Health-related articles

I scan headlines all the time for notable articles on health and science. I do not have time to always make a posting for each one. Here is a list of articles of interest I flagged recently:

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“Stress: it should never be ignored!“; Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale

From a clinical point of view, these results suggest that the patient’s perception of the impact of stress on their health may be highly accurate, to the extent that it can predict a health event as serious and common as coronary disease.

In addition, this study also shows that this link is not affected by differences between individuals related to biological, behavioural or psychological factors. However, capacities for dealing with stress do differ massively between individuals depending on the resources available to them, such as support from close friends and family.

According to Hermann Nabi, “the main message is that complaints from patients concerning the effect of stress on their health should not be ignored in a clinical environment, because they may indicate an increased risk of developing and dying of coronary disease. Future studies of stress should include perceptions of patients concerning the effect of stress on their health”.

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“Monitoring Nutrient Intake Can Help Vegetarian Athletes Stay Competitive“; via Newswise

A balanced plant-based diet provides the same quality of fuel for athletes as a meat-based diet, provided vegetarians seek out other sources of certain nutrients that are more commonly found in animal products, according to a presentation at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Expo.

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The key to success, Ghosh found, is that vegetarian athletes must find ways within their diet to reach the acceptable macronutrient distribution for all athletes, which he breaks down as carbohydrates (45-65 percent), fat (20-35 percent) and protein (10-35 percent).

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Vegetarians should find non-meat sources of iron, creatine, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin D and calcium because the main sources of these typically are animal products and could be lacking in their diets. Vegetarian women, in particular, are at increased risk for non-anemic iron deficiency, which may limit endurance performance. In addition, vegetarians as a group have lower mean muscle creatine concentrations, which may affect high-level exercise performance.

These deficiencies can be avoided or remedied through several food sources acceptable to the vegetarian diet, such as orange/yellow and green leafy vegetables, fruits, fortified breakfast cereals, soy drinks, nuts and milk products (for vegetarians who consume dairy).

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“Herbal Options for Managing Adrenal Fatigue“; Holistic Primary Care

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra and G. uralensis) is truly a friend to the adrenal cortex. A staple of traditional medicine for adrenal insufficiency and ulcers, this herb contains triterpenoid saponins that influence cortisol-cortisone balance throughout the body. Glycyrrhizin is the main active compound in licorice.

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Rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa) is an herb used extensively in Chinese medicine. It is similar to licorice and can be used as both a tonic and as specific support for the adrenal glands. It is helpful for people suffering general debility, adrenal depletion, and poor immune system function, specifically in the contextof autoimmune disease.

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Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is a common herb well known for its ability to enhance peripheral circulation and for its neuroprotective effects. Often overlooked is the fact that Ginkgo can favorably affect stress levels. In one study, it lowered cortisol levels in healthy patients undergoing glucose tolerance testing.

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“Americans Diagnosed With Lyme Disease: Number May Be 10 Times More Than Reported“; CDC via Science Daily

Each year, more than 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC, making it the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States. The new estimate suggests that the total number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease is roughly 10 times higher than the yearly reported number. This new estimate supports studies published in the 1990s indicating that the true number of cases is between 3- and 12-fold higher than the number of reported cases.

“We know that routine surveillance only gives us part of the picture, and that the true number of illnesses is much greater,” said Paul Mead, M.D., M.P.H, chief of epidemiology and surveillance for CDC’s Lyme disease program. “This new preliminary estimate confirms that Lyme disease is a tremendous public health problem in the United States, and clearly highlights the urgent need for prevention.”

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“Copper Identified as Culprit in Alzheimer’s Disease“; University of Rocherster Medical Center

Copper appears to be one of the main environmental factors that trigger the onset and enhance the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by preventing the clearance and accelerating the accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain. That is the conclusion of a study appearing today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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“UCLA study suggests iron is at core of Alzheimer’s disease“; UCLA

“It is difficult to measure iron in tissue when the tissue is already damaged,” he said. “But the MRI technology we used in this study allowed us to determine that the increase in iron is occurring together with the tissue damage. We found that the amount of iron is increased in the hippocampus and is associated with tissue damage in patients with Alzheimer’s but not in the healthy older individuals — or in the thalamus. So the results suggest that iron accumulation may indeed contribute to the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.”

