Researchers have been testing the technique in the lab and hope to move into human clinical trials.
‘Supercool’ method triples organ survival
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Category Archives: Mind Building
Too many hooked on prescription drugs – health chiefs
Half of those taking drugs including strong painkillers and sleeping pills are on them for more than a year.
Once or twice weekly daytime nap linked to lower heart attack/stroke risk
A daytime nap taken once or twice a week may lower the risk of having a heart attack/stroke, finds research published online in the journal Heart. But no such association emerged for either greater frequency or duration of naps.
The impact of napping on heart health has been hotly contested. Many of the published studies on the topic have failed to consider napping frequency, or focused purely on cardiovascular disease deaths, or compared regular nappers with those not opting for a mini siesta, say the researchers.
In a bid to try and address these issues, they looked at the association between napping frequency and average nap duration and the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease ‘events,’ such as heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, among 3462 randomly selected residents of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Each participant was aged between 35 and 75, when recruited between 2003 and 2006 to the CoLaus study. This has been looking at the factors behind the development of cardiovascular disease.
Participants’ first check-up took place between 2009 and 2012, when information on their sleep and nap patterns in the previous week was collected, and their health was then subsequently monitored for an average of 5 years.
Over half (58%, 2014) of the participants said they didn’t nap during the previous week; around one in five (19%, 667) said they took one to two naps; around one in 10 (12%, 411) said they took three to five; while a similar proportion (11%, 370) said they took six to seven.
Frequent nappers (3-7 naps a week) tended to be older, male, smokers, weigh more, and to sleep for longer at night than those who said they didn’t nap during the day.
And they reported more daytime sleepiness and more severe obstructive sleep apnea — a condition in which the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing.
During the monitoring period, there were 155 fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease ‘events’.
Occasional napping, once to twice weekly, was associated with an almost halving in attack/stroke/heart failure risk (48%) compared with those who didn’t nap at all.
This association held true after taking account of potentially influential factors, such as age, and nighttime sleep duration, as well as other cardiovascular disease risks, such as high blood pressure/cholesterol.
And it didn’t change after factoring in excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, and regularly sleeping for at least 6 hours a night. Only older age (65+) and severe sleep apnea affected it.
But the 67% heightened cardiovascular risk initially observed for frequent nappers virtually disappeared after taking account of potentially influential factors. And no associations with cardiovascular disease ‘events’ were found for nap length (from 5 minutes to 1 hour plus).
This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause, added to which the information on nap and sleep patterns relied on personal recall. But nap frequency may help to explain the differing conclusions reached by researchers about the impact of napping on heart health, suggest the study authors.
In a linked editorial, Drs Yue Leng and Kristine Yaffe, of the University of California at San Francisco, USA, point out that research in this area is hampered by the absence of a gold standard for defining and measuring naps, making it “premature to conclude on the appropriateness of napping for maintaining optimal heart health.”
But they add: “While the exact physiological pathways linking daytime napping to [cardiovascular disease] risk is not clear, [this research] contributes to the ongoing debate on the health implications of napping, and suggests that it might not only be the duration, but also the frequency that matters.”
And they conclude: “The study of napping is a challenging but also a promising field with potentially significant public health implications. While there remain more questions than answers, it is time to start unveiling the power of naps for a supercharged heart.”
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Materials provided by BMJ. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Why people gain weight as they get older
Many people struggle to keep their weight in check as they get older. Now new research at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has uncovered why that is: Lipid turnover in the fat tissue decreases during ageing and makes it easier to gain weight, even if we don’t eat more or exercise less than before. The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.
The scientists studied the fat cells in 54 men and women over an average period of 13 years. In that time, all subjects, regardless of whether they gained or lost weight, showed decreases in lipid turnover in the fat tissue, that is the rate at which lipid (or fat) in the fat cells is removed and stored. Those who didn’t compensate for that by eating less calories gained weight by an average of 20 percent, according to the study which was done in collaboration with researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden and University of Lyon in France.
The researchers also examined lipid turnover in 41 women who underwent bariatric surgery and how the lipid turnover rate affected their ability to keep the weight off four to seven years after surgery. The result showed that only those who had a low rate before the surgery managed to increase their lipid turnover and maintain their weight loss. The researchers believe these people may have had more room to increase their lipid turnover than those who already had a high-level pre-surgery.
