Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 12/5/12.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Diabetes Risk Linked to Low Vitamin D Levels - Medscape, 12/3/12 - "Low serum vitamin D concentration was associated with an increased risk of developing "insulin-requiring" diabetes in a nested case-control study of active-duty military service members ... Those in the lowest quintile of serum 25(OH)D levels (<43 nmol/L) had a 3.5-fold greater likelihood of developing insulin-requiring diabetes than those in the highest quintile of serum 25(OH)D levels (≥100 nmol/L). Those in the second-lowest quintile of serum 25(OH)D levels (43 - 59 nmol/l) had a 2.5-fold greater risk ... It is possible, the researchers state, that vitamin D affects immune function" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Losartan Improves Erectile Dysfunction in Diabetic Patients - Medscape, 12/3/12 - "In this study, we found that diabetic patients suffering from ED were responsive to the losartan treatment. The IIEF-5 scores, the percentage of positive answers to the SEP-2, SEP-3 and GAQ after treatment are all significantly increased as compared with baseline and the end point of control groups. The analysis of our study also indicated that losartan worked better in mild and moderate ED than severe cases. It is consistent with our previous studies, which shows that losartan can downregulate the local expression of AT1 and Ang II, but it cannot elevate the reduced smooth muscle/collagen ratio in diabetic rats [7,8] We believe that the losartan may not completely reverse the severe damaged penile tissues due to diabetes" - Note:  It says that's the first study in diabetics but I've read several studies over the years supporting losartan and ED.  See my ARB page.  It would seem that it would extend to the entire ARB class of antihypertensives but I haven't seen studies on that.  See losartan (Cozaar) OffshoreRx1.com.

Treating gum disease may fix erection troubles, too, study finds - nbcnews.com, 12/3/12 - "The study involved 120 patients with severe or moderate erectile dysfunction and chronic periodontitis. Half received treatment for their gum disease, while half did not. They filled out questionnaires about their erectile function, and patients who received treatment for their gum disease reported that levels of erectile function improved after three months ... I feel that the causal element is probably vascular disease, poor general health status, lack of medical attention (gum disease), underlying diabetes/hypertension, or all of the above"

Why older adults become fraud victims more often - Science Daily, 12/3/12 - "The older adults do not have as strong an anterior insula early-warning signal; their brains are not saying 'be wary,' as the brains of the younger adults are"

Top 7 Germiest Public Places - ABC News, 12/3/12 - "Restaurant Menus ... Lemon Wedges ... Condiment Dispensers ... Restroom Door Handles ... Soap Dispensers ... Airplane Bathrooms ... Doctor's Office"

Diabetes Drug Metformin May Fight Cancer - WebMD, 12/3/12 - "The study is just one of dozens under way worldwide examining the drug -- which costs just pennies a pill -- as a treatment for breast, colon, prostate, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers ... After five years, 67% of women who took metformin had not died from ovarian cancer, compared to 47% of women without diabetes who did not take the drug ... The survival difference in the two groups was striking ... Every way we looked at this, the metformin group always did better ... If metformin really does fight cancer, it may do so by lowering circulating insulin levels in the blood" - [Science Daily] - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.

Vitamin D tied to women's cognitive performance - Science Daily, 11/30/12 - "Higher vitamin D dietary intake is associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease ... low vitamin D levels among older women are associated with higher odds of global cognitive impairment and a higher risk of global cognitive decline ... Slinin's group based its analysis on 6,257 community-dwelling older women who had vitamin D levels measured during the Study of Osteopathic Fractures" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Finger Length a Marker of Verbal Aggression? - Medscape, 11/30/12 - "Those who had smaller 2D:4D ratios, which correlates with prenatal exposure to testosterone, reported more verbal aggression behaviors than did the participants with higher ratios ... prenatal androgen exposure (PNAE) ... Most importantly, data indicate that 2D:4D is a proxy for sex hormones levels at the time of brain organization ... The ratio did not correlate with either argumentativeness or openness to other experiences"

