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Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending
6/12/13. You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.
Marine n-3 Polyunsaturated
Fatty Acids - Medscape, 6/11/13 - "Sarcopenia
is the age-related loss of muscle mass that results in a reduction in skeletal
muscle function, quality of life and an increased risk of falls. Older muscle
has an 'anabolic resistance' to both nutrients and exercise, with the precise
underlying mechanism still to be elucidated. The
n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish oil can be incorporated into
the membranes of skeletal muscles, where they may have anti-inflammatory
effects. This alteration in muscle membrane fatty acid composition may have
anabolic effects in aging muscle and, thus, be useful in the treatment of
sarcopenia ... The current data presented suggest that n-3 PUFAs may be of
benefit in the treatment of sarcopenia" -
See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
Genetic
Research Clarifies Link Between Hypertension and Vitamin D Deficiency -
Science Daily, 6/10/13 - "Low levels of
vitamin D can trigger
hypertension ... those with high
concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) had reduced blood pressure and
therefore a reduced risk of hypertension ... for every 10% increase in 25(OH)D
concentrations, there was a 8.1% decrease in the risk of developing
hypertension"
- See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
High
sugar intake linked to low dopamine release in insulin resistant patients -
Science Daily, 6/10/13 - "For those who have the
metabolic syndrome, a sugar drink resulted in a
lower-than-normal release of the chemical dopamine in a major pleasure center of
the brain. This chemical response may be indicative of a deficient reward
system, which could potentially be setting the stage for insulin resistance ...
Insulin resistance is a significant contributor to obesity and diabetes ...
insulin resistance and its association with less dopamine release in a central
brain reward region might promote overeating to compensate for this deficit"
Hepatitis B Viral Levels
May Soar When Vitamin D Drops - Medscape, 6/10/13 -
"They analyzed serum samples from treatment-naive patients with chronic
hepatitis who visited the outpatient liver
clinic of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital in Frankfurt, Germany
from January 2009 to December 2012 ... 25(OH)D3
and HBV DNA serum levels showed a significant, inverse correlation ... HBV DNA
was the strongest determinant of low 25(OH)D3 serum concentration in our cohort"
- See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
Early
Exposure to Bisphenol A Might Damage the Enamel of Teeth - Science Daily,
6/10/13 - "the teeth of rats treated with low daily
doses of BPA could be damaged by this"
Heart-Healthy Diet May Be
Prostate Cancer Healthy Too - Medscape, 6/10/13 -
"our findings support counseling men with prostate cancer to follow a
heart-healthy diet in which carbohydrate calories are replaced with unsaturated
oils and nuts to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality ... Nuts and vegetable
oils (such olive and canola oil) were the 2 sources of vegetable fats associated
with reduced overall and disease-specific mortality ... examined the dietary-fat
intake of 4577 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer enrolled in the Health
Professionals Follow-up Study ... replacing 10% of calories from carbohydrates
with vegetable fats was associated with a 29% lower risk for prostate cancer
death (hazard ratio [HR], 0.71; P = .04) and a 26% lower risk for all-cause
death"
Food Supplement Linked to
Lower PSA in Prostate Cancer - Medscape, 6/10/13 -
"A commercially available food supplement that contains
pomegranate,
broccoli, green tea, and
turmeric significantly lowers prostate-specific
antigen (PSA) levels ... made headlines around the world and caused the
polyphenol-rich supplement, known as Pomi-T (nature Medical Products), to sell
out within hours ... to receive the supplement 3 times a day for 6 months or
placebo ... At 6-month follow-up, the median increase in PSA was 63.8% lower in
the supplement groups than in the placebo group (14.7% vs 78.5; P =.0008). In
addition, PSA levels were stable or lower than baseline more often in the
supplement group (46% vs 14%" - Note: I've already been taking most
of the ingredients separately plus it probably avoids some of the mark-up.
It seems like you could come up with a reputable formula by reading my
Prostate Cancer page and putting the
supplements together.
