The anti-inflammatory and other beneficial effects of meditation and yoga practices make them potential adjunctive treatments of COVID-19, according to the peer-reviewed journal JACM, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Click here to read the article.

Deepak Chopra, University of California, San Diego and William Bushell of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-authors from Harvard University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health describe the anti-inflammatory effects associated with meditation and yoga.

The “brief overview of key subjects” found “there is evidence of stress and inflammation modulation, and also preliminary evidence for possible forms of immune system enhancement, accompanying the practice of certain forms of meditation, yoga, and pranayama, along with potential implications for counteracting some forms of infectious challenges.” The authors also “readily acknowledge that in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the ideas put forth in this article must be put to further rigorous scientific investigation.”

JACM Editor-in-Chief John Weeks, johnweeks-integrator.com, Seattle, WA, states: “The paper is another in a series in JACM and in other integrative medicine journals suggesting that research agencies in the United States and Europe would serve their citizens by upping their exploration of the potential contributions of natural health practices, especially amidst the present dearth of conventional treatments.”

University of California at Davis, July 16, 2020

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects approximately 11% of people worldwide. It is characterized by recurring episodes of abdominal pain, bloating and changes in bowel habits. IBS patients with mucosal inflammation and changes in the gut’s microbial composition are considered pre-IBD.

Antibiotic usage with high-fat diet is a risk factor

The study included 43 healthy adults and 49 adult patients diagnosed with IBS. The researchers measured fecal calprotectin, a biomarker for intestinal inflammation, of participants. Elevated levels of fecal calprotectin indicated a pre-IBD condition. The study identified 19 patients with IBS as pre-IBD.

The researchers found that all participants who consumed high-fat diet and used antibiotics were at 8.6 times higher risk for having pre-IBD than those on low-fat diet and no recent history of antibiotic use. Participants with the highest fat consumption were about 2.8 times more likely to have pre-IBD than those with the lowest fat intake. A history of recent antibiotic usage alone was associated with 3.9 times higher likelihood of having pre-IBD.

 “Our study found that a history of antibiotics in individuals consuming a high-fat diet was associated with the greatest risk for pre-IBD,” said Andreas Bäumler, professor of medical microbiology and immunology and lead author on the study. “Until now, we didn’t appreciate how different environmental risk factors can synergize to drive the disease.”

Shutting the cell’s powerhouse promotes gut microbial growth

Using mouse models, the study also tested the effect of high-fat diet and antibiotics use on the cells in the intestinal lining. It found that high-fat diet and antibiotics cooperate to disrupt the work of the cell’s mitochondria, shutting its ability to burn oxygen. This disruption causes reduction in cell’s oxygen consumption and leads to oxygen leakage into the gut.

The body’s beneficial bacteria thrive in environments lacking oxygen such as the large intestine. Higher oxygen levels in the gut promote bacterial imbalances and inflammation. With the disruption in the gut environment, a vicious cycle of replacing the good bacteria with potentially harmful proinflammatory microbes that are more oxygen tolerant begins. This in turn leads to mucosal inflammation linked to pre-IBD conditions.

The study also identified 5-aminosalicylate (mesalazine), a drug that restarts the energy factories in the intestinal lining, as a potential treatment for pre-IBD.

“The best approach to a healthy gut is to get rid of the preferred sustenance of harmful microbes,” Lee said. “Our study emphasized the importance of avoiding high fat food and abuse of antibiotics to avoid gut inflammation.”

New hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocol can improve cognitive function of older adults

Max Planck Institute (Germany), July 15, 2020

As we age, the immune system gradually becomes impaired. One aspect of this impairment is chronic inflammation in the elderly, which means that the immune system is constantly active and sends out inflammatory substances. Such chronic inflammation is associated with multiple age-related diseases including arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease, and impaired immune responses to infection. One of the questions in ageing research is whether chronic inflammation is a cause of ageing, or a consequence of the ageing process itself? Scientists in the laboratory of Director Adam Antebi at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne, Germany have found evidence suggesting that increased inflammation causes the ageing process to speed up, and that there is a fine balance between maintaining immune system function and longevity.

From their work in the tiny roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, the scientists discovered a change in an evolutionarily conserved gene called PUF60, which made the worms long lived but at the same time dampened the immune response. Worms with this change lived about 20% longer than normal worms, but when they were infected with certain bacteria, they succumbed more quickly to the infection. This means that an overactive immune system also has a price: it shortens life span. Conversely, a less active immune system pays off as longer life span – as long as the animal does not die from an infection.

How does PUF60 regulate this fine balance between a maintained immune system and longevity? PUF60 works as a so-called “splicing factor”, and is involved in the removal (or “splicing out”) of segments in the ribonucleic acid, RNA. This process is essential to generate functional proteins.

