Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 7/25/07.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Some polyunsaturated fats may protect the colon - Reuters, 7/24/07 - "People with the highest level of omega-3 PUFAs in their diets had 37-percent lower odds of colorectal cancer compared with people with the lowest level" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.

Low cholesterol 'link' to cancer - BBC News, 7/24/07 - "Higher rates of the disease - which were not of any type or location - were observed in the group with the lower levels ... While this highlights an association between low levels of LDL and cancer, this is not the same as saying that low LDL or statin use increases the risk of cancer"

One In Four New York City Adults Has Elevated Blood Mercury Levels - Science Daily, 7/23/07 - "A quarter of adult New Yorkers have elevated blood mercury levels, according to survey results released by the Health Department, and the elevations are closely tied to fish consumption"

1 Daily Soda May Boost Heart Disease - WebMD, 7/23/07 - "Drinking just one soft drink a day -- whether diet or regular -- may boost your risk of getting heart disease ... drinking one or more sodas a day was linked with a 44% higher risk of participants developing metabolic syndrome"

ADHD Drug Does Stunt Growth - WebMD, 7/20/07 - "After three years on the ADHD drug Ritalin, kids are about an inch shorter and 4.4 pounds lighter than their peers"

Metabolic Syndrome: Don't Blame The Belly Fat - Science Daily, 7/19/07 - "insulin resistance in skeletal muscle leads to alterations in energy storage that set the stage for the metabolic syndrome"

Vitamin D Deficiency: Common And Problematic Yet Preventable - Science Daily, 7/19/07 - "Studies have shown people living at higher latitudes (where the angle of the sun's rays are unable to sufficiently produce adequate amounts of vitamin D in the skin) are more likely to develop and die of Hodgkin's lymphoma, colon, pancreatic, prostate, ovarian, breast and other cancers ... both prospective and retrospective epidemiologic studies have also shown an association between low levels of vitamin D and an increased risk for Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, hypertension and cardiovascular disease ... Holick believes the current recommended Adequate Intakes for vitamin D need to be increased to 800 -- 1000 IU vitaminD3/d" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

New Clue Into How Diet And Exercise Enhance Longevity - Science Daily, 7/19/07 - "Diet, exercise and lower weight keep your peripheral tissues sensitive to insulin. That reduces the amount and duration of insulin secretion needed to keep your glucose under control when you eat. Therefore, the brain is exposed to less insulin. Since insulin turns on Irs2 in the brain, that means lower Irs2 activity, which we've linked to longer lifespan in the mouse"

• Key to a long life -- less insulin in the brain - Reuters, 7/19/07 - "people who live to be 100 or more often have reduced insulin levels and their cells show better insulin sensitivity ... New diabetes drugs that increase insulin sensitivity may help" - See my page on Insulin and Aging.

Prostate Drug Doesn't Limit Sexual Function In Most Men - Science Daily, 7/19/07 - "The study suggests that finasteride will cause little or no sexual dysfunction for most men who decide to take it"

Zocor vs. Alzheimer's and Parkinson's - WebMD, 7/18/07 - "In patients over age 64, those who took Zocor were 54% less likely to get Alzheimer's disease and 49% less likely to get Parkinson's disease than were matched patients not taking statin drugs ... Those who took Lipitor were 9% less likely to get Alzheimer's disease" - See simvastatin at OffshoreRx1.com.

Higher Cancer Prevalence Seen Among Diabetics Taking Thiazolidinediones - Medscape, 7/18/07 - "There was a significant association with rosiglitazone use with an odds ratio of 1.89 (p = 0.02) for malignancy, but not with pioglitazone use (OR = 1.09"

Flavonoids in Orange Juice Make It a Healthy Drink, Despite the Sugar - Doctor's Guide, 7/17/07 - "the two types of flavonoids in orange juice -- hesperetin and naringenin -- inhibited ROS generation by 52% and 77%, respectively ... Our data are relevant to patients with diabetes ... because stress from ROS and inflammation are increased significantly in this population and may contribute to development of atherosclerosis"

