increase Archives - First Washington News

February 27, 2023

How air pollutants may increase attacks in urban children

A young boy runs along a boardwalk in front of a big city at sunset — Researchers say children in urban areas may be more prone to asthma attacks during to air pollutants. ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images

Asthma attacks, which involve the worsening of the inflammation and narrowing of the lung airways, are commonly caused by viral respiratory infections but can also be caused by non-viral factors.
Higher exposure to air pollutants is associated with an increased risk of asthma attacks, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of air pollutants to trigger asthma attacks are not well understood.
A new study shows that higher levels of air pollutants, particularly ozone and fine particulate matter, were associated with an increased risk of asthma attacks in children residing in urban centers.

Viral respiratory infections are the most common cause of asthma attacks, but nonviral factors such as air pollutants are also associated with the flare-up of asthma symptoms.

A recent study published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health reports that higher air pollution levels, particularly ozone and fine particulate matter concentrations, were associated with asthma attacks and a decline in lung function in children living in urban centers.

Researchers also noted that these air pollutants could trigger asthma attacks even when their concentrations were below national air quality standards.

The researchers added that higher ozone and fine particulate matter concentrations were associated with the activation of specific inflammatory pathways in the airways, helping to understand how higher pollutant levels may lead to an increased risk of asthma attacks in children living in urban areas.

“I think that this paper is very interesting and important because they were able not only to look at asthma exacerbation but also had data on the absence of respiratory virus and examined other outcomes,” said Dr. Antonella Zanobetti, an environmental health researcher at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

“They show an association between air pollution and asthma exacerbations occurring in the absence of a provoking respiratory virus; therefore, air pollution in this study was a trigger of asthma exacerbations independently of respiratory viral infections, which in turn is important to understand the biological mechanisms,” he told Medical News Today.

“Their study went much further than many other studies in that they carefully analyzed the relationship between air pollution and asthma exacerbations regardless of whether these events occurred during viral infections or not,” added Dr. Allen Dozor, a professor of pediatrics and division chief of Pulmonology at New York Medical College.

“Viral infections are very common in children and most severe asthma events are associated with upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) or colds,” he told Medical News Today. “Children catch an amazing number of colds each year, but for many children, particularly in areas with high levels of air pollution, colds frequently lead to severe asthma attacks. It is important to emphasize that high levels of air pollution worsen both viral-associated and non-viral-associated asthma attacks.”

Asthma is a chronic condition characterized by the inflammation and narrowing of the bronchi, the main airways in the lungs, and its branches.

The symptoms of asthma include chest tightness, breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing that tend to worsen during an asthma exacerbation.

An asthma exacerbation, also known as an asthma attack, involves a further narrowing of the lung airways due to the inflammation of the cells of the airways and the contraction of bronchial muscles. This is accompanied by the production of excess mucus that also leads to the obstruction of airways.

Respiratory tract viral infections are one of the most common causes of asthma exacerbation in both children and adults. However, an asthma exacerbation can also occur due to non-viral causes, such as non-viral infections, allergens, pollen, and pet hair.

In addition, several epidemiological studies have shown a link between air pollutant levels and the occurrence of asthma attacks. Higher levels of several air pollutants, such as fine particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, have been linked to the occurrence of asthma attacks.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in children. Moreover, studies suggest that children residing in low socioeconomic and urban neighborhoods show higher asthma morbidity and prevalence. Higher air pollution levels are characteristic of these neighborhoods and may explain the greater prevalence and severity of asthma in children living in low-income urban areas.

However, the molecular mechanisms underlying asthma exacerbation during non-viral respiratory illnesses, especially in vulnerable populations such as children with severe asthma, are not well understood. In addition, the differences in the mechanisms that underlie asthma exacerbations caused due to air pollutants and viral infections have not been characterized.

In the new study, the researchers initially examined the association between air pollutant levels and asthma exacerbation in children and adolescents residing in urban neighborhoods.

The researchers analyzed data from a previous observational study titled “Mechanisms Underlying Asthma Exacerbations Prevented and Persistent with Immune-based Therapy Part 1 (MUPPITS1).”

That study’s authors had previously used data from MUPPITS1 to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying viral and non-viral asthma exacerbations.

The aim of the new study was to use the MUPPITS1 data to specifically understand the molecular basis of non-viral asthma exacerbations caused due to air pollutants.

MUPPITS1 included 208 children aged 6 to 17 years with exacerbation-prone asthma residing in low-income neighborhoods in nine United States cities. The study collected data on lung function and nasal samples from these participants after the onset of symptoms of an episode of respiratory illness.

