8 Mar

Huge Gulf in Diabetes Amputations

Posted by lkroyet in Diabetes. Tagged: , , , , , , .

By Adam Brimelow, BBC Health Correspondent, March 6, 2012 – www.bbc.co.uk/news/health.

Amputation rates for diabetes patients are 10 times higher in some parts of England than in others, according to a study.

Researchers say the figures highlight the importance of ensuring the right specialist care.

The findings coincide with a National Health Service (NHS) report putting the annual cost of diabetes-related amputations at £120m.

Amputation rates in some areas are too high, says the Department of Health.

The study, published in the journal Diabetologia, compared lower-leg amputation rates for local health trusts (PCTs) across England over three years.

The paper concluded that, compared with the general population, people with diabetes were over 20 times more likely to have an amputation.

It reports a huge variation in the rates of both major (above the ankle) and minor amputations for patients with diabetes – including Types 1 and 2.

For major amputations these range from just over two each year for every 10,000 patients to 22.

In England every year there are about 6,000 diabetes-related amputations.

One of the main authors, Professor William Jeffcoate, a consultant diabetologist at Nottingham City Hospital, is wary of pinning blame on the areas with the highest amputation rates, though he says the variations are “shocking.”

He thinks the problem lies in the way services are organised.

“Foot disease is very complicated and a single professional hasn’t necessarily got the skills to manage every aspect of it.  And that’s why I believe that only if you can gather a multi-disciplinary team and make sure that people have rapid access to assessment by such a team, it’s only in that way that we think you can provide the best service.”

Many hospitals in England still do not have these teams – which also include podiatrists, surgeons and specialist nurses.

Professor Jeffcoate says a lot of health staff are not trained to recognise the risks of foot disease.

“Maybe it’s just that people don’t like feet.  Maybe it’s related to the fact that footcare tends to occur in an older population.  But for whatever reason doctors and nurses have also never had specialist training in foot disease and so it means that they don’t necessarily have the skills to assess a new condition when it arises.”

The findings complement previous research suggesting that up to 80% of diabetes-related amputations could be avoided.

They also coincide with new figures on the annual cost of foot ulcers and amputations in England, published in a report by NHS Diabetes.

It’s overall estimate is £650m per year, including £120m per year for amputations.  The paper also highlights additional costs to patients and carers through lost working days and reduced mobility.

The report author, Marion Kerr, says the savings from specialist footcare teams – by reducing amputations – are six or seven times greater than the costs of setting them up.

“We believe that if the NHS were to spend to save – to introduce teams of this kind – not only would they transform the lives of many patients, but actually save money in the process.”

The charity Diabetes UK is marking the new data on amputation rates with a national campaign – Putting Feet First – urging patients, the NHS and ministers to take footcare seriously.  It has set a target to reduce diabetes-related amputations by 50% within five years.

Writing in the BBC News website’s Scrubbing Up column, the charity’s chief executive, Barbara Young, calls for urgent action.

“The fact that so many people are needlessly having their feet amputated is a national disgrace. And yet despite the large numbers, awareness of the problem is worryingly low, even among people with the condition.”

In a statement the Health Minister for England, Paul Burstow, accepted that the problem had to be tackled.

“Amputation rates in some areas of the country are too high.  Diabetics need to get their feet checked regularly and should see their local diabetes multi-disciplinary specialist or GP if they have concerns – this will prevent amputations.  NHS Diabetes is currently carrying out an audit of footcare for people with diabetes to look at the current structure of these services.  This will make sure that patients get the right care at the right time.”

A spokesperson for NHS Portsmouth, which has one of the highest rates of major amputations in England, said improving services for people with diabetes was a priority:

“We are aware of the high amputation rate and are committed to reducing this.”

Diabetes and amputation

  • The risk of amputation comes from damage done to nerves and blood vessels
  • Extremities of the body like the feet are worst affected
  • With correct foot care and education, limb loss can be avoided
  • Source: www.diabetes.co.uk

8 Mar

Report: Yearly Cost of Alzheimer’s Disease Tops $200 Billion

Posted by lkroyet in Alzheimer's, Dementia, Diabetes. Tagged: , , , , .

