Recent Longevity News for the week ending 4/27/22

Despite a ‘bucketload’ of drugs, his blood pressure was perilously high - Washington Post, 4/23/22 - "Rosen saw the first endocrinologist in November 2018. She suspected he might have the disorder most commonly associated with resistant hypertension — primary aldosteronism (PA), also known as Conn or Conn’s syndrome after University of Michigan endocrinologist Jerome W. Conn, who discovered it in 1954 ... PA is caused by a surfeit of aldosterone, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Excess aldosterone can cause the kidneys to retain sodium and lose potassium, which raises blood pressure ... But the junior doctor who worked with his endocrinologist ruled out the possibility. “You don’t have it. Your aldo[sterone] is too low,” Rosen remembers being told. Rosen said he protested that his understanding of the 50-page Endocrine Society guidelines, along with his calculation of the blood test ratio, suggested otherwise ... An interventional radiologist who specializes in the vein sampling procedure found that only one adrenal gland was involved, which meant that Rosen was a candidate for surgery. (“You need only half of one adrenal gland to be totally normal,” Young said.) ... In June 2019, Rosen underwent laparoscopic surgery at UCLA Medical Center. Over the next year, he lost 35 pounds and his health improved dramatically. He now needs a low dose of only one blood pressure medicine to achieve readings of 124/80 ... “I feel much better now than I did before,” he said. “And I’m much more active.” - Note: I can associate with the runaround he got from endocrinologists. In my experience, if it's not something easy that has a cookie cutter approach, they don't want anything to do with you. Bottom line: don't let them jack you around., Do your own research and confront them with it. I've had endocrinologists outright lie and say things like high SHBG doesn't contribute to osteoporosis. it's like: "oh, we don't have a cookie-cutter approach for that so  we're not going to address it".

Metformin Use Likely Reduces Alzheimer's Disease Risk - Medscape, 4/21/22 - "Genetically proxied metformin use equivalent to a 6.75 mmol/mol (1.09%) reduction of A1c was associated with 4% lower odds of AD (P = 1.06 × 10-4) in individuals who did not have diabetes" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

Targeting the Microbiota May Help Manage Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 4/20/22 - "Daily oral supplementation with live or pasteurized A muciniphila at the dose of 1010 bacteria/day or more for 3 months was safe and well tolerated among patients who were overweight or with obesity, as well as people with insulin resistance who presented with metabolic syndrome. Compared with placebo, pasteurized A muciniphila improved insulin sensitivity and lowered serum insulin and plasma total cholesterol levels, and it was associated with a reduction in body fat, hip circumference, and weight (−2.27 kg). Blood markers of inflammation and liver dysfunction were improved" - Note: The only place that I could find that sells it is sold out. They want $105 for a 30 day supply.

Multiple treatments to slow age-related muscle wasting - Science Daily, 4/20/22 - "Researchers led by Professor Markus Rüegg at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have demonstrated in mice that both calorie restriction and the drug rapamycin have a positive effect on aging skeletal muscle" - See siromus at ReliableRXPharmacy and inhousepharmacy.vu.

Antidepressants are not associated with improved quality of life in the long run, study finds - Science Daily, 4/20/22 - "Use of antidepressants was associated with some improvement on the mental component of SF-12 -- the survey tracking health-related quality of life. However, when this positive change was compared to the change in group of people who were diagnosed with depressive disorder but did not take antidepressants, there was no statistically significant association of antidepressants with either the physical (p=0.9595) or mental (p=0.6405) component of SF-12. In other words, the change in quality of life seen among those on antidepressants over two years was not significantly different from that seen among those not taking the drugs"

Oral Probiotic Could Improve HPV Clearance - Medscape, 4/20/22 - "At a median follow-up of 12 months, HPV-related cytological anomalies cleared in 60.5% of the probiotic group vs 41.3% of the control group (P = .05) ... HPV cleared in 15.3% of the probiotic arm vs 9.3% of the control group (P = .34)" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.

Ubiquitous nutrients suppress appetite and promote movement - Science Daily, 4/20/22 - "Of the 21 amino acids our bodies require, there are 9 they are unable to produce on their own. They are called essential amino acids. Because we must obtain these through our diet, they have far been the focus of nutrition research. The other 12 amino acids are considered non-​essential. The body can produce them itself by altering other molecules ... The researchers first fed mice either a mixture of various non-​essential amino acids or a sugar solution with the same amount of calories (control group). Both groups of mice were then allowed to drink a milkshake, which they normally love. While the control group drank copious amounts of it, the mice that had been fed non-​essential amino acids avoided theirs. Instead, they went around their enclosure in search of alternative sustenance"

