Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 4/17/02:

St. John’s Wort Study Misinterpreted Says Herbal Science Group - HerbalGram.org, 4/9/02 - "Bratman took issue with the authors of the study when they used a secondary outcome measure to conclude that sertraline was more effective than placebo and therefore better than St. John’s wort. According to the standard rules of interpreting clinical studies, one should take only the primary outcome measures as meaningful, he explained. On those measures, neither sertraline nor St. John’s wort was effective. Digging into secondary measures is widely accepted as being inappropriate, he added" - I wrote to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine on this (click here, it's 3 pages) - Ben

High Levels of Sex Hormones Raise Breast Cancer Risk in Older Women - Doctor's Guide, 4/17/02 - "Postmenopausal women with high amounts of oestrogen and testosterone in their bloodstream are at over twice the risk of the disease as those with low levels of the hormones ... obesity is the biggest known reason for high levels of sex hormones among postmenopausal women ... women with raised levels of a molecule called sex hormone binding globulin, which reduces the activity of sex hormones, were at lower than usual risk. Interestingly, women who are obese have low levels of this molecule, which probably also helps to raise their risk of breast cancer"

Parent's depression ups kid's risk of anxiety - Reuters, 4/17/02 - "Having at least one parent with major depression increases a child's risk for depression as well as substance abuse and anxiety disorders in late adolescence and early adulthood ... What's more, the child's depression is likely to be more severe than the parent's"

Dental X-Rays Found to Be Screen for Stroke Risk - ABC News, 4/17/02 - "panoramic X-rays can be used to spot carotid artery calcification -- a condition that contributes to stroke and heart attack"

Low Testosterone and the Brain - WebMD, 4/17/02 - "New research suggests the male hormone may help men reduce their risk of stroke as well as improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease ... When the five patients studied received testosterone replacement therapy, researchers found symptoms such as fatigue, depression, anxiety, and sexual function improved greatly"

Statins may reduce Alzheimer’s risk - MSNBC, 4/16/02 - "IN THE LARGEST study of statins and Alzheimer’s to date, researchers found that people who took the blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drugs [statins] were 79 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who did not ... One explanation is that simply lowering cholesterol may increase the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain, thereby helping to ward off brain disease" - Note:  Red yeast rice is a non-prescription statin.  VitaminShoppe is finally selling the 90 count size.  Policosanol might be another option.

Octacosanol Beats Statins - Dr. Janson, 4/02 - "In a study of octacosanol and Pravachol (pravastatin), 10 mg daily of either product lowered LDL- cholesterol by 19.3 percent, the drug only 15.6 percent, it lowered total cholesterol by 13.9 percent (the drug only 11.8)."

Green Tea Protects Against Parkinson's - WebMD, 4/16/02 - "In a mouse study, the researchers found that polyphenol blocks MPP+ -- a substance that is known to kill brain cells and cause Parkinson's in mice -- from entering these brain cells ... if you want to try it and don't care for the taste of green tea, concentrated polyphenol capsules are available"

Indian medicine can reverse artery hardening - Reuters, 4/16/02 - "was able to reverse the thickening of blood vessel walls known as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries ... The modern medicine approach included aerobic walking, comprehensive stretching and exercises for a total of 60 minutes 5 times a week, dietary advice and a standard multi-vitamin supplement"

Testosterone Aids Cognition in Older Men - Doctor's Guide, 4/16/02 - "The men in the study with higher levels of bioavailable testosterone, the testosterone that can reach the brain, did significantly better on these cognitive tests than men with lower levels ... men have higher levels of both estrogen and testosterone than women" - On that second statement, I believe them meant older men.  See:

• Male Hormone Modulation Therapy - Life Extension Foundation, 11/99 - "One cause of hormone imbalance in men is that their testosterone is increasingly converted to estrogen. One report showed that estrogen levels of the average 54-year-old man are higher than those of the average 59-year-old woman . . . . High levels of estrogen have been implicated as a cause of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)" - See my chrysin and I3C page about how of protect against this.

