MONDAY, July 14 (HealthDay News) -- A dietary cocktail containing an omega-3 fatty acid significantly improves memory and learning in gerbils, suggesting that a similar cocktail may benefit patients with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, according to a report published online July 7 in the FASEB Journal: The Journal of the Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology.

Sarah Holguin, Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, and colleagues fed normal gerbils a mixture containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 300 mg/kg/day), uridine (as its monophosphate, UMP; 0.5 percent) and choline (0.1 percent) for four weeks and continued the regimen through subsequent behavioral training and testing.

The researchers found that administration of all three compounds resulted in increases in total brain phospholipids and in each major phosphatide. They also found that administration of DHA plus choline was associated with improved performance on the four-arm radial maze, T-maze and Y-maze tests, an effect that was enhanced by co-administration with UMP.

"Uridine probably acts by generating both CTP, which can be limiting in phosphatide synthesis, and UTP, which activates P2Y receptors coupled to neurite outgrowth and protein synthesis," the authors write. "All three compounds also act by enhancing the substrate-saturation of phosphatide-synthesizing enzymes. These findings demonstrate that a treatment that increases synaptic membrane content can enhance cognitive functions in normal animals."

Abstract http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=529499

Aspirin Improves Bone Density in Mouse Osteoporosis

Stimulates bone production and inhibits bone resorption

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=529497

Flavonoid-Rich Foods Improve Cardiac Risk Factors

Randomized controlled trials of flavonoids and cardiac mortality lacking

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=529418

Liver Cancer Less Common with More Coffee

DrinkingCoffee consumption demonstrates an inverse, stepwise relationship with liver cancer, while elevated GGT is associated with increased risk

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=528060

The Hazards Of Too Much Water

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=113367

Efficacy and Safety of Colesevelam in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Inadequate Glycemic Control Receiving Insulin-Based Therapy

Conclusions Colesevelam treatment seems to be safe andeffective for improving glycemic control and lipid managementin patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus receiving insulin-basedtherapy, and it may provide a novel treatment for improvingdual cardiovascular risk factors.

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/14/1531?ct

Nearly Nine Out Of Ten Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Achieve QoF HbA1c Targets With Repaglinide And Metformin

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=115501

No Evidence Yet On Whether Diet Alone Can Control Type 2 Diabetes

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=115234

FDA Updates Label For AVANDIA(R) To Include Clinical Findings Demonstrating Sustained Glycemic Control For Up To Five Years

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=114936

Survival Following Primary Androgen Deprivation Therapy Among Men With Localized Prostate Cancer

Conclusion Primary androgen deprivation therapy is notassociated with improved survival among the majority of elderlymen with localized prostate cancer when compared with conservativemanagement.

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/300/2/173

Aerobic Training Reverses Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors

Aggressive use of recommended prevention activities could lower U.S. rates of coronary artery disease and stroke

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=528425

Statins Associated with Less Cognitive Decline

Elderly people on statins showed a lower rate of cognitive decline than those not taking them, according to a prospective observational study in Neurology.

Researchers followed a population-based cohort over 5 years, examining the participants' medicine cabinets for prescription drug use and measuring their cognitive status annually. The cohort comprised nearly 1700 Mexican American subjects, all over age 60, roughly a quarter of whom took statins at some time during the study.

By the end of the study, those who'd taken statins were about half as likely to have developed either dementia or cognitive impairment without dementia as others in the cohort.

The authors point out that there have been no primary prevention trials of statins for dementia. Writing in Journal Watch Cardiology, Joel M. Gore says that such studies are needed "before statins are routinely deployed to prevent cognitive decline."

