Effects of Adding Prescription Omega-3 Acid Ethyl Esters to Simvastatin (20 mg/day) on Lipids and Lipoprotein Particles in Men and Women
With Mixed Dyslipidemia
Omega-3 fatty acids are believed to influence triglyceride metabolism by decreasing triglyceride synthesis
(through inhibition of acyl-coenzyme A:1,2 diacylglycerol acyltransferase), increasing hepatic fatty acid oxidation (through
upregulation of peroxisomal β-oxidation), and increasing triglyceride clearance (through increased lipoprotein lipase
activity).20, 21, 22 Statins principally lower LDL cholesterol by inhibiting the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl
coenzyme A reductase, which increases hepatic uptake of cholesterol by increasing LDL receptors. Because
statins and P-OM3 act through distinct mechanisms, their combination is likely to have additive and complementary effects
on lipid metabolism.13, 14
P-OM3 + simvastatin produced greater decreases
from baseline in systolic and diastolic blood pressures than simvastatin monotherapy. This finding is in agreement with those
from meta-analyses, which have suggested that ω-3 fatty acids have modest hypotensive effects.23, 24, 25, 26
Statin use raises prostate cancer risk in obese
Use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, especially long-term use, appears to raise the risk
of prostate cancer among obese men, according to findings of a new study.
LDL Cholesterol Tied to Increased Cancer Risk in Diabetics
Low or high
levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with an increased
risk of cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a Chinese study that noted the increasing evidence of an association
between type 2 diabetes and cancer risk.
Despite
unclear mechanism, women with lowest levels may have 71 percent increased risk
Heart
disease risk soars with obesity, diabetes
Light to moderate activity such as walking is sufficient to produce benefits
Older adults who engage
in light to moderate physical activity are at lower risk of atrial fibrillation than their counterparts who do not exercise,
according to research published online Aug. 4 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Pain in chest, upper abdomen an ominous sign
A normal endoscopy on a patient with pain in the chest or the upper abdomen could mean undiagnosed ischemic heart disease,
researchers report. A study in BMC Gastroenterology of
386 patients with unexplained upper abdomen or chest pain and no existing heart disease, GERD or ulcers found they were 60%
more likely to be hospitalized over the following 10 years and had a higher risk of death over the next five years.
A low-risk lifestyle is associated not only with a reduced risk of several chronic diseases --
such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and total cardiovascular disease -- but also with the prevention of stroke, according
to the results of a study published online Aug. 12 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Women who pursued healthy habits -- not smoking, maintaining a healthy
weight, exercising regularly and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol -- had a 79 percent reduced risk of any stroke, and
an 81 percent decreased risk of ischemic stroke. Men living healthy lives cut their overall risk of stroke by 69 percent and
their risk of ischemic stroke by 80 percent. An ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, and it occurs when a blood
vessel in the brain is blocked.
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.781062v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Chiuve&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=542373
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/08/11/stroke-risk-plummets-with-healthy-lifestyle_print.htm
PCI(PERCUTANEOUS
CORONARY INTERVENTION) Shows Definite — but Limited — Benefit in Stable Angina
Conclusions
Among patients with stable angina, both those treated with PCI and those treated with optimal medical therapy alone
had marked improvements in health status during follow-up. The PCI group had small, but significant, incremental
benefits that disappeared by 36 months. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00007657 [ClinicalTrials.gov] .)
Validation of the Mayo Clinic Risk Score for In-Hospital Mortality After Percutaneous
Coronary Interventions Using the National Cardiovascular Data Registry
Conclusions—
Seven variables can be combined into a convenient risk scoring system before coronary angiography is performed
to predict in-hospital mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention. This model may be useful for providing
patients with individualized, evidence-based estimates of procedural risk as part of the informed consent
process before percutaneous coronary intervention.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/359/7/677
Recurrent stroke rates similar for aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole(Aggrenox) or clopidogrel(Plavix)
Dietary fiber intake
in early pregnancy and risk of subsequent preeclampsia.
Women
in the highest quartile of dietary fiber intake during early pregnancy had lower triglyceride levels and preeclampsia risk
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18636070?dopt=Abstract
Conclusions
Fetal exposure to magnesium sulfate before anticipated early preterm delivery did not reduce the combined risk
of moderate or severe cerebral palsy or death, although the rate of cerebral palsy was reduced among
survivors. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00014989 [ClinicalTrials.gov] .)
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/359/9/895?query=TOC
Skeletal Overexpression
of Connective Tissue Growth Factor(CTGF), the Protein, Impairs Bone Formation and Causes Osteopenia
In conclusion,
CTGF overexpression in vivo causes osteopenia, secondary to decreased bone formation, possibly
by antagonizing BMP, Wnt, and IGF-I signaling and activity.
http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/149/9/4374
Drugs
that block angiotensin II{angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or
angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) } reduce risk in high-risk people
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=545153
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/djn262v1
Consumption of Corn and Nuts Not Associated
with Diverticular Disease
The advice to avoid nuts, corn, and popcorn in diverticulitis should be reconsidered, according to a JAMA
study.
