Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 4/24/02:

Dairy Foods May Cut Diabetes, Heart Risks - ABC News, 4/24/02 - "overweight subjects who consumed dairy products more than 35 times a week suffered 72 percent less insulin resistance syndrome than those who consumed dairy less than 10 times a week. This relationship did not hold true for those of normal weight"

Curry Spice May Fight Multiple Sclerosis - ABC News, 4/24/02 - "rats with an MS-like illness showed little or no signs of disease symptoms after being injected with curcumin, while animals without the treatment went on to severe paralysis ... Interest in the potential neuroprotective properties of curcumin rose after studies found very low levels of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's in elderly Indian populations. Added to this were studies confirming curcumin as a potent anti-inflammatory agent, effective in wound healing."

Mountain Life May Make Women Age Faster - WebMD, 4/24/02 - "New research shows that life at high altitudes can speed the aging process for a woman by affecting her hormones ... In fact, by age 70, the levels of DHEA in the women who lived in the mountains were only about 40% of those in the comparison group"

Chips, French Fries, Bread May Cause Cancer - ABC News, 4/24/02 - "Potato chips, french fries, biscuits and bread, eaten daily by millions of people round the world, contain alarmingly high amounts of a substance believed to cause cancer ... acrylamide, well known as a probable cancer-causing agent, is formed in very high concentrations when carbohydrate-rich foods such as rice, potatoes and cereals are fried or baked -- but is not present when they are boiled"

Low-Cal Diet Key to Keeping Muscle Tone as We Age - ABC News, 4/24/02 - "Oxidative stress--the build-up of "free radicals" that can damage cells--is a main culprit in this process, and the Florida researcher wondered if antioxidant improvements in diet might help prevent muscle decline. "Calorie restriction not only reduces the production of free radicals--the damaging molecules--but it also seems to have a beneficial effect on antioxidant enzymes that help prevent the damage," he said"

Vitamin D Supplements May Prevent Heart Disease - ABC News, 4/23/02 - "Women over the age of 65 who took vitamin D had nearly one-third less risk of dying from heart disease as women who did not take the supplements"

Vitamin E May Lessen Post-Workout Muscle Soreness - ABC News, 4/23/02 - "A dose of vitamin E may ease that stiff ache some of us feel after a bout of exercise, according to the results of a study in healthy men. The study's authors believe the vitamin acts as an antioxidant, mopping up the damaging byproducts of a strenuous workout"

Exercise Helps Prevent Breast Cancer - ABC News, 4/23/02 - "Nearly 30 studies have shown that women who exercise at moderate to vigorous levels for three or more hours per week reduce their risk of getting breast cancer by 30 percent to 40 percent ... That's about as much reduction in risk as provided by the drug tamoxifen, but without the side effects"

Cut Bowel Cancer Risk by Eating Less, Better - ABC News, 4/23/02 - "Cancer-prone mice fed either a restricted-calorie diet or a diet rich in olive oil, fruits and vegetables were up to 60% less likely to develop pre-cancerous colon polyps compared with mice fed regular diets"

Fish Oil Compound May Help Ward Off Diabetes - ABC News, 4/22/02 - "An omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil appears to improve insulin function in overweight individuals who are vulnerable to type 2 diabetes ... Three months of daily supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) produced a "clinically significant" improvement in insulin sensitivity in overweight study participants"

High-Protein Diets Dehydrate Even the Very Fit - ABC News, 4/22/02 - "High-protein diets place such a strain on the kidneys that even very fit athletes can become dehydrated ... protein intake leads to an excess build-up of nitrogen in the blood"

Regular Walking Aids Older Arteries - WebMD, 4/22/02 - "The 12-week study involved a group of 14 women, all about age 60, who didn't exercise but were otherwise healthy ... At the end of the study, they all had nearly 50% improvement in elasticity of arteries ... The exercise schedule: the women walked just five days a week for 40 to 45 minutes" - ABC News' take of the same conference says that all the women in the older group had been taking HRT, something WebMD left out:

Walking, Hormones Rejuvenate Older Women's Arteries - ABC News, 4/22/02 - "Moreau compared the elasticity of arteries of 11 young, healthy women with that of 24 women over 60 years of age, all of whom were somewhat overweight and led relatively sedentary lifestyles. The older study participants had also been taking HRT for a number of years prior to the beginning of the study"

Testosterone but Not Estradiol Linked to Cognitive Function in Older Men - Medscape, 4/22/02 - "Results of a cross-sectional study indicate that higher levels of bioavailable testosterone in older men are associated with significantly better cognitive function ... Total estradiol was associated with worse scores on the Trails B and Digit Symbol tests ... bioavailable estradiol was not associated with cognitive function"

Four New Studies Strongly Suggest That Components From Three Types [elderberry, chokeberry and bilberry]  Of Red Berry Fruits Help Arteries - Intelihealth, 4/22/02 - "Extracts from chokeberry and bilberry, but not elderberry, produce a direct dose-dependent relaxation of porcine coronary arteries, with chokeberry extract being the most potent. This relaxation was totally dependent on the vascular endothelium because the extracts did not significantly contract or relax arteries in which the endothelium was removed" - Note: Bilberry is one of the ingredients in the Body Wise Beta-C.

