2010 January — The Perspective

Childhood Obesity Alone May Increase Later Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

January 27, 2010 By adminclyd

By as early as 7 years of age, being obese may raise a child’s risk of future heart disease and stroke, even in the absence of other cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

“This new study demonstrates that the unhealthy consequences of excess body fat start very early,” said Nelly Mauras, MD, of Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and senior author of the study. “Our study shows that obesity alone is linked to certain abnormalities in the blood that can predispose individuals to developing cardiovascular disease early in adulthood.

These findings suggest that we need more aggressive interventions for weight control in obese children, even those who do not have the co-morbidities of the metabolic syndrome.”

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that raise the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It is being increasingly diagnosed in children as being overweight becomes a greater problem. Although debate exists as to its exact definition, to receive a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, one must have at least three of the following characteristics: increased waist circumference (abdominal fat), low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, high triglycerides (fats in the blood), high blood pressure and high blood glucose (blood sugar).

Mauras and her colleagues wanted to know if obesity could raise cardiovascular disease risk prior to the onset of the metabolic syndrome. Researchers therefore screened more than 300 individuals ages 7 to 18 years and included only those without features of the metabolic syndrome. They included 202 participants in the study: 115 obese children and 87 lean children as controls. Half of the children were prepubertal and the other half were in late puberty. Obese children had a body mass index (a measure of body fat) above the 95th percentile for their sex, age and height.

To be eligible to participate in the study, the children and adolescents had to have normal fasting blood sugar levels, normal blood pressure and normal cholesterol and triglycerides. Lean controls also could not have a close relative with type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or obesity. The latter group proved very difficult to find.

All study participants underwent blood testing for known markers for predicting the development of cardiovascular disease. These included elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, and abnormally high fibrinogen, a clotting factor, among others. Obese children had a 10 fold higher CRP and significantly higher fibrinogen concentrations, compared with age- and sex-matched lean children, the authors reported. These abnormalities occurred in obese children as young as age 7, long before the onset of puberty.

The results were striking Mauras stated, as the children were entirely healthy otherwise. Although it is not yet known whether early therapeutic interventions can reverse high CRP and fibrinogen, she said it would be prudent for health care providers to advise more aggressive interventions to limit calories and increase activity in “healthy” overweight children, even before the onset of puberty.

“Doctors often do not treat obesity in children now unless they have other features of the metabolic syndrome,” Mauras said. “This practice should be reconsidered. Further studies are needed to offer more insight into the effects of therapeutic interventions in these children.

Other researchers working on the study include: Charles DelGiorno, Keisha Bird, Melissa Morgan, Shawn Sweeten, Prabhakaran Balagopal and Ligeia Damaso of Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla; and Craig Kollman of the Jaeb Center for Health Research in Tampa, Fla.

The article, “Obesity Without Established Co-morbidities of the Metabolic Syndrome is Associated With a Pro-inflammatory and Pro-thrombotic State Even Before the Onset of Puberty in Children,” will appear in the March 2010 issue of JCEM. redOrbit

Filed Under: Health & Fitness Tagged With: Disease, Research & Study

Asia Can Meet Water, Energy Challenges

January 26, 2010 By adminclyd

Asian countries were geared up to face the global challenges of drinking water, energy and healthcare sectors, said Seeram Ramakrishna, Vice-President (Research Strategy), National University of Singapore, here recently.

Inaugurating the Asian conference on Recent Advances in Polymer Science (RAPS 2010) at Shanmugha Arts Science Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) University, Prof. Ramakrishna pointed out that Asia invested US $ 400 billion in research and development which was on par with that in the United States.

Growing population, continued exploitation of natural resources and increased life expectancy have brought to the fore three key challenges, namely water, energy and healthcare.

Prof. Ramakrishna said that Asia currently had 400 million people above 60 years which was expected to increase to a whopping 1,231 million by 2030. Nanotechnology had the potential answers to face these challenges. The number of nanotechnologists in Asia outnumbered those in the United States and, therefore, Asia was all set to be show the way to the rest of the world.

He described various advanced technologies that had been developed in Asian laboratories using polymeric and metal oxide nano fibres made by a versatile technique called electro-spinning which was pioneered by Prof. Ramakrishna.

Examples of polymeric nanofibrous scaffolds for regenerating nerves, heart tissue, skin and bone, metal oxide nanofibres for photovoltaic applications, polymeric membranes for ultrafiltration applications were highlighted during his talk.

