Killing two birds with one stone: lower your cholesterol, lower your prostate cancer risk

There are two big “C’s” - cardiovascular disease and cancer - that we are fighting today. A study published in the American Journal of Pathology reveals that high cholesterol levels not only cause atherosclerosis and heart disease but can also contribute to prostate cancer development and progression.

The link between cholesterol and cancer has been observed in laboratory mice fed with high fat, high cholesterol diet and treated with the cholesterol uptake-blocking drug ezetimibe. The researchers observed that the fatty cholesterol rich diets promoted tumor growth whereas the drug ezetimibe prevented the tumor growth while lowering cholesterol levels at the same time. Ezetimibe works by blocking the absorption of cholesterol by the intestine.

Thus, the study results suggest

“cholesterol reduction, which is routinely accomplished pharmacologically in humans, may reduce angiogenesis, ultimately leading to less aggressive tumors.”

Prostate cancer is a very common cancer, affecting approximately 1 in 6 American men. Previous research studies have linked prostate cancer with the so-called typical “Western diet” which is rich in fat and high cholesterol. Progression of prostate tumors have also been linked to serum cholesterol levels.

Last December, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) predicted that cancer will overtake cardiovascular disease as the world’s top killer in 2010. When the projected cancer statistics were published last year, it was noted that there are similarities between the two big C’s. The American Heart Association (AHA) issued a statement saying that

“The risk and demographic factors they have identified as predictive of an increase in cancer deaths are the very same factors that are going to result in more cardiovascular deaths, too, so we are on the same track.”

Some of these factors, mainly lifestyle factors are:

• tobacco use
• high calorie, high-saturated and trans-fat diets

The fact that people in less developed countries are rapidly adopting the “Western lifestyle” listed above led to the prediction that cancer and cardiovascular disease will rapidly increase worldwide despite the fact that they are currently declining in the US and other developed countries

According to AHA President Tim Garner

The American Heart Association has been working for decades to move out of that ‘top spot’ of being the number one killer. It’s a distinction that none of us want to have. And unless we can do better in reducing these risk factors in the United States, it may be a long time before we can shed the title of number one.”

Photo credit: stock.xchng

               

Ready for something new in 2009?

If yes, then make it something new that can benefit your health physically and mentally.

A new lifestyle.

Change, be it for good or for bad, begins at home. Let’s look at our 2008 lifestyle and see what we can change for 2009.

Exercise

Have you been physically active last year? If not, here are some very good reasons why you should be this year:

• Exercise keeps your heart healthy.
• Exercise keeps you young.
• Exercise keeps the blues away.

If you had been sedentary till now, then start slowly. Start small. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Check out the American Heart Association.site for help.

Smoking

Quitting is not so easy, I know. After all, nicotine addiction is one of the most difficult habits to break. And the new president of the United States is struggling with it as well so you are not alone in this. If you can’t do it on your own, then seek out support groups and professional help. Check out the American Lung Association site for assistance.

Diet

Diet is a key factor to health. Watching what you eat and drink may be one of the best things you can do for 2009. Not too little, not too much. Here, too, professional help might be warranted but a lot of self-help info is also available on the Internet. Check out the American Heart Association.site to “face the fats.”

Sleep

Did you get enough sleep last year? Many people are not aware of it but lack of sleep is a risk factor for many disorders, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and breast cancer. Give your body a break. Get some rest. Check out the American Sleep Foundation for assistance.

A new attitude

True, the economy is doing badly and the future is uncertain. But we should approach the New Year with optimism and a new purpose in life. Even if we can not do anything to turn the economy around, we can do something with our health and that of our families.

Reduce stress in your life. Stress, distress, and anxiety are the major factors in increased risk for cardiovascular disease and depression. The economy may be sick but let’s keep our heart, body and mind healthy. In other words, don’t worry, be happy.

A new purpose in life

Advocacy is the word. Advocacy for something worthwhile, such as advocacy for a health issue or an environmental or a social cause. Without becoming too radical, of course. There are many not-for-profit organizations out there which would be most happy to have your support be it financially, physically or spiritually. If money is tight, you can express your generosity in terms of donating your time. Volunteer for whatever tasks you can do. Every helping hand counts.

Now, you’d say, good for me to preach but do I practice what I write here? I try to, believe me. And I know I have to improve on a few lifestyle things myself for 2009, mainly on sleep and stress. Staying healthy is a continuous, ongoing process - and there is always room for improvement.

               

The lifestyle of the young is not good for the heart

The trend is disturbing. More and more children and young people are having cardiovascular problems. And the causes can be traced to unhealthy lifestyles.

