Central Obesity Linked to Poor Cognition

Posted on April 27, 2012 by admin

April 3, 2012 — Visceral adiposity and a high body mass index (BMI) are associated with poor cognitive functioning in older adults, although only in those under age 70 years, a new study suggests.

The findings have important public health implications, especially as the population ages, said lead author, Dae Hyun Yoon, MD, PhD, associate professor, psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, South Korea.

“The prevention of obesity, particularly central obesity, might be important for the prevention of cognitive decline or dementia,” Dr. Yoon told Medscape Medical News.

The research was published online March 22 in Age and Ageing.

The study included 250 patients at least 60 years of age who had undergone abdominal computed tomography (CT) for screening of the digestive system. Researchers categorized visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue areas on CT into sex-specific tertiles in patients younger than 70 years and those70 years and older. The highest tertile was a visceral adipose tissue area greater than 149.0 cm2 for men and greater than 123.7 cm2 for women.

Researchers assessed weight and height to determine BMI, with obesity defined as a BMI of 25 kg/m2 or greater. They also measured waist circumference.

Also considered were confounding risk factors, such as fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and factors that could affect cognitive impairment (such as smoking and alcohol consumption).

Cognitive Testing

Participants completed the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-KC). Poor cognitive performance was defined as an MMSE-KC total score at or below 1 standard deviation of the age, sex, and educational normative values of the Korean population.

Compared with nonobese participants under the age of 70, obese participants in that age group were generally older, were more likely to be male, and were more likely to have a higher prevalence of poor cognitive performance and hypertension.

After controlling for age, sex, education, hypertension, and diabetes, high BMI (odds ratio [OR], 2.61 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21 - 5.66]; P = .015) and being in the top tertile for visceral adipose tissue area (OR, 2.58 [95% CI, 1.001 - 6.62]; P = .045) were significantly associated with poor cognitive performance in those up to age 70 years.

Although a higher waist circumference (>90 cm for men and >80 cm for women) showed a tendency toward a positive association in a univariate analysis, this relation was not significant in the multivariate analysis.

“Waist circumference is influenced by subcutaneous as well as visceral adipose tissue, therefore, a direct measurement of visceral adipose tissue with the CT may have been more valid than anthropometric measurements like waist circumference,” explained Dr. Yoon.

Tertiles of the subcutaneous adipose tissue area were not related to poor cognitive performance. “Visceral adipose tissue is more metabolically active than subcutaneous adipose tissue and is thought to have a stronger influence on insulin resistance, among other things,” said Dr. Yoon. “It has long been considered as a pathogenic tissue compartment and this research shows a positive association between visceral adipose tissue area and low cognitive functioning.”

Older Elderly

There were no associations between any of the obesity measures — high BMI, waist circumference, visceral or subcutaneous adipose tissue area — and poor cognitive performance in the older age group.

“This finding suggests that the relation of visceral adiposity and low cognitive performance diminish with age,” said Dr. Yoon. “Aging is characterized by a lean body mass loss and adiposity measures like BMI are less useful in elderly persons.”

Dr. Yoon noted that a higher BMI is related to lower dementia risk in the oldest of old patients, and that it’s possible that persons with low BMI actually lose weight because of premorbid dementia.

“It’s also possible that a low BMI is the consequence of hyperinsulinemia, which precedes weight loss and is related to higher dementia risk,” he said.

The study was supported by the Konkuk University and Korea Healthcare technology R&D Project, Ministry for Health & Welfare. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Age Ageing. Published online March 22, 2012.

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Autism Linked To Industrial Food Or Environment

Posted on April 18, 2012 by admin

16 Apr 2012

A new study in Clinical Epigenetics, suggests that the epidemic of autism amongst children in the U.S. may be associated with the typical American diet. The study by Renee Dufault and his team explores how mineral deficiencies, affected by dietary factors, such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), could have a potential impact on how the human body frees itself of common toxic chemicals, for instance, pesticides and mercury.

The release comes shortly after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report that estimates a 78% increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between 2002 and 2008 amongst eight year olds. At present, 1 in 88 children has ASD, with the rate being almost five times higher in boys than girls.