By Caitlin Hagan, CNN Medical Producer, March 8, 2012 – www.cnn.com/health.

Caring for the estimated 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is not just a medical crisis, it’s also an economic one according to a new report released Thursday.  The Alzheimer’s Association’s “2012 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures” finds that the cost of caring for patients with AD and other dementias will total $200 billion this year and is projected to increase to $1.1 trillion a year by 2050.

“That is real money, even in government terms,” says Dr. William Thies, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer with the Alzheimer’s Association.

“It’s unsustainable, we can’t pay that, and if we get to that stage [of $1.1 trillion in costs per year], we just won’t be able to take care of people.”

Medicare and Medicaid currently pay roughly 70% of the costs associated with caring for AD patients, which adds up to $140 billion.  But those costs do not include treating the many other chronic conditions these patients often have, some of which can be exacerbated by having this form of dementia.  For example, the report says a senior with AD and diabetes costs Medicare 81% more than a senior citizen who only has diabetes.

Dementia can also inhibit a person’s ability to manage their other conditions and that additional complication can also drive up related costs.

“If you take a person with undiagnosed cognitive impairment, they’ll get information [from their doctor], go home, and then forget it all,” says Thies.

“And then the person is next seen in a [medical] crisis and there’s a lot of intensive high-tech therapy that has to be delivered.”

Compounding that, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that one of every seven patients, or 800,000 people, who have AD lives alone and up to half of them don’t have an identifiable caregiver.

“Frequently people who fall in to this category . . . don’t have a diagnosis,” says Thies. “The numbers are daunting.”

At the same time, the number of caregivers is equally staggering.  According to the report, there are 15.2 million family members and friends of AD patients caring for more than 4 million people with the disease.  Those caregivers provide 17.4 billion hours of unpaid care valued at more than $200 billion dollars.

“The best piece of advice I would give to [a caregiver] is to get informed about the disease,” says Thies. “Educate yourself because people who know about the disease do better.  And a close second to that is look for help. It’s natural human nature to say – this is my problem, my family, so I’m going to deal with this – but we know help is really critical.”

Of the ten most common causes of death in the United States, AD is the only one for which there is no cure or means of prevention.  The Alzheimer’s Association says someone is diagnosed with the disease every 68 seconds.  And while there is no definitive evidence that brain games and mental stimulation can protect the brain from AD, Dr. Gary Small, Director of UCLA’s Longevity Center, says there are non-genetic factors that may influence whether someone develops dementia.

“Choices we make every day have a major impact on how our brains age,” says Small. “In fact, physical exercise probably has the most compelling evidence that it can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s.”

“We’re not saying that we can definitely prevent it in everyone, but the goal is to stave off the symptoms, sometimes for years, and for many people, that may mean never getting the symptoms in their lifetime.”

8 Mar

Cancer Fear and Denial ‘Killing Thousands’

Posted by lkroyet in Oncology. Tagged: , .

By Michelle Roberts, BBC Health Reporter, March 5, 2012 – www.bbc.co.uk/news/health.

Thousands of people in the United Kingdom are dying unnecessarily because they are too scared to mention early symptoms of cancer to their doctor, say experts.

A survey of 2,000 for Cancer Research UK suggests 40% might delay getting symptoms checked out because they are worried what the doctor might find.

Yet early diagnosis is key to treating cancer successfully.

Data suggest that if Great Britain matched Europe’s best cancer survival rate 11,500 deaths could be avoided.

Professor Peter Johnson of Cancer Research UK said:  ”Our report highlights just how much more we have to do to raise awareness about the early signs of cancer.  If patients are diagnosed when the cancer is still in its early stages before it has had a chance to spread to other parts of the body it is more likely that treatment will be successful. That is why it is so important for people to be aware of things that might be early signs of cancer.”

