Category Archives: Longevity Medicine

From the Telegraph: “India’s first set of government-approved clinical trials of stem cells on patients with chronic obstructive lung disease, diabetes, liver cirrhosis and osteoarthritis are likely to begin in five cities in April this year. A Bangalore-based company, Stempeutics Research, has received approval from the country’s drug regulatory agency to evaluate the efficacy of its stem cells on these four incurable diseases after safety assessments over the past year on patients with cardiovascular disease. The efficacy – Phase II – trials are likely to begin on small groups of volunteer patients offered the experimental treatment in collaborating hospitals in Bangalore, Kochi, Delhi, Mangalore and Manipal, a senior Stempeutics official said. Each volunteer patient will receive a dose of mesenchymal stem cells derived from the bone marrow of healthy persons. The stem cells, coaxed to proliferate in a broth of laboratory biochemicals, will be injected at the site of illness – the pancreas, the liver, the lungs, or the bone – where they are expected to stimulate resident stem cells and regenerate the damaged or lost tissue. While private and even government hospitals have in the past offered stem cell therapy to patients with intractable conditions, the proposal by Stempeutics is the first with formal approval from regulators for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, liver cirrhosis and osteoarthritis.”

Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110216/jsp/frontpage/story_13589821.jsp

A study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Lausanne found that a diet rich in whey protein can reduce the amount of fat in the liver.

Researchers from the University of Lausanne found out that the supplementation of whey protein in a person’s diet can lower the risk of developing fatty liver disease in obese women by reducing the amount of fat in liver cells. The study was published in an issue of Clinical Nutrition. They also found that whey protein was able to improve the study participants’ blood lipid profile which is important in promoting a healthier heart. The participants were asked to take the whey protein supplements for a period of four weeks.

Lead researcher Murielle Bortolotti said that their study was uncontrolled and preliminary but it strongly suggests that whey protein supplementation helps reduce the risk of fatty liver disease and promotes cardiovascular health as a long-term benefit. The researchers gathered a group of obese patients with an average BMI of 37.6 and IHCL concentrations between 1.9 to 20.5 percent. The participants were also recorded to have noticeable resistance to insulin with an average insulin sensitivity score of 2.77. The researchers observed that, after four weeks of whey protein supplementation, the study participants’ average IHCL dropped by 21 percent while their plasma triglyceride levels also went down by 15 percent. Their overall plasma cholesterol concentration was down by more than 7 percent after about a month of taking whey protein supplements. Researchers said that the result of the study indicates that whey protein has the potential to improve triglyceride profiles and IHCL.

The Liver and Fatty Liver Disease

The liver is the largest and heaviest glandular organ in the human body with an average weight of 1.36 kilograms. It is divided into four lobes which are unequal in size and shape. It is located at the right part of the abdominal cavity and just below the diaphragm. The portal vein and hepatic artery are responsible for carrying nutrients from the small intestines and oxygen-rich blood to the liver, respectively.

The human liver serves numerous functions including the production of enzymes that break down fats and produce glycogen from glucose. It is also responsible for producing urea and certain amino acids, storing of vitamins like vitamins B12, K, D, A and some minerals. The liver also produces 80 percent of the cholesterol in the body. The common disorders of the liver are liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, hepatitis and Wilson’s disease. The most harmful habit that affects the proper function of the liver is the excessive drinking of alcohol which can potentially alter the metabolic processes in the organ.

The root cause of fatty liver disease remains to be unknown. But medical experts are looking at patients’ resistance to insulin as the primary cause of the condition. Insulin resistance is a metabolic disorder where the cells are no longer responding properly to insulin in order to metabolize glucose.  In other words, insulin is no longer capable of performing its natural task of regulating sugar levels in the body. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver without the presence of alcohol. It refers to a wide spectrum of liver diseases from steatosis or simple fatty liver, cirrhosis or the irreversible and advanced scarring of the liver, to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Fatty liver disease is common throughout any age group; children can start developing fatty liver disease at the age of 10.