Dr. David Wallinga, a physician at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and co-author of the study, said:

“To better address the explosion of autism, it’s critical we consider how unhealthy diets interfere with the body’s ability to eliminate toxic chemicals, and ultimately our risk for developing long-term health problems like autism.”

Leading author, Commander (ret.) Renee Dufault (U.S. Public Health Service), a former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) toxicologist, developed an innovative scientific approach called “macroepigenetics”, which describes the subtle side effects of HFCS consumption, as well as other dietary factors on the human body and their relationship with chronic disorders. By using the model, researchers can take nutritional and environmental factors as well as genetic makeup into account and observe how these interact and contribute to potential developments of a certain health outcome.

Dufault, who is also a licensed special education teacher and founder of the Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute (FIHRI) remarks:

“With autism rates skyrocketing, our public educational system is under extreme stress.”

The authors also discovered, as part of the current study, that the number of autistic children who receive special educational services in the U.S. has risen by 91% between 2005 and 2010.

Given that autism and related disorders affect brain development, the researchers decided to establish how environmental and dietary factors, such as HFCS consumption, could together contribute to the disorder. For instance, consuming HFCS is associated with the dietary loss of zinc. Zinc insufficiency has a negative impact on the body’s ability to eliminate heavy metals. Several heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium and mercury are potent toxins that have adverse effects on young children’s brain development.

Other beneficial minerals, like calcium, are also affected by HFCS consumption, as a loss of calcium further aggravates the devastating impact of exposure to lead on fetuses and children’s brain development. Insufficient calcium levels can also debilitate the body’s ability of getting rid of organophosphates, which belong to a class of pesticides that the EPA, as well as independent scientists have long ago recognized as having especially toxic affects on the young developing brain.

Dr. Richard Deth, a professor of Pharmacology at Northeastern University and a co-author of the study explained:

“Rather than being independent sources of risk, factors like nutrition and exposure to toxic chemicals are cumulative and synergistic in their potential to disrupt normal development. These epigenetic effects can also be transmitted across generations. As autism rates continue to climb it is imperative to incorporate this new epigenetic perspective into prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies.”

How and why children develop autism is a complex issue that is influenced by numerous different factors. This study has provided an insight into the comprehensive interaction between several of the factors that could lead to the development of this debilitating neurodevelopment disorder. However, in order to control the autism epidemic within the U.S., researchers must continue to analyze the affects of industrialized food systems and exposure to environmental toxins on ASD. These factors are of crucial importance and further research must focus on these key areas to gain further insight.

Petra Rattue. (2012, April 16). “Autism Linked To Industrial Food Or Environment.” Medical News Today.
Retrieved from

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/244154.php.

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Racial Difference In Breast Cancer Risk Influenced By Vitamin D

Posted on April 11, 2012 by admin

American women of African ancestry are more likely than European Americans to have estrogen receptor (ER) negative breast cancer. There continues to be discussion about the role of low levels of vitamin D in the development of breast cancer for these women. New research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Breast Cancer Research has shown that specific genetic variations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and in CYP24A1 (responsible for deactivating vitamin D) are associated with an increase in breast cancer risk, particularly for ER negative breast cancer, for African American women.

When a team of researchers led by Dr Song Yao and Dr Christine Ambrosone, from Roswell Park Cancer Institute, compared levels of vitamin D in the blood of women with or without breast cancer they found that severe vitamin D deficiency in African American women was almost six times more common than in European American women. However, because low levels of vitamin D can also be caused by disease, or by treatment, the researchers decided to focus their studies on genetic variations in VDR and the enzymes responsible for breaking down vitamin D in the body.

The results showed that African American women with the highest levels of vitamin D also had a specific variation in VDR. Although this variation was present in European Americans, it was not associated with alteration in their levels of vitamin D. African American women with the specific variation associated with the higher levels of vitamin D, had half the risk of breast cancer than the women without it.

When the researchers looked in detail at the patterns of genetic variation for women with ER negative breast cancer, they found that seven SNPs, in the gene coding for CYP24A1, were associated with ER negative breast cancer risk, and that two of these seemed to account for the higher risk of ER negative breast cancer in African American women.