Neurology article

Study Finds
                                    Cranberry Juice Creates Energy Barrier That Keeps Bacteria  Away
                                    From Cells

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=115772

Boosting Weight Loss By Limiting Fructose

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116049

Longitudinal Study Of Ageing Shows Extended Working Lives And Health And Wealth Relationship

Keep working longer and live confortably will live longer.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=115001

The Case For Reversing, Or At Least Delaying, Aging

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=114925

Hypertension Overlaps with Insulin Resistance Mechanism

Animal study suggests hypertension triggers MMP activity that leads to proteolytic cleavage

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=528761

More Exercise Needed to Maintain Weight Loss

Sustaining weight loss requires more physical activity than suggested by consensus recommendations, according to an Archives of Internal Medicine study.

Researchers examined the effect of duration and intensity of physical activity in nearly 200 overweight women who subsequently lost about 10% of their body weight over 6 months. By the 24-month mark, only a quarter had maintained the 10% loss. Those who sustained their loss increased leisure-time physical activity from baseline by roughly 275 minutes per week. (Consensus recommendations suggest 150 minutes.) There was no significant effect found between vigorous and moderate intensities of activity.

Commentators suggest that the extra physical activity required should be sought, in addition to formal exercise, by redesigning living and working environments "with less television and more movement."

Archives of Internal Medicine article

Archives of Internal Medicine commentary

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=532188

Longer Sleep Linked to Higher Stroke Risk in Older Women

Risk higher compared with postmenopausal women sleeping seven hours per night

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=530711

Older People May Need Less Sleep, Study Finds

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116172

Old Antihistamine Could Improve Symptoms in Alzheimer Patients

After 1 year of treatment, Alzheimer patients still benefited from dimebon.

Existing treatments for patients with Alzheimer disease slow progression only modestly and work only temporarily. Dimebon is an old nonselective antihistamine that recently has been found to have beneficial effects in models of neurodegenerative disease; it inhibits cholinesterase weakly, and it has several other potentially neuroprotective effects.

Manufacturer-sponsored investigators in Russia randomized 183 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease to receive oral dimebon or placebo. Of 155 patients who completed the first 26 weeks of the study, 134 entered an extended blinded treatment period (for an additional 26 weeks), and 120 patients completed the extended phase.

After both the initial 26-week period and the extended phase, patients who received dimebon showed significant improvement, both over baseline and over the placebo group, on measures of cognition, psychiatric symptoms, and activities of daily living (ADL), as well as on blinded clinicians’ impressions of global change. On measures of cognition and ADL, the difference between dimebon and placebo widened during the extended phase. The most common side effect of dimebon was dry mouth (14% vs. 1% with placebo). More dimebon patients than placebo patients reported depressed mood, but this effect generally was mild and did not affect objective measures.

Comment: No existing drug therapy for patients with Alzheimer disease has shown benefits that last for longer than 1 year, so dimebon’s persistent effect on multiple endpoints at 52 weeks is encouraging. This drug is not currently available in the U.S., but further trials, including a phase III safety and efficacy study, are in progress.

http://us.f812.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter?MsgId=7067_3616418_45420_1781_6249_0_24818_22068_1851923901&Idx=0&YY=46096&y5beta=yes&y5beta=yes&inc=25&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b&box=HHAL%20NEW%20708

Endothelial Function Linked to Cardio Risk in Sedentary

Cardiorespiratory fitness best predictor of endothelial function

In conclusion, endothelial function was significantly associated with cardiovascular risk in women with sedentary occupations, who were commonly overweight or obese," Lippincott and colleagues write. "Even in the absence of routine exercise, cardiorespiratory fitness, rather than conventional risk factors or body mass, is the dominant predictor of endothelial function and suggests a modifiable approach to risk

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=533030

Comparison Effect of Atorvastatin (10 versus 80 mg) on Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Subjects With Metabolic Syndrome

In conclusion, this randomized trial of subjects with MS showed the superiority of atorvastatin 80 mg compared with its 10-mg dose in decreasing oxidized LDL, hs-CRP, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and NF-kB activity.

http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(08)00572-9/fulltext

Heart patients often have unhealthy lipid levels

A study in the American Heart Journal found only 40% of patients with heart disease had target levels for LDL-cholesterol and non-HDL-cholesterol, and 44% had higher-than-recommended levels of harmful triglycerides. Researchers said 85% to 89% of people without cardiovascular disease were at recommended levels of harmful LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, healthy HDL-cholesterol and non-HDL-cholesterol.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL96753520080729