The researchers used the nasal samples to determine whether the respiratory illness was caused due to a viral infection or due to non-viral factors. They also further classified participants on the basis of whether they did or did not have an asthma exacerbation during the illness.

The researchers then used data on the Air Quality Index and the concentrations of individual pollutants collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for each geographical area included in the study. These air pollution data were matched with each participant’s location and date of illness.

The researchers reported that the Air Quality Index values were higher nine days before and after the onset of symptoms in participants with a non-viral asthma exacerbation than those with a viral asthma exacerbation. In addition, the Air Quality Index values were negatively correlated with lung function in the participants with non-viral asthma exacerbations.

A similar association between Air Quality Index and non-viral asthma exacerbations was also observed using data from a different study involving 419 individuals aged between 6 to 20 years residing in low-income households in eight major US cities.

Data from both studies showed that ozone and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations were higher during episodes of non-viral asthma exacerbation. Moreover, ozone concentrations were associated with a decline in lung function.

The Air Quality Index values and ozone concentrations did not exceed the national air quality standards. The fine particulate matter concentrations only exceeded the standard ambient values in some instances.

The study authors said that this could suggest that exposure to low levels of air pollutants over multiple days could be adequate to cause an asthma attack. They also noted that the regional EPA values might not capture high levels of these pollutants in specific urban localities. Moreover, personal exposure to air pollutants may vary even for individuals residing in the same location.

The researchers then examined differences in gene expression using the nasal samples from the MUPPITS1 study.

The Air Quality Index was associated with common gene expression patterns in both viral and non-viral asthma exacerbations, suggesting the presence of core pathways that underlie asthma attacks. In addition, Air Quality Index values were associated with changes in the gene expression profile that were specific to non-viral asthma exacerbations.

At the level of individual air pollutants, fine particulate matter levels were specifically correlated with an increase in the expression of genes associated with excessive mucus secretion and proinflammatory cytokines, a class of signaling proteins, in non-viral asthma exacerbations.

Fine particulate matter concentrations were also positively correlated with the expression of tissue kallikreins, a group of enzymes that are involved in inflammation and are elevated in asthma.

The epithelial cells form the lining of most of the respiratory tract and protect against inhaled infectious agents, allergens, and debris that can harm the respiratory system. The levels of fine particulate matter were also associated with the expression of genes that are involved in epithelial cell barrier function.

In individuals with non-viral asthma exacerbations, the concentration of ozone was correlated with genes associated with type-2 inflammation, a type of inflammatory response typically observed in asthma.

Researchers said the molecular pathways involved in asthma exacerbation associated with specific air pollutants could explain the higher asthma prevalence and morbidity in children living in urban centers.

The identification of pathways that are specific to asthma exacerbations caused due to higher air pollutant levels could also help devise interventions targeting these molecular pathways.

In addition, personal devices that help monitor air quality levels and the use of air filters during high levels of air pollution could help lower the risk of pollution-associated asthma exacerbations.

The authors cautioned that the study was observational in nature and did not establish causation between air pollutants and the incidence of asthma exacerbations.

Zanobetti also noted that “the study had a low number of subjects and used air pollution from monitors. In addition, they examined air pollution in the days just before the event, which means focusing on acute effects and not chronic ones. Therefore more studies, with more data and better spatial air pollution resolution, are needed.”

February 21, 2023

Irregular sleeping habits may increase risk

an older woman with gray hair sleeps or naps in bed under the covers with one hand covering her eyes — A analyze uncovered a url among irregular sleeping designs and an improved possibility of atherosclerosis in more mature grownups. Milamai/Getty Images

A new review finds a backlink amongst irregular sleeping styles and subclinical indications of atherosclerosis in older individuals.
Atherosclerosis-relevant conditions are the leading cause of dying in the United States.
The research underscores the importance of setting up regularity in one’s slumber regimen.

A latest research explores a relationship in between atherosclerosis, not retaining a common bedtime, and sleeping for inconsistent durations of time.

The analyze discovered that older people who varied slumber time by an normal of two hours inside of a one 7 days and those who changed their bedtimes by an hour and a half ended up substantially a lot more most likely to exhibit subclinical symptoms of atherosclerosis.

According to a push launch, here’s what the researchers calculated to look into the presence of plaque in the arteries:

calcified fatty plaque buildup in arteries — coronary artery calcium
fatty plaque buildup in neck arteries — carotid plaque existence
thickness of the interior two levels of the neck arteries — carotid intima-media thickness
narrowed peripheral arteries — the ankle brachial index

They detected calcified plaque in arteries, the main fundamental trigger of strokes and heart attacks. When they calculated participants’ blood pressure at their arms and when compared that determine to blood pressure at their ankles, the ensuing substantial ankle brachial indexes indicated stiffness in their blood vessels. Equally signs or symptoms might be indications of producing atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a affliction in which cholesterol, fatty deposits, and mobile squander items in your blood kind sticky plaques on the insides of your arteries. The plaques as a result thicken artery walls and can result in them to harden. The condition inhibits blood stream, avoiding adequate oxygen from being sent to your organs.

