How to Reduce Your Brain Aging?

Posted on August 29, 2010 by wngai
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A study published in the August issue of the Circulation indicated that declining cardiac function is associated with lower total brain volume.

Using Framingham data, the researchers reviewed brain and cardiac MRIs and neuropsychological and laboratory data of 1,504 participants.

The researchers found that participants who have better cardiac index have higher brain volume (p=0.03) and faster information processing speed (p=0.02).

The mechanism of the association between cardiac index and markers of brain aging is unknown.  However, the investigator postulated that reduced systemic blood flow may contribute to brain injury.

This study has important implications to the elderly who have reduced exercise abilities.  Elderly must continue to exercise in order to avoid neurological degenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Source: Circulation 2010.

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Does Good Oral Hygiene Prevent Cardiovascular Disease?

Posted on August 29, 2010 by wngai
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It has been postulated that poor oral hygiene is associated with an increased risk of cardiac disease, but there has never been any large scale study to confirm this hypothesis.

A study recently published in the June issue of BMJ has confirmed this association.

The results were based on an analysis of the Scottish Health Survey which examined the relationship of oral hygiene (frequency of toothbrushing) and incidence of cardiovascular disease in 11,869 men and women.

Using statistical modeling, the researchers found that participants who reported poor oral hygiene (never/rarely brushed their teeth) were 1.7 times more likely to have cardiovascular diseases in 8 years.  Furthermore, these participants also have an increased level of proteins (fibrinogen and C reactive protein), which are known to increase the risk of stroke and heart attack.

If you want to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, please remember to maintain your oral hygiene by brushing your teeth every day.

Source: BMJ 2010.

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Multivitamin Use and Breast Cancer: Protective or Harmful?

Posted on August 22, 2010 by wngai
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We have previously reported the benefits of taking vitamins in reducing cardiovascular disease, cancer risk and mental diseases.  Now, the result of a new study added to the glowing benefits of vitamins by suggesting its role in reducing breast cancer.

The study, presented at the 101st annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), indicated that use of multivitamins was associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer in women.

The study involved 268 women with recently diagnosed untreated breast cancer and 457 women without breast cancer.  All of the women in the study completed an 8-page family history, medical history, lifestyle questionnaire, which included 3 sections on vitamin and dietary supplement intake over the previous 5 years.

The study found that use of multivitamin and calcium was associated with a 33% and a 41% decrease in breast cancer risk respectively.

Interesting, taking single supplements of each vitamin (A, E, C, and beta-carotene alone) was not associated with a significant reduction in breast cancer risk.  This phenomenon might be due to the fact that vitamins have been shown to work better collectively in their antioxidant effect.

Lastly, the investigators found an increase breast cancer risk associated with the intake of folic acid.  This finding was a concern to the investigators since high doses of folic acid could be obtained from supplements or fortified foods.

Source: Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91:1268-1272.

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Dietary Quercetin Cuts the Risk of Gastric Cancer

Posted on August 22, 2010 by wngai
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Stomach cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the second most common cause of death worldwide.  Gastric cancer is eight times more common among Asian men than among North American women.

Quercetin, a dietary supplement that possesses strong antioxidant properties, was previously found to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and blood vessels generation.

In a study published in the Annals of Oncology, high intake of quercetin was reported to be associated with a reduced risk of gastric cancer.

The study evaluated the intake of quercetin and the risk of gastric cancer in 1,616 Swedish.  Individuals who had high intake (>11.9 mg) of daily quercetin were 43% less likely to develop gastric cancer than those with low daily intake (<4 mg).  Furthermore, the reduction in risk appeared to be much stronger among female smokers (80% reduction).

This study suggests intake of dietary quercetin might reduce the risk of gastric cancer and the protection appears to be particularly strong among female smokers.

Source: Annals of Oncology, 2010

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Ancient Chinese Herbal Medicine Reduces Side-Effects of Chemotherapy

Posted on August 22, 2010 by wngai
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A Chinese herbal formula that was used more than 1,800 years ago was shown to reduce the gastrointestinal side effects of chemotherapy but also increased its efficacy in mice, according to a study published in the August issue of the Science Translational Medicine. 

The Chinese herbal formula, called Huang Qin Tang (黃芩湯)or PHY906, consists of four herbs: skullcap(黃芩), peony(芍藥), licorice(甘草), jujube(紅棗). 

In the past, colorectal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy experienced great distress due to the side-effects, but Chinese herbal medicine such as PHY 905, which contains multiple biologically active compounds, might able to reduce toxicity by multiple mechanisms. 

In the study, mice undergoing chemotherapy (irinotecan- Camptosar) that were given PHY 906 lost less weight and experienced more anti-tumor activity than mice not given the formula.  

The investigators also evaluated the Chinese medicine in 17 colorectal cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and found results similar to those seen in mice.  

This study of combining chemotherapy with herbs represents a marriage of Western and Eastern medicine to treat cancer.

 Source: WL Lam.  Science Translational Medicine, 2010

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Everolimus (Affinitor) Improves Survival in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

Posted on July 25, 2010 by wngai
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Peruvian Paso horses, Lima ChinaPancreatic neuroendocrine tumors affect the hormone-producing tissues within the pancreas, and have an incidence rate, affecting only 2 to 4 people per million worldwide.  

The incidence, however, is rising, and has quadrupled in the past 30 years, according to data from the National Cancer Institute. The most common treatment is surgery but patients who are not suitable candidates; chemotherapy (streptozocin (Zanosar), anthracyclines, and fluoropyrimidines) has been the mainstay of treatment. 