Breast-cancer survival rate lower for women with high BMI

British researchers say women who have breast cancer and a high BMI have lower survival rates. The study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found women with the highest BMIs had a 52% higher risk of death than those with the lowest BMIs. The team also says women who had four or more full-term pregnancies and those whose last pregnancy was more recent also had a lower survival rate. Reuters (7/25)

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USREE58069320080725

Two-Year Comparison of Three Popular Diets

Low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets are effective alternatives to traditional low-fat diets.

Although many weight-loss diets are touted as "the best" by their advocates, few high-quality comparative studies have been conducted. In this randomized trial, Israeli researchers compared three diets — a low-fat calorie-restricted diet based on American Heart Association guidelines, a moderate-fat calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet, and a low-carbohydrate non–calorie-restricted diet based on the Atkins diet — in 322 moderately obese adults (mean body-mass index, 31 kg/m²; 86% male). The trial was based at a workplace where lunch (the main meal), tailored to the three diets, was provided in the cafeteria and where study participants met frequently with dieticians.

At 2 years, mean weight loss was significantly greater in the low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean groups than in the low-fat group (4.7 kg and 4.4 kg vs. 2.9 kg). HDL cholesterol levels increased and LDL cholesterol levels remained similar in each group, but the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol improved most in the low-carbohydrate group. Among 36 diabetic participants, fasting glucose improved most with the Mediterranean diet. Adherence rates at 2 years were 90%, 85%, and 78% in the low-fat, Mediterranean, and low-carbohydrate groups, respectively. Only 16% of participants withdrew from the trial.

Comment: The authors draw a reasonable conclusion from these results: Because low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets are effective alternatives to traditional low-fat diets, any of them can be offered and individualized depending on patient preferences and metabolic needs. This trial, given its relatively long duration and high adherence rate, is an important addition to the literature. However, the results have limited generalizability, because the study was workplace-based and quite labor-intensive.

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine July 29, 2008

http://us.f812.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter?Idx=0&Search=&YY=65883&y5beta=yes&y5beta=yes&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b

http://cardiology.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2008/716/1?q=topic_nutrition

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18635428?dopt=Abstract

Anti-Hypertenstion Drugs May Benefit People With Dementia

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116340

Tackling Alzheimer's Disease With Angiotensin Receptor Blockers

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116317

Exploring Effects Of Protein-rich Diet On Bone Health - Osteoporosis Study

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116082

Poor Bra Choice Could Be Damaging Breasts Of Some Women

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116240

Exercise Could Be The Heart's Fountain Of Youth

Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but endurance exercise seems to make it younger. According to a study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, older people who did endurance exercise training for about a year ended up with metabolically much younger hearts. The researchers also showed that by one metabolic measure, women benefited more than men from the training.

"We know that the heart deteriorates as people get older, and that's largely because they don't stay as active as they used to," says first author Pablo F. Soto, M.D., instructor in medicine in the Cardiovascular Division. "Past research has suggested that exercise can reverse some effects of aging, and we wanted to see what effect it would have specifically on the heart."

The researchers measured heart metabolism in sedentary older people both at rest and during administration of dobutamine, a drug that makes the heart race as if a person were exercising vigorously. At the start of the study, they found that in response to the increased energy demands produced by dobutamine, the hearts of the study subjects didn't increase their uptake of energy in the form of glucose (blood sugar).

But after endurance exercise training which involved walking, running or cycling exercises three to five days a week for about an hour per session the participants' hearts doubled their glucose uptake during high-energy demand, just as younger hearts do.

Soto explains that if heart muscle doesn't take in glucose in response to increased energy needs, it goes into an energy-deprived state, which may raise the risk of heart attack. But if it can increase glucose uptake, the heart is better protected against ischemia (low oxygen) and heart attack.

