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News flashes are posted here frequently to keep you up-to-date with the latest advances in health and longevity. We have an unparalleled track record of breaking stories about life extension advances.

Nicotinamide riboside reduces airway inflammation in COPD

November 29 2024. A randomized, double-blind trial reported November 15, 2024, in Nature Aging resulted in improvement in airway inflammation in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were given nicotinamide riboside (NR) in comparison with a placebo.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterized by lung damage that results in airway inflammation. Nicotinamide riboside, a member of the vitamin B3 family, is a precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a molecule needed for metabolism. "DNA damage and loss of the central metabolite nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) may contribute to both aging and COPD, presenting a potential avenue for interventions," Kristoffer L. Norheim and colleagues wrote in their report of the findings.

The trial enrolled 40 men and women with COPD, among whom half received two grams NR while the remainder received a placebo daily for six weeks. Another group of 20 individuals with healthy lungs who served as controls were similarly given NR or a placebo. Blood and sputum samples were collected at the beginning and end of the treatment period and at an 18-week follow-up visit. Sputum samples were analyzed for interleukin-8 (IL-8), a marker of inflammation that is related to disease COPD severity. Interleukin-8 stimulates an increase in a type of white blood cells known as neutrophils in the airways of people with COPD.

Participants with COPD who received NR experienced doubling of blood levels of NAD+, resulting in higher levels than the placebo and healthy groups at six weeks. Those who were given NR experienced a 52.6% lower level of sputum IL-8 (indicating reduced inflammation) than the placebo group at six weeks that remained low at the follow-up visit. Further analysis revealed indications of reduced epigenetic aging among COPD patients who received NR.

“Our findings suggest that NR could possibly be a viable treatment option for patients with COPD,” Norheim and associates concluded.

—D Dye

Reduced vitamin K levels associated with increased abdominal obesity and other cardiovascular disease risk factors

November 27 2024. A study reported November 21, 2024, in the European Journal of Nutrition found an association between a blood marker of low vitamin K and central (abdominal) obesity, diabetes, elevated blood lipids and impairment of kidney function in Danish men and women.

For the current study, researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital and Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen evaluated data from a five-year follow-up examination of 4,092 subjects who enrolled in the Danish study of Functional Disorders from 2011-2015. Blood sample analysis provided measurements of total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, calcium, hemoglobin A1c (a marker of long-term glucose control) and plasma dephospho-uncarboxylated matrix Gla protein (dp-ucMGP) which, when elevated, indicates low vitamin K in the body. (Matrix Gla protein is a vitamin K-dependent protein.)

Doubling of dp-ucMGP, indicating decreased vitamin K levels, was associated with increased risks of central obesity, diabetes, elevated lipids and kidney disease. Similar associations were revealed between increasing dp-ucMGP and cardiovascular disease risk factors, including higher body mass index, fat percentage, waist circumference, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, and decreased kidney function.

Authors Julie Aaberg Lauridsen and colleagues explained that because carboxylation of MGP is essential for MGP to inhibit calcification of the arteries, higher levels of uncarboxylated MGP can reflect reduced prevention of arterial stiffening. "Especially in the coronary arteries, calcification is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular events," they noted.

"These results suggest that, if vitamin K has an influence on cardiovascular disease, the complex mechanisms may involve obesity, diabetes, and kidney function," Lauridsen and colleagues concluded."Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to assess whether vitamin K is causally related to these cardiovascular disease risk factors both in predisposed groups and in the general population."

—D Dye

Less pain, better quality of life in dogs given omega-3

November 25 2024. Findings of a study reported October 29, 2024, in the journal Animals revealed improvements in pain and quality of life among dogs that received the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA for 16 weeks.

The study included 29 dogs aged three years and older that did not have previously diagnosed diseases and were not receiving daily anti-inflammatory medications. The dogs' owners were instructed to give their animals 70 milligrams EPA plus DHA per kilogram of the animals' body weight per day; however, the amounts of EPA/DHA contained in each capsule prevented the administration of precise weight-based dosages. Omega-3 Index values that quantify the amount of EPA and DHA in red blood cells were measured in blood samples collected from the dogs at the beginning and end of the 16-week study.

Quality of life and pain were assessed by the owners' completion of Canine Health-related Quality of Life Surveys and the Helsinki Chronic Pain Index (HCPI) for dogs at the beginning and end of the study. "These outcomes were selected based on literature reports of musculoskeletal conditions being the most common disorders in dogs, resulting mostly in lameness and pain and impacting quality of life," authors Carolina Carlisle, PhD, and colleagues wrote.

Compared with the beginning of the study, Omega-3 Index values increased from an average of 1.4% to 3.3%. Quality of life scores improved in small dogs. Overall pain scores decreased by 19%, mainly in small and medium-sized animals. The authors of the report suggested that the decline in pain was due to the ability of EPA and DHA to support a healthy inflammatory response.