Meta-Analysis Confirms Neuroprotective Benefit of Metformin - Medscape, 4/18/22 - "Pooled data showed that the relative risk (RR) associated with onset of neurodegenerative disease was 0.77 (95% CI, 0.67 - 0.88) for patients with diabetes taking metformin versus those not taking metformin ... The effect was greater with longer metformin use, with an RR of 0.29 (95% CI, 0.13 - 0.44) for those who took metformin for 4 years or more. Similarly, the studies conducted in Asian countries versus other locations suggested an added benefit for this population (RR, 0.69" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

• Neurodegenerative Disorders - utswmed - "Neurodegenerative disorders include: Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders ... Ataxia ... Huntington’s disease ... Parkinson’s disease ... Motor neuron disease ... Multiple system atrophy ... Progressive supranuclear palsy"

Vitamin E can boost immunotherapy responses by reinvigorating dendritic cells - Science Daily, 4/14/22 - "Patients with melanoma who took vitamin E while on anti-PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors had significantly improved survival compared to patients who didn't take vitamin E or multivitamins. This finding was replicated in an independent mixed cohort of patients with breast, colon and kidney cancers. However, patients taking vitamin E while being treated with chemotherapy did not experience the same benefits, suggesting the effects were unique to chemotherapy" - See vitamin E at Amazon.com.

Long-Term Cannabis Use Linked to Dementia Risk Factors - Medscape, 4/14/22 - "A large prospective, longitudinal study showed long-term cannabis users had an intelligence quotient (IQ) decline from age 18 to midlife (mean 5.5 IQ points), poorer learning and processing speed compared to childhood, and self-reported memory and attention problems. Long-term cannabis users also showed hippocampal atrophy at midlife (age 45), which combined with mild midlife cognitive deficits, all known risk factors for dementia"

Empagliflozin Rapidly Improves Acute Heart Failure Symptoms in Hospitalized Patients - Medscape, 4/14/22 - "The trial randomized patients hospitalized for acute heart failure after a brief period of stabilization regardless of their left ventricular ejection fraction or presence of diabetes to receive a single, daily dose of 10 mg of empagliflozin (Jardiance) or placebo starting a median of 3 days after admission ... Using a “win ratio” method for analyzing the composite endpoint, the primary analysis showed that treatment with empagliflozin for 90 days boosted the win ratio by a significant 36% relative to placebo (Nature Med. 2022 Mar;28[3]: 568-74) ... EMPULSE is the second trial to show that an SGLT2 inhibitor can safely and effectively treat patients hospitalized for acute heart failure. Previously, results from the SOLOIST-WHFpivotal trial, which enrolled 1,222 patients with type 2 diabetes recently hospitalized for worsening heart failure, showed that treatment with an investigational, combined SGLT2 and SGLT1 inhibitor, sotagliflozin, resulted in a significant, 33% relative reduction in the primary outcome compared with placebo after a median 9 months of treatment." - See empagliflozin inhousepharmacy.vu.

Pulsed Field Ablation Treats AF With Few Complications - Medscape, 4/14/22 - "In an unselected population of patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), the pentaspline pulsed field ablation (PFA) catheter achieved pulmonary vein isolation with 99.9% success and good procedure times. ... However, the investigators observed what they called a significant rate of generic catheter complications, often seen with other AF catheter procedures ... The relatively new PFA technology uses trains of microsecond-long, high-amplitude electrical pulses. Rather than destroying tissue with heating as with radio frequency ablation or with cold as with cryoablation, PFA creates microscopic pores (electroporation) in the sarcolemma membrane of the myocardium to ablate without significant heating ... If we look at the effectiveness, the mean acute PVI success rate was quite high, 99.9%. The median was 100%. If you look at the range, the lowest was 98.9%"

Study helps explain how xanthan gum, a common food additive, is processed in the gut - Science Daily, 4/14/22 - "While xanthan gum is generally considered safe, our results suggest that its widespread consumption may be enriching our microbiomes for bacteria that consume it. Our study is the first step in understanding how new food ingredients could be changing our microbiomes and whether these changes are good or bad. This may be especially important for people who consume above-average amounts of xanthan gum, such as people with celiac disease and those following gluten-free diets"

About 1 in 4 adults has an often-missed liver disorder linked to higher heart disease risk - AHA, 4/14/22 - "Lifestyle changes are the cornerstone of treatment for early NAFLD. Dietary recommendations include reducing fat intake, limiting the consumption of simple sugars and choosing more fiber-rich vegetables and whole grains. A Mediterranean-style diet is the only specific dietary pattern recommended by a consortium of professional groups for the treatment of NAFLD and NASH. Avoiding alcohol is encouraged since even light alcohol intake can aggravate NAFLD and interfere with the liver’s ability to heal"

