WHAT'S HOT

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.

More evidence for vitamin E benefit in liver disease

August 30 2024. A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials found significant improvement in markers of liver inflammation and microscopic structure and function of liver tissue in people with metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) who received the antioxidant vitamin E. The findings were reported August 16, 2024, in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease, formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), refers to an accumulation of fat in the liver that is associated with metabolic disorders. MASLD can progress to MASH which, in turn, can progress to cirrhosis. Oxidative stress is believed to trigger inflammation in MASH. Antioxidant compounds and enzymes have been found to be low in MASH patients.

For the meta-analysis, Nicholas Ming-Zher Chee and colleagues at the University of Malaya selected seven randomized, controlled trials that compared the effects of vitamin E to another nutrient or drug or a placebo among a total of 853 men and women with MASLD or MASH. They determined that vitamin E significantly reduced serum levels of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), which are elevated in liver disease. Vitamin E lowered steatosis (the buildup of liver fat), inflammatory cells within the lobules of the liver and ballooning of liver cells. A subgroup analysis determined that ALT was lowered in association with vitamin E among participants with MASLD and not those with MASH.

"Vitamin E resulted in significant reduction in serum markers of liver inflammation, namely serum ALT and AST levels, in patients with MASLD, and improvements in histological features, namely steatosis, lobular inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning and MASH resolution, in patients with MASH," Chee and colleagues concluded.

—D Dye

Meta-analysis affirms association between vitamin D deficiency and MS

August 28 2024. The October 2024 issue of Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders published the finding of a review and meta-analysis conducted by researchers at Berghofer Medical Research Institute and the University of Queensland of an association between deficient levels of vitamin D and a greater risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). The meta-analysis is one of a number of investigations to have revealed a link between the two conditions.

Namal N. Balasooriya and colleagues selected 14 case-control studies that compared the risk of MS between adults with deficient and non-deficient vitamin D levels. The studies included a total of 4,130 cases of MS and 4,604 people without the disease who served as controls. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels below 10 ng/mL in one study, 20 ng/mL in 10 studies and 30 ng/mL in three studies. Five studies did not exclude participants who took vitamin D, six studies excluded these participants and three did not specify this.

When data from the studies was pooled, those who were deficient in vitamin D were 54% more likely to have MS than those who were not deficient. Among studies that excluded participants who took vitamin D, the risk of MS associated with deficiency was 2.19 times higher than that associated with not being deficient, while among investigations that did not exclude vitamin D users the risk between the two conditions was similar. Studies in which deficiency was defined as less than 20 ng/mL revealed a stronger association between deficiency and MS than those that defined it as less than 30 ng/mL.

"It is justifiable to conclude that maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels may be an important modifiable factor in reducing the risk of MS," Balasooriya and associates wrote.

—D Dye

Meta-analysis affirms taurine’s heart benefits

August 26 2024. A systematic review and meta-analysis published August 15, 2024, in Nutrition Journal added evidence to the cardiovascular benefits of taurine.

"Taurine, an amino acid, holds promise for cardiovascular health through mechanisms such as calcium regulation, blood pressure reduction, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects,"Chih-Chen Tzang of National Taiwan University and colleagues observed. "This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aims to evaluate the existing evidence on the quantitative effects of taurine on hemodynamic parameters and cardiac function grading, which are indicative of overall cardiovascular health and performance."

The meta-analysis included 808 participants in 20 randomized, controlled trials that compared the effects of taurine to a placebo in people with coronary heart disease, history of coronary artery bypass, heart valve defects, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, prehypertension, portal hypertension or diabetes, or in generally healthy individuals.

Trial outcomes examined in the meta-analysis included heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction (which is reduced in heart failure) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification. Heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and NYHA functional classification significantly decreased and left ventricular ejection fraction significantly increased among the groups who received taurine. Subgroup analyses indicated that taurine significantly improved heart rate in heart failure patients and healthy individuals and significantly lowered diastolic blood pressure in those with hypertension. Furthermore, left ventricular ejection fraction "notably increased"in heart failure patients.

