Medicine in the News – October

Research on Psychiatric Disorders Targets Inflammation
Psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders are being thought of more and more as systemic illnesses in which inflammation is involved; immune-inflammatory mechanisms can go awry and contribute to the development of depression, schizophrenia, and autism, insights that are leading to novel experimental approaches for these disorders.
JAMA, July 2014
 
Association of Lifetime Intellectual Enrichment With
Cognitive Decline in the Older Population
Intellectual lifestyle enrichment throughout life is increasingly viewed as a protective strategy against the impending dementia epidemic in the older population. Higher levels of mid/late-life cognitive activity were also associated with higher levels of cognition, but the slope of this association slightly increased over time.
JAMA, July 2014
 
Olfactory Test Make Progress in Identifying in Preclinical Alzheimer’sAn inexpensive test measuring olfactory memory was highly correlated with progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease as well as neurodegeneration and beta-amyloid deposition in the brain in two separate studies.
Clinical Neurology News, July 2014
 
Antidepressants in Pregnancy Don’t Lead to Cardiac Defects in Infants
Antidepressant use during the first trimester of pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of congenital cardiac malformations in infants, according to results of a cohort study of 949504 women in the Medicaid program.
JAMA, July 2014
Radiosurgery Appears Effective for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Gamma ventral capsulotomy benefitted patients with otherwise intractable OCD and thus appears to be an alternative to deep-brain stimulation in selected cases.
JAMA, July 2014
 
Big Marijuana—Lessons from Big Tobacco
History and current evidence suggest that simply legalizing marijuana, and giving free rein to the resulting industry, would once again entrust private industry with safeguarding the health of the public. Counterarguments include the possible escalation of use, adverse mental and physical health effects, and potential medical and social costs.
NEJM, July 2014


Creatine Reduces Markers of Aging
Once used only by athletes, creatine has been shown to improve glucose tolerance, inhibit cognitive decline, combat age-related, and extends life span in animals by the equivalent of seven years in human terms.
Life Extension, July 2014


Poor Sleep is Linked to Cortical Amyloid Burden
People who report feeling more sleepy and less rested have elevated levels of amyloid in regions of the brain that are commonly involved in Alzheimer’s disease, finds a cohort study reported at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Clinical Psychiatry News, June 2014


Insufficient Sleep May Affect Fat Cells, Appetite and Satiety Hormones
Insufficient sleep is tied to increased levels of a hunger hormone called ghrelin and decreased levels of the satiety hormone leptin, which could lead to overeating and weight gain; sleep deprivation also reduces fat cells’ ability to respond properly to insulin, which is crucial for regulating energy storage and use.
SEWA, July 2014
 
Higher Vitamin D Levels May Increase Survival Rates for Breast, Lymphoma, and Colon Cancer Patients
The strongest link between vitamin D levels and survival was detected in patients with breast, lymphoma, and colorectal cancer; there was less evidence of a link between vitamin D and survival in lung, gastric, prostate, leukemia, melanoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma patients, but available data were positive.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, July 2014
 
Curcumin Safely Targets Depression as Effectively as Antidepressants
A high-absorption form of curcumin works against depression by promoting neurogenesis, increasing serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine levels, and inhibiting inflammation.
Life Extension, July 2014
 
Green Tea—A Wide range of Health Dividends
Due to 30% beneficial polyphenols (catechins), green tea has a potent neuroprotective effect, improves age-related memory problems, and provides defense against cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, obesity, autoimmune diseases, and some cancers, including breast, prostate, lung and melanoma.
Life Extension, August 2014

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