Based on heart glucose metabolism, both the men and women in the study had the same rejuvenating benefit from their exercise programs. But the heart uses both glucose and fatty acids for energy. And when the researchers looked at fatty acid metabolism, they found a striking difference in the results of exercise training between women and men. In the men, the heart's fatty acid metabolism dropped in response to increased energy demand, but it went up in women.

"By that gauge, the women had a better response to exercise training than the men," Soto says. "At this point, the significance of that isn't clear. We know that in animal studies low fatty acid oxidation leads to heart muscle thickening and that when men train their heart muscle often gets thicker than women's. It could be that the increase in fatty acid oxidation in women's hearts with training is a reason why their hearts don't thicken as much."

The study is described in an article that appeared in advance online publication on June 20, 2008 in the American Journal of Physiology. The participants were six men and six women, ages 60 to 75, who were not obese but who had been living an inactive lifestyle. They were put on an eleven-month program of endurance exercise under the careful guidance of a trainer.

For the first three months, they were required to exercise to about 65 percent of their maximum capacity. After that, the program was stepped up so participants reached about 75 percent of maximum. Soto says the volunteers enjoyed the experience and told him they felt in the best shape they had been in years.

The researchers tested the volunteers' heart metabolism before and at the end of their exercise programs by using PET scanning techniques. "Here at the School of Medicine, we are uniquely able to look at the metabolism of the heart because we have the right combination of technology and expertise in cardiology, radiology and radiochemistry," Soto says. "We are one of the few places that can do this kind of study."

Next, the research team will investigate exercise training in individuals with heart failure. "In the past heart failure patients were told to limit their activity," Soto says. "Now more and more we're seeing there is potentially a benefit to getting them as active as possible. We want to know if heart failure patients will experience the same benefit in heart metabolism with exercise that we saw for older people."

Soto PF, Herrero P, Schechtman KB, Waggoner AD, Baumstark JM, Ehsani AA, Gropler RJ. Exercise training impacts myocardial metabolism of older individuals in a gender-specific manner. American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology. June 20, 2008 (advance online publication).

Funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supported this research.

Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked third in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

Washington University in St. Louis
One Brookings Dr., Campus Box 1070
St. Louis, MO 63130
United States

http://www.wustl.edu

The Importance Of Exercise http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116004

Results From The SEAS (Simvastatin And Ezetimibe In Aortic Stenosis) Study

The SEAS (Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis) study has investigated the effects of intensive cholesterol lowering with the combination of simvastatin (40 mg daily) and ezetimibe (10 mg daily) in patients with aortic stenosis

In conclusion, the SEAS study has found that intensive LDL-cholesterol lowering with the combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe in patients with mild to moderate aortic stenosis does appear to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease events (as has been shown for many other types of patient in previous trials) but not the rate of progression of aortic valve disease. The use of simvastatin and ezetimibe in such patients was generally well tolerated and safe.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=115715

'Obesity Gene' Works By Influencing Appetite

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116331 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116378.php

Soyfoods Do Not Impact Sperm Count

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116107

Lower Sperm Concentrations And Soy Foods Linked

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116047

Spinach - Green Gold

Spinach still has a large nutritional value, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. To be sure, it is loaded with such antioxidants as Vitamins A, C, E, K, B1, B6, minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, and so much more.

Recently, opioid peptides called rubiscolins have also been found in spinach. It is a source of folic acid (Vitamin B9), and this vitamin was first purified from spinach. To benefit from the folate in spinach, it is better to steam it than to boil it. Boiling spinach for four minutes can halve the level of folate

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=116235

Meaty Men Required For Weight Loss Study, University Of Aberdeen Rowett Institute Of Nutrition And Health

High-protein diets are particularly helpful during dieting because protein fills you up and you feel less hungry and more full. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=115998

Good Fats - What Are Healthy Fats?