Lack of proper nutrition

Project EAT, a study conducted by the University of Minnesota looked at 2,500 teenage girls over a 5-year period. Their findings show that 62.7% of female teens engage in unhealthy weight control strategies which include taking diet pills, laxatives, drugs that induce vomiting, as well as regularly skipping meals. The use of diet pills is especially popular. Ironically, these weight control behaviour can actually produce the opposite results. Girls who engage in such strategies are 3 times more likely to be overweight. This creates a vicious cycle of dieting, weight gain and eating disorders.

Lack of exercise

How many hours do your children in front of a screen - be it a TV screen, a computer screen or any other game console? Canadian researcher Dr. Ian Michael Janssen tells Reuters that adolescents nowadays “spend more hours daily in front of a screen than they do in a classroom in a given year.” This translates to lack of physical activity that leads to rising rates of obesity among adolescents. It is estimated that about 50% of Canadian children aged 5 to 17 years old do not get enough exercise. 26% of these children are overweight or obese. Excess weight and obesity are risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Lack of sleep

In this study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers found a link between poor sleep quality and shorter sleep duration in teens and elevated blood pressure. Poor sleep quality or low sleep efficiency is defined as having “trouble falling to sleep at night or who wake up too early.”

The study looked at 238 adolescents (123 boys and 115 girls) ages 13 to 16 years old. Data on sleep habits and blood pressure were collected. Adolescents with less than 85% sleep efficiency had nearly three times the likelihood of having elevated high blood pressure.

Researchers say the culprit is technology present in bedrooms, be it in the form of phones, music, computers and other multimedia gadgets.

Childhood hypertension shouldn’t be underestimated, ignored or taken for granted. The likelihood of it developing to a full blown adult hypertension and then a serious cardiovascular disease is very high.

The study authors recommend:

“Adolescents need nine hours of sleep. Parents should optimize sleep quality for their family with regular sleep and wake times and bedrooms should be kept quiet, dark and conducive to sleep.”

 

Photo credit: nookiez at stock.xchng

               

CVD Weekend Newswatch September 5

Once again, I am bringing you a round up of heart-related news for this weekend. Happy reading.

CVD lifestyle watch

Poor teen sleep habits may raise blood pressure, lead to CVD

TV, Internet, technology - you name it, most young people nowadays have it. A recent article in the American Heart Association journal Circulation reports:

Poor sleep quality and shorter sleep periods in teens may increase the odds of elevated blood pressure.

Researchers found poor sleep quality in teens may be more likely than shorter sleep periods to lead to pre-hypertension.

Researchers say technology in bedrooms (i.e., music, phones, computers) may be part of the problem

CVD gender watch

Sex hormones link to heart risk

While female hormones seem to provide protection for cardiovascular health, male hormones seem to increase the risk for cardiovascular disorder (CVD). Men are more likely to die of heart disease than their female counterparts of the same age. And the male sex hormones estradiol, estrone, testosterone and androstenedione seem to be the culprit.

CVD nutrition watch

Grape antioxidant dietary fiber improves lipid profile and hypertension

Spanish researchers report that the natural plant product grape antioxidant dietary fiber (GADF) contains high conetrations of fiber and flavanoids. GADF nutritional supplements were shown to reduce in lipid levels (triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

CVD blood pressure watch

Babies’ rapid weight gain linked to higher blood pressure as adults

How does baby’s weight gain influence its risk for hypertension? This report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association says that

Babies that are lighter at birth have higher systolic blood pressure as adults.

Babies that gain weight more rapidly in the first five months after birth and from about ages 2 to 5 years have higher systolic blood pressure in young adulthood.

Immediate weight gain after birth is associated with higher adult diastolic blood pressure

CVD chemical watch

Bisphenol A linked to metabolic syndrome in human tissue

The notorious bisphenol A (BPA), the carcinogen hiding in hard plastics is also linked to metabolic syndrome. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati report that BPA suppresses adinopectin, a hormone responsible for many key processes in the body, including insulin sensitivity regulation. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of risk factors such such low insulin response, hypertension, and high blood sugar and lipid levels.

               

CVD News Watch for the Weekend 11 July 2008

Here is your compiled CVD news to enjoy over the weekend.

CVD lifestyle watch

“Heart-Friendly Cities Revealed”

The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement, through Sperling’s BestPlaces, conducted a study to determine how heart-friendly is your city.

And here are the results.

Top 3 most heart-friendly mega metros (= cities with population equal or greater than 1.5 million)

• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
• San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland, CA

3 least heart-friendly mega metros

• Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI
• St. Louis, MO-IL
• Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro, TN

Want to know whether your city is heart-friendly? Click here for a full list of heart-friendly cities in the US.