Potbelly may increase stroke risk - MSNBC, 4/16/02 - "Carrying a spare tire around your waist may increase your risk of stroke by nearly five-fold" - Note:  Some studies suggest that high cortisol is a cause of potbellies and that procaine HCl (which is the active ingredient in GH-3) and phosphatidylserine may reduce cortisol.  See:

• Single enzyme to blame for potbellies: study - MSNBC, 12/6/01 - "What they found was that a single enzyme in fat cells that raises levels of cortisol — the “fight or flight” stress hormone — triggers fat accumulation around the belly and its associated ill effects ... The researchers were drawn to the role of cortisol because patients with a rare illness known as Cushing syndrome — who have too much of the steroid hormone in their blood — develop severe obesity concentrated around their middles and become diabetic ... Since overweight people without Cushing syndrome typically don’t have too much cortisol in their bloodstreams, Flier hypothesized that they may be producing high cortisol levels solely in their fat cells — possibly because the enzyme HSD-1, which makes cortisol from an inactive molecule, is overactive ... The level of cortisol in their stomach fat tissue was 15 percent to 30 percent higher than in their non-engineered counterparts"
• How You React to Stress May Affect How Your Clothes Fit - WebMD, 1/16/01 - "fat created by cortisol is the "deep-belly" kind, which, one expert says, is known to increase health risks"
• Procaine HCI - aidsmap.com, 6/28/01 - "Procaine HCI is an experimental, immune-modulating drug designed to reduce levels of the stress causing hormone called cortisol. Known by the trade name Anticort, the drug has been developed by Steroidogenesis Inhibitors (STGI) and Altachem Pharma in the U.S. and Canada"
• Georgetown Researchers Report Development of New Way to Control Excess Cortisol Levels - Georgetown University Medical Center, 6/12/00 - "Although more work is needed to understand how Anticort works, these results clearly indicate that we now have a powerful tool to control the stress response and its detrimental effects on the body"
• The fountain of youth mysteries revealed in the new millennium - Los Altos Town Crier, 2/14/01 - "However, one, known as cortisol, a hormone that rises significantly in the body each time adrenaline is released to provide the sudden bursts of energy necessary to counter stressful situations, appears to be playing a major role in destroying the immune system and shortening lifespan ... And the research is staggering. Published studies in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology have already concluded that high cortisol levels result in loss of muscle and bone mass - the first physical symptoms of aging. Others have shown that high cortisol levels are associated with cognitive impairment and dementia"

Liquorice: not just candy - tidsskriftet.no, 4/02 - "The active component of liquorice is glycyrrhetinic acid, which inhibits the enzyme 11- beta -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. This enzyme promotes the conversion of cortisol to cortisone and is thereby responsible for the specificity of the mineralocorticoid receptor to aldosterone in the collecting tubules. Inhibition of the enzyme allows cortisol to act as the major endogenous mineralocorticoid producing a marked elevation in mineralocorticoid activity, resulting in hypertension, hypokalaemia and metabolic alkalosis" - I found this tidsskriftet.no article from a Doctor's Guide newsletter.  I don't believe cortisol is a problem with DGL form of licorice.  See:

• Licorice Root May Deter Liver Cancer - Health & Nutrition Breakthroughs, 9/98
- "Glycyrrhizin, the chemical component of licorice believed to have antiviral and liver-protective properties, can also block the metabolic breakdown of the adrenal hormone cortisol. This can increase blood levels of cortisol, augmenting the body's tendency to retain salt and water, which in turn can lead to potassium loss and high blood pressure--both undesirable outcomes. ... Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), a form from which most glycyrrhetinic acid has been removed, is probably safe and effective against gastritis and peptic ulcers and poses no risk of lowering potassium or raising blood pressure"

Plant Compounds May Curb Pancreatic Cancer Growth - ABC News, 4/16/02 - "Quercetin caused apoptosis, decreased the growth of the main tumor and inhibited the spread of malignant cells, the researchers report. Mice treated with quercetin survived for about 75 days, compared with 67 days in mice not given the compound ... Genistein, another type of polyphenol compound found in soy, also prevented the spread of cells and inhibited the growth of the primary tumor in mice while trans-resveratrol, found in wine and grapes, caused apoptosis in laboratory-grown cells"

