Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 5/22/02:

Active Ingredient in Curry Soothes Inflamed Colon - ABC News, 5/22/02 - "The spice contains curcumin, a compound thought to be a potent anti-inflammatory agent effective in wound healing ... curcumin could be a potential therapeutic agent to treat and prevent inflammatory bowel disease in humans ... curcumin appeared to slow the progression of Alzheimer's in mice"

Lilly Says New ADHD Drug [Strattera (atomoxetine)] Effective - ABC News, 5/22/02 - "Unlike methylphenidate, the main chemical in Ritalin and Johnson & Johnson's Concerta, atomoxetine is not a stimulant. The experimental drug, which will be known by the brand name "Strattera," works by maximizing the amount of the messenger chemical norepinephrine in the brain ... Patients taking the new drug may be able to take it once a day and not consult a doctor before each prescription refill"

Hormone May Be Key to Long-Term Weight Loss - ABC News, 5/22/02 - "Because earlier research had shown that the hormone appears to be a key factor in controlling a person's compulsion to eat, the researchers said the low levels of ghrelin seen in stomach bypass patients may account for their ability to lose lots of weight and, more importantly, keep it off" - Another in the pipeline is axokine.  I think they gave up on leptin.

Active Life Keeps Brain Healthy - WebMD, 5/21/02 - "An active lifestyle -- even if begun only in middle age -- spurs brain-cell growth and lowers risk of Alzheimer's disease ... In another study published in the same issue of the Annals of Neurology, researchers find that a particular chemical in the blood may be linked to Alzheimer's and other dementing diseases ... The chemical is called hs-CRP. It is a sign of inflammation -- the body's protective response to injury or infection" - See my inflammation page for natural ways to reduce it.

Popular Arthritis Drug [Celebrex] KO's Lung Cancer - WebMD, 5/21/02 - "In a small study of 16 patients with early cancer than had not spread beyond the lungs, patients who took Celebrex along with chemotherapy benefited from the treatment, and the cancer virtually disappeared in five patients ... In eight other patients, tumors shrank, and four more patients had stable disease ... The expected complete clinical response rate -- meaning that tumors are no longer visible by X-ray -- with the chemotherapy alone "is just 1%, so these results were very encouraging."" - See my COX-2 inhibitor page for natural COX-2 inhibitors.

Panel Pushes Depression Screening - Intelihealth, 5/21/02 - "They said doctors should start by asking patients two questions: "Over the past two weeks, have you felt down, depressed or hopeless?" and "Over the past two weeks, have you felt little interest or pleasure in doing things?" ... A yes answer to either question should be followed with in-depth questionnaires to determine whether the patient is depressed" - See my depression page for the latest info.

Vivelle-Dot (Estradiol Transdermal System) Now Approved In New, Low Dose For Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Prevention - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02 - "Vivelle-Dot is now approved in the 0.025 mg/day dosage strength, providing among the lowest effective ERT dosage strengths available in the U.S. for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis"

Study Backs Lower Hormone Replacement Doses - ABC News, 5/21/02 - "a low-dose hormone replacement therapy works as well as higher doses that trigger often discouraging side effects ... Beyond warding off osteoporosis hormone replacement therapy helps relieve the hot flashes, sexual side-effects and other unpleasant symptoms of menopause and may also prevent heart disease and, possibly, Alzheimer's disease"

Elevated Liver Enzymes in Obese Children - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02 - "Childhood obesity may set the stage for liver damage, with elevated liver enzymes a warning sign ... Of the 90 percent of obese children who did not show elevated enzymes, "all probably had fatty liver" and were at risk for liver damage"

Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia Warns of Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02 - "Severe anemia defined by a ferritin level of 20 ng/mL or less, or a hemoglobin level of 12.5 or less, is a sign of cancer risk that should be investigated by endoscopy"

Lipoprotein Alterations Impair Vitamin E In Patients With Parenchymal Liver Cirrhosis - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02 - "Significant increases were seen in the plasma maximal oxidation rate in cirrhotic patients, which was inversely related to the serum concentration of vitamin E"

The Lungs Favor White Wine - WebMD, 5/20/02 - "those studies have shown that a daily dose of 1 to 3 glasses of red wine can improve cardiovascular health ... We found that white wine intake was strongly associated with better [lung] function ... One glass of wine per day equaled a 1.5% higher lung function, adding one or two more years to the person's lifetime; 3 glasses a day improved lung capacity by 3% ... He speculates that white wine drinkers have higher levels of vitamin antioxidants in their blood" - Also see grape seed extract/Pycnogenol and flavonoids.