Insulin Sensitizers Halve
PAD Risk, Amputations in BARI 2D - Medscape, 6/10/13 -
"Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2
Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial ... the incidence of any type of new PAD during an
average follow-up of 4.6 years was lower among participants who received
insulin-sensitizing therapy — metformin or a "glitazone"
— than those who received insulin-providing therapy: 16.9% vs 24.1% ... What
this suggests is that the use of an insulin-sensitizing medication might slow or
reduce the progression of systemwide atherosclerosis in participants who already
have fairly advanced coronary disease ... As Many as 1 in 4 High-Risk Patients
May Develop PAD"
Diabetes
Drug Shows Promise in Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disease - Medscape,
6/7/13 - "Pioglitazone
halted the nerve fibre degeneration by preventing the loss of mitochondria, and
inhibiting metabolic failure and oxidative stress in the treated mice, and hence
also halted locomotor disabilities ... Although X-ALD is a relatively rare
disease with a minimum incidence of 1 in 17 000 males, there are other
neurodegenerative disorders caused by myelin sheath degeneration, for example
multiple sclerosis, and many others where impaired bioenergetics combined with
oxidative stress and degeneration of axons are known to be involved. The latter
category of disease includes Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Alzheimer's ... It
is possible that our findings may be relevant to these conditions as well"
- Note: I've been taking low dose pioglitazone and metformin from overseas
pharmacies for years as a preventative measure for a lot of things.
Doctor's say I'm crazy. Maybe or maybe crazy like a fox.
Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and
Skin Health - Medscape, 6/7/13 - "Results from cell
culture and animal studies showing that lutein and zeaxanthin exhibit positive
skin health benefits have considerable merit and suggest an avenue by which
these carotenoids may function. The results
from one human study demonstrate that orally administered lutein and zeaxanthin
can inhibit lipid peroxidation on the surface of the skin and help bolster the
skin's photoprotective activity, potentially protecting the skin from exposure
to light, particularly UV light. Since the typical diet of people in the United
States is about 2 mg of lutein per day, due to the ingestion of foods such as
green leafy vegetables that contain the highest levels of diet-derived lutein
and zeaxanthin,[15] it may be considered advisable to increase the daily intake
of lutein and zeaxanthin for optimal skin health
and photoprotection" - See
Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
MRI
Study: Breastfeeding Boosts Babies' Brain Growth - Science Daily, 6/6/13 -
"The study made use of specialized, baby-friendly
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the brain growth in a sample of
children under the age of 4. The research found that by age 2, babies who had
been breastfed exclusively for at least
three months had enhanced development in key parts of the brain compared to
children who were fed formula exclusively or who were fed a combination of
formula and breastmilk. The extra growth was most pronounced in parts of the
brain associated with language, emotional function, and cognition ... the
difference [in white matter growth] is on the order of 20 to 30 percent,
comparing the breastfed and the non-breastfed kids"
Which Occupations Have the
Highest Suicide Rates? - Medscape, 6/6/13 -
"veterinarians had the highest rate of suicide, followed by merchant seafarers,
hotel porters, pharmacists, hospital porters, dentists, musicians, steel
erectors, roofers and glaziers, and doctors. For some of these professions, high
suicide rates were explained by easy occupational access to a method of suicide.
However, by 2001-2005, significant reductions in suicide rates for some of these
occupations were evident, so that veterinarians, pharmacists, dentists, and
doctors no longer ranked in the top 30 occupations associated with suicide"
This Is Your Brain on Coffee - NYTimes.com, 6/6/13 -
"In one large-scale epidemiological study from last year, researchers primarily
at the National Cancer Institute parsed health information from more than
400,000 volunteers, ages 50 to 71, who were free of major diseases at the
study’s start in 1995. By 2008, more than 50,000 of the participants had died.