NSAID use linked to reduced hepatocellular carcinoma risk and mortality due to chronic liver disease - Science Daily, 11/28/12 - "Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of primary liver cancer, occurs mainly among patients with CLD ... performed an observational study of 300,504 men and women aged 50 to 71 years enrolled in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study who reported their aspirin and nonaspirin NSAID use and were followed-up for 10-12 years ... Study participants who used aspirin had a 41% reduced risk of HCC and a 45% reduced risk of death from CLD, whereas those who used non-aspirin NSAIDs experienced a 26% reduced risk of CLD mortality but no reduced risk of HCC" - [Abstract]

'Chemo brain': Researchers identify physiological evidence of chemotherapy-induced changes in the brain - Science Daily, 11/27/12 - "When we looked at the results, we were surprised at how obvious the changes were ... PET/CT results demonstrated statistically significant decreases in regional brain metabolism that were closely associated with symptoms of chemo brain phenomenon ... The study shows that there are specific areas of the brain that use less energy following chemotherapy ... Research has already shown that patients with chemo brain can benefit from the assistance of nutritionists, exercise therapists, massage therapists and counselors"

Potentially toxic flame retardants found in many US couches - Science Daily, 11/28/12 - "Tris was phased out from use in baby pajamas back in 1977 because of its health risks, but it still showed up in 41 percent of the couch foam samples we tested ... analyzed 102 polyurethane foam samples from couches purchased for home use in the United States between 1985 and 2010 ... In addition to finding Tris, the tests revealed that 17 percent of the foam samples contained the flame-retardant pentaBDE, which is banned in 172 countries and 12 U.S. states and was voluntarily phased out by U.S manufacturers in 2005 ... PentaBDEs are long-lasting chemicals that over time migrate into the environment and accumulate in living organisms. Studies show they can disrupt endocrine activity and affect thyroid regulation and brain development. Early exposure to them has been linked to low birth weight, lowered IQ and impaired motor and behavioral development in children"

Many flame retardants in house dust at unsafe levels - Science Daily, 11/28/12 - "Forty-four flame retardant chemicals were detected and 36 were found in at least 50% of the samples, sometimes at levels of health concern. The flame retardants found in house dust are in furniture, textiles, electronics, and other products and include hormone disruptors, carcinogens, and chemicals with unknown safety profiles ... This study complements a separate study, also being published in Environmental Science & Technology on Nov. 28, that found many potentially problematic flame retardants in couches ... When one toxic flame retardant is phased out, it's being replaced by another chemical we either know is dangerous or suspect may be"

Breast cancer risk estimates increased with repeated prior CT and nuclear imaging - Science Daily, 11/27/12 - "Young women receiving several chest and or cardiac CTs had the greatest increased risk of developing breast cancer at approximately 20 percent ... A 15-year-old girl with no risk factors for breast cancer would double her 10-year risk of developing breast cancer at 25"

Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Fish Oil May Reduce Inflammation - Medscape, 11/27/12 - "Inflammation is now recognized as a factor in cancer and cardiovascular disease as well as many rheumatoid diseases ... the researchers found hs-CRP reductions of 17% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7% - 26%) with glucosamine, 22% (95% CI, 8% - 33%) with chondroitin, and 16% (95% CI, 0.3% - 29%) with fish oil compared with participants who did not take the supplements" - See glucosamine products at Amazon.com, chondroitin sulfate at Amazon.com, Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Vitamin D linked to lower rates of tooth decay - Science Daily, 11/27/12 - "The review, published in the December issue of Nutrition Reviews, encompassed 24 controlled clinical trials, spanning the 1920s to the 1980s, on approximately 3,000 children in several countries. These trials showed that vitamin D was associated with an approximately 50 percent reduction in the incidence of tooth decay" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

White rice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes - Clin Nutr. 2012 Nov 14 - "A population-based cohort study was undertaken in Pizarra, Spain. At baseline and follow-up, participants underwent an interview and a standardized clinical examination which included an oral glucose tolerance test in those subjects without known diabetes ... In subjects who reported rice intake 2-3 times a week, incidence of diabetes after 6 years follow-up was 12.0%, and in those who reported once or less a week, 20.2% (p = 0.04, non adjusted). Subjects who ate rice frequently had lower risk to develop diabetes 6 years later (OR = 0.43, p = 0.04; adjusted for age, sex, obesity, and presence of impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance at baseline)"