How Sudden Stress Raises Heart Risk - WebMD, 5/20/02 - "Researchers measured the ability of the individual's blood vessels to dilate (expand) before and 10 minutes after they took the mental stress test ... Following the test, dilation of the blood vessels was reduced by 50%. In addition, heart rates increased significantly and blood pressure spiked during the last minute of the stress test. All three events can lead to atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries that increases heart attack and stroke risk ... The study authors say this drop in dilation was completely dependent upon a chemical called endothelin-A. When the participants were given a drug that blocked the effects of this chemical, no reduction in blood vessel dilation was found ... Researchers say that finding suggests that blocking endothelin-A may offer a new way to prevent atherosclerosis"

Soy Formulas May Weaken Immune System - WebMD, 5/20/02 - "the researchers examined immune system effects in mice fed diets high in the isoflavone. At levels similar to those found in soy-fed infants, genistein appeared to produce a large decrease in thymus size and immune cell function ... The study appears to contradict recently published research, sponsored by a soy formula manufacturer, suggesting that infants fed soy-based diets have normal immune development as measured by response to routine childhood immunizations. Infants fed soy-based formulas also demonstrated immune status similar to infants who were breastfed ... But a Danish study assessing soy supplementation in postmenopausal women did find evidence of immune suppression"

The Surprising Calorie Costs of Dining Out - ABC News, 5/20/02 - "The average person needs about 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day, containing about 65 grams of fat ... Cheese Fries (appetizer size), 3,000 calories, 217 grams fat and 90 grams saturated fat ... Starbucks Venti White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream, 600 Calories, 25 grams fat, 15 grams saturated fat"

Fewer Prostate Tests Said OK for Some - ABC News, 5/20/02 - "If the reading is between 1 and 2, he can wait two years before another test ... Those whose readings are between 2 and 4 should continue to have annual tests ... The latest study found that when men's PSA readings are between zero and 1, 98.7 percent will still have a reading under 4 when tested again five years later"

Unhappy Marriage Makes the Heart Grow Larger - ABC News, 5/20/02 - "unhappily married people with mildly elevated blood pressure were more likely than those in connubial bliss to have an increase in the thickness of the heart chamber walls after 3 years ... Over time, high blood pressure, or hypertension, can thicken the wall of the heart's largest blood-pumping chamber--the left ventricle--and keep it from contracting effectively, a condition that can lead to heart failure"

Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy Reduces Bioavailability of Dietary Vitamin C - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/02 - "The mean pre-treatment plasma vitamin C concentration in H. pylori -negative subjects was 25.1 mg/mL (range 16.1-33) and 17.4 mg/mL (6.7-29) in H. pylori-positive subjects (p<0.001). Mean daily dietary intake of vitamin C was 44 mg/day (range 10-130) in H. pylori positive subjects compared to 141 mg/day (range 23-282) negative subjects (p<0.001) ... Four week of omeprazole [Prilosec (the purple pill)] treatment achieved reductions in mean plasma vitamin C concentrations of 15 percent (p=0.005) in H. pylori-positive and -negative subjects"

Impotent Patients on Valsartan Find Increased Interest in Sex; Use Sildenafil More Often - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/02 - "Because the use of sildenafil significantly increased with the use of valsartan, it suggests that angiotensin II antagonism induces an increase in sexual desire in impotent hypertensive men ... It could be related to the reactive stimulation of angiotensin cascade due to AT1 receptors blockade" - Related Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB) articles:

• Newest Hypertension Drug, Losartan, May Improve Sexual Function - Doctor's Guide, 5/1/01
• Carvedilol Reduces But Valsartan May Increase Sexual Activity In Hypertensive Men - Doctor's Guide, 2/1/01 - "carvedilol induces a chronic reduction of sexual activity whereas valsartan, an angiotensin II antagonist, not only does not significantly reduce sexual activity but may even increase it."

