Abstract
The tobacco alkaloid nicotine is responsible for addiction to tobacco and supposed to contribute to tobacco carcinogensis, too. Recently, genotoxic effects of nicotine have been reported in human cells from blood and upper aerodigestive tract. Because of nicotine accumulation in saliva, the study of possible in vitro genotoxic effects of nicotine have been extended to human salivary gland cells. Specimens of parotid glands of 10 tumor patients were obtained from tumor-free tissue. Single cells were prepared by enzymatic digestion immediately after surgery and exposed for 1 h to 0.125–4.0 mM of nicotine. Possible genotoxic effects were determined by the Comet assay using the % DNA in tail (DT) as a reliable indicator of DNA damage. Nicotine induced a significant dose-dependent increase of DNA migration in parotid gland single-cells. The mean DT was 1.12-fold (0.125 mM) to 2.24-fold (4.0 mM) higher compared to control. The lowest concentration eliciting significant DNA damage within 1 h, 0.25 mM nicotine, is only 10-fold higher than maximal concentrations of nicotine reported in saliva after unrestricted smoking. Although conclusive evidence for a carcinogenic potential of nicotine is still lacking, the safety of long-term nicotine replacement therapy should be carefully monitored.
Toxicology Letters
Volume 184, Issue 1, 10 January 2009, Pages 1-4
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Is running marathons damaging your health?
There is speculation from the scientific literature that marathon runners may be more susceptible to chronic inflammation and caradic events such as artrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythms). The research indicates that there is an association to artrial fibrillation and endurance running.
Furthermore, research demonstrates an interesting correlation between inflammation and artrial fibrillation in chronic endurance training and racing. The researchers believe that high levels of C-reactive protein(s) could be a risk factor for developing artrial fibrillation. C-reactive protein are produced in the liver or present in the blood in an inactive form that are turned on during times of inflammation such as running a marathon.
In addition, research published in the American Society for Clinical Research investigated elevations of an enzyme called myeloperoxidase (MPO) in runners that completed the Boston Marathon in 2005. The researchers looked at myeloperoxidase as a means to detect inflammation after endurance racing, which was statistically elevated after the race in 22 of the 24 runners. Interestingly enough, myeloperoxidase has been associated with coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis.
Systemic inflammation in respect to marathon running may contribute to a compromised cardiovascular system that may lead to chronic injuries and oxidative stress.
Seattle Budget Fitness Examiner Dave Guevara
Furthermore, research demonstrates an interesting correlation between inflammation and artrial fibrillation in chronic endurance training and racing. The researchers believe that high levels of C-reactive protein(s) could be a risk factor for developing artrial fibrillation. C-reactive protein are produced in the liver or present in the blood in an inactive form that are turned on during times of inflammation such as running a marathon.
In addition, research published in the American Society for Clinical Research investigated elevations of an enzyme called myeloperoxidase (MPO) in runners that completed the Boston Marathon in 2005. The researchers looked at myeloperoxidase as a means to detect inflammation after endurance racing, which was statistically elevated after the race in 22 of the 24 runners. Interestingly enough, myeloperoxidase has been associated with coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis.
Systemic inflammation in respect to marathon running may contribute to a compromised cardiovascular system that may lead to chronic injuries and oxidative stress.
Seattle Budget Fitness Examiner Dave Guevara
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Major nutritional issues in the management of Parkinson's disease
Barichella M, Cereda E, Pezzoli G.
Parkinson Institute, Istituti Clinici di Perfezionamento, Milano, Italy.
As with other neurodegenerative diseases, neurologic and nutritional elements may interact affecting each other in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the long-term effects of such interactions on prognosis and outcome have not been given much attention and are poorly addressed by current research.
Factors contributing to the clinical conditions of patients with PD are not only the basic features of PD, progression of disease, and the therapeutic approach but also fiber and nutrient intakes (in terms of both energy and protein content), fluid and micronutrient balance, and pharmaconutrient interactions (protein and levodopa). During the course of PD nutritional requirements frequently change. Accordingly, both body weight gain and loss may occur and, despite controversy, it seems that both changes in energy expenditure and food intake contribute. Nonmotor symptoms play a significant role and dysphagia may be responsible for the impairment of nutritional status and fluid balance. Constipation, gastroparesis, and gastro-oesophageal reflux significantly affect quality of life. Finally, any micronutrient deficiencies should be taken into account.
Nutritional assessments should be performed routinely. Optimization of pharmacologic treatment for both motor and nonmotor symptoms is essential, but nutritional interventions and counseling could and should also be planned with regard to nutritional balance designed to prevent weight loss or gain; optimization of levodopa pharmacokinetics and avoidance of interaction with proteins; improvement in gastrointestinal dysfunction (e.g., dysphagia and constipation); prevention and treatment of nutritional deficiencies (micronutrients or vitamins). A balanced Mediterranean-like dietary regimen should be recommended before the introduction of levodopa; afterward, patients with advanced disease may benefit considerably from protein redistribution and low-protein regimens.