According to the United States Countrywide Institutes of Well being (NIH), 50 {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of Americans aged 45-84 have atherosclerosis devoid of being aware of it, and the condition joined to atherosclerosis is the top cause of loss of life in the U.S.

The analyze appears in the Journal of the American Coronary heart Association.

The analyze associated 2032 contributors in the separate community‐based MESA (Multi‐Ethnic Research of Atherosclerosis). MESA aimed to examine the qualities and possibility factors of subclinical signs of atherosclerosis across a assorted inhabitants of older folks.

To that conclusion, just over half of the participants in MESA have been gals. Thirty-8 per cent of the participants self-discovered as White, 28{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} as Black or African American, 23{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} as Hispanic, and 11{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} as Chinese. They ended up also geographically varied, recruited from St. Paul, MN Baltimore Metropolis and Baltimore County, MD Chicago, IL Forsyth County, NC Los Angeles County, CA Northern Manhattan and the Bronx, NY.

The individuals ranged from 45 to 84 yrs previous, with an normal age of 69, and all ended up absolutely free of identified cardiovascular condition.

Each and every participant wore a wrist system for seven days that tracked their durations of getting awake or asleep. They also accomplished rest diaries.

Finally, each individual individual participated in one particular night of in-house snooze monitoring that measured their breathing, rest levels, rest period, heart level, and the time they went to bed.

In the current review, people today whose slumber length various by an regular of two hours per week ended up 1.33 moments additional probably to have substantial coronary artery calcium scores than those people with far more regular slumber styles. They ended up also 1.75 situations a lot more possible to have abnormal ankle brachial indexes.

When evaluating men and women whose bedtimes varied by an common of 90 minutes above the program of a 7 days, researchers located a 1.39 moments improve in the likelihood of calcified artery plaques.

“Our success add to expanding proof from modern scientific studies that have linked irregular slumber styles to cardiovascular chance,” reported the study’s lead writer, Dr. Kelsie M. Complete of Vanderbilt College.

Other scientific studies, Dr. Complete mentioned, already join inadequate sleep to cardiovascular disorders these as hypertension, sort 2 diabetes, and heart sickness.

“Our bodies have a all-natural 24-hour internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, that regulates quite a few physiological processes, like rest-wake cycles. When we continuously go to bed and wake up at distinctive instances, it can disrupt our circadian rhythm and guide to what is termed ‘social jet lag,’” mentioned Dr. José M. Ordovás of Tufts College, who was not included in the research.

Interventional cardiologist Dr. Hoang Nguyen, not included in the review, told Professional medical News Right now:

“The authors suggested that disturbance in rest regularity encourages cardiovascular disorder by disturbing the normal circadian rhythm of the human body, thus influencing inflammation, glucose metabolism and sympathetic neurohormal reaction. All of these components are identified to induce cardiovascular disease.”

“During sleep, the sympathetic anxious method (SNS) activity is usually reduced, permitting the entire body to relaxation and get well,” Dr. Ordovás stated.

“However, slumber disorders these kinds of as slumber apnea can direct to increased SNS exercise, which can cause hypertension and other CVD possibility aspects,” he extra.

The press release noted that owing to the limitation of sleep and atherosclerosis currently being measured concurrently, the scientists were being unable to assess “if better sleep irregularity leads to the growth of atherosclerosis.”

Dr. Whole famous that their examine tracked persons who frequently obtained fewer or more slumber than typical and observed no big difference in their atherosclerosis indicators.

The NIH recommends that older grownups, like all other grown ups, get between 7 and 9 several hours of sleep each and every working day.

It is doable to get much too much rest, in accordance to other investigation. Dr. Ordovás described that each a limited snooze period of less than 7 hours for every evening and a lengthy slumber period of additional than 9 hours per night time have both of those been related with an enhanced chance of CVD.

“What is fascinating about this examine is that the authors went beyond the quality of rest, and investigated the regularity of snooze,” reported Dr. Nguyen.

“I come across this portion intriguing, as it opens up a myriad of thoughts on the fundamental reasons for this, and has implications on attainable interventions from a health and fitness care company standpoint to increase cardiovascular overall health.”

“Addressing snooze issues,” mentioned Dr. Ordovás, “and promoting healthful slumber practices might help to minimize the possibility of CVD by cutting down irritation, oxidative strain, and other threat components related with rest disturbances.”