Better Survival in Older Cancer Patients Who Also Take Metformin - Medscape, 4/12/22 - "Patients who took metformin versus those who did not had significantly better overall survival in both unadjusted (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.73; 95% CI, 0.69 - 0.76; P < .001) and adjusted models (adjusted HR, 0.77 ... the "underlying mechanisms of metformin related to cancer are still not completely understood," but many studies have shown metformin is associated with a reduction in the incidence of cancer, a reduction in cancer mortality, and an improvement in overall survival" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

FDA Approves Fitbit's AFib-Detection Software - Medscape, 4/12/22 - "The algorithm will be the basis of an upcoming Fitbit feature called Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications ... The algorithm works by using an optical measurement method called photoplethysmography (PPG), along with heart rate input from the Fitbit's photodetector device ... The upcoming Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications feature will complement the existing ECG app, providing two ways to detect AFib ... Undiagnosed atrial fibrillation can lead to strokes, and early detection of atrial fibrillation may allow doctors to prescribe medications that are effective at preventing strokes" - See Fitbit at Amazon.com.

'Promising Signals' With Cocoa Flavanols to Reduce CV Events? - Medscape, 4/12/22 - "included over 21,000 older adults randomly assigned to receive either treatment or placebo. It showed that 3.6 years of cocoa flavanol supplementation was associated with 10% lower rate of total CV events, including myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, CVD death, revascularization, and unstable angina, but was not statistically significant ... There was, however, a statistically significant 27% reduction in CV death, a secondary endpoint" - See dark Chocolate at Amazon.com.

VT Ablation After First ICD Shock - Medscape, 4/11/22 - "After a first appropriate ICD shock, the primary composite endpoint of all-cause death or hospitalization for worsening heart failure occurred over 2 years of follow-up in 4.3% of 24 patients who underwent VT ablation within 2 months compared with 41.7% of 24 patients who received ablation only after an electrical storm"

Abstracts from this week:

The Inverted U-Shaped Association of Caffeine Intake with Serum Uric Acid in U.S. Adults - J Nutr Health Aging 2022 - "serum uric acid (SUA) ... This study indicated that caffeine intake exhibited an inverse correlation with SUA, especially in males. In addition, this inverse relationship was nonlinear, which followed an inverted U-shaped curve"

Identification of Coenzyme Q10 and Skeletal Muscle Protein Biomarkers as Potential Factors to Assist in the Diagnosis of Sarcopenia - Antioxidants (Basel) 2022 Apr 6 - "The aim of this study was to explore the use of coenzyme Q10 and skeletal muscle protein biomarkers in the diagnosis of sarcopenia ... Approximately half of the subjects suffered from a low coenzyme Q10 concentration (&lt;0.5 μM). The levels of creatinine kinase and irisin were significantly lower in subjects with sarcopenia (p ≤ 0.05). In receiver operating characteristic analyses, irisin and creatine kinase showed a better prediction capability for sarcopenia (area under the curve, irisin: 0.64 vs. creatinine kinase: 0.61) than other biomarkers. Additionally, a low level of irisin (&lt;118.0 ng/mL, odds ratio, 6.46, p &lt; 0.01), creatine kinase (&lt;69.5 U/L, odds ratio, 3.31, p = 0.04), or coenzyme Q10 (&lt;0.67 μM, odds ratio, 9.79, p &lt; 0.01) may increase the risk for sarcopenia even after adjusting for confounders. Since the levels of coenzyme Q10 and muscle biomarkers, such as irisin and creatine kinase, are associated with sarcopenia, we suggest they could be used as candidate markers to assist in the diagnosis of sarcopenia" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.

Effects of Metoprolol on Exercise Hemodynamics in Patients With Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy - J Am Coll Cardiol 2022 Apr 26 - "The relationship between exercise hemodynamics, loading conditions, and medical treatment in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is incompletely understood ... No treatment effect on ΔPCWP was observed between metoprolol and placebo treatment" - Note: It seems like beta-blockers are overrated among cardiologists. With BB, the cure is worse than the disease. That's my opinion but don't take it as medical advice.

Preparation, structural characterization and prebiotic potential of mulberry leaf oligosaccharides - Food Funct 2022 Apr 20 - "These results suggest that MLO 1-2 could be an excellent prebiotic for intestinal flora regulation and the promotion of gut health" - See mulberry leaf extract at Amazon.com.

The effects of empagliflozin, dietary energy restriction, or both on appetite-regulatory gut peptides in individuals with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity: the SEESAW randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Diabetes Obes Metab 2022 Apr 19 - "68 adults (age 30-75 years) with T2D (drug naïve or on metformin monotherapy; HbA1c 6.0-10.0% [42-86mmol/mol]) and BMI ≥25kg/m2 were randomised to: (1) placebo-only, (2) placebo-plus-diet, (3) empagliflozin-only, or (4) empagliflozin-plus-diet for 24 weeks ... The mean weight loss in each group at 24 weeks was 0.44, 1.91, 2.22, and 5.74 kg, respectively" - See empagliflozin inhousepharmacy.vu.

