November 4, 2009, 8:02 AM CT

Do you eat your meal quickly?

As per a newly released study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), eating a meal quickly, as in comparison to slowly, curtails the release of hormones in the gut that induce feelings of being full. The decreased release of these hormones, can often lead to overeating.

"Most of us have heard that eating fast can lead to food overconsumption and obesity, and in fact some findings based on observation have supported this notion," said Alexander Kokkinos, MD, PhD, of Laiko General Hospital in Athens Greece and main author of the study. "Our study provides a possible explanation for the relationship between speed eating and overeating by showing that the rate at which someone eats may impact the release of gut hormones that signal the brain to stop eating".

In the last few years, research regarding gut hormones, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), has shown that their release after a meal acts on the brain and induces satiety and meal termination. Until now, concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones have not been examined in the context of different rates of eating.

In this study, subjects consumed the same test meal, 300ml of ice-cream, at different rates. Scientists took blood samples for the measurement of glucose, insulin, plasma lipids and gut hormones before the meal and at 30 minute intervals after the beginning of eating, until the end of the session, 210 minutes later. Scientists observed that subjects who took the full 30 minutes to finish the ice cream had higher concentrations of PYY and GLP-1 and also tended to have a higher fullness rating......... Posted by: JoAnn      Read more         Source

November 4, 2009, 7:57 AM CT

Consumption Of Processed And Fried Foods

Scientists from Mount Sinai School of Medicine report that cutting back on the consumption of processed and fried foods, which are high in toxins called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs), can reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body's natural defenses regardless of age or health status. These benefits are present even without changing caloric or nutrient intake.

The findings, reported in the October/recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, provide a simple dietary intervention that could result in weight loss and have significant impact on several epidemic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.

The findings are the result of a clinical study involving over 350 people which was conducted in collaboration with, and with support from, the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The study builds on earlier research conducted in animal models that demonstrated the effective prevention of these diseases and even the extension of lifespan by consuming a reduced AGE diet.

"What is noteworthy about our findings is that reduced AGE consumption proved to be effective in all study participants, including healthy persons and persons who have a chronic condition such as kidney disease," said the study's main author Helen Vlassara, MD, Professor and Director of the Division of Experimental Diabetes and Aging at Mount Sinai School of Medicine......... Posted by: JoAnn      Read more         Source

November 2, 2009, 11:12 PM CT

Early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer

Early-stage patients with breast cancer with HER2 positive tumors one centimeter or smaller are at significant risk of recurrence of their disease, in comparison to those with early-stage disease who do not express the aggressive protein, as per a research studyled by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The findings, published recently online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, is the first large study to analyze this cohort and represents a shift in the way women with early-stage HER2 positive breast cancer should be assessed for risk of recurrence and considered for therapy, said the study's senior author, Ana M. Gonzalez-Angulo, M.D, associate professor in M. D. Anderson's Departments of Breast Medical Oncology and Systems Biology.

The research was first presented at the CRTC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December, 2008.

Herceptin, also known as trastuzumab, was approved for use in 1998 for women whose advanced breast cancer expresses Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2, or HER2. Approximately 15-20 percent of breast cancer cells produce an excess amount of the HER2 growth protein on their surface, which makes the cancer more aggressive. Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody that latches on to these proteins and inhibits tumor growth......... Posted by: Janet      Read more         Source

November 2, 2009, 11:01 PM CT

Space-Industry Technology to Treat Breast Cancer

Scientists at Rush University Medical Center and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating on a study to determine if an imaging technique used by NASA to inspect the space shuttle can be used to predict tissue damage often experienced by patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation treatment. The study is examining the utility of three-dimensional thermal tomography in radiation oncology.

Preliminary results from the study are being displayed during the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, being held from November 1 - 5, 2009.

Approximately 80 percent of patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy develop acute skin reactions that range in severity. The more severe reactions cause discomfort and distress to the patient, and sometimes result in therapy interruptions. The severity is quite variable among patients and difficult to predict.

