Recent Longevity News for the week ending 11/24/21

Insulin in the brain influences dopamins levels - Science Daily, 11/18/21 - "Insulin lowers the dopamine level in a specific region of the brain (striatum *) that regulates reward processes and cognitive functions, among other things. This interaction can be an important driver of the brain's regulation of glucose metabolism and eating behavior ... In further studies, the researchers want to investigate changes in the interaction of dopamine and insulin in obese or diabetic participants. These people often suffer from insulin resistance in the brain. The researchers therefore assume that this resistance prevents the normal insulin-induced regulation of dopamine levels in the reward center" - Note: It begs the question whether insulin resistance can cause depression via lowing of dopamine.

Breakfast really doesn’t have much to do with controlling your weight - Washington Post, 11/20/21 - "Sorting this out requires randomized trials, the kind of studies that can show cause and effect. And in such research, which randomly assigns participants to either eat or skip the morning meal, breakfast tends to come up short ... Pooling results from seven trials — a type of study known as a meta-analysis — in 2019, Australian researchers found that participants assigned to eat breakfast did not lose more weight. Nor did they consume fewer calories. Breakfast eaters on average took in 260 more calories per day than breakfast skippers ... A separate meta-analysis in 2020 by Harvard researchers concluded that people who skipped breakfast lost slightly more weight than those who ate breakfast ... “Still, the evidence is not strong enough to recommend eating or skipping breakfast,” says Marta Guasch-Ferré, senior author of the Harvard study."

EMPEROR-Preserved Findings Confirmed in 'True' HFpEF Patients - Medscape, 11/18/21 - "The demonstration that empagliflozin is an effective — and safe — treatment for patients with HFpEF not only provides a new treatment for a disorder that until now had no evidence-based intervention, but also streamlines the management approach for treating patients with heart failure with an agent from empagliflozin's class, the SGLT2 inhibitors ... The impact of empagliflozin, compared with placebo, for reducing both the study's combined, primary outcome as well as total HHF was statistically consistent across all strata of LVEF, from 50% to greater than 70% ... Patients' quality of life as measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire showed a consistent benefit from empagliflozin treatment, compared with placebo, both in patients with an LVEF of at least 50% as well as in those with an LVEF of 41%-49% ... Deterioration of renal function on treatment slowed by an average 1.24 mL/min per 1.73 m2 per year in patients on empagliflozin, compared with placebo, in the subgroup with an LVEF of at least 50%"

L-arginine Enhances Effect of Radiation on Brain Metastases - Medscape, 11/17/21 - "63 patients with brain metastases related to solid tumors — such as non-small cell lung cancer (51%), triple-negative breast cancer (21%), and melanoma (8%) — were randomized to receive oral L-arginine 10 g or placebo prior to each fraction of radiation. The whole-brain radiation therapy protocol consisted of a total dose of 32.0 Gy, administered in 20 fractions, followed by a boost of 22.4 Gy that adhered to the same fractionation schedule. The investigators used the Fisher's exact test or the Cox-Mantel test to compare responses ... The majority of patients had an uncontrolled primary tumor, multiple metastatic sites, and multiple brain metastases. The median follow-up after the end of the treatment was 5 months (range, 1 - 55 months) ... L-arginine was well tolerated and did not produce short- or long-term (more than 6 months) adverse events. The overall response rate was significantly higher in the L-arginine group than in the placebo group (77.4% vs 22.0%; P < .001), as was the symptomatic response rate (93.5% vs 50.0%; P = .002) ... Complete neurologic responses were three times more likely in patients pretreated with L-arginine than in those pretreated with placebo, although the difference was not significant (29.0% vs 9.4%; P = .059). And at 6 months, patients in the L-arginine group were four times more likely to be free from neurologic progression than patients in the placebo group (82.0% vs 20.0%; ... Median overall progression-free survival was longer in the L-arginine group than in the placebo group (5 vs 2 months" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com.