CVD patient watch

From CBC News: “Ontario woman gains East Coast accent following stroke”

This woman was very lucky to survive a stroke but at the expense of her accent. Her Ontario accent was replaced by a much slower Canadian East Coast accent.

“The rare syndrome affects people who have had a stroke, causing them to speak in a different accent than the one they had before the stroke. It usually occurs after a stroke damages the areas of the left hemisphere of the brain related to speech production, such as Broca’s area, pre-motor and motor areas and the basal ganglia.”

Small price to pay for surviving a stroke, I’d say.

CVD weight watch

From Reuters: “How weekend eating adds up”

We are eating more on weekends, especially on Saturdays, leading to weight gain that adds up to almost 10 lbs a year! Careful, today is Friday.

CVD medical device watch

“XIENCE^TM V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent now approved in the US”

The US FDA approves Xience V, the eluting coronary stent system containing the drug everolimus. According to the FDA

“The XIENCE V stent is used in patients who have a significant narrowing in their coronary arteries caused by coronary artery disease - a condition that occurs when the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to the heart muscle become narrowed or blocked by a gradual build-up of ‘plaque’.”

For more information about this device, check out this video clip from Abbott.

CVD cholesterol watch

The New York Times “Cholesterol Drugs for Kids”

The American Academy of Pediatrics broadens existing guidelines to include more cholesterol screening for children starting at age 2 and the use of cholesterol-lowering medications in children as young as 8 years old. More about the AAP guidelines next week.

CVD clinical trial watch

From heartwire: “FDA advisory committee recommends cardiovascular safety studies for diabetes drugs”

After Avandia, the FDA is more wary about diabetic drugs. The regulatory body would require more clinical studies on new diabetes drugs to rule out cardiovascular risk before they can be approved for marketing.

Have a nice weekend.

               

CVD News Watch for the Weekend

Starting this month, I will be compiling the week’s news related to cardiovascular disorders (CVD) for you to read over weekend.

CVD nutrition watch

“Green tea protects against heart disease”

Several cups of green tea a day can keep the doctor away. A study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation presents evidence than green tea may not only have protective properties against cancer, it can also protect us from heart disease. It seems that green tea improves blood flow and helps the arteries to relax. Click here to read more. Source: Reuters Health this week.

CVD treatment watch

“Invasive treatment appears beneficial for men and high-risk women with certain coronary syndromes”

This article reports that certain invasive treatments such as heart catheterization, for example, may not beneficial to all coronary patients. These therapies may be good for men as well as women with high risk profiles resulting in lower risk for hospitalization, heart attack or death. However, such therapies can actually elevate the risks in women with low-risk profiles. It is therefore recommended that invasive treatments should only be prescribed after a full and extensive analysis of profile risks, especially in women.

Source: Journal of American Medical Association:

CVD weight watch

“Cleveland Clinic hooks up with Weight Watchers”

Cleveland Clinic is taking cardiac health seriously. It runs a completely smoke-free shop and serves on trans-fat free food. Recently, the clinic offer free Weight Watchers program to any employee enrolled in an in-house health plan. Employees also gets access to weight management programs, fitness centers and smoking cessation programs at no cost.

Source: NewsVirginian.com

CVD lifestyle watch

“It’s summertime! Make living heart healthy!”

The American Heart Association is giving tips on how to enjoy your summer while keeping your heart healthy. These tips include safe and heart-healthy activities, and heart-friendly recommendations for the grill. Read more.

CVD biotech watch

“New Molecular Trigger Described for Hypertension, Diabetes”

Development of hypertension, immune problems, and diabetes may be due to enzymes gone awry, according to a report in the June 30 online issue of the journal Hypertension. This new mechanism has been observed in laboratory studies on rats at the University of California, San Diego.

Source: HealthDay News

CVD cholesterol watch

“Memory in Old Age Linked to HDL Levels Now”

ABC News tells us how “good” cholesterol HDL benefits not only our heart and blood vessels but also our brain. There is even a video clip to watch.

Photo credit

               

More Than 5o Percent of Diabetic American Adult Has Arthritis

As revealed by a new government report, more than half of diabetic American adult has arthritis too. This is the case especially in older adults (65 years old and above) who have diabetes.

In diabetes, lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet and exercise regimen is critical in the management of diabetes. But then in these older adults, they are not able to exercise because they have arthritis too.

From The Washington Post:

Arthritis strikes more than half of the 20.6 million American adults who have diabetes, and the painful joint condition may be a barrier to exercise among these patients, a new government report shows.

Being physically active helps people manage both diseases better by controlling blood sugar levels and reducing joint pain, according to the report in the May 9 issue ofMorbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to Dr. John H. Klippel, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation:

“The prevalence of arthritis is astoundingly high in people with diabetes. Over half the people with diabetes have arthritis.