Natural Ways to Promote Liver Health

The liver is a very important organ in the body. Though minor health conditions concerning the liver are often very treatable, it is still necessary to keep the liver functioning properly to promote overall health.

• Diet plays a very important role in keeping the liver in tiptop shape. Ignoring hunger pangs or sudden and unscheduled eating can literally surprise the liver. Every time this happens, the liver exerts effort to produce the necessary enzymes to digest and metabolize the food properly. Eating at different hours of the day will overwork the liver and cause it to become exhausted. When struck with a sudden desire to eat, choosing foods that are not too heavy to the stomach like salads and fruits is recommended. And it is also a good way of maintaining a healthy body weight.

• Drinking plenty of water helps in washing away impurities and toxins out of the kidneys and liver. But drinking too much water while eating can interrupt the normal digestive process. So remember to observe proper pacing.

• The body has a limited requirement for sugars. Eating too much sweet foods can be dangerous to the liver and the human body. Sweets, especially those made or composed of refined sugar, will result to the excessive accumulation of fats in certain body parts like the buttocks, abdomen, thighs and the liver. Too much refined sugar will also result to the production of more triglycerides in the blood which, in turn, can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Some artificial sweeteners had been found by different studies to be poisonous to the body and result to fatigue and hypoglycemia. Eating fruits or blackstrap molasses when you want to eat something sweet are excellent alternatives to artificial sweeteners, especially for individuals with diabetes.

• Foods rich in protein like eggs, chicken, whole grains and legumes can help promote better liver health by helping it maintain a normal protein level in the body since the liver is responsible for producing protein. Low levels of protein can be a strong indication of kidney and liver disease. Eating natural and organic foods that are free of artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and preservatives can also help in keeping the liver healthy.

• Some disease-causing bacteria can breed in the intestines. These organisms can cause permanent damage to the liver. So it is important to keep the intestines clean by drinking enough liquids and foods rich in dietary fiber.

• Eating less to lose weight can result to an insufficiency of nutrients supplied to the body. This makes the liver weak and incapable of producing enzymes that are needed in the proper digestion of food. Stop worrying too much about gaining weight and instead direct your attention to the foods that you eat to keep your liver and body healthy. As a reward, your liver will be able to better digest food and contribute in managing your weight.

Sources
nutraingredients.com
gicare.com
medicinenet.com
fitness.ygoy.com

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A study published in the February issue of the Chest revealed that vitamin D deficiency is linked to a higher risk of interstitial lung disease.

The Lungs

The principal function of the lungs is to transport the oxygen acquired through breathing to the blood streams and to release carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere. The whole process of respiration is accomplished by tiny specialized cells called alveoli or the air sacs. In the process of breathing, air passes through the nose then travels through the nasopharynx, larynx, trachea and through the branches of the bronchial tubes before finally reaching the aveoli. The diaphragm, on the other hand, is important in driving air to the lungs.

Pulmonary Health Risks

The increasingly deteriorating conditions of the environment make it even harder to keep the lungs healthy. Though the lungs are naturally capable of filtering the air that we breathe, they may not be able to filter toxic materials in the air that may affect our health. This results to lung problems that can be life threatening. Lung cancer, for example, has a high prevalence rate in the United States and other parts of the world.

The number one cause of lung damage is smoking. Numerous studies had found out that smoking can dramatically increase the risk of developing lung cancer and other pulmonary disorders. A single stick of cigarette can contain hundreds of toxins and harmful materials that can directly harm the lungs and other vital organs of the body. Indeed, smoking is bad for the health. Other factors and bad habits can also result to an increased risk of developing lung disease. Inhaling aerosols like paint and deodorants can result to serious damage of the lungs. Vehicles like trucks and cars release toxic fumes that can damage the lungs when inhaled. The lack of sufficient nutrition can also lead to certain lung problems.  A study published in the February issue of the Chest revealed that vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of interstitial lung disease, a health condition associated with inflammation of the tissues surrounding the air sacs.