Changes in bread consumption and 4-year changes in adiposity in Spanish subjects at high cardiovascular risk - Br J Nutr. 2012 Dec 3:1-10 - "We analysed 2213 participants at high risk for CVD from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) trial to assess the association between changes in the consumption of bread and weight and waist circumference gain over time. Dietary habits were assessed with validated FFQ at baseline and repeatedly every year during 4 years of follow-up ... The present results showed that over 4 years, participants in the highest quartile of change in white bread intake gained 0.76 kg [1.7 pounds] more than those in the lowest quartile (P for trend = 0.003) and 1.28 cm [0.5 inches] more than those in the lowest quartile (P for trend < 0.001) ... The present results suggest that reducing white bread, but not whole-grain bread consumption, within a Mediterranean-style food pattern setting is associated with lower gains in weight and abdominal fat"

Effects of EPA, γ-linolenic acid or coenzyme Q10 on serum prostate-specific antigen levels: a randomised, double-blind trial - Br J Nutr. 2012 Nov 30:1-8 - "A total of 504 healthy men with serum PSA level ≤ 2.5 ng/ml were recruited into the study ... Participants were randomly assigned to a daily dietary supplement containing n-3 fatty acids (1.12 g of EPA and 0.72 g of DHA per capsule) (group 1, n 126), n-6 fatty acid (600 mg γ-linolenic acid (GLA) each capsule) (group 2, n 126), CoQ10 (100 mg per capsule) (group 3, n 126) or a similar regimen of placebo (group 4, n 126) for 12 weeks ... EPA treatment significantly reduced serum PSA level by 30.0 (95 % CI 25, 36) % (P = 0.004) from baseline. In contrast, GLA therapy significantly increased serum PSA concentration by 15.0 (95 % CI 11, 20) % (P = 0.02). CoQ10 therapy also significantly reduced serum PSA level by 33.0 (95 % CI 27, 40) % (P = 0.002). In multivariable analysis, serum values of PSA were strongly correlated with duration of EPA (r - 0.62; 95 % CI - 0.42, - 0.77; P = 0.003), n-6 (r 0.42; 95 % CI 0.31, 0.58; P = 0.02) and CoQ10 use (r - 0.77; 95 % CI - 0.56, - 0.87; P = 0.001). There were also significant correlations between serum values of DHA, EPA, GLA and CoQ10 and serum PSA levels. The present study demonstrates that dietary supplements containing EPA, GLA or CoQ10 may significantly affect serum PSA levels" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com and Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.

Intake of specific nutrients and foods and hearing level measured 13 years later - Br J Nutr. 2012 Nov 19:1-10 - "hearing level (HL) ... We examined the 13-year association between intake of specific nutrients and food groups and HL in a sample of French adults ... Intakes of retinol (P-trend = 0.058) and vitamin B12 (P-trend = 0.068) tended to be associated with better HL in women. Intakes of meat as a whole (P-trend = 0.030), red meat (P-trend = 0.014) and organ meat (P-trend = 0.017) were associated with better HL in women. Higher intake of seafood as a whole (P-trend = 0.07) and of shellfish (P-trend = 0.097) tended to be associated with better HL in men. Consumption of meat is therefore associated with a better HL in women"

Metformin and reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in diabetic patients: a meta-analysis - Scand J Gastroenterol. 2012 Nov 9 - "Medline and Embase databases were searched to identify the relevant studies between January 1966 and December 2011 ... the overall prevalence of HCC was 3.40% (562/16,549) in DM patients. The overall analysis showed a significantly reduced risk of HCC in metformin users versus nonusers in diabetic patients (relative risk (RR) 0.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.13-0.46, p < 0.001)" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.

