Researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have discovered the way in which red wine consumption may protect the brain from damage following a stroke.
Two hours after feeding mice a single modest dose of resveratrol, a compound found in the skins and seeds of red grapes, the scientists induced an ischemic stroke by essentially cutting off blood supply to the animals' brains. They found that the animals that had preventively ingested the resveratrol suffered significantly less brain damage than the ones that had not been given the compound.
Sylvain Dore, Ph.D., an associate professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine and pharmacology and molecular sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says his study suggests that resveratrol increases levels of an enzyme (heme oxygenase) already known to shield nerve cells in the brain from damage. When the stroke hits, the brain is ready to protect itself because of elevated enzyme levels. In mice that lacked the enzyme, the study found, resveratrol had no significant protective effect and their brain cells died after a stroke.
"Our study adds to evidence that resveratrol can potentially build brain resistance to ischemic stroke," says Dore, the leader of the study, which appears online in the journal Experimental Neurology.
Red wine has gotten a lot of attention lately for its purported health benefits. Along with reducing stroke, moderate wine consumption has been linked to a lowered incidence of cardiovascular disease - the so-called French paradox. Despite diets high in butter, cheese and other saturated fats, the paradox goes, the French have a relatively low incidence of cardiovascular events, which some have attributed to the regular drinking of red wine.
Dore cautions against taking resveratrol supplements, available alongside vitamins and minerals and on websites touting its benefits, because it is unclear whether such supplements could do harm or good. He has not tested resveratrol in clinical trials. And while resveratrol is found in red grapes, it's the alcohol in the wine that may be needed to concentrate the amounts of the beneficial compound. Dore also cautions that drinking alcohol carries risks along with potential benefits.
He also notes that even if further research affirms the benefits of red wine, no one yet knows how much would be optimal to protect the brain, or even what kind of red wine might be best, because not all types contain the same amount of resveratrol. More research is needed, he says.
Dore says his research suggests that the amount needed could end up being quite small because the suspected beneficial mechanism is indirect. "Resveratrol itself may not be shielding brain cells from free radical damage directly, but instead, resveratrol, and its metabolites, may be prompting the cells to defend themselves," he suggests.
"It's not likely that brain cells can have high enough local levels of resveratrol to be protective," he says. The resveratrol is needed to jump-start this protective enzymatic system that is already present within the cells. "Even a small amount may be sufficient," Dore says.
Dore says his ongoing research also suggests some therapeutic benefits to giving resveratrol to mice after a stroke to limit further neuronal damage.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Jon's Health Tips - Latest Reports
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I will continue to try to get lots of vitamins in food and supplements - here is the latest evidence that keeps me going:
Vitamin and calcium supplements may reduce breast cancer risk
Vitamin supplements appeared to reduce the risk of breast cancer by about 30 percent. Calcium supplements reduced the risk of breast cancer by 40 percent. (Men get breast cancer too.)
Vitamin K May Protect Against Developing Blood Cancer
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Minnesota have found that people who have higher intakes of vitamin K from their diet have a lower risk of developing Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system and is the most common hematologic malignancy in the United States. The most common sources of vitamin K in the diet include leaf lettuce and spinach, with smaller amounts found in other vegetables, vegetable oils and some fruits.
Diet high in B-vitamins lowers heart risks
Eating more foods containing the B-vitamins folate and B-6 lowers the risk of death from stroke and heart disease for women and may reduce the risk of heart failure in men. Sources of folate include vegetables and fruits, whole or enriched grains, fortified cereals, beans and legumes. Sources of vitamin B-6 include vegetables, fish, liver, meats, whole grains and fortified cereals.
I'll continue my increased intake of Vitamin D:
Study links rheumatoid arthritis to vitamin D deficiency
Low vitamin D levels associated with more asthma symptoms and medication use
and dark chocolate:
Study shows potential benefit of dark chocolate
Doctors could soon be prescribing a dose of dark chocolate to help patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and from dangerously high blood pressure in their abdomen. Eating dark chocolate reduces damage to the blood vessels of cirrhotic patients and also lowers blood pressure in the liver. Dark chocolate contains potent anti-oxidants which reduce the post-prandial (after-meal) blood pressure in the liver (or portal hypertension) associated with damaged liver blood vessels (endothelial dysfunction). The data also showed that eating dark chocolate may exert additional beneficial effects throughout the whole body. In comparison, white chocolate, which contains no beneficial 'phytochemicals', did not result in the same effects.