Can New Diet Fight Prostate Cancer? - ABC News, 4/15/02 - "It is a vegan diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and soy products instead of dairy ... They exercised three hours a week and they did an hour of meditation or other stress-management techniques every day ... Those in the group who stuck closest to the diet and exercise regimen saw their PSA levels drop 9 percent ... After three months, the group that did not make the diet and lifestyle changes had higher levels of the blood marker, suggesting that the disease progressed"

Garlic Blocks Very Earliest Stages of Arteriosclerosis - Medscape, 4/15/02 - "the garlic extract reduced nanoplaque formation by about 15% and reduced the size of existing plaques by about 5%"

New Test Predicts Sudden Death Risk - WebMD, 4/15/02 - "those who suffered sudden cardiac death had higher levels of a substance called C-reactive protein (CRP) ... CRP is released when blood vessels are inflamed ... the findings of this study show that the levels of CRP in the blood are even more telling than once thought ... we can intervene with lifestyle counseling and drugs like statins and aspirin" - Note:  Red yeast rice is a non-prescription statin. Related article:

• Cholesterol drug has wider benefit - USA Today, 6/28/01 - [in addition to lowering cholesterol] "Cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins, apparently work by reducing levels of a chemical known as C-reactive protein. This protein causes inflammation, promotes blood clotting and weakens fat-encased blockages inside arteries, causing them to burst"

Study: A Common Pesticide Feminizes Frogs - ABC News, 4/15/02 - "Male frogs exposed to even very low doses of a common weed killer can develop multiple sex organs — sometimes both male and female ... Atrazine is the most commonly used weed killer in North America ... There is virtually no atrazine-free environment ... The Environmental Protection Agency permits up to three parts per billion of atrazine in drinking water ... affected frogs at doses as small as 0.1 part per billion"

Drug dilemma confronts users of painkillers - USA Today, 4/14/02 - "Arthritis patients looking for pain relief may start feeling as if they have to choose between two evils: a bleeding ulcer from some drugs, maybe a higher risk of heart attack from another" - See my COX-2 Inhibitor page.

Calcium May Increase Levels of 'Good' Cholesterol - ABC News, 4/12/02 - "randomly assigned 223 women to take either 1 gram of calcium daily, in the form of calcium citrate, or an inactive placebo, for one year. The women's average age was 72, and none had been treated for high cholesterol or osteoporosis ... women taking calcium saw an HDL cholesterol level increase of 7%"

Eating meat tied to cancer risk - MSNBC, 4/12/02 - "More than three ounces [of meat] a day, according to American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) experts, may increase the risk of cancer. And switching to leaner meat is not enough of a change to protect us, the say ... women who ate the most red meat were more than three times as likely to develop lung cancer as those who ate the least ... those who ate red meat most often were 2.5 times more likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who ate it least often"

Animal Protein Consumption Associated With Bone Density in Elderly Women - Medscape, 4/10/02 - "BMD increased by 0.016 g/cm at the hip (p = 0.005) for every 15-g/day increase in animal protein intake. BMD was also increased at the femoral neck, spine, and total body by 0.012 g/cm (p = 0.02), 0.015 g/cm (p = 0.08), and 0.010 g/cm (p = 0.04), respectively ... Vegetable protein was negatively associated with BMD in both men and women" - According to the next study, that is only true if you take calcium supplements.  If you don't, the opposite was true.  I'd trust the following study before this one, which was based on questionaires:

• High-Protein Diet Could Repair Bone Loss - WebMD, 3/25/02 - "The supplement group -- particularly those who ate a diet high in protein -- had significantly better bone mass density -- an accurate measure of bone loss. Those who took the placebo, however, had less calcium absorbed into their bloodstream when they consumed more protein ... Whether protein comes from a vegetable or animal source did not make a difference"

Virgin Olive Oil May Reduce Cholesterol Damage - ABC News, 4/12/02 - "Just a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil helps the cholesterol go down ... adults who consumed 25 milliliters (mL) or nearly 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil daily for one week showed less oxidation of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and higher levels of antioxidant compounds, particularly phenols, in the blood" - Note:  Lately I've been making my own margarine from extra virgin olive oil.  I've been using about a half cup of olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon of Morton Lite Salt.  I just stir it and it turns solid in the refrigerator.