Vitamin D reduces left atrial volume in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and chronic kidney disease - Am Heart J. 2012 Dec;164(6):902-909.e2 - "Left atrial enlargement, a sensitive integrator of left ventricular diastolic function, is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality ... left atrial volume index (LAVi) ... One hundred ninety-six patients with chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate 15-60 mL/min per 1.73m(2)), mild to moderate left ventricular hypertrophy, and preserved ejection fraction were randomly assigned to 2 μg of oral paricalcitol or matching placebo for 48 weeks ... Over the study period, there was a significant decrease in LAVi (-2.79 mL/m(2), 95% CI -4.00 to -1.59 mL/m(2)) in the paricalcitol group compared with the placebo group (-0.70 mL/m(2) [95% CI -1.93 to 0.53 mL/m(2)], P = .002). Paricalcitol also attenuated the rise in levels of brain natriuretic peptide (10.8% in paricalcitol vs 21.3% in placebo, P = .02) ... Forty-eight weeks of therapy with an active vitamin D analog reduces LAVi and attenuates the rise of BNP. In a population where only few therapies alter cardiovascular related morbidity and mortality, these post hoc results warrant further confirmation" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Effect of omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid supplementation in patients with sickle cell anemia: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Nov 28 - "Blood cell aggregation and adherence to vascular endothelium and inflammation play a central role in vaso-occlusive crisis in sickle cell disease. The antiaggregatory, antiadhesive, antiinflammatory, and vasodilatory omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids (DHA and EPA) are significantly reduced in patients with the disease ... One hundred forty patients recruited from a single center in Sudan were randomly assigned and received, daily, 1 (age 2-4 y), 2 (age 5-10 y), 3 (age 11-16), or 4 (age ≥17 y) omega-3 capsules containing 277.8 mg DHA and 39.0 mg EPA or placebo for 1 y ... Omega-3 treatment reduced the median rate of clinical vaso-occlusive events (0 compared with 1.0 per year, P < 0.0001), severe anemia (3.2% compared with 16.4%; P < 0.05), blood transfusion (4.5% compared with 16.4%; P < 0.05), white blood cell count (14.4 +/- 3.3 compared with 15.6 +/- 4.0 ×10(3)/μL; P < 0.05), and the OR of the inability to attend school at least once during the study period because of illness related to the disease to 0.4 ... The findings of this trial, which need to be verified in a large multicenter study, suggest that omega-3 fatty acids can be an effective, safe, and affordable therapy for sickle cell anemia" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and risk of major osteoporotic fractures in older U.S. adults - J Bone Miner Res. 2012 Nov 26 - "The study used a pooled cohort of 4749 men and women ages 65 years and older from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-94) and NHANES 2000-2004 ... Serum 25OHD was a significant linear predictor of major osteoporotic fracture and significant quadratic predictor of hip fracture in the total sample and among those with less than 10 years of follow-up, but it was not related to risk of either fracture type among those with > 10 years of follow-up. Major osteoporotic fracture risk was increased by 26-27% for each SD decrease in serum 25OHD among those with less than 10 years of follow-up. Serum 25OHD was significantly related to risk of major osteoporotic fractures as a group and to hip fracture alone in this cohort of older US adults from NHANES III and NHANES 2000-2004. However, the predictive utility of serum 25OHD diminished after ten years. In addition, the relationship appeared to be linear when major osteoporotic fracture risk was considered but quadratic when hip fracture risk was assessed" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

High physical fitness in young adulthood reduces the risk of fractures later in life in men: A nationwide cohort study - J Bone Miner Res. 2012 Nov 26 - "Aerobic capacity and isometric muscle strength were measured in 435445 Swedish men that conscripted for military service from 1969-1978 ... When comparing men in the lowest and highest decile of physical fitness, the risk of a fracture was 1.8 times higher (95% CI = 1.6-2.1) and that of hip fracture was 2.7 times higher (95% CI = 1.6-4.7). The risk of fracture was also 1.4-1.5 times higher when comparing the extreme deciles of muscle strength (p < 0.001 for all). In a subcohort of 1009 twin pairs, up to 22% of the variation in physical fitness and 27-39% of the variation in muscle strength was attributable to environmental factors unique to one twin, e.g. physical activity. In conclusion, low aerobic capacity and muscle strength in young adulthood are associated with an increased risk of low-energy fractures later in life, while a low-energy fracture is associated with an increased risk of death already in middle-aged men"