February 14, 2023

Phthalate exposure may increase risk in some women

shelves of foods packed in plastic containers at the supermarket — New research indicates that some women may be at an increased risk of diabetes due to phthalates, chemicals often used in food packaging. Image credit: Julien McRoberts/Getty Images.

Phthalates are chemicals widely used in food packaging, cosmetics, and children’s toys.
Research suggests they can interfere with hormone function, and that they are associated with obesity, allergies, and other health concerns in both children and adults.
Phthalates may also increase insulin resistance, raising the risk of diabetes.
Now, a study in women has shown that increased exposure to phthalates over a prolonged period may contribute to a higher risk of diabetes.

Plastics are everywhere, and they are extremely useful. They package our food and drink, they are in many of our clothes, and are also in our personal care products. They are even in the water we drink and the air we breathe in the form of microplastics.

While they may be useful, increasing scientific evidence is suggesting that some components of plastics may be harmful to human health.

Top of the potentially harmful list are phthalates, chemicals added to many plastics to make them flexible. Phthalates have been implicated in many health concerns, including endocrine disruption, obesity, allergies, and reproductive issues.

One hormone likely to be affected by phthalates is insulin, which controls blood glucose (sugar) levels and makes glucose available to cells. A study in adolescents found that increased urinary phthalate levels were associated with increased insulin resistance, which is often a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Another study made similar observations in older adults, finding that exposure to one particular group of phthalates, diethylhexyl phthalates (DEHP), increased oxidative stress and insulin resistance.

Now, a longitudinal study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has found that women exposed to high levels of phthalates have an up to 63{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increased risk of developing diabetes.

“The study subjects were chosen from a larger longitudinal study of midlife women to evaluate an association between phthalates in the urine and [the] development of diabetes. The study found an association between higher levels of certain phthalates and development of diabetes in white women, but not the other races studied — Black and Asian.”

– Dr. Ishita Prakash Patel, board-certified endocrinologist, Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology, not involved in the study

Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health studied 1,308 women from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) for 6 years.

All the women were aged between 42 and 52 years (median age 49.4 years), and not taking any exogenous reproductive hormones for the last 3 months — such as the birth-control pill or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) — when they enrolled in the study in 1996–’97.

The study looked at phthalate exposure and incident diabetes in these women in the 6 years between 1999–2000 and 2005–2006.

At the start, and in 2002–2003, all the women gave urine samples in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) tubes. PET is a plastic that does not release phthalates when stored at cool temperatures. The researchers froze the urine samples at -80 degrees Celsius until analysis in 2017–’18.

Using mass spectroscopy (HPLC-MS), the researchers measured the concentration of 12 different phthalates and phthalate metabolites in the urine samples.

The women attended nine follow-up visits during the study. Researchers classified diabetes if a woman reported using antidiabetic medications, had a doctor’s diagnosis of diabetes, and/ or had fasting blood glucose greater than 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) for two consecutive visits.

In the 6 years of the study, 61 women (4.7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}) developed diabetes. These women had significantly higher concentrations of all except two phthalate metabolites than women who did not develop diabetes.

“Our research is a step in the right direction towards better understanding phthalates’ effect on metabolic diseases, but further investigation is needed,” says co-author Dr. Sung Kyun Park, of the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, MI.

When the researchers stratified their results by race/ethnicity, they found a positive association between phthalate metabolites and incident diabetes in white, but not Black or Asian women. The authors state that it is “unclear what might explain such racial/ethnic differences”.

Dr. Patel agreed that the reasons for this finding were unclear, telling Medical News Today that “[t]he findings could have been skewed by a selection bias — for example, missing many cases of earlier onset diabetes.”

“Another possible reason could be that products were administered differently, leading to some forms causing more harm than others,” she hypothesized.

The researchers note that those who were younger, Black, current smokers, or obese generally had higher concentrations of phthalate metabolites. They also note that of the women who developed diabetes, 89.9{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} had overweight or obesity at the start of the study.

Because it was a longitudinal study, the researchers could demonstrate that phthalate exposure occurred before diabetes diagnosis, suggesting a causative effect.

Also, the population of women in the study was diverse, with white, Black, Chinese, Japanese, and Hispanic women participating. However, the researchers noted that “given inconsistent associations across racial/ethnic groups and phthalate metabolites, a causal relationship between phthalates and diabetes remains uncertain.”

The researchers note several limitations of their study. First, phthalate concentrations in single urine samples may not reflect habitual exposure to phthalates.

Secondly, they relied on fasting glucose to diagnose diabetes. Thirdly, the follow-up time was relatively short, and the sample was relatively small. And fourthly, other environmental factors may have affected the results.

