Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 6/13/07.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) -- The Old Drug Is Making a Comeback With A New Act - Medscape, 6/11/07 - "Niacin (nicotinic acid) is well known as the most effective drug currently available for raising levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, raising it by 25% to 35% at the highest doses" - See Source Naturals 100 mg niacin at iHerb and niacin at Amazon.com.

Omega-3 Supplements May Help Dry Eye Caused by Sjogren's Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 6/12/07 - "For patients who received the fish-oil supplement, there were significant improvements in unstimulated salivary flow rate (P <.01), stimulated salivary flow rate (P <.48), and dry mouth symptom improvement ... there were significant improvements in dry eye symptom scores for patients who received the fish and flaxseed oil supplements ... Improvements in dry mouth symptoms were also verified through dental exams. Gingival and plaque scores were improved by 71% and 53% respectively in the study group" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.

Treatment Found To Reverse Hair Loss - Science Daily, 6/11/07 - "one of each pair of twins was given 0.5 mg/day of the medication, the other receiving a placebo ... After both 6 and 12-month intervals, hair loss was found to not only have been halted in twins using dutasteride, but hair growth was actively improved" - Note:  Dutasteride is Avodart®.  See dutasteride at OffshoreRx1.com.

Statins' Effect on Endothelial Function Enhanced by L-arginine in Some Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/11/07 - "endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) ... simvastatin had no appreciable effect on EDD (6.2+/-1.2% vs. 6.1+/-0.9%) in subjects with elevated ADMA. However, the addition of L-arginine to simvastatin significantly improved EDD (9.8+/-1.5% vs. 5.3+/-0.8%; P <.01). There were also significant improvements in EDD in response to L-arginine alone" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com.

Diet And Exercise Key To Surviving Breast Cancer, Regardless Of Obesity, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 6/9/07 - "even if a woman is overweight, if she eats at least five servings of vegetables and fruits a day and walks briskly for 30 minutes, six days a week, her risk of death from her disease goes down by 50 percent"

Cancer Benefit From Vitamin D? - WebMD, 6/8/07 - "Women in the four-year study took 1,500 milligrams of calcium supplementation either alone or with 1,100 International Units (IU) of vitamin D each day ... women who took both supplements wound up with nearly 60% less risk of cancers at the end of the study compared with women who took placebo" - Vitamin D products at iHerb.

Current Role of Glucosamine in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis - Medscape, 6/5/07 - "These results suggest that patients with a less severe radiographic knee OA will be particularly responsive to GS as a structure-modifying drug"

Aspirin May Help Fight Cancer - WebMD, 6/5/07 - "Compared with women who never used aspirin, aspirin users were 13% less likely to die of cancer, 25% less likely to die of heart disease, and 18% less likely to die of any cause during the study"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds:

Pioglitazone has anti-inflammatory effects in patients with Type 2 diabetes - J Endocrinol Invest. 2007 Apr;30(4):292-7 - "Pioglitazone treatment results in reduced A1GP concentration suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect"

Rosiglitazone decreases 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 in subcutaneous adipose tissue - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007 Jun 6 - "Part of the beneficial effects of rosiglitazone may be mediated by a reduction in the 11beta-HSD1 mRNA expression and activity in subcutaneous abdominal fat"

• Errant Enzyme Causes Big Bellies - WebMD, 12/11/01 - "They looked at an enzyme called 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1. This enzyme is able to increase the level of cortisol in fat cells without raising the level of cortisol in the blood ... The researchers genetically engineered mice that overproduce this enzyme. They made sure that the level of the enzyme was equivalent to the level previously found in the fatty tissue of overweight humans. As expected, the mice produced extra amounts of cortisol in their fat cells, but not in their blood ... The next step was to compare these mice to mice that produced normal amounts of the enzyme. Even when fed a low-fat diet, the genetically-altered mice developed a pot belly while the normal mice did not. The problem was even worse when the altered mice were fed a high-fat diet ... We were surprised to find that it took only a modest increase in this enzyme to cause the mice to become ... obese"
• Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ligands inhibit adipocyte 11beta -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 expression and activity - J Biol Chem. 2001 Apr 20;276(16):12629-35. Epub 2001 Jan 22 - "treatment of diabetic db/db mice with rosiglitazone inhibited expression of 11beta-HSD-1 in adipose tissue. This decrease in enzyme expression correlated with a significant decline in plasma corticosterone levels. In sum, these data indicate that some of the beneficial effects of PPARgamma antidiabetic agents may result, at least in part, from the down-regulation of 11beta-HSD-1 expression in adipose tissue"

The association of sex hormone levels with quantitative ultrasound, bone mineral density, bone turnover and osteoporotic fractures in older men and women - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007 Jun 6 - "oestradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) ... Low levels of bioE2 and bioT were found to be associated with high bone turnover, low QUS and BMD and high risk of osteoporotic fractures in both men and women"