• Health Benefits of Olive Oil - California Olive Oil Council - "Olive oil is 80% oleic acid, placing it at the top of the list of monounsaturated fats ... Research has proved that using olive oil significantly increases HDL levels"
• The Grease Found in Oils, Nuts, Avocados Is Good for You - ABC News, 3/16/01 - "22 people who ate diets high in monounsaturated fat and low in saturated fat saw their LDL-cholesterol counts and triglycerides (both big factors in heart attacks) drop by 14 percent and 13 percent"

Smoke Gets In Your Mind - Intelihealth, 4/12/02 - "A growing band of researchers claim that smoking is the cause, not the consequence of clinical depression and several forms of anxiety"

Study Supports Idea That DNA Damage Causes Aging - ABC News, 4/11/02 - "new research in mice supports the theory that damage to the body's DNA is responsible for aging ... Antioxidants, which include vitamins C, E and beta-carotene and compounds such as lycopene and lutein, help neutralize reactive oxygen species"

Preserving Vitamin Content in Foods - ABC News, 4/11/02 - "The three main culprits that strip vitamins from foods — especially produce — are heat, light and air. Too much exposure to any one or all three of these can accelerate vitamin loss over time ... If you're not going to use the fresh [produce] within a three- to four-day period of time, your best bet really is to buy frozen"

Merck: Vioxx Label to Warn of Heart Risks - ABC News, 4/11/02 - "Vioxx will have to warn that the medicine poses higher cardiovascular risks than a standard arthritic treatment"

Pack of Cigs Adds $7 in Medical and Other Costs - ABC News, 4/11/02 - "Whenever a pack of cigarettes is sold in the US, another $7.18 is added to the taxpayer's bill in terms of medical costs and lost productivity"

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Reduces Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines In Heart Transplant Patients - Doctor's Guide, 4/11/02 - "gave 25 stable heart transplant patients two capsules of omega-3 fatty acid daily - each capsule contained 500 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ... The results suggest that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increased concentrations of the anti-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-10, from 119 to 268 pg/mL (p=0.00008). There were reductions in systemic levels of pro-inflammatory IL-12, from 473 to 376 pg/mL (p=0.001), and IL-6, from 695 to 569 pg/mL (p<0.0001)" - Why is it important for everyone to keep inflammation in check?  See:

• Scientists Examine Long-Term Risks And Gains Of Painkillers - Intelihealth, 1/22/02 - "The studies reflect scientists' growing interest in the idea that a common condition, inflammation, may underlie many chronic and debilitating diseases - like Alzheimer's, heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes - and that drugs that fight inflammation may have a role in preventing or delaying those diseases, or at least slowing them down"

Rice Bran Lowers Diabetic Blood Sugar - WebMD, 4/10/02 - "Rice bran was able to lower blood glucose by up to 30% in a small group of patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes ... also found that patients with elevated cholesterol who consumed 20 grams per day of stabilized rice bran lowered their total serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels between 5% and 15%"

Hot Flash Relief - WebMD, 4/10/02 - "Soy may give hot-flash relief ... Flaxseed is another option ... Flaxseed oil won't work, because oil does not contain phytoestrogens, the plant form of estrogen. You must grind the flaxseeds; if you don't, the whole seeds will just pass through your digestive system"

Extra Pounds Raise Breast Cancer Risk - WebMD, 4/10/02 - "Being overweight can increase a woman's risk of breast cancer"

Folic Acid Aids Prozac - Delicious! Online, 4/02 - "Only 6.1 percent of the women in the folic acid group failed to respond (a greater than 50 percent symptom improvement), whereas 38.9 percent failed to respond when given fluoxetine alone ... The authors suggest that men were not given enough folic acid, supported by the fact that the marker for folic acid sufficiency—serum homocysteine—did not go down in men (indicating improvement in folic acid status), whereas in women it did"

For pain relief without troubling side effects, try these natural remedies - Delicious! Online, 4/02 - "Boswellia ... Cayenne ... Devil's Claw ... Feverfew ... Ginger ... Turmeric ... Willow Bark"

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