Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 9/9/09.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Green tea slashes heart disease death - Nutra USA, 9/8/09 - "Compared to people who drank less than one cup a day, seven or more cups of green tea a day may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by a whopping 75 per cent ... Additionally, a reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer mortality of 31 per cent was observed for people who drank more than seven cups of green a day, compared to people who frank less than three cups a day" - [Abstract] - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Prevent Periodontitis To Reduce The Risk Of Head And Neck Cancer - Science Daily, 9/8/09 - "Chronic periodontitis, a form of gum disease, is an independent risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma"

How To Boost Value Of Alzheimer's-fighting Compounds - Science Daily, 9/7/09 - "Connie Weaver, Purdue's head of foods and nutrition; and Elsa Janle, a Purdue associate professor of foods and nutrition, found that the amount of polyphenols from grapeseed extract that can reach a rat's brain is as much as 200 percent higher on the 10th consecutive day of feeding as compared to the first. Many previous experiments, in which absorption was measured after single or sporadic doses, often found very little, if any, of the bioactive polyphenols reaching brain tissues. However, more chronic exposure appears to improve absorption ... This shows that reasonable and chronic consumption of these products may be the way to go, rather than single, high doses" - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com.

Broccoli extract’s heart health benefits pinpointed? - Nutra USA, 9/7/09 - "Researchers from Imperial College London (ICL) report that sulforaphane, a compound most widely associated with broccoli, may activate a protein called Nrf2 in arteries ... the natural compound sulforaphane reduced inflammation at the high-risk areas by 'switching on' Nrf2 ... Atherosclerosis, known as hardening or furring of the arteries is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the cause of over 50 per cent of deaths in Europe and the US ... When these cells were exposed to sulforaphane, a re-activation of Nrf2 in the disease-prone regions of the artery was observed. This indicated that the cells’ ability to protect themselves from becoming inflamed was restored" - [Abstract] - See sulforaphane at Amazon.com.

Natural Compounds, Chemotherapeutic Drugs May Become Partners In Cancer Therapy - Science Daily, 9/7/09 - "New research shows that chlorophyllin -- a water-soluble derivative of chlorophyll, the green pigment found in most plants -- may be 10 times more potent at killing colon cancer cells than hydroxyurea, a chemotherapeutic drug commonly used in cancer treatment" - See chlorophyllin at Amazon.com.

Insomnia Is Bad For The Heart; Increases Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 9/4/09 - "A new study published in the journal Sleep has found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened nighttime blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems"

Vitamin C Deficiency Impairs Early Brain Development, Guinea Pig Study Finds - 9/4/09 - "guinea pigs subjected to moderate vitamin C deficiency have 30 per cent less hippocampal neurones and markedly worse spatial memory than guinea pigs given a normal diet. Like guinea pigs, human beings are dependent on getting vitamin C through their diet, and Jens Lykkesfeldt therefore speculate that vitamin C deficiency in pregnant and breast-feeding women may also lead to impaired development in foetuses and new-born babies"

Eat Late, Put on Weight? - WebMD, 9/3/09 - "eating at the "wrong" time leads to more than twice as much weight gain, even when the overall calories consumed are the same as those eaten at appropriate time"

Why Praising Your Kids Can Hurt Them - ABC News, 9/3/09 - "A decade of groundbreaking research suggests that constant praise can lead kids to lose self-confidence, not gain it, and make them actually perform worse, not better"

Once-Daily Guanfacine Approved to Treat ADHD - Medscape, 9/3/09 - "Guanfacine is the first selective alpha-2a adrenergic receptor agonist to be approved for treating ADHD. It is thought to exert its effects by directly engaging receptors in the prefrontal cortex to reduce susceptibility to distraction and improve working memory, attention regulation, behavioral inhibition, and impulse control"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Dietary flavonoid intake and colorectal cancer: a case-control study - Br J Nutr. 2009 Sep 7:1-8 - "We concluded that flavonols, specifically quercetin, obtained from non-tea components of the diet may be linked with reduced risk of developing colon cancer" - See quercetin at Amazon.com.