A Green Tea Extract Could Help Alleviate Shortage Of Livers Available For Transplant - Intelihealth, 4/22/02 - "Polyphenols are efficient free radical and single oxygen scavengers, and green tea extracts inhibit lipid peroxidation in experimental animals and humans. Green tea contains high levels of polyphenols including catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and gallocatechin gallate. Considerable epidemiological and experimental evidence shows beneficial effects of green tea extract in reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer, most likely due to the antioxidant property of polyphenols" - See iHerb green tea extracts

New Evidence That Dietary Soy And Flaxseed Have Positive Effect On Obesity And Diabetes - Intelihealth, 4/22/02 - "Earlier studies in obese animals and humans have suggested that soy, as a source of dietary protein, has significant anti-obesity effects. A study conducted in genetically obese mice found that soy protein and its hydrolsate were more effective than whey protein in weight reduction. This effect may be due to an active tetrapeptide present in soy. Several studies reported increased insulin sensitivity in rats fed isolated soy proteins compared with rats fed casein. A 37-kDa protein in soy appears to modulate insulin action on fat decomposition ... These data suggest that diets rich in soy protein and flaxseed have beneficial effects on many aspects of obesity and diabetes"

Exercise Said Best For Blood Pressure - Intelihealth, 4/22/02 - "The average reduction was 3.8 milligrams of mercury in systolic pressure ... average diastolic ... 2.58 milligrams of mercury lower"

Cholesterol Drug Counters MS Symptoms in Mice - ABC News, 4/22/02 - "Mice prone to a multiple sclerosis-like disease showed reversal or prevention of symptoms after being fed daily doses of Lipitor"

Study: First 20 Years in Life Key to Cancer Risk - ABC News, 4/22/02 - "The higher risk of stomach cancer among first-generation immigrants compared with their children and native Swedes could be linked to eating habits, vitamin deficiencies and use of salt -- all factors linked to this type of cancer"

Pesticide link to Parkinson’s probed - MSNBC, 4/19/02 - "Preliminary results from a study of thousands of farmers in Iowa and North Carolina suggest exposure to several crop pesticides may be linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease ... Those with Parkinson’s were 80 percent more likely to have been exposed to dieldrin. The other pesticides appeared to carry an increased risk ranging from 20 percent to 60 percent"

Chromium and Biotin for Insulin Resistance - Fitness Buzz, 4/19/02 - "A study was performed on obese rats with Metabolic Syndrome. One group was given the patented chromium picolinate and biotin combination for 12 weeks ... the group taking the patented chromium picolinate and biotin combination had significantly improved blood glucose metabolism and blood lipid profiles"

Staying Lean: New Research on CLA - Fitness Buzz, 4/19/02 - "participants who ingested 1.8 grams of CLA per day experienced body fat reduction versus the placebo group ... This recently published study in JIMR continues to demonstrate that CLA prevents fat from being deposited into the body. As it reduces body fat, it increases lean tissue. This action indirectly boosts a human's metabolism as lean tissue burns more calories than fatty tissue"

Beating High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/19/02 - "By requiring healthcare providers to increase treatment if the participants were not at goal, the study found that 90% of the patients were able to get their diastolic (bottom blood pressure number) under 90 mmHg, and 60% got their systolic (top number) under 140 mmHg. That success rate is several times higher than the national average of only 27% of patients aged 18-74 with high blood pressure who reach their blood pressure goals" - I had no idea the average was that low (27%).  I'm not a doctor but I should be able to discuss some of what I've read without the FDA hassling me and here are some thoughts:

• ARBs are the newest.  One analysis tied ARBs with diuretics for lowest frequency of discontinuations due to adverse events however one of the side effects of diuretics is impotence.  Cozaar (an ARB), may actually improve your sex life.
• I believe most doctors are prescribing ACE inhibitors.  I was reading http://www.aafp.org/afp/990600ap/3140.html and it claims that ACE inhibitors increase substance P.  Substance P has been associated with depression.  Substance P antagonists are being investigated for use as antidepressants. See my substance P page.  Depression is listed as a side affect of ACE inhibitors.
• The Substance P Connection - Fibromyalgia Support N. Ireland - "Substance P is very involved in the transmission of pain signals to the brain"
• Two questions I feel that people should be asking their doctor are:  1.  Is there any possibility of drug induced depression from the increased substance P cause by the ACE inhibitor?  I doubt if they even know because I don't believe any studies have been done on it.  2.  If substance P is involved in the transmission of pain signals and a person is suffering from pain such as arthritis, tennis elbow, a bum knee, etc., will that pain perception be greater because of the increased substance P caused by the ACE inhibitors?
• Ask your doctor's about supplements that may reduce blood pressure.  See the "Alternative News" on my hypertension page.  Print out a copy of some of the articles and bring it to your doctor.  For example, one WebMD article claims "These figures [for HMB] are just about what you would see by taking medications for hypertension or lowering cholesterol."
• Statins May Be Effective For Controlling Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 6/21/01 - "statin treatment caused a significant (p<0.05) lowering of ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) on the 24-hour (-4 mm Hg), daytime (-5 mm Hg), and nighttime (-3 mm Hg) measurements compared to baseline" - Red yeast rice or policosanol might be non-prescription options.
• I feel that ARBs, supplements, exercise and statins are the way to go for drug resistant hypertension.  I worry about the increased substance P with ACE inhibitors, impotence with diuretics and calcium channel blockers and the increased risk of diabetes with beta blockers.