"Because reactions commonly occur from 10 to 14 days after the beginning of treatment, if we could predict skin reactions sooner we appears to be able to offer preventative therapy to maximize effectiveness and minimize interruption of radiation therapy," said Dr. Katherine Griem, professor of radiation oncology at Rush.

Scientists at Rush and Argonne are studying if three-dimensional thermal tomography (3DTT) can detect the earliest changes that may trigger a skin reaction. 3DTT is a relatively new thermal imaging process that is currently being used as a noninvasive away to detect defects in composite materials. The basic idea of thermal imaging is to apply heat or cold to a material and observing the resulting temperature change with an infrared camera to learn about its composition......... Posted by: Janet      Read more         Source

November 2, 2009, 11:52 PM CT

Fruit Fly Model toUnderstand Diabetes

As rates of obesity, diabetes, and related disorders have reached epidemic proportions in the US in recent years, researchers are working from a number of angles to pinpoint the causes and contributing factors involved in this public health crisis. While sedentary lifestyles and diets high in sugar and fat contribute significantly to the rise in diabetes rates, genetic factors may make some people more vulnerable than others to developing diabetes.

Scientists at the University of Maryland are using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system to unravel what genes and gene pathways are involved in the metabolic changes that lead to insulin resistance and full-blown diabetes in humans. In research reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (November 2, 2009), Leslie Pick, an associate professor in the department of entomology, and his colleagues describe how they altered genes in fruit flies to model the loss of insulin production, as seen in human Type 1 diabetes.

"These mutant flies show symptoms that look very similar to human diabetes," explains Dr. Pick. "They have the hallmark characteristic which is elevated blood sugar levels. They are also lethargic and appear to be breaking down their fat tissue to get energy, even while they are eating -- a situation in which normal animals would be storing fat, not breaking it down"......... Posted by: JoAnn      Read more         Source

November 2, 2009, 11:36 PM CT

Childhood cancer survivors less likely to marry

Adult survivors of childhood cancer are 20 to 25 percent more likely to never marry compared with siblings and the general population, Yale School of Medicine scientists report in a newly released study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Nina Kadan-Lottick, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, and his colleagues studied almost 9,000 adult survivors of childhood cancer participating in the multisite Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. The team reviewed the frequency of marriage and divorce rates among survivors compared with their sibling groups in the U.S. Census data. Participants completed mailed surveys every two to three years on their health and psychosocial status in a research study that's ongoing.

Results showed that an estimated 42 percent of survivors were married, 7.3 percent were separated or divorced and 46 percent were never married. Patients who were previously treated for a brain tumor were 50 percent more likely than siblings and the general U.S. population to never marry. Of the childhood cancer survivors who did marry, divorce patterns were similar to their peers.

"Our findings suggest that in addition to the long-term physical effects of cancer, such as short stature, poor physical functioning and cognitive problems, social implications also exist," said Kadan-Lottick, who is a member of Yale Cancer Center......... Posted by: Janet      Read more         Source

November 2, 2009, 11:35 PM CT

Flu vaccine to women during pregnancy

Infants born to women who received influenza vaccine during pregnancy were hospitalized at a lower rate than infants born to unvaccinated mothers, as per preliminary results of a research study that's ongoing by scientists at Yale School of Medicine. The team presented the study October 29 at the 47th annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America in Philadelphia.

Influenza is a major cause of serious respiratory disease in pregnant women and of hospitalization in infants. Eventhough the flu vaccine is recommended for all pregnant women and children, no vaccine is approved for infants less than six months of age. Preventive strategies for this age group include general infection control and vaccination of those coming in close contact with them. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of the flu vaccine during pregnancy.

