Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 5/14/03:

Lifestyle Changes Improve Blood Pressure - WebMD, 5/14/03 - "Weight loss ... 5 - 20 points per 22 lbs. lost ... DASH eating plan ... 8 -14 points ... Exercise ... 4 - 9 points ... Moderate drinking ... 2 - 4 points"

Broccoli Could Be Prostate Cancer Fighter - HealthScout News, 5/14/03 - "The researchers found that a chemical known as 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), a byproduct of eating cruciferous vegetables, appeared to prevent the growth of breast cancer cells. They next turned to prostate cancer cells ... prostate cancer cells treated with DIM grew 70 percent slower than untreated cells" - See iHerb or Vitacost DIM products.

Think You Have Normal Blood Pressure? - WebMD, 5/13/03 - "In new blood pressure guidelines just released today, experts have created a new category of "prehypertension," which now puts many more people -- who thought they had normal blood pressure -- at risk of heart disease ... If your systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139 or your diastolic blood pressure is between 80 and 89, you have a new condition called "prehypertension." Some people in this range need drug treatment. Everyone in this range needs what doctors call "lifestyle modification." This means losing weight, eating a low-fat/low-salt diet, getting regular exercise, and drinking less" - See "Alternative News" on my hypertension page for other ways to reduce it.

Candesartan Effectively Reduces Blood Pressure in Elderly Hypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 5/12/03 - "Active anti-hypertensive treatment was given to most patients (84%) in the control group ... A first major cardiovascular event occurred in 242 candesartan patients and in 268 controls. The risk reduction with candesartan was 10.9%. Candesartan-based treatment reduced non-fatal stroke by 27.8% and all stroke by 23.6%" - [Abstract]

Combination Therapy With Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists in the Treatment of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Archives of Internal Medicine, 5/12/03 - "recent clinical trials of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with renal disease demonstrate unequivocally the renal protective effect of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) ... angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have a dramatic effect in reducing cardiovascular events but have not been shown convincingly to reduce progression of renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus ... Given the fact that many of these individuals will require administration of multiple antihypertensive agents, perhaps the initial treatment with a combination of an ARB and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor affords optimal cardiovascular and renal protection for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and renal disease"

Alpha Lipoic Acid Helping the Fight against Diabetes - Physician's Weekly, 5/12/03 - "the over-the-counter antioxidant supplement alpha lipoic acid has been effective against the burning, numbness and pain that often is associated with diabetic neuropathy. The antioxidant works mainly as a pain medication and was clinically shown to have few side effects" - See iHerb or Vitacost alpha lipoic acid products.

Sesame Oil Lowers Blood Pressure - HealthScout News, 5/10/03 - "They consumed an average of 35 grams of sesame oil a day for 60 days ... using sesame oil as their sole cooking oil lowered their blood pressure levels from 166 mm Hg systolic to 134 mm Hg and from 101 mm Hg diastolic to 84.6 mm Hg ... The average dose of nifedipine taken by the people in the study was reduced from 22.7 milligrams per day to 7.45 milligrams per day" - See iHerb sesame seed oil products.

Arthritis on Verge of Becoming an Epidemic - HealthScout News, 5/9/03 - "An Arthritis Foundation survey conducted last year revealed that 53 percent of respondents were showing some symptoms of arthritis, yet many weren't aware of the significance ... Glucosamine and c[h]ondroitin have received particular attention. "There's increasing evidence that not only do they relieve the signs and symptoms of arthritis but may actually protect the cartilage and prevent damage to the cartilage,""

Red Meat May Be Key to High-Protein Diet - WebMD, 5/9/03 - "100 women were enrolled in the study -- all overweight, with an average body mass index (BMI) of 33. For 12 weeks, half the women ate a high-protein diet of 34% protein, 46% carbohydrate, and 20% fat. The other half ate a high-carbohydrate diet that was 17% protein, 64% carbohydrate, and 20% fat ... Each diet consisted of about 1, 340 calories, and protein in both diets was from lean red meat ... the high-protein-diet women lost substantially more weight ... the high-meat eaters also had 22% lower levels of triglycerides ... Bottom line: Eat fewer refined carbohydrates -- table sugar, baked goods, white bread, pasta -- and more fruits and vegetables ... Eat lots of lean protein -- sirloin steak, flank steak, chicken, eggs, tofu, and fish" - I looked at the box of Healthy Choice Steak with Zesty Steak Dipping Sauce and Mixed Vegetables with Roasted Red Skin Potatoes and did the math.  See below table.  Those dinners probably come as close to this article's "high-protein" diet percentages as you are going to get yet only have about two or three ounces of steak.  Four of the Healthy Choice Steak dinners would be about 1360 calories (close to the article's 1340 recommendation) and  96 grams of protein.  Most people are probably thinking a half pound of steak when they say "high protein".  See the bullet for protein requirements.