“The results indicate for the first time that processes in our fat tissue regulate changes in body weight during ageing in a way that is independent of other factors,” says Peter Arner, professor at the Department of Medicine in Huddinge at Karolinska Institutet and one of the study’s main authors. “This could open up new ways to treat obesity.”
Prior studies have shown that one way to speed up the lipid turnover in the fat tissue is to exercise more. This new research supports that notion and further indicates that the long-term result of weight-loss surgery would improve if combined with increased physical activity.
“Obesity and obesity-related diseases have become a global problem,” says Kirsty Spalding, senior researcher at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet and another of the study’s main authors. “Understanding lipid dynamics and what regulates the size of the fat mass in humans has never been more relevant.”
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Materials provided by Karolinska Institutet. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Scientists triple storage time of human donor livers
Scientists have greatly extended the amount of time human livers can be stored for transplantation by modifying a previous protocol to extend the viability of rat livers. Previously, human livers were only viable for an average of nine hours, but the new method of preservation maintains liver tissue for up to 27 hours, giving transplant doctors and patients a much longer timeframe to work with.
The research is supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), both part of the National Institutes of Health.
Like a glass container broken by frozen water, when cells freeze, they often experience irreparable damage. Since human cells are especially sensitive, donor livers are stored above freezing at 4 degrees Celsius. As a result, doctors can typically only preserve human livers for nine hours before the chances of a successful transplantation drastically decrease. This short time frame makes it more difficult, and sometimes impossible, to get the organs to compatible patients who are located farther away.
“Delivering viable organs to matching recipients within the window of viability can often be the most challenging aspect of organ transplantation,” said Seila Selimovic, Ph.D., director of NIBIB’s Engineered Tissues program. “By giving doctors and patients more time, this research could someday affect thousands of patients who are waiting for liver transplants.”
In previous studies funded by NIH, Martin Yarmush, Ph.D., director of the Center for Engineering in Medicine, Korkut Uygun, Ph.D., associate professor of surgery, and their collaborators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, had developed new techniques that extended the time that rat liver (hepatic) tissue can be stored at subzero temperatures without damage. They were able to do this by adding a modified glucose compound, 3-OMG, and PEG-35kD — an ingredient in antifreeze — to the protective solution that they use to cool the livers. The PEG compound lowers the temperature at which the cells freeze and 3-OMG acts as a protectant against the cold. With these additions, they were able to cool the rat livers to ?6 degrees Celsius without freezing them — a process called supercooling.
However, while the techniques worked with the rat livers in those earlier studies, it was unsuccessful when applied to human livers, which are 200 times larger. The size difference significantly increased the risk that ice crystals would start to spontaneously form (heterogenous ice nucleation), making the organ unusable for transplantation. In a paper published in Nature Biotechnology on Sept. 9, Reinier de Vries, M.D., a research fellow in surgery, Shannon Tessier, Ph.D., instructor in surgery at MGH and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Uygun, and their collaborators at MGH detail three new steps to the protocol to avoid ice nucleation and preserve human livers for up to 27 hours.
“With supercooling, as the volume increases it becomes exponentially more difficult to prevent ice formation at sub-zero temperatures,” said de Vries. “Before, there were a lot of experts who said, ‘well this is amazing in small rats, but it will not work in human organs,’ and now we have successfully scaled it up 200 times from rat to human livers using a combination of technologies.”
The first step was to limit the contact of the storage liquid to air. When supercooled, the livers are submerged in the supercooling protective solution. The researchers found that the risk of ice crystals forming greatly increased in areas where the solution was in contact with air. To eliminate this risk, the scientists removed the air from the storage solution bag prior to supercooling, effectively eliminating the chance of spontaneous ice nucleation on the surface of the organ.
Next, the researchers included two additional ingredients to the protective solution to help protect the hepatocytes. The first additive, trehalose, helps to protect the cell as well as stabilize the cell membranes. The second, glycerol, supports the protective properties of the 3-OMG glucose compound added in the previous experiments. Both additives have been used in the cryogenic preservation of cells in the laboratory but had not been used in the preservation of organs for transplantation.
Finally, they developed a new method of delivering the preservation solution to the liver. The traditional method of delivery of the protective solution used in previous studies is to manually flush the preservation solution through the tissue. However, the new protective solution is thicker than the traditional solutions and can cause damage to the cell lining the inside of the blood vessels. In addition, the higher viscosity means that the solution is often not uniformly distributed throughout the organ, increasing the chance of ice nucleation spreading and freezing the liver. To combat this problem, the researchers used machine perfusion — a way of delivering oxygen and nutrients to capillaries in biological tissues while outside the body — at 4 degrees Celsius with the traditional protective solution. They then slowly lowered the temperature while increasing the concentration of the new protective additives. The staggered approach allowed the hepatic tissue time to adjust and the solution was able to spread throughout the organ more uniformly.