"Our findings support the growing body of evidence that EPA + DHA supplementation can favorably affect the health of dogs," Dr Carlisle and her associates concluded.

—D Dye

Coenzyme Q10 associated with better outcomes, lower mortality in heart failure

November 22 2024. A meta-analysis of clinical trials published October 26, 2024, in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, affirmed the benefits of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in people with heart failure.

Heart failure describes a condition in which the heart’s ability to pump blood is impaired. Current treatments include drugs that have limited success. "The regulation of cardiac energy constitutes a novel therapeutic approach," Jiayi Xu and colleagues wrote. "Despite not being the primary treatment method for heart failure, coenzyme Q10 has been proven safe and effective."

A team from Soochow University and Nanjing University in China analyzed data from 32 randomized, controlled trials that included a total of 3,763 heart failure patients. Coenzyme Q10 was given along with conventional therapy for heart failure to a total of 1,898 participants and 1,845 received conventional therapy alone or with a placebo. Coenzyme Q10 dosage ranged from 30 mg to 100 mg per day given for one to 26.5 months.

Analysis of the 11 trials that reported mortality from all causes revealed a 64% lower risk of death during follow-up among participants who received CoQ10. Hospitalization for heart failure, which was reported in three trials, New York Heart Association classification of the disease, which was evaluated in five trials, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels measured in two trials were lower among participants who received CoQ10 compared with the control groups. Furthermore, left ventricular ejection fraction, reported in 24 trials, and six-minute walk test results, evaluated in 12 trials, were improved among those who received CoQ10.

"According to the existing evidence, coenzyme Q10 reduces all-cause mortality, hospitalization for heart failure, New York Heart Association classification, and brain natriuretic peptide level and improves left ventricular ejection fraction and 6-min walk test result in those with heart failure without major adverse effects," the authors concluded.

—D Dye

Feeling Down? Omega-3 May Help

November 20 2024. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study found a decrease in the severity of major depressive disorder among adults given omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids compared with a placebo. The findings were published October 29, 2024, in Nutrients.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that occur in fish oil and the algae they feed on, as well as in some plant foods. Fish oil and algae contain the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are insufficiently supplied by many people's diets.

The trial enrolled 60 men and women with major depressive disorder. Thirty participants were given 3.2 grams of EPA and DHA derived from fish oil while the remainder received a placebo for 12 weeks. Blood samples collected at the beginning and end of the study were analyzed for red blood cell omega-3 levels and other factors. Depression severity was rated at enrollment and every two weeks thereafter.

In the group that received omega-3, red blood cell EPA and DHA levels were significantly higher at the end of the study in comparison with levels measured at enrollment. Remission and response rates were higher in the omega-3-treated group than the placebo group, although the difference was not significant. Depression severity was significantly lower at 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks in the omega-3 treated group in comparison with the placebo group.

"Interestingly, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids did not show an immediate influence on depression status until week 4," authors Suet-Kei Wu of China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan and colleagues wrote. "This outcome correlates with previous studies which point out that the impact of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids might take some time to present."

The authors concluded that omega-3 fatty acids are safe intervention that can improve major depressive disorder symptoms without major adverse effects.

—D Dye

Zinc may protect against bacterial pneumonia

November 18 2024. Findings from a study reported November 15, 2024, in Nature Microbiology revealed the importance of consuming enough zinc to protect against bacterial pneumonia, which is often caused by the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii in people receiving mechanical ventilation (assisted breathing). A. baumannii is becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant, which renders it a threat to public health, according to corresponding author Eric P. Skaar, PhD, MPH, who is the director of Vanderbilt University's Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation.

The investigation involved mice whose lungs were infected with A. baumannii. Some of the animals were fed diets that were deficient in zinc while the remainder were provided with an adequate amount of the mineral. The research team observed that the deficient mice had greater amounts of A. baumannii in their lungs than nondeficient animals and that the bacteria had spread to their spleens. Deficient mice also had a higher rate of mortality compared with infected mice that were not deficient.

The zinc-deficient animals were found to have produced more proinflammatory cytokines than nondeficient mice, including more interleukin-13. Giving non-deficient mice interleukin-13 promoted bacterial spread. In deficient animals, treatment with an anti-interleukin-13 antibody protected against bacterial spread and death due to infection.

The research adds to the findings of studies that have uncovered an association between nutrient deficiencies and IL-13 production. "IL-13 may be an important risk factor for health care-associated and opportunistic lung infections, further supporting exploration of IL-13 as a target for treatment," Dr Skaar noted. "To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that neutralization of IL-13 could prevent mortality from a bacterial infection. This discovery points to the possibility of using anti-IL-13 therapy in patients with zinc deficiency and A. baumannii pneumonia as part of a personalized therapy approach."