Increased arterial stiffness in subjects with impaired fasting glucose - J Diabetes Complications. 2012 Nov 22 - "The study group consisted of 1043 subjects, including 683 subjects with NFG and 360 subjects with IFG (100≤fasting glucose <126mg/dL) ... Arterial stiffness was higher in the IFG group than in subjects with NFG even after adjustment for all confounding variables including hs-CRP and oxidative stress markers. In addition, fasting glucose and insulin were positively and independently associated with the ba-PWV in non-diabetic healthy adults"

Health Focus (Surgery):

Alternative News:

• Arginine and proline enriched diet may speed wound healing in diabetes - Science Daily, 11/15/12 - "Researchers divided 18 rats into three groups that were either fed a standard diet, a high-protein diet, or a high protein diet supplemented with arginine and proline (ARG+PRO) ... Rats on both high protein diets had better nitrogen balance than those on the standard diet. However, the wounds of the rats on the ARG+PRO diet showed more new blood vessel growth on day 5. New blood vessel growth is an essential part of wound healing as the blood vessels supply nutrition and oxygen to growing tissue ... arginine and proline supplementation could offer new hope for effective treatment in diabetic patients with chronic wounds" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com and proline at Amazon.com.
• Time to wound closure in trauma patients with disorders in wound healing is shortened by supplements containing antioxidant micronutrients and glutamine: A PRCT - Clin Nutr. 2012 Jan 25 - "20 trauma patients with disorders in wound healing were orally supplemented with antioxidant micronutrients (ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, β-carotene, zinc, selenium) and glutamine (verum) or they received isoenergetic amounts of maltodextrine (placebo) for 14 days ... Wound closure occurred more rapidly in the verum than in the placebo group (35 +/- 22 vs. 70 +/- 35 d; P = 0.01)" - See L-glutamine at Amazon.com.
• Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care, study finds - Science Daily, 12/1/11 - "including probiotics with nutrients, supplied via the patient's feeding tube, increased interferon levels, reduced the number of infections, and even reduced the amount of time patients spent in intensive care ... by day 15 the patients who received the probiotics had significantly higher levels of both IL-12 and IFNy than the control patients. They also showed a decrease in the Th2-associated factors IL-4 and IL-10 ... probiotic therapy reduced the number of infections occurring after seven days, reduced the number of different antibiotics needed to treat infections, and shortened the length of time the patients were required to stay in ICU"
• Fish oil attenuates surgery-induced immunosuppression, limits post-operative metastatic dissemination and increases long-term recurrence-free survival in rodents inoculated with cancer cells - Clin Nutr. 2011 Nov 26 - "ω-3FA feeding attenuates or even overcomes postoperative NK cell suppression, increases resistance to experimental and spontaneous metastasis, and enhances recurrence-free survival following excision of metastasizing primary tumors" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Copper reduces infection risk by more than 40 per cent, experts say - Science Daily, 7/1/11 - "Copper's rapid destruction of pathogens could prevent mutational resistance developing and also help reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance genes to receptive and potentially more virulent organisms, as well as genes responsible for virulence. Additionally, copper touch surfaces could have a key role in preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections. Extensive laboratory tests have demonstrated copper's antimicrobial efficacy against key organisms responsible for these infections, and clinical trials around the world are now reporting on its efficacy in busy, real-world environments ... the use of antimicrobial copper surfaces in intensive care unit rooms resulted in a 40.4% reduction in the risk of acquiring a hospital infection ... Data .. demonstrated a 97% reduction in surface pathogens in rooms with copper surfaces, the same level achieved by "terminal" cleaning: the regimen conducted after each patient vacates a room"
• Careful cleaning of children's skin wounds key to healing, regardless of antibiotic choice - Science Daily, 2/21/11 - "proper wound care, not antibiotics, may have been the key to healing"
