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Data links high-fat diet to inflammatory bowel disease
Researchers who reviewed studies on how food affects inflammatory bowel disease connected high-fat diets to a higher risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology also showed a lower risk of IBD for those who diets had higher amounts of fiber, fruits and vegetables.
American Journal Gastroenterol / 2011
Exercise may slow nonalcoholic fatty liver disease progression
Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic found that obese people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease had an 84% improvement in insulin sensitivity and the liver polyunsaturated lipid index after one-hour daily sessions on treadmills for one week. Researchers said the findings might be because of a rise in levels of the hormone adiponectin, which contains anti-inflammatory properties and is involved in insulin resistance.
U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News (4/13/2011)
Stress can affect intestinal bacteria, immune health
An Ohio State University study found stress changes the number and makeup of intestinal bacteria, which could lead to health problems. The study in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found when antibiotics were used to reduce intestinal bacteria, some of the stress effect on the immune system was prevented.
HealthDay News (3/25/2011)
Heavy Drinking Only Increases Risk For Some Esophageal Cancers
Medscape reported that higher alcohol consumption is "associated with an increased risk" for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but not with esophageal adenocarcinoma (OA) or adjacent tumors at the esophagogastric junction (OGJA), according to an analysis in the journal Gut. Researchers extracted data from seven studies comprised of 10,854 controls, 1,821 OA patients, 1,837 OGJA patients, and 1,016 OSCC patients. For increasing levels of "any of the alcohol intake measures evaluated, there was no apparent increase in the risk" for OA or OGJA. For the "highest-frequency category (defined as ≥ 7 drinks per day), the OR" was 0.97 for OA and 0.77 for OGJA. In contrast, however, alcohol intake was "strongly associated with an increased risk for OSCC, with an OR of 9.62 for seven or more drinks per day."
Medscape (3/18/2011, Barclay)
High-Protein Weight-Loss Diets May Increase Colon Cancer Risk
Reuters reports that some of the high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets promoted for weight-loss diets could potentially cause adverse changes in the colon, according a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers followed 17 obese men, who each completed three different diet plans -- a one-week weight maintenance plan, a four-week high-protein, moderate-carb diet, and a four-week high-protein, low-carb diet. A fecal sample analysis conducted at the end of each of the three diet plans showed the men had higher levels of N-nitroso compounds and other metabolites associated with cancer when they were on both of the high-protein diet regimens.
Reuters (3/17/2011, Norton)
People Without Celiac Disease Could Still Have Gluten Sensitivity
The Wall Street Journal spotlights three patients, one who experienced dizziness and exhaustion, one suffered from migraines and other body aches, and one who had excessive bouts of constipation. Although all three patients tested negative for celiac disease, their own research indicated they could have gluten intolerance. After the three patients cut their gluten intake, their symptoms subsided. Now, a new study in the journal BMC Medicine shows why: The researchers found that gluten intake can trigger allergic reactions as well as distinct intestinal and immune system reactions, even in people who do not have celiac disease.
The Wall Street Journal (3/15/2011, Beck)
Heavy Liquor Intake May Raise Pancreatic Cancer Mortality Risk
HealthDay reported, "Heavy drinkers have an increased risk of dying from pancreatic cancer," according to a study in the March 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers collected data on "more than a million men and women who took part in the Cancer Prevention Study II." They examined the "association between alcohol intake and pancreatic cancer mortality in never-smokers, and across range of daily intake" over 24 years, and found that among people "who had never smoked there was a 36 percent increased risk of death from pancreatic cancer for those who drank three or more servings of liquor a day compared with nondrinkers."
HealthDay (3/14/2011, Reinberg)
Heavy Drinking Linked to Pancreatic Cancer
WebMD noted that the same risk increase "wasn't seen in people who reported drinking the same amount of beer or wine each day."