and fish oil:
Lack of omega-6 fatty acid linked to severe dermatitis>
Lack of omega-3 fatty acid linked to male infertility
I'll make sure my olive oil is extra virgin:
Extra virgin olive oil extra protective
Eating a diet rich in the phenolic components of virgin olive oil represses several pro-inflammatory genes. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genomics suggest that this partly explains the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease seen in people who eat a 'Mediterranean diet'.
and on the rare occasions when I eat prime rib, continue to order it rare, but continue to avoid meat and fried foods as much as I can:
Meat, especially if it's well done, may increase risk of bladder cancer
People who eat meat frequently, especially meat that is well done or cooked at high temperatures, may have a higher chance of developing bladder cancer.
"It's well known that meat cooked at high temperatures generates heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that can cause cancer," said study presenter Jie Lin, Ph.D... The group with the highest red-meat consumption had almost one-and-a-half times the risk of developing bladder cancer as those who ate little red meat.
Specifically, consumption of beef steaks, pork chops and bacon raised bladder cancer risk significantly. Even chicken and fish - when fried - significantly raised the odds of cancer.
The level of doneness of the meat also had a marked impact. People whose diets included well-done meats were almost twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as those who preferred meats rare.
But, despite the evidence below, will continue to eat oatmeal for almost every breakfast:
Eating eggs for breakfast helps reduce calorie consumption throughout the day by 18 percent
A new study demonstrates that eating protein-rich eggs for breakfast reduces hunger and decreases calorie consumption at lunch and throughout the day.
Bacon or Bagels? Higher Fat at Breakfast May Be Healthier Than You Think
The age-old maxim "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" may in fact be the best advice to follow to prevent metabolic syndrome, according to a new University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) study. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, insulin resistance and other cardiovascular disease-risk factors.
I believe blood test are the most important part of any physical, and the evidence is mounting - now if I only could get the results of my latest test:
Blood test for inflammation may be sign of colon cancer
Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation, are increased in women with colon cancer.
Blood tests for CRP are typically used as a non-specific marker for infection and inflammatory conditions. A more sensitive CRP test (hs-CRP) can help determine heart disease risk.
Blood test accurately predicts which men may need treatment for prostate cancer
Blood test identifies people at risk for heart attack that other tests miss
A simple blood test can identify people who are at risk for a heart attack, including thousands who don't have high cholesterol, according to researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.
Blood Test Needed to Determine Vitamin D Status
Vitamin supplements, diet, geographic location, demographic information or lifestyle, independently or in combination, cannot accurately predict vitamin D concentrations in blood. (A reader recently informed me that a blood test showed her to be very low in Vitamin D.)
I will avoid herbal supplements:
Ginkgo herbal medicines may increase seizures in people with epilepsy
Restrictions should be placed on the use of Ginkgo biloba (G. biloba) — a top-selling herbal remedy — because of growing scientific evidence that Ginkgo may increase the risk of seizures in people with epilepsy and could reduce the effectiveness of anti-seizure drugs, a new report concludes. Ginkgo may also have harmful effects in other people.
Doctor warns against herbal medicines for anxiety
St. John's wort, kava extract and valerian, herbal remedies touted on the Internet, have not been proven to be effective in treating anxiety wrote Kimberly Zoberi, M.D., associate professor of family and community medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Additionally, she raised concerns about the safety of valerian, particularly lacking any long-term studies of the herb.
I'll continue to exercise as much as my body will let me:
Walking = Lower Stroke Risk in Women
Women who walked two or more hours a week or who usually walked at a brisk pace (3 miles per hour or faster) had a significantly lower risk of stroke than women who didn't walk, according to a large, long-term study.
Compared to women who didn't walk:
* Women who usually walked at a brisk pace had a 37 percent lower risk of any type of stroke and those who walked two or more hours a week had a 30 percent lower risk of any type of stroke.
* Women who typically walked at a brisk pace had a 68 percent lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke and those who walked two or more hours a week had a 57 percent lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
• Women who usually walked at a brisk pace had a 25 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke and those who usually walked more than two hours a week had a 21 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke.