Using data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, researchers examined the association
between consuming foods normally warned against in diverticulitis and developing the disease or bleeding complications. The
sample included nearly 50,000 men — free from diverticulitis at baseline — who were followed for 18 years.
Dietary questionnaires
revealed an unexpected inverse association between consumption of nuts and popcorn and the likelihood of diverticulitis or
bleeding. Those men in the highest category of intake had a risk that was only about 75% that of those in the lowest intake
category for nuts and popcorn. In addition, corn was not associated with diverticulitis and bleeding.
The authors
conclude that the widely offered admonition against eating nuts and popcorn in diverticulitis "should be reconsidered."
Conclusions In this large, prospective study of men without known diverticular disease, nut, corn,
and popcorn consumption did not increase the risk of diverticulosis or diverticular complications. The
recommendation to avoid these foods to prevent diverticular complications should be reconsidered.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/300/8/907
Stopping Anticoagulants 6 Months
After Unprovoked VTE
Some patients with thromboembolism may safely stop anticoagulants after
6 months, reports an international study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
To identify those whose annual risk of recurrence
was under 3%, researchers followed some 650 patients for a mean of 18 months. The patients had all received anticoagulant
therapy for about 6 months after a first unprovoked episode of venous thromboembolism.
Men had a nearly
14% risk of recurrence, and no subgroup at low risk was identified. Among women, however, those having only one or none of
the following risk factors —
redness or edema in a leg, D-dimer level of 250 μg/L or more
while on warfarin, BMI of 30 or more, or age of 65 or
more — had a 1.6% recurrence risk. Those with two or more factors had a 14.1% risk.
A commentator
notes that the American College of Chest Physicians recommends indefinite therapy in such patients. In that light, he calls for validation of the findings.
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/179/5/417
http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content/abstract/133/6_suppl/844S
Conclusions
In this short-term, crossover study of adolescents with newly diagnosed hypertension, treatment with allopurinol
resulted in reduction of BP. The results represent a new potential therapeutic approach, although not a fully
developed therapeutic strategy due to potential adverse effects. These preliminary findings require
confirmation in larger clinical trials.
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=545010
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/300/8/924
Conclusions: In patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke, large aortic plaques
are associated with blood hypercoagulability, suggesting a role for coagulation activation in the stroke mechanism.
Coexistence of large aortic plaques and blood hypercoagulability is associated with an increased risk
of recurrent stroke and death.
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=545011
http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/abstract/52/10/855
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Recommends
Against Screening for Prostate Cancer in Older Men
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18678846?dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18678846?dopt=Abstract
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Improves Sleep, Sexuality And Joint Pain In Older Women
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=119007
Major Study Shows Quality-of-life Benefits From HRT
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=119008
Higher Blood Pressure Risk In Teenagers Linked
To Poor Or Insufficient Sleep
Conclusions—Poor
sleep quality is associated with prehypertension in healthy adolescents. Associations are not explained
by socioeconomic status, obesity, sleep apnea, or known comorbidities, suggesting that inadequate sleep quality
is associated with elevated blood pressure.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=118659
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.766410v1
Hypertension May Result From Poor Teen Sleep Habits, Lead To CVD
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=118696
Dopamine Increased In The
Human Brain By Just 1 Sleepless Night
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=118821
Paradoxical
systolic blood pressure increase after treadmill test a predictor of cardiovascular mortality
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=546816
Patients with dementia at greater risk than those without
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=546814
Retinopathy
Signals Increased Risk for Coronary Heart
Disease Mortality
Retinopathy
may translate to an increased risk for coronary heart disease mortality in people with and without diabetes, according to a study published online in Heart.
Researchers analyzed retinal photographs
of nearly 3000 people over age 49. After 12 years, the presence of retinopathy (e.g., microaneurysms, blot- or flame-shaped
hemorrhages) was associated with increased risk for CHD mortality in people with and without diabetes (adjusted hazard ratios:
2.2 and 1.3, respectively). The risk from retinopathy alone was similar to that associated with diabetes itself.
The authors note that retinopathy may be a marker of microvascular disease due to vascular endothelial dysfunction, and they conclude that direct ophthalmoscopy
may help identify those at increased risk. "Such people," they write, "may benefit from a thorough cardiovascular risk assessment, lifestyle changes and better
management of risk factors,
and closer monitoring for CHD events."
[Editor's
note: Although Heart has released this article from embargo, it has not posted
the article on its website. Rather than delay coverage while awaiting that posting, we have provided a link to Heart's early-release page, where the article will eventually appear.]
