Recent Longevity News for the week ending 1/19/22

Lower Blood Sugar Levels Extends Lifespan - SGLT2 - Dr. Brad Stanfield, YouTube - See empagliflozin at ihouseepharmacy. Here are the studies discussed in the video:

• Canagliflozin extends life span in genetically heterogeneous male but not female mice - JCI Insight 2020 Nov 5 - "Cana extended median survival of male mice by 14% ... with parallel effects seen at each of 3 test sites ... Cana led to lower fasting glucose and improved glucose tolerance in both sexes, diminishing fat mass in females only ... Cana is likely to reflect blunting of peak glucose levels, because similar longevity effects are seen in male mice given acarbose, a diabetes drug that blocks glucose surges through a distinct mechanism, i.e., slowing breakdown of carbohydrate in the intestine" - See canagliflozin at inhousepharmacy.vu but from what I've read over the years, empagliflozin is a better SGLT2i. For one thing, it produces twice the blood pressure reduction. See empagliflozin inhousepharmacy.vu.
• SGLT2 inhibitors for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cardiovascular outcome trials - Lancet 2019 Jan 5 - "systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised, placebo-controlled, cardiovascular outcome trials of SGLT2i in patients with type 2 diabetes ... 34 322 patients ... SGLT2i reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 11% ... SGLT2i reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalisation for heart failure by 23% (0·77 [0·71-0·84], p<0·0001), with a similar benefit in patients with and without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and with and without a history of heart failure. SGLT2i reduced the risk of progression of renal disease by 45%"
• Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor (SGLT2i) as a Primary Preventative Agent in the Healthy Individual: A Need of a Future Randomised Clinical Trial? - Front Med (Lausanne) 2021 Aug 23 - "SGLT2i used as a monotherapy are all associated with a low risk of developing hypoglycaemia ... clinical trials in China found that SGLT2i monotherapy was not observed with increased hypoglycaemia risk ... The widespread use of SGLT2i in recent years has been associated with a slightly increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis ... A recent review (55) discussed the indirect mechanism of reno-protective benefit with SGLT2i, which includes reducing hyperglycaemia, lowering blood pressure, decreasing uric acid, promoting weight loss, increasing glucagon level, reducing insulin level and promoting diuresis ... non-diabetic CKD patients and have proved to delay the progression of kidney disease, lower the risk of cardiovascular events and improve survival rates, highlighting their use beyond the scope of only diabetic patients ... BP reduction was observed in Phase III studies with the average 5.5 mmHg decrease in systolic and the average 1.5 mmHg decrease in diastolic BP ... recent review (55) discussed the indirect mechanism of reno-protective benefit with SGLT2i, which includes reducing hyperglycaemia, lowering blood pressure, decreasing uric acid, promoting weight loss, increasing glucagon level, reducing insulin level and promoting diuresis ... Obesity is well established to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (81). SGLT2i promote weight loss via glycosuria and negative energy balance, thereby leading to significant weight loss ... Taking all the evidences together, there is a need for consideration of SGLT2i as a potential agent for primary prevention clinical trial in low-risk of cardiovascular and renal diseases or even healthy population with research design focusing on ensuring its safety and minimising potential side effects" -
• A longitudinal assessment of the natural rate of decline in renal function with age - J Nephrol 2014 Dec;27(6):635-41 - "annual rate of decline in eGFR in healthy subjects was 0.97 ± 0.02 ml/min/year/1.73 m(2). This decline increased significantly from 0.82 ± 0.22 in age-group 20-30 years to 0.84 ± 0.08, 1.07 ± 0.08 and 1.15 ± 0.12 ml/min/year/1.73 m(2) in age groups 31-40, 41-50 and 50 years and older respectively"
• Longer lifespan in male mice treated with a weakly estrogenic agonist, an antioxidant, an α‐glucosidase inhibitor or a Nrf2‐inducer - Aging Cell 2016 Oct;15(5):872-84 "Metformin alone, at a dose of 0.1% in the diet, did not significantly extend lifespan" - See protandim at Amazon.com.
  • Protandim® - Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation - "May be more useful to take the individual antioxidant ingredients at doses associated with therapeutic benefit than this combination which has no clear clinical value ... Protandim® is a patented blend of 5 herbal ingredients with antioxidant activity: milk thistle (Silybum marianum) extract (225 mg), bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) extract (150 mg), ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root (150 mg), green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract (75 mg), and turmeric (Curcuma longa) extract (75 mg) ... Protandim® chow supplementation (equivalent to human supplement dosage) led to a 7% increase in median survival (p< 0.012) in male mice but had no effect on survival in females or in maximum survival (p=0.1) of either sex"

Metformin - New Longevity Research is Game Changing! - Dr Brad Stanfield, YouTube - He claims that metformin activates AMPK which decreased the benefits of exercise by 50%, therefore he only takes metformin for anti-aging on the days he doesn't exercise. Personally, I started taking 10 mg of empagliflozin and cut to metformin down to 500 mg after I exercise. The half-life of metformin is 6.5 hours so I don't see how that's going to be a problem 20 hours later. I exercise everyday so off days isn't an option. See empagliflozin inhousepharmacy.vu.