Interstitial Lung Disease

The air sacs found in the inner lining of the lungs plays a very important role in extracting oxygen from the air and are supported by a thin lining of tissue. When this tissue becomes inflamed, the function of the air sacs is affected. This health condition of the lungs is called interstitial lung disease. ILD is not limited to certain portions of the lungs but the inflammation can spread all throughout the lungs. Unlike pneumonia, the inflammation of the lungs in interstitial lung disease is not caused by infection but by other factors including the misdirected response of the immune system to infection and toxins like silica dusts and asbestos. Other cases of ILD are idiopathic or with no definite cause.

The first symptom of ILD is difficulty in breathing due to the reduced amounts of circulating oxygen in the body followed by frequent coughing. The condition can be mistakenly diagnosed as pneumonia. Health examinations to conclude ILD include blood tests to rule out infection, imaging studies like CT scans and chest x-rays, PFT or pulmonary function tests and biopsy. Though all these tests are not required in order to determine ILD, some cases may need more examinations that others.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Lung Health

In a study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, results revealed that vitamin D deficiency can affect the proper function of the lungs. The researchers observed that patients with interstitial lung disease or ILD are mostly deficient in vitamin D especially in patients with connective tissue disease or CTD. They gathered a group of 67 patients with CTD-ILD and 51 patients with other types of ILD and found that the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is 69 percent and 38 percent, respectively.  Vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining healthy lung function. And aside from keeping the respiratory system in tip-top shape, vitamin D also plays an essential role in other body functions.

Health Benefits of Vitamin D

United States laws require the fortification of all milk brands with vitamin D. So drinking one to two glasses of milk a day can supply the body with its needed dosage of vitamin D to maintain and promote better health. Other rich sources of vitamin D are cream, butter, and other dairy products. Some oysters and fish are also rich sources of vitamin D.

The efficient absorption of calcium in the bones need the assistance of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is commonly associated with rickets in children and osteoporosis in older adults. Too much vitamin D can also have adverse effects to the body since it results to the excessive absorption of calcium which can accumulate in vital organs like the heart and lungs. Muscle weakness, vomiting and the appearance of kidney stones are also linked to too much vitamin D.

Infants and children aged 0 to 13 years need 5 micrograms of vitamin D a day; this recommended daily intake of vitamin D is relatively consistent up to the age of 50 with an increase to 10 micrograms for people 51 years and older.

Natural Ways to Promote Lung Health

Frequent exercise, proper nutrition and avoiding harmful habits are keys to keeping the lungs healthy. Even if the person exercise frequently and is receiving sufficient nutrition, smoking can keep his risk of developing lung disease high compared to sedentary and malnourished non-smokers. It has been well established that smoking can lead to numerous health conditions like lung cancer and other types of cancer. Smoking can also weaken the immune system and make the person more susceptible to infection.

Medical experts advise regular check-ups for the early diagnosis of a lung disorder. Taking the stairs instead of using the lift will also give the lungs a healthy workout if there’s no time to go to the gym. Second hand smoke can damage the lungs more than cigarette does to the actual smoker. So try to stay away from smoky areas and always make it a point to take the non-smokers area in bars and restaurants. Certain household products may also release toxic fumes when used. Make it a habit to always check the labels of household cleaning products before buying or using them.

Sources
medicinenet.com
eurekalert.org
medicinenet.com
nlm.nih.gov
ods.od.nih.gov
rd.com

Discuss this post in Frank Mangano’s forum!

Around these parts Aubrey de Grey and the SENS Foundation should require no introduction. His advocacy and the Foundation's work on the science of repairing aging is well known, and has been mentioned here at Fight Aging! too many times to count. In my eyes, the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) continue to be the best extant plan for extending human life span as rapidly as possible - and within our lifetimes. The more funding that is devoted to realizing that plan, the better all of our futures will be.