And I now have more evidence against going on a diet, although I probably should:
Diet alone will not likely lead to significant weight loss
Newly-published research by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University demonstrates that simply reducing caloric intake is not enough to promote significant weight loss. This appears to be due to a natural compensatory mechanism that reduces a person's physical activity in response to a reduction in calories.
I don't know where to go with this one - I guess it's my wife's fault:
Is Cleanliness to Blame for Increasing Allergies?
Allergies have become a widespread in developed countries: hay fever, eczema, hives and asthma are all increasingly prevalent. The reason? Excessive cleanliness is to blame.
I will continue to try to get lots of vitamins in food and supplements - here is the latest evidence that keeps me going:
Vitamin and calcium supplements may reduce breast cancer risk
Vitamin supplements appeared to reduce the risk of breast cancer by about 30 percent. Calcium supplements reduced the risk of breast cancer by 40 percent. (Men get breast cancer too.)
Vitamin K May Protect Against Developing Blood Cancer
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Minnesota have found that people who have higher intakes of vitamin K from their diet have a lower risk of developing Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system and is the most common hematologic malignancy in the United States. The most common sources of vitamin K in the diet include leaf lettuce and spinach, with smaller amounts found in other vegetables, vegetable oils and some fruits.
Diet high in B-vitamins lowers heart risks
Eating more foods containing the B-vitamins folate and B-6 lowers the risk of death from stroke and heart disease for women and may reduce the risk of heart failure in men. Sources of folate include vegetables and fruits, whole or enriched grains, fortified cereals, beans and legumes. Sources of vitamin B-6 include vegetables, fish, liver, meats, whole grains and fortified cereals.
I'll continue my increased intake of Vitamin D:
Study links rheumatoid arthritis to vitamin D deficiency
Low vitamin D levels associated with more asthma symptoms and medication use
and dark chocolate:
Study shows potential benefit of dark chocolate
Doctors could soon be prescribing a dose of dark chocolate to help patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and from dangerously high blood pressure in their abdomen. Eating dark chocolate reduces damage to the blood vessels of cirrhotic patients and also lowers blood pressure in the liver. Dark chocolate contains potent anti-oxidants which reduce the post-prandial (after-meal) blood pressure in the liver (or portal hypertension) associated with damaged liver blood vessels (endothelial dysfunction). The data also showed that eating dark chocolate may exert additional beneficial effects throughout the whole body. In comparison, white chocolate, which contains no beneficial 'phytochemicals', did not result in the same effects.
and fish oil:
Lack of omega-6 fatty acid linked to severe dermatitis>
Lack of omega-3 fatty acid linked to male infertility
I'll make sure my olive oil is extra virgin:
Extra virgin olive oil extra protective
Eating a diet rich in the phenolic components of virgin olive oil represses several pro-inflammatory genes. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genomics suggest that this partly explains the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease seen in people who eat a 'Mediterranean diet'.
and on the rare occasions when I eat prime rib, continue to order it rare, but continue to avoid meat and fried foods as much as I can:
Meat, especially if it's well done, may increase risk of bladder cancer
People who eat meat frequently, especially meat that is well done or cooked at high temperatures, may have a higher chance of developing bladder cancer.
"It's well known that meat cooked at high temperatures generates heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that can cause cancer," said study presenter Jie Lin, Ph.D... The group with the highest red-meat consumption had almost one-and-a-half times the risk of developing bladder cancer as those who ate little red meat.
Specifically, consumption of beef steaks, pork chops and bacon raised bladder cancer risk significantly. Even chicken and fish - when fried - significantly raised the odds of cancer.
The level of doneness of the meat also had a marked impact. People whose diets included well-done meats were almost twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as those who preferred meats rare.
But, despite the evidence below, will continue to eat oatmeal for almost every breakfast:
Eating eggs for breakfast helps reduce calorie consumption throughout the day by 18 percent
A new study demonstrates that eating protein-rich eggs for breakfast reduces hunger and decreases calorie consumption at lunch and throughout the day.
Bacon or Bagels? Higher Fat at Breakfast May Be Healthier Than You Think
The age-old maxim "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" may in fact be the best advice to follow to prevent metabolic syndrome, according to a new University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) study. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, insulin resistance and other cardiovascular disease-risk factors.