Dr Song Yao explained, “While it is difficult to determine the exact effect of low levels of vitamin D on the risk of developing breast cancer, our results show that these genetic variations, which contribute to the function of vitamin D, are strongly associated with ER negative breast cancer and may contribute to the more aggressive breast cancer features seen in African American women.”

BioMed Central. “Racial Differences In Breast Cancer Risk Influenced By Vitamin D.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 9 Apr. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.

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Pesticides Can Induce Morphological Changes In Vertebrate Animals

Posted on April 7, 2012 by admin

The world’s most popular weed killer, Roundup®, can cause amphibians to change shape, according to research published in Ecological Applications.

Rick Relyea, University of Pittsburgh professor of biological sciences in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and director of Pitt’s Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology, demonstrated that sublethal and environmentally relevant concentrations of Roundup® caused two species of amphibians to alter their morphology. According to Relyea, this is the first study to show that a pesticide can induce morphological changes in a vertebrate animal.

Relyea set up large outdoor water tanks that contained many of the components of natural wetlands. Some tanks contained caged predators, which emit chemicals that naturally induce changes in tadpole morphology (such as larger tails to better escape predators). After adding tadpoles to each tank, he exposed them to a range of Roundup® concentrations. After 3 weeks, the tadpoles were removed from the tanks.

“It was not surprising to see that the smell of predators in the water induced larger tadpole tails,” says Relyea. “That is a normal, adaptive response. What shocked us was that the Roundup® induced the same changes. Moreover, the combination of predators and Roundup® caused the tail changes to be twice as large.” Because tadpoles alter their body shape to match their environment, having a body shape that does not fit the environment can put the animals at a distinct disadvantage.

Predators cause tadpoles to change shape by altering the stress hormones of tadpoles, says Relyea. The similar shape changes when exposed to Roundup® suggest that Roundup® may interfere with the hormones of tadpoles and potentially many other animals.

“This discovery highlights the fact that pesticides, which are important for crop production and human health, can have unintended consequences for species that are not the pesticide’s target,” says Relyea. “Herbicides are not designed to affect animals, but we are learning that they can have a wide range of surprising effects by altering how hormones work in the bodies of animals. This is important because amphibians not only serve as a barometer of the ecosystem’s health, but also as an indicator of potential dangers to other species in the food chain, including humans.”

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Research Suggests Omega-3 Fatty Acids Could Prevent And Treat Nerve Damage

Posted on January 14, 2012 by admin

Research from Queen Mary, University of London suggests that omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, have the potential to protect nerves from injury and help them to regenerate.

When nerves are damaged because of an accident or injury, patients experience pain, weakness and muscle paralysis which can leave them disabled, and recovery rates are poor.

The new study, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience*, suggests that omega-3 fatty acids could play a significant role in speeding recovery from nerve injury.

The study focused on peripheral nerve cells. Peripheral nerves are the nerves which transmit signals between the brain and spinal cord, and the rest of the body.

These nerves have the ability to regenerate but, despite advances in surgical techniques, patients usually only have good recovery when their injury is minor.

Omega-3 fatty acids are vital for the body’s normal growth and development and have been widely researched for their health benefits. Because the body cannot manufacture omega-3 fatty acids, they have to be consumed in foods such as oily fish.

In the new study, researchers first looked at isolated mouse nerve cells. They simulated the type of damage caused by accident or injury, by either stretching the cells or starving them of oxygen. Both types of damage killed a significant number of nerve cells but enrichment with omega-3 fatty acids in cells gave them significant protection and decreased cell death.

Next the researchers studied the sciatic nerves of mice. They found that a high level of omega-3 fatty acids helped mice to recover from sciatic nerve injury more quickly and more fully, and that their muscles were less likely to waste following nerve damage.

The research was carried out by a group led by Adina Michael-Titus, Professor of Neuroscience at Barts and The London Medical School and lead of the Neurotrauma and Neurodegeneration group in the Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Queen Mary, University of London.

