March

colon cancerHigher levels of vitamin D have been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer in many observational studies. A new analysis has found a possible reason.

A malignant tumor contains not just cancer cells but many types of cells, some of which affect how fast a tumor may grow or spread. Among them are a group of immune system cells called T lymphocytes, or T cells, that can target tumor cells and limit their growth. Having a tumor with more T cells correlates with a better prognosis.

The study, published in the journal Gut, included 318 people who had developed colorectal cancer and 624 matched controls. All had vitamin D levels measured before the appearance of any cancers.Colon 1

The higher the blood levels of vitamin D, the less likely people were to develop colorectal tumors. Vitamin D, the authors suggest, interacts with the immune system to prevent the growth of this type of malignancy.

“This study really shows that vitamin D has an effect on immunity,” said the senior author, Dr. Shuji Ogino, an associate professor of pathology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, “and it’s the first study to show that in a human population. Vitamin D boosts immunity not just in cancer, but in fighting infections as well.”

Source: New York Times

Sibley 2Sibley Memorial Hospital has earned a “Gold Seal of Approval” for hospital accreditation from a national nonprofit that assesses the quality of hospitals and other health care organizations.

The Joint Commission, which has been accrediting hospitals for over 60 years, conducted an unannounced site visit at Sibley in October, evaluating compliance with standards in numerous areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, and medication management.Sibley

“Sibley is pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” said Sibley president Richard “Chip” Davis.

The Presidential Healthcare Center offers facilitate access throughout the Johns Hopkins Sibley Memorial Hospital campus, where construction of the new hospital is progressing rapidly.

Source: Georgetown Current

Cardiology 2Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the top killer in women and is largely preventable. The call for women to reduce their risk comes from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) today on International Women’s Day.

Dr. Susanna Price, ESC spokesperson and consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, UK, said:

“CVD is still largely considered a man’s problem with breast cancer commonly perceived as the greater issue for women. However, CVD is the top killer of women in Europe, resulting in 51% of deaths compared to 3% caused by breast cancer.” (1)

She added: “Women’s risk of heart disease tends to be underestimated by both the public and the medical Cardiology 1profession because of the perception that estrogen protects them. In reality this just delays the onset of CVD by 10 years. (2) The result is that women’s risk factors are left untreated, leaving them more vulnerable to heart attack, heart failure and sudden cardiac death when the protection fades after menopause.”

Despite these misconceptions, the facts are that:

-CVD is the main cause of death in women in all countries of Europe (3)

-CVD causes 51% of deaths in women and 42% of deaths in men in Europe (1)

-CVD kills 51% of women in Europe and breast cancer causes 3% of deaths (1)

-The risks of smoking are higher in women because women metabolize nicotine faster, especially those taking oral contraceptives (2)

-Type 2 diabetes doubles CVD risk in men but more than triples the risk in women (4)

-Women are more likely to be severely disabled after a stroke than men (5).

Source: European Society of Cardiology

Gluten 2Gwyneth Paltrow, Ryan Gosling and Jenny McCarthy are just some of the celebrities who have adopted a gluten-free diet – not necessarily because they have a gluten intolerance, but because they deem the diet to be healthier. As such, the diet seems to have become the latest “trend.” It is estimated that around 1.6 million people in the US follow a gluten-free diet without having been diagnosed with celiac disease – a severe gluten intolerance. But does this diet really benefit our health?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a combination of wheat and rye). It acts as a “glue” in foods such as cereal, bread and pasta, helping them hold their shape. Gluten can also be found in some cosmetic products, such as lip balm, and it is even present in that nasty tasting glue on the back of stamps and envelopes.

In some individuals, consuming gluten can cause illness. It is estimated that around 18 million people in the US have some form of gluten intolerance – referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) – causing symptoms such as bloating or gas, diarrhea, fatigue, headache and itchy skin rash.

Around 1 in 133 people in the US, or 1% of the population, have celiac disease – a more serious form of gluten intolerance. InGluten 1 celiac disease, gluten triggers an immune response that attacks the lining of the small intestine. This means the body is unable to effectively absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to anemia, delayed growth and weight loss.

Celiac disease can lead to other conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), osteoporosis, infertility and neurological conditions if left untreated, and the only effective treatment for celiac disease is to adopt a strict lifelong gluten-free diet.

Source: Medical News Today

alz 2Scientists have discovered a molecule that can interrupt an important stage in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The molecule sticks to faulty proteins and stops them forming toxic clusters in the brain.

The UK and Swedish researchers suggest their finding will help the discovery of drugs that could halt Alzheimer’s disease progression.