While the researchers have yet to implant a liver preserved using this new method into a human subject, traditional standards of assessing liver viability indicate that this process will not negatively affect the organ.
“This new liver preservation method exemplifies NIH’s goal to foster the discovery and translation of innovative ideas,” said Averell H. Sherker, M.D, NIDDK program director for liver diseases. “With further research, organs will be able to travel greater distances and benefit the most critically ill patients requiring liver transplantation.”
This work was supported by NIH’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases under award numbers R21EB023031, R01DK096075, R01DK107875, R01DK114506.
Brain hack devices must be scrutinised, say top scientists
The UK’s Royal Society warns of the risk of companies accessing our thoughts and moods.
Health24.com | Women who suffer from this disorder fear public humiliation, but one SA doctor is determined to change that
Pelvic floor disorders impact many women and can cause a variety of problems including incontinence. In Limpopo, patients were commonly referred to Johannesburg for treatment because the province didn’t have an integrated urogynaecology service.
Because of the difficulty this posed for patients, Dr Dakalo Arnold Muavha – who has super-specialised in the field of urogynaecology – decided to take his services to his birth province.
Muavha is the first black South African, and one of only four gynaecologists and obstetricians in the country, to have super-specialised in this field.
Urogynaecology is a relatively new sub-speciality globally, and Muavha has established the first private urogynaecology unit for the treatment of pelvic floor disorders at Netcare Pholoso Hospital in Limpopo. He opened his practice in August 2019.
Whereas in the past many women would have been referred to a urologist for bladder problems, then sent to a gynaecologist for womb problems, only to be later referred to a colorectal surgeon to treat bowel disorders, the urogynaecologist is trained to deal with all issues related to the pelvic floor and organs, including the bladder, uterus or womb, and rectum.
Embarrassing incontinence disorders
Pelvic floor disorders can lead to many problems including incontinence, and although these disorders are not life-threatening, Muavha says they occur quite commonly and can have a devastating impact on the lives of those affected.
Read: 72% of women runners leak urine while running, but won’t say anything
“There are numerous older women in particular who live with severe and embarrassing incontinence disorders. Many are unaware that these can be treated, while others are too embarrassed about the condition to seek medical assistance.
“Some are discriminated against, lose their partners and become susceptible to anxiety and depression,” he said.
In Australia it’s estimated that at least half of women who have had more than one child have some degree of pelvic organ prolapse, and South African trends are believed to be similar to those recorded internationally, urologist Dr Preena Sivsankar told IOL.
According to Muavha, the impact extends economically on families when some women have to give up their jobs and still find the means to spend R1 200 a month or more on adult diapers. Muavha, who is skilled in the management of pelvic floor disorders as well as in laparoscopic surgery and medical research, says that because most women with the disorder can be treated with relative ease, it is “a great tragedy” that they aren’t receiving the help they need.
Older women at higher risk
Pelvic floor disorders have a variety of causes, but occur more commonly in women over the age of 50 who have given birth to a number of children, explains Muavha. However, the risk also increases in overweight individuals.
Muavha says that he feels blessed to be afforded the opportunity to play an active role in this regard.
“It is my vision to improve access to care through new urogynaecology units within both the private sector at Netcare Pholoso Hospital, as well as the public sector via the Polokwane/Mankweng Hospital complex,” he said.
Image: Supplied
Summer heat killed nearly 1,500 in France, officials say
France’s health ministry says preventative measures helped to curb damage from the heat.
Health24.com | Breakthrough research establishes definite link between depression and multiple diseases
Recent research from the Australian Centre for Precision Health at the University of South Australia made a breakthrough in the link between depression and physical disease.
Major depressive disorder was established as the genetic cause for at least 20 distinct diseases, which provides vital information to help medical professionals detect and manage high rates of physical illness in people diagnosed with depression, according to the news release.
The research, first published in in Molecular Psychiatry, used what is called the MR-PheWAS analysis to screen for a causal link between depression and a range of diseases. The study was led by Professor Elina Hypponen, who believes that this research will have important implications for those who suffer from depression, those who treat depression and policymakers alike.
What did the study entail?
