugs. "People seem to be getting a lot of relief from sleeping pills, but does getting 25 minutes of sleep really give you all that relief?" asked Dr. Wallace B. Mendelson, the former director of a sleep disorders unit at the University of Chicago. "A bigger aspect of thi! s is that they change a person's perception of their state of ! consciou sness." Mendelson is semiretired and is a consultant for pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Karl Doghramji, a sleep expert at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, agreed. "Sleeping pills do not increase sleep time dramatically, nor do they decrease wake time dramatically," he said. "Despite those facts, we do find patients who, when they take them, have a high level of satisfaction." Doghramji has disclosed in the past that he is a consultant to pharmaceutical companies. Most sleeping pills work on the same brain receptors as drugs to treat anxiety. By reducing anxiety, the pills may make people worry less about not going to sleep. So they feel better. Another theory about the discrepancy between measured sleep and perceived sleep involves a condition called anterograde amnesia. While under the influence of most sleep medications, people have trouble forming memories. When they wake up, they may simply forget they had trouble sleeping. "If you forget how long you lay in b! ed tossing and turning, in some ways that's just as good as sleeping," said Dr. Gary S. Richardson, a sleep disorders specialist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit who is a consultant and speaker for pharmaceutical companies and has conducted industry-sponsored research. Sleep, after all, causes a natural state similar to amnesia, one reason toddlers often forget their violent nightmares by the next morning. If you stay in bed, as most people taking sleeping pills do, amnesia is not a bad thing. Even some people who sleepwalked while taking Ambien, which was implicated in cases of odd, sometimes dangerous behavior while sleeping, believed they were having a good night's sleep. Rosemary Eckley, a graphic artist in New London, Wis., said she thought she was sleeping well on Ambien but woke to find her wrist broken, apparently in a fall while sleepwalking, she wrote in an e-mail exchange. Reports of sleep-eating and sleep-driving on Ambien are reminiscent of problems nearly 20 ! years ago with Halcion. Some people who took that drug to slee! p on air planes developed a condition known as traveler's amnesia. They landed at their destinations, then got lost or forgot where they were, prompting the authorities in several countries to withdraw Halcion from the market. Reports show that Ambien and similar drugs, advertised as safer than benzodiazepines like Halcion, can cause similar problems. The reports prompted the Food and Drug Administration to ask manufacturers to develop warning guides for distribution with virtually all sleep drugs. Despite such problems, most specialists say sleeping pills are generally safe. Dr. Mark W. Mahowald, director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, which is involved in documenting cases of sleep-eating under the influence of Ambien, said serious side effects were rare and should not discourage the use of the pills.


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