Empagliflozin a Winner in Challenging Arena of Stabilized Acute HF - Medscape, 11/16/21 - "Patients assigned to empagliflozin had a 36% greater likelihood of showing a benefit as reflected in the treatment's win ratio when opposed by placebo ... The trial also lends new weight to the strategy of "simultaneous or rapid-sequence initiation" of the so-called four pillars of guideline-directed medical therapy of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in patients hospitalized with HFrEF, once they are stabilized, Fonarow said. The four-pronged approach, he noted, consists of sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto), a beta blocker, a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA), and an SGLT2 inhibitor ... EMPULSE entered patients hospitalized for acute HF, which could be de novo or a decompensation of chronic HF, without regard to ejection fraction or whether they had diabetes, and who were clinically stable after at least one dose of loop diuretics. Their ejection fractions averaged 35% and exceeded 40% in about one third of the total cohort ... At 90 days in the win ratio analysis, the 265 patients assigned to empagliflozin 10 mg once daily were the "winners," that is, they were more likely to show a clinical benefit about 54% of the time in paired match-ups of patient outcomes, compared to about 40% for the 265 in the control group ... The empagliflozin group also benefited significantly for the endpoint of death from any cause or first HF event, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.65 (95% CI, 0.43 - 0.99, P = .042). They also were less likely to experience acute renal failure (7.7% vs 12.1% for the control group) or serious adverse events (32.3% vs 43.6%), Voors reported ... several ongoing trials are exploring dapagliflozin (Farxiga) in a similar clinical setting" - See dapagliflozin at reliablerxpharmacy.com.  They don't have empagliflozin.

Coffee or Tea? Drinking Both Tied to Lower Stroke, Dementia Risk - Medscape, 11/15/21 - "Those who drank both coffee and tea during the day saw the greatest benefit. Drinking 2-3 cups of coffee and 2-3 cups of tea lowered stroke risk by 32% (P < .001) and dementia risk by 28% ... Drinking both beverages offered significantly greater benefits than drinking just coffee or tea alone, with an 11% lower risk for stroke (P < .001), an 8% lower risk for dementia (P = .001), and 18% lower risk for vascular dementia ... Among those participants who experienced a stroke during the follow-up period, drinking 2-3 cups of coffee was associated with 20% lower risk for poststroke dementia (P = .044), and for those who drank both coffee and tea (0.5-1 cups of coffee and 2-3 cups of tea per day) the risk for poststroke dementia was lowered by 50%" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

High-Dose Fish Oil: "Intriguing" Results in COVID-19 - Medscape, 11/15/21 - "The study did, however, show a favorable trend, with a 16% reduction in the primary endpoint of death or an indication for hospitalization. All secondary endpoints were also numerically reduced, but none reached statistical significance." - Note:  I still think it's overpriced fish oil.

Study Links Muscle Mass to Severity of Hot Flashes in Women - WebMD, 11/12/21 - "Older women with muscle loss are less likely to have menopause-related hot flashes"

Adults with acute heart failure benefit when treated with a type 2 diabetes medication - AHA, 11/14/21 - "When treated with empagliflozin, adults hospitalized for acute heart failure were 36% more likely to have a clinical benefit, such as a reduction in all-cause mortality, reduction in heart failure events, or an improvement in heart failure symptoms"

Advanced CKD Doesn't Derail Empagliflozin in EMPEROR-Preserved - Medscape, 11/12/21 - "The results showed, in a prespecified analysis, that treatment with empagliflozin led to a consistent, significant relative risk reduction compared with placebo in the primary endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure "across the full spectrum of kidney function, down to an eGFR of 20 mL/min/1.73m2," said Faiez Zannad, MD, PhD, who presented the findings at virtual Kidney Week 2021 ... Among the 46.5% of enrolled patients without CKD, empagliflozin produced a significant 20% drop in the primary outcome relative to those who received placebo. Among the 53.5% of patients with CKD at time of randomization (defined as an eGFR < 60 mL/min/1/73m2 or a urinary albumin to creatinine ratio > 300 mg/g), treatment with empagliflozin was associated with a significant 25% cut in the primary endpoint compared with placebo"

Surprising findings on how salt affects blood flow in the brain - Science Daily, 11/11/21 - "When you ingest salty food, the brain senses it and activates a series of compensatory mechanisms to bring sodium levels back down ... The body does this in part by activating neurons that trigger the release of vasopressin, an antidiuretic hormone that plays a key role in maintaining the proper concentration of salt. In contrast to previous studies that have observed a positive link between neuron activity and increased blood flow, the researchers found a decrease in blood flow as the neurons became activated in the hypothalamus ... Reduced blood flow is normally observed in the cortex in the case of diseases like Alzheimer's or after a stroke or ischemia" - Note: So don't eat pizza before an important exam or meeting.

