Archive for August, 2008
August 15th, 2008 -- Posted in Arthritis / Joint Pain, Life Extension, Osteoporosis / Bone Health, Physical Health |
Jogging regularly into old age may have more benefits than a simple runner’s high — the healthy habit may slow the effects of aging, according to a Stanford study two decades in the making.
In 1984, Emeritus Prof. of Medicine James Fries came up with a hypothesis called Compression of Morbidity, which holds that healthy lifestyles will not only prolong survival, but will also decrease the number of years with disability. He gathered a team of researchers and began his experiment.
The study started with around 1,000 people over the age of 50. Half of the participants were members of a runner’s club, and the other half were otherwise healthy people from Stanford, but not members of the running club. For 21 years up until 2005, the participants rated their disability status on a scale of 0 (no severe health problems at all) to 3 (pretty much unable to do most things).
“Everybody reported increasing disability as they get older, especially since we’re talking about people who were around 60 when they started,” said Prof. of Medicine Eliza Chakravarty. “However, we found that over time, the runners group had very low levels of disability that increased very slowly. The controls, on the other hand, had disability that increased much more quickly. At the end of the study, the difference between the disability levels was very dramatic.”
Participants who were part of a runner’s club also enjoyed lower mortality rates — about half that of the non-participants.
“So not only were they less disabled, but they lived longer as well,” Chakravarty said of the running participants.
One difficulty in this study was getting rid of self-selection bias — the possibility that factors other than running contributed to the experimental results. According to Fries, it was a highly plausible explanation that a positive, healthy attitude — rather than running — produced better outcomes. The research team tried to minimize the self-selection bias in several ways.
“We statistically adjusted for many factors such as obesity and age,” Chakravarty said. “We also chose pretty healthy people in our control group. They were not obese, had normal body weight, had the same education levels as the runners and didn’t drink or smoke much. We tried to restrict it so that the main difference between the two groups was running.”
The basic message of the study, however, is simple: Exercising, at any age, is very important.
“People shouldn’t be discouraged from exercising because they’re older,” Chakravarty said. “Adopting an exercising program — even in the 50s or 60s will be beneficial down the road. We’re just really excited that we’re able to show benefits of exercise, not only in living longer, but living healthier up into the 80s.”
Of course, swimmers, bikers and other exercise fiends need not fret over the study’s emphasis on running; other forms of cardiovascular exercise serve a similar purpose.
“We think it’s probably vigorous exercise in general [that produce these results],” Chakravarty said. “Even though we chose the groups for running and non-running, we don’t necessarily think that there is anything specific to running — that running is better than cycling or swimming or any other form of regular aerobic exercise.”
Source:The Stanford Daily, Melanie Kim (http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2008/8/14/studyFindsExerciseKeyToAgingWellLivingLong)
August 13th, 2008 -- Posted in Arthritis / Joint Pain, Life Extension, Mental Health, Osteoporosis / Bone Health |
The University of Illinois at Chicago will receive $4.25 million over the next five years for research on aging individuals with disabilities, and the award will be partially matched by Special Olympics International.
UIC’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental Disabilities (RRTC) will start receiving its money on October 1 from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), which is part of the U.S. Department of Education.
“This new funding that starts in October is going to build on [our previous research] but it has more of a lifespan focus,” said professor and head of RRTC, Tamar Heller, Ph.D. She added that not much research has been done on adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The UIC center received a similar grant in 2003, according to a spokesman from the Department of Education.
The RRTC received the grants in 2003 and in 2008 due to its well-received proposals in peer review and the progress it made in its activities, he said.
One out of the seven studies that will make use of the grant money will also use health screening data collected from athletes participating in the Special Olympics, a project partner with RRTC.
“The Special Olympics does screenings for thousands of people around the world and we’re going to be working with them to look at some of that screening data,” Heller said.
Heller and her research team will use this data to determine, over time, what risks or secondary conditions people with disabilities have that may be related to their disability. For example, Heller explains that individuals with Down’s syndrome have a higher propensity for osteoporosis.
“The Special Olympics population is very much a convenience sample for UIC,” said Special Olympics’ senior vice president for constituent services and support, Stephen Corbin. He agrees with Heller that more research needs to be done on adults with disabilities, especially in terms of what risk factors and environmental variables affect overall health.
So for the next several years, RRTC will use Special Olympic athletes’ health screening data to track long-term health trends.
“It’s one thing to show something in a lab or a clinic, but we will want to show how to improve lives in the real world,” Heller said.
Source: MedIll NorthWestern University, Elyse Russo (”http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=97197“)
August 13th, 2008 -- Posted in Life Extension, Physical Health |
U-M study finds proton pump inhibitors are cost-effective
way to prevent upper GI bleeding in patients who regularly take aspirin
to prevent cardiac events
For patients with clogged heart arteries who take long-term, low-dose aspirin to prevent a cardiac event, adding a stomach acid-blocking drug to their daily routine has been shown to reduce their risk for upper gastrointestinal bleeding – an infrequent, but serious side-effect of regular aspirin use.