But men who reported drinking two or three cups of
coffee a day were 10 percent less likely to have died than those who didn’t
drink coffee, while women drinking the same amount had 13 percent less risk of
dying during the study ... animal experiments show that caffeine may reshape the
biochemical environment inside our brains in ways that could stave off dementia
... Close examination of the animals’ brain tissue showed that the caffeine
disrupted the action of adenosine, a substance inside cells that usually
provides energy, but can become destructive if it leaks out when the cells are
injured or under stress ... Participants with little or no caffeine circulating
in their bloodstreams were far more likely to have progressed to full-blown
Alzheimer’s than those whose blood indicated they’d had about three cups’ worth
of caffeine"
FDA on RECORD
Readjudication: Avandia Does Not Up CV Risk - Medscape, 6/6/13 -
"The conclusion of a recent readjudication of the
Rosiglitazone Evaluated for Cardiovascular Outcomes and Regulation of Glycemia
in Diabetes (RECORD) trial, that the diabetes drug
rosiglitazone
(Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline) does not increase the risk for adverse cardiovascular
outcomes ... Readjudication of a total 2223 events revealed no significant event
risks for the rosiglitazone group (2220 patients) compared with those receiving
sulfonylureas and/or metformin (2227). The hazard ratios were 0.95 for the
composite end point of CV death, MI or stroke; 0.90 for CV death; 1.13 for MI;
0.79 for stroke; and 0.86 for all-cause death. None of those were statistically
significant"
‘Smart’ drugs: Miracle
pills, or too good to be true? - TODAY.com, 6/5/13 - It's a four
minute video mostly on Nuvigil (armodafinil).
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):
Note: There seems to be a backlog of abstracts in my RSS feed again.
I haven't received any abstracts in two days. Usually there are about
three hundred on Tuesdays.
Increased
pulse pressure linked to dementia: further results from the Hypertension in the
Very Elderly Trial - HYVET - J Hypertens. 2013 Jun 5 -
"High blood pressure (BP) has been associated with
increased risk of dementia. Concerns have been raised about lowering BP too far
in the very elderly and thereby increasing risk. There is some evidence to
suggest a potential 'J'-shaped relationship between DBP and risk of cognitive
impairment ... trial of antihypertensives in patients aged at least 80 years
with an untreated SBP of 160-199 mmHg. Active medication was indapamide
sustained release 1.5 mg+/- perindopril 2-4 mg to reach goal pressure of less
than 150/80 mmHg ... mean follow-up of 2.2 years ... baseline DBP was inversely
related to incident dementia (P = 0.0064). Achieved DBP did not predict later
dementia in the placebo group (P = 0.43), but showed a U-shaped relationship in
the active treatment group (P = 0.0195). The relationship between incident
dementia and DBP did however not differ significantly between the placebo and
active treatment groups (P = 0.38). SBP was not associated with incident
dementia, at baseline (P = 0.62) or during follow-up (placebo group P = 0.13,
active group P = 0.36). Wider achieved pulse
pressure (PP) was associated with increased risk of dementia in both
treatment groups (placebo P = 0.032, active P = 0.0046). The same tendency was
observed for baseline PP ... Wider PP may possibly indicate an increased risk
for dementia. Active treatment may act to change the shape of the relationship
between DBP and dementia"
Chronic
resveratrol consumption improves brachial flow-mediated dilatation in healthy
obese adults - J Hypertens. 2013 Jun 5 - "We have
previously demonstrated acute dose-dependent increases of flow-mediated
dilatation (FMD) in the brachial artery after
resveratrol consumption in mildly
hypertensive, overweight/obese adults.
Resveratrol supplementation has also been shown to increase cerebral blood flow
acutely, without affecting cognition ... Twenty-eight obese but otherwise
healthy adults (BMI: 33.3 +/- 0.6 kg/m) were randomized to take a single 75 mg
capsule of trans-resveratrol (Resvida) or placebo daily for 6 weeks each in a
double-blind crossover supplementation trial ... A single dose of resveratrol
(75 mg) following chronic resveratrol supplementation resulted in a 35% greater
acute FMD response than the equivalent placebo supplementation. These FMD
improvements remained significant after adjusting for baseline FMD ... Daily
resveratrol consumption was well tolerated and has the potential to maintain
healthy circulatory function in obese adults" - See
resveratrol products at Amazon.com
and
resvida at Amazon.com.