Green Tea Consumption and Mortality among Japanese Elderly People: The Prospective Shizuoka Elderly Cohort - Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Oct;19(10):732-739 - "The multivariate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CVD mortality compared those who consumed seven or more cups per day with those who consumed less than one cup per day, were 0.24 (0.14-0.40), 0.30 (0.15-0.61), and 0.18 (0.08-0.40) for total participants, men, and women, respectively. Although green tea consumption was not inversely associated with cancer mortality, green tea consumption and colorectal cancer mortality were inversely associated with a moderate dose-response relationship" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Impact of Homocysteine-Lowering Vitamin Therapy on Long-Term Outcome of Patients With Coronary Artery Disease - Am J Cardiol. 2009 Sep 15;104(6):745-749 - "Folic acid >/=400 mug/day with or without additional B vitamins was administered at the attending physicians' discretion ... Treatment was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality in patients with homocysteine levels >15 mumol/L (4% vs 32%, p <0.001) but not in patients with lower levels (5% vs 7%, p >0.05)" - See folic acid at Amazon.com.

Activation of Nrf2 in Endothelial Cells Protects Arteries From Exhibiting a Proinflammatory State - Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2009 Sep 3 - "Treatment with sulforaphane, a dietary antioxidant, activated Nrf2 and suppressed p38-VCAM-1 signaling at the susceptible site in wild-type but not Nrf2(-/-) animals, indicating that it suppresses EC activation via Nrf2 ... Nrf2 prevents ECs at the atheroprotected site from exhibiting a proinflammatory state via the suppression of p38-VCAM-1 signaling. Pharmacological activation of Nrf2 reduces EC activation at atherosusceptible sites and may provide a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent or reduce atherosclerosis" - See sulforaphane at Amazon.com.

Vitamin D deficiency and mortality - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2009 Aug 25 - "Accumulating evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency is linked to excess mortality" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Whole-Grain Intake and Cereal Fiber Are Associated with Lower Abdominal Adiposity in Older Adults - J Nutr. 2009 Sep 2 - "After adjustment for covariates, whole-grain intake was inversely associated with BMI [26.8 kg/m(2) (25.7-28.1) vs. 25.8 kg/m(2) (24.6-27.1), (95% CI); P-trend = 0.08], percent body fat [34.5% (32.7-36.3) vs. 32.1% (30.1-34.1); P-trend = 0.02], and percent trunk fat mass [43.0% (40.4-45.5) vs. 39.4% (36.7-42.1); P-trend = 0.02] in the lowest compared with the highest quartile category of whole-grain intake. Refined grain intake was not associated with any measure of body fat distribution. Cereal fiber was inversely associated with BMI [27.3 kg/m(2) (26.1-28.6) vs. 25.4 kg/m(2) (24.3-26.7); P-trend = 0.012], percent body fat [34.7% (32.8-36.6) vs. 31.5% (29.4-33.5); P-trend = 0.004], and percent trunk fat mass [42.8% (40.2-45.4) vs. 37.8% (35.0-40.6) ... Higher intakes of cereal fiber, particularly from whole-grain sources, are associated with lower total percent body fat and percent trunk fat mass in older adults"

Water as an essential nutrient: the physiological basis of hydration - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Sep 2 - "The regulation of water balance is essential for the maintenance of health and life. On an average, a sedentary adult should drink 1.5 l of water per day, as water is the only liquid nutrient that is really essential for body hydration"

Health Focus (Advance Glycation End Products):

Specific Recommendations:

• carnosine / alpha lipoic acid / acetyl-l-carnitine / ginseng / gymnema / chromium / Metformin / l-arginine
• If you do a search of "Aminoguanidine pimagedine", several sites claim they are the same thing.   Aminoguanidine is available at International Anti-aging Systems

General Information:

• Advanced glycation endproduct - Wikipedia - "AGEs affect nearly every type of cell and molecule in the body, are thought to be major factors in aging and age related chronic diseases. They are also believed to play a causative role in the vascular complications of diabetes mellitus"
• Glucose, Advanced Glycation End Products, and Diabetes Complications: What Is New and What Works - Clinical Diabetes 21:186-187, 2003 - "A large body of evidence suggests that AGEs are important pathogenetic mediators of almost all diabetes complications, conventionally grouped into micro- or macroangiopathies"
• Cross-link Breakers and Inhibitors - International Anti-Aging Systems - "It is now well established that the process of glycosylation is one of the most important causes of ageing, perhaps equally as important as the process of oxidation (free radical damage)"
• Books on Advanced Glycation End Products - Amazon.com

News & Research:

• Metformin restores impaired HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux due to glycation - Atherosclerosis. 2009 Mar 19 - "In the presence of metformin or aminoguanidine (100mM), glycated HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux was restored to 97.5+/-4.3% and 96.9+/-3.1%, respectively"
• Advanced glycation end products and diabetic foot disease - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2008 May-Jun;24 Suppl 1:S19-24 - "recent clinical studies have shown that the AGE-breakers may be able to decrease adverse vascular effects of glycation with few side effects"
• Advanced glycation end products in senile diabetic and nondiabetic patients with cataract - J Diabetes Complications. 2008 May 26 - "The AGE distribution in the senile groups corroborates the hypothesis that the advanced glycation process might have a role in cataract formation, which in diabetic patients occurs vigorously as compared with nondiabetic cataract patients"
• When It Comes To Living Longer, It's Better To Go Hungry Than Go Running, Mouse Study Suggests - Science Daily, 5/14/08 - "at least two studies which examined people who engage in high-volume exercise versus people who restricted their calorie intake, had a similar outcome: caloric restriction has physiological benefits that exercise alone does not ... One theory is that exercise places stress on the body, which can result in damage to the tissues and DNA. Another theory is that caloric restriction leads to physiological changes which benefit the body" - I still think it boils down to the ravages of higher insulin and blood sugar which increase advanced glycation end products a major cause of aging.
• Telmisartan, an Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blocker, Inhibits Advanced Glycation End-product (AGE)-elicited Hepatic Insulin Resistance via Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-gamma Activation - J Int Med Res. 2008 Mar-Apr;36(2):237-43 - "Candesartan, another ARB, did not affect AGEs-induced serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 at serine-307 residues in Hep3B cells. Our study suggests that telmisartan could improve AGE-elicited insulin resistance in Hep3B cells by inhibiting serine phosphorylation of IRS-1, at least in part, via activation of PPAR-gamma" - Note:  That might be another reason for considering telmisartan as a first line treatment for hypertension.  See telmisartan at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Effect of Rosiglitazone on Cardiac Fibroblast Proliferation, Nitric Oxide Production and Connective Tissue Growth Factor Expression Induced by Advanced Glycation End-products - J Int Med Res. 2008 Mar-Apr;36(2):329-35 - "AGEs significantly accelerated proliferation, increased CTGF expression and decreased nitric oxide production in cardiac fibroblasts. These effects of AGEs were inhibited by RGZ in a dose-dependent manner"
• Increased serum Advanced Glycation End products is a distinct finding in lean women with PCOS - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2008 Mar 20 - "PCOS women exhibited statistically higher AGEs levels"
• How Diabetes Drives Atherosclerosis - WebMD, 3/13/08 - "Abe's team showed that molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), produced in greater levels by patients with diabetes, interfere with ERK5 cardioprotection. Glycation reactions cause the release of oxidizing side products like hydrogen peroxide (H202) that drive free radical production, inflammation and cell damage in many diseases" - I was always under the impression that it was advanced glycation end products in the first place.  I guess I was right before they discovered it.