But do the benefits of these acid blockers – called proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs – outweigh their long-term costs? In a new study, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System reveal
that, from the perspective of a long-term payer, over-the-counter PPIs are worth the price for coronary heart disease patients taking low-dose aspirin as a preventative measure. At prescription costs, however, PPIs
are cost-effective only for elderly patients and patients at high risk for upper GI bleeding.
“Our study was also able to demonstrate that, for patients at an average risk for GI bleeding, starting PPI cotherapy at a younger age was marginally cost-effective, while starting PPI cotherapy at an older age was highly cost effective,” says Sameer Dev Saini, M.D., M.S.,clinical lecturer in the Division of Gastroenterology at the U-M Medical School. ”Ultimately, physicians should discuss the gastrointestinal risks of low-dose aspirin with their patients and consider PPI cotherapy.” Study results appear in the Aug. 11/25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Coronary heart disease is caused by gradual blockage of the heart
arteries, which slows the flow of oxygen and blood to the heart. Because clogged heart arteries put patients at an increased risk for heart attack and sudden death, medical guidelines recommend that they
use low-dose aspirin daily to prevent future cardiovascular events. Regular use of asprin, however, poses a small risk for upper gastrointestinal bleeding. “The stomach normally has a protective coating to prevent
acid-related injury. But aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, impair the stomach’s ability to form this barrier coating, potentially leading to ulcer formation,” explains Saini. “Furthermore, these drugs may themselves cause injury directly to stomach cells, and can impair
the ability of platelets to form a plug in the event of bleeding.” While not regularly prescribed to coronary heart disease patients who take asprin, Saini says PPIs taken on a daily basis can reduce a patient’s risk for upper GI bleeding. In fact, U-M researchers were among the first to reveal that aspirin-related damage could be reduced by a PPI.
“Many Americans are currently taking low-dose aspirin for coronary heart disease, and we know that PPIs are effective in reducing ulcer bleeding in patients on aspirin,” says Saini. “What we didn’t know, however, was whether it is worth paying for these drugs for patients on low-dose aspirin who had no other risk factors.”
With the recent availability of a low-cost OTC PPI – Prilosec OTC© – Saini and his colleagues wanted to explore its cost-effectiveness compared to higher-cost prescription PPIs. They also looked at the
bigger picture: Is life-long PPI cotherapy cost-effective for patients taking aspirin?
The study revealed:
- At OTC prices, PPI cotherapy is cost-effective for patients older than 65 who are taking low-dose aspirin, and may also be cost-effective for patients as young as 50.
- Even for patients who have an average risk of bleeding, OTC PPIs are cost-effective.
- Aspirin plus prescription PPI was only cost-effective for the patients at the highest risk for upper GI bleeding, including much older patients. Starting PPI therapy at age 65 costs $40,000 per year of life saved. Beginning PPI therapy at age 50 is estimated to cost $80,000 per year of life
saved.
- For patients at average risk for upper GI bleeding, starting prescription PPI therapy was only cost-effective if started later in life (age 80 or later).
Implications: Although studies have demonstrated its
effectiveness in preventing upper GI bleeding in patients taking
regular aspirin, PPI therapy ultimately will create an added cost to
patients and insurers. This study addresses the question of whether the
benefit of PPIs are worth this added cost. However, it is important to
keep in mind that many patients also may not enjoy needing to take an
additional medication every day, notes Saini, an issue not addressed by
this study. Recent studies also have raised concerns about potential
long-term side effects of PPIs – community acquired pneumonia and hip
fractures caused by osteoporosis – although Saini says more study is
need on this issue.
Methodology: The researchers used a computer model to
simulate the lifetime risk of ulcer bleeding events in patients taking
aspirin, using available literature to estimate the risk. Risk was
modified based on whether or not a PPI was being concurrently taken by
the patient. Then, the total lifetime costs and life expectancy were
tallied for those patients taking aspirin alone (PPI was only started
if bleeding occurred), and patients taking daily aspirin plus a
PPI. Based on those results, the cost per additional year of life saved
under the PPI strategy was calculated.
Authors: In addition to Saini, study co-authors from the
U-M Health System were Philip Schoenfeld, M.D., M.S.Ed., M.Sc.(Epi); A.
Mark Fendrick, M.D.; and James Scheiman, M.D.
Funding: This research was supported by an NIDDK Training Grant in Gastrointestinal Epidemiology.
Reference: Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 168, No. 15
August 11th, 2008 -- Posted in Alzheimers, Mental Health |
For Jim Easton, a UCLA alumnus and longtime benefactor of the university, his $10 million donation to the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at UCLA’s Department of Neurology is truly a gift from the heart. It honors his mother, who died from the disease.
“My mother lived a long and productive life that ended in a devastating way,” Easton said. “She was involved in the beginning of my father’s small sporting goods manufacturing business and continued to work in the administrative and financial areas until the effects of Alzheimer’s caused her to retire.
“I hope my gift, along with donations from many others, will help make it possible for the talented scientists and physicians at UCLA to develop a cure and eventually prevent Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
In recognition of Easton’s generosity, the center has been renamed the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research. Easton’s $10-million gift will support research by the newly established Jim Easton Consortium for Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery and Biomarker Development, the principal research vehicle of the Easton Center.