"Considering taurine's safety profile and its beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders, we suggest a dosage of up to six grams per day for several months as potentially beneficial for patients with underlying cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders,"the authors suggested.

—D Dye

Krill oil boosts skin health

August 23 2024. An article published August 21, 2024, in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology reported the findings of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding pilot studies that evaluated the effects of orally administered krill oil in the skin of healthy adults.

Krill oil is derived from a marine crustacean that is a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are obtained from the plankton they consume.

In the first study, 26 adults were given 1,000 milligrams (mg) krill oil per day and 25 participants received a daily placebo for 12 weeks. The second 12-week study included 29 participants who received 2,000 mg krill oil per day and 21 participants who received a placebo. Blood omega-3 index, transepidermal water loss (passive diffusion of water across skin layers), hydration (water content within the stratum corneum layer of the skin) and elasticity were measured at the beginning of the study and at six and twelve weeks.

Omega-3 index values significantly increased among both groups that received omega-3 in comparison with the placebo groups. While transepidermal water loss significantly declined in both krill oil-treated groups compared with the placebo, hydration and elasticity increased. "Daily oral supplementation with 1 and 2 grams of krill oil showed significant and dose-dependent improvements in skin transepidermal water loss, hydration, and elasticity compared to placebo," Katina Handeland, PhD, and colleagues reported. "In addition, significant associations were found between these changes and the change in the omega-3 index following krill oil supplementation."

They concluded that, given its high safety profile, relatively low cost, and ease of use, krill oil "is a reasonable intervention that may benefit people who wish to improve their skin barrier function and overall skin health through diet."

—D Dye

Better multivitamin compliance results in lower injury rate in female military recruits

August 21 2024. Findings from a study reported August 19, 2024, in Military Medicine revealed that improved education in regard to multivitamins and better compliance with a multivitamin regimen was associated with significantly fewer overuse musculoskeletal injuries and bone stress injuries in female military recruits undergoing basic military training (BMT) compared with less knowledge and compliance.

"Overuse musculoskeletal injuries during training threaten success in BMT, and trainees with nutritional deficiencies are at higher risk," authors Korey B. Kasper, MD, and colleagues explained. "Several efforts are made at BMT to mitigate these issues to help trainees graduate on time, such as the distribution of multivitamins to female recruits. However, trainee compliance with the prescribed multivitamins has been reported to be low, calling into question the effectiveness of this intervention."

The study included 159 recruits undergoing basic military training who received a formula that provided vitamins A, B complex, C, D and E, calcium, iron and zinc. Seventy-nine trainees viewed an educational video created by registered dieticians concerning the subject of multivitamins and received in-person briefing by a group of experts (trainee health clinic medical director/sports medicine physician, registered dietician and diet technician). The remaining 80 women were presented with the video only. At the end of basic training, the participants completed a questionnaire concerning their knowledge of and compliance with the multivitamin regimen.

Women who received in-person briefing concerning multivitamins reported greater compliance with their use. Musculoskeletal injuries were diagnosed among 17.72% and bone stress injuries among 5.06% of the group who received the briefing, compared with 31.25% and 15% of participants who viewed the video only.

"This study's implication of multivitamin efficacy for injury risk reduction in female military trainees should be further studied, verified, and improved upon in this and other populations," the authors concluded.

—D Dye

High antioxidant intake associated with lower hair loss risk

August 19 2024. A study reported August 14, 2024, in Frontiers in Nutrition found an association between consuming a diet that contained a high level of antioxidants and a lower risk of androgenetic alopecia (AGA): hair loss caused by male hormones, that also affects women.