Association of Coffee, Green Tea, and Caffeine With the Risk of Dementia in Older Japanese People - Medscape, 1/17/22 - "High levels of coffee and caffeine consumption were significantly associated with a reduced dementia risk in a dose-dependent manner, especially in men. Moreover, coffee consumption of ≥3 cups/day was associated with a 50% reduction in dementia risk." -

This Is the ‘Worst Food Ingredient for Your Immune System'—Especially During Covid, Says Immunologist - NBC, 1/15/22 - "As an allergist and immunologist, I frequently tell my patients that having diabetes means you're in a chronic low-grade inflammatory state, which taxes the body's innate immune system and makes it slower to jump on pathogens when they enter the body ... When it comes to our immune system, what we eat matters a lot. And no ingredient is more detrimental to your immune health than sugar, especially during Covid ... When you have high blood sugar — which is caused by many factors, but the biggest is consuming too much of it in your diet — it starts a vicious cycle of insulin resistance and obesity that drives up inflammatory cytokines, damages blood vessels, and activates the immune system to repair those areas ... This creates a major distraction for the immune system and paves the way for dangerous bacteria and viruses to slip through our body's defenses"

Your gut senses the difference between real sugar and artificial sweetener - Science Daily, 1/13/22 - "Sugar has both taste and nutritive value and the gut is able to identify both"

Cannabis poisoning in young children increased nine times after legalization - Science Daily, 1/7/22 - "Ontario saw nine times more emergency department (ED) visits per month for cannabis poisonings in young children under the age of 10 after Canada legalized recreational cannabis"

Long-term use of blood pressure drugs may cause kidney damage, study suggests - Science Daily, 1/12/22 - "the researchers found, long-term use of drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system, such as ACE inhibitors, or angiotensin receptor blockers, have a similar effect. These drugs are widely used for many purposes, including treating high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and heart attacks, as well as to prevent major heart problems. But long-term use of the drugs was associated with hardened kidney vessels in both lab mice and humans, the scientists found"

Flu shots, measles vaccines could also help 'flatten the curve' for COVID-19, research suggests - Science Daily, 1/10/22 - "even unrelated vaccines could help reduce the burden of the pandemic"

T cells from common colds cross-protect against infection with SARS-CoV-2, study finds - Science Daily, 1/10/22 - "Being exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus doesn't always result in infection, and we've been keen to understand why. We found that high levels of pre-existing T cells, created by the body when infected with other human coronaviruses like the common cold, can protect against COVID-19 infection"

FDA OKs New Adult Insomnia Med - Medscape, 1/10/22 - "Daridorexant was associated with dose-dependent improvements in wake after sleep onset, total sleep time, and latency to persistent sleep ... Whereas the overall results are very positive, the improvements in daytime functioning are especially "exciting," ... the FDA has recommended that it be classified as a controlled substance ... Daridorexant was associated with significant improvements in daytime function, particularly in sleepiness and mood"

More Olive Oil May Bring Longer Life - WebMD, 1/11/22 - "Olive oil is rich in healthful antioxidants, polyphenols and vitamins, and is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. "One may speculate that mechanisms related to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of olive oil may have played a role in these findings," .. When compared with people who never consumed olive oil, those who consumed more than 1/2 a tablespoon a day had a 19% lower risk of dying from heart disease, a 17% lower risk of dying from cancer, a 29% lower risk of dying from a neurodegenerative disease, and an 18% lower risk of dying from lung disease"