I believe blood test are the most important part of any physical, and the evidence is mounting - now if I only could get the results of my latest test:
Blood test for inflammation may be sign of colon cancer
Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation, are increased in women with colon cancer.
Blood tests for CRP are typically used as a non-specific marker for infection and inflammatory conditions. A more sensitive CRP test (hs-CRP) can help determine heart disease risk.
Blood test accurately predicts which men may need treatment for prostate cancer
Blood test identifies people at risk for heart attack that other tests miss
A simple blood test can identify people who are at risk for a heart attack, including thousands who don't have high cholesterol, according to researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.
Blood Test Needed to Determine Vitamin D Status
Vitamin supplements, diet, geographic location, demographic information or lifestyle, independently or in combination, cannot accurately predict vitamin D concentrations in blood. (A reader recently informed me that a blood test showed her to be very low in Vitamin D.)
I will avoid herbal supplements:
Ginkgo herbal medicines may increase seizures in people with epilepsy
Restrictions should be placed on the use of Ginkgo biloba (G. biloba) — a top-selling herbal remedy — because of growing scientific evidence that Ginkgo may increase the risk of seizures in people with epilepsy and could reduce the effectiveness of anti-seizure drugs, a new report concludes. Ginkgo may also have harmful effects in other people.
Doctor warns against herbal medicines for anxiety
St. John's wort, kava extract and valerian, herbal remedies touted on the Internet, have not been proven to be effective in treating anxiety wrote Kimberly Zoberi, M.D., associate professor of family and community medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Additionally, she raised concerns about the safety of valerian, particularly lacking any long-term studies of the herb.
I'll continue to exercise as much as my body will let me:
Walking = Lower Stroke Risk in Women
Women who walked two or more hours a week or who usually walked at a brisk pace (3 miles per hour or faster) had a significantly lower risk of stroke than women who didn't walk, according to a large, long-term study.
Compared to women who didn't walk:
* Women who usually walked at a brisk pace had a 37 percent lower risk of any type of stroke and those who walked two or more hours a week had a 30 percent lower risk of any type of stroke.
* Women who typically walked at a brisk pace had a 68 percent lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke and those who walked two or more hours a week had a 57 percent lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
• Women who usually walked at a brisk pace had a 25 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke and those who usually walked more than two hours a week had a 21 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke.
And I now have more evidence against going on a diet, although I probably should:
Diet alone will not likely lead to significant weight loss
Newly-published research by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University demonstrates that simply reducing caloric intake is not enough to promote significant weight loss. This appears to be due to a natural compensatory mechanism that reduces a person's physical activity in response to a reduction in calories.
I don't know where to go with this one - I guess it's my wife's fault:
Is Cleanliness to Blame for Increasing Allergies?
Allergies have become a widespread in developed countries: hay fever, eczema, hives and asthma are all increasingly prevalent. The reason? Excessive cleanliness is to blame.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Vitamin and calcium supplements may reduce breast cancer risk
Ω
Vitamins and calcium supplements appear to reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to findings presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting 2010.
"It is not an immediate effect. You don't take a vitamin today and your breast cancer risk is reduced tomorrow," said Jaime Matta, Ph.D., professor in the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. "However, we did see a long-term effect in terms of breast cancer reduction."
Matta said the findings suggest that the calcium supplements are acting to enhance DNA repair capacity, a complex biological process involving more than 200 proteins that, if disrupted, can lead to cancer.
"This process involves at least five separate pathways and is critical for maintaining genomic stability," said Matta. "When the DNA is not repaired, it leads to mutation that leads to cancer."
The study included 268 women with breast cancer and 457 healthy controls. Women were more likely to have breast cancer if they were older, had a family history of breast cancer, had no history of breastfeeding and had lower DNA repair capacity.
Vitamin supplements appeared to reduce the risk of breast cancer by about 30 percent. Calcium supplements reduced the risk of breast cancer by 40 percent. After controlling for the level of DNA repair capacity, calcium supplements were no longer as protective, but the link between vitamin supplements and breast cancer reduction remained.
"We're not talking about mega doses of these vitamins and calcium supplements, so this is definitely one way to reduce risk," said Matta.
Vitamins and calcium supplements appear to reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to findings presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting 2010.