Parkinson Institute, Istituti Clinici di Perfezionamento, Milano, Italy.
As with other neurodegenerative diseases, neurologic and nutritional elements may interact affecting each other in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the long-term effects of such interactions on prognosis and outcome have not been given much attention and are poorly addressed by current research.
Factors contributing to the clinical conditions of patients with PD are not only the basic features of PD, progression of disease, and the therapeutic approach but also fiber and nutrient intakes (in terms of both energy and protein content), fluid and micronutrient balance, and pharmaconutrient interactions (protein and levodopa). During the course of PD nutritional requirements frequently change. Accordingly, both body weight gain and loss may occur and, despite controversy, it seems that both changes in energy expenditure and food intake contribute. Nonmotor symptoms play a significant role and dysphagia may be responsible for the impairment of nutritional status and fluid balance. Constipation, gastroparesis, and gastro-oesophageal reflux significantly affect quality of life. Finally, any micronutrient deficiencies should be taken into account.
Nutritional assessments should be performed routinely. Optimization of pharmacologic treatment for both motor and nonmotor symptoms is essential, but nutritional interventions and counseling could and should also be planned with regard to nutritional balance designed to prevent weight loss or gain; optimization of levodopa pharmacokinetics and avoidance of interaction with proteins; improvement in gastrointestinal dysfunction (e.g., dysphagia and constipation); prevention and treatment of nutritional deficiencies (micronutrients or vitamins). A balanced Mediterranean-like dietary regimen should be recommended before the introduction of levodopa; afterward, patients with advanced disease may benefit considerably from protein redistribution and low-protein regimens.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Men's knowledge and beliefs about prostate cancer: education, race, and screening status.
OBJECTIVE: African American men die from prostate cancer at higher rates than do White men, a health disparity that may result from differences in knowledge and beliefs about prostate cancer and screening. Studies conflict on whether race or socioeconomic status affects knowledge of prostate cancer and screening. This study compared education, race, and screening status to determine how each factor shapes men's knowledge of prostate cancer and screening.
METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 65 African American and White men, aged 40-64 years, with diverse educational backgrounds.
RESULTS: Education, not race or screening status, was associated with knowledge about the prostate gland, prostate cancer symptoms and screening tests, and fear of prostate cancer. The exception was knowledge about the prostate-specific antigen blood test, which was associated with education and screening status.
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that education may be associated with prostate cancer and screening knowledge. Interventions should focus on all men with low education to correct their misconceptions about prostate cancer and to engage them in shared decision-making about screening.
Winterich JA, Grzywacz JG, Quandt SA, Clark PE, Miller DP, Acuña J, Dignan MB, Arcury TA.
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 65 African American and White men, aged 40-64 years, with diverse educational backgrounds.
RESULTS: Education, not race or screening status, was associated with knowledge about the prostate gland, prostate cancer symptoms and screening tests, and fear of prostate cancer. The exception was knowledge about the prostate-specific antigen blood test, which was associated with education and screening status.
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that education may be associated with prostate cancer and screening knowledge. Interventions should focus on all men with low education to correct their misconceptions about prostate cancer and to engage them in shared decision-making about screening.
Winterich JA, Grzywacz JG, Quandt SA, Clark PE, Miller DP, Acuña J, Dignan MB, Arcury TA.
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
Monday, May 25, 2009
Body mass index, urinary incontinence, and female sexual dysfunction: how they affect female postmenopausal health
From the Departments of 1Surgical Sciences and 2Health Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila; and 3Department of Urology, Mazzini Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
OBJECTIVE:: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and female sexual dysfunction (FSD) among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with urinary incontinence (UI).
METHODS:: From 2005 to 2008, we enrolled 208 consecutive women affected by UI; all underwent a comprehensive history including two validated questionnaires, physical examination, and urodynamic evaluation. Based on BMI, participants were grouped into normal weight, overweight, and obese.
RESULTS:: A total of 158 participants completed both questionnaires (76% response rate); 41 (26%) were normal weight, 73 (46%) were overweight, and 44 (28%) were obese. The increasing Urogenital Distress Inventory score had a direct correlation with age (P < 0.01), year of menopause onset (P < 0.05), and BMI (P < 0.01). FSD was diagnosed in 97 women (61%): 31 (32%) with hypoactive sexual desire, 20 (21%) with sexual arousal disorder, 7 (7%) with orgasmic deficiency, and 39 (40%) with sexual pain disorder. BMI greater than 30 kg/m was independently associated with an increased risk of FSD (odds ratio [OR], 2.02) and UI (OR, 2.03). With adjustment for BMI, the OR for FSD was 1.22 for overweight women and 1.56 for obese women, with respect to healthy participants. The total Female Sexual Function Index score correlated with BMI (r = -0.82, P = 0.0001); in particular, arousal (r = -0.82), orgasm (r = -0.72), lubrication (r = -0.61), and satisfaction (r = -0.63, all P < 0.001) showed an inverse correlation with BMI, whereas desire and pain did not.