The scientists found that the genetically changed PUF60 perturbs this process and alters the regulation of other genes that are involved in immune functions. “We’re excited by this finding because it implicates a very fundamental process in the cell to immunity,” says Adam Antebi. “These observations of course raise further questions. Notably pinpointing how PUF60 activity affects immunity and longevity, and how these two processes are balanced will be central to understanding the relationship between inflammation and ageing.”

Arizona State University, July 15, 2020

You don’t have to be an experienced trailblazer to know that if you choose to hike in the heat, you better be hydrated. Yet scientific literature on the subject reports that roughly 25% of heat-related illness cases are a result of a fluid imbalance, rather than heat exposure alone.

New research out of Arizona State University seeks to understand exactly what is going on in the body as it responds to heat stress, looking in particular at hydration levels, core temperature and sweat loss, in the hopes of developing interventions and best practices for those whose mountainous wanderlust just can’t be quenched.

The findings of one such related study, recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, show that compared to moderate weather conditions, hikers’ performance during hot weather conditions was indeed impaired, resulting in slower hiking speeds and prolonged exposure to the elements, thus increasing their risk of heat-related illness.

Perhaps most telling, though, the research team found that most hikers did not bring enough fluid with them on their hike to compensate for their sweat loss. They also found that less aerobically fit participants were most negatively affected by heat stress and performed worse overall compared to their more aerobically fit counterparts.

“The current guidelines for hikers in general are very broad and geared more toward safety than quantifying the adequate amount of fluid they need,” said ASU College of Health Solutions Assistant Professor Floris Wardenaar, corresponding author on the paper. “The guidelines also do not take into account fitness levels or the importance of incremental exposure to the heat, which can be affected by acclimatization to specific environments and weather conditions.”

Former College of Health Solutions master’s degree students Joshua Linsell and Emily Pelham are the first and second authors of the paper, followed by School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning Assistant Professor David Hondula and Wardenaar.

In their study, 12 participants — seven women and five men in their 20s — were asked to hike “A” Mountain on a moderate day (68 degrees Fahrenheit) and then again on a hot day (105 degrees Fahrenheit). They were told to prepare as they normally would, bringing however much fluid they thought they would need, and were asked to hike as quickly as possible without becoming uncomfortable. Each time, they hiked up and down the mountain four times, which adds up to roughly the same distance and incline as Camelback Mountain, one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Phoenix area that sees its fair share of heat-related illness cases.

Before their trek, participants’ resting metabolism was recorded to estimate their energy production during the hike. Their weight, heart rate, core temperature and hydration status were measured before and after the hike, and their drinking behavior – how much or how little fluid they consumed – was monitored throughout.

Using that data, researchers were able to calculate participants’ rate of sweat loss through their bodyweight reduction, which averaged out to about 1%, whether conditions were hot or moderate.

“The 1% bodyweight reduction had different reasons,” Wardenaar said. “During hot conditions, participants’ sweat rates were higher while drinking more, often resulting in consuming all of the fluid brought, whereas during moderate conditions, sweat rates were lower, but participants drank less. A 1% bodyweight loss is considered manageable and not likely to result in detrimental performance decline. My concern is that when people hike longer than 80 to 90 minutes in hot conditions that they will not bring enough fluid, resulting in larger bodyweight losses.”

Overall, compared to moderate conditions, hot conditions significantly impaired hiking performance by 11%, reduced aerobic capacity by 7%, increased rate of perceived exertion by 19% and elevated core temperature. On average, participants took about 20 minutes longer to complete the hike during hot conditions than during moderate conditions, which theoretically could exponentially increase the chance of developing heat-related illness.

“Heat slows you down,” Wardenaar explained. “This means that what you normally can hike in 75 minutes under moderate conditions may take up to 95 minutes in the heat. That is something that people should take into account, especially when their hike will substantially exceed the 90 minute cut-off.”

Based on their findings, Wardenaar suggests preparing for a hike by familiarizing yourself with your personal hydration needs. You can do so by multiplying your weight before the hike by .01, then subtracting your weight after your hike from your starting weight. If the difference between your starting weight and your ending weight is greater than the product of your starting weight multiplied by .01, you need to be drinking more fluid during your hike.

It’s also important to be well-hydrated before you even get out on the trail, Wardenaar said. And avoid alcohol, as it can contribute to dehydration.

Veterans Affairs Research, Baylor University and Mt Sinai, July 13, 2020

Meditation was linked to lower cardiovascular risk in a data analysis by Veterans Affairs researchers and colleagues.