She explained: “Our previous research has shown that these fatty acids could have beneficial effects in a number of neurological conditions. This new study suggests that they could also have a role in treating peripheral nerve injuries.

“More work is needed but our research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids can protect damaged nerve cells, which is a critical first step in a successful neurological recovery.”

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Calories Raise Body Fat When People Overeat, Not Protein

Posted on January 6, 2012 by admin

04 Jan 2012

In a study published in the January 4 issue of JAMA, researchers assessed 25 healthy individuals who were randomized to different levels of overconsumption on protein diets whilst living in a controlled setting. They found that those who consumed the low-protein diet gained less weight compared with those eating normal and high protein diets. Furthermore, they established that calories alone and not protein seemed to contribute to increases in body fat and that protein did contribute to changes in energy expenditure and lean body mass.

According to background information in the article, “Obesity has become a major public health concern with more than 60 percent of adults in the United States categorized as overweight and more than 30 percent as obese.” However, which role the composition of a diet plays in response to overeating and energy dissipation remains unclear.

George A. Bray, M.D. and team decided to establish whether the level of dietary protein differentially affected body composition, weight gain, or energy expenditure under tightly controlled conditions. They conducted a randomized controlled trial in 25 healthy, weight-stable American male and female volunteers who were aged between 18 to 35 years with a body mass index between 19 and 30 at an inpatient metabolic unit. The first volunteer was admitted in June 2005 with the last one joining in October 2007.

Following a weight-stabilizing diet, the researchers randomized the participants to receive a diet containing 5% of energy from low protein, 15% from normal protein or 25% on a high protein diet. During the last 8 weeks of their 10- to 12-week stay at the inpatient metabolic unit, the researchers overfed the volunteers. The protein diets provided a raised energy intake of about 40 % translating to 954 calories per day in comparison to the energy intake the volunteers received during their weight stabilization period.

The researchers observed an increase in weight in all participants, irrespective of sex. They established that those in the low protein diet group gained considerably less weight compared with the other two groups, i.e. 6.97 lbs. (3.16 kg) compared with 13.3 lbs (6.05 kg) in volunteers of the normal protein diet group and 14.4 lbs or 6.51 kg in participants in the high protein diet group.

According to the researchers:

“Body fat increased similarly in all 3 protein diet groups and represented 50 percent to more than 90 percent of the excess stored calories. Resting energy expenditure, total energy expenditure, and body protein did not increase during overfeeding with the low protein diet.”

The findings showed that the lean body mass (body protein) in the low protein group was lowered by 0.70 kg (1.5 lbs) during the overeating period compared with a gain of 2.87 kg (6.3 lbs) in the normal protein diet group and 3.18 kg (7 lbs) in volunteers in the high protein diet group. In addition, the researchers noted that the resting energy expenditure of 160 calories per day in a normal protein diet and 227 calories per day in a high protein diet increased substantially in the normal and high protein diet groups.

The researchers conclude:

“In summary, weight gain when eating a low protein diet (5 percent of energy from protein) was blunted compared with weight gain when eating a normal protein diet (15 percent of energy from protein) with the same number of extra calories. Calories alone, however, contributed to the increase in body fat. In contrast, protein contributed to the changes in energy expenditure and lean body mass, but not to the increase in body fat. The key finding of this study is that calories are more important than protein while consuming excess amounts of energy with respect to increases in body fat.”
Editorial: Overeating and Overweight – Extra Calories Increase Fat Mass While Protein Increases Lean Mass

Drs. Zhaoping Li, and David Heber, of the University of California in Los Angeles comment in an accompanying editorial, that the results of this study:

“Inform primary care physicians and policy makers about the benefits of protein in weight management. The results suggest that overeating low protein diets may increase fat deposition leading to loss of lean body mass despite lesser increases in body weight. Policy makers and primary care physicians need to understand the role of the Western diet in promoting overweight and obesity.