• DHEA Restores Oxidative Balance in Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 12/11/07 - "DHEA significantly reduced oxidative stress parameters in both plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the report indicates, and its administration was followed by a 50% decrease in levels of pentosidine (a marker of AGE formation)" - See DHEA at Amazon.com.
• Face facts: Too much sugar causes wrinkles - MSNBC, 10/21/07 - "At blame is a natural process that's known as glycation, in which the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end products (or, appropriately, AGEs for short). The more sugar you eat, the more AGEs you develop. "As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion," ... Supplement your diet with at least 1 mg of vitamins B1 and B6 a day. These vitamins proved to be potent AGE inhibitors in a number of published studies"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone administration counteracts oxidative imbalance and AGE formation in type 2 diabetic patients - Diabetes Care. 2007 Aug 17 - "Data indicate that DHEA treatment ameliorates the oxidative imbalance induced by hyperglycaemia, down-regulates the TNFalpha/TNFalpha receptors system and prevents AGE formation, suggesting a beneficial effect on the onset and/or progression of chronic complications in type 2 diabetic patients"
• Telmisartan, an Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blocker, Inhibits Advanced Glycation End-product (AGE)-induced Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Expression in Mesangial Cells Through Downregulation of Receptor for AGEs via Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-gamma Activation - J Int Med Res. 2007 Jul-Aug;35(4):482-9 - "Candesartan, an Ang II type 1 receptor blocker, did not suppress AGEs-induced superoxide generation. Telmisartan and the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, completely inhibited AGEs-induced MCP-1 overproduction by mesangial cells"
• Protective Effect of (-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate against Advanced Glycation Endproducts-Induced Injury in Neuronal Cells - Biol Pharm Bull. 2007 Aug;30(8):1369-73 - "Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) are believed to be secondary factors in the selective neuronal injury associated with several neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major monomer of green tea polyphenols, against AGEs-induced damage in neuron cells. The results showed that EGCG treatment protected against glyceraldehyde-derived AGE-induced neurotoxicity" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Thiazolidinedione increases serum soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products in type 2 diabetes - Diabetologia. 2007 Jul 18 - "At 6 months, both rosiglitazone and sulfonylurea resulted in a significant reduction in HbA(1c), fasting glucose and AGE"
• Cooking to Fight Inflammation? - Dr. Weil, 7/12/07 - "You can reduce your intake of AGEs by steaming or boiling foods or by making stews – the key is to cook at low heat and to maintain the water content of food"
• Advanced glycation endproducts: what is their relevance to diabetic complications? - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2007 May;9(3):233-45 - "AGEs may potentiate the development of diabetic complications by activation of cell responses by AGE-modified proteins interacting with specific cell surface receptors, activation of cell responses by AGE free adducts, impairment of protein-protein and enzyme-substrate interactions by AGE residue formation, and increasing resistance to proteolysis of extracellular matrix proteins. The formation of AGEs is suppressed by intensive glycaemic control, and may in future be suppressed by thiamine and pyridoxamine supplementation, and several other pharmacological agents"
• Advanced glycation end-products and arterial stiffness in hypertension - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Mar;20(3):242-7 - "Concentration of plasma AGEs is significantly higher in hypertensive than in normotensive subjects and related to aortic stiffness independent of age and blood pressure"
• Benfotiamine prevents macro- and microvascular endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress following a meal rich in advanced glycation end products in individuals with type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2006 Sep;29(9):2064-71 - "Our study confirms micro- and macrovascular endothelial dysfunction accompanied by increased oxidative stress following a real-life, heat-processed, AGE-rich meal in individuals with type 2 diabetes and suggests benfotiamine as a potential treatment"