Canola oil is what I consider a neutral fat, meaning it's not necessarily a bad fat, but neither is it considered one of the healthier fats. The healthy fats include extra-virgin olive oil, flax seed oil, and fats from plant sources such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and coconuts. These healthy fats should be consumed with every meal. Failure to include these fats in a meal will result in many of the nutrients consumed during the meal not being absorbed by the body. That's because many nutrients are fat-soluble nutrients. Beta carotene, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E are three such nutrients that require fat in order to be absorbed and used by the human body, but there are many other nutrients that also need fats for human metabolism.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=115936

Prenatal Exposure to n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Protects Against Asthma

Women who take n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids -- such as fish oil -- late in their pregnancy may help protect their children from developing asthma later in life, Danish researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They say data suggest asthma begins in the intrauterine environment and that n-3 PUFAs have an immunomodulatory effect on the fetus.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/577464_print

New Facts About Fat

Fat cells die and are replaced, but their number is set in childhood.

Obesity is epidemic in many countries, presenting a public health threat by increasing the risks for multiple conditions, including heart disease and diabetes, and causing great cosmetic distress for many dermatology patients. Despite widespread concern, little is known about the dynamic nature of fat-cell turnover.

Investigators in Sweden evaluated changes in the number of adipocytes during adulthood in 687 participants. Interestingly, although the total number of fat cells increased during childhood and adolescence, it stabilized in adulthood in both lean and obese individuals. Therefore, the difference in the number of fat cells between lean and obese people is established during childhood. The investigators also found that fat volume decreased after bariatric surgery, but the number of fat cells did not.

To study whether fat cells undergo apoptosis and replacement throughout life (adipocyte dynamics), the investigators made use of measures of carbon 14 (14C) in human DNA. Above-ground nuclear bomb tests conducted from 1955 to 1963 notably increased the atmospheric concentration of 14C, which is incorporated into human DNA through the consumption of plants and of animals that eat plants. Because the rate of dispersion of atmospheric C is predictable, investigators can derive the birth date of a cell by its C level. Measures of 14C levels in adipose tissue collected during liposuction or abdominal wall reconstruction in 35 adult patients made it possible to estimate that the median turnover rate of these cells is 8.4% per year, with half of all adipocytes replaced every 8.3 years. Obese patients added significantly more new fat cells per year than lean patients did, but the proportion (i.e., the turnover rate) was the same in lean and obese individuals.

Comment: These results show that fat-cell number is set early and remains relatively stable during adulthood, but the cells themselves constantly turn over. Weight loss in adulthood reduces fat-cell volume but not number, a tight homeostasis that clearly works against weight-loss efforts. Eliminating fat "stem" cells through liposuction may not have long-term benefits, because new adipocytes will replace those that were lost, to defend the established number of fat cells.

— Hensin Tsao, MD, PhD

http://dermatology.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2008/718/3?q=topic_nutrition

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18454136?dopt=Abstract

Which Lipids Mark MI Risk Best?

When used to estimate risk for acute myocardial infarction, the nonfasting apolipoprotein B/A-1 ratio may do better than other lipid measurements (and their ratios), Lancet reports.

Investigators for the INTERHEART study analyzed nonfasting lipids from some 9300 cases with first-instance acute MI and over 12,000 age- and sex-matched controls from 52 countries.

The apo B/apo A-1 ratio held the highest predictive value — significantly higher than the predictive value of the LDL/HDL ratio and the total cholesterol/HDL ratio. The results were consistent across ethnicity, sex, and age.

The authors say their results "provide broad and straightforward support that [the ratio] should be introduced worldwide into clinical practice." A commentator agrees, noting however, that "the most important task is to ascertain that lipids are evaluated at all."