• Effect of High-dose Vitamin C on Oxygen Free Radical Production and Myocardial Enzyme after Tourniquet Ischaemia-Reperfusion Injury during Bilateral Total Knee Replacement - J Int Med Res. 2010 Jul-Aug;38(4):1519-29 - "In the VC group, malondialdehyde levels were lower, and arterial oxygen tension and mean blood pressure were higher, than in controls after post-operative deflation of both knee tourniquets. Troponin I levels were lower in the VC group than in controls 8 h post-operation. Administering high-dose vitamin C during bilateral TKR could prevent oxygen free radical production and a decline in arterial oxygen tension and mean blood pressure induced by ischaemia-reperfusion injury, thereby protecting the myocardium"
• Vitamin C rapidly improves emotional state of acutely hospitalized patients, study suggests - Science Daily, 9/23/10 - "Treatment with vitamin C rapidly improves the emotional state of acutely hospitalized patients ... About one in five acute-care patients in our hospital have vitamin C levels so low as to be compatible with scurvy ... But patients are rarely given vitamin supplements. Most physicians are simply unaware of the problem"
• Vitamin C requirement in surgical patients - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Aug 4 - "Blood vitamin C concentration falls after uncomplicated surgery and further decreases in surgical intensive care unit patients. The decline may be owing to increased demand caused by increased oxidative stress. To normalize plasma vitamin C concentration, much higher doses than the recommended daily allowance or doses recommended in parenteral nutrition guidelines are needed in these patients. In uncomplicated surgical patients, more than 500 mg/day of vitamin C may be required, with much higher doses in surgical intensive care unit patients. In uncomplicated gastrointestinal surgery, continuous parenteral administration of 500 mg/day of vitamin C reduced postoperative oxidative stress as manifested by reduced urinary excretion of isoprostane. In some studies, postoperative atrial fibrillation was prevented after cardiac surgery by perioperative vitamin C supplementation. In critically ill patients, some prospective randomized controlled trials support parenteral supplementation of high doses of vitamin C, E and trace elements" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
• Glutamine in critical illness: the time has come, the time is now - Crit Care Clin. 2010 Jul;26(3):515-25 - "Glutamine (GLN) has been shown to be a key pharmaconutrient in the body's response to stress and injury. It exerts its protective effects via multiple mechanisms, including direct protection of cells and tissue from injury, attenuation inflammation, and preservation of metabolic function. Data support GLN as an ideal pharmacologic intervention to prevent or treat multiple organ dysfunction syndrome after sepsis or other injuries in the intensive care unit population. A large and growing body of clinical data shows that in well-defined critically ill patient groups GLN can be a life-saving intervention" - See L-glutamine at Amazon.com
• Fish oil given intravenously to patients in intensive care has many benefits, study finds - Science Daily, 1/18/10 - "A randomised controlled trial of fish oil given intravenously to patients in intensive care has found that it improves gas exchange, reduces inflammatory chemicals and results in a shorter length of hospital stay"
• New Role Of Vitamin C In Skin Protection; Relevance To The Cosmetics Industry - Science Daily, 9/8/09 - "a form of Vitamin C helped to promote wound healing and also helped protect the DNA damage of skin cells ... Previously, the group has published evidence that DNA repair is upregulated in people consuming vitamin C supplements ... The results demonstrated that vitamin C may improve wound healing by stimulating quiescent fibroblasts to divide and by promoting their migration into the wounded area. Vitamin C could also protect the skin by increasing the capacity of fibroblasts to repair potentially mutagenic DNA lesions ... Free radicals are associated with premature skin aging, and antioxidants, such as vitamin C, are known to counter these highly damaging compounds. This new evidence suggest that, in addition to ‘mopping up’ free radicals, vitamin C can help remove the DNA damage they form, if they get past the cell’s defences"
• The role of parenteral glutamine supplement for surgical patient perioperatively: result of a single center, prospective and controlled study - Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2008 Aug 20 - "In terms of morbidity, there was no difference between the two groups, but two patients in the control group had wound infection; none was noted in the Gln group (p = 1.0). No surgical mortality was noted in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative parenteral nutrition supplemented with Gln is beneficial for patients undergoing GI surgery. Gln supplementation significantly attenuated postoperative inflammation and ameliorated postoperative immunodepression as well as nutritional depression in GI surgery" - See L-glutamine at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin C, Surgery, Arnica Montana - Dr. Weil, 1/4/08