The two-day conference organised by the Department of Chemistry of SASTRA University, had eminent speakers from Indian Institute of Science, National Chemical Laboratory, Indian Association for Cultivation of Science, Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Science & Research, Anna University and Central Electrochemical Research Institute addressing the participants on advances made in high temperature polymers, polymeric nano-composites, medical polymers, industrial and conducting polymers. The Hindu

Filed Under: Environment Tagged With: Energy

Create The Right Environment

January 25, 2010 By adminclyd

Deemed universities are important in a country like ours which is looking forward to becoming a superpower by 2020. Also, when foreign universities are getting ready to bring world class facilities, technology and academic concepts to India, the government should be creating a conducive environment for our institutions too to excel in all spheres of education.

But unfortunately it is not doing this. The problem is not with the concept of deemed universities or autonomous institutes but in the process of granting colleges such status. The 2007 notification by the HRD ministry laid down that an institute must be assessed for innovation, excellence in all aspects of education, world class infrastructure, qualified faculty, accreditation and so on, before it is granted deemed university status. But unfortunately we messed up everything, creating chaos in higher education.

I believe that deemed university status should be granted to any institute which is excellent in education, research and development, infrastructure, innovation and faculty and is committed to the betterment of society. We should make accreditation by any national or international agency mandatory for granting an institute such a status. Peer review at regular intervals should be done to make sure it retains its high standards of education. Autonomous institutions should be agents of change in this fast changing world where life is influenced by globalisation and technological innovations in a big way.

But unfortunately some are setting a bad example. It may also be true that some deemed universities have failed to perform. But that doesn’t mean the concept is itself bad. Ideally, the government should be encouraging institutes to follow the norms and attain autonomy to excel further. A few bad eggs in the basket should not kill the objective of developing excellent and innovative institutions, which can help the country’s progress. By K. Balaveera Reddy, Deccan Chronicle

Filed Under: Environment Tagged With: Education

Zap The Trees To Reduce Carbon

January 24, 2010 By adminclyd

How do you save the planet? Chop down a tree and put it in a microwave. That’s not a joke. It’s the proposition of at least two dozen companies developing “biochar” technology that they say will suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and help curb global warming.

The idea is straightforward. Trees spend their lives pulling carbon dioxide out of the air. When they die, though, they release it back into the environment. To ensure the carbon contained in the leaves and branches never escapes, trees will be chopped, chipped and put into high-tech “cookers” to reduce them to charcoal, which can then be buried.

In theory the process could be repeated over and over again, fed by giant plantations of fast-growing trees, sucking millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Chris Goodall, the Green party candidate and author of Ten Technologies to Save the Planet, suggested the world should set aside 200m hectares, an area equivalent to about nine UKs, for such farms. The charcoal could be put down old mine shafts for storage or mixed into soil to enrich it.

The idea is catching on and has the backing of a growing roster of green heavy-hitters, including Nobel peace prize winner Al Gore. James Lovelock, the influential environmentalist, supports its use if limited to plant matter that would otherwise be left to decay. Several firms will test prototypes this year.

Johannes Lehmann, professor of soil fertility management at Cornell University, New York, said it had the potential to remove “a few billion tonnes” of carbon from the atmosphere a year. “This could be one of the top 10 solutions to climate change. It would be irresponsible to not probe its possibilities,” he said. The world generates about 29 billion tonnes of carbon each year.

Some argue the excitement has raced ahead of the science. Almuth Ernsting, who runs the Biofuelwatch blog, said: “There have been no large-scale trials and certainly nothing to prove this actually works.”

Some studies suggest that adding it to soils may activate microbes that break down existing charcoal in the soil, leading to a net increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace, argues that it remains unclear how long CO2 stays contained in biochar and raised concerns over land-use change.

He said: “We need to see further research that’s disconnected from the commercial interests gathering round this. What we don’t want is clear-cutting of old-growth forest.”

Nobody has proposed that. Most speak about using land that is unused or degraded, or feeding in other waste streams such as sewage or agricultural leftovers.

The basic science that holds up charcoal as a stable and reliable carbon sink is, Lehmann said, “absolutely proven”. He added: “Charcoal has been used and produced for millennia by humanity. We need to get away from ideology and let science speak.”