Exercise May Cut Cancer Risk - ABC News, 5/19/02 - "The most-fit men had a 55 percent lower risk of all-cause cancer death than did low-fit men, and moderately fit men had a 38 percent lower risk ... To be moderately fit, a person would have to run 20 to 40 minutes, three to five times a week. To be most fit, a person would have to be at the recreationally competitive level ... Another possibility is that the fit men also were more careful about their own health"

Caffeine's Effect on Blood Pressure - WebMD, 5/17/02 - "Thirty minutes after the caffeine was given [250 mg of caffeine (the equivalent of 2-3 cups of coffee)], there was a big jump in the stiffness of their arteries, said Vlachopoulos. The effect peaked after 60 minutes and remained significant for at least three hours ... This led to an 11 point jump in systolic blood pressure -- the top number -- and an 8 point jump in diastolic blood pressure -- the bottom number"

Aerobics Best for Cutting Blood Pressure - WebMD, 5/17/02 - "They found that those who participated in only aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, or cycling, had lower blood pressure levels than those who participated in both aerobic exercise and weight lifting or calisthenics ... This suggests that there is a detrimental effect of [weight lifting] that blunts the benefit of walking, running, and jogging ... possible explanation for their finding may be that by creating bigger muscle mass, weight lifting creates an oxygen debt in the body, which means the body must work harder to supply oxygen. Another may be that weight lifting stimulates more damaging free radicals and oxidants than aerobic exercise"

Stress Hormone Behind Bad Skin - WebMD, 5/17/02 - "In response to stress, the brain signals production of several hormones. One of them is stress hormone, which makes the oil glands in the skin go into overdrive. Triggering of the stress system can also lead to hair loss, skin aging, and other skin problems" - I believe they are talking about cortisol.  Procaine HCl and phosphatidylserine (PS) are believed to reduce cortisol.

Moderate Drinking Increases Insulin Sensitivity In Non-Diabetic, Older Women - Doctor's Guide, 5/16/02 - "Moderate alcohol consumption reduces insulin and triglyceride concentrations and increases insulin sensitivity in nondiabetic, postmenopausal women ... the changes they observed may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in this population of women ... Researchers warn, however, that the alcohol intake significantly increased serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and estrone sulphate, steroid hormones known to be risk factors for breast cancer"

Growth Blocking Protein May Cut Lung Cancer Risk - ABC News, 5/16/02 - "The researchers did not find any relationship between levels of IGF-1, the cell-growth promoter, and the development of lung cancer" - I threw this in because growth hormone increases IGF-1, which some speculate might increase cancer risk.

Exercise Restores Aerobic Capacity - ABC News, 5/16/02 - "Exercise, however, boosts heart rate which, in turn, increases oxygen flow to the muscles. The ability of the muscles to use this oxygen is not affected by age. Once the oxygen arrives, the muscles will respond as they did years ago. In this way, "exercise capacity can be substantially restored at any age to at least healthy levels and probably beyond,""

Vitamin D's Cancer Protection Explained - ABC News, 5/16/02 - "Instead, an enzyme called CYP3A degrades LCA [lithocholic acid] in the intestine, he said. If LCA is not detoxified by the enzyme, it passes into the colon where it can promote cancer ... LCA is "very toxic," ... the vitamin D receptor seems to act as a sensor for high levels of LCA ... The vitamin D receptor binds to LCA, triggering an increase in the expression of the gene for CYP3A, the acid-neutralizing enzyme. This seems to be the body's way of protecting itself from colon cancer" - Note: CYP3A is also increased by St. John's wort.  See:

• St. John's Wort May Impede Chemotherapy - ABC News, 4/8/02 - "St. John's wort stimulates an enzyme known as CYP3A4, which is involved in the metabolism of many drugs, including the cancer agent irinotecan"
• Hypericum, Drug Interactions, and Liver Effects - Medical Herbalism, Medical Herbalism (2000)11(2):16) - "The specific enzyme system whose activity was increased in the test subjects is the CYP3A, part of the p450 microsomal enzyme system, responsible for Phase I detoxification in the liver"
• Study Shows Benefits of Adding High-Dose Vitamin D to Chemotherapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02

Putting Antioxidants To Use In Functional Formulas - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 5/02 - "Lester Packer, PhD, an antioxidant expert and professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, coined the term 'antioxidant network' to convey the interactivity and interdependence of multiple antioxidants. For example, when an antioxidant, such as vitamin E, donates an electron to quench a hazardous free radical, it becomes a weak free radical itself. But vitamin E can be restored back to its full antioxidant strength when vitamin C donates an electron to it"

St. John's Wort Stands Wrongly Accused - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 5/02 - "Thirty-two percent of the patients who took placebo improved, while 25 percent of the patients who took Zoloft and 24 percent of the patients given St. John's wort improved ... But the media fixated on St. John's wort's failure, not sertaline's"

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