Hypovitaminosis D and
incidence of obesity: a prospective study - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013
Jun;67(6):680-2 - "In subjects who were non-obese (BMI
<30 kg/m(2)) at the second evaluation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D values 17 ng/ml (42.5
nmol/l) were significantly associated with an increased risk of
developing obesity in the next 4 years
(OR=2.35, 95% CI: 1.03-5.4, P=0.040 after diverse adjustments). We conclude that
vitamin D deficiency is associated with an
increased risk of developing obesity" - See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
Effects of
low-fat diet on serum lipids in premenopausal and postmenopausal women: a
meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Menopause. 2013 Jun 3 -
"Ten electronic databases were searched for relevant
articles reporting randomized controlled trials through August 31, 2012 ...
Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) values changed more favorably in
participants randomized to low-fat diets than in participants randomized to
their usual diets ... Overall results suggest that a low-fat diet is efficacious
in reducing the concentrations of TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C but not in reducing TG
and TC-to-HDL-C ratio in women" - Note: Lowing HDL is a negative.
Clarifying
Vaginal Atrophy's Impact on Sex and Relationships (CLOSER) survey: emotional and
physical impact of vaginal discomfort on North American postmenopausal women and
their partners - Menopause. 2013 Jun 3 -
"Approximately 30% of North American women and men cited
vaginal discomfort as the reason they
ceased having sex altogether. North American women who used local estrogen
therapy to treat their vaginal discomfort reported less painful sex (56%), more
satisfying sex (41%), and improved sex life (29%). Most men reported looking
forward to having sex (57%) because of their partner's use of local estrogen
therapy"
Subclinical
hypothyroidism and indices for metabolic syndrome in Japanese women: One year
follow-up study - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Jun 4 -
"Subclinical
hypothyroidism (SCH) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) increase with age,
however their relation remains unclear ... mean age was 48 +/- 9 years ... Serum
free T4 (FT4) levels were lower in women than men in most of the age groups, and
the prevalence of SCH, 6.3 % in women versus 3.4 % in man, increased with age,
reaching 14.6 % in 70 ~ year-old women. Multivariate logistic-regression
analyses revealed that waist circumference, and the serum triglyceride and
LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly higher in subjects with SCH than
without among women. Reflecting these findings, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of
MetS in patients with SCH was higher than in the euthyroid subjects in women
with OR, 2.7 (95% CI, 1.1-5.6; p=0.017), but not in men. Furthermore,
progression from euthyroid into SCH resulted in a significant increase in the
serum triglyceride level but not LDL-C in women"
Do dietary
patterns influence cognitive function in old age? - Int Psychogeriatr. 2013
Jun 4:1-15 - "Our results suggest a pattern of reverse
causation or confounding; a higher childhood
cognitive ability (and adult socioeconomic status) predicts adherence to a
"healthy" diet and better cognitive performance in old age. Our models show no
direct link between diet and cognitive performance in old age; instead they are
related via the lifelong-stable trait of intelligence"
Health Focus (Acetyl-L-Carnitine):
Specific Recommendations:
News & Research:
-
Commonly
used supplement may improve recovery from spinal cord injuries - Science
Daily, 9/28/11 - "in experimental models, severe
spinal cord injury can be treated effectively by administering the
supplement acetyl-L-carnitine or ALC, a derivative of essential amino acids
that can generate metabolic energy, soon after injury ... following spinal
cord injury, the mitochondria, or energy-generation components of cells, are
overwhelmed by chemical stresses and lose the ability to produce energy in
the form of the compound adenosine triphosphate (ATP). [1,2] This leads to
cell death at the injury site and, ultimately, paralysis of the body below
the injury level ... ALC can preserve the vitality of mitochondria by acting
as an alternative biofuel providing energy to cells, thus bypassing damaged
mitochondrial enzymes and promoting neuroprotection"
-
Effect of Oral
Acetyl L-Carnitine Arginate on Biomarkers in Pre-Diabetics - Medscape,
10/28/09 - "3 g.day−1 of ALCA (n = 14; 31 +/- 3 yrs)
or placebo (n = 15; 35 +/- 3 yrs) in a double-blind design, to consume for
eight weeks ... slight improvements in glucose (109 +/- 5 to 103 +/- 5
mg.dL−1), HbA1c (6.6 +/- 1.1 to 6.2 +/- 1.2%), and HOMA-IR (3.3 +/- 1.3 to
2.9 +/- 1.2) ... slight improvement in glucose metabolism, as evidenced by
minor decreases in blood glucose, insulin, and HbA1c (which may have been
more pronounced with longer treatment, as HbA1c has a half-life equal to
approximately 12 weeks"
- See
propionyl-l-carnitine products at Amazon.com.