WebMD (3/14/2011, Goodman)
Broccoli, Other Cruciferous Vegetables May Block Genes Associated With Cancer Growth
WebMD reported, "Broccoli may help fight cancer by blocking a defective gene associated with tumor growth," according to new research in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Studies have shown that "compounds in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables called isothiocyanates (ITCs) appear to target and block mutant p53 genes associated with cancer growth." When researchers "analyzed the effects of ITCs on gene p53 in a variety of human cancer cells, including lung, breast, and colon cancer, in the lab," they found that ITCs were "capable of removing the defective p53 gene while leaving healthy versions of the gene alone." The study authors noted that further studies to confirm these findings could potentially lead to new cancer therapies.
WebMD (3/11/2011, Warne)
Maternal Malnourishment During Pregnancy Associated With Later Disease In Offspring
HealthDay reported that, according to research published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, "rats were more vulnerable to the effects of aging if their mothers were malnourished while they were pregnant." In particular, "a rodent mother's diet appeared to affect her offspring's expression later in life of a gene called Hnf4a, which plays a major role in the development of the pancreas and later in the production of insulin." Mother rats "with poor diets had offspring who expressed less of the Hnf4a gene, something that appeared to increase their risk of type 2 diabetes, a significant contributing factor to both heart disease and cancer."
HealthDay (3/10/2011, Preidt)
Study Examines Association Between Poor Maternal Nutrition During Pregnancy, Later Obesity In Offspring
HealthDay reported that, according to a study published March 10 in the journal Brain Research, "newborns with a low birth weight due to their mother's poor nutrition during pregnancy may be 'programmed' to eat more, research in" laboratory animals indicates. "The finding may help explain the connection between low birth weight and obesity later in life, and also highlights the importance of good nutrition for pregnant women, according to researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed)." Specifically, "their work with laboratory animals found that newborns with low birth weight had fewer neurons in the area of the brain that controls food intake than those with a normal birth weight."
HealthDay (3/10/2011, Preidt)
Reducing Cholesterol May Help Body's Immune System Fight Viral Infections
The UK's Press Association reports that "cutting cholesterol could help the body's immune system fight viral infections," according to a study published in the journal PLoS Biology. Investigators "found that when the body succumbs to a viral infection a hormone in the immune system sends signals to blood cells, causing cholesterol levels to be lowered." The "researchers said the findings could lead to new ways of treating viral infections, targeting the cholesterol metabolism." The UK's Telegraph (3/9, Adams) and Reuters (3/9, Kelland) also cover the story.
Press Association (3/9/2011)
Higher HDL Cholesterol May Cut Colon Cancer Risk
WebMD noted that according one study author, if the "findings are confirmed, HDL levels may be a useful indicator of colon cancer risk, along with other risk factors that are already known."
WebMD (3/8/2011, Boyles)
Higher HDL Cholesterol May Reduce Risk For Colon Cancer
HealthDay reported, "High levels of 'good' cholesterol" may reduce the risk of colon cancer, according to a study published online March 7 in Gut. The researchers compared 1,238 people (779 had colon cancer and 459 had rectal cancer) with 1,238 healthy people, and found that "those with the highest levels of HDL cholesterol and another blood fat called apolipoprotein A (apoA) had the least chance of developing colon cancer, but no impact was seen on rectal cancer." Specifically, for each "16.6 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) increase in HDL and 32 mg/dL increase in apoA, the risk of colon cancer was cut by 22 percent and 18 percent," respectively.
HealthDay (3/8/2011, Reinberg)
Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Dying Prematurely From Ailments Other Than Heart Attack
The AP reports, "A 50-year-old with diabetes dies six years sooner than someone without the disease, and not just from a heart attack or a stroke," according to an analysis published March 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, "the large international effort to measure diabetes' toll found the disease...raises the risk of dying prematurely from a host of other ailments." For the study, researchers analyzed "pooled medical information for 820,900 people from nearly 100 studies done mostly in Europe and North America."
