by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Anti Aging
A combination of advanced scaffold material and so-called adult stem cells improves the healing of rotator cuff tendon tears over surgery alone, a study in rats suggests.
“As an orthopedic shoulder and knee surgeon and chemical engineer, I think the combination of advanced materials and adult stem cells holds great promise,” Dr. Cato T. Laurencin from University of Connecticut in Farmington told Reuters Health. “For the shoulder, we are looking next to bring this type of technology to clinical use for the treatment of partial thickness and full thickness rotator cuff tendon tears,” he said by email.
Rotator cuff tendon tears are common and often require surgical repair, but most severe tears recur and require additional surgery. Because tendons are made mainly of collagen fibers, with few cells, they have little capacity for regeneration on their own, Laurencin’s team writes in the online journal PLoS ONE.
To see if mimicking the environment in which tendons normally grow would help repaired tendons to heal better than surgery alone, the researchers tested an artificial scaffold embedded with stem cells in a rats with a surgically repaired tendon tear. They compared how well it healed to the same kind of repair in rats that had only the surgery.
The tears repaired with stitches alone continued to show disorganized tissue 12 weeks after surgery, while tendons appeared much more normal after repair using the approach that combines advanced scaffold material with cells to engineer ideal conditions for tissue regeneration.
The addition of stem cells in the matrix, or scaffold, also led to increased mechanical strength and more normal characteristics of the replacement tendon tissue, compared with suturing alone, the study authors note.
The stem cells themselves disappeared over time, suggesting that the therapeutic effect resulted from their release of growth factors or other signaling molecules, rather than from the stem cells turning into tendon.
“We believe they can change the local environment and make it more compatible for regeneration,” Laurencin said. “The stem cells don’t have to become new tissue; they can work by influencing the environment to make better, regenerated tissue. The use of a nanotechnology based matrix is important in making it happen. That’s what this study suggests.”
“We are also developing this type of technology for use in treating problems of the knee,” he noted.
“We believe that the future for tissue regeneration lies in the combination of a number of areas of science and technology: advanced materials science, stem cell science, understanding how physical forces work in regeneration, developmental biology, and clinical translation,” Laurencin said.
“The work presented here combines many elements of regenerative engineering. The real successes will see not just using stem cells alone, but the convergence of different technologies. This new direction in thinking will provide exciting new possibilities for patients in the years to come,” he said.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Anti Aging
Astaxanthin, a red pigment found mostly in marine life, can switch on a variation of the FOXO3 gene, which protects against aging, say scientists from the University of Hawaii.
“All of us have the FOXO3 gene, which protects against aging in humans,” said Bradley Willcox, M.D. “But about one in three persons carry a version of the FOXO3 gene that is associated with longevity.
“By activating the FOXO3 gene common in all humans, we can make it act like the ‘longevity’ version. Through this research, we have shown that astaxanthin ‘activates’ the FOXO3 gene,” said Willcox.
In the study, mice were fed either normal food or food containing a low or high dose of an astaxanthin compound called CDX that was developed by Cardax, a Honolulu-based life sciences company.
The animals that received the higher amount of astaxanthin showed a significant increase in the activation of the FOXO3 gene in their heart tissue.
“We found a nearly 90 percent increase in the activation of the FOXO3 ‘Longevity Gene’ in the mice fed the higher dose of the astaxanthin compound,” said Richard Allsopp, Ph.D.
The researchers hope further research will confirm astaxanthin’s role in helping alleviate the effects of aging in humans.
Astaxanthin is a red pigment found mostly in marine life and is responsible for giving salmon, lobster, and other animals their reddish coloring. Studies have found that astaxanthin has a powerful ability to neutralize the free radicals in the body that cause aging by damaging cells. Laboratory studies have found that astaxanthin has 6,000 times the ability of vitamin C and 550 times the power of vitamin E to combat oxidative damage.
Astaxanthin is most abundant in wild Pacific sockeye salmon with 3.2 milligrams in a 3-ounce serving. Farmed rainbow trout comes in second at 2.1 milligrams in a 3-ounce serving. Other natural sources include algae, lobster, crawfish, and krill.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Anti Aging
Men and women of a certain age realize quickly that their muscles diminish faster than they used to, and that muscles do not respond to exercise the way they used to. A new study shows that it’s all in the mitochondria — the part of the cell responsible for energy and vitality — and there is an exercise plan that can benefit the older crowd, even surpassing — surprisingly — benefits for the younger crowd.