-
Protecting the Brain from Aging? - Dr. Weil, 6/22/09 -
"Dr. Khalsa is president and medical director of the
Alzheimer's Prevention Foundation International and author of the book "The
Better Memory Kit" to be published later this year. He tells me that
supplemental acetyl-L-carnitine can increase energy in the mitochondria, the
power plants of all cells, and thereby helps generally boost physical and
mental energy. He describes acetyl-L-carnitine as a superior antioxidant
that promotes the production in cells of glutathione, perhaps our most
potent free radical scavenger. If you decide to try it, Dr. Khalsa
recommends taking 500 to 1,500 mg per day along with 100 mg of
Coenzyme-Q-10"
-
L-Acetylcarnitine Curbs ADHD Associated With Fragile X Syndrome -
Medscape, 3/12/08 -
"L-acetylcarnitine (LAC) may be considered an
alternative to stimulants for the treatment of attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with fragile X syndrome, based on
results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study"
-
Lipoic acid and carnitine combo show diabetes potential - Nutra USA,
2/18/08 - [Abstract]
- "the combination of LA and LCAR increased the
mass, oxygen consumption, mitochondrial DNA expression, and fatty acid
oxidation in the fat cells ... However, the treatments with LA or ALC alone
at the same concentrations showed little effect on mitochondrial function
and biogenesis ... Lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine have become very hot
after our reports on the complementary effects on improving memory and
ambulatory activity in old rats"
-
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"
-
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 products at Amazon.com.
- Common Nutrient
May Ease Diabetic Pain - WebMD, 1/6/05 - "1,000
milligrams three times a day of acetyl-L-carnitine was effective in
relieving pain caused by nerve damage associated with the condition"
- Supplemental
Carnitine May Be Helpful in Diabetic Neuropathy
- Medscape, 1/3/05 - "Pain as the most bothersome
symptom significantly improved with ALC"
-
New uses for carnitine - Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, 11/04 -
"Because L-carnitine
is central to the formation of energy from fat, the heart is therefore
dependent on L-carnitine for most of its energy production ... L-Carnipure
carries long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria where they are oxidised
for energy. Its ability to generate energy from fat makes carnitine useful
as part of a weight management program ... L-carnitine plus its metabolite,
acetyl-L-carnitine, can treat symptoms of male ageing, including sexual
dysfunction, depressed mood and fatigue"
- 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
acetyl l-carnitine at Amazon.com.
-
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"
-
The Wizard is Oz - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 -
"Best-selling author and nutritional guru to the
rich and famous, Oz Garcia is singing the praises of the Life Extension
Foundation and its products in his newest book,
The
Healthy High Tech Body, published in September 2001 ... Supplements at
the top of Garcia's list of recommendations ...
DHA ... NADH ...
Alpah Lipoic Acid
... Acetyl-L-Carnitine ... An expanded list of his recommendations includes
lycopene, gamma tocopherol,
vinpocetine, SAMe,
folic acid,
carnosine, glutathione, DMAE,
Huperzine A, probiotics,
MSM,
secretagogues,
arginine pyroglutamate,
IP-6, bioflavonoid formulas and
grape skin/seed extracts"
-
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."
- Sperm
Booster? - WebMD, 1/1/01
-
Can L-carnitine help reverse Alzheimer's disease? - Nutrition Science
News, 8/00
-
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"
-
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"
- 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%"
-
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 . . ."