"It is not an immediate effect. You don't take a vitamin today and your breast cancer risk is reduced tomorrow," said Jaime Matta, Ph.D., professor in the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. "However, we did see a long-term effect in terms of breast cancer reduction."
Matta said the findings suggest that the calcium supplements are acting to enhance DNA repair capacity, a complex biological process involving more than 200 proteins that, if disrupted, can lead to cancer.
"This process involves at least five separate pathways and is critical for maintaining genomic stability," said Matta. "When the DNA is not repaired, it leads to mutation that leads to cancer."
The study included 268 women with breast cancer and 457 healthy controls. Women were more likely to have breast cancer if they were older, had a family history of breast cancer, had no history of breastfeeding and had lower DNA repair capacity.
Vitamin supplements appeared to reduce the risk of breast cancer by about 30 percent. Calcium supplements reduced the risk of breast cancer by 40 percent. After controlling for the level of DNA repair capacity, calcium supplements were no longer as protective, but the link between vitamin supplements and breast cancer reduction remained.
"We're not talking about mega doses of these vitamins and calcium supplements, so this is definitely one way to reduce risk," said Matta.
Extra virgin olive oil extra protective
Ω
Eating a diet rich in the phenolic components of virgin olive oil represses several pro-inflammatory genes. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genomics suggest that this partly explains the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease seen in people who eat a 'Mediterranean diet'.
Francisco Perez-Jimenez from the University of Cordoba, Spain, led a team of researchers who studied the effects of eating a breakfast rich in phenol compounds on gene expression in 20 patients with metabolic syndrome, a common condition associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The study participants ate controlled breakfasts, and for six weeks before the study they had to avoid all drugs, vitamin tablets and other supplements. Perez-Jimenez said, "We identified 98 differentially expressed genes when comparing the intake of phenol-rich olive oil with low-phenol olive oil. Several of the repressed genes are known to be involved in pro-inflammatory processes, suggesting that the diet can switch the activity of immune system cells to a less deleterious inflammatory profile, as seen in metabolic syndrome."
Phenols are micronutrients of olive oil; the extra-virgin varieties have a particularly large phenol fraction. According to Perez-Jimenez, "These findings strengthen the relationship between inflammation, obesity and diet and provide evidence at the most basic level of healthy effects derived from virgin olive oil consumption in humans. It will be interesting to evaluate whether particular phenolic compounds carry these effects, or if they are the consequence of a synergic effect of the total phenolic fraction".
Eating a diet rich in the phenolic components of virgin olive oil represses several pro-inflammatory genes. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genomics suggest that this partly explains the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease seen in people who eat a 'Mediterranean diet'.
Francisco Perez-Jimenez from the University of Cordoba, Spain, led a team of researchers who studied the effects of eating a breakfast rich in phenol compounds on gene expression in 20 patients with metabolic syndrome, a common condition associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The study participants ate controlled breakfasts, and for six weeks before the study they had to avoid all drugs, vitamin tablets and other supplements. Perez-Jimenez said, "We identified 98 differentially expressed genes when comparing the intake of phenol-rich olive oil with low-phenol olive oil. Several of the repressed genes are known to be involved in pro-inflammatory processes, suggesting that the diet can switch the activity of immune system cells to a less deleterious inflammatory profile, as seen in metabolic syndrome."
Phenols are micronutrients of olive oil; the extra-virgin varieties have a particularly large phenol fraction. According to Perez-Jimenez, "These findings strengthen the relationship between inflammation, obesity and diet and provide evidence at the most basic level of healthy effects derived from virgin olive oil consumption in humans. It will be interesting to evaluate whether particular phenolic compounds carry these effects, or if they are the consequence of a synergic effect of the total phenolic fraction".
Meat, especially if it's well done, may increase risk of bladder cancer
Ω
People who eat meat frequently, especially meat that is well done or cooked at high temperatures, may have a higher chance of developing bladder cancer, according to a large study at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting 2010. This risk appears to increase in people with certain genetic variants.
"It's well known that meat cooked at high temperatures generates heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that can cause cancer," said study presenter Jie Lin, Ph.D., assistant professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Epidemiology. "We wanted to find out if meat consumption increases the risk of developing bladder cancer and how genetic differences may play a part."