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“Toxic Nanoparticles Might be Entering Human Food Supply, MU Study Finds“; University of Missouri (MU)

Over the last few years, the use of nanomaterials for water treatment, food packaging, pesticides, cosmetics and other industries has increased. For example, farmers have used silver nanoparticles as a pesticide because of their capability to suppress the growth of harmful organisms. However, a growing concern is that these particles could pose a potential health risk to humans and the environment.

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“Fingernails Reveal Clues To Limb Regeneration“; New York University Langone Medical Center

“Everyone knows that fingernails keep growing, but no one really knows why,” says lead author Mayumi Ito, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU School of Medicine. Nor is much understood about the link between nail growth and the regenerative ability of the bone and tissue beneath the nail. Now, Dr. Ito and team have discovered an important clue in this process: a population of self-renewing stem cells in the nail matrix, a part of the nail bed rich in nerve endings and blood vessels that stimulate nail growth. Moreover, the scientists have found that these stem cells depend upon a family of proteins known as the “Wnt signaling network”—the same proteins that play a crucial role in hair and tissue regeneration—to regenerate bone in the fingertip.

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“Research Findings Point to New Therapeutic Approach for Common Cause of Kidney Failure“; American Society of Nephrology via Newswise

New research has uncovered a process that is defective in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, a common cause of kidney failure.

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… autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) develops in adulthood and is quite common, while autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is rare but frequently fatal. ADPKD is caused by mutations in either of two proteins, polycystin-1 and polycystin-2, while ARPKD is caused by mutations in a protein called fibrocystin. There is no cure or widely adopted clinical therapy for either form of the disease.

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“When we added back a healthy form of polycystin-1 to our patient cells, it traveled to the cilium and brought its partner polycystin-2 with it, suggesting a possible therapeutic approach for PKD,” explained Dr. Freedman. “This was the first time induced pluripotent stem cells have been used to study human kidney disease where a defect related to disease mechanisms has been found.”

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“The true raw material footprint of nations“; University of New South Wales

The amount of raw materials needed to sustain the economies of developed countries is significantly greater than present indicators suggest, a new Australian study has revealed.

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…indicators suggest resource-use in wealthy nations has increased at a slower rate than economic growth – something known as relative decoupling – and that other countries have actually seen their consumption decrease over the last 20 years – something known as absolute decoupling. (See figures).

Decoupling of raw material usage from economic growth is considered one of the major goals en route to achieving sustainable development and a low-carbon economy.

But the study authors say when their “material footprint” indicators are factored in these achievements in decoupling are smaller than reported and often non-existent.

Translation: New study shows models behind claims of sustainability targets being achieved are bullshit. Things are actually more fucked up than people want to admit.
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“Research treats the fungus among us with nontoxic medicinal compound“; Kansas State University

A Kansas State University microbiologist has found a breakthrough herbal medicine treatment for a common human fungal pathogen that lives in almost 80 percent of people.

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… diabetic people in developing countries use a medicinal herb called Gymnema slyvestre to help control sugar levels.

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Candida albicans is one of the major fungal pathogens in humans because it lives in oral and intestinal areas as a normal flora, Vediyappan said. But the fungus can overgrow and can cause oral, intestinal and genital infections. The fungus kills almost 30 percent of people who have it and it is a concern among cancer patients — especially patients with neck or oral cancer — HIV patients, organ transplant patients and other people with compromised immune systems.

The fungus can grow in two forms: a treatable yeast and a difficult-to-treat hyphal form. Once the fungus transforms from a yeast to a hyphal growth it becomes difficult to treat because the hyphal growth has long filament-like structures that can spread into various organs. Vediyappan’s study aimed to block the hyphal growth form.

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“Red grapes, blueberries may enhance immune function“; Oregon State University

In an analysis of 446 compounds for their the ability to boost the innate immune system in humans, researchers in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University discovered just two that stood out from the crowd – the resveratrol found in red grapes and a compound called pterostilbene from blueberries.

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“Out of a study of hundreds of compounds, just these two popped right out,” said Adrian Gombart, an LPI principal investigator and associate professor in the OSU College of Science. “Their synergy with vitamin D to increase CAMP gene expression was significant and intriguing. It’s a pretty interesting interaction.”

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