In The News: July 2009

A groundbreaking paper has just been published in the May/June 2009 issue of the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.* It is the first time that a peer-reviewed scientific journal has exposed the covert misdeeds and extreme abuse of academic and political power by the gerontological establishment.

For the past 14 years, the gerontological establishment has sought to persecute anti-aging physicians, anti-aging health practitioners, and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine  (A4M; www.worldhealth.net), simply because they defy the prevailing model of disease-based, drug-oriented medicine. This Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics article exposes scientifically shocking insights into the calculated and deliberate repression of innovative thought and freedom of choice in health care internationally.

The abstract of this important paper is online. To locate “Is consensus in anti-aging medical intervention an elusive expectation or a realistic goal?” go to www.sciencedirect.com and enter “Zs-Nagy” in the author field to search for the abstract.

Here is an excerpt from Prof. Imre Zs-Nagy, MD’s landmark paper:

“…complete disregard by certain individuals bearing some of the most prestigious affiliations in the gerontological establishment, for truth, academic integrity, and scientific professionalism. Instead they have waged a wanton effort to sabotage and retard a global movement of clinicians, practicing physicians on the front lines who have embraced that aging is not inevitable, and is indeed, preventable.”

“…the gerontological elite has instead sought to obfuscate the facts… the reason for this is nothing less than an abject fear… to avert their loss of control, power, prestige, and position in the multi-billion dollar industry of gerontological medicine.”

“The gerontological elite have waged a multi-million dollar campaign to influence media and exert deliberate control of public information… selective funding of journalists aimed to deliberately misrepresent the anti-aging medical movement with… public funds that were appropriated by the US National Institute of Aging.”

“…the gerontological elite has trumpeted meaningless public relations stunts… mocking the anti-aging medical movement and its physician leaders. These frivolous efforts, led by non-physicians… were clearly mounted for personal gain and speak volumes as to the extremes of intellectual dishonesty.”

Under the influence of the misinformation campaign contrived by the gerontological elite, US Federal Statute 21 USC Sec. 333(e) “enables a witch-hunt of [anti-aging] physicians who judiciously administer HGH [human growth hormone] therapy,” when instead the statute was intended to prohibit trafficking of performance-enhancing substances by non-physicians, prior to the existence of the anti-aging medical movement.

Prof. Imre Zs-Nagy, MD, a part of the gerontology movement for four decades, and founder and editor-in-chief of the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, has courageously stepped up to speak the truth. At great professional risk, he has come forth to blow the whistle on 14 years of censorship and repression of the science of anti-aging medicine, and advanced preventive medicine, by the gerontological establishment.

In asking “Is consensus in anti-aging medical intervention an elusive expectation or a realistic goal?,” Prof. Zs-Nagy, MD, concludes that, “There has been little else as dramatic, important, beneficial, and significant as the anti-aging medical movement… anti-aging medicine has flourished in its sixteen-year long history, garnering the support of more than 100,000 physicians and scientists worldwide who practice or research life enhancing, life extending interventions.”

Ronald Klatz, MD, DO, president of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, observes that, “A decade-long campaign waged by the gerontological elite has severely restricted the freedoms of physicians to administer life enhancing, and potentially life saving therapies. The effect of this calculated campaign has held back the advancement of clinical anti-aging and natural hormone replacement therapy research, leading to unnecessary morbidity, and, likely – mortality, for millions of people worldwide. In my opinion, this is a heinous crime against humanity. The A4M remains committed to defending the independent physician and we applaud Prof. Imre Zs-Nagy, MD for his courage and fearless commitment to intellectual and academic honesty.”

—Vernon Howard, PhD

In an article published recently in the British Journal of Cancer, investigators concluded that men with medium-to-high serum levels of vitamin D have a better chance of surviving prostate cancer compared with men with the lowest levels of the so-called “sunshine vitamin.”*

For an average of slightly less than four years, Norwegian scientists followed the progress of 160 men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. At the end of the study period, statistical analysis revealed a significant association between higher serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and better cancer outcomes.

The relative risk of dying from prostate cancer was slashed by two-thirds among men with medium levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (20-32 ng/mL), versus those with the lowest levels (<20 ng/mL). The risk was slashed by more than 80% among patients with the highest levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (>32 ng/mL). This protective association was even greater among men who received hormone therapy.

If confirmed by further research, the findings suggest that identifying and correcting low serum levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D could be an important strategy in prostate cancer management.

—Dale Kiefer

An article published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomar-kers and Prevention reports that Asian-American women who consume high amounts of soy during childhood have a lesser risk of developing breast cancer than women who consume less soy.*

Larissa Korde, MD, MPH, of the National Cancer Institute and her colleagues analyzed data from 597 breast cancer patients and 966 healthy women of Asian descent who resided in the US. For participants whose reported childhood intake of soy was among the highest one-third of subjects, there was a 58% lower risk of breast cancer compared with those whose intake was in the lowest third.