The poll findings suggest a quarter of patients might delay seeing their Primary Care Physician with symptoms because they fear they could be wasting their doctor’s time.

And many do not recognise which symptoms may suggest cancer.

More than three-quarters of people asked to list possible warning signs and symptoms of cancer failed to mention pain, coughing or problems with bowels or bladder.

And more than two-thirds also failed to list bleeding.

Professor Johnson said:  “Of course we are all frightened of hearing that we may have cancer.  But people need to know that catching the disease early gives them much better odds of surviving it.  The best precaution anyone can take is to be on the lookout for any changes in their bodies that seem unusual for them and to get them checked by a doctor.  We know that in many cases these things won’t turn out to be cancer.  But don’t take the gamble of missing out on early diagnosis.”

More information on types of cancer and treatment

7 Mar

Toxins from Diseased Brain Cells Make Diseases of the Brain Even Worse

Posted by lkroyet in Alzheimer's, Dementia, Parkinson's. Tagged: , , , .

www.sciencedaily.com – February 22, 2012.

Sometimes our immune defence attacks our own cells.  When this happens in the brain we see neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.  But if the the immune defence is inhibited, the results could be disastrous.  Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have now discovered one of the molecular combat mechanisms in the brain that gets out of control in these diseases.  In time this may enable targeted therapies to slow down the disease without harming the patient.

“In their attempt to recover, diseased brain cells release chemical waste products into the brain,” says Associate Professor Frederik Vilhardt from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.  “Unfortunately, this makes the automated soldiers of the immune defence in the brain retaliate with high levels of free radicals the way they do with infections, and unfortunately they also attack the healthy nerve cells.  This starts a vicious circle.  We have discovered hitherto unknown facets of the biological mechanism that the immune cells use for creating the free radicals.  This may lead to therapies to slow the neurodegenerative diseases.”

The many different troops of the immune system include the macrophages.  They are like robotic vacuum cleaners on autopilot, constantly removing any foreign bodies they encounter.  They do so by ingesting microorganism and cell remains, putting them into a kind of stomach, and then bombarding them with free radicals such as the familiar hydrogen peroxide, which chemically destroys the stomach content.

The brain cells are particularly sensitive to free radicals

The macrophages create their free radicals with a mobile molecular gun battery — known as NADPH Oxidase among scientists — an enzyme, which is located on the surface of newborn immune cells.  It secretes free radicals to destroy the foreign bodies the macrophage meets, but can also use the free radicals to signal the logistics troops of the immune system:  the T-cells.  This occurs when the macrophage ingests a virus and needs to warn the immune system that there is a threat.

But normally the radical battery is moved to the inside of the macrophage where it eliminates the virus and other foreign bodies it ingests.  So under normal circumstances this immune cell only releases a few free radicals to its environments when it is combatting invading micro organisms.  This option may mean life or death in the brain, where nerve cells are extremely sensitive to free radicals.

Malfunctioning combat battery can kill you

“This battery is a vital component of a well-functioning immune system,” Associate Professor Vilhardt continues.  ”If the NADHP Oxidase does not work in the macrophages, patients become so ill that they die.”

This is because if the macrophages do not remove foreign bodies, the immune system decides instead to encapsulate viruses, bacteria, fungus and parasites in special shells.  These granulomata accumulate in the body until they kill the patient before the latter has reached the age of thirty.  This disease is known as Chronic Granulomatous Disease.

“Things have to be in balance,” says Associate Professor Vilhardt.  ”In neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia the level of free radicals in the brain is out of balance:  it is too high.”

New research will target treatment of brain diseases

He and his colleagues have discovered that the high free radical levels arise in the brain because the macrophages react to the waste products of the diseased brain cells by transferring the combat batteries to the surface, and the vulnerable nerve cells become inundated by high levels of free radicals.