Meat-eating habits examined
According to the American Cancer Society, almost 71,000 new cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed in this country last year, and more than 14,000 people died because of the disease. Men are at much higher risk of developing bladder cancer than women.
HCAs form when muscle meats, such as beef, pork, poultry or fish, are cooked at high temperatures. They are products of interaction between amino acids, which are the foundation of proteins, and the chemical creatine, which is stored in muscles. Past research has identified 17 HCAs that may contribute to cancer.
This study, which took place over 12 years, included 884 M. D. Anderson patients with bladder cancer and 878 people who did not have cancer. They were matched by age, gender and ethnicity.
Using a standardized questionnaire designed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), researchers gathered information about each participant's dietary habits. They then categorized people into four levels, ranging from lowest to highest red meat intake.
Well-done red meat nourishes cancer risk
The group with the highest red-meat consumption had almost one-and-a-half times the risk of developing bladder cancer as those who ate little red meat.
Specifically, consumption of beef steaks, pork chops and bacon raised bladder cancer risk significantly. Even chicken and fish - when fried - significantly raised the odds of cancer.
The level of doneness of the meat also had a marked impact. People whose diets included well-done meats were almost twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as those who preferred meats rare.
Further questioning of a subset of 177 people with bladder cancer and 306 people without bladder cancer showed that people with the highest estimated intake of three specific HCAs were more than two-and-a-half times more likely to develop bladder cancer than those with low estimated HCA intake.
"To quantify intakes of HCAs, we began three or four years ago to gather information on meat-cooking methods and doneness level, and then used a program developed by the NCI to estimate intakes of three major HCAs," Lin said. "These data gave important information about the relationship between HCAs and bladder cancer."
Genetic variants increase incidence
To take the investigation a step further, researchers analyzed each participant's DNA to find if it contained genetic variants in the HCA metabolism pathways that may interact with red meat intake to increase the risk of cancer.
People with seven or more unfavorable genotypes as well as high red-meat intake were at almost five times the risk of bladder cancer.
"This research reinforces the relationship between diet and cancer," said Xifeng Wu, M.D., Ph.D., professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Epidemiology and lead author on the study. "These results strongly support what we suspected: people, who eat a lot of red meat, particularly well-done red meat, such as fried or barbecued, seem to have a higher likelihood of bladder cancer. This effect is compounded if they carry high unfavorable genotypes in the HCA-metabolism pathway."
Wu said this research is a step toward a future in which a comprehensive cancer-risk prediction model will integrate environmental, diet and genetic risk factors to predict an individual's chances of developing cancer.
People who eat meat frequently, especially meat that is well done or cooked at high temperatures, may have a higher chance of developing bladder cancer, according to a large study at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting 2010. This risk appears to increase in people with certain genetic variants.
"It's well known that meat cooked at high temperatures generates heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that can cause cancer," said study presenter Jie Lin, Ph.D., assistant professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Epidemiology. "We wanted to find out if meat consumption increases the risk of developing bladder cancer and how genetic differences may play a part."
Meat-eating habits examined
According to the American Cancer Society, almost 71,000 new cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed in this country last year, and more than 14,000 people died because of the disease. Men are at much higher risk of developing bladder cancer than women.
HCAs form when muscle meats, such as beef, pork, poultry or fish, are cooked at high temperatures. They are products of interaction between amino acids, which are the foundation of proteins, and the chemical creatine, which is stored in muscles. Past research has identified 17 HCAs that may contribute to cancer.
This study, which took place over 12 years, included 884 M. D. Anderson patients with bladder cancer and 878 people who did not have cancer. They were matched by age, gender and ethnicity.
Using a standardized questionnaire designed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), researchers gathered information about each participant's dietary habits. They then categorized people into four levels, ranging from lowest to highest red meat intake.
Well-done red meat nourishes cancer risk
The group with the highest red-meat consumption had almost one-and-a-half times the risk of developing bladder cancer as those who ate little red meat.
Specifically, consumption of beef steaks, pork chops and bacon raised bladder cancer risk significantly. Even chicken and fish - when fried - significantly raised the odds of cancer.
The level of doneness of the meat also had a marked impact. People whose diets included well-done meats were almost twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as those who preferred meats rare.