Among various regimens of exercise, researchers found that interval training for a group older than 64 altered the working mechanisms in an amazing 400 genes — compared to only 274 for a group 30 or younger. The vitality in the older crowd’s cells responded more robustly than the younger crowd — adding another layer to the need for older folks to hit the gym.
Here’s how the experiment was conducted: 72 healthy but sedentary men and women were divided into two groups — 30 or younger, or older than 64 by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Their vitals were measured, including blood-sugar levels, gene activity, and mitochondrial health in their muscle cells. Then the volunteers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 exercise regimens.
Some did vigorous weight training several times a week; some did brief interval training three times a week on stationary bicycles (pedaling hard for four minutes, resting for three minutes, then repeating for three times); some rode stationary bikes at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a few times a week and lifted weights lightly on other days. For control purposes, a fourth group did not exercise.
After 12 weeks, vitals were again checked for all involved. All exercise groups experienced improvements in fitness and blood sugar regulation.
Strength and endurance were affected differently, but predictively: The gains in muscle mass and strength were greater for those who exercised only with weights, while interval training had the strongest influence on endurance.
But biopsied muscle cell activity proved to be surprisingly different. Among the 30 and younger who went through interval training, the activity levels had changed in 274 genes, compared with 170 genes for those who exercised more moderately and 74 for the weightlifters. In the older crowd, almost 400 genes were working differently — more activley — for interval training, compared with 33 for the weightlifters and only 19 for the moderate exercisers.
Those who did the interval workouts showed increases in the number and health of their mitochondria. The takeaway: Interval training seems to be the best way to achieve vital cell health for muscle mass —particularly for those who are age 64 and older. Better muscle mass means a healthier, stronger body.
The decline in the cellular health of muscles associated with aging seemed corrected with interval exercise, especially if intense, Dr. Sreekumaran Nair, a professor of medicine and an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic and the study’s senior author, told The New York Times. Moreover, as his results show, older people’s cells responded in some ways more intensely than the cells of the younger group — suggesting, he says, it is never too late to benefit from exercise. Nair and his research team’s results were published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Anti Aging
Drugs that treat hair loss and prostate enlargement are tied to a small increased risk of depression and self-harm, according to a new study from Canada.
The pills were not tied to an increased risk of suicide, however.
The drugs finasteride and dutasteride belong to a class of medications known as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs). 5ARIs have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years by regulators in the United States and Canada because of a possible link to mental health issues, according to the researchers.
“There wasn’t a lot of good studies in this area, and it’s a very common medication for urologists to use,” said lead author Dr. Blayne Welk, of Western University and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Ontario.
Welk’s team analyzed data from 93,197 men who were at least 66 years old when they received prescriptions for 5ARIs between 2003 and 2013, plus another 93,197 similar men who had never filled a prescription for a 5ARI.
Overall, 5ARIs were not linked with an increased risk of suicide, the researchers reported in JAMA Internal Medicine.
During the first 18 months, however, the men using 5ARIs had an 88 percent higher risk of harming themselves. That risk did not extend beyond 18 months.
Men in the 5ARI group also had a 94 percent higher risk of depression in the first 18 months, compared to men not using these drugs. Beyond 18 months, the increased risk of depression fell to 22 percent.
The type of 5ARI did not appear to significantly alter the results.
Welk cautions that the actual risk of depression and self-harm is very low.
If the drugs were actually causing these side effects – which this study wasn’t design to prove – “you’d need 470 men to take this medication for a full year to have a new case of depression,” Welk told Reuters Health.
That number would have to be even higher to cause a new case of self-harm, since self-harm is less common than depression.
“It is a risk potentially and patients and physicians should be aware of it,” Welk said.
A separate study in the journal PeerJ evaluated another concern about 5ARIs – erectile dysfunction.