• Exercise May Play Role In Reducing Inflammation In Damaged Skin Tissue - Science Daily, 11/28/07 - "moderate exercise sped up how fast wounds heal in old mice ... the improved healing response “may be the result of an exercise-induced anti-inflammatory response in the wound.” ... Cytokines are molecules that signal and direct immune cells, such as macrophages, to the site of an infection ..."
• Vitamin D3 Provides Skin With Protection From Harmful Microbes - Science Daily, 2/12/07 - "fluctuations in Vitamin D3 levels control the body's innate immune response, affecting a skin wound's ability to heal" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Evaluation of clinical safety and beneficial effects of a fish oil containing lipid emulsion (Lipoplus, MLF541): Data from a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial - Crit Care Med. 2007 Jan 25 - "from fish oil (Lipoplus) ... there was a significantly shorter length of hospital stay of approximately 21% ... the administration of Lipoplus in the postoperative period after major abdominal surgery is safe and results in a significantly shorter length of hospital stay"
• Exercise Helps Speed Wound Healing in Older Adults - Doctor's Guide, 1/4/06 - "a new study in older adults finds that regular exercise may speed up the wound-healing process by as much as 25%"
• Glutamine Independently Reduces Hospital Stay - Doctor's Guide, 10/25/05 - "The nutrient glutamine, which is often administered as part of nutritional supplementation, on its own can reduce the length of hospital stay and maintains lean body mass after elective surgery" - See iHerb glutamine products.
• Supplement Speeds Wound Healing - WebMD, 7/8/04 - "Those getting InflammEnz healed 17% faster, and experienced less redness and swelling at the site of the biopsy ... InflammEnz, an herbal product, contains seven different nutrients and enzymes, including calcium and potassium ... Vitamin C ... Bromelain ... Rutin ... Grape seed extract"
• Supplement Use in Sickness and in Health - WebMD, 5/24/04 - "Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory [that] prevents soft tissue swelling, and decreases various markers of pain and inflammation ... In one study of 74 boxers, 80% of minor injuries from bruising and swelling cleared in just four days in those boxers who took bromelain supplements after a big fight, compared with only 14% clearing of minor injuries in those who took placebo" - See iHerb bromelain products.
• Immune-Enhancing Therapy Shortens Hospital Stays By Three Days - Doctor's Guide, 12/23/99 - "The trials, conducted at medical centers in the U.S. and Europe, compared patients receiving standard enteral nutrition with patients who received commercially available immune-enhancing therapies containing arginine and glutamine (naturally occurring amino acids), nucleotides (found in yeast), and omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) ... Our study shows that immunonutrition can make a significant contribution to reducing the number of infections and length of hospital stay in critically ill patients"

News & Research:

• Is a Ban on Drinking Water Hours Before Surgery Necessary? - New York Times, 11/28/11 - "The well-known rule that a preoperative patient should have “nothing by mouth after midnight” was not based on scientific evidence ... The midnight cutoff was applied to both eating and drinking sometime in the 1960s ... “drinking clear fluids up to a few hours before surgery did not increase the risk of regurgitation during or after surgery” and that drinking water actually reduced gastric volume"
• Anesthesia Exposure Linked To Learning Disabilities In Children - Science Daily, 3/24/09
• Why Anesthesia Is Associated With Cognitive Impairment and Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease - Science Daily, 3/10/09
• When Is the Optimal Time to Administer Antibiotics Prior to Surgery? - Medscape, 8/26/08
• Chronic Drinking Can Lead To Severe Pneumonia After Surgery, Rodent Study Shows - Science Daily, 2/3/08
• New Guidelines For Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting - Science Daily, 10/17/06
• Drugs for Postoperative Nausea May Not Help Most Patients - Doctor's Guide, 7/22/06
• New Class Of Drug Reduces Post-operative Vomiting - Science Daily, 10/26/05