The AP (3/3/2011, Nano)
Diabetes can take six years off your life by increasing risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, study says
The Los Angeles Times "Booster Shots" blog reported that a person with diabetes "is more than twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease as someone without diabetes and 25% more likely to die of cancer." What's more, "people with Type 2 diabetes are also more likely to die from kidney disease, liver disease, pneumonia, infectious diseases, and even intentional self-harm, according to the study, which was conducted by the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration, based at the University of Cambridge in England." And, "diabetes was moderately associated with increased risk of death from cancers of the liver, pancreas, ovary, colon, rectum, lung, bladder, and breast."
The Los Angeles Times (3/2/2011, Maugh)
Gallstones Associated With Early Death
Reuters reports that people with gallstones are more likely to die within 20 years of diagnosis, especially of heart disease or cancer, according to a study in the journal Gastroenterology. The researchers reviewed medical record data between 1988 and 1994 from approximately 14,000 adults and found that roughly one in 14 had gallstones and one in 20 had their gallbladders removed. Of those, about one in three died from any cause during the follow-up period, compared to about one in seven people without the disease. Notably, one in five people with gallstones died of heart disease claimed and one in ten gallstone sufferers died of cancer.
Reuters (3/2/2011, Boerner)
Sedentary Lifestyle Increases Risk Of Developing Bowel Cancer Polyps
BBC News reports, people who engage in regular exercise are "16% less likely to develop bowel polyps and 30% less likely to develop large or advanced polyps," according to an analysis of 20 previous studies published in the British Journal of Cancer. AFP (3/2) also covers the study; as does the UK'sPress Association (3/2), which notes that bowel cancer is the "third most common cancer in the UK after breast and lung cancer, with more than 38,000 new cases each year."
BBC News (3/2/2011, Hughes)
Bowel Cancer Risk Lowered by Reducing Consumption of Red, Processed Meat
According to Bloomberg News, the UK government said people who consume more than about 90 grams (3.2 ounces) a day are "at greater risk of getting bowel cancer, which kills 16,500 people in Britain every year." UK Department of Health data indicate that presently, 42% of men and 12% of women "eat more than 90 grams" of red meat daily. The UK's Press Association (2/25) and BBC News (2/25, Hughes) also report the new UK guidelines.
Bloomberg News (2/25/2011, Penny)
Reducing Red Meat Consumption May Lower Risk For Bowel, Other Cancers
The AP reported, "Bringing home the bacon might not be such a great idea, according to stricter new dietary advice from the British government issued Friday. In the first new guidelines since 1998," Britain advised that cutting down on red meat consumption could help people prevent cancer. UK government experts say people should eat no more than "one pound of red meat a week, or 2.5 ounces every day, significantly less than it previously recommended." In contrast, UK government officials in 1998 said people could "safely eat as much as 3 ounces a day and that only people who consumed more than 5 ounces should worry."
The AP (2/25/2011)
Fatty Liver Associated With Increased Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
WebMD reported that "fatty liver disease, also known as fatty liver, may be an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes," according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. In a study of 11,091 Korean adults, "researchers found people with fatty liver disease were significantly more likely to develop the disease within five years than those with healthy livers." Notably, even in patients "with similar insulin concentrations, those with fatty liver were still twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes."
WebMD (2/25/2011, Warner)
Study Associates Celiac Disease With Asthma Risk
Reuters reports that people who have celiac disease have a high risk for developing asthma and patients diagnosed with asthma are substantively more likely to develop celiac disease, according to a study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The researchers found that celiac disease patients had a 60% increased chance of developing asthma when compared to those without CD. Over, they concluded that 147 out of every 100,000 persons diagnosed with CD will develop asthma at some point in their lives.