The results appeared online June 30 in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Previous studies have suggested that meditation may have beneficial effects on a number of conditions. A 2017 American Heart Association scientific statement suggests that meditation may be of benefit for cardiovascular risk reduction. Data show that it may help with blood pressure, cholesterol level, quitting smoking, and overall cardiovascular health. However, this connection is far from definitive. By using a large national database with many participants, the authors of the new study sought further evidence on how meditation impacts cardiovascular risk.

Lead researcher Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong–of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai–and his colleagues studied data from the National Health Interview Survey, conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics. It collects information on a wide range of health topics from a nationally representative sample.

The researchers looked at data on more than 61,000 survey participants. Of those, almost 6,000 (nearly 10%) said they participated in some form of meditation.

The researchers found that people who meditated had lower rates of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease, compared with those who did not meditate.

The greatest difference was in coronary artery disease. Those who meditated were 51% as likely as those who didn’t to have the disease. The prevalence of other cardiovascular risks in the meditation group compared with the non-meditation group was 65% for high cholesterol, 70% for diabetes, 76% for stroke, and 86% for high blood pressure.

The researchers controlled for other factors connected to cardiovascular risk, such as age, sex, cigarette smoking, and body mass index. After adjusting for these factors, the effect of meditation was still significant.

Many types of meditation exist. Most focus on attention and awareness. Meditation has been shown to increase physical and mental relaxation. “I believe in meditation, as it can give us a sense of calm, peace, and stress reduction, leading to improvement of our emotional well-being,” explained Krittanawong.

Practicing meditation has been linked to decreased stress, greater mindfulness, and improved psychological health. It may even lead to long-term functional and anatomical changes in the brain. Meditation is also simple, cost-effective, and low-risk.

Krittanawong and colleagues did note several limitations to the study. First, the survey did not capture what type of meditation people were using. Some types of meditation may offer more cardiovascular benefit than others, say the researchers. The survey also did not ask about the duration or intensity of that meditation. It is possible that those who practice longer and more frequently will get more benefit, but the study cannot measure these effects.

Also, the researchers cannot definitively say that meditation directly decreases cardiovascular risk. It could be that people who are in better cardiovascular health to begin with are more likely to practice meditation, rather than the other way around.

Other life activities might also obscure the link between meditation and cardiovascular health. The researchers found factoring in alcohol consumption and physical activity lowered the significance of the relationship between meditation and cardiovascular risk.

Considering all these factors, the researchers concluded that meditation is “probably” associated with lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk. Krittanawong notes that, while the results suggest that meditation can improve cardiovascular health, “we would need a powerful study such as a clinical trial to determine whether meditation could benefit cardiovascular health in veterans.”

Meanwhile, the study adds to a growing body of research on the potential benefits of meditation, they say.

Ben Gurion University (Israel), July 15, 2020

Consuming a tomato nutrient complex that contains at least 15 mg of lycopene and other beneficial plant chemicals results in reduced blood pressure, according to a recent double-blind, randomized dose-response study.

Published in the journal Nutrients, it revealed that tomato-based lycopene, a carotenoid and the natural pigment responsible for the bright red skin of a number of fruits, can help protect against high blood pressure better than synthetic lycopene.

In fact, consuming the same dose of synthetic lycopene resulted in no significant changes to blood pressure, according to a team of researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel and Lycored, a science-based nutraceutical company that also funded the study.

Emerging research suggests that oxidative stress due to unstable molecules called free radicals is related to a significant increase in blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major risk factor for heart disease and its complications, including heart failure, heart attack, stroke and sudden cardiac arrest.

Current studies indicate that carotenoids in tomato, such as lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene, act as potent antioxidants to inhibit inflammation and protect against cellular damage. Lycopene, in particular, is linked to a number of health benefits, including disease prevention and protection.

In this double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled experiment, the researchers determined to find effective doses of tomato nutrient complex to regulate blood pressure in hypertensive individuals.

Lycored, the company funding the study, noted that this experiment is the fourth in a series of human clinical trials meant to test the potential benefits of their tomato nutrient complex for cardiometabolic health.

To test the efficacy of the tomato nutrient complex, the team gathered 61 participants aged 35 to 60 years. Each participant had to have an elevated systolic blood pressure of 130 to 140 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) at the time of the trial.

The team then assigned participants at random capsules containing tomato nutrient complex, pure synthetic lycopene or a placebo every day for eight weeks. The tomato nutrient complex capsules could contain five, 15 or 30 mg of natural lycopene, alongside other tomato-based plant chemicals.

At the end of the trial, the team found that participants who took the tomato nutrient complex with either 15 or 30 mg of natural lycopene experienced significant reductions in their systolic (10 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (5 mmHg).

On the other hand, participants who received the tomato nutrient complex with 5 mg of lycopene, as well as those who received the synthetic lycopene and placebo had no significant changes in their blood pressure readings at the end of the trial.