Experiments Strengthen Link Between Fish Oil, Mental Problems - Intelihealth, 4/18/02 - "Infant monkeys fed baby formulas supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids - the ones found in "fish oil" - were stronger and more alert even at less than a week old than monkeys given standard baby formula ... Harvard researchers gave two groups of persons who had recently been hospitalized with depression diets that were high in omega-3 and omega-6, respectively. The results were so dramatic that after three months, the scientists were directed by a research oversight committee to stop the experiment and allow all the subjects to take omega-3" - Personal recommendation TwinLab TwinEPA (5% discount code "qc")

Ginkgo May Boost Mental Function in MS - WebMD, 4/18/02 - "Millions of people take the herbal supplement ginkgo biloba in the belief that it boosts brain power, and several studies suggest it improves mental function in some patients with Alzheimer's disease. New research now shows that it may do the same thing for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)."

Expert Panel Casts Doubt On Benefits From Hormone Replacement - Intelihealth, 4/18/02 - "While hormone therapy is the most effective way to relieve menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, scientific evidence is insufficient to support its use for the other problems"

Potential Link Found Between Low Testosterone and Non-Motor Parkinson's Disease Symptoms in Men - Doctor's Guide, 4/18/02 - "Emory University researchers may have found a common but heretofore unrecognized link between low testosterone levels and certain non-motor symptoms (fatigue, depression, anxiety or sexual dysfunction) in male Parkinson's disease (PD) patients ... When given testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), the researchers report that patients with low levels of testosterone experienced significant improvement in these symptoms, which had not responded to other medications"

Ginger Gets to the 'Root' of Morning Sickness - WebMD, 4/18/02 - "experts say ginger is a highly effective antinausea agent. And a new study shows it's strong enough to combat even nasty cases of morning sickness in pregnant women"

Arthritis drugs [cox-2 inhibitors] linked to heart attacks - MSNBC, 4/18/02 - "There’s growing suspicion that switching from aspirin to a more stomach-friendly arthritis drug could increase some people’s risk of heart attacks — and a study suggests the reason: a drug-caused chemical imbalance that spurs blood clots"

Flu Shot May Extend Heart Patients' Survival - ABC News, 4/18/02 - "In the following six months, 2% of the vaccinated patients died from cardiovascular causes, while 8% of those who were not given the shot died"

US Utility Pollution Kills 5,900 a Year, Study Says - ABC News, 4/18/02 - "Air pollution from eight utilities targeted in federal lawsuits during the Clinton administration causes an estimated 5,900 deaths a year ... Airborne pollution from the coal-fired plants also was blamed for about 140,000 asthma attacks and 14,000 cases of acute bronchitis annually" - Related prevention article:

• In The Health News - Dr. Janson, 4/02 - "To reduce the consequences of pollution, and arterial spasms, take antioxidants and arterial relaxants, such as vitamins C and E, magnesium, ginkgo biloba, and arginine, and exercise regularly"

Rickets returning to the UK, researchers warn - Reuters, 4/18/02 - "Britain seems to be experiencing a re-emergence of the bone disorder rickets because of lack of sun and insufficient vitamin D in the diets of some children" - If you think it is just in Britain, think again.  See:

• Childhood Rickets Makes A Comeback - Intelihealth, 3/30/01 - "Rickets, a vitamin D deficiency that causes bones to soften and bend and often results in bowlegs, was once a major health problem ... The government attributes the comeback to the popularity of milk substitutes like soy that lack certain nutrients; the failure to supplement breast milk with vitamin D; and a lack of childhood exposure to sunlight. Sunlight stimulates the body to produce vitamin D."

SSRIs Are Associated With Mild Cognitive Impairment - Clinical Psychiatry News, 4/02 - "Subjects on paroxetine registered declines in memory, learning, and psychomotor performance. The deterioration was dose related: Those with plasma paroxetine levels one standard deviation above the mean performed one standard deviation below the mean on measures of learning and memory"

Apolipoprotein E May Modulate Cortisol Production - Clinical Psychiatry News, 4/02 - "increased cortisol has been associated with a higher risk of a number of age-linked diseases, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and osteoporosis. In Alzheimer's disease, increased cortisol levels may lower the threshold for damage or death of hippocampal neurons"

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