Many People May Be Eating Their Way to Dementia - WebMD, 11/11/21 - "Each 1-point increase in dietary inflammatory score was associated with a 21% increase in dementia risk ... Those with the lowest scores consumed about 20 servings of fruit, 19 of vegetables, 4 of beans or other legumes, and 11 of coffee or tea each week. In contrast, people with the highest scores ate about 9 servings of fruit, 10 of vegetables, 2 of legumes, and 9 of coffee or tea per week ... Each 1-point increase in dietary inflammatory score was associated with a 21% increase in dementia risk ... Those with the lowest scores consumed about 20 servings of fruit, 19 of vegetables, 4 of beans or other legumes, and 11 of coffee or tea each week. In contrast, people with the highest scores ate about 9 servings of fruit, 10 of vegetables, 2 of legumes, and 9 of coffee or tea per week ... So what should you eat to help boost brain health? Holland offered his suggestions ... "Berries, dark leafy greens, nuts, whole wheat, garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, non-fried dark fish, and poultry," he said"

Multivitamins, but Not Cocoa, Tied to Slowed Brain Aging - Medscape, 11/11/21 - "Taking a daily multivitamin for 3 years is associated with a 60% slowing of cognitive aging, with the effects especially pronounced in patients with cardiovascular (CVD) disease ... In addition to testing the effect of a daily multivitamin on cognition the COSMOS-Mind study also examined the effect of cocoa flavonols, but showed no beneficial effect" - See Garden of Life, Vitamin Code, 50 & Wiser Men at Amazon.com and Garden of Life, Vitamin Code, 50 & Wiser Women at Amazon.com.

Long Period of Daily Fasting Improves Metabolism, Lifespan in Mice - WebMD, 11/9/21 - "The mice that ate all their food in a single morning meal, whether calorie-restricted or not, had lower blood sugar, better use of fat stores for energy, less frailty as they aged, and longer lifespans ... In other words, these results in mice suggest that a prolonged daily fasting period offers similar benefits to calorie reduction"

Abstracts from this week:

Acute CTX-1 Suppression With Milk Calcium or Calcium Carbonate is Independent of Visceral Fat in A Randomized Crossover Study in Lean and Overweight Postmenopausal Women - J Nutr 2021 Nov 9 - "Postmenopausal women with higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) present with suppressed bone resorption (lower c-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen, CTX-1) and turnover (lower osteocalcin) but whether this blunts the effect of calcium is unknown ... 1000 mg calcium obtained from milk or from calcium carbonate is effective in acutely suppressing bone resorption in postmenopausal women irrespective of visceral fat" -

Gamma-Oryzanol-Rich Fraction from Purple Rice Extract Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Inflammatory Responses, Migration and VEGFA Production in SW480 Cells via Modulation of TLR4 and NF-κB Pathways - Nutr Cancer 2021 Nov 12 - "Inflammatory response facilitating colorectal cancer (CRC) progression is a serious event following operative infection, which can occur in CRC patients. This event is mainly mediated by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), via a toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) and NF-κB. Hexane soluble fraction (HSF) from purple rice extract (PRE) has been identified as a γ-oryzanol (OR)-rich fraction. Recently, HSF possessed inhibitory effect of LPS-stimulated metastasis of human colon cancer SW480 cells, however the related mechanism was unknown ... Of all, HSF seemed to be stronger than OR to attenuate the responsiveness of LPS on various inflammatory mediators, which was related to an obvious reduction of cancer cell migration as well as indistinct disruption on VEGFA production in SW480 cells, via downregulation of TLR4 and NF-κB. Therefore, OR-rich fraction from PRE, against the subsequent inflammatory response and CRC progression following surgery, which could be combined with conventional treatments to increase the survival rate" - See gamma-oryzanol at Amazon.com.