“Unfortunately, completely preventing the activity of the macrophage free radical battery is a bad idea, because then it can’t kill bacteria and other foreign bodies, and in effect you give the patient Chronic Granulomatous Disease,” he says.

“Instead, we need to persuade the macrophages in the brain to retract the batteries into their insides.  Then they will no longer be able to emit free radicals into the brain, but will continue to be able to ingest and destroy the waste products of the diseased nerve cells.  This will enable us to inhibit the neurodegenerative diseases.  This is the project I and my colleagues are now starting work on.”

7 Mar

Vitamin E ‘May Be Bad for Bones’

Posted by hcui in Living well, Osteoporosis. Tagged: , , , .

March 5, 2012 – www.bbc.co.uk/news/health.

Vitamin E supplements may interfere with the process that keeps bones healthy, suggest Japanese scientists.

Writing in the journal Nature Medicine, the Keio University team said mice given large doses had lower bone mass – if the same was true in humans, fracture risk would be increased.

Vitamin E is found in oils, green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli and in almonds and hazelnuts.

But a UK expert said supplements could be problematic.

The relationship between nutrients such as Vitamin D and bone health are well established, but there is far less research which looks at the role of Vitamin E.

The research at Keio University in Tokyo looked at what happened when mice had not enough vitamin E, and what happened when they were given supplements.

Although some early studies suggested that consumption of the vitamin had a positive effect on bone mass, the Japanese team found the reverse was true, with bone health improving in the deficient mice, and losing bone mass when given supplements.

The size and density of bones in the body is not fixed in adulthood, but dependent on a balance between cells which lay down new bone, called osteoblasts, and cells which strip it away, called osteoclasts.

The researchers suggested that Vitamin E could encourage the formation of osteoclast cells, which meant more bone was lost than would be laid down.

Similar experiments in rats, including work published in 2010, found the opposite results to the latest study, even suggesting that Vitamin E could be useful as a bone-growth promoting treatment for older people.

But Dr. Helen Macdonald, who researches the influence of nutrition on bone health at Aberdeen University, said that there were a small number of studies, including her own, which found negative effects.

She stressed there was no reason for people to change their diet to avoid the relatively small amounts of Vitamin E contained in it.

She said: “However, Vitamin E supplements involve doses far higher than those in a normal diet.  There is increasing evidence that taking supplements doesn’t do any good, and if anything, may be doing harm.”

6 Mar

Aspirin May Counteract Potential Trans Fat-Related Stroke Risk in Older Women

Posted by lkroyet in Stroke. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

March 1, 2012 – www.sciencedaily.com.

Older women whose diets include a substantial amount of trans fats are more likely than their counterparts to suffer an ischemic stroke, a new study shows.  However, the risk of stroke associated with trans fat intake was lower among women taking aspirin, according to the findings from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers.

The study, “Trans Fat Intake, Aspirin and Ischemic Stroke Among Postmenopausal Women,” was published on March 1, 2012 online in the journal Annals of Neurology.

The study of 87,025 generally healthy postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 found that those whose diets contained the largest amounts of trans fats were 39 percent more likely to have an ischemic stroke (clots in vessels supplying blood to the brain) than women who ate the least amount of trans fat.  The risk was even more pronounced among non-users of aspirin:  those who ate the most trans fat were 66 percent more likely to have an ischemic stroke than females who ate the least trans fat.

However, among women who took aspirin over an extended period of time, researchers found no association between trans fat consumption and stroke risk — suggesting that regular aspirin use may counteract trans fat intake’s adverse effect on stroke risk among women.

Trans fat is generally created in the food production process and is found in commercially prepared foods, including many shortenings, cake mixes, fried fast foods, commercially baked products (such as doughnuts, cakes and pies), chips, cookies and cereals.

Researchers from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health studied women who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study.  From 1994 to 2005, 1,049 new cases of ischemic stroke were documented.

Women who consumed the highest amount of trans fat also were more likely to be smokers, have diabetes, be physically inactive and have lower socioeconomic status than those who consumed the least trans fat, the study showed.