The investigation included 9,647 men and women enrolled in the Fasa Adult Cohort Study, which is an ongoing longitudinal prospective cohort study of adults over the age of 35 years. Twenty-four percent of the participants were determined to have metabolic syndrome based on waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting blood glucose measurements. Questionnaires completed at enrollment provided information concerning foods consumed and other data. Dietary antioxidant index values were calculated based on participants' intake of vitamins A, C and E, manganese, selenium and zinc.

Having a higher dietary antioxidant index value was associated with a 10% lower risk of androgenetic alopecia, while a higher energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index was associated with a 4% greater risk. The associations were significant among women, who comprised 49.4% of the participants. However, adjustment for metabolic syndrome rendered the adverse effect of a higher energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index insignificant.

The authors remarked that transforming growth factor-beta-1, which is stimulated by the activation of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), increases oxidative stress. In androgenic alopecia, the balance between oxidative stress and the antioxidant system in the hair follicles is disrupted and oxidative stress leads to the production of compounds that increase inflammation. "Antioxidant-rich diets protect against androgenic alopecia, while pro-inflammatory diets increase the risk, likely through developing metabolic syndrome," they concluded. "Dietary changes, such as reducing proinflammatory foods (like trans and saturated fats) and increasing anti-inflammatory options (fruits and vegetables), can help prevent hair loss and mitigate its psychological impacts, ultimately lowering future treatment costs."

—D Dye

IV vitamin C to be tried in bladder cancer

August 16 2024. The University of Kansas Cancer Center was the recipient of a $3.6 million grant from the United States Department of Defense that will be used to fund a phase II trial evaluating the effects of intravenous vitamin C in people with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

The disease occurs when cancer cells spread to the bladder wall's muscle layer and affects one quarter of bladder cancer patients.

The research follows a phase I trial conducted at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in which high-dose intravenous vitamin C was administered with gemcitabine and carboplatin, which are not gold standard chemotherapies used for metastatic bladder cancer but are less toxic. The combination reduced tumor size in up to a third of patients prior to surgery and had few side effects.

"Intravenous vitamin C achieves significantly higher levels in the blood than oral intake," explained research team leader John Taylor III, MD, MS, who is a professor in the Cancer Center's department of Urologic Surgery and Cancer Biology. "Administering it intravenously allows us to reach supratherapeutic levels, where vitamin C can be toxic to cancer cells."

The phase II trial will use the same treatment as the phase I trial and will be conducted at the University of Kansas Cancer Center and the University of Iowa. "Researchers at The University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center are established experts on Vitamin C, making them the perfect partner as we move into phase II of the trial," Dr Taylor stated. "This is a truly collaborative effort that is only possible at major academic medical centers like ours."

"Vitamin C is a comparatively low-cost and readily available therapy," he observed. "For people who are ineligible for the standard chemotherapy regimen, this new approach has the potential to be practice changing."

—D Dye

Higher magnesium intake linked with lower risk of premature mortality in RA patients

August 14 2024. A study published August 5, 2024, in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition found a lower risk of dying during up to 20 years of follow-up among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who consumed a high amount of magnesium.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by painful and disfigured joints. "Inflammation may be an important factor leading to premature death in RA patients," Hantian Liu of Nanchang University and colleagues observed. "Previous observations studies reported that magnesium intake was inversely related to inflammatory diseases including hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease."

The study included 2,181 men and women with rheumatoid arthritis who were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2018 database. Responses to dietary recall interviews were analyzed for magnesium intake levels from food and magnesium-containing nutrient formulas. Eight hundred twenty-five individuals died from all causes through 2019.

People who met the recommended nutrient intake of magnesium had an adjusted 11.2% lower absolute risk of all-cause mortality than those who did not attain the recommended intake. (Recommended nutrient intake levels for magnesium were 400 mg per day for men aged 18–30 years, 420 mg per day for men aged 31 years and older, 310 mg per day for women aged 18–30 years and 320 mg per day for women aged 31 and older.) Magnesium was found to be more protective for women, people younger than 65 years of age and those who were not obese.