The non-fasting ApoB/ApoA1 ratio was superior to any of the cholesterol ratios for estimation of the risk of acute myocardial infarction in all ethnic groups, in both sexes, and at all ages, and it should be introduced into worldwide clinical practice

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673608610764/abstract

All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Using the Different Definitions of Metabolic Syndrome

The aim of the present study was to assess the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in subjects identified as having metabolic syndrome (MS) using either the recent International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition or the revised National Cholesterol Educational Program (NCEP-R) definition, but not the original NCEP (2001) definition. The study population was composed of 84,730 men and women without CVD aged ≥40 years who had a health checkup at the IPC Center. Follow-up for mortality was 4.7 ±1.7 years. Prevalences of MS were 9.6%, 21.6%, and 16.5% according to the NCEP, IDF, and NCEP-R definitions, respectively. Compared with subjects without MS, risks of all-cause mortality associated with MS were 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38 to 1.93) with the NCEP, 1.25 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.45) with the IDF, and 1.32 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.53) with the NCEP-R, and risks of CVD mortality were 2.05 (95% CI 1.28 to 3.28), 1.77 (95% CI 1.18 to 2.64), and 1.64 (95% CI 1.08 to 2.50), respectively. In subjects with MS detected using the IDF and NCEP-R definitions, but not the NCEP definition, risks of all-cause mortality were 1.07 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.28) and 0.92 (95% CI 0.73 to 1.18) and 1.42 (95% CI 0.86 to 2.34) and 1.07 (95% CI 0.55 to 2.09) for CVD mortality, respectively. In conclusion, in a large French population, the recent definitions of MS almost double the prevalence compared with the original definition. Subjects identified as having MS using only the recent definitions and not the original definition did not have higher rates of all-cause and CVD mortality compared with subjects without MS during follow-up.

http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(08)00534-1/fulltext

Brain Plaques Blocked By Anti-Inflammatory Drug

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=112682

Mechanism Explains Calcium Abnormalities In Alzheimer's Brain

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=112910

Scientists Isolate A Toxic Key To Alzheimer's Disease In Human Brains

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=112526

A Loss Of Protein Function In Neurons May Lead To Dementia

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=112602

Some Patients Using Fosamax Over The Long-Term May Be At Risk For One Type Of Fracture

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=113005

Study Reveals That 10 Percent Of Healthy People Had Injury From 'Silent Strokes'

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=113070

Let's Talk About Sex: Discussing Intimacy Issues With Your Doctor

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=112518

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in African American Women

Conclusions Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened softdrinks and fruit drinks is associated with an increased riskof type 2 diabetes mellitus in African American women. Whilethere has been increasing public awareness of the adverse healtheffects of soft drinks, little attention has been given to fruitdrinks, which are often marketed as a healthier alternativeto soft drinks.

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/14/1487

Menopause and the Metabolic Syndrome

Conclusions As testosterone progressively dominates thehormonal milieu during the menopausal transition, the prevalenceof MetS increases, independent of aging and other importantcovariates. This may be a pathway by which cardiovascular diseaseincreases during menopause.

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/14/1568?ct

Low-Fat Dietary Pattern and Risk of Treated Diabetes Mellitus in Postmenopausal Women

Conclusions A low-fat dietary pattern among generallyhealthy postmenopausal women showed no evidence of reducingdiabetes risk after 8.1 years. Trends toward reduced incidencewere greater with greater decreases in total fat intake andweight loss. Weight loss, rather than macronutrient composition,may be the dominant predictor of reduced risk of diabetes.

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/14/1500?ct

Bone Mineral Density May Help Predict Risk for Breast Cancer

Conclusions:The contribution of BMD to the prediction of incident postmenopausal breast cancer across the entire population was found to be independent of the Gail score. However, among women with both high BMD and a high Gail score, there appears to be an interaction between these 2 factors. These findings suggest that BMD and Gail score may be used together to better quantify the risk of breast cancer. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121357196/abstract

Viagra May Help Women Restore Orgasms Lost to Antidepressants

Conclusion In this study population, sildenafil treatmentof sexual dysfunction in women taking SRIs was associated witha reduction in adverse sexual effects.