Relationship between cortisol and physical performance in older persons - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007 Jun 7 - "Physical performance is negatively associated with high cortisol levels in older persons"

Whole-grain intake and carotid artery atherosclerosis in a multiethnic cohort: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1495-502 - "carotid intimal medial thickness (IMT) ... common carotid artery (CCA) ... Whole-grain intake is inversely associated with CCA IMT, and this relation is not attributable to individual risk intermediates, single nutrient constituents, or larger dietary patterns"

Dietary glycemic index, dietary glycemic load, and cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and older Swedish men - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1521-1526 - "glycemic index (GI) and dietary glycemic load (GL) ... Dietary GI and dietary GL were not associated with ischemic cardiovascular disease or mortality, but dietary GL was associated with a greater risk of hemorrhagic stroke"

Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1586-91 - "Improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduces all-cancer risk in postmenopausal women"

Whole-grain consumption is associated with a reduced risk of noncardiovascular, noncancer death attributed to inflammatory diseases in the Iowa Women's Health Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1606-14 - "The reduction in inflammatory mortality associated with habitual whole-grain intake was larger than that previously reported for coronary heart disease and diabetes. Because a variety of phytochemicals are found in whole grains that may directly or indirectly inhibit oxidative stress, and because oxidative stress is an inevitable consequence of inflammation, we suggest that oxidative stress reduction by constituents of whole grain is a likely mechanism for the protective effect"

Dietary patterns and blood pressure change over 5-y follow-up in the SU.VI.MAX cohort - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1650-6 - "high fruit and vegetable intakes may be associated with a lower increase in BP with aging"

Fruit and vegetable intakes, dietary antioxidant nutrients, and total mortality in Spanish adults: findings from the Spanish cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Spain). - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1634-42 - "A high intake of fresh fruit, root vegetables, and fruiting vegetables is associated with reduced mortality, probably as a result of their high content of vitamin C, provitamin A carotenoids, and lycopene"

Dietary fiber and colorectal cancer risk: the multiethnic cohort study - Cancer Causes Control. 2007 Jun 8 - "Dietary fiber was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk in men, but its relation to replacement hormone use and other factors affected its inverse association in women"

The prevalence of newly diagnosed hyperlipidaemia in men with erectile dysfunction - BJU Int. 2007 Jun 6 - "This study shows the high prevalence of undiagnosed hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia in men presenting with ED"

Randomized controlled trial for an effect of green tea-extract powder supplementation on glucose abnormalities - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun 6 - "consumed a packet of green tea-extract powder containing 544 mg polyphenols (456 mg catechins) daily ... A significant reduction in hemoglobin A1c level and a borderline significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure were associated with the intervention" - See Jarrow green tea at iHerb.

Supplemental and dietary vitamin e intakes and risk of prostate cancer in a large prospective study - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Jun;16(6):1128-35 - "dietary gamma-tocopherol, the most commonly consumed form of vitamin E in the United States, was significantly inversely related to the risk of advanced prostate cancer (for highest versus lowest quintile: RR, 0.68" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.

Prospective cohort study of green tea consumption and colorectal cancer risk in women - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Jun;16(6):1219-23 - "The multivariate relative risk of CRC was 0.63 (95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.88) for women who reported drinking green tea regularly at baseline compared with nonregular tea drinkers" - I read that as a 37% reduction in risk.  See Jarrow green tea at iHerb. - Ben

Vitamin D intake and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: the Iowa Women's Health Study - Cancer Causes Control. 2007 Jun 5 - "Vitamin D intake of >800 IU/day appears to be associated with a small decrease in risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.

Screening of Cushing's syndrome in adult patients with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007 Jun 4 - "unknown CS is not rare among patients with diabetes mellitus ... early diagnosis and treatment of CS may provide the opportunity to improve the prognosis of diabetes"

Supplement Focus (acetyl-l-carnitine):