Further questioning of a subset of 177 people with bladder cancer and 306 people without bladder cancer showed that people with the highest estimated intake of three specific HCAs were more than two-and-a-half times more likely to develop bladder cancer than those with low estimated HCA intake.
"To quantify intakes of HCAs, we began three or four years ago to gather information on meat-cooking methods and doneness level, and then used a program developed by the NCI to estimate intakes of three major HCAs," Lin said. "These data gave important information about the relationship between HCAs and bladder cancer."
Genetic variants increase incidence
To take the investigation a step further, researchers analyzed each participant's DNA to find if it contained genetic variants in the HCA metabolism pathways that may interact with red meat intake to increase the risk of cancer.
People with seven or more unfavorable genotypes as well as high red-meat intake were at almost five times the risk of bladder cancer.
"This research reinforces the relationship between diet and cancer," said Xifeng Wu, M.D., Ph.D., professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Epidemiology and lead author on the study. "These results strongly support what we suspected: people, who eat a lot of red meat, particularly well-done red meat, such as fried or barbecued, seem to have a higher likelihood of bladder cancer. This effect is compounded if they carry high unfavorable genotypes in the HCA-metabolism pathway."
Wu said this research is a step toward a future in which a comprehensive cancer-risk prediction model will integrate environmental, diet and genetic risk factors to predict an individual's chances of developing cancer.
Blood test for inflammation may be sign of colon cancer
Ω
A blood test used to determine the level of inflammation in the body may offer some help in assessing colon cancer risk, according to results of a study to be presented by Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center's Gong Yang, M.D., MPH, at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
Yang and colleagues show that levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation, are increased in women with colon cancer.
Blood tests for CRP are typically used as a non-specific marker for infection and inflammatory conditions. A more sensitive CRP test (hs-CRP) can help determine heart disease risk.
Prior studies suggested an association between elevated CRP levels and colon cancer, which fits with the hypothesis that chronic inflammation increases cancer risk. But due to small population sizes and mixed results of the studies, the relationship between CRP and colon cancer risk remains controversial.
"Although cancer-induced inflammation has been proposed to explain the relationship between elevated CRP levels and cancer risk, this hypothesis has not been well evaluated in previous studies," said Yang, a research associate professor of Medicine. "This study, the largest study thus far on circulating CRP and colorectal cancer risk, allows us to test this hypothesis in a more definitive manner."
Yang and colleagues measured CRP levels in blood samples from women participating in the Shanghai Women's Health Study, a large population-based prospective study of nearly 75,000 Chinese women.
In an analysis of 209 cases of colon cancer and 279 healthy controls, the researchers found that women with CRP levels in the highest quartile (the upper 25 percent) had a 2.5-times greater risk of colon cancer compared with women in the lowest quartile.
To examine if there is a causal relationship between blood CRP levels and colorectal cancer risk, they stratified the samples by the time intervals between blood sample collection and disease diagnosis.
They found that the increased risk was primarily seen in women with high blood CRP levels measured within the three years prior to diagnosis. As the interval between the blood draw and cancer diagnosis increased, the association between CRP levels and risk faded.
Because the increased risk associated was greatest in the first years after CRP measurement, Yang believes that high CRP levels may arise largely from the patient's inflammatory response to cancer. Therefore, high CRP may be more of a "risk marker" (something that is detectable as a result of disease) rather than a "risk factor" (something that predisposes one to disease).
A blood test used to determine the level of inflammation in the body may offer some help in assessing colon cancer risk, according to results of a study to be presented by Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center's Gong Yang, M.D., MPH, at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
Yang and colleagues show that levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation, are increased in women with colon cancer.
Blood tests for CRP are typically used as a non-specific marker for infection and inflammatory conditions. A more sensitive CRP test (hs-CRP) can help determine heart disease risk.
Prior studies suggested an association between elevated CRP levels and colon cancer, which fits with the hypothesis that chronic inflammation increases cancer risk. But due to small population sizes and mixed results of the studies, the relationship between CRP and colon cancer risk remains controversial.
"Although cancer-induced inflammation has been proposed to explain the relationship between elevated CRP levels and cancer risk, this hypothesis has not been well evaluated in previous studies," said Yang, a research associate professor of Medicine. "This study, the largest study thus far on circulating CRP and colorectal cancer risk, allows us to test this hypothesis in a more definitive manner."