I noticed that a podcast interview with de Grey is up at the Singularity Weblog:

Last time I had Dr. Aubrey de Grey on Singularity 1 on 1 the interview turned out to be a hit. In fact it is still by far the most popular podcast that I have done and the audio file has been listened to or downloaded over 30,000 times. Given Aubrey's popular appeal and the importance of his work, it is no surprise that I am very happy to have him back for a second interview. ... During this conversation I ask Dr. de Grey to discuss issues such as: the term natural death and its impact; the publicity and importance of two long-awaited documentaries about Ray Kurzweil - Transcendent Man and The Singularity is Near; traditional metabolic and more recent DNA tests such as the ones done by 23andMe and others; the slow developmental process of new drugs and therapies, and the problems of taking them from testing in lab rats to humans; the Thomas Malthus argument of overpopulation and Aubrey's reply to it.

Head on over there to watch or listen.

The investigation of the mechanisms of calorie restriction continues apace. Here, researchers "report for the first time that deactivation of a protein called CRTC1 in roundworms increases their lifespan, most likely mediating the effects of calorie restriction. Previously, researchers knew hunger promoted longevity by activating an enzyme called AMPK, which senses that food is scarce and pushes cells into a low energy state. ... We knew AMPK was a major energy sensor but didn't know what it was talking to. Our goal was to understand the genetic circuitry that registered that response. ... It was clear that one pathway that coordinated metabolism with growth in response to nutrients was AMPK signaling. Studies had also suggested that AMPK might regulate lifespan in worms. What was not known was what factors downstream of AMPK mediated those effects. ... they searched the genome of Caenorhabditis elegans for likely AMPK targets, and identified one suspect encoding a protein called CRTC1, which was expressed at the same time and place as AMPK. To determine if CRTC1 played any role in lifespan, the team fed worms an inhibitory RNA engineered to deplete them of CRTC1 protein. When they measured the worms' lifespan-normally about 3 weeks-they found that worms fed the anti-CRTC1 RNA lived a whopping 40% longer, suggesting that AMPK retards aging by antagonizing CRTC1 activity. ... AMPK deactivated CRTC1 by adding phosphates to a specific region of the CRTC1 protein, an effect equivalent to eliminating CRTC1 altogether. Likewise, when the worms were fed an inhibitory RNA depleting them of an enzyme that lops off the CRTC1 phosphates, they lived longer, showing that AMPK and the lopper - known to scientists as calcineurin - determine lifespan by controlling the extent to which CRTC1 is phosphorylated."

Link: http://www.newswise.com/articles/hungering-for-longevity-salk-scientists-identify-the-confluence-of-aging-signals

From ScienceDaily: "It has been long known that stress plays a part not just in the graying of hair but in hair loss as well. ... Now, a team [that] was investigating how stress affects gastrointestinal function may have found a chemical compound that induces hair growth by blocking a stress-related hormone associated with hair loss - entirely by accident. ... Our findings show that a short-duration treatment with this compound causes an astounding long-term hair regrowth in chronically stressed mutant mice. This could open new venues to treat hair loss in humans through the modulation of the stress hormone receptors, particularly hair loss related to chronic stress and aging. ... the researchers had been using mice that were genetically altered to overproduce a stress hormone called corticotrophin-releasing factor, or CRF. As these mice age, they lose hair and eventually become bald on their backs, making them visually distinct from their unaltered counterparts. The [researchers] had developed the chemical compound, a peptide called astressin-B, and described its ability to block the action of CRF. ... researchers injected the astressin-B into the bald mice to observe how its CRF-blocking ability affected gastrointestinal tract function. .... About three months later, the investigators returned to these mice to conduct further gastrointestinal studies and found they couldn't distinguish them from their unaltered brethren. They had regrown hair on their previously bald backs."

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110216185406.htm