The difference today is how it can be made. The companies developing the technology all rely on the same basic approach. Called pyrolysis, it heats organic material to between 300C and 600C in an oxygen-starved environment. The result is gas, which can be used in a turbine to generate electricity. Depending on the process, the other products are liquids that can be used for fuels or solids like charcoal.

Carbonscape, a New Zealand group, has come up with a variation that uses a patented microwave-assisted pyrolysis process that can zap organic material such as trees and weeds in a matter of minutes.

Chris Turney, the geology professor at Exeter University who invented the system, envisions machines being rolled out all over the world, especially in the tropics, where deforestation is rife. They are made to fit into a standard shipping container and even if powered by coal-fired electricity, Turney said, the machine removes twice the carbon released by the process.

“The whole reason this works is that we could reforest land, harvest it and then reforest again,” he added.

Turney is not alone. Best Energies in America, BIC in Belgium, AnthroTerra in Australia and Agri-Therm of Canada are among those developing rival systems.

The hard fact remains, however, that there is no intrinsic value in incinerating trees and shrubs. None of these biochar pioneers will get far without public money. The most logical way would be to make biochar eligible for the credits that are traded in Europe’s £70 billion carbon trading system. Politicians at last month’s climate summit in Copenhagen proposed its inclusion, as have American legislators.

Meanwhile, biochar has attracted its share of opportunists. Mantria, an American company, was last month charged with fraud after allegedly swindling $30m (£18.5m) from investors, claiming it was the “world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of biochar”.

The Securities and Exchange Commission, the American stock market regulator, said: “Mantria has never sold any biochar and has just one facility testing biochar for possible commercial production.” By Danny Fortson, The Sunday Times

Filed Under: Environment Tagged With: Climate Change

Quitting Smoking Helps Lung Cancer Patients Live Longer

January 23, 2010 By adminclyd

Smokers who are diagnosed with early stage lung cancer can roughly double their chances of being alive five years later by giving up smoking, researchers say. However, many people with lung cancer are diagnosed at a later stage, and there’s very little research on whether these people would benefit from quitting.

What do we know already?

The warnings appear on every cigarette packet, often in stark lettering, but sometimes including grisly photos of diseased lungs. Whatever the reasons someone has for smoking, not being aware of the risks is unlikely to be one of them.

Given that many people with lung cancer die within a year of being diagnosed, it would take an insensitive sort of character to lecture a patient on their smoking habits. Nevertheless, a new study casts some light on the continuing harm someone might be doing to themselves by smoking while being treated for lung cancer.

What does the new study say?

Giving up smoking can help people with lung cancer to live longer, according to a round-up of all the research on the topic. The researchers used a mathematical model to predict life expectancy, based on observing people with lung cancer who chose to either carry on smoking or give up.

The researchers think that someone with a kind of lung cancer called non-small cell, diagnosed at an early stage at age 65, would have a 70 percent chance of being alive five years later if they gave up smoking. The chance of being alive in five years would fall to 33 percent for someone who kept on smoking.

While the predicted difference in life expectancy is large, in practice few people may be in a position to benefit. The majority of people are diagnosed with lung cancer at a later stage. There’s been very little research looking at the implications of smoking for these people.

How reliable are the findings?

The study is a review of all the research that’s been done so far. One weakness is that most of the previous studies have looked at people with early stage cancer.

Another is that most of the existing studies are of the observational kind. In other words, people chose whether to keep smoking or not, and the researchers kept track of what happened to them. This could affect the results. For example, people who’d smoked less in the past might find it easier to give up, so the benefit could come from having less lung damage in the first place, rather than quitting. However, in practice, it seems that it was the least healthy people who were most likely to quit, which would mean the study could underestimate the benefits of giving up.

Where does the study come from?

The study was published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal), which is owned by the British Medical Association. It was carried out by an organisation called the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, with funding from several organisations, including the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, and the National Institute for Health Research.

What does this mean for me?