The relationship of frontal QRS-T angle between patients with newly diagnosed true and white coat hypertension - Blood Press Monit 2022 Apr 18 - "The frontal QRS-T (f-QRST) angle is a measure of depolarization and repolarization heterogeneity and may be a predictor of poor ventricular health ... the AUC value of the f-QRST angle was 0.94 (95% confidence interval, 0.91-0.97), the cutoff value was 60.5°, the sensitivity was 89.5%, and the specificity was 81% ... In our study, the f-QRST angle was found to be lower in patients with WHC than in true hypertensive patients. We think that ECG, which is a simple test, can be used to distinguish between true HT and WHC"

Curcumin improves the protective effects of quercetin against atrazine-induced testicular injury in adult Wistar rats - Andrologia 2022 Apr 18 - "This study evaluated the beneficial protective effect of cotreatment of curcumin (CUR) and quercetin (QUE) on atrazine (ATZ)-induced testicular toxicity in rats. ATZ challenge diminished luteinizing hormone, follicular stimulating hormone, testosterone and myeloperoxidase enzyme activity, but these effects were attenuated on co-treatment with CUR and QUE. Also, co-treatment of CUR + QUE was better than separate administration of QUE at diminishing malondialdehyde and glutathione and improving tumour necrosis factor-α concentration, germ cell numbers (spermatogonia, spermatocytes and round spermatids) and epididymal sperm quality ... We conclude that CUR can improve the protective effects of QUE against ATZ-induced testicular injury by enhancing the levels of reproductive hormones, recovering testicular biochemical parameters and improving the histological features of the testes" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and quercetin at Amazon.com.

Late Potential Abolition in Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation - Am J Cardiol 2022 Apr 15 - "Lack of use of a high-density mapping catheter (odds ratio 6.2, 1.2 to 38.1; p = 0.028), the septal substrate (odds ratio 9.34, 2.27 to 38.4; p = 0.002), and larger left ventricular mass (190 ± 58 g vs 156 ± 46 g, p = 0.002) were predictors of incomplete LP abolition"

Hydrochloride Berberine ameliorates alcohol-induced liver injury by regulating inflammation and lipid metabolism - Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022 Apr 7 - "Berberine hydrochloride (BBR) is efficacious in relieving alcoholic liver injury (ALI) in animal models, but its underlying mechanisms remains largely unclear ... The results indicated that BBR alleviated alcoholism-induced hepatic injury by suppressing inflammation (IL-10, TNF-α, LPS, ET and IL-6), and regulating fatty acids uptake (CD36), lipid synthesis (THRSP, FASN, AMPK-α, ACC, ACLY) and lipid oxidation (PPARα, CPT1α, ACOX1), and THRSP may be its novel target" - See berberine at Amazon.com.

SGLT2 Inhibitors: The Statins of the 21st Century - Eur Heart J. 2022;43(11):1029-1030 - "A relatively small number of drugs have been responsible for major advances in medical practice. The discovery, development, and elucidation of the mechanisms of action of aspirin, penicillin, and statins are remarkable success stories, each with some surprises and each crowned by a Nobel Prize. The sodium glucose co-transporter inhibitors have been proven effective in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, various forms of heart failure, and kidney failure and represent the, or one of the, major pharmacological advances in cardiovascular medicine in the 21st century ... In 1886, phlorizin was found to be glucosuric. Almost a century later, it was shown to be a competitive inhibitor of the active reabsorption of glucose by the proximal renal tubules and to reduce circulating glucose in diabetic rodents. In the 1990s, the first orally active derivatives of phlorizin, the SGLT2is, were developed. The first drugs in this class were approved for control of hyperglycaemia in patients with T2DM in 2012. The first large clinical endpoint trial in T2DM patients with cardiovascular disease was reported in 2015. In the past 6 years, other large clinical endpoint trials on several agents in this class led to four new treatment paradigms. The management of T2DM, of heart failure in patients with and without T2DM, across a wide range of ventricular function, as well as of diabetic renal disease have all been substantially improved by the development of the SGLT2is ... The question recently posed by Freaney et al 'Could flozins be the statins for risk-based primary prevention of heart failure?'[14] can now be answered affirmatively!" - See empagliflozin at ihouseepharmacy.

Can Diet Supplements of Macular Pigment of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Meso-zeaxanthin Affect Cognition? - J Alzheimers Dis 2022 Apr 11 - "The diet supplements of L + Z or L + Z+MZ are associated with better cognitive functioning, which may be via their beneficial effects on the vision" - See zeaxanthin and lutein at Amazon.com.

