Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 7/28/04:

Testosterone Helpful in Hypogonadal Men With Angina - Medscape, 7/27/04 - "The size of the benefit on angina is equivalent to the use of a standard anti-anginal drug like a nitrate or calcium channel blocker, but testosterone replacement therapy also improves mood and well-being"

Statins: The Next Miracle Drugs? - HealthDay, 7/27/04 - "Roughly 11 million Americans are getting the drugs, while an estimated 36 million should be on them ... statins have beneficial attributes for other health problems, including breast cancer, stroke, bone strength and rheumatoid arthritis" - See Zocor at OffshoreRx1.com.

More Americans Are Getting Osteoporosis - Intelihealth, 7/27/04 - "The number of Americans diagnosed with osteoporosis surged sevenfold over the past decade ... Getting calcium and vitamin D -- either through diet or supplements -- and exercising "are part of the package" for preventing osteoporosis"

Lonza Offers Sustained-Release Niacin (Niamax (TM)) - NPI Center, 7/27/04 - "supporting healthier total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as raising HDL-cholesterol. Nia-max™ has also been shown to reduce flushing, a common side-effect" - Sounds like it might be a competitor for the prescription niacin Niaspan.

EstroGel (Estradiol Gel) Transdermal Gel for Estrogen Therapy Now Available in US - Doctor's Guide, 7/27/04 - "EstroGel® (estradiol gel), the first transdermal estrogen gel in the country, is now available with a prescription to treat moderate to severe hot flashes and moderate to severe dryness, itching, and burning in and around the vagina"

Tea Drinkers Reap Blood Pressure Benefits - WebMD, 7/26/04 [Abstract]- "Those who drank at least a half-cup of moderate strength green or oolong tea per day for a year had a 46% lower risk of developing hypertension than those who didn't drink tea" - See iHerb or Vitacost green tea products.

ISU Research Says Fat Good With Veggies - Intelihealth, 7/26/04 - "A bit of fat added to fresh vegetables helps bodies absorb cancer-fighting lycopene and alpha- and beta-carotenes"

Americans Need More Magnesium in Diet - WebMD, 7/23/04 - "nearly two-thirds of us may not be getting enough magnesium ... Adult men need 400-420 mg/day while adult women need 310-320 mg /day" - See iHerb or Vitacost magnesium products.

Eating Fish Protects Against Stroke - Yahoo, 7/23/04 - "The risk of stroke was 13 percent lower among those who ate fish at least once weekly compared with those who did so less than once per month"

New Cholesterol Drug Poised for U.S. Market - WebMD, 7/22/04 - "The drug, called Vytorin, is the first of its kind, combining a popular drug, Zocor, from a class known as statins, with a non-statin medication, Zetia, in a single pill"

Good Bacteria Trigger Proteins To Protect The Gut - Science Daily, 7/23/04 - "the practice of giving antibiotics to cancer patients to prevent infections might render the gut more vulnerable to damage – a danger that might be overcome by administering substances that mimic the protective presence of gut bacteria" - See iHerb or Vitacost probiotics products.

'Good' Cholesterol Protects Women Against Dementia - Yahoo, 7/21/04 - "women with the highest HDL levels -- ranging from 60 to 75 -- have half the risk of becoming mentally impaired as those with the lowest levels" - See my HDL page for ways to raise it.

Glucosamine and Methylsulfonylmethane Synergistic in Arthritis Therapy - Medscape, 7/21/04 - "Combined oral administration of glucosamine and methylsulfonylmethane is more effective against osteoarthritis than either agent alone"

GABA Levels May Affect Brain Function in Depression - Medscape, 7/21/04 - "Cortical levels of gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) tend to be abnormally low in the occipital lobes of patients with major depression"

Solving Syndrome X - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 7/21/04 - "PGX lowers after meal blood sugar levels by approximately 20 to 40% and also lowers insulin secretion by approximately 40% producing a whole body insulin sensitivity index improvement of nearly 60%"  - See iHerb PGX products.  Some feel insulin is a major cause of aging:

• Insulin Plays Central Role In Aging, Brown Scientists Discover - Science Daily, 6/4/04 - "insulin regulates its own production and that it directly regulates tissue aging. The principle: Keep insulin levels low and cells are stronger, staving off infection and age-related diseases such as cancer, dementia and stroke" [Nutra USA][Abtract]

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics:

Randomized comparison of the effects of the vitamin D3 adequate intake versus 100 mcg (4000 IU) per day on biochemical responses and the wellbeing of patients - Nutr J. 2004 Jul 19;3(1):8 - "winter wellbeing/depression scores improved with both doses of vitamin D" - See iHerb or Vitacost vitamin D3 products

Omega-3 fatty acids - Am Fam Physician. 2004 Jul 1;70(1):133-40 - "Approximately 1 g per day of eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid is recommended for cardioprotection. Higher dosages of omega-3 fatty acids are required to reduce elevated triglyceride levels (2 to 4 g per day) and to reduce morning stiffness and the number of tender joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (at least 3 g per day). Modest decreases in blood pressure occur with significantly higher dosages of omega-3 fatty acids" - Mega Twin EPA at Vitacost or iHerb.

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