Repurposing Natural Dietary Flavonoids in the Modulation of Cancer Tumorigenesis: Decrypting the Molecular Targets of Naringenin, Hesperetin and Myricetin - Nutr Cancer 2021 Nov 5 - "In the past few years flavonoids have been gaining more attention regarding their (still un) exploited anticancer properties. Flavonoids are natural compounds present in fruits, vegetables, and seeds, meaning that they are already present in the daily life of every person, with a described broad-spectrum of pharmacological activities, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ... Although some mechanisms underlying their activities remain still unclear, they can act as potential inhibitors of key tumorigenic signaling pathways, such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, p38 MAPK and NF-κB. Simultaneously, they can reset the levels of pro-apoptotic proteins that belong to the Bcl-2 and caspase family and decrease the intracellular levels of ROS and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. Together with their synergetic effect they have the potential to become key elements in the prevention and/or treatment of several types of cancer, with the major improvement to the patient life quality, due to their non-existent toxicity" - See flavonoids at Amazon.com.

Effectiveness of testosterone replacement in men with obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Eur J Endocrinol 2021 Nov 1 - "A total of 16 randomized controlled trials were included. With moderate certainty of the evidence, no difference was found between TRT and placebo regarding total adverse events, TRT led to a 2-kg lean body mass gain and slightly improved low-density lipoprotein (LDL), without effects on the blood pressure. Due to imprecision/heterogeneity, effects in cardiovascular events (relative risk 0.52, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.05, 7 trials, 583 participants), high-density lipoprotein, hematocrit, prostate-specific antigen, HbA1c, and quality of life were unclear. TRT was effective for waist circumference and body mass index; however, large between-study heterogeneity was found, with 95% prediction intervals crossing the null effect line. Meta-regression revealed that the average age of participants was a significant modifier for both outcomes" -

Comparison of effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists on cardiovascular and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with/without albuminuria: a systematic review and network meta-analysis - Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2021 Nov 12 - "It remains unclear which sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are most effective for preventing cardiovascular and renal events in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, depending on the presence of albuminuria ... SGLT-2 inhibitors may be superior to GLP-1 RAs for renal outcomes in T2DM patients with/without albuminuria, although there was no difference in the risk of MACE" -

Association between SGLT2 Inhibitors vs DPP-4 Inhibitors and Risk of Pneumonia Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021 Nov 8 - "Compared to DPP4is, SGLT2is use was associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia and pneumonia mortality in a real-world setting" -

SGLT2 inhibitors: the statins of the 21st century - Eur Heart J 2021 Nov 6 - Note:  It doesn't have the abstract buy I was thinking the same thing.

SGLT2 Inhibitors and the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes - Am J Kidney Dis 2021 Nov 8 - "Among older adults with T2D, initiation of an SGLT-2i was associated with a reduced risk of AKI compared to initiation of a DPP-4i or GLP-1RA" -

Cost-Effectiveness of Empagliflozin in Patients With Diabetic Kidney Disease in the United States: Findings Based on the EMPA-REG Outcome Trial - Am J Kidney Dis 2021 Nov 6 - "Based on EMPA-REG Outcome Study, this cost-effectiveness analysis suggests that for commercial insurers and Medicare, adding empagliflozin to SoC may be a cost-effective treatment option for patients with DKD" -

Empagliflozin, Health Status, and Quality of Life in Patients with Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction: The EMPEROR-Preserved Trial - Circulation 2021 Nov 15 - "Patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) have significant impairment in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) ... The effect of empagliflozin on reducing the risk of time to cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization was consistent across baseline KCCQ-CSS tertiles (HR 0.83 [0.69-1.00], HR 0.70 [0.55-0.88] and HR 0.82 [0.62-1.08] for scores <62.5, 62.5-83.3 and ≥83.3, respectively; P trend=0.77). Similar results were seen for total HF hospitalizations. Patients treated with empagliflozin had significant improvement in KCCQ-CSS versus placebo (+1.03, +1.24 and +1.50 at 12, 32 and 52 weeks, respectively P<0.01); similar results were seen for TSS and OSS. At 12 weeks, patients on empagliflozin had higher odds of improvement ≥5 points (OR 1.23; 95%CI 1.10, 1.37), ≥10 points (1.15; 95%CI 1.03, 1.27), and ≥15 points (1.13; 95%CI 1.02, 1.26) and lower odds of deterioration ≥5 points in KCCQ-CSS (0.85; 95%CI 0.75, 0.97). A similar pattern was seen at 32 and 52 weeks, and results were consistent for TSS and OSS" -

