Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 1/2/13.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Antioxidants May Slow Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 12/31/12 - "Oral antioxidant supplementation, including with lutein and zeaxanthin, was associated with some benefits in macular function and morphologic features among patients at high risk for progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... This trial and several others indicate benefits to functional vision with lutein supplementation. What this trial has demonstrated over and above is the marginal slowing down of progression along the early AMD severity scale ... Participants in the supplement arm took a tablet twice daily to provide a daily dose of 12 mg lutein, 0.6 mg zeaxanthin, 15 mg d-α-tocopherol (vitamin E), 150 mg ascorbic acid (vitamin C), 20 mg zinc oxide, and 0.4 mg copper gluconate ... At 36 months, the difference in BCVA had increased to approximately 4.8 letters in favor of the supplement"

Association Between use of Specialty Dietary Supplements and C-Reactive Protein Concentrations - Medscape, 12/28/12 - "In summary, this study adds support to laboratory research and to some human studies which suggest that glucosamine, chondroitin, and fish oil may reduce systemic inflammation. In doing so, this study adds biologic plausibility to previous studies which have shown beneficial effects of these supplements on chronic diseases. Given the number of diseases with which inflammation is associated, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, there is a need to find safe and effective ways to reduce inflammation. Research suggests that these 3 supplements have excellent safety profiles, [88–92] supporting their potential role in disease prevention" - See glucosamine products at Amazon.com, chondroitin sulfate at Amazon.com, Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Elevated CRP Linked to Depression, Psychological Distress - Medscape, 12/27/12 - "those who had the highest levels of CRP were more than twice as likely to have psychological distress and depression than those with normal levels of CRP ... more research is now needed "to establish the direction of the association between CRP and depression" — especially because these studies were primarily cross-sectional ... evaluated data from 73,131 adults between the ages of 20 and 100 years from the Copenhagen General Population study and the Copenhagen City Heart study ... the age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.11 when CRP levels were between 1.01 and 3.00 mg/L compared with the lowest levels of 0.01 to 1.00 mg/L. The ORs increased to 1.80 for CRP levels of 3.01 to 10.00 mg/L and to 2.61 for levels greater than 10.00 mg/L"

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):

Effect of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior on Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen Concentrations: Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003-2006 - Mayo Clin Proc. 2013 Jan;88(1):11-21 - "Individuals who engage in more sedentary behavior and lower levels of light physical activity have higher PSA concentrations"

The Effects of n-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Biomarkers of Kidney Injury in Adults With Diabetes: Results of the GO-FISH trial - Diabetes Care. 2012 Dec 28 - "placebo-controlled, two-period crossover trial to test the effects of 4 g/day of n-3 PUFA supplementation on markers of glomerular filtration and kidney injury in adults with adult-onset diabetes and greater than or equal to trace amounts of proteinuria ... These results suggest a potential effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation on markers of kidney injury in patients with diabetes and early evidence of kidney disease" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Effects of Type 2 Diabetes on 12-Year Cognitive Change: Results from the Maastricht Aging Study - Diabetes Care. 2012 Dec 28 - "Individuals with baseline type 2 diabetes show accelerated cognitive decline, particularly in information-processing speed and executive function, compared with individuals without diabetes. In incident diabetes, decline in speed becomes detectable first, and cognitive decline seems to increase with increasing exposure time"

Grape Polyphenols Prevent Fructose-Induced Oxidative Stress and Insulin Resistance in First-Degree Relatives of Type 2 Diabetic Patients - Diabetes Care. 2012 Dec 28 - "grape polyphenols (PPs) ... Thirty-eight healthy overweight/obese first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetic patients (18 men and 20 women) were randomized in a double-blind controlled trial between a grape PP (2 g/day) and a placebo (PCB) group. Subjects were investigated at baseline and after 8 and 9 weeks of supplementation, the last 6 days of which they all received 3 g/kg fat-free mass/day of fructose ... In the PCB group, fructose induced 1) a 20% decrease in hepatic insulin sensitivity index (P < 0.05) and an 11% decrease in glucose infusion rate (P < 0.05) as evaluated during a two-step hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, 2) an increase in systemic (urinary F2-isoprostanes) and muscle (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and protein carbonylation) oxidative stress (P < 0.05), and 3) a downregulation of mitochondrial genes and decreased mitochondrial respiration (P < 0.05). All the deleterious effects of fructose were fully blunted by grape PP supplementation ...A natural mixture of grape PPs at nutritional doses efficiently prevents fructose-induced oxidative stress and IR. The current interest in grape PP ingredients and products by the global food and nutrition industries could well make them a stepping-stone of preventive nutrition" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95 at Amazon.com.