“Our findings were contrary to at least two other large studies of ischemic stroke,” said Ka He, Sc.D., M.D., associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the UNC public health school. “However, ours was a larger study and included twice as many cases of ischemic stroke.  Our unique study base of older women may have increased our ability to detect the association between trans fat intake and ischemic stroke among non-users of aspirin.”

The UNC researchers did not find any association between eating other kinds of fat (including saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat) and ischemic strokes.

“Our findings highlight the importance of limiting the amount of dietary trans fat intake and using aspirin for primary ischemic stroke prevention among women, especially among postmenopausal women who have elevated risk of ischemic stroke,” said lead author Sirin Yaemsiri, a doctoral student in the school’s epidemiology department.

Along with He and Yaemsiri, the study’s other authors were Souvik Sen, M.D., professor of neurology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine; Lesley Tinker, Ph.D., at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Wash.; Wayne Rosamond, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health; and Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

The new study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, one of the National Institutes of Health. The Women’s Health Initiative program is funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, also part of the NIH.

6 Mar

Yoga for PD: Visibly Reduces Tremors and Improves the Steadiness of Gait

Posted by lkroyet in Living well, Parkinson's, Stroke. Tagged: , , , , , , .

By Renee Le Verrier, RYT – www.youngparkinsons.org/articles/yoga.

According to the National Institutes of Health, which evaluates the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) every five years as part of its National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), yoga is among the leading alternative therapies in the United States.  Thankfully, skiing appeared nowhere on that list.  I could never ski, despite growing up in Buffalo’s notoriously snowy winters.  In fact, I never really understood skiing, to venture downhill seemed a ridiculous idea; paying to swoosh, slip, oof.  Now, living with Parkinson’s, why hit the slopes when I can experience a tumble on dry land?  No, I can’t ski.

I can, on the other hand, practice yoga.  It doesn’t require any special equipment, clothing or weather.  The yoga mat is a handy accessory, but it’s not necessary.  Warm sunshine is a pleasant bonus, but the weather plays no role.  Yoga pants?  Yoga studio?  Yoga music?  All are add-ons.  I’ve practiced yoga on airplanes, at the kitchen counter, on the back deck in my pajamas while listening to robins sing.

When it comes down to it, yoga requires one thing only.  Breath.  If you’re reading this, odds are that you’re breathing.  So, yes, you, too, can do yoga.

Yoga practice, whether at home or in a class, starts with the breath.  One area we can still control in our dopamine-challenged lives lies in our breathing.  According to the Parkinson’s Research Foundation (PRF), “Controlling your breath (Pranayama) . . . helps in moments of panic such as feet sticking to the floor when walking.”

We can choose to take a deep breath.  We can use the breath as a tool to lead us inside and notice what might be going on in there.  The PRF adds that, “In this form of yoga, the mind is always watchful.”  When we notice stress from the vantage point of an inner witness, our response can shift from the fear or anxiety of stumbling to choosing to take a deep breath and relax.

Yoga stays with the breath through asanas, or poses.  When moving, for example, into virabhadrasana – any one of the warrior poses – our breath leads the motion.  Our awareness is right there, too.  The inhale invites us in with it as muscles release, joints open.  The exhale lets us settle in further.  It doesn’t matter if your version of a warrior resembles a knight or a pawn.  Feel the flow, watch the rigidity loosen, notice both the softening and the strengthening.  In a study on yoga and Parkinson’s at Kansas University Medical Center, Yvonne Searles, PT, PhD, said, “I think I was most amazed by the visible reduction in tremoring and improvement in the steadiness of gait immediately following the yoga sessions.”

If your mind won’t follow your breath inside because it’s too busy focusing on staying upright or listening to a screaming muscle spasm, consider changing classes, teachers, videos or routines.  I often open a class with a reminder that when we feel our breath is strained, our body is, too.  Remember, we can control our breath.  Notice when the strain happens and bring yourself back to where your mind can join your breath.