A decrease in peripheral thyroid hormone conversion efficiency in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and L-T3 as a possible alternative therapeutic escape option - Eur J Clin Invest 2022 Apr 15 - "Hypothyroidism is a frequently occurring side effect in patients under treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) ... Recently, we were rarely confronted with a clinically overt hypothyroidism in three patients under treatment with ICIs who were non-responsive to T4 therapy. As a therapeutical escape, liothyronine (L-T3) was started with a significant clinical and/or biochemical improvement suggesting an underlying functional defect in the peripheral free T4 (fT4) to free T3 (fT3) conversion (as supported by calculation of SPINA-GD)" - Note: Many people take amiodarone to treat heart rhythm problems. Amiodarone also blocks the conversion of T4 to T3 and by taking T4 alone, your T4 can get too high while you TSH is also high. I feel that the solution is a combination of T4 and T3. I've had an grumpy old-timer endocrinologist that should have retired a long time ago disagree with me so I found another one. Don't let them gas-light or lie to you. Show them the studies. There's a study on one of my pages showing that high T4 with normal TSH can contribute to arrhythmias plus I've had an E.R. doctor tell me that.

Cannabis Use is Associated with Prevalent Coronary Artery Disease - Am J Med Sci 2022 Apr 12 - "Ever (versus never) cannabis users had 90% increased odds of CAD [OR (95% CI): 1.90 (1.24 - 2.93), p = 0.003]. Those who had used cannabis at least once per month for at least one year had 68% increased odds of CAD [OR (95% CI): 1.68 (1.02-2.77), p = 0.04]. Current cannabis users had near 98% increased odds of CAD [OR (95% CI): 1.98 (1.11 - 3.54), p = 0.02]. Similar results were seen with heavy cannabis users [OR (95% CI): 1.99 (1.02 - 3.89), p = 0.045]. These results were consistent in subgroups stratified by race, gender, hypertension, obesity, COPD, hyperlipidemia, tobacco smoking status, and diabetes"

Ranitidine decreases human sperm motility and vitality and increases the activity of seminal creatine kinase  - Andrologia 2022 Apr 14 - "Ranitidine (brand name: Zantac), an acid reducer, belongs to histamine-2 receptor antagonists. Since 1981, even though several adverse effects of this drug were reported in the body, still, its effects on human sperm parameters have yet to be confirmed ... In conclusion, ranitidine at 0.6-1.2 μg/ml reduced sperm motility and vitality, but increased the activity of creatine kinase in ejaculated human semen"

Substrate Ablation vs Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy for Symptomatic Ventricular Tachycardia - J Am Coll Cardiol 2022 Apr 19 - "Patients were 1:1 randomized to complete endocardial substrate-based catheter ablation or antiarrhythmic therapy (amiodarone + beta-blockers, amiodarone alone, or sotalol ± beta-blockers) ... After 24 months, the primary outcome occurred in 28.2% of patients in the ablation group and 46.6% of those in the AAD group (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.30-0.90; P = 0.021). This difference was driven by a significant reduction in severe treatment-related complications (9.9% vs 28.8%, HR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.13-0.71; P = 0.006). Eight patients were hospitalized for heart failure in the ablation group and 13 in the AAD group (HR: 0.56 ... In ICD patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and symptomatic VT, catheter ablation reduced the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, appropriate ICD shock, hospitalization due to heart failure, or severe treatment-related complications compared to AAD"

Clinical implications of low estimated protein intake in patients with heart failure - J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2022 Apr 14 - "An estimated lower protein intake was associated with a lower BMI, but signs of congestion were more prevalent. A lower estimated protein intake was independently associated with a higher mortality risk"

Lactobacillus paracasei PS23 improves cognitive deficits via modulating the hippocampal gene expression and the gut microbiota in D-galactose-induced aging mice - Food Funct 2022 Apr 19 - "Probiotic supplements are potential therapeutic agents for age-related cognitive deficits. A prior study showed that probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei PS23 (PS23) supplementation delayed age-related cognitive decline in mice ... We revealed that PS23 and HK-PS23 supplementation ameliorated D-gal-induced memory deficits and improved motor and anxiety-behaviors in aging mice. In the hippocampus, serotonin levels (5-HT) were increased and the genes involved in neuroplasticity, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant functions were upregulated in PS23 and HK-PS23 supplemented groups. The gut microbiota showed specific changes. Our results suggest that PS23 and HK-PS23 supplements could ameliorate age-related cognitive decline, possibly by upregulating the genes involved in synaptic plasticity and preventing oxidation and inflammation"  See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.