Serum total cholesterol: A mortality predictor in elderly hospitalized patients - Clin Nutr. 2012 Nov 23 - "mean age 81.36 +/- 6.3 years ... In the Cox regression analysis, serum total cholesterol emerged as a significant, independent predictor of mortality in this cohort. Specifically, each 1 mg/dl increase in serum total cholesterol reduced risk of death by 0.4% ... In very elderly hospitalized subjects, increased levels of serum total cholesterol and albumin may be associated with reduced mortality risk"

Association of apolipoprotein B and incidence of metabolic syndrome in Korean men: A 5-years' follow-up study - Atherosclerosis. 2012 Dec 12 - "Incidence of MetS increased according to quintiles of serum ApoB levels [quintile 1-5: 9.1%, 16.4%, 22.1%, 27.3%, 36.4%, respectively (P for trend <0.001)]. Even after adjusting for various covariates including non-HDL-cholesterol, the hazard ratios (95% CI) for MetS increased in proportion to the quintiles of serum ApoB levels, compared to quintile 1 [quintile 2-5: 1.64 (1.43-1.89), 1.98 (1.71-2.31), 2.32 (1.96-2.75) and 2.92 (2.37-3.60), respectively (P for trend <0.001)]. These associations were apparent still in the clinically relevant subgroup analyses" - Note:  Your goal should be to decrease the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio.  See my apolipoprotein B page for ways to decrease it.  Also the apolipoprotein A page. 

Pretreatment dietary patterns, weight status, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma prognosis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec 26 - "Consumption of a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, fish, poultry and whole grains and being overweight before diagnosis with head and neck cancer are associated with a better prognosis"

High dietary intake of saturated fat is associated with reduced semen quality among 701 young Danish men from the general population - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec 26 - "The objective was to examine the association between dietary fat intake and semen quality among 701 young Danish men from the general population ... A lower sperm concentration and total sperm count in men with a high intake of saturated fat was found. A significant dose-response association was found, and men in the highest quartile of saturated fat intake had a 38% (95% CI: 0.1%, 61%) lower sperm concentration and a 41% (95% CI: 4%, 64%) lower total sperm count than did men in the lowest quartile. No association between semen quality and intake of other types of fat was found"

Dietary fiber intake and risk of hormonal receptor defined breast cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec 26 - "We investigated the relation between total dietary fiber and its main food sources (vegetables, fruit, cereals, and legumes) and BC risk by using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) ... median follow up of 11.5 y ... BC risk was inversely associated with intakes of total dietary fiber (HR(Q5-Q1): 0.95; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.01; P-trend = 0.03) and fiber from vegetables (0.90; 0.84, 0.96; P-trend < 0.01) but not with fiber from fruit, cereals, or legumes. Overall, associations were homogeneous by menopausal status and ER and PR expression in tumors. For vegetable fiber, stronger associations were observed for estrogen receptor-negative and progesterone receptor-negative (HR(Q5-Q1):0.74; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.93; P-trend = 0.01) than for estrogen receptor-positive and progesterone receptor-positive tumors (0.92: 0.81, 1.03; P-trend = 0.05), with P-heterogeneity = 0.09"

Experience with more than 1,000 holmium laser prostate enucleations for benign prostatic hyperplasia - J Urol. 2013 Jan;189 - "Holmium laser prostate enucleation is safe and effective for benign prostatic hyperplasia. The complication rate is low, and incontinence and the need for ancillary procedures are rare for holmium laser prostate enucleation with durable long-term results"

Coenzyme Q10 prevents peripheral neuropathy and attenuates neuron loss in the db-/db- mouse, a type 2 diabetes model - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Dec 24 - "Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common complication in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes ... Diabetic mice at 8 mo of age exhibited loss of sensation, hypoalgesia (an increase in mechanical threshold), and decreases in mechanical hyperalgesia, cold allodynia, and sciatic nerve conduction velocity. All these changes were virtually completely absent after the 6-mo, daily CoQ10 treatment in db(-)/db(-) mice when started at 7 wk of age" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.

