Resistin, a hormone, a better predictor of heart trouble – I’m back
November 17, 2008
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In the last few years hsCRP (C reactive protein), a marker of inflammation, has been used to predict heart disease and stroke. New finding suggest that the hormone resistin may be a better predictor of heart trouble.
Previously in this blog there have been a number of posts about belly fat, how it is different from other fat and is considered an endocrine (hormone-producing organ). See the post Potential new way to fight diabetes. In this post the macrophages (a type of immune cell) in the belly fat are discussed.
One of the hormones that is put out by belly fat is resistin. Resistin is a hormone that has been shown to be involved with inflammation. Macrophages within the fat secrete resistin into the body. This then will cause chronic (continual) inflammation responses in the body.
Chronic inflammation has been shown to be important in all aspects of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, and in diabetes.
Recently it has been demonstrated that smooth muscle cells, which are the muscle cells surrounding blood vessels can also make resistin when they are under hypoxic (short of oxygen) conditions. Hypoxic conditions occur when blood vessels start to get blocked. So a combination of having belly fat, and blood vessels that are blocking the blood vessel could increase the rate of blockage.
It has been shown that high levels of resistin are a predictor of dying after having had a heart attack. A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association found that resistin levels were a better predictor of the heart failure than other current markers such as CRP.
If you needed it, another reason to try to lose belly fat.
The last two weeks were my first experience of being on a jury. It was one of the most stressful, depressing, all consuming experiences, of my life. Not one that I will ever forget.
Technorati Tags: resistin, inflammation, belly fat, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, stroke, diabetes
Popularity: 3% [?]
Roundup: New Weight Loss Treatment, Red Wine, High Fat And Alzheimers
November 3, 2008
I am on a jury for at least 2 weeks so the posts are going to be short and sweet for a while.
A potential new weight loss treatment. An antibody has been developed that attacks ghrelin. This hormone is high when hungry and is low when we are full. If it works in humans will suppress appetite. To read more about ghrelin see the post Aging, Carbohydrates, Appetite and Weight Gain.
More good news for those who drink red wine or like red grapes. This seems to be particularly true for the cardiovascular system.
High fat diet could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. Research suggests that diet high in saturated fat and low in omega-3 fatty acids increases the amounts of markers for Alzheimer’s. Another reason to eat fish or flaxseed meal or take fish oil capsules.
photo credit: Andrew Feinberg
Technorati Tags: New Weight Loss Treatment, Red Wine, High Fat And Alzheimers
Popularity: 15% [?]
Putting Clocks Back Reduces Heart Attack Risk
October 31, 2008
Daylight saving seems to have an effect on the rates of heart attack. In the fall putting clocks back reduces heart attack risk, and in the spring putting clocks forward increases the heart attack risk.
Why should this be? One explanation is that the extra hour of sleep in the fall, when the clocks are put back, is good for most of us, and that the loss of the hour in the spring results in more sleep deprivation. This theory is bolstered by two pieces of evidence. First, the changes in heart attack risk only last a few days, which is as long as it takes to adapt to or from daylight saving. Second, the change in risk is higher in those under 65 than those over 65. Those under 65 are more likely to be working and have a fixed schedule for the time that they have to get up, whereas those over 65 are more likely to be retired and have a flexible schedule and can adapt slowly.
The theory of increased or lack of sleep having an effect on heart attack may also explain why there is a slight increase in the number of heart attacks on Mondays. We tend to stay up later on weekends, but then have to get up on Monday to go to work.
Sleep deprivation is already known to have other bad effects. The risk of developing type diabetes is increased with sleep deprivation. It is thought that lack of sleep interferes with glucose regulation. Further there is thought to be an effect on appetite. This has led researchers to suggest that lack of sleep may in some people contribute to obesity.
A lot of testing over the years has shown that sleep deprivation clouds judgment and reduces the ability to do many things. Being very sleep deprived often makes people act as if were drunk.
Hopefully, like me, you are thinking you should really try to get more sleep. In the spring try to get lots of sleep the few days before the clocks go forward, this will help offset the loss of sleep on March 8, 2009. Happy dreams.
Technorati Tags: heart attack risk, putting clocks back, daylight saving, sleep deprivation
Popularity: 13% [?]
Want To Attract Men? Wear Red.
October 29, 2008
For those who for any reason want to appear more attractive to men, wear red.
Apparently red is the most attractive color.
Researchers asked men to rate photographs of women. They were asked to rate how attractive they were. For each woman the same photograph was framed in a different color. When the photograph was framed in red the woman was rated as more attractive.
In another experiment the shirt that the women were wearing was digitally altered to be either red or blue. Again, when the red shirt was worn the woman was rated as more attractive.