The relationship between the gut microbiota, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and erectile dysfunction - Int J Impot Res 2022 Apr 13 - "Microbiota is defined as the group of commensal microorganisms that inhabit a specific human body site. The composition of each individual's gastrointestinal microbiota is influenced by several factors such as age, diet, lifestyle, and drug intake, but an increasing number of studies have shown that the differences between a healthy microbiota and a dysbiotic one can be related to different diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and erectile dysfunction (ED) ... Gut microbiota modifications can influence prostate health indirectly by the activation of the immune system and the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-17, IL-23, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma, which are able to promote an inflammatory state. Gut dysbiosis may lead to the onset of ED by the alteration of hormone levels and metabolic profiles, the modulation of stress/anxiety-mediated sexual dysfunction, the development of altered metabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes mellitus, and the development of hypertension. In conclusion, much evidence suggests that the intestinal microbiota has an influence on various pathologies including BPH and ED" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.

Probiotics' effect on visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials - Eur J Clin Nutr 2022 Apr 13 - "Probiotics are shown to alter the microbiota, leading to a favorable environment, in which weight loss and metabolic parameters are improve. However, the results on probiotics' effect on specific types of central adipose tissues, mainly visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), are conflicting ... For VAT, overall, there was a significant decrease (DM = -3.63 cm2, 95% CI: -5.08 to -2.17, p < 0.001). When stratified by type of probiotic, single Bifidobacterium (DM = -4.49 cm2, 95% CI:-7.37 to -1.61, p = 0.002) and single Lactobacillus probiotics (DM = -3.84 cm2, 95% CI:-5.74 to -1.93, p < 0.001) resulted in significant reductions. Mixed probiotics had no effect. For SAT, overall, there was a significant decrease (DM = -2.91 cm2, 95% CI:-4.82 to -1.01, p = 0.003), and when stratified by type of probiotic, single Lactobacillus (DM = -3.39 cm2, 95% CI:-5.90 to -0.88, p = 0.008) and mixed probiotics (DM = -5.97 cm2, 95% CI:-10.32 to -1.62, p = 0.007) resulted in a significant decrease. Single Bifidobacterium probiotics had no effect. Using meta-regression, no association was observed between the total daily probiotic dose and VAT or SAT reduction" - See Lactobacillus at Amazon.com.

• Probiotics Can Further Reduce Waist Circumference in Adults with Morbid Obesity after Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Apr 1 - "Probiotics aid adults with morbid obesity in achieving further waist circumference improvement after BS, with no significant effect on weight, BMI, %EWL, and CRP"
• Mendelian Randomization Analysis Reveals Causal Effects of the Human Gut Microbiota on Abdominal Obesity - J Nutr 2021 Mar 24 - "trunk fat mass (TFM) ... Our findings provided evidence of a causal association between gut microbiota and TFM in UK adults and identified specific bacteria taxa that may regulate the fat metabolism, thus offering new direction for the treatment of obesity"
• I can't find the study but somewhere I decided on this probiotic for abdominal fat:

Notoginsenoside R1 ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction to circumvent neuronal energy failure in acute phase of focal cerebral ischemia - Phytother Res 2022 Apr 13 - "Due to sudden loss of cerebral blood circulation, acute ischemic stroke (IS) causes neuronal energy attenuation or even exhaustion by mitochondrial dysfunction resulting in aggravation of neurological injury. In this study, we investigated if Notoginsenoside R1 ameliorated cerebral energy metabolism by limiting neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction in acute IS ... Notoginsenoside R1 administration increases cerebral glucose and lactate transportation and ATP levels, ameliorates neuronal mitochondrial function after IS. Notoginsenoside R1 may be a novel protective agent for neuronal mitochondria poststroke"

• Focus on Notoginsenoside R1 in Metabolism and Prevention Against Human Diseases - Drug Des Devel Ther. 2020 - "Notoginsenoside (NG)-R1 is one of the main bioactive compounds from Panax notoginseng (PN) root, which is well known in the prescription for mediating the micro-circulatory hemostasis in human" - See Panax ginseng at Amazon.com.

Pterostilbene and Its Derivative 3'-Hydroxypterostilbene Ameliorated Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Through Synergistic Modulation of the Gut Microbiota and SIRT1/AMPK Signaling Pathway - J Agric Food Chem 2022 Apr 13 - "Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a recent chronic liver disease common in many developed countries and is closely associated with metabolic syndrome, such as obesity and insulin resistance. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of pterostilbene (Pt) and its derivative 3'-hydroxypterostilbene (OHPt) on free fatty acids (FFA)-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD in C57BL/6J mice. The results showed that Pt and OHPt significantly ameliorated FFA-induced steatosis in HepG2 cells and enhanced lipolysis through the upregulation of SIRT1/AMPK and insulin signaling pathway ... These robust results indicate that Pt and OHPt are able to possess potential health benefits in improving insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis by promoting healthy populations or abundances of considered vital microbiota. Besides, OHPt is more effective than Pt, which might have promising chemotherapeutic effects for future clinical application" - See pterostilbene at Amazon.com.