Mindful of these limitations, they call for more research into the impact of phthalates on glucose homeostasis and diabetes, saying that, “[g]iven widespread exposure to phthalates and the enormous costs of diabetes to individuals and societies, ongoing investments in the research on phthalates’ metabolic effects are warranted.”

Although this study cannot prove that phthalates cause diabetes, it does raise the possibility, and phthalates are known to have other health effects. The European Chemicals Agency states that they can “interfere with our hormonal systems and cause allergies.”

But avoiding phthalates is not always easy, as they are found in many plastics. However, some steps are being taken to reduce people’s exposure to phthalates.

Many countries have limited the use of phthalates in children’s toys and other products, as there is evidence that exposure in childhood may adversely affect normal development.

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limited the use of phthalates in food packaging, reducing the risk of these chemicals being absorbed into foods

And some cosmetic manufacturers are now using other ingredients in place of phthalates. People can check whether plastics contain phthalates by looking at the recycling information.

So perhaps, to be on the safe side, we should follow the advice of Dr. Patel:

“It is probably best to limit exposure to chemicals like phthalates, which can be absorbed through the skin or digestive system, as much as reasonably possible.”

February 7, 2023

Ultra-processed foods may increase ovarian and brain cancer risk

Boxes of cake mix, which are considered ultra processed foods, on a packing line in a factory. — Consuming ultra processed foods has been linked to many negative health consequences. Andy Sacks/Getty Images

For many years, scientists have linked a healthy diet to a lowered risk for certain diseases.
Researchers from Imperial College London found that eating ultra-processed foods increases a person’s risk for developing cancer overall, specifically ovarian and brain cancers.
Scientists also found eating those foods heightens a person’s risk of dying from all cancers, especially ovarian and breast cancers.

Doctors have known for some time now that what we eat has a direct effect on our overall health.

The body requires specific nutrients to perform its routine tasks. And a healthy diet is linked to lowering a person’s risk for certain diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, as well as promoting better mental health.

Now, researchers from Imperial College London say eating ultra-processed foods increases a person’s risk for developing all cancers, specifically ovarian and brain cancers. And these foods also heighten a person’s risk of dying from cancers, especially ovarian and breast cancers.

The study was recently published in the journal eClinical Medicine.

Ultra-processed foods make up the fourth category of the NOVA food classification system.

According to this classification system, a food is considered ultra-processed if it is:

an industrial-made food with five or more ingredients
made entirely or mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as oils, fats, sugars, and starches
includes food substances not normally found in culinary preparations, like hydrogenated oils and modified starches
features additives whose main purpose is to imitate aspects of natural foods such as flavors, colors, and emulsifiers

Examples of ultra-processed foods include:

sodas and “energy” or sports drinks
packaged cookies
candies
pre-prepared pizza and packaged meats
sweetened and flavored yogurts
“instant” soups and other mixes
sweetened juices
baked goods made with hydrogenated vegetable fat, emulsifiers, and other additives

Previous research shows eating ultra-processed foods increases a person’s obesity risk and can accelerate a person’s biological aging.

Additionally, consuming ultra-processed foods has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, colorectal cancer, dementia, and all-cause mortality.

For this study, researchers used U.K. Biobank records to analyze the diets of 200,000 middle-aged adults. Scientists reviewed participants’ health over a 10-year time span, looking to see if they specifically developed 34 different types of cancer.

Upon review, the research team found people with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods had a greater risk of developing cancer overall.

For every 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increase in ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, that person had a 2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increased risk of developing cancer overall.

Additionally, researchers found for every 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increase in ultra-processed food consumption, a person increased their overall cancer death risk by 6{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

“The findings of this study on overall cancer risk are in line with what we know about the importance of a healthy diet in reducing our cancer risk,” Dr. Eszter Vamos, a clinical senior lecturer in the School of Public Health at Imperial College London and lead/senior author of this study told Medical News Today.

“There are many potential ways ultra-processed foods may increase cancer risk, and we need further research to better understand these,” she continued.

“UPFs have poor nutritional quality, are often high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats and low in fiber, and promote obesity — which is in itself a risk factor for many types of cancers. Ultra-processed foods may also contain potentially cancer-causing agents such as some controversial food additives, chemicals generated during food processing, and chemicals from packaging.”
— Dr. Eszter Vamos

In addition to overall cancer risk, Dr. Vamos and her team also found for every additional 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of ultra-processed foods in the diet, a person increased their risk of developing ovarian cancer by 19{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and dying from it by 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

“This is the first study to assess associations of ultra-processed food consumption with many different types of cancers, including ovarian cancer,” Dr. Vamos explained, adding: “We need further studies from other populations to confirm these findings.”