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/300/4/395

Plasma Vitamin C Level, Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, and the Risk of New-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Conclusions Higher plasma vitamin C level and, to a lesserdegree, fruit and vegetable intake were associated with a substantiallydecreased risk of diabetes. Our findings highlight a potentiallyimportant public health message on the benefits of a diet richin fruit and vegetables for the prevention of diabetes.

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/14/1493?ct

Thyroid Function and the Risk of Alzheimer Disease

Conclusion Low and high thyrotropin levels were associatedwith an increased risk of incident AD in women but not in men.

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/14/1514?ct

Consensus Statement Issued for Managing Prediabetes

The American College of Endocrinology has issued its first guidelines for management of patients with prediabetes.

Among the recommendations:

· Patients with prediabetes (fasting glucose: 100–125 mg/dL; or 2-hour post-glucose challenge: 140–199 mg/dL) should undergo annual glucose tolerance and microalbuminuria testing.

· Fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and lipids should be checked every 6 months.

· As first-line treatment, patients should reduce their weight by 5%–10%, exercise for 30 to 60 minutes 5 days a week, and follow a low-fat, high-fiber diet.

· For high-risk patients (e.g., those with worsening glycemia or cardiovascular disease), metformin and acarbose may be considered.

· Lipid targets are the same as for patients with diabetes (e.g., LDL: 100 mg/dL); statins are recommended.

· Blood pressure targets are also the same as for diabetic patients (systolic BP: <130 mm Hg; diastolic: 80 mm Hg), and ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers should be considered first-line agents.

Prediabetes consensus statement (Free PDF)

Fluoroquinolone-Related Tendinitis and Tendon Rupture

A boxed warning must be added to the prescribing information for systemic fluoroquinolones.

On July 8, 2008, the FDA announced that the prescribing information for systemic fluoroquinolones must now include a boxed warning regarding the risk for tendinitis and tendon rupture. The prescribing information for these drugs has long listed tendon-related problems as potential adverse events, but the incidence of these events has not declined, prompting the FDA to require the stronger warning. The manufacturers must also develop and distribute a medication guide for patients.

The risk for tendinitis and tendon rupture is especially increased in patients who are aged >60, those who are concomitantly taking steroids, and those who have received kidney, heart, or lung transplants.

Patients should be warned of this risk and should be advised, at the first sign of tendon pain, swelling, or inflammation, to stop taking the fluoroquinolone, to avoid exercise or use of the affected area, and to seek medical advice about switching to a nonfluoroquinolone antimicrobial.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Information for healthcare professionals: Fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs [ciprofloxacin (marketed as Cipro and generic ciprofloxacin), ciprofloxacin extended release (marketed as Cipro XR and Proquin XR), gemifloxacin (marketed as Factive), levofloxacin (marketed as Levaquin), moxifloxacin (marketed as Avelox), norfloxacin (marketed as Noroxin), and ofloxacin (marketed as Floxin and generic ofloxacin]). Jul 8 , 2008. (http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/InfoSheets/HCP/fluoroquinolonesHCP.htm)

The Epigenetics Of Increasing Weight Through The Generations

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=115192

Inclusion of fish or fish oil in weight-loss diets for young adults: effects on blood lipids

Conclusion:

Weight-loss diet including oily fish resulted in greater TG reduction than did a diet without fish or fish oil. Controlled trials using whole fish as a test meal are encouraged to be able to elucidate the role of different constituents of fish for human health.

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v32/n7/abs/ijo200864a.html

Rosiglitazone Linked to Less Neuropathy in Diabetic Mice

Researchers find transcription factor binding modules likely involved in diabetic neuropathy

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=528232

Family history as a risk factor for herpes zoster: a case-control study.

CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest an association between herpes zoster and family history of zoster. Future studies will be needed to investigate this association.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18490586?dopt=Abstract

Link Between Starvation And Growth Hormone May Be Clue To Increasing Life Span, Researchers Find

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=113202

Starvation Hormone Makes For Small Mice, Study Finds

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=113067

New Research Shows That Artichoke Leaf Extract Lowers Cholesterol

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=113759