1. Carnitine Improves Symptoms of Male Aging - Medscape, 4/14/04 - "Carnitine is more active than testosterone for improving symptoms of male aging such as sexual dysfunction, depressed mood, and fatigue ... In this trial, 120 patients were randomized to receive testosterone undecanoate 160 mg/day, propionyl-L-carnitine 2 g/day plus acetyl-L-carnitine 2 g/day, or placebo for six months" [Abstract] - See iHerb acetyl-l-carnitine products and GPLC at Amazon.com.
2. Complementary and Integrative Approaches to Dementia - Medscape, 7/5/05 - "There have been several controlled clinical trials suggesting that ALc slows the progression of AD"
3. Jarrow Formulas’, Inc. Introduces ALCA 500(TM) (Acetyl-L-Carnitine Arginate Dihydrochloride) - NPI Center, 3/8/05 - "Acetyl-l-carnitine arginate (ALCA) represents an advancement in the carnitine and arginine fields as this new dietary supplement offers potential benefits in affecting levels of nitric oxide over and above the traditional benefits of carnitine" - See acetyl l-carnitine at Amazon.com.
4. Common Nutrient May Ease Diabetic Pain - WebMD, 1/6/05 - "a 1,000 milligrams three times a day of acetyl-L-carnitine was effective in relieving pain caused by nerve damage associated with the condition"
5. Supplemental Carnitine May Be Helpful in Diabetic Neuropathy - Medscape, 1/3/05 - "Pain as the most bothersome symptom significantly improved with ALC"
6. Do Anti-aging Supplements Really Work? - Life Extension Magazine, 6/02 - "The National Academy of Sciences has published three new reports showing that aging may be partially reversible with currently available supplements"
7. Sustain the Brain - Nutrition Science News, 2/01 - "By enhancing membrane stability, energy production, and neurotransmission, ALC may improve mental function. In addition, it may also have anti-inflammatory effects that reduce free radical generation. . . ALC's ability to bind cortisol and increase nerve growth factor production within the hippocampal region may explain its positive effects on neurons."
8. Sperm Booster? - WebMD, 1/1/01
9. The Anti-Aging Effects of Acetyl-L-Carnitine - Life Extension Magazine, 5/00 - "When acetyl-L-carnitine was administered, their heart rates became almost completely restored to the metabolic function level of young control rats . . . acetyl-L-carnitine is critical to youthful cellular function in the brain, heart, liver, peripheral nerve and immune system.  Supplementation with acetyl-L-carnitine becomes an even greater consideration when we realize the potential antiaging effects this amino acid may produce when taken in combination with coQ10 and alpha lipoic acid"
10. Staying Young Forever, Putting new research findings into practice - Life Extension Foundation, 12/99 - "acetyl l-carnitine significantly reversed age-associated mitochondrial decay. It increased cellular respiration, membrane potential and cardiolipin levels"
11. Lower AGE with Acetyl L-Carnitine - Life Enhancement Magazine, 8/99 - "Diabetics and others who become susceptible to high levels of glucose in blood serum as they age suffer from the formation of deleterious hybrid protein-sugar complexes known as advanced glycation end products (AGE) ... ALC decreased the glycation by 42%"
12. Anti-Cortisols May Offer New Hope For Retinitis Pigmentosa - Doctor's Guide, 11/17/97 - "According to Sapse, RP can be treated initially with a cocktail of anti-cortisol nutritional compounds including vitamin A, zinc, ginkgo biloba and acetyl-L-carnitine . . ."
13. Effect of L-carnitine and/or L-acetyl-carnitine in nutrition treatment for male infertility: a systematic review - Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl:383-90 - "the administration of LC and/or LAC may be effective in improving pregnancy rate and sperm kinetic features in patients affected by male infertility"
14. Acetyl-L-Carnitine Improves Pain, Nerve Regeneration, and Vibratory Perception in Patients With Chronic Diabetic Neuropathy: An analysis of two randomized placebo-controlled trials - Diabetes Care. 2005 Jan;28(1):89-94 - "ALC treatment is efficacious in alleviating symptoms, particularly pain, and improves nerve fiber regeneration and vibration perception in patients with established diabetic neuropathy"
15. Carnitine versus androgen administration in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, depressed mood, and fatigue associated with male aging - Urology. 2004 Apr;63(4):641-6 - "Carnitines proved significantly more active than testosterone in improving nocturnal penile tumescence and International Index of Erectile Function score. Testosterone significantly increased the prostate volume and free and total testosterone levels and significantly lowered serum luteinizing hormone; carnitines did not"
16. Memory loss in old rats is associated with brain mitochondrial decay and RNA/DNA oxidation: Partial reversal by feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and/or R-alpha -lipoic acid - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002 Feb 19;99(4):2356-2361 - "Electron microscopic studies in the hippocampus showed that ALCAR and/or LA reversed age-associated mitochondrial structural decay"
17. Mitochondrial decay in aging. Reversal through supplementation of acetyl-L-carnitine and N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenyl-nitrone - Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1998 Nov 20;854:214-23 - "ALCAR supplementation (1 month) resulted in significant increases in cellular respiration, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cardiolipin values"
18. Acetyl L-carnitine slows decline in younger patients with Alzheimer's disease: a reanalysis of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study using the trilinear approach - Int Psychogeriatr. 1998 Jun;10(2):193-203 - "ALC slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease in younger subjects, and the use of the trilinear approach to estimate the average rate of change may prove valuable in pharmacological trials"
19. Acetyl-L-carnitine in Alzheimer disease: a short-term study on CSF neurotransmitters and neuropeptides - Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 1995 Fall;9(3):128-31 - "beta-endorphins significantly decreased after treatment; plasma cortisol levels matched this reduction. Since both CSF beta-endorphins and plasma cortisol decreased, one possible explanation is that ALCAR reduced the AD-dependent hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis hyperactivity"

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