Reuters (2/25/2011, McCook)
Immigrant Study Suggests Lifestyle May Outweigh Genetics As Liver Cancer Predictor
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that US-born Latino males have "liver cancer rates more than double those of their foreign-born counterparts"; but for US-born Asians, "rates of liver cancer fall by half or more," according to a study Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. The findings indicate "environment, behavior and lifestyle may trump genetics" as liver cancer predictors, said study author Dr. Ellen Chang of the Cancer Prevention Institute of California. Dr. Chang said Asians born abroad may have higher liver cancer rates because there is an "overseas prevalence of hepatitis B." But both alcohol abuse and obesity are "more common among US-born Latino men than those born abroad." Overall, US immigrants have a lower infectious-disease risk but a higher risk for chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, related to diet and lifestyle.
The San Francisco Chronicle (2/23/2011, C4, Jewett)
Celiac, Crohn's Disease May Share Four Common Genetic Factors
According to WebMD, the investigators "compared 471,504" single nucleotide polymorphisms, representing the "genomes of about 10,000 people, some of whom had Crohn's disease, some who had celiac disease, and some healthy people." Two of the genes, "IL18RAP and PTPN2, had previously been reported to be associated with each disease." Another, called "TAGAP, had previously been identified as an area of risk in celiac disease but was new to Crohn's disease risk"; and the fourth gene, "PUS10, had been previously been tied to Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and ulcerative colitis." Notably, three of the four "appear to be involved in controlling how the immune system responds to perceived threats."
WebMD (1/27/2011, Goodman)
Celiac, Crohn's Disease May Share Four Common Genetic Factors
HealthDay reported that celiac disease and Crohn's disease "share several genetic risk factors," according to a study in the journal PLoS Genetics. Noting that previous research indicates "people with celiac disease have an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease," the researchers conducted a "meta-analysis of genome-wide data" for the two conditions. They "pinpointed two new shared genetic risk loci"; and they also "found two shared risk loci that had previously been independently identified for each disease." Still, further investigation is needed to "understand how these four genetic risk factors influence both celiac and Crohn's disease," the researchers said in a news release.
HealthDay (1/27/2011, Preidt)
Study Suggests Existence Of Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance
MedWire reported that there may be "some evidence for the existence of a non-celiac form of gluten intolerance," suggests a small study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. The researchers recruited "34 patients with irritable bowel syndrome," in whom celiac disease "had been excluded" and assigned to either gluten or placebo six-week diets. They found that "13 (68%) patients in the gluten group versus six (40%) in the placebo group reported inadequately controlled IBS symptoms" at six weeks. Using the "visual analog scale," patients in the gluten group had "significantly worse scores after one week for overall symptoms, pain, bloating, satisfaction with stool consistency, and tiredness, compared with those in the placebo group." There were no significant differences, however, in levels of "anti-gliadin antibodies, fecal lactoferrin, celiac antibodies, or highly sensitive C-reactive protein between the two groups."
MedWire (1/27, Albert)
Survey: Fear Keeps Many Americans From Undergoing Colonoscopy At Recommended Age
"Well" blog reported, "Fear was the No. 1 reason older adults gave to explain why they hadn't gone in for a colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer," according to survey results released by the Colon Cancer Alliance. In the survey, "among those 50 and older, nearly 94 percent" said they had been screened. However, only about "63 percent of all Americans ages 50 to 75 have been screened," according to CDC data. People who "avoided the test -- even though they were good candidates because of their age or at heightened risk because of family history -- were scared." They were fearful "not just because of what they might find out from the test results, but because of the bowel preparation and the procedure itself," the survey found.
The New York Times (1/20, Rabin)
Antibiotics May Increase Children's Risk Of Developing IBS, Crohn's Disease
The UK's Daily Mail reports that "children given penicillin and similar medicines are more at risk from irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease," according to a study published in the journal Gut. Researchers looked at "580,000 children over an eight-year period and examined records of their prescriptions and medical history." They found that "children prescribed at least one course of antibiotics by the time they were four were almost twice as likely to have developed IBS."