The study assessed risk factors between depression and 925 diseases and found a causal relationship between depression and a wide array of diseases, including asthma, coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, oesophagitis, gastroenteritis, E. coli infections and urinary system disorders.
The link between depression and illnesses resulting from depression has been investigated for a long time. This new study is, however, a breakthrough and may help improve the lives of millions suffering with depression. According to UniSA researcher, Anwar Mulugeta, understanding the link between depression and these illnesses that may stem from depression will help to treat them and help many people in the process.
The implication of the research
“Data shows that people living with serious mental diseases, like depression, have much higher rates of physical illness than those in the general population,” Mulugeta said in a news report.
“But until now, these studies have been complicated by the possibility of other confounding factors, or even reverse causation where the physical condition is assumed to cause depression.”
“This research puts the ‘chicken and egg’ conundrum to rest, showing that depression causes disease, rather than only the other way around.”
Because there are multiple inflammatory conditions linked to depression, health practitioners will now understand the need for a focus on diet and healthy lifestyle to help manage depression.
Image credit: iStock
Health24.com | Does taking zinc actually do anything to help kick a cold?
Our bodies are pretty magical. Cut your arm and the skin regrows. Break a bone and it fuses back together. Catch a cold and your body gets right to work creating antibodies to battle the virus. Now, if only your body knew how to undo the nasty pain or symptoms of an ailment, too.
But until that day arrives, your colds are going to come along with coughing, sneezing, sore throats, and stuffy noses (alas). And while there are tons of medicines and supplements that claim to ease these symptoms, not everything is actually worth the money or effort if it’s not actually proven to help a cold.
Enter zinc: a mineral that’s *said* to cut the length of your cold in half and/or help prevent colds.
If zinc for colds sounds too good to be true, that’s because there’s a good chance it is. “Study results are mixed, but the short answer is that zinc probably doesn’t prevent or treat a cold,” says Dr Tina Ardon, a family medicine doctor at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.
For adults, the evidence is pretty clear that zinc does nothing to prevent a cold. And there’s limited evidence (science-speak for “maybe, but we don’t have proof”) that zinc can shorten a cold, but if so, it’s only by about a day, she says.
Still, one less day of sniffling and sneezing sounds pretty great, so zinc might be worth a try (though you should definitely check with your doctor first to make sure zinc won’t interfere with any current meds you’re taking). Here’s what you need to know before you take any zinc supplements.
READ MORE: 5 Ways To Boost Your Immune System And Avoid Getting Sick
When should I take zinc for a cold if I want to give it a try?
The few studies in favour of zinc consistently say you have to start taking zinc within 24 hours of first noticing cold symptoms — or else it’s useless. That means taking a trip to the pharmacy as soon as you feel the tickle of a sore throat.
The form of zinc you take also matters. The pill version may help, but “studies indicate if it will be effective, it’s most effective in the syrup or lozenge form (i.e. orally),” Dr Ardon says. But whatever you do, it’s best to stay away from the nasal spray version of zinc. “Some patients have suffered permanent loss of smell using zinc nasal sprays,” she says. Yikes.
It’s also really easy to take too much zinc when you’re inhaling it. Unlike vitamin C, which you’ll just pee out if you take too much, an overdose of zinc can be toxic. “Toxicity can cause damage to the nervous system, anaemia, or even copper deficiency,” Dr Ardon says. Unfortunately, it’s unclear from studies what the right dose of zinc is, because many studies have used different doses. So stick with the syrup or lozenges, and don’t take more than prescribed on the packaging.
How much zinc can you take in a day?
The National Institutes of Health suggest that adult women get around eight milligrams of zinc each day, but warns against taking more than 40 milligrams daily. Double-check that your dosage isn’t close to or more than 40 milligrams (and remember, you’ll get some zinc from the food you eat, too). It’s also important to note that any cold medicine you’re taking on top of zinc supplements could also contain zinc, adding to your daily dose.
READ MORE: 10 Cold And Flu Remedies That Actually Work
Should I be worried about any side effects?
If you’ve already downed more than recommended, look out for these side effects (which can indicate you’re taken too high of a dose of zinc): nausea, upset stomach, a bad taste in the mouth, and diminished smell. If these symptoms don’t go away, call your doc.
And if you’re turned off by the idea of zinc, don’t worry. There are other ways to take care of your cold. Dr Ardon says most over-the-counter cold meds won’t do much; your best bet for beating the virus is to drink plenty of fluids, get lots of sleep, eat some chicken soup, and let your body work its magic.
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za
Image credit: iStock