Because this diet increases the risks of over nutrition through fat deposition beyond that detected by body mass index, the method used to assess the current obesity epidemic and the magnitude of the obesity epidemic may have been underestimated. Clinicians should consider assessing a patient’s overall fatness rather than simply measuring body weight or body mass index and concentrate on the potential complications of excess fat accumulation. The goals for obesity treatment should involve fat reduction rather than simply weight loss, along with a better understanding of nutrition science.”

Written by Petra Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today

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In adults at risk of type 2 diabetes, short-term supplementation with vitamin D improved β cell function.

Posted on November 29, 2011 by admin

Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug;94(2):486-94. Epub 2011 Jun 29.

Effects of vitamin D and calcium supplementation on pancreatic β cell function, insulin sensitivity, and glycemia in adults at high risk of diabetes: the Calcium and Vitamin D for Diabetes Mellitus (CaDDM) randomized controlled trial.

Mitri J, Dawson-Hughes B, Hu FB, Pittas AG.

Source
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
A suboptimal vitamin D and calcium status has been associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes in observational studies, but evidence from trials is lacking.

OBJECTIVE:
We determined whether vitamin D supplementation, with or without calcium, improved glucose homeostasis in adults at high risk of diabetes.

DESIGN:
Ninety-two adults were randomly assigned in a 2-by-2 factorial-design, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial to receive either cholecalciferol (2000 IU once daily) or calcium carbonate (400 mg twice daily) for 16 wk. The primary outcome was the change in pancreatic β cell function as measured by the disposition index after an intravenous-glucose-tolerance test. Other outcomes were acute insulin response, insulin sensitivity, and measures of glycemia.

RESULTS:
Participants had a mean age of 57 y, a body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) of 32, and glycated hemoglobin (Hb A(1c)) of 5.9%. There was no significant vitamin D × calcium interaction on any outcomes. The disposition index increased in the vitamin D group and decreased in the no-vitamin D group (adjusted mean change ± SE: 300 ± 130 compared with -126 ± 127, respectively; P = 0.011), which was explained by an improvement in insulin secretion (62 ± 39 compared with -36 ± 37 mU · L(-1) · min, respectively; P = 0.046). Hb A(1c) increased less, but nonsignificantly, in the vitamin D group than in the no-vitamin D group (0.06 ± 0.03% compared with 0.14 ± 0.03%, respectively; P = 0.081). There was no significant difference in any outcomes with calcium compared with no calcium.

CONCLUSION:
In adults at risk of type 2 diabetes, short-term supplementation with cholecalciferol improved β cell function and had a marginal effect on attenuating the rise in Hb A(1c). This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00436475.

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BPA Levels Rise 1,221% After 5 Days Eating Canned Soup

Posted on November 25, 2011 by admin

Volunteers who had one can of soup per day for five days had urine BPA (bisphenol A) levels rise by over 1,221% compared to the same people who had consumed freshly made soup daily for five days, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health reported in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). The authors say their study is one of the few to measure human BPA levels after consuming canned products.

Lead author, doctoral student, Jenny Carwile, who studies at the faculty’s Department of Epidemiology, said:

“Previous studies have linked elevated BPA levels with adverse health effects. The next step was to figure out how people are getting exposed to BPA. We’ve known for a while that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body. This study suggests that canned foods may be an even greater concern, especially given their wide use.”

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Bisphenol A or BPA, molecular formula C15H16O2, is an organic compound that is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, among other things. BPA is an estrogenic – it has properties which can mimic the effects of the human hormone estrogen – it is an endocrine disruptor.

BPA is added to the lining of foods and drinks cans and, according to studies, interferes with reproductive development in animals, including humans. BPA levels in humans have been associated with a higher risk of developing several diseases and conditions, including obesity, diabetes type 2, and cardiovascular diseases.

BPA has also been found in polycarbonate bottles, which are identified by recycling number seven, as well as dentistry sealants and composites.

In 2008, concern regarding BPA became a public theme in the media after the governments of several nations questioned its safety – many retailers in North America, Western Europe, Japan and Australasia made moves to remove BPA-containing food products from their shelves.

A 2010 US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) report expressed concern regarding exposure of BPA to fetuses, infants and young children. Canadian authorities declared BPA a toxic substance in 2010 – the first country to do so. BPA is banned in baby bottles in the European Union and Canada.