Atrial Fibrillation and Dementia - Circulation. 2022;145(5):392-40 - "Growing evidence suggests a consistent association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and cognitive impairment and dementia that is independent of clinical stroke ... Nevertheless, the evidence remains inconclusive regarding a direct causal effect. Several pathophysiologic mechanisms have been proposed, some of which are potentially amenable to early intervention, including cerebral microinfarction, AF-related cerebral hypoperfusion, inflammation, microhemorrhage, brain atrophy, and systemic atherosclerotic vascular disease. The mitigating role of oral anticoagulation in specific subgroups (eg, low stroke risk, short duration or silent AF, after successful AF ablation, or atrial cardiopathy) and the effect of rhythm versus rate control strategies remain unknown"

Effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. seed extract on the reproductive system of male mice and possible mechanism of its action on spermatogenesis - Andrologia 2022 Apr 12 - "Fenugreek seed exhibits antidiabetic, antineoplastic, hepatoprotective, antidepressant and immunomodulatory properties. Fenugreek also causes antifertility effects in rodents ... Treatment with FSE caused degenerative changes in the testis histoarchitecture. The treatment also affected various sperm parameters and concentrations of sialic acid and fructose in the epididymis and seminal vesicle, respectively. Fenugreek treatment also had negative impact on oxidative status and germ cell dynamics in the testis; fertility indices were also affected in female mice impregnated by the extract-treated male mice, though libido of the treated male mice remained unaffected. Results show that treatment with FSE caused adverse effects on the male reproductive health and pregnancy outcome in Parkes mice"

High estradiol level is associated with erectile dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis - Andrologia 2022 Apr 12 - "Numerous studies conducted to study the role of testosterone in erectile dysfunction (ED) extensively, but less is known of the association between estradiol level and ED ... The estradiol level of ED patients was statistically higher than that in healthy subjects (SMD 0.45, 95%CI 0.28-0.63, p <0.0001). The pooled OR demonstrated that the estradiol was correlated to the ED significantly (OR 1.08, 95%CI 1.05-1.12, p <0.0001). Subgroup analyses were conducted based on age, diagnosis way, country, sample size, detection method and estradiol level. There was no substantial change in the result of SMD ranging from 0.41 (95% CI 0.31-0.51) to 0.53 (95% CI 0.44-0.62) when performing sensitivity analysis"

Astaxanthin delays brain aging in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 10: inducing autophagy as a potential mechanism - Nutr Neurosci 2022 Apr 6 - "Brain aging is a complex biological process often associated with a decline in cognitive functions and motility. Astaxanthin (AST) is a strong antioxidant capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier ... Different concentrations of AstaReal A1010 were intragastrically administered to 6-month-old SAMP10 mice for 3 months. The results demonstrated that AST delayed age-related cognitive decline, motor ability and neurodegeneration, upregulated the expression levels of autophagy-related genes beclin-1 and LC3 in the brain. It may induce autophagy by regulating IGF-1/Akt/mTOR and IGF-1/Akt/FoxO3a signaling ... our findings suggest that AST may induce autophagy by regulating IGF-1/Akt/mTOR and IGF-1/Akt/FoxO3a signaling, thereby delaying age-related neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in SAMP10 mice" - See astaxanthin at Amazon.com.

The effect of quercetin on diabetic nephropathy (DN): a systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies - Food Funct 2022 Apr 13 - "Quercetin, a flavonoid possessing numerous biological activities, is reported to improve renal injury in diabetic animals. Here, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the effect of quercetin on diabetic nephropathy and summarize its possible mechanisms ... Apart from creatinine clearance and uric acid with no significant difference, quercetin significantly decreased the levels of renal index, serum/plasma creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urine protein, urine albumin, malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β, and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity. In short, quercetin improves renal function and attenuates the renal oxidative stress level and inflammatory response in DN animal models. Its possible action mechanisms include anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-fibrosis, and regulation of renal lipid accumulation" - See quercetin at Amazon.com.

Periodontal disease is associated with elevated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk score - Am J Med Sci 2022 Apr 8 - "We hypothesized that PD would be associated with an elevated atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk (ASCVD) score ... Moderate periodontitis was associated with a greater than five-fold increased odds of high-risk ASCVD"

Self-reported and genetically predicted coffee consumption and smoking in dementia: A Mendelian randomization study - Atherosclerosis 2022 Mar 22 - "Second, whether genetically predicted high coffee consumption/smoking due to variation near CYP1A1/AHR/CHRNA3 genes were associated with risk of dementia ... Moderate self-reported coffee consumption was associated with low risk of all dementia and non-Alzheimer's dementia, with a similar trend for Alzheimer's disease. Genetically predicted high coffee consumption was associated with high risk of all dementia (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] per +1 cup/day: 1.20 [1.01-1.42]), with a similar trend for non-Alzheimer's dementia (1.23 [0.95-1.53]). High self-reported smoking was associated with high risk of non-Alzheimer's dementia. High genetically predicted smoking was associated with a trend towards high risk of all dementia and Alzheimer's disease (hazard ratios per +1 pack-year: 1.04 [0.96-1.11]) and 1.06"