In-Depth: Melatonin helps people with severe COVID recover. How about long haulers? - 10News, 1/7/22 - "In October, a clinical trial involving 150 hospitalized COVID patients in Iraq found those taking 10 mG of melatonin each night before bed had a lower risk of COVID-related blood clots, sepsis, and death. Just one hospitalized patient taking melatonin died compared to 13 deaths in the control group ... A retrospective study in Spain found hospitalized COVID patients who received melatonin early in the pandemic had a nearly 40 percent lower risk of death. A randomized, controlled trial on about 100 hospitalized COVID patients in Iran found it improved sleep quality and blood oxygen levels but was inconclusive on survival rates ... This week, researchers in France released data showing that high doses of melatonin blocked the coronavirus from entering the brains of mice. Melatonin also reduced swelling there ... About 55 percent of COVID patients have at least one lingering symptom for at least six months after their infection, she said. Those symptoms include fatigue, headaches, and difficulty concentrating or “brain fog.” ... Scientists think these neurological issues happen when the coronavirus enters brain cells via a receptor called ACE-2. The French study found melatonin changed the shape of the ACE-2 receptors, preventing the virus from getting in ... A study early in the pandemic by the Cleveland Clinic found people taking melatonin had a 28 percent lower chance of getting infected with COVID in the first place ... Last year, doctors in Texas published a paper arguing that newly infected COVID patients should start taking melatonin daily, as early as the first night they test positive ... “Our recommendation is to administer melatonin 2.5 to 10 mg at night to all adults diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 as early as on the first day of diagnosis, especially for those at increased risk for morbidity or mortality,” they wrote" - See melatonin at Amazon.com. My favorite is the Source Naturals Sleep Science Melatonin 1 mg Peppermint Flavor - Helps Promote Sleep - 300 Lozenge Tablets because the small dosage allows you to adjust the dose easily. Just take 3 tablets if you want 3 mg.

SGLT2 Inhibitors Improve Cardiovascular Outcomes Across Groups - Medscape, 1/6/22 - "The findings, from a meta-analysis of 10 major randomized clinical trials, were published online January 5 in JAMA Network Open by Mukul Bhattarai, MD, a cardiology fellow at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois, and colleagues ... Among a total of 71,553 high-risk patients, 39,053 received an SGLT2 inhibitor and 32,500 received a placebo ... The primary outcome of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure occurred in 8.10% randomized to SGLT2 inhibitors compared with 11.56% in the placebo group, a significant difference with odds ratio 0.67 ... Patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors also had significantly lower rates of major adverse cardiovascular events, defined as death due to cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke. Those events occurred in 9.82% vs 10.22%, with an odds ratio of 0.90 ... Hospitalizations and emergency department visits with heart failure were also reduced with SGLT2 inhibitors (4.37% vs 6.81%; odds ratio, 0.67; P < .001), as was cardiovascular death (4.65% vs 5.14%; odds ratio, 0.87" - See empagliflozin inhousepharmacy.vu.

Abnormal thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy may increase the risk of preschool boys’ behavioral problems - Science Daily, 1/6/22 - "The researchers found boys born to mothers with high thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy were more likely to be withdrawn, have behavioral problems and be anxious or depressed. Moderate and low thyroid hormone levels were associated with aggressive behavior in preschool boys."

FDA Approves Levoketoconazole for Cushing Syndrome - Medscape, 1/4/22 - "Levoketoconazole inhibits cortisol synthesis. The FDA approval was based on efficacy and safety data from two phase 3 studies involving a total of 166 patients with endogenous Cushing syndrome. In both the open-label, single-arm SONICS study and the randomized, placebo-controlled LOGICS trial, the drug significantly reduced and normalized mean urinary free cortisol levels and improved several secondary endpoints ... The most common adverse reactions (occurring in > 20%) include nausea/vomiting, hypokalemia, hemorrhage/contusion, systemic hypertension, headache, hepatic injury, abnormal uterine bleeding, erythema, fatigue, abdominal pain/dyspepsia, arthritis, upper respiratory infection, myalgia, arrhythmia, back pain, insomnia/sleep disturbances, and peripheral edema"

Abstracts from this week:

The effects of Silymarin on the features of cardiometabolic syndrome in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis - Phytother Res 2022 Jan 11 - "Some medicinal herbs and their effective components showed positive effects on the features of the cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS). The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the effects of silymarin on the components of CMS in adults ... Our results demonstrated that silymarin significantly reduced the levels of fasting blood glucose (WMD: -17.96 mg/dL, 95% CI: -32.91, -3.02;I2 : 82.4%, p < 0.001), hemoglobin A1C (WMD: -1.25%, 95% CI: -2.34, 0.16; I2 : 92.9%, p ˂ 0.001), total cholesterol (WMD: -17.46 mg/dL, 95% CI: -30.98, -3.95; I2 = 62.9%, p = 0.006), triglyceride (WMD: -25.70 mg/dL, 95% CI: -47.23, -4.17; I2 :54.3%, p = 0.025), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (WMD: -10.53, 95% CI: -19.12, -1.94; I2: 37.5%, p = 0.119) and increased high-density lipoprotein- cholesterol (WMD: 3.36 mg/dL, 95% CI: 0.88, 5.84; I2 : 37.4%, p = 0.120) compared to placebo. However, its effects on BMI were not statistically significant. Silymarin can be an effective complementary therapy to improve most features of CMS" - See silymarin at Amazon.com.