Led by Marietta Vzquez, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, this newly released study is a case-control trial of the effectiveness of vaccinating pregnant women to prevent hospitalization of their infants. During nine flu seasons from 2000 to 2009, Vzquez and his colleagues identified and tracked over 350 mothers and infants from 0 to 12 months of age who were hospitalized at Yale-New Haven Hospital. They compared 157 infants hospitalized due to influenza to 230 influenza-negative infants matched by age and date of hospitalization. The team interviewed parents to determine risk factors for influenza and evaluated medical records of both infants and their mothers to determine rates of vaccination with the influenza vaccine......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

November 2, 2009, 8:52 AM CT

Hepatitis B does not increase pancreatic cancer risk

A Henry Ford Hospital study observed that hepatitis B does not increase the risk for pancreas cancer and that only age is a contributing factor.

The results contradict a prior study in 2008 that suggested a link between pancreas cancer and prior hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis B is an inflammation of the liver caused by a viral infection.

Study results will be presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases' Annual Meeting in Boston.

Using data from Henry Ford Health System, physicians looked at more than 74,000 patients who were tested for hepatitis B between 1995 and 2008. In the overall analysis, only age was found to be a significant predictor for pancreas cancer.

"We looked at the occurence rate of pancreas cancer among hepatitis B-infected patients over a 13-year period and observed that we could not confirm a higher risk for those with a prior exposure to hepatitis B, as a previous study suggested," says Jeffrey Tang, M.D., gastroenterologist at Henry Ford Hospital and main author of the study.

"When other factors are considered such as age, race, sex, HIV status, and the presence of diabetes only older age and presence of diabetes proved significant, whereas previous exposure to hepatitis B was no longer an important variable"......... Posted by: Sue      Read more         Source

November 2, 2009, 8:47 AM CT

Sleep disturbances improve after retirement

A study in the Nov.1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that retirement is followed by a sharp decrease in the prevalence of sleep disturbances. Findings suggest that this general improvement in sleep is likely to result from the removal of work-related demands and stress rather than from actual health benefits of retirement.

Results show that the odds of having disturbed sleep in the seven years after retirement were 26 percent lower (adjusted odds ratio of 0.74) than in the seven years before retiring. Sleep disturbance prevalence rates among 14,714 participants fell from 24.2 percent in the last year before retirement to 17.8 percent in the first year after retiring. The greatest reduction in sleep disturbances was reported by participants with depression or mental fatigue previous to retirement. The postretirement improvement in sleep also was more pronounced in men, management-level workers, employees who reported high psychological job demands, and people who occasionally or consistently worked night shifts.

Main author Jussi Vahtera, professor in the department of public health at the University of Turku in Finland, noted that the participants enjoyed employment benefits rarely seen today, including guaranteed job stability, a statutory retirement age between 55 and 60 years, and a company-paid pension that was 80 percent of their salary......... Posted by: JoAnn      Read more         Source

November 2, 2009, 8:46 AM CT

Nano-scale drug delivery for chemotherapy

scale delivery vehicles and demonstrated in animal models that this new nanoformulation can eliminate tumors after a single therapy. After delivering the drug to the tumor, the delivery vehicle breaks down into harmless byproducts, markedly decreasing the toxicity for the recipient.

Nano-delivery systems have become increasingly attractive to scientists because of their ability to efficiently get into tumors. Since blood vessels supplying tumors are more porous, or leaky, than normal vessels, the nanoformulation can more easily enter and accumulate within tumor cells. This means that higher doses of the drug can be delivered, increasing its cancer-killing abilities while decreasing the side effects linked to systematic chemotherapy.

"When used to deliver anti-cancer medications in our models, the new formulation has a four-fold higher maximum tolerated dose than the same drug by itself, and it induced nearly complete tumor regression after one injection," said Ashutosh Chilkoti, Theo Pilkington Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering. "The free drug had only a modest effect in shrinking tumors or in prolonging animal survival".

The results of Chilkoti's experiments were published early online in the journal Nature Materials........ Posted by: Janet      Read more         Source