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

Effect of coenzyme Q10 administration on endothelial function and extracellular superoxide dismutase in patients with ischaemic heart disease: a double-blind, randomized controlled study - Eur Heart J. 2007 Jul 19 - "endothelium-dependent (ED) vasodilation ... improvements elicited by CoQ(10) supplementation were remarkable in subjects presenting low initial endothelium-bound ecSOD and thus more prone to oxidative stress ... The enhancement of peak VO(2) and of O(2) pulse is likely due to the bioenergetic effect of CoQ(10); on the other end, the improved VO(2) could also depend on the observed enhanced peripheral endothelial function" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.

Effect of n-3 fatty acids on nutritional status and inflammatory markers in haemodialysis patients - Nephrology (Carlton). 2007 Aug;12(4):331-6 - "There was a significant increase in EPA (P = 0.01) after treatment, and there was a significant decrease in inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-alpha, P = 0.0001) after supplementation in the tested group ... A dietary regime with fish oil could be used in dialysis patients to slow down the development of atherosclerosis and improve nutritional parameters"

Dietary Isoflavones May Protect against Prostate Cancer in Japanese Men - J Nutr. 2007 Aug;137(8):1974-1979 - "Isoflavones and their aglycones (genistein and daidzein) were significantly associated with decreased risk. The odds ratio for the highest category (>/=89.9 mg/d) compared with the lowest category (<30.5 mg/d) of isoflavone intake was 0.42 (95% CI = 0.24-0.72) and the linear trend was significant"

Correlations between folate, B12, homocysteine levels, and radiological markers of neuropathology in elderly post-stroke patients - J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Jun;26(3):272-8 - "folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia are prevalent in elderly post-stroke patients. These two conditions are strongly and independently associated with the development of brain atrophy"

Low triiodothyronine: a strong predictor of outcome in acute stroke patients - Eur J Clin Invest. 2007 Aug;37(8):651-7 - "The 1-year mortality was 27.34% for low T3 and 19.37% for normal T3 cases (P = 0.006). A smaller percentage of patients with low T3 values were independent at 1 year compared to those with normal T3 values [54.2% vs. 68.7%, chi(2) = 12.09, P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 0.53" - See T3 at International Anti-aging Systems but check with a doctor first.

A Nested Case-Control Study of Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations and Risk of Colorectal Cancer - J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Jul 10 - "Our data provide additional support for the inverse association between vitamin D and colorectal and, in particular, colon cancer risk"

Health Focus (Hypertriglyceridemia):