-
Top Ten
Life Extension Drugs - Life Extension Magazine, 9/95
-
Acetyl-L-Carnitine Supplements Slow Progression of Alzheimer's Disease
-The Nutrition Reporter, '95
Abstracts:
-
Acetyl-l-carnitine supplementation reverses the age-related decline in carnitine
palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) activity in interfibrillar mitochondria without
changing the l-carnitine content in the rat heart - Mech Ageing Dev. 2012
Feb 1 - "The aging heart displays a loss of bioenergetic
reserve capacity partially mediated through lower fatty acid utilization. We
investigated whether the age-related impairment of cardiac fatty acid catabolism
occurs, at least partially, through diminished levels of l-carnitine, which
would adversely affect carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1), the
rate-limiting enzyme for fatty acyl-CoA uptake into mitochondria for
β-oxidation. Old (24-28 mos) Fischer 344 rats were fed+/-acetyl-l-carnitine
(ALCAR; 1.5% [w/v]) for up to four weeks prior to sacrifice and isolation of
cardiac interfibrillar (IFM) and subsarcolemmal (SSM) mitochondria. IFM
displayed a 28% (p<0.05) age-related loss of CPT1 activity, which correlated
with a decline (41%, p<0.05) in palmitoyl-CoA-driven state 3 respiration.
Interestingly, SSM had preserved enzyme function and efficiently utilized
palmitate. Analysis of IFM CPT1 kinetics showed both diminished V(max) and K(m)
(60% and 49% respectively, p<0.05) when palmitoyl-CoA was the substrate.
However, no age-related changes in enzyme kinetics were evident with respect to
l-carnitine. ALCAR supplementation restored CPT1 activity in heart IFM, but not
apparently through remediation of l-carnitine levels. Rather, ALCAR influenced
enzyme activity over time, potentially by modulating conditions in the aging
heart that ultimately affect palmitoyl-CoA binding and CPT1 kinetics"
-
Propionyl-L-carnitine, L-arginine and niacin in sexual medicine: a nutraceutical
approach for erectile dysfunction - Andrologia. 2011 Oct 4 -
"In a group of 54 unselected men (35-75 years), consecutively presenting to our
ED clinic and naive to other ED treatments, we carried out a single-blind,
one-arm study to evaluate the effects of a 3-month supplementation with
propionyl-L-carnitine, L-arginine and niacin on their sexual performance ...
Analyses on GAQs revealed that treatment improved erections in 40% of cases,
with a partial response occurring in up to 77% of enrolled subjects. These
preliminary findings indicate that the favourable cardiovascular effects of
nutraceuticals might also reflect on male sexual function with possible
implication in the treatment and prevention of ED. This study documents a
considerable patients' interest toward nutritional supplementation - as
first-line or adjunctive treatment to PDE5 inhibitors - that goes beyond the
measurable increment in penile rigidity" - See
propionyl-l-carnitine products at Amazon.com,
niacin at Amazon.com
and
L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
-
Oral
acetyl-L-carnitine therapy reduces fatigue in overt hepatic encephalopathy: a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011
Feb 10 - "Fatigue is frequently reported in hepatic
encephalopathy (HE) and may be related to hyperammonemia. Acetyl-l-carnitine
(ALC) offers neuroprotective benefits and improves mitochondrial energetics and
function ... At the end of the study period, the ALC-treated patients in the HE1
group showed significantly better improvement than did the placebo group in
mental fatigue score (-1.7 compared with -0.3; P < 0.05), the fatigue severity
scale (-6.4 compared with 2.3; P < 0.001), 7-d Physical Activity Recall
questionnaire score (17.1 compared with -2.5; P < 0.001), and Short Physical
Performance Battery (2.1 compared with 0.2; P < 0.001); the HE2 group showed
significantly better improvement in the fatigue severity scale (-8.1 compared
with -5.1; P < 0.001) and 6-min walk test (19.9 compared with 2.3; P < 0.05).