“Since the effects of childhood soy intake could not be explained by measures other than Asian lifestyle during childhood or adult life, early soy intake might itself be protective,” stated Dr. Korde. “Animal models suggest that ingestion of soy may result in earlier maturation of breast tissue and increased resistance to carcinogens.”

—Dayna Dye

High zinc intake is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in women, according to an analysis of data from the long-term Nurses’ Health Study.*

A total of 82,297 women provided information on zinc and other food intake, as well as new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes, every two years since 1980. Effects of zinc were analyzed by comparing the highest with the lowest levels of intake, which were 18.0 versus 4.9 mg/day for total zinc and 11.6 versus 5.0 mg/day for dietary zinc.

After 24 years of follow-up, 6,030 women developed type 2 diabetes. Participants with the highest level of either total zinc intake or dietary zinc intake had about an 18% lower risk of diabetes after accounting for non-dietary risk factors. The decrease in risk remained about 9% after accounting for non-dietary and dietary variables.

Although the recommended dietary allowance for zinc is 8 mg/day in women and 11 mg/day in men, these findings suggest that higher levels of intake may be beneficial. In addition to its role in diabetes prevention, zinc is crucial for immune and eye health.

—Laura J. Ninger, ELS

A study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health has provided the first epidemiologic evidence that the use of multivitamins by women is associated with longer telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with the aging of a cell. The study was reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.*

Honglei Chen and colleagues evaluated 586 participants aged 35 to 74 in the Sister Study, an ongoing prospective cohort of healthy sisters of breast cancer patients. The researchers found 5.1% longer telomeres on average in daily users of multivitamins compared with non-users.

“Our study provides preliminary evidence linking multivitamin use to longer leukocyte [white blood cell] telomeres,” the authors concluded. “This finding should be further evaluated in future epidemiologic studies and its implications concerning aging and the etiology of chronic diseases should be carefully evaluated.”

—Dayna Dye

An article published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics reports the benefits of the antioxidant compound alpha-lipoic acid in lowering triglycerides.* High triglyceride levels often occur in obesity, and are a predictor of atherosclerosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and even premature mortality.

For the current research, Regis Moreau and colleagues at Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute used rats bred to become obese and diabetic. Beginning at five weeks of age, the animals were given 200 mg R-alpha-lipoic acid per kilogram of body weight each day for five weeks. While triglyceride levels doubled among those that received alpha-lipoic acid, they increased by over 400% in the control group.

“The potential is good that this could become another way to lower blood triglycerides and help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis,” Dr. Moreau remarked. “It’s pretty exciting.”

—Dayna Dye

In an article published in Cell Division, Egyptian researchers report that the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) not only offers its own protection against tumor growth, but improves the chemotherapeutic effects of cisplatin while reducing its toxicity.*

Professor A. M. El-Mowafy of Mansoura University and associates administered 125 mg/kg of DHA, 250 mg/kg of DHA, cisplatin alone, cisplatin combined with DHA, or a control substance to groups of mice implanted with mammary carcinoma cells. “DHA elicited prominent chemopreventive effects on its own, and appreciably augmented those of cisplatin as well,” Prof. El-Mowafy observed.

In another experiment with rats treated with cisplatin, the addition of 250 mg/kg DHA prevented lethal kidney toxicity in 88% of the animals that received it, while none of the rats that received cisplatin alone survived.

“This study is the first to reveal that DHA can obliterate lethal cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and renal tissue injury,” Prof. El-Mowafy remarked.

—Dayna Dye

Daily intake of green tea helps reduce the risk of periodontal (gum) disease, according to a study conducted in middle-aged Japanese men.*

Participants were 940 men aged 49 to 59 years. The men underwent periodontal examinations to determine gum probing depth, attachment loss, and bleeding, and they completed questionnaires about toothbrushing habits and green tea intake. Higher intake of green tea reduced the risk of periodontal disease, such that each increase of one cup per day was associated with a significant decrease in gum probing depth, attachment loss, and bleeding, regardless of smoking status or frequency of toothbrushing.

Previous research indicates that green tea catechins inhibit periodontal bacterial growth and/or exert an antioxidant effect that inhibits inflammation, although more study is needed.

—­Laura J. Ninger, ELS

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) improves endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a new report.1 Coenzyme Q10 is an essential mitochondrial co-factor and natural antioxidant; its synthesis in the body is blocked by the statin drugs widely prescribed to reduce cholesterol levels.

Australian researchers wondered if administering supplemental CoQ10 to type 2 diabetic patients would improve indications of endothelial dysfunction.1 Characterized by inflammation of the blood vessel linings, endothelial dysfunction is believed to underlie atherosclerosis, which is the foundation of cardiovascular disease.