In health terms, giving up smoking is almost always likely to be beneficial. However, if you’ve been diagnosed with lung cancer, you’re likely to be facing all sorts of difficult decisions about treatment and about the future. It’s entirely down to you to decide the amount of effort you’re prepared to put into giving up smoking. The Guardian

Filed Under: Health & Fitness Tagged With: Health, Lifestyle

Mango Prevents & Halts Growth of Colon And Breast Cancer Cells (Study)

January 22, 2010 By adminclyd

Take a bite of a juicy, sweet mango and you are experiencing a delicious taste enjoyed by countless people from ancient times until today. According to the Orlando-based National Mango Board (NMG), a mango industry-sponsored research, promotion and consumer information program, mangos are known to be rich in vitamins C and A, as well as fiber. However, because little has been documented about any specific health benefits of eating the fruit, NMB has commissioned a variety of scientific studies to investigate these issues.

So far, this research initiative has turned up an unexpected and groundbreaking discovery: in laboratory experiments in Texas A&M University’s AgriLife Research department mango fruit prevented or stopped cancer growth in certain breast and colon cell lines. Newswire

Filed Under: Health & Fitness Tagged With: Foods, Nutrition

Study Counts Benefits of Cutting Salt

January 21, 2010 By adminclyd

A national program to reduce dietary salt could prevent tens of thousands of heart attacks, strokes and deaths and trim as much as $24 billion from the U.S. health-care tab, according to a study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study, a computer simulation, suggests the impact would be similar to prevention strategies such as quitting smoking, lowering cholesterol or modest weight-loss.

But significant cuts in salt from the diet could be challenging for individuals without action from food manufacturers. Some 75% of dietary salt intake comes from processed foods, according to the researchers.

A salt-reduction program in the U.S. could save an estimated $10 billion to $24 billion in annual health costs.

Their findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that lowering dietary salt could be an effective weapon against high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. “The time is right now to consider efforts to…achieve population wide reduction in salt” intake, says Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, first author of the study and an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Last week, the New York City Health Department said it would encourage packaged food makers and restaurants to cut salt by 25% over five years. Many food manufacturers have long sold “low sodium” versions of products, but generally they haven’t been popular with consumers. Some companies have recently begun cutting sodium content without highlighting it on product labels.

Morton Satin, technical director of the Salt Institute, a nonprofit group of salt producers, says few data exist linking salt intake and disease. He is skeptical that reducing salt will yield important health benefits.

Americans consume far more than the recommended daily salt intake. The average adult male consumes more than 10 grams of salt a day, according to the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. On Wednesday, the American Heart Association published new guidelines calling for all Americans to reduce their daily intake of sodium—a key component of salt—to 1,500 milligrams, equivalent to 3.8 grams of salt. Previously, that was the recommended limit for higher risk individuals; the regular limit had been 2,300 milligrams of sodium, or 5.8 grams of salt.

A typical sandwich, with two slices of bread and meat or peanut butter, has about half the daily recommended amount of salt, Dr. Bibbins-Domingo says.

In the computer simulation, which included data from the U.S. Census, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national studies, Dr. Bibbins-Domingo and her colleagues estimated the effect of lowering salt in the daily American diet by a small amount—up to three grams a day—in adults age 35 and older.

Based on other research, they assumed a three-gram reduction in salt would lower systolic blood pressure by 3.6 to 5.6 millimeters of mercury; a one-gram reduction would reduce the level by 1.2 to 1.9 millimeters. (Systolic is the higher number in a blood-pressure reading. People whose level is 140/90 or more are considered to have high blood pressure.) Such modest blood-pressure reductions are associated, in other studies, with significant lowering of risk of death, heart attack and stroke.

In the current study, researchers found that lowering salt intake by three grams a day would cut new cases of heart disease annually by a third—an estimated 60,000 to 120,000 cases per year—heart attacks by 54,000 to 99,000 cases and strokes by 32,000 to 66,000 cases. It would reduce about 100,000 deaths a year in the U.S.

Based on a cost of $1 a person for salt-reduction strategies projected by the World Health Organization, researchers estimated a U.S. program could save from $10 billion to $24 billion in annual health costs. Such projections can be imprecise because they are based on assumptions that may differ from disease that would develop in real life.

But even if these numbers are off, the results still indicate that sodium reduction is important, said Clyde Yancy, president of the American Heart Association and medical director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute in Dallas. “We can go beyond saying that too much salt is a bad thing,” said Dr. Yancy. “We can say, yes, too much sodium is related to disease. By reducing sodium we can reduce disease.” By Shirley S. Wang, The Wall Street Journal

Filed Under: Health & Fitness, Home & Family Tagged With: Nutrition