• Effect of valsartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker, on markers of oxidation and glycation in Japanese type 2 diabetic subjects: Blood pressure-independent effect of valsartan - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2006 May 29 - "low-dose valsartan treatment decreased serum AGEs level, whereas blood pressure level was unchanged. The effect of valsartan on AGEs might be a blood pressure-independent effect in type 2 diabetic subjects"
• Antiglycation properties of aged garlic extract: possible role in prevention of diabetic complications - J Nutr. 2006 Mar;136(3):796S-9S - "S-Allylcysteine, a key component of aged garlic, is a potent antioxidant and can inhibit AGEP formation"
• Phase II Data Show Alagebrium Reduces Arterial Stiffness in Elderly With Isolated Systolic Hypertension - Medscape, 11/23/05
• Drug Compound Restores Youth To Aging Arterial Cells In Elderly Hypertensives, Hopkins Study Shows - Science Daily, 11/23/05 - "alagebrium, formally known as ALT-711 or 4,5-dimethyl-3-(2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)-thiazolium chloride, reduced stiffening in the vessel wall in the main artery of the neck (carotid artery) by as much as 37 percent. The drug also improved endothelial function, the ability of the vessels' inner lining to relax and dilate in response to increased stress from blood flow, by 102 percent"
• Simvastatin's Benefits May Extend to Atherosclerotic Plaque Stabilisation in Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 10/25/04 - "Simvastatin-dependent plaque stabilisation in patients with type 2 diabetes arises from the drug's ability to decrease expression of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), and thence to reduce metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, and promote plaque stabilisation"
• New Class of Antihypertensive Agents Continues in Development - Medscape, 8/19/03 - "ALT-711 did not demonstrate statistical significance compared with placebo against the prespecified primary endpoint of reduction of SBP by office cuff pressure measurement at the highest of 4 dose levels (210 mg/day)"
• Eating Food Cooked At High Temperature Accelerates Aging - Life Extension Magazine, 5/03 - "consuming foods high in glycotoxins might be responsible for the induction of a low-grade, but chronic state of inflammation. In addition, the glycotoxins in food cooked at high temperatures also promote the formation of glycotoxins in our living tissues. The implication of these findings is profound ... Inflammatory cytokine production can be suppressed with the proper supplementation of fish oil, DHEA, vitamin K and nettle leaf extract ... It is also important to avoid over consumption of foods high in arachidonic acid (beef, egg yolk, dairy, etc.) ... Consuming at least 1000 mg a day of carnosine, and/or 300 mg of the European drug aminoguanidine can inhibit pathological glycation reactions in the body" - See iHerb or Vitacost carnosine products.
• Ramipril Reduces Advanced Glycation End Products In Non-Diabetic Nephropathy - Doctor's Guide, 4/21/03 - "Ramipril also mildly decreased levels of advanced glycation end products"
• Vitamin C May Aid People with Diabetes - New Hope Natural Media, 2/13/03 - "Vitamin C inhibits all three of the biochemical reactions that are believed to contribute to the development of these complications: (1) the production of oxygen-derived free radicals, (2) the accumulation of sorbitol within cells, and (3) a tissue-damaging reaction called glycosylation" - [J. Hypertension/Medline]- See iHerb or Vitacost vitamin C products.
• Preserving Clear Vision - Life Extension Magazine, 2/03 - "It is likely that glycation plays a role in aging in non-diabetics as well, especially those who eat diets high in sugars and refined carbohydrates or those who have blood sugars higher than normal but not high enough to merit a diabetes diagnosis ... Carnosine's best-known effect, however, is its ability to prevent the formation of advanced glycated end products (protein crosslinks). Carnosine competes with proteins for the binding sites they would occupy on sugar molecules, making it the best glycation preventative currently recognized in the world of nutrition research" - See iHerb or Vitacost carnosine products.
• The Anti-Aging Effects of Carnosine - Life Extension Magazine, 1/03 - "Carnosine quenches the most destructive protein-oxidizing agent (the hydroxyl radical). One study showed carnosine was the only antioxidant to significantly protect cellular chromosomes from oxidative damage.2 Antioxidants cannot completely protect proteins. Nature's second line of defense is to repair or remove damaged proteins.3 This is where carnosine demonstrates its most profound anti-aging effect ... Studies show that carnosine is effective against cross-linking and the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE).6,7 Glycated proteins produce 50-fold more free radicals than nonglycated proteins and carnosine may be the most effective anti-glycating agent known" - See iHerb or Vitacost carnosine products.