—D Dye

Mushroom extract slows prostate tumor growth

November 15 2024. An article that appeared October 10, 2024, in Clinical and Translational Medicine reported research that suggests a potential benefit for an extract of white button mushrooms in prostate cancer therapy.

White button mushrooms are a source of ergothioneine, an antioxidant that research suggests may have a cancer protective effect.

Researchers at City of Hope® in Los Angeles studied the effects of white button mushrooms in mouse models of prostate cancer and in men under active surveillance for the disease who participated in a randomized phase II trial. In mice, the extract suppressed tumor growth and decreased the number and function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which are associated with cancer development and spread. This reduction led to an increase in T cell and natural killer cell antitumor immune responses.

Blood samples collected from eight clinical trial participants at the beginning of the trial and at three months also revealed a decrease in myeloid-derived suppressor cells and an increase in anti-tumor T cells and natural killer cells.

Further research findings involving mice with prostate cancer suggested that white button mushrooms could be used in addition to immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat the disease.

"City of Hope researchers are investigating foods like white button mushroom, grape seed extract, pomegranate, blueberries and ripe purple berries called Jamun for their potential medicinal properties," senior author Shiuan Chen, PhD, commented. "We're finding that plant-derived substances may one day be used to support traditional cancer treatment and prevention practices. This study suggests that "food as medicine' treatments could eventually become normal, evidence-based cancer care that is recommended for everyone touched by cancer."

"While our research has promising early results, the study is ongoing," first author Xiaoqiang Wang, MD, PhD noted. "That said, it couldn't hurt if people wanted to add more fresh white button mushrooms to their everyday diet."

—D Dye

Vitamin D may help lower BP in overweight individuals

November 11 2024. The December 2024 issue of the Journal of the Endocrine Society published the finding of researchers at the American University of Beirut Medical Center of a reduction in blood pressure in older, obese individuals who were given vitamin D.

Being overweight or having low blood vitamin D levels have been linked with an increased risk of high blood pressure. In the report of the study's findings, authors Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan, MD, MPH, FRCP, and colleagues remarked that trials that have evaluated the effects of vitamin D on blood pressure have had conflicting results; however, several trials that found no blood pressure benefit evaluated young participants who did not have conditions that could predispose them to hypertension.

The current study analyzed data from a previously conducted double-blind, randomized, controlled trial that enrolled men and women aged 65 years and older with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25, categorized as overweight. Participants were given 1000 milligrams calcium plus 600 IU vitamin D daily for one year. In addition, 110 participants were given 11,000 IU vitamin D3 and 112 participants received a placebo weekly for the duration of the trial.

Among those who received the high weekly dose of vitamin D, significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed at six and twelve months. Individuals in both the low vitamin D and high vitamin D groups whose BMI was greater than 30, classifying them as obese, had significant reductions in systolic blood pressure; however, diastolic blood pressure was reduced only among those who received high-dose vitamin D. Among the 143 participants who had high blood pressure at enrollment, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were reduced at six and twelve months regardless of vitamin D dose or BMI status.

"Our study found vitamin D supplementation may decrease blood pressure in specific subgroups such older people, people with obesity and possibly those with low vitamin D levels," Dr Fuleihan concluded.

—D Dye

Higher vitamin E intake associated with lower osteoporosis risk

November 11 2024. Getting more vitamin E in the diet is associated with protection against osteoporosis, according to a study published October 21, 2024, in Frontiers in Endocrinology.

Researchers at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine examined data obtained from 5,805 men and women aged 50 years and older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2007–2010, 2013–2014 and 2017–2020 cycles. NHANES' dietary recall interview responses concerning food and beverages consumed within the past 24 hours were analyzed for the intake of the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E.

Based on bone mineral density measurements, approximately 9.9% of the group had osteoporosis. A declining risk of the disease occurred in association with increasing intake of vitamin E. Each additional one milligram of vitamin E intake per day was associated with a 4% lower risk. People whose vitamin E intake was among the top 25% of the current study's subjects had an adjusted 39% lower risk of osteoporosis compared with those whose intake was among the lowest 25%. Those who used hormones experienced a greater risk reduction in association with increasing vitamin E.

"The association between dietary vitamin E and osteoporosis was consistent across subgroups according to sex, age, race/ethnicity, education level, BMI, smoking status, prior fracture, hormone use, vitamin D supplementation and calcium supplementation," Ruoyu Zuang and colleagues wrote.

While the findings don't establish a cause-and-effect relationship between higher vitamin E and osteoporosis protection, the authors noted that other studies' results agree with their findings.