Quantifying the relationship between dapagliflozin and loss of weight in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients - J Clin Pharm Ther 2021 Nov 9 - "Dapagliflozin was the first oral treatment approved in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients, simultaneously improving body weight ... Five dapagliflozin dosage groups, two of them were 5 mg/day and three of them were 10 mg/day, 1612 T1DM patients were analysed with maximal effect (Emax ) model, and evaluation index was change rate of body weight from baseline value ... In these T1DM patients, dosages were not incorporated into model, indicating no significant dose-response relationship between 5 and 10 mg/day affecting loss of weight. Emax and the treatment duration to reach half of the maximal effects (ET50 ) of dapagliflozin influencing loss of weight in T1DM patients were -4.9% and 10.4 weeks, and the duration to achieve 25%, 50%, 75%, and 80% (plateau) of Emax were 3.5, 10.4, 31.2, and 41.6 week ... To achieve the plateau period in loss of weight, 5 mg/day dapagliflozin was required for at least 41.6 weeks" - See dapagliflozin at reliablerxpharmacy.com.

Curcuma longa extract improves serum inflammatory markers and mental health in healthy participants who are overweight: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Nutr J 2021 Nov 13 - "We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects aged 50 to 69 years with overweight. Participants took two capsules containing CLE (CLE group, n = 45) or two placebo capsules (placebo group, n = 45) daily for 12 weeks, and serum inflammatory markers were measured ... After the intervention, the CLE group had a significantly lower body weight (p < 0.05) and body mass index (p < 0.05) than the placebo group and significantly lower serum levels of C-reactive protein (p < 0.05) and complement component 3 (p < 0.05). In addition, the CLE group showed significant improvement of the MOS SF-36 mental health score (p < 0.05) and POMS anger-hostility score" - See curcumin at Amazon.com.

Metformin treatment of juvenile mice alters aging-related developmental and metabolic phenotypes - Mech Ageing Dev 2021 Nov 12 - "Accumulating evidence suggests that the influence on developmental traits might have long-term effects on aging and health later in life. Metformin is a widely used drug for treating type 2 diabetes and is also used for delaying sexual maturation in girls with precocious puberty ... Heterogeneous mice (UM-HET3) were treated with i.p. metformin between the ages of 15 and 56 days. Our results show that body weight and food consumption were increased in both sexes, and sexual maturation was delayed in females. Tail length and circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) levels were significantly increased in both sexes. No significant difference was found in insulin tolerance test, but glucose tolerance was significantly reduced in the males. Circulating adiponectin and insulin levels were altered by metformin treatment in a sex-specific manner. Analysis of quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) suggests that metformin treatment increased insulin sensitivity in female pups, but had opposite effect in male pups. This study revealed that early life metformin treatment alters development and metabolism of mice in both sex-specific and non-specific manners. These effects of metformin may have long-term impacts on aging-related traits"

Tree Turmeric: A Super Food and Contemporary Nutraceutical of 21st Century - A Laconic Review - J Am Coll Nutr 2021 Nov 10 - "This review illuminates the therapeutic applications of the plant Berberis aristata, scientific validation to its traditional uses, role of berberine in the treatment of various diseases through its different bioactivities, major flaws in berberine treatment, and the role of nanotechnology in minimizing those flaws and increasing its overall efficacy. Key teaching pointsPlant Berberis aristata has been used since ancient times for the treatment of various ailments like jaundice, hepatitis, fever, bleeding, inflammation, diarrhea, malaria, skin and eye infections, chronic rheumatism, and urinary disorders.Berberine is the major and most significant phytochemical among numerous phytochemicals present in plant Berberis aristata.Berberine has significantly shown many potent effect against emerging diseases like cancer and diabetes. Besides that, it has also shown antioxidant, anti-inflamation, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, and anti-gastrointestinal disorder properties.Berberine can be very effective in overcoming the demerits of berberine treatment like poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, and poor absorption in the human body in the treatment of various diseases" - See berberine at Amazon.com.

Protective Effect of l-Theanine against DSS-Induced Colitis by Regulating the Lipid Metabolism and Reducing Inflammation via the NF-κB Signaling Pathway - J Agric Food Chem 2021 Nov 16 - "In summary, l-theanine plays a protective role in DSS-induced colitis via downregulating the NF-κB signaling pathway and regulating lipid metabolism disorders" - See l-theanine at Amazon.com.

Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and fish intake and risk of age-related macular degeneration - Clin Nutr 2021 Oct 12 - "Higher dietary intakes of omega-3 PUFA was significantly associated with 14% (relative risk [RR]: 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77, 0.96) and 29% (RR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.55, 0.91) lower risk of early and late AMD, respectively. The dose-response analysis showed a 6% and 22% decrease in the risk of early and late AMD for each additional 1 g/d omega-3 PUFA intake. For individual omega-3 PUFA, the intake of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid was inversely associated with lower AMD risk, whereas no association was found for the alpha-linolenic acid. Consistent inverse associations were also found between fish intake and AMD. The pooled RRs comparing extreme categories of fish intake were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.70, 0.90) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.85) for early and late AMD risk, respectively. Every 15 g/d of fish consumption was associated with 13% and 14% lower early and late AMD. In addition, fish intake was associated with a significantly reduced risk of AMD progression (RR: 0.73" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.

Fish Intake and MRI Burden of Cerebrovascular Disease in Older Adults - Neurology 2021 Nov 3 - "Fish intake may prevent cerebrovascular disease (CVD), yet the mechanisms are unclear, especially regarding its impact on subclinical damage ... In this large population-based study, higher frequency of fish intake was associated with lower CVD burden, especially among participants younger than 75 years, suggesting a beneficial effect on brain vascular health before manifestation of overt brain disease" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.

Effect of Melissa officinalis on systolic and diastolic blood pressures in essential hypertension: A double-blind crossover clinical trial - Phytother Res 2021 Nov 11 - "We conducted a double-blind, controlled, randomized crossover clinical trial on 49 patients who received either M. officinalis capsules (400 mg/d; n = 23) or the placebo (n = 26) three times per day for a 4-week period ... The statistical analysis of the obtained data revealed that the chronology of the consumption of M. officinalis and placebo had no effect on the systolic and diastolic blood pressures in these two studied groups. Moreover, it was found that systolic and diastolic blood pressures significantly decreased after the consumption of M. officinalis, compared to placebo. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures in group A at the beginning of the study were 152.30 ± 5.312 mmHg and 95.52 ± 1.988 mmHg, respectively, and, after the first phase (drug use), reached 129.88 ± 9.009 mmHg and 80.13 ± 5.488 mmHg, respectively. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures in group B at the beginning of the study was 152.26 ± 5.640 mmHg and 94.44 ± 2.607 mmHg, respectively, and after the second phase (drug use), reached 131.77 ± 8.091 mmHg and 81.46 ± 7.426 mmHg, (p = .005), respectively. Also, no significant side effects were observed during the study. According to the results, M. officinalis can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressures of the patients with essential hypertension." - See lemon balm at Amazon.com.

Does the FT3-to-FT4 ratio easily predict the progression of NAFLD and NASH cirrhosis? - J Int Med Res 2021 Nov - "In patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD, the FT3-to-FT4 ratio was significantly lower than in the healthy group" - Note: Yet trying to get a prescription for hypothyroidism from primary care or an endocrinologist for a T3/T4 combo is like trying to get a prescription for cocaine.   They seem to think they're god from what they've read in textbooks that are 40 years old now.

Association of coffee drinking with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in over 190,000 individuals: data from two prospective studies - Int J Food Sci Nutr 2021 Nov 15 - "Coffee drinking was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality [HR (95% CI) = 0.84 (0.77-0.92), for ≥3 cups/day of coffee drinking versus non-drinkers; p for trend = 0.004]. We observed the potential benefit of coffee drinking for mortality due to cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes, but not for cancer mortality. Overall, we found that moderate coffee drinking was associated with a lower risk of death in population-based cohort analysis of Korean adults" -

The association between daily yogurt consumption and serum lipid profiles in the general adult population: the TCLSIH cohort study - Int J Food Sci Nutr 2021 Nov 9 - "In the final multivariate model, daily yogurt consumption was negatively associated with triglyceride (TG) (p for trend <0.001) and positively associated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p for trend = 0.02). There were no significant differences (p for trend >0.05) between daily yogurt consumption and total cholesterol (TC) or low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Results suggested that higher daily yogurt consumption was negatively correlated with TG and positively correlated with HDL-C in the general Chinese population"