Prenatal exposure to BPA has been associated with subsequent neurological difficulties.
The Harvard Study on the impact of canned soup on human BPA levels

Jenny Carwile and Karin Michels set out to determine whether the consumption of canned soup might raise concentrations of urinary BPA, compared to the consumption of freshly-made soup.

Their 75 volunteers consisted of students and staff from the Harvard School of Public Health. They were divided into two groups:

One group ate a 12-ounce serving of canned soup (vegetarian), one a day for five days. Then they washed-out for two days. This was followed by a same-sized portion of 100% freshly-made soup once a day for five days.

The other group did the same, but the other way round; starting off with daily freshly made soup, followed by a two-day washout, and then five days of daily canned soup.
The urine sample results from the two groups were similar, and showed that at the end of the five days on canned soups their HPA urine concentrations were 1,221% higher, compared to levels at the end of five days on freshly-made soup.

Further studies are required to determine how long urine levels remain high, the researchers stressed. They suspect the higher BPA levels may be temporary.

Senior author, Karin Michels, said:

“The magnitude of the rise in urinary BPA we observed after just one serving of soup was unexpected and may be of concern among individuals who regularly consume foods from cans or drink several canned beverages daily. It may be advisable for manufacturers to consider eliminating BPA from can linings.”

Funding: the Allen Foundation and the Environmental Epidemiology from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences both provided grants to pay for this study.

Written by Christian Nordqvist

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Omega-3 Supplementation May Reduce Joint And Cognitive Side Effects Of Breast Cancer Treatments

Posted on November 25, 2011 by admin

“I know I need this medicine to help lower my chance of cancer recurrence, but it makes my joints ache and stiff. It makes me feel old and I am not sure I can take this medication much longer.”

It’s a story that oncologists across the country hear frequently from patients taking aromatase inhibitors, a medication that reduces circulating estrogen levels, which leads to lower breast cancer recurrences. Dr. Maryam Lustberg, an assistant professor at the Ohio State College of Medicine, knew the pain made some of her patients less compliant, possibly giving the cancer a foothold.

“Up to a third of my patients were reporting joint symptoms on aromatase inhibitor therapy which was impacting their quality of life and some had to stop taking the medication,” says Lustberg.

Lustberg attended a seminar hosted by Ohio State’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) designed to bring new TL-1 award recipients together to share research interests. There, she met Tonya Orchard, a doctoral student in nutrition working on a CCTS-funded study with post-menopausal women and the consumption of fatty acids a nutrient essential to human health that had also been linked to reducing joint pain related to osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

“Dr. Lustberg approached me with what she was seeing in her clinic and we quickly became excited about the prospect of working together to address the problem,” recalls Orchard, now a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at Ohio State. “We put together a grant proposal and the Cancer and Leukemia Group B awarded us pilot funding to see if omega-3′s could help women taking these estrogen-blocking drugs.”

This study due to be completed in Spring 2012 adds another chapter in Orchard’s career that has included working with patients suffering from osteoporosis in a clinical setting and researching the health impacts of omega-3 fatty in post-menopausal women.

“Early on, I was fascinated with research showing a correlation between omega-3′s and bone mineral density, but it was really after seeing my grandmother suffer from several lumbar fractures, a hip fracture and ultimately ending up in a nursing home that my interest in fatty acids was solidified,” says Orchard.

The interest is continuing through the Women’s Health Initiative working group at Ohio State, where Drs. Lustberg and Orchard are also collaborating with neuroscientist Dr. Courtney DeVries to investigate the effects of omega-3 supplementation on cognitive symptoms associated with chemotherapy. As many as one-third of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy will experience problems with memory and verbal fluency, but these women’s health researchers believe that the anti-inflammatory properties of fatty acids may provide a solution.

“Fatty acids are present in every cell of the body. They alter the production of signaling hormones and how cells communicate with each other in ways that may impact inflammation,” says Orchard. “Omega-3 supplementation has been shown to be safe during chemotherapy and may offer solutions to multiple issues associated with cancer therapies where inflammation may be involved.”

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