Although there appears to be a connection between arthritis and diabetes, the reason for it isn’t known. A possible explanation is obesity, which is a risk factor for both osteoarthritis and diabetes.

In addition, those individuals who have diabetes and arthritis are less physically active. We know that physical activity is critically important for the control of diabetes, both for the control of blood glucose and the prevention of complications.”

Obesity and exercise are critical factors not only in diabetes, but in arthritis too. The more an individual is sedentary, the more you are obese. The more one is obese, the more is the risk in developing diabetes. If you are in your 60’s and have all these conditions, it is no wonder if you have arthritis too. I mean, being obese is enough to take a toll on our joints (especially the knees).

As what CDC researchers found using the data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System:

• 29.8 percent of people with both diseases were more likely to be inactive, compared with 21 percent of those who only have diabetes, 17.3 percent of those with arthritis alone, and 10.9 percent of those with neither condition.
• For people who suffer from both diabetes and arthritis, arthritis appears to be a barrier to being physically active.
• But being physically active by doing aerobic exercise, strength training, walking, swimming or biking can benefit people with both diseases.

But if we come to think of it, not everyone in their 60s are so keen into strength training or biking.

Hmmm…the more I am convinced that Tai Chi is really beneficial to people of all ages, with or without arthritis.

Read more from The Washington Post.

               

A Lazy Weekend Can Sometimes Suck…

…if you have osteoarthritis!!

Especially if you cannot go outside because it has been raining day and night this weekend.  Believe it or not, it has been raining cats and dogs out here for the last 3-4-5 days now. I cannot really remember how long because it now feels like forever.

I hate it like this because I often walk around the (our) house, from the back yard to the front, and back again and again, as long as my legs wouldn’t hurt yet. Sometimes in the morning or in the afternoon. I love stretching my legs sometimes, more on weekends because I really need a good break from online and computer stuff (that I do sitting down) and more so because I really need the exercise.

But if it is like this, I hate stepping out on the mud and the rain. I love taking a walk outside on weekends, even if I am talking to somebody on my cellphone.

These are stuff I can do without pressure on weekends. It is almost sacred, like my friend says. Particularly because I will not be able to stand not going outside, even if it is just to smell the flowers, so to speak!

Well, it is already Monday and looks like the rain has no plans of stopping. I cannot have it all, can I?

But is a decent, sunshine-y day to much to ask? The ever-gray skies and this non-stopping rain is make me sad and low.

               

Environmental and Lifestyle Risk Factors for Diabetes

Why any particular person gets diabetes isn’t completely known. Complicating the situation is the fact that there are different types of the disease, though Type 1 and Type 2 are the most common. Of those, Type 2 accounts for about 90% of cases.

Fortunately for those who are at risk, many factors are lifestyle choices and therefore can be altered. Even after contracting the disease, much of the management of the disease involves controllable issues.

Obesity is widely recognized as one of the leading risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes. While there is a genetic influence - some shed or gain weight and body fat more easily than others - it is subject to influence by choices. A high BMI (Body Mass Index) is an adjustable number with the proper diet and exercise.

A BMI of higher than 27 correlates with increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. The number should not be taken as a sole determinant, however, since its diagnostic value is less for those who are very muscular or are pregnant. But a high BMI is an indicator of obesity and should be checked.

Beyond simply being overweight, where the majority of excess body fat resides plays a role in the odds of contracting Type 2 diabetes. Those who tend to store body fat around the waist are at higher risk. While that in itself is largely a genetic issue - some individuals are naturally pear-shaped, others are not - the results can be influenced by diet and exercise.

Claims of supplements that target fat at the waistline are yet to be proven. Similarly, assertions that it’s possible to selectively remove waistline body fat through specific exercises are ill-founded. But an overall weight-reducing diet and general exercise program will help reduce large fat deposits, including those of the waistline.

More generally, a sedentary lifestyle increases the odds of contracting Type 2 diabetes. Partly that’s the result of adopting a mindset that brings with it a number of less than ideal choices. But in particular, the lack of exercise is a direct cause of higher body fat percentage as well as a number of follow on effects.

Exercise certainly burns calories. But even the resting state burns about 70 calories per hour just to power metabolic processes. But regular movement helps stimulate the lymph system, strengthen and loosen muscles, oxygenate tissues and brings with it many other positive benefits.

Exercise helps control blood pressure, a factor in contracting diabetes. It helps regulate glucose levels, which have a major role in the disease since excess glucose in the blood is a defining attribute of diabetes. It alters cholesterol levels, another risk factor for contracting the condition.

Though the risk of contracting diabetes is present for anyone, it’s good to know you can drive it to much lower odds by adopting healthy choices.