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Healthy Lifestyle More Important than Supplements for Boosting Immune System

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A healthy lifestyle—not vitamin and herbal supplemnts—is the most important factor in boosting your immune system, according to a recent report by Harvard Medical School.

While manufacturers of supplements make the claim that suplements "support immunity," there is currently little scientific evidence to support that claim, since scientists have not yet determined what level of immune system cells best helps the body resists disease.

According to the report, The Truth About Your Immune System: What You Need to Know, lifestyle factors that promote overall health are:

  • avoiding smoking
  • eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and a diet low in saturated fat
  • exercising on a regular basis
  • maintaining a healthy body weight
  • controlling your blood pressure
  • drinking alcohol in moderation, if at all
  • getting enough sleep
  • Avoid infection, for example by frequent hand-washing and safe food preparation habits.

The 43-page report was edited by Dr. Michael N. Starnbach, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Harvard Medical School.

Source: Harvard Health Publications

Surprising Statin Finding: Slowing the Decline in Lung Functioning

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In a recent paper published by the American Thoracic Society (October 2007), the use of statins appears to slow down the rate in which lung function declines in the senior population. More surprisingly, the decline decrease also is evident in smokers.

The researchers postulate that statins’ known anti-inflammatory properties (along with antioxidant properties) cause this effect.

Dr. Joel Schwartz, the lead researcher on the study, and a professor of environmental epidemiology at Harvard School of Public health, points out that his study shows the importance of "a possibility of reducing the rate of decline."

The primary indication for prescription of statins such as Lipitor and Zocor is for the treatment of high cholesterol.

Source: American Thoracic Society  

FDA: Spontaneous Hearing Loss due to Viagra, Levitra and Cialis

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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling changes for Viagra, Cialis and Levitra that "more prominently display the potential risk of sudden hearing loss."

While rare, there have been reported incidents of single-sided hearing loss in patients taking the above erectile dysfunction drugs (Type 5 PDE5 inhibitors).

The labeling change was prompted by a published case of sudden hearing loss in a patient taking Viagra, and further studies found a total of 29 patients with sudden hearing loss.

There are no predictable warning signs for sudden hearing loss.

If you are taking these drugs and experience any hearing difficulty stop taking them at once and seek prompt medical attention.

From the FDA: "PDEF inhibitors are safe and effective for the treatment of ED when taken according to the labeling. However all drugs carry risks, and you should discuss any concerns you have regarding taking these products with your healthcare provider."

 

 

It’s Official! Feds Nix Cold and Cough Meds for Kids Under Six

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After weeks of speculation, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took the additional step of recommending that cold and cough medicines used by parents for generations no longer be administered to children under six.

While the resolution of the FDA is "not binding," it will surely impact how such medications are marketed, displayed and used.

The recommendation applies to medications containing any of the following ingredients: decongestants, antitussives (against cough) and antiistamines.

Not only to the over-the-counter medicines for cough and colds apparently not work for kids, but there are documented incidents of the meds leading to death in the recipient kids (generally due to parental misuse).

In a separate action, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently backed a petition by pediatricians urging banning such medications from kids under six.

Source: FDA

 

Researchers Find Major Clues on How Schizophrenia Develops

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Scientists have found some major clues in learning more about why schizophrenia develops. The new research may lead to better medications to correct gene-related problems that can lead to schizophrenia.

The researchers found that a gene called GAD1, which makes an enzyme essential for production of the chemical messenger called GABA, is turned on at increasingly high rates during normal development of the prefrontal cortex, but that this normal increase may not occur in people with schizophrenia. The prefrontal cortex is involved in higher functions like thinking and decision-making.

While scientists have known that abnormalities in brain development and in GABA synthesis play a role in schizophrenia, this study shows that defects in specific biochemical reactions that regulate gene activity—such as turning genes on and off so that they can make substances like the GAD1 enzyme—are also involved.

"This discovery opens a new area for exploration of schizophrenia," said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, MD. "Studies have yielded very strong evidence that schizophrenia involves a decrease in the enzymes, like GAD1, that help make the neurotransmitter GABA. Now we’re starting to identify the mechanisms involved, and our discoveries are pointing to potential new targets for medications."

The researchers also found that people with three different variations of the GAD1 gene that have been associated with schizophrenia also were more likely to have indicators of a malfunction in brain development. Among them were indicators of altered epigenetic actions related to GABA synthesis.

Clozapine and other antipsychotic medications are effective for many patients, but some patients choose to discontinue treatment because of the side effects they experience on these drugs. For this reason, scientists are working to find more precise molecular targets for the development of new medications that can correct the epigenetic flaws.

"We’ve known that schizophrenia is a developmental disease, and that something happens in the maturation of the prefrontal cortex during this vulnerable period of life. Now we’re beginning to find out what it is, and that sets the stage for better ways of preventing and treating it," says the study’s lead author, Schahram Akbarian, MD, PhD.