The men were also asked other questions to do with dating and the women in red scored better for these questions too.
This suggests that wearing red will make you more attractive. The news story about this research pointed out that valentines are red, that red roses are considered romantic, and that non human primate males are attracted to females when they display red as part of mating rituals!
Red made no difference for females rating females and for men only applied to attractiveness. It did not apply to other qualities such as kindness and intelligence.
This research is applicable to seeing a stranger. I am curious whether it applies to somebody you know. If you want to make your partner more romantic should you start wearing red?
Going mentally through my wardrobe, I can’t think of a single red item. Maybe time to go on a shopping spree. There is a great reason for thinking about wearing red.
I have ordered woman in red pins. This pin raises money for the Heart Truth campaign (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/ ) which is to raise awareness about women and heart disease. The new anniversary pin, shown above, is really pretty it is a red dress made of Swarovski crystals.
Technorati Tags: wear red, attract men, heart truth, women heart disease, women in red
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Popularity: 21% [?]
Swarovski Red Pin For Women’s Heart Awareness
October 29, 2008
Get yourself and your friends this red pin and wear it for woman’s heart awareness and give to a good cause.
Pin is available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/ht_pin_sp.htm
You can also download a pdf The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women ’07 - 20th Anniversary Edition.
It has information about lifestyle and prevention, heart attack warning signs and if you have heart disease, information about screening, medication etc.
Also check out the American Heart Associations website Go Red For Women
Technorati Tags: women , heart disease, swarovski pin
Popularity: 19% [?]
Fructose Messes With Appetite Control
October 27, 2008
Another strike against consuming lots of fructose. New research suggests that fructose can mess with appetite control.
Due to price and convenience many of the commercially prepared foods that we eat contain high fructose corn syrup. In the last few years there has been a lot of bad press about consuming lots of fructose. Fructose is the main sugar in fruits and is also found in lower levels in sweet-tasting vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes. However, most people get much more fructose from sweetened products such as soda than they do from fruit.
It was suggested many years ago that consumption of high levels of fructose was tied to obesity. High levels of fructose have been suggested to increase the risk for diabetes, perhaps by increasing insulin resistance, and increase the levels of triglycerides in the blood. Now appetite control can be added to the reasons of why fructose may cause obesity.
This new research suggests that high levels of fructose may cause leptin resistance. (When cells become resistant to a signaling molecule or protein, such as leptin or insulin, they are no longer very responsive to normal levels of that signaling molecule or protein.)
Leptin is a hormone that signals the brain that enough has been eaten. So if the brain become resistant to leptin, it will not think that it has had enough to eat. So the brain will not signal to stop eating. Therefore, high levels of fructose may interfere with appetite control.
If this is correct, consuming high levels of fructose sweetened foods may contribute to losing or poor appetite control and then lead to an increased risk of obesity.
Technorati Tags: appetite control, fructose, leptin, obesity
Popularity: 23% [?]
Skin Creams Can Make your Skin Drier!
October 24, 2008
Do some skin creams make your skin drier? Once you have started to use a cream do you need to keep using it to stop your skin drying out?
An interesting news release discusses the thesis of a graduate student, Izabela Buraczewska, who did research in Sweden. Her work suggests that some creams may not be good for your skin. Skin creams may actually cause the skins own protective barrier to start to breakdown.
The research indicates that some oils in creams may dry your skin out. Two oils that did dry out the skin were mineral oil and a vegetable oil. A more complex oil mix (not identified) did not dry the skin out.
The reason that skin got drier was that genes in skin cells that control the amount of oil made by the skin were downregulated. Consequently, after applications of the cream, the skin starts to make less oil. This means that the skin has less of a natural barrier and becomes drier.
This suggests that the cosmetic industry needs to study the components of skin products and find which products at least do not reduce the skins natural barrier, and perhaps find compounds that will stimulate the production of a natural barrier. These would be helpful both for aging, and also those who have a dry skin condition.
I have not used cleansers or toners on my skin in years. I have thought for a long time that skin through the ages has developed its own method of making a barrier and has efficient oils. I do not understand putting products on your face and stripping out the natural oils, and replacing then with something unnatural that probably is not so good for your skin as the oils that were just stripped out. This new finding sugggests that even though I do not strip out the natural oils, that my skin cream could making my skin make less oils. Should I stop using skin creams, except for sun screen?
photo credit: Orin Optiglot
Technorati Tags: skin cream, oil, protective barrier, skin drier
Popularity: 28% [?]
Red Light Reduces Wrinkles
October 22, 2008
Scientists have shown that high intensity red light reduces wrinkles. Before and after pictures show a reduction in wrinkles.