Based on their findings, the team suggested that other carotenoids in tomatoes might also be behind the success of the tomato nutrient complex capsules that contained 15 and 30 mg of lycopene. That said, the team noted that 100 g of tomatoes provide just 2.5 to 4 mg of lycopene.

Therefore, hypertensive individuals should consider eating other foods rich in lycopene, such as guavas, grapefruits and persimmons, and taking lycopene supplements to reduce their blood pressure by a significant amount. 

Columbia University, July 13, 2020

Memories linked with strong emotions often become seared in the brain.

Most people can remember where they were on 9/11, or what the weather was like on the day their first child was born. Memories about world events on Sept 10, or lunch last Tuesday, have long been erased.

Why are memories attached to emotions so strong?

“It makes sense we don’t remember everything,” says René Hen, PhD, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “We have limited brain power. We only need to remember what’s important for our future wellbeing.”

Fear, in this context, is not just a momentary feeling but a learning experience critical to our survival. When a new situation makes us fearful, the brain records the details in our neurons to help us avoid similar situations in the future, or use appropriate caution.

What’s still a mystery is why these memories, recorded by the brain’s hippocampus, become so strong.

To find out, Hen and Jessica Jimenez, an MD/PhD student at Columbia, placed mice into new, frightening environments and recorded the activity of hippocampal neurons that reach out to the brain’s fear center (the amygdala). The neurons’ activity was also recorded a day later when the mice tried to retrieve memories of the experience.

Unsurprisingly, neurons that respond to the frightening environment send that information to the brain’s fear center.

“What was surprising was that these neurons were synchronized when the mouse later recalled the memory,” Hen says.

“We saw that it’s the synchrony that is critical to establish the fear memory, and the greater the synchrony, the stronger the memory,” Jimenez adds. “These are the types of mechanisms that explain why you remember salient events.”

How and when synchronization occurs is still unknown, but the answer could reveal the inner workings of the brain that create lifelong memories and lead to new treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder.

“In people with PTSD, many similar events remind them of the original frightening situation,” Hen says, “and it’s possible that synchronization of their neurons has become too strong.”

“We’re really trying to dig into the mechanisms of how emotional memories form to find better treatments for people with PTSD and memory disorders in general.”

Michigan State University, July 13, 2020

Is middle age really the “golden age” when people are the most optimistic in life? Researchers from Michigan State University led the largest study of its kind to determine how optimistic people are in life and when, as well as how major life events affect how optimistic they are about the future.

“We found that optimism continued to increase throughout young adulthood, seemed to steadily plateau and then decline into older adulthood,” said William Chopik, MSU assistant professor of psychology at MSU and lead author. “Even people with fairly bad circumstances, who have had tough things happen in their lives, look to their futures and life ahead and felt optimistic.”

The study, published in the Journal of Research in Personality, surveyed 75,000 American, German and Dutch people between the ages of 16 and 101 to measure optimism and their outlook about the future. Chopik said the researchers looked at life events such as: marriage, divorce, a new job, retirement, changes in health and loss of a partner, a parent or a child.

“Counterintuitively — and most surprising — we found that really hard things like deaths and divorce really didn’t change a person’s outlook to the future,” Chopik said. “This shows that a lot of people likely subscribe to the ‘life is short’ mantra and realize they should focus on things that make them happy and maintain emotional balance.”

Chopik explained that regardless of life’s good and bad circumstances, from the time people are 15 to almost 60 or 70, they become more and more optimistic.

“There’s a massive stretch of life during which you keep consistently looking forward to things and the future,” Chopik said. “Part of that has to do with experiencing success both in work and life. You find a job, you meet your significant other, you achieve your goals and so on. You become more autonomous and you are somewhat in control of your future; so, you tend to expect things to turn out well.”

As people age into the elderly phase of life, the study showed a shift to declines in optimism, likely driven by health-related concerns and knowing that the bulk of life is behind you. While the elderly aren’t full-fledge pessimists, Chopik said, there is still a noticeable change.

“Retirement age is when people can stop working, have time to travel and to pursue their hobbies,” Chopik said. “But very surprisingly, people didn’t really think that it would change the outlook of their lives for the better.”

Chopik said one of the most profound conclusions in the study was showing how resilient people are in life.

“We oftentimes think that the really sad or tragic things that happen in life completely alter us as people, but that’s not really the case,” Chopik said. “You don’t fundamentally change as a result of terrible things; people diagnosed with an illness or those who go through another crisis still felt positive about the future and what life had ahead for them on the other side.”