Results of the research were published in the October 17 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, by Schahram Akbarian, MD, PhD, Hsien-Sung Huang, PhD student, and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Sources:

  • National Institutes of Health
  • Journal of Neuroscience, October 17, 2007

Study Shows Brain Mechanism May Help Some Deal With Stress Better Than Others

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Some cope with stress much better than others, and a new study of mice shows that a naturally occurring mechanism in the brain promotes resilience to psychological stress.

Why is this important? In humans, stress is often associated with the development of some mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Results of the study, published online in the journal Cell, show that resistance to stress is not just a passive absence of stress vulnerability mechanisms as had been previously thought, but a biologically active process that results in specific adaptations in the brain’s response to stress.

The results are encouraging because a greater understanding of the brain’s function in regards to stress may help scientists discover how to enhance a naturally occurring mechanism in the brain that promotes resilience to psychological stress.

"We now know that the mammalian brain can launch molecular machinery that promotes resilience to stress, and we know what several major components are. This is an excellent indicator that there are similar mechanisms in the human brain," says Thomas R. Insel, MD, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

In the study, smaller mice were put in cages with larger and more aggressive mice. Their vulnerability to stress was measured through such behaviors as social withdrawal after these encounters. While most mice adapted and continued social interactions after the stress event, some mice were overwhelmed by the interaction to the point that even after 30 days they were still avoiding social interaction with other mice.

The mice that were more traumatized by the stress showed more impulse firing by the cells that make dopamine, while the mice that were able to adapt maintained normal rates of impulse-firing due to a a protective mechanism—increased activity of channels that allow potassium to flow to the cells, which dampens the firing rate.

The higher firing rates in the traumatized mice led to more activity of a protein called BDNF, which had been linked to vulnerability in previous studies by the same researchers. With their comparatively lower rates of impulse-firing, the resistant mice did not have this increase in BDNF activity, another factor that contributed to resistance.

The scientists found that these mechanisms occurred in the reward area of the brain, which promotes repetition of acts that ensure survival. The areas involved were the VTA (ventral tegmental area) and the NAc (nucleus accumbens). In genetic experiments on the stress-resistant mice, many more genes in the VTA than in the NAc went into action in stressful situations, compared with vulnerable mice. Gene activity governs numerous biochemical events in the brain, and the results of this experiment suggest that genes in the VTA of resilient mice are working hard to offset mechanisms that promote vulnerability.

Another component of the study revealed that mice with a naturally occurring variation in part of the gene that produces the BDNF protein are resistant to stress. The variation results in lower production of BDNF, consistent with the finding that low BDNF activity promotes resilience.

The scientists also examined brain tissue of deceased people with a history of depression, and compared it with brain tissue of mice that showed vulnerability to stress. In both cases, the researchers found higher-than-average BDNF protein in the brain’s reward areas, offering a potential biological explanation of the link between stress and depression.

"The fact that we could increase these animals’ ability to adapt to stress by blocking BDNF and its signals means that it may be possible to develop compounds that improve resilience. This is a great opportunity to explore potential ways of increasing stress-resistance in people faced with situations that might otherwise result in post-traumatic stress disorder, for example," said Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, one of the study’s authors.

"But it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Blocking BDNF at certain stages in the process could perturb other systems in negative ways. The key is to identify safe ways of enhancing this protective resilience machinery," Nestler added.

The study was published by Vaishnav Krishnan, Ming-Hu Han, PhD, Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, and colleagues from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Harvard University, and Cornell University, and was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Sources:

  • National Institutes of Health
  • Cell, October 18, 2007

New Drug Isentress (Raltegravir) Approved by FDA for HIV Treatment

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved raltegravir tablets for treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 infection in combination with other antiretroviral agents in treatment-experienced adult patients who have evidence of viral replication and HIV-1 strains resistant to multiple antiretroviral agents.

Raltegravir is the first agent of the pharmacological class known as HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitors, designed to interfere with the enzyme that HIV-1 needs to multiply. Raltegravir, sold under the trade name Isentress, received a priority review by the FDA.

"This is an important new product for many HIV-infected patients whose infections are not being controlled by currently available medications," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., FDA’s deputy commissioner for scientific and medical programs, chief medical officer and acting director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

When used with other anti-HIV medicines, raltegravir may reduce the amount of HIV in the blood and may increase white blood cells, called CD4+ (T) cells, that help fight off other infections.

FDA’s approval of raltegravir is based on data from two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in 699 HIV-1 infected adult patients with histories of extensive antiretroviral use. A greater proportion of the patients who received raltegravir in combination with other anti-HIV drugs experienced reductions in the amount of HIV in the blood, compared with patients who received placebo in combination with other anti-HIV drugs.

The most common adverse events reported with raltegravir were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. Blood tests also showed abnormal elevated levels of a muscle enzyme in some patients receiving raltegravir. Caution is advised when using raltegravir in patients at increased risk for certain types of muscle problems, including those who use other medications that can cause muscle problems.