Time to switch angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers to sacubitril/valsartan in patients with cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction - J Int Med Res 2022 Jan - "Advances in cancer therapy have resulted in more cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD), which is the main cause of death in older female survivors of breast cancer. Traditionally, guideline-recommended medications for heart failure, such as beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEIs/ARBs), are commonly used to prevent or attenuate CTRCD. However, sometimes their effectiveness is not satisfactory. Recently, the drug combination of sacubitril plus valsartan has been proven to be more beneficial for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in the long term compared with an ACEI/ARB alone. However, there is a lack of evidence of the efficacy and safety of this drug combination in CTRCD. We report a case of worsening CTRCD, despite treatment with traditional medications, in which the patient improved after changing perindopril to sacubitril/valsartan. The patient's heart function greatly improved after changing this ACEI to sacubitril/valsartan. Changing an ACEI/ARB to sacubitril/valsartan in patients with worsening chemotherapy-induced heart failure is appropriate"

Exploring the Mechanism of Panax notoginseng Saponins against Alzheimer's Disease by Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Dec 30 - "Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) have been used for neurodegenerative disorders such as cerebral ischemia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) ... An ingredient-target disease and function-pathway network demonstrated that 38 active ingredients were derived from PNS modulated 364 common targets shared by PNS and AD. GO and KEGG analysis, further clustering analysis, showed that mTOR signaling targets were associated with the neuroprotective effects of PNS. In Aβ-treated PC12 cells, PNS treatment improved neuroprotective effect, including mTOR inhibition and autophagy activation" - See Panax ginseng at Amazon.com.

Metformin use is associated with a decrease in risk of hospitalization and mortality in COVID-19 diabetic patients: a population-based study in Lombardy - Diabetes Obes Metab 2022 Jan 10 - "In multivariable models metformin use was associated with a significantly lower risk of total mortality (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.66-0.75), in-hospital mortality (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.63-0.73), hospitalization for COVID-19 (OR 0.86; 95% CI 0.81-0.91) and ICU admission (OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.69-0.94) compared with metformin non-users. Results were similar in propensity score analysis; metformin was associated with significantly lower risk of total mortality (OR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.73-0.86), in-hospital mortality (OR 0.74; 95% CI, 0.67-0.81) and ICU admission (OR 0.77" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

Dietary curcumin restores insulin homeostasis in diet-induced obese aged mice - Aging (Albany NY) 2022 Jan 11 - "Aging (Albany NY) 2022 Jan 11 - "Although aging is a physiological process to which all organisms are subject, the presence of obesity and type 2 diabetes accelerates biological aging. Recent studies have demonstrated the causal relationships between dietary interventions suppressing obesity and type 2 diabetes and delaying the onset of age-related endocrine changes. Curcumin, a natural antioxidant, has putative therapeutic properties such as improving insulin sensitivity in obese mice ... Aged (18-20 months old) male mice given a high-fat high-sugar diet supplemented with 0.4% (w/w) curcumin (equivalent to 2 g/day for a 60 kg adult) displayed a different metabolic phenotype compared to mice given a high-fat high-sugar diet alone. Furthermore, curcumin supplementation altered hepatic gene expression profiling, especially insulin signaling and senescence pathways. We then mechanistically investigated how curcumin functions to fine-tune insulin sensitivity. We found that curcumin supplementation increased hepatic insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) expression levels and preserved islet integrity, both outcomes that are beneficial to preserving good health with age. Our findings suggest that the multifaceted therapeutic potential of curcumin can be used as a protective agent for age-induced metabolic diseases" - See curcumin at Amazon.com.

Effect of Standardized Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. Leaves Extract on Body Weight and Body Fat Reduction in Overweight or Obese Humans: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study - Nutrients 2022, 14(1), 208 - "A total of 93 healthy overweight or obese males and females, aged 19–65 years, with body mass indexes (BMIs) ≥ 25 and <32 kg/m2, were recruited and received either an oral administration of 600 mg of WHS, or placebo tablets for 12 weeks. Daily supplementation with WHS decreased body weights, body fat masses, and BMIs compared with the placebo-treated group. The hip circumferences, visceral fat areas, abdominal fat areas, and visceral-to-subcutaneous ratios decreased after WHS supplementation. No significant side effects were observed during or after the 12 weeks of WHS intake. In conclusion, WHS, which has beneficial effects on body weight and body fat reduction, could be a promising antiobesity supplement that does not produce any side effects" - [Nutra USA] - See hydrangea supplements at Amazon.com.