They write about their discovery and its implications in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

Lead author Dr. Samuel Cohen – a research fellow at St John’s College in Cambridge, UK – says with studies like theirs, we are beginning to reap the rewards of the extensive work that has been done to increase our understanding of the microscopic processes involved in the development of Alzheimer’s. He adds:

“Our study shows, for the first time, one of these critical processes being specifically inhibited, and reveals that by doing so we can prevent the toxic effects of protein aggregation that are associated with this terrible condition.”alz 1

Many functions in cells are carried out by carefully folded proteins. Folding is an energy-efficient way of ensuring distant parts of the protein molecule that need to interact are near each other. Some of these structures are complex and need the help of housekeeping molecules called “chaperones.”

A key step in the development of Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases is the accumulation or “nucleation” of misfolded proteins – known as amyloid fibrils – that do not disperse or dissolve away but form toxic clusters and help the disease spread in the brain.

The molecule that the international team has discovered is a chaperone called Brichos that sticks to threads of amyloid fibrils and stops them coming into contact with each other, thus breaking the toxic chain reaction.

Source: Medical News Today

Depression 1Clinical depression is associated with a 30% increase of inflammation in the brain, according to a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Inflammation is the immune system’s natural response to infection or disease. The body often uses inflammation to protect itself, such as when an ankle is sprained and becomes inflamed, and the same principle also applies to the brain. However, too much inflammation is unhelpful and can be damaging.

Increasingly, evidence is suggesting that inflammation may drive some depressive symptoms, such as low mood, loss of appetite and reduced ability to sleep.

What the new study set out to investigate was whether inflammation is a driver of clinical depression independent of other physical illness.

Researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH) Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, used positron emission tomography (PET) to scan the brains of 20 patients with depression and 20 healthy control participants.depression 2

In particular, the team closely measured the activation of microglia – immune cells that play a key role in the brain’s inflammatory response

The PET scans showed significant inflammation in the brains of the people with depression, and the inflammation was most severe among the participants with the most severe depression. The brains of people who were experiencing clinical depression exhibited an inflammatory increase of 30%.

Previous studies have examined markers of inflammation in the blood of depressed people, in an attempt to solve the “chicken or egg” debate of whether inflammation is a consequence of or contributor to major depression.

depression 3For instance, in 2012, a study conducted by Duke University Medical Center researchers and published in Biological Psychiatry found an association between the number of cumulative depressive episodes experienced by study participants and increased levels of an inflammation marker in their blood called C-reactive protein (CRP).

“Our results support a pathway from childhood depression to increased levels of CRP, even after accounting for other health-related behaviors that are known to influence inflammation. We found no support for the pathway from CRP to increased risk for depression,” said Duke study leader Dr. William Copeland.

Source: Medical News Today

Sleep Aid 2A new study has found a significant link between high use of anticholinergic drugs – including popular non-prescription sleep aids and the antihistamine Benadryl (diphenhydramine) – and increased risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older people.

Many medications – including some popular over the counter drugs – have strong anticholinergic effects.

Anticholinergics are a class of drug that blocks the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain and body.

This can lead to many side effects, including drowsiness, constipation, retaining urine and dry mouth and eyes.sleep aid 3

The researchers, led by Shelly Gray, a professor in the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in Seattle, report their findings in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Prof. Gray says:

“Older adults should be aware that many medications – including some available without a prescription, such as over-the-counter sleep aids – have strong anticholinergic effects.”

Prof. Gray urges people not to stop their therapy based on the findings of this study – they should talk to their health care Sleep Aid 1provider, and also tell them about all their over-the-counter drug use.

“Health care providers should regularly review their older patients’ drug regimens – including over-the-counter medications – to look for chances to use fewer anticholinergic medications at lower doses,” she says.

If providers need to prescribe anticholinergics to their patients because they offer the best treatment, then “they should use the lowest effective dose, monitor the therapy regularly to ensure it’s working, and stop the therapy if it’s ineffective,” she adds.

Although the link between raised risk of dementia and anticholinergics has been found before, the new study uses more rigorous methods – including over 7 years of follow-up – to establish the strength of the link. By accessing pharmacy records, the researchers were also able to include non-prescription use of anticholinergics in their data.

It is also the first study to show a dose-response effect, note the authors. That is, the higher the cumulative amount of drug taken, the higher the risk of developing dementia.

And another first for the study, is that it also shows that dementia risk linked to anticholinergics may persist long after people stop taking the drugs.

Source: Medical News Today

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