• Dietary Protein Intake Differences Based on Activity Levels - Medscape, 3/6/01 - "Research clearly indicates that protein needs for athletes are greater than the recommended 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight recommended for sedentary people ... Research supports a range in protein needs from 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram body weight for endurance athletes such as marathoners ... Excess protein intake is associated with dehydration, and may be related to excessive urinary calcium losses ... an impairment of kidney function has been associated with excessive protein intake" - 1 pound = 2.2 kilograms, 154 pounds is 70 kilograms.  So for an obese 154 pound marathoner, 1.4 x 70 = 98 grams of protein maximum.  For a sedentary 154 pound person, .8 x 70 = 56 grams.

Multivitamin Supplements Reduce Risk of Birth Defects in Offspring of Diabetic Mothers - Doctor's Guide, 5/9/03 - "Results show that infants of women with diabetes had an increased risk of having selected birth defects only if the mother did not use multivitamins during the periconception period"

Laser Comb [Hairmax] May Stimulate Hair Growth - thesandiegochannel.com, 5/8/03 - ""In our clinical trials in Canada, (the comb) does both," said Dr. Martin Unger, plastic surgeon. "We are getting over 97 percent -- sorry, 95 percent -- of the people who are using this are either stopping their hair loss or regrowing hair, and over 75 percent of the patients regrew hair to a significant amount." ... The Hairmax laser comb costs about $700." - See HairMax at drugstore.com.

Lavender Effective Add-on Therapy for Depression - New Hope Natural Media, 5/8/03 - "the group taking the combination of imipramine and lavender had a significantly greater reduction in HAM-D scores and the antidepressant effect occurred more rapidly, compared with those taking imipramine or lavender alone" - See iHerb or Vitacost lavender products.

Study finds 150 genes that govern what happens as people age - HealthScout News, 5/7/03 - "while cognitive performance did not decline until old age, genetic changes started in what would be before the age of 40 in humans ... at that age the body is setting the stage for cellular and biological changes that could affect how the brain works as people get older"

Eating Food Cooked At High Temperature Accelerates Aging - Life Extension Foundation, 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" - iHerb or Vitacost carnosine products.

Hormone Studies: What Went Wrong? - NY Times, 4/22/03 - "He said it was possible that estradiol, the estrogen women naturally produce and that goes directly to their bloodstream is protective. The estrogen in pills, metabolized by the liver before entering the blood, may be harmful. Neither the nurses' study nor the Women's Health Initiative addressed that question, Dr. Rossouw said"

Herbal With Valerian Helps Treat Sleep-Onset Insomnia - Clinical Psychiatry News, 5/03 - "Those who took the supplement experienced a significant decrease in subjective sleep latency from baseline of 12.61 minutes, according to daily sleep diaries. Patients taking the placebo experienced an average increase of 7.98 minutes in subjective sleep latency ... Blissful Sleep contains 160 mg of valerian and smaller amounts of Rosa centifolia, Nardostachys jatamansi, Tinospora cordifolia, Withania somnifera, Piper nigrum, Alpinia galangal, Convolvulus pluricalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra" - See iHerb or Vitacost valerian products valerian products.

Aripiprazole Benefits Are Sustained Over Time - Clinical Psychiatry News, 5/03 - "Its principal advantage over other atypical agents remains a superior side effect profile; no apparent difference in efficacy exists ... It's not the new clozapine (Clozaril) ... it seems clearly superior in areas that have been problematic, notably weight gain, effects on blood lipids and glucose, and prolactin elevation ... in fact, they lost weight overall, with the heaviest patients losing most ... Pooled data from short-term clinical studies showed a mean decline of 57% in serum prolactin"

From this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics:

Why whole grains are protective: biological mechanisms - Proc Nutr Soc 2003 Feb;62(1):129-34 - "First, whole grains are concentrated sources of dietary fibre, resistant starch and oligosaccharides, carbohydrates that escape digestion in the small intestine and are fermented in the gut, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). SCFA lower colonic pH, serve as an energy source for the colonocytes and may alter blood lipids. These improvements in the gut environment may provide immune protection beyond the gut. Second, whole grains are rich in antioxidants, including trace minerals and phenolic compounds, and these compounds have been linked to disease prevention. Additionally, whole grains mediate insulin and glucose responses. Although lower glycaemic load and glycaemic index have been linked to diabetes and obesity, risk of cancers such as colon and breast cancer have also been linked to high intake of readily-available carbohydrate. Finally, whole grains contain many other compounds that may protect against chronic disease. These compunds include phytate, phyto-oestrogens such as lignan, plant stanols and sterols, and vitamins and minerals."