CONCLUSIONS:: Increased BMI early in menopause represents a risk both for UI and for sexual dysfunction. Weight control has an essential role in postmenopause and should be considered early in perimenopause to safeguard female quality of life as well as to prevent or improve UI and female sexual dysfunction symptoms.
OBJECTIVE:: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and female sexual dysfunction (FSD) among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with urinary incontinence (UI).
METHODS:: From 2005 to 2008, we enrolled 208 consecutive women affected by UI; all underwent a comprehensive history including two validated questionnaires, physical examination, and urodynamic evaluation. Based on BMI, participants were grouped into normal weight, overweight, and obese.
RESULTS:: A total of 158 participants completed both questionnaires (76% response rate); 41 (26%) were normal weight, 73 (46%) were overweight, and 44 (28%) were obese. The increasing Urogenital Distress Inventory score had a direct correlation with age (P < 0.01), year of menopause onset (P < 0.05), and BMI (P < 0.01). FSD was diagnosed in 97 women (61%): 31 (32%) with hypoactive sexual desire, 20 (21%) with sexual arousal disorder, 7 (7%) with orgasmic deficiency, and 39 (40%) with sexual pain disorder. BMI greater than 30 kg/m was independently associated with an increased risk of FSD (odds ratio [OR], 2.02) and UI (OR, 2.03). With adjustment for BMI, the OR for FSD was 1.22 for overweight women and 1.56 for obese women, with respect to healthy participants. The total Female Sexual Function Index score correlated with BMI (r = -0.82, P = 0.0001); in particular, arousal (r = -0.82), orgasm (r = -0.72), lubrication (r = -0.61), and satisfaction (r = -0.63, all P < 0.001) showed an inverse correlation with BMI, whereas desire and pain did not.
CONCLUSIONS:: Increased BMI early in menopause represents a risk both for UI and for sexual dysfunction. Weight control has an essential role in postmenopause and should be considered early in perimenopause to safeguard female quality of life as well as to prevent or improve UI and female sexual dysfunction symptoms.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Technique eradicates problems in most patients with Barrett's esophagus
A procedure that uses heat generated by radio waves to treat Barrett's esophagus, a condition caused by acid reflux (severe heartburn), can eliminate signs of the potentially cancer-causing disorder and reduce the risk that the disease will progress.
Findings from the first multicenter trial of the procedure, called radiofrequency ablation, could mean patients have an alternative to surgery for treating Barrett's esophagus. The procedure uses a scope inserted through the mouth to destroy the abnormal tissue. The investigators report their findings in the May 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Patients with Barrett's esophagus can go on to develop esophageal cancer," says Steven A. Edmundowicz, M.D., lead investigator at the study site at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Cancer of the esophagus usually is deadly. Less than 15 percent of patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma survive for five years, and in those with advanced Barrett's esophagus, the risk that the condition will advance to become cancer is about 6 percent per year."
In Barrett's esophagus, part of the lining of the esophagus is replaced with cells that resemble intestinal cells. As the condition progresses, these cells become increasingly disordered. Long-standing acid reflux disease is common in those who develop Barrett's esophagus, which affects about 1 percent of adults in the United States.
The surgical option is offered to patients with Barrett's esophagus found to have severe dysplasia or cancer. The type of surgery varies, but it usually involves removing most of the esophagus, pulling a portion of the stomach up into the chest and attaching it to what remains of the esophagus
Shaheen NJ, et al. Radiofrequency ablation in Barrett's esophagus with dysplasia. New England Journal of Medicine, vol 330 (22), May 28, 2009.
Findings from the first multicenter trial of the procedure, called radiofrequency ablation, could mean patients have an alternative to surgery for treating Barrett's esophagus. The procedure uses a scope inserted through the mouth to destroy the abnormal tissue. The investigators report their findings in the May 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Patients with Barrett's esophagus can go on to develop esophageal cancer," says Steven A. Edmundowicz, M.D., lead investigator at the study site at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Cancer of the esophagus usually is deadly. Less than 15 percent of patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma survive for five years, and in those with advanced Barrett's esophagus, the risk that the condition will advance to become cancer is about 6 percent per year."
In Barrett's esophagus, part of the lining of the esophagus is replaced with cells that resemble intestinal cells. As the condition progresses, these cells become increasingly disordered. Long-standing acid reflux disease is common in those who develop Barrett's esophagus, which affects about 1 percent of adults in the United States.
The surgical option is offered to patients with Barrett's esophagus found to have severe dysplasia or cancer. The type of surgery varies, but it usually involves removing most of the esophagus, pulling a portion of the stomach up into the chest and attaching it to what remains of the esophagus
Shaheen NJ, et al. Radiofrequency ablation in Barrett's esophagus with dysplasia. New England Journal of Medicine, vol 330 (22), May 28, 2009.
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