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November 15, 2004 |
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In This Issue...
RADICAL THINKING One of the most fascinating things in life is how even the most obvious issues are never black and white. So it is in the case of oxidants and their effect on the body. Oxidants, also called free radicals, are single electron molecules that attach themselves to healthy cells, causing many different kinds of health issues. How many times have we heard about the benefits of eating a diet rich in antioxidants to fight the damage caused by free radicals? Now along comes a study indicating that oxidants may have a constructive purpose after all. One oxidant, in particular, seems to regulate insulin sensitivity, which in turn helps protect against developing type 2 diabetes. THE STUDY The researchers at Cornell University, bred mutant mice to overproduce a naturally occurring enzyme called glutathione peroxidase (GPx). The important thing about GPx is that it contains a great deal of the trace mineral selenium, an antioxidant. In fact, GPx uses about 60% of the body's selenium supply. The mutant mice produced as much as three times the normal amount of GPx. Result: The mice got fat, developed high blood sugar and insulin levels and became insulin resistant -- the direct route to becoming diabetic -- all apparently because they had an overabundance of an antioxidant. I discussed this surprising finding with one of the study's authors, nutritional biochemist Xingen Lei, PhD, associate professor of animal science at Cornell University's department of agriculture and life sciences. He explains that there are several enzymes that, if not blocked, turn off the insulin regulatory system. The substance that stops these enzymes from doing their damage is the oxidant hydrogen peroxide. That is all fine unless an abundance of selenium-containing GPx enters the picture. When it does, it destroys hydrogen peroxide. In other words, the theory goes, it kills the messenger. And in this case, the messenger would have prevented setting the stage for diabetes. This theory concerning GPx and prediabetes was reinforced by a second, seemingly unrelated, study of pregnant women. Conducted at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the study followed 408 women who were having normal pregnancies. It's usual in pregnancy for insulin resistance to develop, and the study found that the GPx rose along with it. The women who had the highest levels of GPx, however, went on to develop gestational diabetes. (Fatty diets also played a role. The study showed that the women who ate a high-fat diet were particularly susceptible to gestational diabetes. Dr. Lei explained that fat induces overexpression of the enzyme activity that blocks insulin regulation.) NOW WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? What are we to make of this seeming conflict? A multitude of studies have established that antioxidants are invaluable in protecting health. Now in spite of this plethora of evidence in their favor, are we to reconsider antioxidants? This isn't the first study to point to an antioxidant as potentially unhealthy and perhaps even dangerous. Last fall, I wrote about problems that developed after beta-carotene supplementation and its resultant link to lung cancer (see Daily Health News, October 9, 2003). Shortly, I will be reporting on a new study that links antioxidants to overproduction of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Dr. Lei hastens to say that he isn't "anti-antioxidant." Obviously, antioxidants provide a great deal of protection in the human body. But, once again, too much of a good thing can go awry. It appears that at least some oxidants have a signaling role in the body, and we need them to serve that purpose. His concern is that people will be tempted to take a heavy load of antioxidants in supplemental form, thinking their health will benefit from it. Doing so, he says, may put them unknowingly at risk. Dr. Lei strongly advises approaching antioxidant supplementation carefully because, as he says, the body appears to need balance. Not surprisingly, Dr. Lei adds that we need more research in this important area. Best bet: Rather than self-prescribe, work with a physician with specific clinical training in nutritional biochemistry. Talk to your physician about his/her medical school training, or you can find such a physician at www.naturopathic.org. SAY GOOD-BYE TO WEAK BONES, LOW ENERGY AND ANY AGE-RELATED AILMENT Major new studies prove that you have the power to ward off heart disease, stroke and cancer
NEW HOPE FOR STROKE VICTIMS Here's an amazing statistic: The cost of treating strokes in this country comes to an astonishing $50 billion a year. More devastating than the cost, though, is the terrible toll strokes take on victims and their families. Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the US, and those people who do survive are frequently disabled. Most of the 700,000 strokes that occur in the US annually are caused by blood clots that form in a blood vessel in the brain, starving the brain of its normal blood flow. These are called ischemic strokes and, until recently, there was little doctors could do to prevent the severe damage that often resulted. Now the FDA has approved a device that could revolutionize treatment for acute ischemic stroke victims. The device is called the MERCI retriever (a fortunate acronym for mechanical embolus removal in cerebral ischemia), and it literally removes the clots that cause an ischemic stroke. It works like this: Doctors insert a catheter into a blood vessel in the groin and guide it into the brain using an X ray to guide them. They then insert the MERCI retriever into the catheter and take it to the site of the clot, where it ensnares and removes it. Results of the procedure are often instantaneous, with the patient regaining lost abilities. I spoke with Gary Duckwiler, MD, professor of radiology and neurosurgery, UCLA Medical Center, and president of the American Society of Interventional & Therapeutic Neuroradiology (ASITN), about the MERCI retriever. He explains that until now, the only treatment to break up such clots was a drug that dissolves them, but use of the drug is limited. Patients can't take the drug if there is any bleeding in the brain, a frequent occurrence in stroke, or if the patient is taking other drugs that change the blood-clotting system, such as blood thinners. More limiting is the fact that the drug must generally be administered within three hours of the onset of a stroke (a less common technique for administering the drug keeps the window open for a few additional hours). He says that this is a severe problem because patients often don't realize that a stroke has started, and so they delay seeking treatment. The MERCI retriever, though, can be effective even eight hours after an acute stroke, a huge step forward in treatment. However, it also has its problems. The device might perforate the vessel... and the procedure can trigger more strokes because the clots break off, releasing others to do more damage. In tests, the MERCI retriever successfully removed clots in 48% of patients. But Dr. Duckwiler says that the MERCI retriever is only for people who have had a severe stroke, for whom chances of recovery would otherwise be extremely low. For these patients, its benefits far outweigh risk, he says. WHERE CAN I GET IT? With FDA approval, the MERCI retriever is being distributed to hospitals across the nation. By year-end, it is anticipated to be available in 80 stroke centers. Additionally, Dr. Duckwiler said that ASITN has developed a set of protocols for other hospitals to use in treating strokes, an idea similar to that of classifying certain hospitals as level-one trauma centers. The protocols will be adopted soon, he says, and emergency technicians will be trained to take stroke victims to designated hospitals. Be well,
CUT YOUR RISK OF A FATAL HEART ATTACK BY 90% Heart disease is America's number-one killer today. But what if you can make yourself virtually immune to death by heart attack -- just by knowing what to do in the first golden hour after a heart attack? Believe it or not, the secret isn't diet, workouts or supplements. According to the latest research from the nation's leading health professionals... Sources... Radical Thinking
New Hope for Stroke Victims
Required Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than to suggest that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The information and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on information in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. |