“However, previous studies suggest that diets high in unhealthy fats and low in vegetables may increase the risk of ovarian cancer,” she said.

“Ultra-processed foods may also promote inflammation that could contribute to cancer risk. Furthermore, some potentially cancer-causing agents such as acrylamide, which may be generated during processing, have been implicated.”
— Dr. Eszter Vamos

Researchers also found for every 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increase in ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet, they raised their breast cancer mortality rate by 16{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

Dr. Parvin Peddi, a medical oncologist and director of Breast Medical Oncology for the Margie Petersen Breast Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, California, who was not involved in the study, reiterated that breast cancer has a known correlation with people who are overweight as they can have higher levels of estrogen, which promotes risk breast cancer.

“We do know that people who have ‘unhealthy habits’ like dietary habits, meaning they eat more fatty or they are overweight, and perhaps now ultra-processed foods, have an increased risk of breast cancer.”
— Dr. Parvin Peddi

Medical News Today also spoke with Dr. Steve Vasilev, a board certified integrative gynecologic oncologist and medical director of Integrative Gynecologic Oncology at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Professor at Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California, about this study and how ultra-processed foods may cause increased cancer risk. Dr. Vasilev was not involved in the study.

He said the “old school thought” was that various toxins from food processing, as well as added preservatives, lead to genetic mutations that cause cancer.

“That’s probably true to some extent. However, we now know since the Human Genome Project that there’s something called epigenetics, which basically is a study that looks at how genes are turned on and off. For example, if tumor suppressor genes are turned off, it will lead to diseases like cancer,” Dr. Vasilev explained.

However, he said that even if a person is born with the BRCA1 gene that increases their risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer, that does not necessarily mean that person will get one of those diseases. The epigenetics, he explained, leads to that gene being switched on or off in the body.

“So you do have a proactive ability to modulate which genes are turned on and off in your body. And what influences those, some of it is literally the toxins that accumulate from the preservatives and things like that in ultra-processed foods,” Dr. Vasilev added.

So how can people improve their diet to help decrease their cancer risk?

Kate Cohen, a registered dietitian at the Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, told Medical News Today that while correlation is not causation, medical experts know that around 50{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of cancers can be prevented through diet and lifestyle changes.

“Hence diet is a controllable risk factor that every single one of us can and should take ownership of. You can’t control the physiology of how your body responds to food, but you can control what food you put into your body.”

Cohen, who was not involved in the study, also said this study gives doctors more ammunition to explain, encourage, instruct, and direct patients that a healthy diet has a direct effect on so many different health conditions.

“And now we see that breast, ovarian and other cancers may be on that list. If patients are at higher risk of developing any cancer — man or woman — doctors should be jumping up and down about this, as well as familiarizing patients with the other modifiable risk factors for cancer. We haven’t cured cancer, but we can cure bad diets.”
— Kate Cohen, dietitian

January 18, 2023

Social isolation may increase risk by 28{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}

an elderly person sitting on a bench alone — Social isolation could affect mind well being far more than thought. Adam Lister/Getty Photos

A new analysis of information from a significant, nationally consultant team of more mature Individuals finds an association concerning currently being socially isolated and producing dementia.
Individuals at possibility are these who only occasionally have get hold of with other individuals and have handful of energetic associations.
The study’s getting implies that by remaining or starting to be more socially energetic, 1 might lower the risk of dementia.

A new study has investigated regardless of whether social isolation can have an effect on the growth of dementia in more mature people today.

The new evaluation indicated that socially isolated adults had been 28{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} far more very likely to acquire dementia in excess of a period of time of nine decades, no matter of race or ethnicity, when compared to people who weren’t socially isolated.

The research is an evaluation of facts from 5,022 more mature U.S. grown ups who took aspect in the longitudinal Nationwide Well being and Aging Traits Study (NHATS). Of the NHATS review cohort, 1,172 individuals, or 23.3{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, were being classified as socially isolated — 3,850 (76.7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}) were not.

Further than its association with dementia, social isolation has also been connected to bad mental wellness and emotional effectively-staying in older individuals.

The research is posted in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Culture.

Although there is no common comprehending of what “social isolation” usually means, the study bases its use of the term on the definition presented in a report from the Countrywide Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Drugs, which suggests:

“Social isolation is defined as the goal condition of owning couple social interactions or infrequent social get in touch with with many others.”

The new study lists numerous attributes that qualify a person as currently being socially isolated: dwelling alone, possessing no one or only just one particular person with whom they can focus on essential issues, and obtaining minimal or no engagement in social or religious teams.