Most 50+ adults say they’ve experienced ageism; most still hold positive aging attitudes

Ageism plays out in day-to-day interactions and messaging, and those experiencing it are more likely to have worse physical and mental health

Sechenov University (Russia), July 13, 2020

Researchers from Sechenov University in collaboration with colleagues from Germany, Greece and Russia reviewed scientific articles on the role of zinc in the prevention and treatment of viral infections and pneumonia, with projections on those caused by SARS-CoV-2. The results were published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine.

Zinc is necessary for normal metabolism and functioning of the reproductive, cardiovascular and nervous systems, but it is also important for the immune system, in particular for the proliferation and maturation of white blood cells (some of them are able to capture and digest microorganisms, and others – to produce antibodies). In addition, zinc is involved in the regulation of inflammation. Thus, normal levels of zinc support human resistance to inflammatory and infectious diseases.

‘According to the current estimates, the risk of zinc deficiency is observed in more than 1.5 billion people in the world. In Russia, deficiency of this element occurs in 20-40% of the population; in some regions it reaches 60%. Given the crucial role of zinc in regulation of immunity, one can propose that its insufficiency may be considered as a risk factor for infectious diseases,’ said the research leader, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Dietetics at Sechenov University, Professor Anatoly Skalny.

The scientists reviewed the results of studies on the use of zinc-containing drugs for increasing immunity and preventing viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2 that caused COVID-19 outbreak this year. Previous studies showed that zinc and its binding substances can slow down the work of RNA polymerase (an enzyme that synthesises viral RNA molecules) of coronaviruses and suppress their spread in the body. One of the substances that stimulate the cellular zinc uptake, chloroquine, has already been tested on patients with SARS-CoV-2, but its strong side effects make it necessary to look for other compounds with a similar effect or use zinc separately. However, both options have not been sufficiently studied or tested yet.

Observations of the development of other viruses, such as rhinoviruses (this family includes pathogens of acute respiratory diseases), show that an increase in the level of zinc in cells suppresses replication (reproduction) of the virus and stimulates production of interferon alpha, which has an antiviral activity.

In addition, zinc deficiency is considered as one of the risk factors for the development of pneumonia: it increases the susceptibility to infectious agents and the disease duration. Several studies show the effectiveness of zinc-containing drugs in decreasing severity and duration of symptoms and reducing the prevalence of pneumonia. However, in general, data on the use of zinc as a therapy, rather than prevention, are contradictory.

Another possible application of zinc is modulation of inflammation. Existing data show that zinc ions have an anti-inflammatory effect, reducing damage to lung tissue in pneumonia. Zinc also helps the body resist bacteria, and bacterial pneumonia frequently occurs in patients with secondary viral infections.

‘A recent study conducted by scientists from the USA confirmed our assumptions, demonstrating the effect of zinc intake on the risk of a severe course and the need for artificial ventilation in patients with COVID-19,’ said Alexey Tinkov, coauthor of the article, a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Molecular Dietetics at Sechenov University.

Therefore, according to current research, adequate zinc status can bring down the likelihood of infectious respiratory diseases, pneumonia and its complications. There are also indirect indications that zinc intake may be effective in the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but there is still insufficient data for recommendations.

University of Nebraska and Texas Biomedical Institute, July 11, 2020

Researchers at the University of Nebraska and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute have recently published a peer-reviewed article suggesting that CBD could be included in the treatment regimen for the COVID-19 coronavirus. Researchers say that both THC and CBD appear to reduce the severe lung inflammation associated with the virus.

The article was published in this month’s issue of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, the authors concluded that, “Collectively, these findings support the investigation of cannabinoids as a plausible option to be added as an adjunct to Remdesivir or any new antivirals on SARS-CoV2 induced lung inflammation.”

The authors of the paper pointed to numerous studies that showed the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD. THC is known to have anti-inflammatory properties as well, but because some patients would prefer to not have the psychoactive side effects, the researchers chose to focus specifically on CBD.

“Unlike THC, CBD has a high margin of safety and is well tolerated pharmacologically even after treatments of up to 1500 mg/day for two weeks in both animals and humans, which suggests its feasibility to reduce SARS-CoV2 induced lung inflammation/pathology and disease severity,” the article said.

The article also suggested that CBD could also help with the psychological stress that comes after a fight with something like the coronavirus.

“Like Ebola, patients recovering from COVID-19 may experience various psychological and social stressors that may be triggered by residual chronic inflammation and autoimmune reactions. Therefore, randomized clinical trials to test the efficacy of CBD on alleviating anxiety and fear associated with COVID-19 infection and its consequences on people’s physical, social and psychological well-being may be beneficial in the future,” the article reads.

The researchers also said that more studies are needed to confirm their assertions, and they cautioned that they don’t recommend for coronavirus patients to smoke anything, including cannabis, and instead suggested taking the substance orally.