Health Focus (Pulse Pressure):

Related Topics:

• hypertension / advanced glycation end products / cholesterol / hardening of the arteries

Alternative News:

• Folic acid supplementation for 3 wk reduces pulse pressure and large artery stiffness independent of MTHFR genotype - Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jul;82(1):26-31 - "5 mg folic acid/d ... Folic acid reduced brachial pulse pressure by 4.7 ... Folic acid is a safe and effective supplement that targets large artery stiffness and may prevent isolated systolic hypertension" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• High Dietary Calcium Intake Associated with Lower Age-Related Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 7/16/03 - "In industrialized nations, SBP increases with age, whereas diastolic blood pressure (DBP) tends to decrease with age, thereby increasing pulse pressure (defined as the difference between SBP and DBP) ... higher calcium intake was associated with lower rates of age-related increases of systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure ... If the calcium intake of the general population were to increase to above 1,200 mg, the incidence of isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly might be decreased" - See drugstore.com/GNC calcium supplements.
• Combined effect of coenzyme Q(10) and fenofibrate on forearm microcirculatory function in type 2 diabetes - Atherosclerosis 2003 May;168(1):169-79 - "CoQ did not change plasma isoprostanes, but significantly lowered systolic blood pressure and HbA(1c)"
• Coenzyme Q10 Improves High Blood Pressure - New Hope Natural Media, 1/9/03 - "recruited 83 people with a condition called isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), in which the higher blood pressure ... These people were assigned to take either 60 mg of CoQ10 twice daily or a placebo for 12 weeks ... The people taking CoQ10 had an 18-point (18 mm Hg) reduction in systolic blood pressure (from 165 to 147 mm Hg), compared with only a 2-point decline in the placebo group ... ISH is the most common type of high blood pressure in the United States" - See iHerb coenzyme Q10 products.
• Evidence-based Products - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 12/02 - "3g EPA/d and 3g DHA/d (ROPUFA) increased systemic arterial compliance in 38 dyslipidemic men and women, resulting in reduced pulse pressure and total vascular resistance ... Results showed that ROPUFA increased SAC—36 per cent with EPA and 27 per cent with DHA—compared with placebo" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Other News:

• Pulse Pressure Predicts Incident Cardiovascular Disease but Not Diabetic Nephropathy in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes (The FinnDiane Study) - Diabetes Care. 2011 Feb 17 - "PP was higher at baseline in patients who experienced a CVD event (66 +/- 18 vs. 52 +/- 14 mmHg; P < 0.001) or progressed in their renal status (58 +/- 18 vs. 54 +/- 15 mmHg; P < 0.01) during follow-up. In a Cox regression model, PP was independently associated with a first ever CVD event (hazard ratio per 10 mmHg 1.22 [95% CI 1.10-1.34]) but not progression of renal disease (1.00 [0.89-1.12]) after adjustments for traditional risk factors. CONCLUSIONS PP, a marker of arterial stiffness, is a risk factor for cardiovascular complications but not for diabetic nephropathy in patients with T1D"
• Arterial Stiffness and Memory and Concentration - Medscape, 11/23/07 - "Increasing pulse-pressure levels and higher baseline pulse-wave velocity — indications of increased arterial stiffness — were linked to a decline in memory and concentration among aging individuals who participated in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging"
• Pulse Pressure May Be the Best Predictor of CV Mortality - Medscape, 10/11/05 - "Pulse pressure and diastolic and systolic BPs were the best predictors for CVD death followed by mean and mid BPs"
• Systolic Better Than Diastolic Or Pulse Blood Pressure As Indicator Of Mortality Risk - Doctor's Guide, 11/4/03 - "Rising systolic blood pressure is the clearest indicator for increased risk of death compared to other blood pressure measurements ... Systolic pressure, which is the higher number and first number in a blood pressure reading, measures the force of blood in the arteries as the heart contracts to push blood through the body"
• Isolated Systolic Hypertension Carries Significant Structural And Functional Alterations - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/03 - "Alterations in arterial structure and function identified in patients with isolated systolic hypertension may be responsible for their higher morbidity and mortality compared to patients with systolic and diastolic hypertension"
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers Effective, Better Tolerated than Calcium Channel Blockers in Elderly Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/03 - "Valsartan and amlodipine are both highly effective in controlling blood pressure in patients with isolated systolic hypertension ... However, valsartan offers a significant tolerability advantage as it shows a reduced risk of developing adverse events"
• Amlodipine Alone or in Combination with other Drugs Reduces Systolic Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/03 - "The mean reduction in systolic blood pressure was approximately 17 mm Hg, while diastolic blood pressure decreased an average of 8 mm Hg, irrespective of regimen"
• Retinal Abnormalities Age-Related Macular Degeneration Associated With Hypertension, Pulse Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 4/10/03 - "Retinal abnormalities in older people without diabetes are related to hypertension. Higher blood and pulse pressure are also associated with an increased incidence of macular abnormalities, including wet and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)"
• Higher Pulse Pressure Tied To Dementia Risks - Doctor's Guide, 3/17/03 - "Higher pulse pressure in older adults is linked with increased risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) and dementia, which is probably caused by artery stiffness and severe atherosclerosis" - Note:  Pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic (high number) and diastolic (low number).
• High Pulse Pressure May Help Identify Young Hypertensives At Higher Risk Of Cardiovascular Events - Doctor's Guide, 10/2/02
• Treating To Lower Blood Pressure Goal Reduces Aortic Stiffness - Doctor's Guide, 9/30/02
• Sildenafil Improves Arterial Pressure and Compliance in Hypertensive Heart Transplant Recipients - Doctor's Guide, 9/27/02
• Pulse Pressure Linked To Cardiovascular Mortality Among Type 2 Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 9/3/02
• Aortic Pulse Pressure May Predict Extent Of Coronary Artery Disease - Doctor's Guide, 8/29/02
• Pulse Pressure a Better Predictor of Mortality than Mean Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 1/28/02
• Blood Pressure Measures During Exercise Can Indicate Unhealthy Hearts - Doctor's Guide, 9/17/01 - "a high pulse pressure -- defined as the difference between systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure -- during exercise was associated with a dysfunction of the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels"
• Experimental Drug Decreases Age-Related Blood Vessel Stiffening - Doctor's Guide, 9/5/01
• Most Doctors Still Overlook Systolic Blood Pressure In Hypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 11/1/00
• New Risk Factor In Cardiovascular Disease -- Pulse Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 5/25/99
• Pulse Pressure Serves As Marker For Heart Disease Death - Doctor's Guide, 12/8/97

Abstracts:

• Pulse pressure and heart rate in patients with metabolic syndrome across Europe: insights from the GOOD survey - J Hum Hypertens. 2012 Dec 13 - "When compared with patients with no metabolic syndrome or diabetes, patients with metabolic syndrome had higher pulse pressure (59+/-14 vs 55+/-14 mm Hg) and heart rate (75.2+/-11.0 vs 72.5+/-10.0 beats per min) (P<0.001 for both), independent of the concomitant presence or absence of diabetes, despite a more prevalent use of β-blockers. In conclusion, in hypertensive outpatients the presence of metabolic syndrome is associated with increased heart rate and pulse pressure, which may at least in part reflect increased arterial stiffness and increased sympathetic tone"
• Pulse Pressure, Prehypertension, and Mortality: The San Antonio Heart Study - Am J Hypertens. 2009 Aug 20
• The Relation Between Pulse Pressure and Cardiovascular Mortality in 12 763 Middle-aged Men From Various Parts of the World: A 25-Year Follow-up of the Seven Countries Study - Arch Intern Med. 2005 Oct 10;165(18):2142-7 - "The age-adjusted hazard ratio per 10–mm Hg increase in pulse pressure varied among cohorts from 1.19 in the United States (P = .04) to 1.29 in southern Europe ... pulse pressure measurements were also a significant predictor for coronary heart disease (hazard ratio per 10–mm Hg increase, 1.15; P = .04) as well as stroke death"
• Dietary calcium lowers the age-related rise in blood pressure in the United States: the NHANES III survey - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2003 Mar-Apr;5(2):122-6 - "higher calcium intake was associated with lower rates of age-related increases of systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure (p<0.001). If the calcium intake of the general population were to increase to above 1200 mg, the incidence of isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly might be decreased"