1. Role of prescription omega-3 Fatty acids in the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia - Pharmacotherapy. 2007 May;27(5):715-28 - "In patients with triglyceride levels above 500 mg/dl, approximately 4 g/day of EPA and DHA reduces triglyceride levels 45% and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by more than 50%" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com or Vitacost or Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
2. The triglyceride-lowering effects of a modest dose of docosahexaenoic acid alone versus in combination with low dose eicosapentaenoic acid in patients with coronary artery disease and elevated triglycerides - J Am Coll Nutr. 2006 Dec;25(6):480-5 - "randomized to either 1000 mg of DHA or 1252 mg of DHA + EPA for eight weeks ... Triglycerides decreased by an average of 21.8% in the DHA group (p < 0.001) and 18.3% in the DHA + EPA group (p < 0.001). The difference between groups was not significant. A greater proportion of subjects in the DHA group achieved triglyceride goal (less than 150 mg/dL) compared to the DHA + EPA group (24.6% versus 10.2%, p < 0.05)" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com or Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
3. Hypertriglyceridemia - Medscape, 6/1/06 - "Omega-3 fatty acids (4 g per day) will reduce triglyceride levels by 30% ... ER niacin has been shown to lower the triglyceride level by ~25% and raise the HDL level by almost 30%"
4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Management of Hypertriglyceridemia: New Findings and Formulations - Continuing Medical Education (CME):Princeton Media Associates, exp. 10/29/06 - "To lower TG levels, the dose of omega-3 therapy is ~4 g of EPA + DHA per day" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com or Vitacost.
5. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Recommendations for Therapeutics and Prevention - Medscape, 10/19/05 - "Supplementation of 4 g EPA/DHA per day for 6 weeks resulted in a 20% TG decline in mildly hyperlipidemic middle-aged men"
6. Women and Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2004 Oct;59(10):722-730 - "because elevated triglyceride levels are associated with cardiovascular disease, especially in women; and because omega-3 FA have powerful effects on triglycerides, women in particular gain from an increased intake of these fatty acids. This is especially important in women receiving hormone therapy, which can increase triglyceride levels."
7. Eating Fish Lowers Heart Disease Risk in Women With Diabetes - WebMD, 3/31/03 - "It is believed that omega-3 fatty acids abundant in the fat of many fish reduces the risk of heart disease by lowering triglyceride levels, improving blood vessel function, and reducing blood-clot formation"
8. I take Lopid (gemfibrozil) to lower my blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels, but I am concerned about the side effects. Is there anything natural that I can take instead? - Dr. Murray - "Pantethine has been shown to significantly reduce serum triglyceride (-32%), total cholesterol (-19%), and LDL-cholesterol (-21%) levels while increasing HDL-cholesterol (+23%) levels in several clinical trials"
9. Ispaghula Husk [psyllium] Nearly As Effective As Simvastatin For Hyperlipidemia - Doctor's Guide, 12/24/02 - "One group received 3.5 grams of ispaghula husk twice a day and the second group received 20 milligrams of simvastatin each day ... total cholesterol decreased by 15.8 percent and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol decreased by 22.97 percent among patients taking ispaghula husk ... Triglycerides decreased by 20.89 percent and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased by 10.69 percent in these patients ... Among patients taking simvastatin, total cholesterol decreased by 24.15 percent, LDL cholesterol decreased by 36.08 percent, triglycerides decreased by 20.47 percent and HDL cholesterol increased by 11.4 percent" - I've got that. See Drugstore.com psyllium products.  3.5 grams is about one wafer (3.4 grams psyllium/wafer).
10. Silybin-Beta-Cyclodextrin Reduces Glucose, Triglyceride Levels In Diabetes With Liver Disease - Doctor's Guide, 11/12/02 - "Fasting blood glucose levels decreased by 14.7 percent from baseline in patients receiving silybin-beta-cyclodextrin ... Plasma triglycerides concentrations dropped from a mean 186 to 111 mg/dl at six months in those that received silybin-beta-cyclodextrin" - See iHerb and Vitacost silymarin products.
11. Fish Oil May Augment Atorvastatin As Treatment For Dyslipidemia In Obese, Insulin-Resistant Men - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/02 - "fish oils significantly decreased plasma levels of triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein-apoB, decreased the very low density lipoprotein-apoB secretion rate"
12. Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Prevent Heart Disease By Improving Arterial Elasticity - Intelihealth, 7/25/02 - "Both omega-3 fatty acid supplement groups experienced significant declines in plasma total triacylglycerol concentrations"
13. Omega 3: Implications in human health and disease - PowerPak (39 page CME course for Registered Dietitians), exp. 8/1/03 - "A substantial body of evidence supports the use of fish oil in the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia.130 In normolipidemic subjects, daily dosages of 2-25 g of omega 3 fatty acids produced decreases in triglyceride concentrations of 20-60%. In patients with hypertriglyceridemia, decreases of up to 81% have been reported"