Usually when rejuvenation of skin is discussed, making new collagen is the suggested as the way to make skin look younger. Another structural protein that is found in the skin is elastin. As its name suggests elastin helps make tissues elastic. As we age elastin breaks down and the elastin that we have becomes less elastic.
New research suggests that high intensity red light can affect the elastic and strip the surrounding water molecules away and this makes elastin more elastic. In the skin this can restore some of the skins elasticity. This all I can say about how it works since most of the science publication was incomprehensible to me.
I did gather that the researchers tried both LEDs (light emitting diodes, for example the display on a digital clock) and the stronger WARP 10( device) laser) to generate the red light. The WARP 10 is a small device that puts out very high intensity light with a peak at 670 nm. The WARP 10 was developed for pain relief in the battlefield.
Take a look at before and after pictures, it certain helps but is not a miracle. See the press release.
Technorati Tags: red light, wrinkles, elastin, LED
Popularity: 31% [?]
New Collagen Production For Skin Rejuvenation
October 19, 2008
What do all the treatments that have been tested and shown to improve the look of skin have in common? The answer is that they all increase the production of collagen.
So which treatments increase the production of collagen?
The answer is retinoids, carbon dioxide laser resurfacing and injection of injections of cross-linked hyaluronic acid.
Collagen is a structural protein that is found throughout the body. Collagen subunits assemble to form long fibers. Collagen fibers are tough and are responsible for maintaining the structure of many cells and tissues.
In skin, it is the loss of the collagen fibers that is partly responsible for aging. As aging occurs collagen that surrounds cells in the skin becomes more and more fragmented and so the structural surrounding of cells is starting to get broken down. The result is skin that is looser, has less elasticity and gets damaged more easily.
The treatments that increase collagen production result in more intact collagen surrounding the cells of the skin. This increases the structural integrity of the skin and makes it look better.
Retinoic acid (tretinoin, retin-A, renova), retinol and retinyl palmitate are the most common retinoids in over the counter skin products. These compounds have been shown in numerous studies to both decrease the appearance of wrinkles and to lighten pigmentation cause by the sun.
Carbon dioxide laser resurfacing is pretty self explanatory, being the removal of the surface of the skin with a laser. When the skin heals there is increased synthesis of collagen. This treatment is very effective, but requires either local or general anesthesia and takes weeks to heal.
Cross-linked hyaluronic acid is a dermal filler. One thing that stimulates the fibroblasts of the skin to make more collagen is to be stretched. When filler is placed under the skin there is some stretching, which stimulates the fibroblasts to make more collagen.
So if you want younger looking skin you can try one or more of these options. There may be some other products that also increase collagen production, but without unbiased testing it is hard to evaluate the claims of companies.
The next post will be more about the retinoids and what you should look for in a product.
Technorati Tags: collagen, skin rejuvenation, retinoids, carbon dioxide laser resurfacing, cross-linked hyaluronic acid
Popularity: 34% [?]
Round Up: Vitamin D, Parkinson’s, Acai, Colds
October 17, 2008
Here are a few snippets about vitamin D and Parkinson’s, Acai berries, and colds and vitamins. I’m busy teaching at the moment.
Those with Parkinson’s are much more likely to have low levels of vitamin D. It is not clear whether low vitamin D makes you more likely to get Parkinson’s, or whether those with Parkinson’s are getting less sun exposure. However, since a low level of vitamin D is increasingly being implicated in a number of diseases; low vitamin D may be risk factor. Another reason to get sun exposure or take supplements.
The fact that the latest wonder food is packed with antioxidants does not mean that these antioxidants can actually get in the body. One of the newer antioxidant berries is acai. There are now a number of fruit juices and other foods, that are now widely available, that contain acai. Research shows that antioxidants in acai, such as anthocyanins, are readily absorbed by the body. This suggests that acai juice could be a good part of a healthy diet. Apparently it is naturally low in sugar, so make sure there is not a lot of added high fructose corn syrup or sucrose to sweeten it up.
Analysis of vitamins and habits, indicate that washing your hands is more important than taking vitamins for avoiding a cold. Many people will take high does of vitamin C to ward off a cold. The balance of studies suggests that taking vitamin C is ineffective. Plus very high doses of vitamin C can cause diarrhea, nausea, flushing and disturbed sleep. Frequent washing of hands will wash away the virus. A frequent route for getting a cold is getting the cold virus on your hands, from something such as a door knob, and then touching your face. So it is better to wash away the virus, rather than getting infected and then trying to stop the virus.
Technorati Tags: vitamin C, Parkinson’s, acai, colds
Popularity: 31% [?]
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