"Magnesium has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, and higher magnesium intake has been proven to be related to lower inflammatory markers levels," the authors wrote. "Keeping a higher dietary magnesium intake may be a beneficial measure to improve the prognosis of RA patients."

—D Dye

N-acetylcysteine usage associated with lower risk of liver cancer in HCV patients

August 12 2024. A study reported this year in the American Journal of Cancer Research found a lower risk of progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (the most common type of liver cancer) among people with the infectious liver disease hepatitis C (HCV) who used N-acetylcysteine, a precursor of the amino acid L-cysteine.

N-Acetylcysteine is known for its antioxidant property and ability to boost levels of the antioxidant glutathione within the cells, particularly those of the liver.

"Chronic hepatitis C is characterized by persistent liver injury marked by inflammation, necrosis, and fibrosis, which can progress to cirrhosis and ultimately HCC," authors Gary Wong of Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei, Taiwan and colleagues wrote. "The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C involves an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant defense mechanisms."

The retrospective study included men and women with HCV who were enrolled in Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2008 to 2018. The database provided information concerning NAC usage, disease diagnoses and patient deaths.

Among 269,647 HCV patients in the current study, 40,332 had used NAC. NAC usage was defined as at least 28 cumulative defined daily doses. By using a statistical analysis method that matched NAC users with nonusers for various factors such as age, the researchers calculated a 61% adjusted lower risk of developing HCC among people who used NAC compared with nonusers. Higher daily NAC dosages were associated with a 67% adjusted lower risk of HCC in comparison with people who did not use NAC.

"The study provides compelling evidence for NAC's potential in reducing HCC risk among HCV patients," they concluded. "Insights into dose-dependent effects and optimal daily intensity thresholds offer valuable directions for future therapeutic strategies and clinical trials targeting HCC burden in HCV-infected individuals."

—D Dye

Higher vitamin D levels associated with lower mortality risk during 14 years of follow up

August 9 2024. The results of a prospective study reported August 6, 2024, in Clinical Nutrition revealed an association between higher levels of serum vitamin D and a lower risk of death during a median period of 14.3 years. The findings add to a growing body of literature that documents a link between higher vitamin D concentrations and longer life.

The investigation included 18,797 men and women who were aged 40 years or older and did not have a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer upon enrollment in the Cardiovascular Disease Association Study (CAVAS). Blood samples obtained at the beginning of the study were analyzed for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Questionnaires administered at enrollment provided information concerning the intake of vitamin D and other factors. The subjects were followed from the date at which they were surveyed during 2005–2012 until the end of 2021.

During the follow-up period, there were 2,250 deaths, including 465 due to cardiovascular disease and 730 caused by cancer. Among people whose vitamin D levels were among the top 25% of subjects at 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) or more, the adjusted risk of mortality from all causes was 31% lower than the risk experienced by those whose levels of less than 12 ng/mL were among the lowest 25%. Vitamin D concentrations that were among the second 25% at 12–20 ng/mL were associated with an 18% lower risk and levels of 20–30 ng/mL were associated with a 26% reduction. Deaths from cancer were also associated with a pattern of decline in association with rising vitamin D levels.

"These results highlight the importance of further research on the effects of circulating vitamin D levels on longevity," authors Sihan Song and colleagues concluded.

—D Dye

Fish oil lowers genetically determined high cholesterol

August 7 2024. Readers of What's Hot may recall a recent trial that showed a brain benefit for fish oil among people who are genetically at risk of Alzheimer disease. Another new study, published July 15, 2024, in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, revealed protective effects for fish oil among people genetically at risk of high cholesterol.