Heart early-release
page (Free)
Running Associated with Less Disability, Improved Survival at Older Ages
Running offers quality-of-life and survival benefits through middle and older age, reports Archives of Internal Medicine.
Researchers enrolled some 540 adults aged 50 or older who were
members of a running club and 420 healthy controls. Questionnaires were sent to participants each year, with about half of
the runners and a third of the controls responding at year 21.
Disability scores increased
with time in both groups, but after adjustment for confounders (including other aerobic exercise), scores remained lower among runners than controls at all
points. In addition, runners were significantly less likely than controls to die during follow-up (15% vs. 34%).
The
authors write: "Our findings ... support recommendations to encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity at all ages. Increasing healthy lifestyle behaviors may not only improve length
and quality of life but also hopefully lead to reduced health care expenditures
associated with disability and chronic diseases."
Conclusion Vigorous exercise (running) at middle and older ages
is associated with reduced disability in later life and a notable survival advantage
Archives of Internal Medicine
article (Free abstract; full text requires subscription)
Olympic
marathon winners (Free)
Stress-mediating
proteins more active in body fat of obese subjects
Proteins and genes found in the fat tissue of obese subjects may prove to
be the link between obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation, according to research published in the September issue of
Diabetes.
Guenther Boden,
M.D., of Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and colleagues studied subcutaneous fat biopsies taken from
the upper thighs of 12 non-diabetic subjects, of whom six were lean and insulin-sensitive, and six were obese and insulin-resistant.
Samples from the obese subjects were found to contain 19 differentially
up-regulated proteins, of which three were endoplasmic reticulum stress-related unfolded protein response proteins, the researchers
report. Other unfolded protein response stress-related proteins were also found, including a downstream effector protein for
endoplasmic reticulum stress, phospho c-junNH2-terminal kinase (JNK)-1.
"These findings represent the first demonstration of unfolded protein response activation
in subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese human subjects," the authors write. "As JNK can inhibit insulin action and
activate proinflammatory pathways, endoplasmic reticulum stress activation of JNK may be a link between obesity, insulin resistance
and inflammation."
Conclusion: These findings represent
the first demonstration of UPR activation in subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese human subjects. As JNK can
inhibit insulin action and activate proinflammatory pathways, ER stress activation of JNK may be a link between
obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=545413
http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/db08-0604v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=boden&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT
May explain lower incidence of ulcers in premenopausal women
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=545418
Study Reveals How Diet, Antioxidants Prevent Blindness In Aging Population
A new
study reveals part of the magic behind a diet rich in antioxidants, showing how artichokes, blueberries and pecans can hold
at bay the leading cause of age-related blindness in developed countries
The
new study finds a destructive synergy between the buildup of a compound called A2E and damage to cellular "power plants"
called mitochondria. A2E is a natural byproduct of cellular activity that, unlike other compounds, won't break down or
be disposed by the body.
A problem occurs when A2E encounters oxidative stress created by light exposure. In these
circumstances, A2E disrupts energy production in mitochondria. The resulting energy shortage pulls the plug on daily cleaning
and maintenance of photoreceptors and another type of retinal cell.
The result is more A2E buildup, and the cycle
of destruction hastens the death of these vital visual cells, which are not replaced when they die. The experiments performed
with visual cells from rats, cows and humans showed that antioxidants could completely counter the damage.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=118747
More Brown Fat To Fight Obesity?
against obesity through a specialized program
of uncoupled respiration. Here we show by in vivo fate mapping that brown, but not white, fat cells arise from precursors
that express Myf5, a gene previously thought to be expressed only in the myogenic lineage. We also demonstrate that
the transcriptional regulator PRDM16 (PRD1-BF1-RIZ1 homologous domain containing 16) controls a bidirectional
cell fate switch between skeletal myoblasts and brown fat cells. Loss of PRDM16 from brown fat precursors causes a loss of
brown fat characteristics and promotes muscle differentiation. Conversely, ectopic expression of PRDM16 in myoblasts induces
their differentiation into brown fat cells. PRDM16 stimulates brown adipogenesis by binding to PPAR- (peroxisome-proliferator-activated
receptor- ) and activating its transcriptional function. Finally, Prdm16-deficient brown
fat displays an abnormal morphology, reduced thermogenic gene expression and elevated expression of muscle-specific genes.
Taken together, these data indicate that PRDM16 specifies the brown fat lineage from a progenitor that expresses myoblast
markers and is not involved in white adipogenesis.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=118991
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v454/n7207/abs/nature07182.html
A Taste For Calcium?