Drs. Tina Kiguradze and William Temps of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and colleagues found that when erectile dysfunction occurred in men taking 5ARIs for at least 180 days, the dysfunction was more likely to last at least 90 days after stopping the medication. Erectile dysfunction, when it occurred, resolved faster in men who took the medications for shorter periods.
The proportion of men taking 5ARIs and experiencing erectile dysfunction is likely around 5 percent, according to Dr. Landon Trost, who is head of andrology and male infertility at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
But it’s not clear how many men suffer persistent erectile dysfunction after stopping 5ARIs, said Trost, who was not involved with either of the new studies.
“I think it’s important to be educated about the potential side effects,” he told Reuters Health.
Men who are already at increased risk for these potential side effects must weigh the risks and benefits of the drugs, Trost said.
He said older men taking 5ARIs for prostate problems might come to different conclusions than young men taking the pills for hair loss.
Additionally, he said, men should tell their doctors if they experience these symptoms.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Anti Aging
Men who see more ads for low testosterone or “low T” on local television channels may be more likely to seek tests or treatments to boost their levels of the hormone, a U.S. study suggests.
Testosterone levels naturally decline with age, and some men with extremely small amounts of the hormone may be diagnosed with what’s known as hypogonadism and prescribed needed testosterone therapy, researchers note in JAMA.
Far more men take testosterone than have hypogonadism or clear evidence of a medical problem tied to low hormone levels, however. Many of them may have been convinced to seek unnecessary treatment by ads promoting “low T” as a health problem associated with issues like reduced libido or fatigue, said lead study author Bradley Layton, a public health researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“The original approval for testosterone intended it to be used only in a very narrow group of men with very clearly-defined diseases which stop the production of testosterone,” Layton said by email. “However, much of the use recently has been in men with reduced testosterone levels or some non-specific symptoms like fatigue, loss of muscle mass, reduced libido or lowered mood which may be related to normal aging or other disease conditions,” he said.
“There is very little evidence that testosterone would benefit men without a clear indication for taking it, and there are still unresolved safety concerns about testosterone that just don’t justify widespread treatment of older men with normal age-related reduced testosterone,” Layton added.
In 2014, U.S. drug regulators raised safety concerns about the potential for testosterone to increase the risk of heart problems.
For the current study, researchers examined data on testosterone ad viewership, testosterone testing and prescriptions of the hormone from 2009 to 2013. They looked at insurance claims data for 17.2 million men in 75 distinct television markets nationwide.
During the study period, more than 1 million men got new tests for testosterone levels and more than 283,000 initiated testosterone treatment, the study found.
Among men who started taking testosterone, 59 percent used gels and 36 percent got injections, while a small minority of them got patches or implants.
Prior to 2012, ads for “low T” were the most common type of marketing. Then, after two new products – Axiron and a more concentrated form of Androgel – debuted in 2011, ads for specific products became more common and promotions for “low T” started to decrease.
During some months of the study, there were no ads at all, while in other months some men might have seen as many as 14 ads on average.
The most concentrated advertising efforts occurred in the Southeast and in the Great Lakes region, the study found.
Each additional ad men saw was associated with a 0.6 percent increase in testing as well as a 0.7 percent climb in new prescriptions for testosterone. There was also a 0.8 percent increase in new prescriptions that were not preceded by testing.
Although the impact of a single ad was slight, ads were widespread and frequent during the study period and cumulative exposure was close to 200 ads in some markets, the authors note.
The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove that ads directly influence whether men get testing or treatment for low testosterone, the researchers caution. They also relied on data for prescriptions, which doesn’t necessarily reflect how often men took the drugs.
Still, the findings should put consumers on alert to be wary of ads, said Dr. Richard Kravitz, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, and author of an accompanying editorial.
“Direct-to-consumer advertising is designed to be persuasive,” Kravitz said by email. “Patients can’t really avoid this. All they can do is reflect on the fact that ads are designed primarily to increase sales, not inform and educate the public, and they should try to present their symptoms and concerns as objectively as possible to their physician.”
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Anti Aging
A cup of tea a day can keep dementia away, according to a study from the National University of Singapore, which found that tea can slash the risk of dementia in people aged 55 and older.