Cambridge University, July 13, 2020

Apathy offers an important early warning sign of dementia in individuals with cerebrovascular disease, but depression does not, new research led by the University of Cambridge suggests.

Depression is often thought to be a risk factor for dementia but this may be because some depression scales used by clinicians and researchers partially assess apathy, say scientists from the universities of Cambridge, King’s College London, Radboud and Oxford.

The study, published on 11 July in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry is the first to examine the relationships between apathy, depression, and dementia in individuals with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). SVD may occur in one out of three elderly individuals, causes about a quarter of all strokes, and is the most common cause of vascular dementia.

The team studied two independent cohorts of SVD patients, one from the UK and the other from the Netherlands.* Across both cohorts, they found that individuals with higher baseline apathy, as well as those with increasing apathy over time, had a greater risk of dementia. In contrast, neither baseline depression nor change in depression had any detectable influence on dementia risk.

These findings were consistent despite variation in the severity of participants’ symptoms, suggesting that they could be generalised across a broad spectrum of SVD cases. The relationship between apathy and dementia remained after controlling for other well-established risk factors for dementia including age, education, and cognition.

Lead author, Jonathan Tay, from Cambridge’s Department of Clinical Neurosciences said: “There has been a lot of conflicting research on the association between late-life depression and dementia. Our study suggests that may partially be due to common clinical depression scales not distinguishing between depression and apathy.”

Apathy, defined as a reduction in ‘goal-directed behaviour’, is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in SVD, and is distinct from depression, which is another symptom in SVD. Although there is some symptomatic overlap between the two, previous MRI research linked apathy, but not depression, with white matter network damage in SVD.

Jonathan Tay said: “Continued monitoring of apathy may be used to assess changes in dementia risk and inform diagnosis. Individuals identified as having high apathy, or increasing apathy over time, could be sent for more detailed clinical examinations, or be recommended for treatment.”

Over 450 participants – all with MRI-confirmed SVD – recruited from three hospitals in South London and Radboud University’s Neurology Department in the Netherlands, were assessed for apathy, depression and dementia over several years.

In the UK cohort, nearly 20% of participants developed dementia, while 11% in the Netherlands cohort did, likely due to the more severe burden of SVD in the UK cohort. In both datasets, patients who later developed dementia showed higher apathy, but similar levels of depression at baseline, compared to patients who did not.

The study provides the basis for further research, including the mechanisms that link apathy, vascular cognitive impairment, and dementia. Recent MRI work suggests that similar white matter networks underlie motivation and cognitive function in SVD. Cerebrovascular disease, which can be caused by hypertension and diabetes, can lead to network damage, resulting in an early form of dementia, presenting with apathy and cognitive deficits. Over time, SVD-related pathology increases, which is paralleled by increasing cognitive and motivational impairment, eventually becoming severe enough to meet criteria for a dementia state.

Jonathan Tay says: “This implies that apathy is not a risk factor for dementia per se, but rather an early symptom of white matter network damage. Understanding these relationships better could have major implications for the diagnosis and treatment of patients in the future.”

Leads Clinical Research (India), July 13, 2020

Fenugreek is a popular spice which has been evaluated for hormone related disorders.

The present randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study investigated the effect of a unique extract of fenugreek (FHE), at a dose of 250 mg × 2/day for 42 days on hormone balance and postmenopausal discomforts. Postmenopausal women (n = 48) having characteristic postmenopausal symptoms, as assessed by MRS questionnaire, were randomized either to FHE (n = 24) or placebo (n = 24) groups.

The FHE-treated participants reported the feel of well-being within two weeks of supplementation and further improvement, in somatic, psychological and urogenital scores towards the end of the study period. There were 2.9, 4.2 and 7.2 times reduction respectively in hot flashes, night sweats and pain on leg muscles and joints with significant improvement in irritability and vaginal dryness when compared to placebo. Hormone analysis revealed significant increase in estradiol, free testosterone, progesterone and decrease in FSH, SHBG and CTX-1 concentrations, though within the safe range, indicating the trend towards attaining a hormonal balance.

Supplementation of FHE regulated various hormones in postmenopausal women and offered a significant reduction in vasomotor effects and leg pain without showing any significant variations in hematological and biochemical parameters.

Ohio State University, July 12, 2020

A new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Medicine documents a clear link between the stress hormone cortisol and higher blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

The study published online in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

“In healthy people, cortisol fluctuates naturally throughout the day, spiking in the morning and falling at night,” said Dr. Joshua J. Joseph, an endocrinologist and researcher at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center who led the study. “But in participants with type 2 diabetes, cortisol profiles that were flatter throughout the day, had higher glucose levels.”