The persons who experienced as socially isolated in the research satisfied two or a lot more of the next conditions:

Lived alone.
They did not have two or a lot more folks in the final yr with whom they could examine important issues.
They did not attend religious providers in the past month.
Did not do take part in other activities, this sort of as volunteer do the job, golf equipment, conferences, or teams, in the last month.

The authors of the analyze point out to Health-related Information Now the significance that upcoming exploration investigates social isolation and dementia in a more in-depth method. These types of study may glance into the outcome every single particular person criterion could have on dementia.

They also visualize long run experiments that take into consideration achievable discrepancies in the way social isolation might occur and influence unique race and ethnicity teams.

Dr. Rosanne Freak-Poli, senior research fellow at Monash University’s Drugs Monash Wellbeing, who was not included in the study, pointed out that “[s]ome men and women might confuse social isolation with social help.”

Social help, she stated, is about how social contacts are used. For illustration, a individual might experience sufficient assist from a several good good friends who satisfy their social demands.

“I like to describe men and women as ‘enjoying their solitude’ if they are socially isolated but also feel socially supported,” she informed MNT.

NHATS surveyed persons residing in communities and did not contain older people today institutionalized in nursing houses or household care.

“However, persons in nursing homes or residential treatment normally report emotion lonely or acquiring minimal social assistance. Loneliness and minimal social guidance are also risk factors for ill health and fitness and decrease very well-being,” stated Dr. Freak-Poli.

In the meantime, Dr. Angelina R. Sutin, professor at Florida State University’s College or university of Medicine, who was not involved in the present research, stated she was “not conscious of any scientific tests that have examined no matter if social wellness in residential configurations is involved with dementia danger.”

She famous that most present study focuses on men and women in these kinds of options who already have dementia.

The study’s corresponding creator, Dr. Thomas K. M. Cudjoe, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Medication in Baltimore, Maryland, explained three means in which social isolation could direct to dementia.

1st, he cited a strong association amongst social isolation and actual physical and mental health chance aspects for dementia, this sort of as hypertension, coronary heart sickness, and melancholy. As social isolation encourages these disorders, it may well increase the threat of dementia.

Dr. Cudjoe also mentioned that a lack of social engagement could direct to a reduction in cognitive activity and, for that reason a lessen cognitive reserve.

“The cognitive reserve speculation indicates people today with reduce ranges of cognitive operating and reserve are a lot more vulnerable to the pathology involved with dementia.”
— Dr. Thomas K. M. Cudjoe

Last but not least, Dr. Cudjoe proposed that socially isolated folks may well lack added benefits affiliated with larger social connectedness, which includes social help, data-sharing, coordination of healthcare providers, and access to those companies.

“Social isolation matters for cognitive wellbeing. Clinicians must be contemplating about and assessing the existence or absence of social connections in their clients,” stated Dr. Cudjoe.

Dr. Cudjoe said the study’s nationally representative team of contributors strengthens its conclusions, enabling them to be generalized across U.S. populations.

“This is critical in our pondering of wide-primarily based methods or coverage,” he mentioned.

More mature older people may perhaps take into account achieving out more to other persons, possibly on an personal basis or by participating in actions with teams of persons, to decreased the chance of acquiring dementia.

“Getting out of your household and interacting with persons at minimum as soon as for every month can have large positive aspects to your long term well being and rapid perfectly-staying.”
— Dr. Rosanne Freak-Poli

“When I imagine about the other wellbeing behaviors, these as healthy taking in or bodily exercise, they feel a lot more tricky to obtain for the same well being reward,” added Dr. Freak-Poli.

Dr. Sutin underscored the study’s upside:

“The fantastic information is that social isolation is modifiable, and could be a focus on of intervention that may possibly assistance reduce the hazard of dementia involved with it.”

July 19, 2022

Bacteria that cause gum disease may increase risk

An older woman with grey hair brushes her teeth in a bathroom wearing pajamas. — A study observed a link among gum sickness and Alzheimer’s. miodrag ignjatovic/Getty Visuals

About 47.2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of U.S. grown ups in excess of 30 and 70{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} around 65 have gum condition, according to the Facilities for Illness Command and Prevention (CDC).
Scientists from Tufts College have observed a correlation in between gum disorder and Alzheimer’s disease in a mouse analyze.
The exploration workforce thinks their results may perhaps enable minimize the range of sufferers with both of those periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s.

Gum disease — also regarded as periodontitis and periodontal illness — happens via a bacterial an infection within the mouth’s comfortable tissues. Prior analysis backlinks periodontitis to diabetes, kidney disorder, and cardiovascular issues.