The research shows that the taste of calcium is detected
by two receptors on the tongue. One is a calcium-sensing receptor called CaSR that has been found by other researchers in
the parathyroid glands, kidney, brain and gastrointestinal tract. "We didn't know it was on the tongue before,"
Tordoff said. The other is a receptor known as T1R3. This is a component of the "sweet-taste" receptor - a finding
that researchers described as "very unexpected."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=118951
|
Cocoa Flavanols Linked To Improved Brain Blood FlowIn a scientific study of healthy, older adults
ages 59 to 83, Harvard medical scientists found that study participants who regularly drank a cocoa flavanol-rich beverage
made using the Mars, Incorporated Cocoapro® process had an eight percent increase in brain blood flow after one week,
and 10 percent increase after two weeks.
In this first-of-its-kind study, the researchers found both short and
long-term benefits of cocoa flavanols for brain blood flow, offering future potential for the one in seven older Americans
currently living with dementia. When the flow of blood to the brain slows over time, the result may be structural damage and
dementia. Scientists speculate that maintaining an increased blood flow to the brain could slow this cognitive decline. |
|
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=118581
Symptoms may be alleviated by caloric restriction, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=543816
http://www.amjgastro.com/showContent.asp?DID=4&SessionGUID=AFE08D2E-252E-432D-99C6-0BB129D5F21B&id=ajg_194682008&type=abstract
Regulation suggests that BMP-9 may be the unknown hepatic insulin-sensitizing substance
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=543735
http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/en.2008-0655v1
Study suggests that grapefruit and other juices may reduce effectiveness of many drugs
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=543475
Homocysteine-Lowering with B Vitamins After Angiography Shows
No Benefit
Homocysteine-lowering therapy after coronary
angiography doesn't improve patient outcomes, JAMA reports.
Nearly 3100 adults were randomized to begin
one of four daily treatments after undergoing angiography for suspected coronary artery disease
or aortic valve stenosis:
- Folic
acid plus vitamins B6 and B12
- Folic acid plus vitamin B12
- Vitamin
B6
- Placebo
Homocysteine levels dropped significantly
in the folic acid/vitamin B12 groups but remained unchanged in the other two groups. However, during roughly 3
years' follow-up, incidence of the primary composite endpoint (mortality, MI, hospitalization for unstable
angina, thromboembolic stroke) did not differ between folic acid/B12 users and nonusers.
Prescription Sleeping Pill Use Tied To Cancer
The effects of 556 person-years of
taking either zaleplon (Sonata), Eszopiclone (Lunesta), ramelteon (Rozerem) and zolpidem
(Ambien) were assessed, compared to a control group who took a placebo over 230 person-years. Kripke found eight non-melanoma
skin cancers and four tumors of uncertain malignancy in the groups that took sleeping pills compared to none in the placebo
groups.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118586.php
FDA To Strengthen Warnings On Diabetes Drug(BYETTA) After 2 More Deaths
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118614.php
Unexpected Benefit Of Allergies
The researchers show that people with one of these
atopic diseases are up to 25 percent less likely to get the most common type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116643.php
New Data Highlights Positive Results Of Namenda(R) (Memantine HCl) Once-Daily Extended-Release Formulation
The study, patients treated with once-daily extended-release
Namenda experienced significant improvements in cognitive performance and global clinical status compared to those receiving
placebo. Patients treated with once-daily extended-release Namenda also experienced significant improvements in verbal fluency
and behavioral symptoms as compared to placebo. The results build on preliminary findings announced by Forest in February.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116889.php
Testosterone Predominance Increases Prevalence Of
Metabolic Syndrome During The Menopausal Transition
As testosterone progressively dominates the hormonal milieu during the menopausal transition,
the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116564.php
Kids: Eat Smart To Be Smart
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117205.php
Eating Fish May Prevent Memory Loss And Stroke In Old Age
Eating tuna and other
types of fish may help lower the risk of cognitive decline and stroke in healthy older adults,
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117199.php
A Mechanism For The Development Of Obesity-associated
Conditions
Endocannabinoids
are substances produced by several cells in the body that are very similar to compounds found in cannabis plants. They have
been implicated in the development of many effects of a high-fat diet, including many risk factors for type 2 diabetes: obesity,
insulin resistance, leptin resistance, and dyslipidemia. It is important to determine whether these effects of endocannabinoids
occur via activation of the protein CB1 in the brain, liver, or other tissues, as the therapeutic potential of agents that
target CB1 is currently limited by the side effects of targeting CB1 in the brain, anxiety and depression.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117043.php
Factor secreted by adipocytes has been linked to both beneficial and harmful properties
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=533676&contextCategoryId=40131
Association between muscular strength
and mortality in men
Conclusion Muscular strength
is inversely and independently associated with death from all causes and cancer in men, even after adjusting for cardiorespiratory
fitness and other potential confounders.
http://www.epocrates.com/dacc/0807/musclemortalityBMJ0708.pdf