Influences of Vitamin B 12 Supplementation on Cognition and Homocysteine in Patients with Vitamin B 12 Deficiency and Cognitive Impairment - Nutrients 2022 Apr 2 - "Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) ... All the 39 patients were administered vitamin B12 and underwent reassessment to measure the retested for MMSE and Hcy after 21-133 days (median = 56 days, interquartile range (IQR) = 43-79 days). After vitamin B12 supplementation, the mean MMSE score improved significantly from 20.5 ± 6.4 to 22.9 ± 5.5 (p &lt; 0.001). Hcy level decreased significantly from 22.9 ± 16.9 nmol/mL to 11.5 ± 3.9 nmol/mL (p &lt; 0.001). Significant correlation was detected between the extent of change in MMSE scores and baseline Hcy values. The degree of MMSE score was not correlated with hippocampal atrophy assessed by the z-score. While several other factors should be considered, vitamin B12 supplementation resulted in improved cognitive function, at least in the short term, in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency" - See vitamin B12 at Amazon.com.

Vitamin D and brain health: an observational and Mendelian randomization study - Am J Clin Nutr 2022 Apr 22 - "Vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased risk of dementia and stroke, with the strongest associations for those with 25(OH)D <25nmol/L (vs. 50-75.9 nmol/L, adjusted HR: 1.79" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Whey Protein, Leucine- and Vitamin-D-Enriched Oral Nutritional Supplementation for the Treatment of Sarcopenia - Nutrients 2022 Apr 6 - "The purpose of this review is to collate and describe all of the relevant efficacy studies carried out with a muscle-targeted oral nutritional supplementation (MT-ONS)-namely a whey-protein-based, leucine- and vitamin D-enriched formula aimed at optimizing their intake and satisfying their requirements-in different patient populations and clinical settings in order to determine if there is enough evidence to recommend prescription for the treatment of sarcopenia or its prevention in high-risk patient populations ... Consistent results have been observed in various clinical settings (community, rehabilitation centers, care homes), with or without adjunctive physical exercise programs. A positive effect on markers of inflammation has also been shown. A muscle-protein-sparing effect, with benefits on physical performance and function, has also been demonstrated in patients at risk of losing skeletal muscle mass (three trials), such as older patients undergoing weight loss or intensive rehabilitation programs associated with neurological disability (Parkinson's disease). MT-ONS has demonstrated not only a significant efficacy in clinical variables, but also a positive impact on healthcare resource consumption in the rehabilitation setting (length of stay and duration of rehabilitation)" - See whey protein at Amazon.com, leucine products at Amazon.com and vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Circulating Human Serum Metabolites Derived from the Intake of a Saffron Extract (Safr'Inside TM) Protect Neurons from Oxidative Stress: Consideration for Depressive Disorders - Nutrients 2022 Apr 5 - "Increases in oxidative stress have been reported to play a central role in the vulnerability to depression, and antidepressant drugs may reduce increased oxidative stress in patients. Among the plants exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, saffron, a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, is also known for its positive effects on depression, potentially through its SSRI-like properties ... we demonstrated for the first time that the circulating human metabolites produced following saffron intake (Safr'InsideTM) protect human neurons from oxidative-stress-induced neurotoxicity by preserving cell viability and increasing BNDF production. In particular, the metabolites significantly stimulated both dopamine and serotonin release. In addition, the saffron's metabolites were also able to protect serotonergic tone by inhibiting the expression of the serotonin transporter SERT and down-regulating serotonin metabolism" - See saffron supplements at Amazon.com.

Dr. Oz isn't the only one. Dr. Berg, Dr. Campbell, etc. Snake oil salesmen have been my biggest pet peeve for years. People will believe anything. I'll never understand why BS sells. I was lying in bed surfing YouTube on my TCL Roku and came up with another example of how well BS sells. It was a video claiming that electrical vehicles are worse for the environment than combustion vehicles. It got half a million views in less than a day. The big bucks is in dishonesty. Someone from my hometown requested to be a friend on Facebook. I accepted and he started putting out the BS about combustion engines being better for the environment. I called him out and he befriended me. That was less than 24 hours after the friendship request. People don't want to truth. They prefer their echo chamber of lies.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

Our adopted stray cat. Cat Activity Play Rug: 4.3 stars at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uDcOCa or 3.7 stars at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KFahwC

Health Focus (Green Tea):