• High-Heat Foods Could Be Bad For You - CBS News, 11/28/02 - "browned, crispy foods, like that Thanksgiving turkey you just ate, are loaded with proteins called AGEs which interact with sugar in the body to cause hardening of the arteries ... AGEs are deposited everywhere over time — in the kidneys, in the vessels of the eyes and they have been implicated in all of these major complications from diabetes"
• Diabetic Heart Disease Risk Studied - Intelihealth, 11/12/02
• Three Of 12 Patients Taking Pyridorin (Pyridoxamine Dihydrochloride) Convert From Macro- To Microalbuminuria - Doctor's Guide, 11/3/02 - "all dose levels of Pyridorin were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported and no discontinuations due to an adverse event ... Patients taking Pyridorin experienced an average decrease from baseline 24-hour urinary albumin excretion of 32 percent at day 45" - Sounds like Pyridorin by BioStratum is a competitor to pimagedine by Alteon.  Pyridorin and pimagedine are advanced glycation end product (AGE) inhibitors  Alteon is also working on ALT-711, which is an advanced glycation end product (AGE) reverser.  Carnosine and acetyl-l-carnitine are supplements believed to be advanced glycation end product (AGE) inhibitors. - Ben
• Why Antioxidants Aren't Enough - Life Extension Magazine, 1/02
• Oxidative Marker Found In Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Tissue - Doctor's Guide, 6/12/02 - "Raised AGE levels have been found in the serum and synovial fluid of patients with RA"
• Glycation Levels Could Affect Progression Of Osteoarthritis - Doctor's Guide, 12/7/01
• What constitutes a glycation-reduced diet? - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "Glycation of proteins has been shown to play a prominent role in the development of many diseases related to diabetes, atherosclerosis and cataract formation. Glycation also occurs as a result of general aging. A glycation reduction diet would be one that is low in simple sugars and carbohydrates. There are also certain supplements that help reduce glycation, such as carnosine. Carnosine is the most effective natural anti-glycating agent ... Other supplements include alpha lipoic acid, chromium picolinate and calcium pyruvate"
• Alteon's ALT-711 Found to 'Remodel' Cardiovascular System in Preclinical Study - Alteon, 9/24/01 - "released results of a new preclinical study that demonstrated the ability of ALT-711 to decrease the thickening of the heart that may occur as a result of hypertension, and to improve the function of the endothelium ... ALT-711 normalized left ventricular fibrosis, or the thickening of the left ventrical of the heart, and improved the function of the endothelium, the part of the cardiovascular system that regulates both the relaxation and contraction of blood vessels and contributes to the maintenance of the vascular structure. The authors suggest that ALT-711 may be effective for improving cardiovascular remodeling in hypertension"
• AGE Breakers - Life Extension Magazine, 8/01 - "If ALT-711 is ever approved by the FDA, it will enable aging humans to reverse the effects of glycation, one of the most devastating consequences of aging"
• Experimental Drug Decreases Age-Related Blood Vessel Stiffening - Doctor's Guide, 9/5/01 - "In a group of older people with vascular stiffening, the drug, ALT-711, significantly reduced arterial pulse pressure, defined as the difference between systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. It also improved the blood vessels' ability to stretch by about 14 percent"
• Aminoguanidine: AGE Inhibitor - Phil Micans PharmB/IAS - "the membrane surface area of the rats was reduced by 30%. Furthermore, the collagen content of their arterial walls was increased by 24-30%. Aminoguanidine is therefore acting to improve overall heart and arterial condition and not just by preventing or slowing proteins from cross-linking, but also by decreasing the AGE-induced cross-linking of the extra-cellular matrix ... 11 patients with peripheral vascular disease were treated with aminoguanidine. Their blood vessels were so clogged that they couldn't walk for more than 500 yards. But after treatment with aminoguanadine the patients blood flow improved on average by 30% and the patients exercise abilities improved by 50% to 105%."
• Alteon Initiates Phase IIb 'SAPPHIRE' Trial of ALT-711 in Systolic Hypertension - Alteon, 7/9/01 - "By "breaking" the pathological bonds that cause tissues, organs and vessels to stiffen and lose function over time, ALT-711 has demonstrated the ability to reverse certain age-related and diabetes-related conditions"