"Our study showed a significant linear association between dietary vitamin E levels and osteoporosis in an older population in the United States.," they concluded. "Further research is required to explore the potential effects of different forms of vitamin E on osteoporosis."

—D Dye

Benefits to children from mother’s vitamin D persist for years

November 08 2024. The November 2024 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported findings from a follow-up of the Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study (MAVIDOS) of better bone mineral density in children between the ages of six and seven whose mothers used vitamin D during pregnancy.

"Our findings show that the benefits of vitamin D . . . during pregnancy persist into mid-childhood," first author Rebecca Moon of the University of Southampton stated. "This early intervention represents an important public health strategy. It strengthens children's bones and reduces the risk of conditions like osteoporosis and fractures in later life."

The randomized, controlled MAVIDOS trial enrolled 1,134 pregnant women at less than 11–14 weeks gestation with vitamin D levels of 10–40 nanograms per milliliter. Five hundred sixty-five women were assigned to 1000 international units of vitamin D3 per day and 569 received a placebo from the 14th–17th week of gestation until delivery.

Three hundred eighteen children had DXA scan results from two weeks, four years and six to seven years. At six to seven years of age, children of mothers who received vitamin D had higher whole-body (minus the head) bone mineral content, bone mineral density, bone mineral apparent density (a bone density measurement that takes size of the body into account) and lean mass in comparison with children born to mothers who received a placebo. Effects associated with vitamin D were similar to those obtained from scans conducted at age four.

"These findings add to the important knowledge generated through the MAVIDOS trial," lead researcher Nicholas Harvey remarked. "We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the mothers and children involved. Their contributions have advanced our understanding of vitamin D supplementation and its role in supporting strong and healthy bones."

—D Dye

Higher blood levels of omega 3, 6 associated with cancer protection

November 06 2024. A study reported October 17, 2024, in the International Journal of Cancer revealed an association between higher plasma levels of omega-3 or omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and a lower risk of cancer.

"These findings suggest that the average person should focus on getting more of these fatty acids in their diets," lead author Yuchen Zhang of the University of Georgia advised.

Researchers evaluated data from 253,138 participants in the UK Biobank, which has followed over half a million men and women in England, Wales, and Scotland since 2006. Subjects included in the current investigation did not have cancer diagnoses upon enrolling. Blood plasma samples collected at enrollment were analyzed for omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels as percentages of total fatty acids. National Health Service records provided information concerning new incidences of cancer through December 18, 2022.

During an average follow-up period of 12.9 years, 29,838 subjects were diagnosed with cancer. Higher plasma total omega-3 as well as total omega-6 levels were associated with small overall reductions in cancer risk.

Of 19 cancer types examined, higher omega-3 fatty acid levels were significantly associated with reductions in the risk of cancers of the stomach, colon, liver/gallbladder and lung, according to the main statistical model. Having higher omega-6 fatty acid levels was significantly associated with lower risks of cancers of the esophagus, colon, rectum, liver/gallbladder, pancreas, lung, skin (melanoma), connective soft tissue, kidney, bladder, brain, ovary and thyroid. However, a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids was associated with greater cancer risk.

"Our population-based cohort study in UK Biobank indicates small inverse associations of plasma omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with the incidence of overall and most site-specific cancers, although there are notable exceptions," the authors concluded.

—D Dye

Higher vitamin D levels associated with living longer after heart attack

November 04 2024. On November 4, 2024, the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology published the outcome of an analysis of myocardial infarction (MI, or heart attack) patients that found an association between higher vitamin D levels or greater physical activity and a reduction in the risk of dying during a median 14.4 years of follow-up.

The study included 4,837 men and women who had a heart attack within ten years of enrolling in the ongoing Alpha Omega Cohort. Blood samples collected at enrollment from 2002–2006 were analyzed for plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Participants' questionnaire responses provided information concerning leisure time physical activity, which was categorized as light, moderate, vigorous, high or no activity.

Less than 10% of the patients reported having used vitamin D. Use of the vitamin was more frequent among individuals whose vitamin D levels were among the top one-third of the subjects in the study. Forty-four percent of the group had deficient vitamin D levels of less than 20 nanograms per milliliter.

Through 2022, 3,206 deaths occurred, which included 1,244 deaths from cardiovascular disease. Among individuals whose vitamin D levels were among the top third of subjects, the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was 37% lower and the risk of death from all causes was 32% lower than those among the lowest third.

High physical activity was associated with a 28% lower risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease and a 16% lower risk of mortality from all causes compared with light activity. People with low vitamin D and no reported activity had three times the risk of death during follow-up than those with high vitamin D and activity.

"Our study emphasizes the importance of maintaining an adequate vitamin D status and performing ample physical activity for premature mortality prevention in post-myocardial infarction patients," the authors concluded.

—D Dye

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