Yang and colleagues measured CRP levels in blood samples from women participating in the Shanghai Women's Health Study, a large population-based prospective study of nearly 75,000 Chinese women.
In an analysis of 209 cases of colon cancer and 279 healthy controls, the researchers found that women with CRP levels in the highest quartile (the upper 25 percent) had a 2.5-times greater risk of colon cancer compared with women in the lowest quartile.
To examine if there is a causal relationship between blood CRP levels and colorectal cancer risk, they stratified the samples by the time intervals between blood sample collection and disease diagnosis.
They found that the increased risk was primarily seen in women with high blood CRP levels measured within the three years prior to diagnosis. As the interval between the blood draw and cancer diagnosis increased, the association between CRP levels and risk faded.
Because the increased risk associated was greatest in the first years after CRP measurement, Yang believes that high CRP levels may arise largely from the patient's inflammatory response to cancer. Therefore, high CRP may be more of a "risk marker" (something that is detectable as a result of disease) rather than a "risk factor" (something that predisposes one to disease).
Biomarkers accurately predict which men may need treatment for prostate cancer
A blood test for certain forms of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and measurement of DNA content in biopsy tissue accurately predict which men with potentially non-lethal prostate cancers may eventually need treatment, say Johns Hopkins scientists.
"Our goal is to develop new biomarkers to select the right patients for the right therapy and know when the therapy should be delivered," says Robert Veltri, Ph.D., associate professor of urology and oncology at the Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute, who adds that up to half of prostate cancer patients with low-grade, low-stage disease could safely be monitored rather than treated aggressively.
To make their prediction calculations, Veltri and his colleagues evaluated two tests on 71 men enrolled in a Johns Hopkins Proactive Surveillance program to monitor their small, low-grade cancers, none of which could be felt on physical examination. The first is a blood test that combines three forms of PSA and is called the prostate health index (Phi), which was developed by Beckman Coulter and is not FDA-approved. The second test involves examining biopsy tissue for the amount of DNA in cells – normal cells contain precisely two chromosomes, while the number of chromosomes in cancer cells varies.
Results show that the prostate health index was higher in 39 men whose annual biopsy showed worsening prostate cancer. Also, in these men, abnormal DNA copies in cells from biopsied prostate tissue were over-expressed in cancerous areas as well as in adjacent non-cancerous areas. The median time for following the study participants was about three and a half years.
"There are no outward signs that these small prostate cancers may be progressing -- men clinically feel the same and physicians are not likely to detect it on conventional imaging scans," says Veltri. "We believe that close monitoring with the right biomarker tools may help to detect this shift in pathological stage."
Veltri plans to continue studies with a larger group of patients over a longer time period. He is also studying other biomarkers that include other types of PSA and the shape of nuclei in cells.
"Our goal is to develop new biomarkers to select the right patients for the right therapy and know when the therapy should be delivered," says Robert Veltri, Ph.D., associate professor of urology and oncology at the Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute, who adds that up to half of prostate cancer patients with low-grade, low-stage disease could safely be monitored rather than treated aggressively.
To make their prediction calculations, Veltri and his colleagues evaluated two tests on 71 men enrolled in a Johns Hopkins Proactive Surveillance program to monitor their small, low-grade cancers, none of which could be felt on physical examination. The first is a blood test that combines three forms of PSA and is called the prostate health index (Phi), which was developed by Beckman Coulter and is not FDA-approved. The second test involves examining biopsy tissue for the amount of DNA in cells – normal cells contain precisely two chromosomes, while the number of chromosomes in cancer cells varies.
Results show that the prostate health index was higher in 39 men whose annual biopsy showed worsening prostate cancer. Also, in these men, abnormal DNA copies in cells from biopsied prostate tissue were over-expressed in cancerous areas as well as in adjacent non-cancerous areas. The median time for following the study participants was about three and a half years.
"There are no outward signs that these small prostate cancers may be progressing -- men clinically feel the same and physicians are not likely to detect it on conventional imaging scans," says Veltri. "We believe that close monitoring with the right biomarker tools may help to detect this shift in pathological stage."
Veltri plans to continue studies with a larger group of patients over a longer time period. He is also studying other biomarkers that include other types of PSA and the shape of nuclei in cells.
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