Earlier this year, Sunitib (Sutent) has been showed to be the first targeted agent to improve the survival for this rare cancer.  

Recently, another targeted agent, everolimus (Affinitor) has also been shown to increased survival without any disease in a phase 3 trial of 410 patients.  The results were reported at the 12th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona, Spain. 

The results confirmed that everolimus increased survival without any disease to 11 months, compared with 4.6 months for placebo and best supportive care. 

This is similar to the improvement in survival seen with sunitinib that was reported earlier. 

In the past, treatment for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors has been constrained by limited treatment options (with the use of hormonal treatment, octreotide (Sandostatin), being the primary therapeutic approach) and the minimal efficacy of chemotherapies.  This study indicated that targeted agents such as everolimus can be a new option with lower toxicity and the convenience of oral dosing. 

Source: 12th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer: Abstracts O-0028 and O-0009. Presented on June 30, 2010

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Regular Tea Consumption Slows Cognitive Decline

Posted on July 25, 2010 by wngai
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Chinese TeaA large longitudinal study suggested that regular tea consumption may slow the rate of cognitive decline in cognitively normal older adults.  When compared with non-tea drinkers, tea drinkers have a lower annual rate of cognitive decline compared with non-tea-drinkers, ranging from 17% to 37%.

The Cardiovascular health Study evaluated the relationship between tea and coffee consumption and change in cognitive function in 4809 men and women aged 65 years and older.

Tea and coffee consumptions were evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire while the cognitive performance was assessed using the 100-point Mini-Mental State Examination (3MSE).

Participants who drank tea 5 to 10 times per year, 1 to 3 times per month, 1 to 4 times per week, or 5 or more times per week had average annual rates of cognitive decline that were 17%, 32%, 37%, and 26% lower, respectively, than those of non-tea-drinkers.

In contrast, only the highest level of coffee consumption was associated with a significantly reduced cognitive decline (20%) in 3MSE and the effect was present for caffeinated as well as decaffeinated coffee consumption.  The coffee effect on cognitive decline is lower than that of the tea.

Since coffee contains 2 to 3 times more caffeine than tea, the study findings suggested the protective effect was unlikely to be related to caffeine.  The exact mechanism of this protective effect, however, remains unclear.

Source: Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease 2010: Abstract O1-06-05, Abstract O1-01-06. Presented July 11, 2010

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Fish Oil May Cut Breast Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Women

Posted on July 25, 2010 by wngai
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Fish oilFish oil supplement intake is associated with a lower risk for breast cancer in postmenopausal women, according to the results of the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) Cohort study.

From 2000 to 2002, a total of 35,016 postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 76 years and living in western Washington State, completed a 24-page questionnaire regarding their use of specialty supplements.  In the 5 years follow-up, 880 incidents of invasive breast cancers among these participants were recorded.

Using statistical analysis, the researchers found that use of fish oil was associated with a reduction of ductal (but no lobular) breast cancer risk by about 32% and the reduction in risk continue after long term (10-year) use.

Use of other specialty supplements, including black cohosh, dong quai, soy, or St. John’s wort, however, was not associated with breast cancer risk.

This is the first study to show a relationship between fish oil and breast cancer risk.  The author did not recommend individuals to take fish oil for breast cancer prevention until more studies have confirmed this finding.

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010;19:1696-1708. Abstract

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Vitamin E–Rich Foods Lower Long-Term Dementia Risk

Posted on July 25, 2010 by wngai
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LavenderVitamin E may delay the risk of having dementia. A study published in Archives of Neurology found that participants who have higher intake of vitamin E were 25% less likely to develop dementia than those with lowest intake. 

In the long-term Rotterdam Study, investigators followed 5395 participants free of disease for 9.6 years.  During the follow-up period, 465 people developed dementia and 365 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  

The investigators found that high dietary intake of vitamin E, but not vitamin C, beta carotene, or flavonoids, was associated with lower long-term risk for dementia. 

The investigator postulated that Vitamin E prevents dementia or neuro-degeneration via its antioxidant effect.    

Even though this study suggests the dementia preventive role of vitamin E, users should be aware that excessive use can have negative cardiovascular effects. 

Vitamin E is found in whole-grain foods, eggs, milk, nuts, seeds, avocado, spinach, and unheated vegetable oils. 

Arch Neurol. 2010;67:819-825. Abstract 

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Low Levels of Vitamin D increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease

Posted on July 25, 2010 by wngai
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A new study conducted in Finland indicated that low level of vitamin D increases the risk of Parkinson disease. 

This study was carried out among 3000 people in Finland, an area where sunlight exposure is limited and the population vitamin D level is lower (50% lower) than the suggested optimal level of 75 to 80 nmol/L. 

During the 29-year follow-up period, 50 incident cases of Parkinson’s disease were reported.  Using mathematic equation and the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels collected at baseline, the researchers calculated the relationship between vitamin D concentration and Parkinson’s disease. 

The investigators found that individuals with a serum vitamin D concentration of at least 50 nmol/L had a 65% lower risk for Parkinson’s than those with values less than 25 nmol/L. 

The exact mechanisms by which vitamin D may protect against Parkinson’s disease are not fully understood, but Vitamin D has been known to exhibit neuroprotective effects through antioxidative mechanisms and detoxification mechanisms. 

Source: Arch Neurol. 2010;67:808-811.

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