Whole grains protect against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease - Proc Nutr Soc 2003 Feb;62(1):135-42 - "Generous intake of whole grains also provides protection from development of diabetes and obesity. Diets rich in wholegrain foods tend to decrease serum LDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels as well as blood pressure while increasing serum HDL-cholesterol levels. Whole-grain intake may also favourably alter antioxidant status, serum homocysteine levels, vascular reactivity and the inflammatory state. Whole-grain components that appear to make major contributions to these protective effects are: dietary fibre; vitamins; minerals; antioxidants; phytosterols; other phytochemicals. Three servings of whole grains daily are recommended to provide these health benefits"

Dehydroepiandrosterone Relations to Dietary and Lifestyle Variables in a General Population Sample - Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 2003;47:158-164 - "DHEA declines sharply with age and there is some evidence that the decline may be sharper in men than in women. Protein intake was significantly inversely associated with plasma levels of DHEA, whereas other dietary factors, energy expenditure and anthropometric variables were unrelated to this hormone"

Low Vitamin B6 but Not Homocyst(e)ine Is Associated With Increased Risk of Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in the Era of Folic Acid Grain Fortification - Stroke 2003 May 8 - "Low B6 but not tHcy was strongly associated with cerebrovascular disease in this postfortification, folate-replete sample"

Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on platelet activation markers and cell adhesion molecules in hyperlipidemic patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus - J Diabetes Complications 2003 May;17(3):153-159 - "After treatment with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), the levels of CD62P, CD63, annexin V, PDMPs, and MDMPs, sE-selectin, and oxidized LDL antibody were reduced significantly. Triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol levels were also decreased. Anti-Ox LDL antibodies and MDMPs were correlated positively with platelet CD62P (plt-CD62P) levels. These findings suggest that in hyperlipidemic patients with Type 2 diabetes, EPA may prevent complications caused by oxidized LDL, E-selectin, and activated platelets or monocytes" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb or Vitacost.

Testosterone administration to men increases hepatic lipase activity and decreases HDL and LDL size in 3 wk - Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2003 Jun;284(6):E1112-8 - "To determine how HDL-C and LDL-C particles are affected by testosterone administration to eugonadal men, testosterone was administered as a supraphysiological dose (600 mg/wk) for 3 wk to elderly, obese, eugonadal men before elective hip or knee surgery, and lipids were measured by routine methods and by density gradient ultracentrifugation. Hepatic lipase activity increased >60% above baseline levels, and HDL-C, HDL(2), and HDL(3) significantly declined in 3 wk. In addition, the LDL-C peak particle density and the amount of LDL-C significantly increased. Testosterone is therefore a potent stimulator of hepatic lipase activity, decreasing HDL-C, HDL(2), and HDL(3) as well as increasing LDL particle density changes, all associated with increased cardiovascular risk" - The best thing I've found to raise HDL is inositol hexanicotinate.  As a comparison, Androgel 1% comes in 2.5 gram and 5 gram packets.  The 5 gram size contains 50 mg of testosterone.  So one per day would be 350 mg per week but the Androgel site claims only 10% is absorbed.  So that would make 35 mg per week.  It doesn't say whether they used the injectable or the gel in this study, which makes it impossible to compare.

Combined effect of coenzyme Q(10) and fenofibrate on forearm microcirculatory function in type 2 diabetes - Atherosclerosis 2003 May;168(1):169-79 - "CoQ did not change plasma isoprostanes, but significantly lowered systolic blood pressure and HbA(1c)" - Maybe coenzyme Q10 will counter the increase in systolic (the upper number) caused by growth hormone.  See the following from last weeks newsletter:

• Low-Dose Growth Hormone Inhibits 11beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 but Has No Effect upon Fat Mass in Patients with Simple Obesity -J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2003 May;88(5):2113-8 - "However, in comparison with baseline values, systolic blood pressure increased (119 +/- 3 vs. 130 +/- 4 mm Hg, P < 0.05 vs. baseline)"

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