Statin use and incidence and mortality of breast and gynecology cancer: A cohort study using the National Health Insurance claims database - Int J Cancer 2021 Nov 9 - "breast and gynecologic cancers ... The aHRs for the association between the risk of each cancer and statin use were 0.88 (95% CI 0.79-0.97) for breast cancer and 0.83 (95% CI 0.67-0.99) for cervix uteri cancer. Statin use was associated with decreased breast cancer mortality (HR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.43-0.99) and total gynecologic cancer mortality (HR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.50-0.98). A dose-response relationship was only found for all-cancer mortality. Statin use for at least 6 months was significantly associated with a lower risk of breast and cervix uteri cancer incidence, and with lower mortality of breast and gynecologic cancers"

Effect of Garlic ( Allium sativum) Supplementation on Premenstrual Disorders: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Nov 1 - "After identification of participants with moderate-to-severe PMS through the premenstrual symptoms screening tools questionnaire (PSST), they were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 64) or garlic (n = 65) groups. Each participant received one tablet daily for three consecutive cycles and logged the severity of their symptoms in the PSST questionnaire during the intervention period ... After treatment with garlic for three consecutive cycles, the total score of the severity of premenstrual symptoms significantly (P < 0.001) reduced from 34.09 ± 7.31 to 11.21 ± 7.17. In the placebo group, this score changed from 33.35 ± 7.96 to 24.28 ± 7.22. The difference between mean changes in the two groups was 13.78, with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) of 11.23-16.33." - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.

The Effect of Probiotics in Stroke Treatment - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Oct 28 - "enteral nutrition (EN) ... The probiotics combined with EN group's therapeutic effects were superior to those of the EN alone. Thus, probiotics combined with EN is worthy of both clinical application and promotion in stroke treatment" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.

• Enteral nutrition - World Rev Nutr Diet 2013 - "Enteral nutrition (EN) is defined as the delivery of nutrients beyond the oesophagus via feeding tubes, and the oral intake of dietary foods for special medical purposes"

Lactobacillus plantarum DP189 prevents cognitive dysfunction in D-galactose/AlCl 3 induced mouse model of Alzheimer's disease via modulating gut microbiota and PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway - Nutr Neurosci 2021 Nov 10 - "Increased levels of serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid positively affected the pathological processes by ameliorating neuronal damage, beta-amyloid deposition, and tau pathology. L. plantarum DP189 intervention simultaneously modulated the gut microbial communities to alleviate gut dysbiosis. Moreover, L. plantarum DP189 inhibited tau hyperphosphorylation by regulating the PI3 K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway. These findings indicated that L. plantarum DP189 intervention is a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent the onset and development of AD." - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.

Probiotic supplementation attenuates age-related sarcopenia via the gut-muscle axis in SAMP8 mice - J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2021 Nov 11 - "Lactobacillus casei Shirota represents an active modulator that regulates the onset and progression of age-related muscle impairment potentially via the gut-muscle axis" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.

Red meat consumption and risk of frailty in older women - J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2021 Nov 9 - "Habitual consumption of unprocessed and processed red meat was associated with a higher risk of frailty. Replacement of red meat by other protein sources might reduce the risk of frailty" 

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

Tesla Dominates Consumer Reports' Most Satisfying Cars Report - InsideEVs, 11/15/21 - "The Tesla Model 3 topped the top 10 list in this year's survey, which is impressive, especially considering it's expensive, it gets knocked for its build quality, it has controversial safety features, and it's fully electric ... That said, the Model 3 isn't the only Tesla on the list. In fact, all four Tesla vehicles made the top 10. So 40% of the cars on the list are produced by Tesla. Moreover, three of the top four on the list are Tesla's cars." - See my Tesla page for accessories.

How SUVs conquered the world – at the expense of its climate - The Guardian, 9/1/21 - "Last year, the International Energy Agency made a finding that stunned even its own researchers. SUVs were the second largest cause of the global rise in carbon dioxide emissions over the past decade, eclipsing all shipping, aviation, heavy industry and even trucks, usually the only vehicles to loom larger than them on the road."

Health Focus (Cataracts):