Previous research has shown that stress and depression are two of the major causes of a flatter cortisol profile. These sustained levels of cortisol make it much more difficult to control blood sugar and manage the disease, which is why it is so important for those with type 2 diabetes to find ways to reduce stress.

“We have begun a new trial to examine if mindfulness practices can lower blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes,” said Joseph, an assistant professor in the College of Medicine. “But this isn’t the only effective form of stress relief. It’s important to find something you enjoy and make it a part of your everyday routine.”

The relationship of cortisol with glucose levels was only observed in those with diabetes. However, Dr. Joseph and his team believe the stress hormone likely plays an important role in diabetes prevention and they continue to research the connection between cortisol and the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

More than 30 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With Type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t use insulin properly. Some people can manage their blood sugar levels with healthy eating and exercise, while others may need medication or insulin to help manage it.

“Most people with Type 2 diabetes know the importance of exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and getting plenty of rest. But stress relief is a crucial and often forgotten component of diabetes management,” Joseph said. “Whether it’s a yoga class, taking a walk or reading a book, finding ways to lower your stress levels is important to everyone’s overall health, especially for those with type 2 diabetes.”

University of Westminster UK, July 12, 2020

Researchers at the University of Westminster and City University of London analysing the music record choices of guests on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs programme has found that the music we listen to between the age of 10 and 30 define us for the rest of our lives.

Music from this time which the researchers call ‘self-defining period’ connects an individual to the people, places, and times that are significant to their identity. The study reveals that people imagining themselves in isolation not only prefer music reminding them of a time when they were aged between 10 and 30, but also they are most likely to choose music that reminds them of an important person playing to the sense that someone is with them, or an important turning point in their life as a powerful way to strengthen their sense of self.

In Britain’s longest running radio programme guests are invited to imagine they are being cast away to a desert island and are asked to choose eight records to take with them. The researchers analysed the responses of 80 Desert Island Discs guests to reveal how people choose music that is important to them and whether they are more likely to select music from a particular time in their life if they can choose anything they like.

Half of all musical choices were seen to be important between the ages of 10 and 30, a period that has been commonly known as the ‘reminiscence bump’. However, this new study reveals that it is more helpful to think of this period as a ‘self-defining period’ because it is characterised by enduring memories that support our sense of who we are. They suggest that listening to music is typically a key feature of this age and that music is also intrinsically linked to the developing self.

The power of music in identity formation is well-demonstrated through the reasons why people select certain records on Desert Island Discs. The most frequent reason for choosing a song (17%) was that it reminded the guest of their relationship with a specific person, such as a parent, partner or a friend, followed by a memory of a period of time (16.2%) such as reminding someone of their childhood or “remembering playing this at home over and over again”. The third most popular explanation for choosing a record was the song’s connection to specific memories relating to the formation of identity through life-changing moments (12.9%). Such reason was given by Bruce Springsteen, who said that the Beatles song “I want to hold your hand” had inspired him to pick up the guitar and start a band.

Professor Catherine Loveday, Neuropsychologist at the University of Westminster and Lead Researcher, said: “Guests frequently chose songs because they were related to important memories that occurred during teenage years. This extends previous findings by showing that music from this time has particular meaning, primarily because it relates to memories from this very important developmental period of our life. Unlike previous studies, this study shows that this occurs even in a completely naturalistic setting, where people are not constrained by experimental settings and have a completely free rein on their musical choices.

“Because the premise of the programme is that people imagine themselves in isolation, this research has relevance to anyone who becomes isolated, including during lockdown measures in the current coronavirus pandemic, or who becomes displaced from their everyday environment, such as residents in care homes, refugees or hospital patients.”

Working with an international team, the researchers are now working on a new study that invites people to create and share their own Deserts Island Disc experience. The survey will provide important new insights into the benefits of music and reminiscence 

Vitamin K1 and K2: Which form benefits cardiovascular health?

University of Utrecht (Netherlands) and Cambridge University, July 10, 2020

A causal relationship exists between lower concentrations of matrix Gla protein (MGP), a biomarker of vitamin K status, and lower coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, reports a recent study published in Clinical Nutrition. However, lower CHD risk is not linked to vitamin K1 levels, which suggests that vitamin K2 is likely responsible for the heart benefits associated with vitamin K.

Decreased CHD risk related to vitamin K2 levels, not K1

Vitamin K occurs in two main forms: vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, and vitamin K2, or menaquinones. Phylloquinone can be found in salad greens like spinach, kale and romaine lettuce. This particular form of vitamin K is, for the most part, responsible for the micronutrient’s reported benefits for blood clotting.