14. 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%"
15. Niacin Reduces Triglycerides, Increases Good Cholesterol In Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 3/20/01 - "There had been concern that niacin use in diabetic patients might increase blood sugar levels ... but we didn't see that in our study ... Patients were randomised to receive placebo, 1,000 mg of niacin or 1,500 mg of prescription niacin ... Patients taking the active agent increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by 20 to 24 percent compared with a 4 percent increase among the placebo patients. At the same time, triglycerides were reduced 15 to 29 percent in the patients on niacin compared with a 5 percent reduction among patients taking placebo"
16. Evaluation of the Antihyperlipidemic Properties of Dietary Supplements - Medscape, 4/1/01 - "[omega]-3 Fatty Acids ... Triglyceride concentrations decreased by 25% in subjects with normal triglyceride concentrations (< 177 mg/dl) and by 34% in those with elevated concentrations"
17. Chromium Steels the Body Against Diabetes - Nutrition Science News, 2/99 - "The chromium treatment significantly lowered triglycerides"
18. Low serum testosterone in men is inversely associated with non-fasting serum triglycerides: The Tromsø study - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2007 Jun 7 - "a linear increase in serum TG levels was found in men with total testosterone levels below the 50th percentile during the day (p for trend=0.004). In contrast, serum triglycerides did not change during the day in men with testosterone levels above the 50th percentile. In regression analyses, total testosterone and SHBG were inversely and independently associated with TG (p<0.001 and p<0.001 respectively), and positively and independently associated with HDL"
19. 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"
20. Telmisartan improves lipid metabolism and adiponectin production but does not affect glycemic control in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes - Adv Ther. 2007 Jan-Feb;24(1):146-53 - "Triglyceride levels were significantly decreased, however, and adiponectin levels were significantly increased"
21. Big Waist + High Blood Fats = Heart Danger - WebMD, 4/18/05 - "heart deaths concentrate in women with just two factors -- high levels of triglycerides and a 34 2/3-inch waist or larger"
22. Winning The Battle Of The Bulge: We're A Scrimmage Closer To Victory - Science Daily, 4/29/04 - "High triglycerides are blocking the leptin from getting into the brain. If leptin can't get into the brain, it can't tell you to stop eating ... If you lower triglycerides, you should theoretically help the body's own leptin to work better so people can get skinnier"
23. Ezetimibe Plus Simvastatin Safely Improves Lipid Profile - Doctor's Guide, 1/17/03 - "Ezetimibe and simvastatin given together reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 44 to 57%, reduced triglycerides by 20 to 28% and raised high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 8 to 11%, depending on the simvastatin dose"
24. New Study Indicates Pioglitazone HCl/Metformin Combination Therapy Enhances Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 11/7/02 - "Diabetes patients taking the insulin sensitizer pioglitazone HCl in combination with metformin experienced significantly greater improvement in triglyceride levels than patients taking rosiglitazone maleate and metformin"
25. High Triglycerides, Higher Stroke Risk - Intelihealth, 12/19/01 - "Participants with high triglycerides had a 27 percent higher risk of ischemic strokes and transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs, than participants with normal triglyceride levels. People with high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), so-called good cholesterol, were less likely to have strokes than those with lower HDL ... the results provide another reason for people with coronary heart disease to control triglycerides and not just cholesterol ... This also confirms that the high-density cholesterol, HDL, is very important"
26. Triglycerides May Be Stroke Indicator - Intelihealth, 12/11/01 - "heart patients who have high levels of these fatty particles in their blood run a higher risk of a stroke, even if their cholesterol is low ... this study is the first to identify triglycerides as an independent risk factor for stroke ... The lesson from our study is, in addition to managing well the bad cholesterol, one should not ignore the triglycerides ... Those with high levels of triglycerides, or over 200 milligrams per deciliter, had a nearly 30 percent higher risk of stroke. The heart association says the normal level for triglycerides is less than 150"
27. Niaspan (Niacin Extended Release Tablets) Safe And Effective For Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/00 - "Results from the trial indicated that Niaspan therapy increased HDL up to 24 percent and decreased triglycerides as much as 30 percent"
28. Very Low Fat Diets May Not Provide Additional Benefit - Doctor's Guide, 8/31/98 - "Very low fat diets, at least in the short term, tend to increase triglycerides and decrease good cholesterol, or HDL, levels without yielding additional decreases in LDL levels"

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