A 1959 graduate of UCLA, Easton is chairman and chief executive officer of Jas. D. Easton Inc., a privately owned manufacturer of sports equipment, with headquarters in Van Nuys, Calif. He is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee, for which he served as vice president from 2002 to 2006.
Easton has given generously to other areas at UCLA, including Intercollegiate Athletics, the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Anderson School of Management.
Five inaugural projects have been chosen for support through the Easton Consortium. They reflect the most promising investigations in Alzheimer’s disease conducted by UCLA’s dedicated physicians and scientists. They include:
- Investigation of the molecular structure of the toxic protein that accumulates in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease.
- Studies of the molecular interactions that make the protein involved in Alzheimer’s toxic.
- Characterization of and intervention for Alzheimer’s in genetically engineered mouse models.
- Studies involving familial Alzheimer’s patients.
- Genetic studies and serial imaging of patients with Alzheimer’s.
“I am truly grateful for Jim’s commitment to accelerating leading-edge research to develop new treatment approaches and prevention strategies for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, UCLA professor of neurology and director of the Easton Center.
Founded in 1991, UCLA’s Alzheimer’s research center conducts research and provides care relevant to normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of late-onset cognitive decline.
A formal dedication ceremony for the Easton Center will take place this fall.
The Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research is part of the UCLA Department of Neurology, which encompasses more than a dozen research, clinical and teaching programs. These programs cover brain mapping and neuroimaging, movement disorders, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, multiple sclerosis, neurogenetics, nerve and muscle disorders, epilepsy, neuro-oncology, neurotology, neuropsychology, headaches and migraines, neurorehabilitation, and neurovascular disorders. The department ranked No. 1 in 2005 and 2006 among its peers nationwide in National Institutes of Health funding. For more information, visit
http://neurology.medsch.ucla.edu/.
August 8th, 2008 -- Posted in Brain Food, Life Extension, Physical Health |
Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, and a new University of Georgia study suggests they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar.
Researchers, whose results appear in the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food, tested extracts from 24 common herbs and spices. In addition to finding high levels of antioxidant-rich compounds known as phenols, they revealed a direct correlation between phenol content and the ability of the extracts to block the formation of compounds that contribute to damage caused by diabetes and aging.
“Because herbs and spices have a very low calorie content and are relatively inexpensive, they’re a great way to get a lot of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power into your diet,” said study co-author James Hargrove, associate professor of foods and nutrition in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Hargrove explained that when blood sugar levels are high, a process known as protein glycation occurs in which the sugar bonds with proteins to eventually form what are known as advanced glycation end products, also known as AGE compounds. The acronym is fitting because these compounds activate the immune system, resulting in the inflammation and tissue damage associated with aging and diabetes.
The researchers found a strong and direct correlation between the phenol content of common herbs and spices and their ability to inhibit the formation of AGE compounds. Spices such as cloves and cinnamon had phenol levels that were 30 percent and 18 percent of dry weight, respectively, while herbs such as oregano and sage were eight and six percent phenol by dry weight, respectively. For comparison, blueberries – which are widely touted for their antioxidant capabilities – contain roughly five percent phenol by dry weight.
Study co-author Diane Hartle, associate professor in the UGA College of Pharmacy, said various phenols are absorbed differently by the body and have different mechanisms of action, so it’s likely that a variety of spices will provide maximum benefit.
“If you set up a good herb and spice cabinet and season your food liberally, you could double or even triple the medicinal value of your meal without increasing the caloric content,” she said.
She added that controlling blood sugar and the formation of AGE compounds can also decrease the risk of cardiovascular damage associated with diabetes and aging. She explained that high blood sugar accelerates heart disease partly because AGE compounds form in the blood and in the walls of blood vessels. The AGE compounds aggravate atherosclerosis, which produces cholesterol plaques.
The UGA researchers tested for the ability to block AGE compounds in a test tube, but animal studies conducted on the health benefits of spices lend support to their argument. Cinnamon and cinnamon extracts, for example, have been shown to lower blood sugar in mice. Interestingly, cinnamon lowers blood sugar by acting on several different levels, Hargrove said. It slows the emptying of the stomach to reduce sharp rises in blood sugar following meals and improves the effectiveness, or sensitivity, of insulin. It also enhances antioxidant defenses.
Hargrove said their findings suggest it’s likely that the herbs and spices they studied will provide similar benefits in animal tests. He points out that because humans have been consuming herbs and spices for thousands of years, they come without the risk of possible side effects that accompany medications.
“Culinary herbs and spices are all generally recognized as safe and have been time-tested in the diet,” he said. “Indeed, some of spices and herbals are now sold as food supplements because of their recognized health benefits.”
Study co-author Phillip Greenspan, associate professor in the College of Pharmacy, noted that most people don’t get their recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Rather than seasoning their food with salt – which provides no beneficial phenols and has been linked to high blood pressure – he recommends that people use a variety of herbs and spices to help boost the nutritional quality of their meals.
“When you add herbs and spices to food, you definitely provide yourself with additional benefits besides taste,” Greenspan said.
Source:Science Daily (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080805153830.htm)
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