Menaquinones, on the other hand, can be found in milk, cheese and fermented foods like natto – a traditional Japanese dish of fermented soybeans. Menaquinones support bone health by reducing the risk of osteoporosis in later life. According to research, menaquinones achieve this by stimulating the calcium-binding actions of MGP to build and maintain strong bones.

Prior to the study, the mechanism behind vitamin K’s reported heart benefits had been unclear. But researchers have now found that increasing one’s vitamin K2 levels can help lower the risk of heart disease — a leading cause of death in the United States.

To understand the causal relationship between vitamin K concentrations and CHD risk, the team analyzed data from three large studies, namely: the EPIC-CVD case-cohort study, the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D Consortium and the UK Biobank. The studies had a combined total of 103,097 recorded cases of CHD.

Using these data, the team calculated a genetic risk score for each CHD case to determine if genetic risk factors are related to concentrations of phylloquinone and dephosphorylated-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP). The latter is the inactive form of MGP that requires vitamin K for activation. Small amounts of dp-ucMGP represent long-term high vitamin K intake.

The team found that phylloquinone concentrations did not affect CHD risk, but decreased concentrations of dp-ucMGP appeared to be causally related to decreased CHD risk. Because phylloquinone had no impact on CHD risk, the researchers suggested that menaquinones may be behind the observed heart benefit.

The team also said that menaquinones are absorbed better by the body than phylloquinone. Therefore, menaquinones – vitamin K2 – and not K1, may be more beneficial for heart health and overall health than other forms of vitamin K. (Related: Keep your heart and bone health a-ok by increasing intake of vitamin K.)

High intake of vitamin K2 related to a reduced risk of CHD

Another recent study published in the British Medical Journal also found that high intake of vitamin K2, not K1, is related to a reduced risk of CHD.

To understand the role of vitamin K in vascular calcification, a complication related to atherosclerosis, CHD and other heart conditions, a team of Norwegian researchers studied 2,987 participants from 1997 to 2009 in the community-based Hordaland Health Study.

After a follow-up period of 11 years, the team documented 112 incident CHD cases. Upon examination of these participants’ vitamin K intake, the team found that vitamin K1 is not related to CHD risk. In contrast, a higher intake of vitamin K2 appeared to be linked to a reduced risk of CHD.

1 in 3 young adults may face severe COVID-19, UCSF study shows

Washington State University, July 13, 2020

Researchers have demonstrated that a fatty acid called dihomogamma-linolenic acid, or DGLA, can kill human cancer cells.

The study, published in Developmental Cell on July 10, found that DGLA can induce ferroptosis in an animal model and in actual human cancer cells. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent type of cell death that was discovered in recent years and has become a focal point for disease research as it is closely related to many disease processes.

Jennifer Watts, a Washington State University associate professor and corresponding author on the paper, said this discovery has many implications, including a step toward a potential treatment for cancer.

“If you could deliver DGLA precisely to a cancer cell, it could promote ferroptosis and lead to tumor cell death,” Watts said. “Also, just knowing that this fat promotes ferroptosis might also affect how we think about conditions such as kidney disease and neurodegeneration where we want to prevent this type of cell death.”

DGLA is a polyunsaturated fatty acid found in small amounts in the human body, though rarely in the human diet. Compared to other fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil, DGLA is relatively understudied.

Watts has been researching dietary fats including DGLA for nearly twenty years, using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model. A microscopic worm, C. elegans is often used in molecular research because it is transparent and allows scientists to easily study cell-level activity in a whole animal over its relatively short lifespan. Results found in the C. elegans cells are also often transferable to human cells.

Watts’ research team discovered that feeding nematodes a diet of DGLA-laden bacteria killed all the germ cells in the worms as well as the stem cells that make the germ cells. The way the cells died carried many signs of ferroptosis.

“Many of the mechanisms we saw in the nematodes were consistent with the hallmarks of ferroptosis in mammalian systems, including the presence of redox-active iron and the inability to repair oxidized lipids, which are like molecular executioners,” said Marcos Perez, a WSU doctoral student and first author on the paper.

To see if the results would translate to human cells, Watts and Perez collaborated with Scott Dixon of Stanford University, who has been studying ferroptosis and its potential for battling cancer for many years.

Taking what they had learned from the nematode work, the researchers showed that DGLA could induce ferroptosis in human cancer cells. They also found an interaction with another fatty acid class, called an ether lipid, that had a protective effect against DGLA. When they took out the ether lipids, the cells died faster in the presence of DGLA.

In addition to this new knowledge, the study also demonstrated that C. elegans can be a useful animal research model in the study of ferroptosis, a field that has had to rely mostly on cell cultures.

To take this research further, Watts’ team recently received a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate what makes the nematode germ cells so susceptible to DGLA and explore the role of mitochondria, the cell organelles involved in burning fat and regulating metabolism, in ferroptosis.