Patients taking raltegravir may still develop infections, including opportunistic infections or other conditions that may develop in patients living with HIV-1 infection. The long-term effects of raltegravir are not known, and its safety and effectiveness in children less than 16 years of age has not been studied.

Raltegravir also has not been studied in pregnant women. Women who are taking HIV medications when they get pregnant are advised to talk with their physician or other health care professional about use of this drug during pregnancy, and about registering with the Antiviral Pregnancy Registry if they use raltegravir.

Raltegravir is distributed by New Jersey-based Merck & Co., Inc.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Cheap Running Shoes a Better Buy than Expensive Ones

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Why waste money on expensive running shoes when cheaper ones are as good, if not better? That’s the finding of a British research study which compared nine sets of running shoes in three price ranges, bought from three different manufacturers.


Forty three volunteers were used for the study. They were not told the prices, and were asked to rate the shoes for comfort.


Plantar pressure—the force produced by the impact of the sole when hitting the ground—was measured in eight different areas of the sole. It was found to be slightly lower in the cheaper shoes, although the difference between them and the more expensive shoes was not statistically significant. Comfort ratings varied, but again there no obvious difference between the shoes tested.


The authors of the research explained that running produces sizeable shock waves to the bones of the foot, which radiate to other bones in the body. The result is that runners often suffer from knee pain, stress fractures, muscle tears and osteoarthritis.


Running shoe manufacturers claim that the cushioning in more expensive running shoes gives better protection to the sole, and helps prevent these conditions.


Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine 2007; doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2007.038844

Eye Scan May Help Early Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

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Researchers have found that a five-minute eye exam called optical coherence tomography (OCT) that measures optic nerve damage may aide in spotting multple sclerosis (MS) early, as well as help track the progression of the disease.

While the definitive cause of MS is not known, most scientists believe that MS is an auto-immune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system.

Currently, MS is diagnosed by patient history, clinical exams, and laboratory tests. The National MS Society says the preferred test, which detects plaques or scarring that may be caused by MS, is magnetic resonance imaging or an MRI.

In the OCT study, 40 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients underwent OCT scans. The results suggested an association between the retinal measurement and brain atrophy.

According to Johns Hopkins neurologist Peter Calabresi, M.D., an MRI "measures the result of many types of tissue loss rather than specifically nerve damage itself. With OCT we can see exactly how healthy these nerves are, potentially in advance of other symptoms."

OCT scans are also much faster and less expensive than MRI scans.

Dr. Calabresi adds that many of the MS symptoms, such as numbness, tingling, visual impairment, fatigue, weakness and bladder function disturbance, are the result of nerve cell degeneration, so a test that specifically measures nerve cell health is potentially the clearest picture of the status of the disease, though optic nerve damage can point to a number of diseases and is not a unique diagnostic tool for MS.

The National MS Society estimates that about 400,000 people have Multiple Sclerosis.

The study was published in the October, 2007 issue of Neurology.

Source: Johns Hopkins University

Three Alcohol Drinks Per Day May Significantly Increase Breast Cancer Risk

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It isn’t the type of alcohol but the quantity which increases a woman’s risk of contracting breast cancer.

In fact, the increased breast cancer risk from drinking three or more alcoholic drinks a day is similar to the increased breast cancer risk from smoking a pack of cigarettes or more a day, according to Kaiser Permanente researchers Yan Li, MD, PhD and Arthur Klatsky, MD.

"Population studies have consistently linked drinking alcohol to an increased risk of female breast cancer, but until now there has been little data, most of it conflicting, about an independent role played by the choice of beverage type," said Klatsky, who is presentied these findings on Sept. 27 at the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) in Barcelona, Spain.

The study found there was no difference between wine, beer or spirits in the risk of developing breast cancer. Even when wine was divided into red and white, there was no difference. However, when researchers looked at the relationship between breast cancer risk and total alcohol intake, they found that women who drank between one and two alcoholic drinks per day increased their risk of breast cancer by 10 percent compared with light drinkers who drank less than one drink a day. The risk of breast cancer increased by 30 percent in women who drank more than three drinks a day.

"A 30 percent increased risk is not trivial. To put it into context, it is not much different from the increased risk associated with women taking estrogenic hormones. Incidentally, in previous research completed at Kaiser Permanente, we have found that smoking a pack of cigarettes or more per day is related to a similar (30 percent) increased risk of breast cancer," Klatsky said.

Although breast cancer incidence varies between populations and only a small proportion of women are heavy drinkers, Dr Klatsky said that a 30 percent increase in the relative risk of breast cancer from heavy drinking might translate into approximately an extra 5 percent of all women developing breast cancer as a result of their habit.

"Klatsky said that all medical advice needed to be personalized to the individual. "Our findings provide more evidence for why heavy drinkers should quit or cut down."

Source: Kaiser