Daily Mail (1/18, Borland)
Physical Activity May Help Alleviate IBS Symptoms
Reuters reports that regular exercise may help alleviate some IBS symptoms, researchers in Sweden concluded after evaluating 102 patients. After a 12-week period, just nine percent of the study participants who took up exercise experienced an increase in IBS symptoms, compared to 23 percent of those in the control group. According to the paper published online Jan. 4 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, even a moderate increase in exercise by those prone to lethargy can curb symptoms.
Reuters (1/13, Norton)
Increasing High Fasting Insulin Levels May Predict Increased Risk For NAFLD In Nondiabetics
MedWire reports that, according to the paper in the American Journal of Medicine, "high fasting insulin levels, indicative of insulin resistance (IR), that continue to increase over time predict a significantly increased risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in individuals without diabetes." After evaluating "4,954 nondiabetic individuals without NAFLD," investigators eventually discovered that "individuals who had fasting insulin levels in the third or fourth quartile (high group) at both baseline and five years had the highest risk for NAFLD, at a 2.5-fold increase compared with those in the lower two quartiles at baseline and five years (low group)."
MedWire (1/10, Albert)
Regular Long-Term Physical Activity Associated With Lower Risk For Colon Cancer Mortality
"There is already a body of literature showing the benefits of exercise on both physical and mental well-being, including several studies showing a reduction in the risk for cancer." Now, after looking at data from the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, Washington University researchers have also found "that regular long-term physical activity is associated with a lower risk for colon cancer mortality." In fact, according to the paper in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, "people who were consistently active for at least 10 years had a significantly lower risk of dying from their colon cancer than those who were consistently inactive (multivariable hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.34 to 0.59)."
Medscape (1/7, Lowry)
Colonoscopy May Be Associated With Substantial Protection Against CRC On Both Sides Of The Colon
"Healthland" blog reported that "despite the fact that nearly every health organization recommends that people over age 50 screen for colon cancer, recent studies have questioned how effective colonoscopy is in detecting pre-cancerous lesions, especially when compared to less expensive, and less invasive options such as testing fecal material, using a flexible sigmoidoscope, or even a virtual colonoscopy." For example, "while the National Polyp Study, conducted in the US in 1993, found anywhere from a 76% to 90% reduction in colon cancer risk among those who were screened with colonoscopy, studies in Canada and Germany found only a 30% to 50% reduction in risk. These studies also documented no risk reduction from detecting tumors in the right side of colon."
Now, however, new research "offers strong evidence that the test can prevent colorectal cancers located throughout the colon -- not just those easiest to reach with the fiberoptic imaging scope," WebMD (1/3, Boyles) reported. In other words, "'this study tells us that when done well, colonoscopy is effective in both the left and right side of the colon,' Fox Chase Cancer Center director of gastroenterology David S. Weinberg, MD, tells WebMD."
During the study, scientists at the German Cancer Research Center looked at the "medical records of 1,688 German patients aged 50 and over with colorectal cancer and 1,932 without," HealthDay (1/3, Gardner) reported. They noted that "1,023 study participants had had at least one colonoscopy in the previous 10 years," MedPage Today (1/3, Smith) reported. "Of those, 793 were controls and 230 were cases -- 41.1% and 13.6% of the groups, respectively." In short, "the procedure was associated with a 77% reduction in the overall risk of malignancy," the paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine revealed. "The risk was even lower for cancers on the left side of the colon -- the region more easily reached during the procedure -- but remained substantial for those on the right side."
Nevertheless, "there are several questions and issues that remain," according to Medscape (1/3, Chustecka). "Colonoscopy is operator dependent, and there is consistent evidence that gastroenterologists, as opposed to practitioners from other backgrounds, miss fewer lesions, Dr. Weinberg notes. There is also research showing that the ability to detect polyps and other lesions depends on the quality of the laxative preparation, he explains." What's more, "colonoscopy is more expensive and carries a higher risk than other CRC screening methods, so there are appropriate concerns about its 'value,' he writes."
The Time (1/3, Park)