Twenty-three statin-treated diabetic subjects randomly received either 200 mg CoQ10 per day, or placebo, for three months. Analysis of arterial dilation and markers of oxidative stress revealed that patients receiving CoQ10 experienced a significant improvement in endothelial function, compared with the placebo subjects.1

These findings support previous reports that CoQ10 reduces oxidative stress and improves endothelial function.2,3

—Dale Kiefer

Lutein supplementation for 12 weeks improves vision in a group of people with chronic exposure to computer-display light.* Lutein is a carotenoid found in high concentrations in the eye’s macula (a region of the retina involved in detailed vision).

Thirty-seven healthy men and women aged 22 to 30 years were recruited. Each had used computers for an average of more than 10 hours per day over the past two years. Subjects were randomly assigned to take lutein 6 mg/day, lutein 12 mg/day, or placebo for 12 weeks. At study completion, a small improvement was found in visual acuity in the 12-mg lutein group, although the findings were not statistically meaningful. Contrast sensitivity, however, improved in both the 6-mg and especially the 12-mg lutein group, and many of these measurements were significant.

Previous research has proposed a promising role for lutein in age-related macular degeneration. Dietary or supplemental lutein intake is critical because the body cannot synthesize carotenoids.

—Laura J. Ninger, ELS

Scientists have long known that alcohol intake increases the risk of pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas characterized by severe abdominal pain. Now, new research suggests that smoking is also an independent risk factor for pancreatitis.*

Researchers in Denmark examined data from nearly 20,000 men and women. Two-hundred thirty-five participants developed pancreatitis during the follow-up period, which averaged 20 years. The researchers found that approximately 46% of these cases of pancreatitis were attributable to smoking.

“We found that smoking was associated with a higher risk of pancreatitis, and that this increase in risk was comparable in size with what we previously found for alcohol, meaning that smoking is actually as harmful for the pancreas as alcohol,” lead research Dr. Janne Tolstrup of the University of Southern Denmark told Life Extension®. “Also, we observed that the risk among former smokers was increased, indicating that it may take several years before the risk among former smokers is back to normal.”

The researchers are unsure of the exact biological mechanism that links smoking and pancreatitis, but they note that animal studies have demonstrated that smoking interferes with pancreatic function.

—Marc Ellman, MD

A recent issue of Cancer Prevention Research published the results of a trial conducted by scientists at the Tokyo University of Science that determined sulforaphane, a compound that occurs in high amounts in broccoli and its sprouts, helps suppress Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium responsible for stomach ulcers and many cases of stomach cancer.*

Akinori Yanaka, MD, PhD, and colleagues divided 48 men and women infected with H. pylori to receive broccoli sprouts or alfalfa sprouts for two months. Helicobacter pylori infection levels were assessed upon enrollment and at the conclusion of the treatment period. While all measures of infection were the same at eight weeks among participants who consumed alfalfa sprouts, they were significantly reduced among those who received broccoli sprouts.

“The highlight of the study is that we identified a food that, if eaten regularly, might potentially have an effect on the cause of a lot of gastric problems and perhaps even ultimately help prevent stomach cancer,” co-author Jed Fahey MS, ScD, concluded.

—Dayna Dye

Despite the ever-escalating use of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs, high blood pressure and abnormally high blood lipid levels remain alarmingly common among heart disease patients in Europe, according to a study published in the influential journal, Lancet.*

British researchers extracted data from three international EUROASPIRE surveys; consecutive studies of cardiovascular disease risk factors and prevention measures among heart disease patients in nine European countries. Among more than 2,300 subjects, the frequency of obesity increased from 25% to 38% since the first EUROASPIRE study, conducted in the mid-1990s. The incidence of elevated blood pressure remained about the same throughout the surveys, but the incidence of elevated blood cholesterol levels was slashed by more than half between EUROASPIRE I and EUROASPIRE III. Nevertheless, high cholesterol remains a concern for about half of cardiovascular patients surveyed. Meanwhile, the frequency of type 2 diabetes increased from 17.4% to 28%.

The investigators noted a need for better control of risk factors. “To salvage the acutely [diseased heart] without addressing the underlying causes of the disease is futile; we need to invest in prevention.”

—Dale Kiefer

Vitamin B supplementation reduces blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid implicated in cardiovascular disease, among patients with celiac disease.* Celiac disease is a digestive disorder characterized by an abnormal immune response to gluten (a protein found in wheat) and poor absorption of nutrients. Malabsorption of B vitamins due to celiac disease often results in elevated homocysteine.

The study included 25 adults with celiac disease who took daily B-vitamin supplements, 26 adults with celiac disease not taking vitamins, and 50 healthy controls who were not taking vitamins. Blood samples were drawn to measure vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine. Patients with celiac disease who took vitamins had significantly higher B-vitamin levels and significantly lower homocysteine levels compared with the other two groups.

The authors concluded that “regular use of B-vitamin supplements is effective in reduction of homocysteine levels in patients with celiac disease and should be considered in disease management.”

—Laura J. Ninger, ELS