Chronic Omeprazole use in the elderly is associated with decreased risk of dementia and cognitive decline - Dig Liver Dis 2021 Dec 20 - "Our database was retrospectively searched for all community-dwelling patients aged ≥65 years who newly diagnosed with dementia/cognitive decline (DCD) between January 2002 - December 2012. Receiving ≥11 prescriptions of PPIs/year was categorized as PPI users ... The hazard ratio for occurrence of DCD in PPI users compared to non-users was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.81-0.89, P <0.001) in an un-adjusted Cox regression model and 0.83 in a Cox regression model adjusted for age and sex (95% CI: 0.79-0.87, P <0.001). Multivariate Cox regression accounting for background diseases, marital status, and socioeconomic state yielded a hazard ratio of 0.77 ... PPI use wasn't associated with DCD development in chronic PPI users"

A Botanical Product Containing Cistanche and Ginkgo Extracts Potentially Improves Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms in Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Study - Front Nutr 2021 Nov 26 - "A total of 190 subjects (35-60 years old, non-obese) with CFS were randomized to receive one tablet of a low dose (120-mg ginkgo and 300-mg cistanche), a high dose (180-mg ginkgo and 450-mg cistanche) or a placebo once daily for 60 days. Blood samples and responses on the Chalder fatigue scale (CFQ 11), the World Health Organization's quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL), and the sexual life quality questionnaire (SLQQ) were collected at baseline and post-intervention. CFS symptoms of impaired memory or concentration, physical fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, and post-exertional malaise were significantly improved (p < 0.001) in both of the treatment groups. The botanical intervention significantly decreased physical and mental fatigue scores of CFQ 11 and improved WHOQOL and SLQQ scores of the subjects (p < 0.01). Levels of blood ammonia and lactic acid in the treatment groups were significantly lower than those of the placebo group (low-dose: p < 0.05; high-dose: p < 0.01). In addition, the change in lactic acid concentration was negatively associated with the severity of CFS symptoms (p = 0.0108) and was correlated with the change in total physical fatigue score of the CFQ" - See Ginkgo biloba at Amazon.com and cistanche at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

USB-C Laptop CAR Charger Power Adapter: Lenovo Yoga Thinkpad MacBook Pro Air Retina Razer Blade Stealth Chromebook Pixel Acer Swift Samsung Asus Dell Microsoft Universal Compatibility USB C PD3  and Cablecc Type C USB-C Female Input to DC 4.0x1.3mm Power PD Charge Cable fit for Laptop 18-20V - If you want to charge most laptops in a Tesla or any other car. I just added it to my Tesla page.

My new flash. I like it. It’s the Godon V1 on a Canon 90D. This will save you about three hours on YouTube trying to figure it out:

One of the big problems I’ve run into is taking pictures indoors and trying to compliment the flash with ambient light without the skin tones being washed out and with ambient light (usually in the background) not being overbearing. The built-in flash will give you washed-out colors every time. Some YouTube videos will tell you that every flash will do that, which is not true. Most YouTube videos will show the flash in the TTL (through the lens) mode with the flash compensation on the flash itself but on the Canon, it senses the flash and the flash compensation is on the camera.

The ”Beyond Photography” Malaysian video below is one of the better sources but it’s got some major flaws. It says to use aperture priority with the lowest f-shop and the ISO between 400 and 800 and set the flash compensation to minus a third and the exposure meter to zero or positive. The exposure meter with indoor ambient light doesn’t work with flash on the Canon. The reason is that to pick up the ambient light, you want to have a slow shutter speed, a low f-shot (aperture fully open) and a high ISO without being too grainy (400 to 800). So, the Canon is at 1/60, f2 for my 35 mm lens and maybe 600 ISO. Basically, it’s in the manual mode with just the flash compensation left t adjust. I practiced about 100 shots of my foot while lying in bed with various settings and flash compensations. It’s not that difficult to get accurate flesh tone with the flash and ambient light but you must have the flash compensation at minus 1 and a third or even more negative.

Various videos have various suggestions for bouncing the flash. I feel that rotating the flash up and aft (135 degrees) seems to work best Basically, you’re bouncing off the wall behind you which is kind of like what you’re doing if you go through the hassle of a reflective umbrella, which is impractical for taking indoor pictures as an event such as a wedding. The picture of my foot is bounced off the back was with the flash angles shown in the picture of the camera.

See the Godox V1 at Amazon.com.

https://youtu.be/zBiOJCrak88 (this video wouldn't allow embedding.

Health Focus (Sex hormone binding globulin):