The study included 441,985 participants in the UK Biobank, which collected data from over half a million participants who were between the ages of 37 to 73 years at enrollment during 2006–2010. Questionnaires completed during initial assessments provided information concerning fish oil intake. Men and women included in the current study had complete genetic and other data available. Using the available genetic information, the research team developed polygenic scores that predicted total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

"Recent advances in genetic studies have allowed us to predict someone's genetic risk of high cholesterol," first author Yitang Sun, PhD, of the University of Georgia explained. "But the current prediction has room for improvement because it does not consider individual differences in lifestyles, such as taking fish oil."

People who reported using fish oil had lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and higher levels of beneficial HDL than polygenic scores predicted. In a separate analysis that evaluated these factors among subjects of different ancestries, the improvements were shown to be significant among those of European ancestry who used fish oil. Significant reductions in triglycerides were observed in fish oil users of African ancestry.

"Our study shows that considering lifestyles will improve genetic prediction," corresponding author Kaixiong Ye of the University of Georgia 's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences stated. "Taking fish oil is associated with a shift toward a healthy lipid profile."

—D Dye

Low vitamin D and K levels in diabetics

August 5 2024. A study reported July 14, 2024, in Frontiers in Endocrinology revealed low serum levels of vitamin D and vitamin K in men and women with diabetes.

The investigation compared 195 participants with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and 180 healthy nondiabetic control subjects matched for age, gender, body mass index and other factors. Fasting blood samples were analyzed for serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin K1, vitamin K2 and insulin, and plasma glucose levels.

Predictably, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were higher among participants who had diabetes in comparison with the control group. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels averaged 25.95 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) among the diabetic group and 37.46 ng/mL among those who did not have diabetes. Vitamin K1 averaged 1.24 ng/mL and vitamin K2 averaged 0.21 ng/mL among the diabetics, compared with vitamin K1 levels of 1.99 ng/mL and vitamin K2 levels of 0.33 ng/mL among the control group.

25-hydroxyvitamin D among diabetics was positively correlated with vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 levels. These three vitamins had inverse relationships with fasting plasma glucose and insulin resistance, which indicates a role for the vitamins in glucose metabolism regulation, according to author Ling Yang of Huishan District Third People's Hospital in Wuxi, China.

"This study highlights significant associations between serum vitamin D and vitamin K levels with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), showing lower levels in T2DM patients and negative correlations with fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance," Yang concluded. "These findings suggest that measurements of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin 1, and vitamin K2 could have predictive value for T2DM, highlighting the potential roles of these vitamins in T2DM management."

—D Dye

Fish oil may help protect brain cells of people at risk of Alzheimer disease

August 2 2024. A randomized, quadruple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial found a protective effect for fish oil, a source of omega-3 fatty acids, against the breakdown of neuron integrity in the brains of older individuals at high risk of Alzheimer disease.

Neurons are nerve cells that can undergo destruction in the brains of Alzheimer disease patients.

The trial included 102 participants without dementia who had white matter lesions of at least five cubic centimeters in size at enrollment. White matter lesions are abnormalities visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain that are a marker of small vessel disease, which may be associated with an increased risk of dementia.

Half of the trial's participants were given 1.65 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, and the remainder received a placebo for three years. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain to assess white matter lesion progression was conducted every year until the trial's conclusion. An MRI technique known as diffusion tensor imaging was used to assess neuronal integrity.

Although there was no significant difference in white matter lesion accumulation between the omega-3 and placebo groups at the end of the study, participants who were carriers of the APOE4 genetic variant (associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer disease) had less neuron integrity breakdown.

"This is the first dementia prevention trial to use modern prevention tools, such as a blood test and brain scan, to identify not only people at high risk for dementia, but also those well-suited to receive a specific nutritional intervention," coauthor Gene Bowman, ND, MPH announced. "The fact that neuronal integrity breakdown was slowed in people randomized to omega-3 treatment who are also at high risk for Alzheimer's disease is remarkable and warrants a larger clinical trial in more diverse populations in the future."

The findings were reported in the August 2024 issue of JAMA Network Open.

—D Dye