Significant decreases in NH(4)(+) were observed in both groups (P < 0.001)"
-
Hepatic
encephalopathy - NIH - "Hepatic
encephalopathy is a worsening of brain function that occurs when the
liver is no longer able to remove toxic substances in the blood"
-
Effects
of acetyl-L-carnitine and oxfenicine on aorta stiffness in diabetic rats
- Eur J Clin Invest. 2010 Jul 29 - "Oxfenicine, but
not acetyl-L-carnitine, increased total peripheral resistance in diabetes,
which paralleled its elevation in plasma levels of free fatty acids. By
contrast, acetyl-L-carnitine, but not oxfenicine, resulted in a significant
increase in wave transit time and a decrease in wave reflection factor,
suggesting that acetyl-L-carnitine may attenuate the diabetes-induced
deterioration in systolic loading condition for the left ventricle. This was
in parallel with its lowering of MDA/TBARS content in plasma and aortic
walls in diabetes. Acetyl-L-carnitine therapy also prevented the
diabetes-related cardiac hypertrophy, as evidenced by the reduction in ratio
of the left ventricular weight to body weight. Conclusion
Acetyl-L-carnitine, but not oxfenicine, attenuates aortic stiffening and
cardiac hypertrophy, possibly through its decrease of lipid
oxidation-derived MDA/TBARS in the rats with insulin deficiency"
-
Ameliorating Hypertension and Insulin Resistance in Subjects at Increased
Cardiovascular Risk. Effects of Acetyl-L-Carnitine Therapy -
Hypertension. 2009 Jul 20 - "glucose disposal rate
(GDR) ... Systolic blood pressure decreased from 144.0+/-13.6 to 135.1+/-8.4
mm Hg and from 130.8+/-12.4 to 123.8+/-10.8 mm Hg in the lower and higher
GDR groups, respectively (P<0.05 for both; P<0.001 overall) and
progressively recovered toward baseline over 8 weeks posttreatment. Total
and high molecular weight adiponectin levels followed specular trends.
Diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased only in those with higher
GDRs. Treatment was well tolerated in all of the patients.
Acetyl-L-carnitine safely ameliorated arterial hypertension, insulin
resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and hypoadiponectinemia in subjects
at increased cardiovascular risk"
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Efficacy
of a Vitamin/Nutriceutical Formulation for Early-stage Alzheimer's Disease:
A 1-Year, Open-Label Pilot Study With an 16-Month Caregiver Extension -
Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2008 Dec 1 - "We
examined the efficacy of a vitamin/nutriceutical formulation (folate,
vitamin B6, alpha-tocopherol, S-adenosyl methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, and
acetyl-L-carnitine) in a 12-month, open-label trial with 14
community-dwelling individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease.
Participants improved in the Dementia Rating Scale and Clock-drawing tests
(Clox 1 and 2). Family caregivers reported improvement in multiple domains
of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and maintenance of performance in
the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADL).
Sustained performance was reported by caregivers for those participants who
continued in an 16-month extension. Performance on the NPI was equivalent to
published findings at 3 to 6 months for donepezil and exceeded that of
galantamine and their historical placebos. Participants demonstrated
superior performance for more than 12 months in NPI and ADL versus those
receiving naproxen and rofecoxib or their placebo group. This formulation
holds promise for treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease prior to
and/or as a supplement for pharmacological approaches"
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Role of
Acetyl-L-Carnitine in the Treatment of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
(November) - Ann Pharmacother. 2008 Oct 21 -
"acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy
(DPN) ... Data on treatment of DPN with ALC support its use. It should be
recommended to patients early in the disease process to provide maximal
benefit. Further studies should be conducted to determine the effectiveness
of ALC in the treatment and prevention of the worsening symptoms of DPN"
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R-alpha-Lipoic acid and acetyl-L: -carnitine complementarily promote
mitochondrial biogenesis in murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes - Diabetologia.
2008 Jan;51(1):165-74 - "Treatments with the
combination of LA and ALC at concentrations of 0.1, 1 and 10 mumol/l for 24
h significantly increased mitochondrial mass, expression of mitochondrial
DNA, mitochondrial complexes, oxygen consumption and fatty acid oxidation in
3T3L1 adipocytes. These changes were accompanied by an increase in
expression of Pparg, Ppara and Cpt1a mRNA, as well as increased expression
of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma coactivator 1
alpha (Ppargc1a), mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) and nuclear
respiratory factors 1 and 2 (Nrf1 and Nrf2). However, the treatments with LA
or ALC alone at the same concentrations showed little effect on
mitochondrial function and biogenesis" - See
alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com
and
acetyl l-carnitine at Amazon.com.
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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"
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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"
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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"
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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"
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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"
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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"
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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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