• New Concepts Of Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis And Management Guidelines - Doctor's Guide, 6/14/01 - "With age, there is increased formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which results in increased cross-linking of cartilage matrix and activation of cytokines"
• Carnosine Nature's pluripotent life extension agent - Life Extension Magazine, 1/01 - "Carnosine distinctly improved the appearance of the aged mice, whose coat fullness and color remained much closer to that of young animals.  Significantly more carnosine-treated mice had glossy coats (44% vs. 5%), while significantly fewer had skin ulcers (14% vs. 36%) . . . .The sharpest contrast between the treated and untreated mice was seen in their behavior. Only 9% of the untreated mice displayed normal behavioral reactivity, compared to 58% of the carnosine treated mice."
• Staying Young Forever, Putting new research findings into practice - Life Extension Foundation, 12/99 - "The formation of AGE happens in everyone and is a major factor in the aging process itself. These damaged proteins may lead to premature signs of aging (wrinkles and brown spots) and in the long run to damaging effects on most organ systems within the body . . . The amino acid carnosine is a natural AGE inhibitor found in high concentrations in the brain, muscle tissue and the lens of the human eye. It is also known to be an antioxidant capable of protecting cell membranes and other cell structures. In vitro studies demonstrated that carnosine inhibits glycosylation and crosslinking of proteins induced by reactive aldehydes, and that it is effective in reducing AGE formation by competing with proteins for binding with the sugars. The authors suggest that this nontoxic compound should be explored in the treatment of such conditions as diabetic complications, inflammatory disorders, alcoholic liver disease and possibly Alzheimer's disease."
• Drug (ALT-711) Decreases Blood Vessel Stiffness in Older Primates - Medscape, 1/31/01 - "could be a new treatment for high blood pressure, heart failure, and certain vascular complications of diabetes. The treatment significantly decreased the stiffness of blood vessels"
• Saving Yourself from AGE - Life Enhancement Magazine, 8/00
• Arginine for Muscles, Memory, Sex and More - Life Enhancement Magazine, 12/99 - "Free arginine has been shown to help prevent a destructive process known as cross-linking, which is associated with accelerated aging. Excessive cross-linking reactions inevitably damage the kidneys, necessitating dialysis in advanced age"
• Pimagedine Has Potential For Prevention Of Diabetic Complications - Doctor's Guide, 11/8/01
• Lower AGE with Acetyl L-Carnitine - Life Enhancement Magazine, 8/99 - "Diabetics and others who become susceptible to high levels of glucose in blood serum as they age suffer from the formation of deleterious hybrid protein-sugar complexes known as advanced glycation end products (AGE) ... ALC decreased the glycation by 42%"
• Business and Science Unite to Fight Aging - Life Extension Magazine, 10/98 - "One feature of aging and of diabetes is increased stiffness of blood vessels, such as the carotid artery in the neck. Egan showed that in rats, the distensibility of the carotid artery falls by more than 50 percent between 24 and 30 months of age in control animals, but falls by less than 7 percent in animals that received 50 mg/kg of Pimagedine in their drinking water. Further, over the same age interval, the rat heart-weight-to-body-weight ratio rose by about 50 percent in control animals, indicating heart failure; but the same ratio rose by less than about 7 percent in animals treated with Pimagedine. Pimagedine also normalized left ventricular stiffness and the amount of sugar attached to collagen (connective tissue protein). These are huge anti-aging effects. 
  
  But as good as Pimagedine is, ALT-711 may be a great deal better. ALT-711 is something called an "alpha dione cleaving agent." While Pimagedine prevents permanent glucose-protein crosslinks from forming, ALT-711 reverses glucose-protein crosslinks after they have formed. Still better, ALT-711 acts like an artificial enzyme, breaking crosslink after crosslink without itself being consumed in the reaction. It is as if ALT-711 were a "reverse free radical," setting up a chain reaction of positive, rather than negative, chemical reactions.""
• Advanced Glycation End Products - DrMirkin.com - "cooking proteins with sugars in the absence of water/ forms advanced glycation products that can damage tissues in the body ... The frightening new news is that eating foods with these advanced glycation products raises blood and tissue levels and increases nerve damage"

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