Drinking tea cuts the risk of cognitive impairment in older people in half, but the news is even better for those who are genetically at risk of Alzheimer’s. In people who carry the APOE e4 gene, tea reduces the risk by as much as 86 percent.
The researchers also discovered that the ability of tea to protect the brain isn’t limited to a particular type of tea, as long as the tea is brewed from tea leaves, such as green, black or oolong tea.
“While the study was conducted on Chinese elderly, the results could apply to other races as well,” said Assistant Professor Feng Lei from National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
“Our findings have important implications for dementia prevention,” Feng continued. “Despite high-quality drug trials, effective pharmacological therapy for neurocognitive disorders such as dementia remains elusive and current prevention strategies are far from satisfactory.
“Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world,” he explained. “The data from our study suggests that a simple and inexpensive lifestyle measure such as daily tea drinking can reduce a person’s risk of developing neurocognitive disorders in late life.”
“Based on current knowledge, this long term benefit of tea consumption is due to the bioactive compounds in tea leaves, such as catechins, theaflavins, thearubigins and L-theanine,” said Feng. “These compounds exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential and other bioactive properties that may protect the brain from vascular damage and neurodegeneration.”
The study was published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging.
Other studies have found that tea protects the brain. In Alzheimer’s patients, amyloid protein in the brain forms into clumps and fastens onto nerves in brain cells, causing them to die. Scientists at Britain’s University of Leeds found that treating the proteins with extracts of green tea and resveratrol disrupted the ability of amyloid to clump.
In addition, a 2016 Spanish study found that a polyphenol found in green tea called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), improves brain function in people with Down syndrome. Researchers found that EGCG improved scores on memory and behavior tests.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Anti Aging
Losing your hair can be embarrassing and stressful, and it is a problem that’s faced by people of all ages and genders. To make matters worse, medical treatments can cause undesirable side effects, like scalp irritation, unwanted hair growth on the face and hands, and even cardiovascular issues.
Fortunately, a handful of drug-free ways can help prevent, halt, or even reverse hair loss. Jeanna Doyle, a veteran makeup artist with over 25 years of experience working in medical and media settings, tells Newsmax Health the key is to avoid factors that can accelerate the problem.
“With hair loss, it’s important not to exacerbate the problem,” she says. Instead of turning to drugs, Doyle suggests the following natural ways to combat hair loss:
Don’t wash your hair too frequently. Washing your hair frequently, more than once a day, for instance, can reduce the natural oils your body produces to protect your scalp and hair. Instead of washing your hair frequently, allow the natural oils to do their job. “To expand the days between washing, use dry shampoo,” Doyle suggests.
Drop the blow dryer. High heat from blow dryers, as well curling and straightening irons, can be detrimental to your hair. By limiting how much heat is applied to your hair, you can avoid some of the damages done by high heat. You can even extend days in between styles by using a silk or satin pillowcase to sleep on at night, Doyle says.
Go natural with your hair care. Doyle notes many shampoos, conditioners, and other hair-care products are loaded with toxic parabens, sulfates, alcohol, and other chemicals. Try going with organic or natural alternatives, such as those produced by John Masters Organics. “There are plenty of ‘hair-friendly’ products available on the market today [to use as alternatives] — there’s even alcohol-free hair spray,” Doyle notes.
Avoid chemical processing. Extreme chemical processing — used to color, perm, or relax hair — can do a lot of damage and is a major reason for hair loss. To avoid this, try a new hairstyle that will give your body a break from chemical services or at least extend trips to the salon between chemical services.
Take care with wet hair. Brushing wet hair aggressively can pull strands out of the head, and be quite painful. Instead of suffering through it, try using a comb or brush before wetting your hair. There are brushes made specifically for wet hair, but Doyle notes that you should “always be gentle.”
Loosen your ponytail. Tight ponytails often break hair strands, particularly when they are pulled into place or unraveled too hastily. To avoid this, Doyle recommends using a soft tie, and gathering the hair at the nape of the neck, instead of a high, tight pony.
Relieve some tension. Hairstyles like tight braids are often associated with tension or traction alopecia, and in some cases, can cause inflammation or even bacteria growth. Instead of rigid, braided locks, opt for slightly looser braids, or try a different, less stressful style.