Now a staff of researchers from Tufts University has found a correlation amongst gum illness by means of the bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) and Alzheimer’s disease via a mouse review. Scientists believe their findings may perhaps aid decrease the progression of each periodontal illness and this sort of dementia.

The research was not long ago published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

Meals particles and germs are constantly inside of the mouth. When individuals do not on a regular basis brush and floss their teeth, the particles and germs variety a sticky substance known as plaque that clings to the tooth. Plaque can irritate the gums if not cleaned off, causing an early type of gum ailment identified as gingivitis.

If plaque sits way too extended on the tooth and gums, it hardens into a material identified as tartar. Simply because tartar is very tough, usually, only a dentist can take away it making use of dental devices during a experienced dental cleansing.

When tartar stays on enamel for way too prolonged, the upcoming degree of gum sickness recognised as periodontitis can set in. Periodontal ailment prospects to a larger an infection in the gums and enamel. If still left untreated, periodontitis can consequence in tooth decline.

In accordance to the Centers for Illness Command and Prevention (CDC), about 47{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of grownups above 30 and 70{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} around 65 in the United States have periodontal illness. Gum illness is much more widespread amid adult men and these who smoke.

According to Dr. Jake Jinkun Chen, professor of periodontology and director of the Division of Oral Biology at Tufts College Faculty of Dental Medication and the lead creator of this analyze, the reason of this new analyze is to identify and characterize the affiliation of F. nucleatum-induced periodontal disease with Alzheimer’s condition.

F. nucleatum is a microbes usually associated with periodontal sickness. Previous study also hyperlinks the microorganisms to colon most cancers and oral cancer.

How could microorganisms in the mouth exacerbate signs of Alzheimer’s disorder? It can do two things, Dr. Chen told MNT.

“One, (it) generates irritation both equally regionally and systemically, which will impact the Alzheimer’s illness phenotype, as Alzheimer’s itself is an inflammatory condition,” he stated. “Two, it migrates and penetrates to the mind to colonize there and secrete pathological molecules to exacerbate the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s condition.”

For this analyze, Dr. Chen and his workforce applied cells cultured in a laboratory to display that the existence of F. nucleatum caused abnormal advancement of microglial cells. These immunity cells in the brain and spinal cord aid get rid of any an infection from the mind, keeping the central anxious technique nutritious. In addition to impacting their advancement, the existence of F. nucelatum also led these cells to build an inflammatory reaction. Previous exploration reveals inflammation performs a position in the enhancement of Alzheimer’s sickness.

Next, the staff looked at F. nucleatum-induced periodontitis in a mouse product of Alzheimer’s sickness. They uncovered that, in comparison to command animals, mice with these types of periodontitis experienced greater cognitive impairment and bigger degrees of amyloid plaques and Tau protein. Additional, as in the cultured cells, increases in microglial cell development and inflammation were also found in these animals.

Dr. Chen stated the importance of their study conclusions lies in 4 principal places. Very first, they are targeting an “enormous health problem” simply because a important share of the adult populace has periodontal condition and far more than 55 million men and women globally are living with dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most widespread kind of dementia.

“Two, mechanistic knowledge of an understudied anaerobic microbes (F. nucleatum) in the pathogenesis of periodontal condition and Alzheimer’s disease fills in a hole in scientific know-how and sends an alerting sign to dentists and neurologists,” Dr. Chen continued.

“Three, establishment of an animal model supplies complex functionality in delineating the possible [causative] concerning a neighborhood dental ailment (periodontal condition) and a neural disorder (Alzheimer’s ailment) in a remote anatomic website,” he additional.

“And four, the research may provide evidence-of-principle for further more pre-medical and medical applications of the recognized system to examine no matter if cure of periodontal sickness can decrease or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s in individuals,” Dr. Chen concluded.

MTN also spoke with Dr. Percy Griffin, director of scientific engagement of the Alzheimer’s Association. Dr. Griffin explained this research provides to the increasing proof that microbes and viruses could participate in a function in brain sickness.

“In this study, they located proof for improved activation of the brain’s immune procedure, Alzheimer’s associated mind modifications, and cognitive alterations in mice infected with an oral microbe,” Dr. Griffin explained. “While these results are attention-grabbing, this investigate was carried out in mice, and former experiments examining the marriage concerning periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s in humans have not demonstrated causation. Extra research is wanted.”

“We really don’t know at this time irrespective of whether items like brushing your enamel will eventually decrease your risk for Alzheimer’s,” he included. “What we can say is excellent oral cleanliness is critical for general well being and healthy ageing. There are a selection of other modifiable way of living danger variables — like exercising and eating plan — that have considerable scientific proof to clearly show they can lessen your chance for cognitive decrease.”