I recently attended a traditional yoga class.  Since I create modifications routinely for my own classes, I felt confident that I could adapt the teacher’s poses how I needed to stay with my breath.  I used my blocks for added support, moved to the wall for additional balance.  Two-thirds of the way into the class, the teacher demonstrated a pose I’d never seen.  It may as well have been named The Skier since I knew I’d land with an oof if I tried even a variation of it.  I chose to gaze out the window, aware of my breath, until that part ended.

I couldn’t do that pose.  But I can do others, and I can do yoga.  I can benefit from all it offers.  You can, too.

Renee Le Verrier is a certified yoga instructor who specializes creating adaptations for people with movement disorders.  A stroke survivor and person living with Parkinson’s, Renee is also the author of the book, “Yoga for Movement Disorders,” as well as its companion DVD.  She teaches classes regularly, including at Massachusetts General Hospital and Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital.  In conjunction with the APDA Massachusetts Chapter, Renee conducts yoga teacher training seminars on meeting the needs of students with Parkinson’s.  You may contact Renee at www.limyoga.com.

“This April (PD Awareness Month), I’m reaching out to raise awareness of the benefits of yoga practice for those living with this disease.  I’m also joining APDA in their efforts to “Find the Cure.”  Support me now by visiting my personal page or by starting a Yoga Day fundraiser in your community.” – Renee Le Verrier.

5 Mar

Purdue Researchers Reveal Role of Protein Mutation in Parkinson’s Disease

Posted by lkroyet in Parkinson's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

By Elizabeth K. Gardner, February 20, 2012 – www.youngparkinsons.org/articles/research.

Purdue University researchers revealed how a mutation in a protein shuts down a protective function needed to prevent the death of neurons in Parkinson’s Disease (PD), possibly opening the door to new drug strategies to treat the disorder.

Fred Regnier, the J.H. Law Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and Jean-Christophe Rochet, an associate professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology, led the team that discovered how the protein DJ-1, which plays a significant role in protecting neurons from damage, is shut down by a subtle mutation.

A substitution in one link of the chain of amino acids that makes up the protein renders it unable to be activated to protect neurons from the build up of protein “aggregates,” or “clumps,” that lead to cell death in those with PD.

“The saying that you are only as strong as your weakest link appears to hold true in the case of the chain of amino acids that make up a protein,” Regnier said.  “The magnitude of the effect of this subtle change is surprising.  It can make the difference between having a disease and being healthy.”

According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, an estimated 7 million to 10 million people worldwide are living with the disease, which is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes muscular rigidity, slowness of movement, poor balance and tremors.  The death of neurons in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra cause the symptoms.

The findings of the Purdue-led study could potentially lead to new PD treatments, Rochet said.

“The current methods of treatment are to add back what the lost cells used to produce, similar to hormone replacement therapies,” he said.  ”Understanding this error in a key protein could help researchers find a way to prevent cell death in the first place.  Perhaps a compound could be found that could correct the problem and resurrect the protective function of the protein.  Of course interventions would be needed in many places to treat the disease, but this could be one of several places to target for a potential treatment.”

When functioning properly, DJ-1 appears to serve as a “chaperone” protein for the neural protein alpha-synuclein, escorting and protecting it as it performs its biological task.  Without the help of DJ-1, alpha-synuclein can unfold and expose sticky surfaces that cause it to clump together with other proteins.  These clumps are a component of the “Lewy bodies” and other protein deposits that build up in the neurons of PD patients and cause the cells to die, he said.

About 10 years ago it was discovered that people with familial, early-onset PD had a mutation in the gene that encodes DJ-1 that leads to a mutant form of the protein through a substitution in one of the protein’s amino acids.

The Purdue-led team developed a new quantitative mass spectrometry approach to evaluate and compare the mutant and normal protein.  They discovered that the substitution prevents DJ-1 from undergoing an important chemical reaction in which oxygen is added to a specific site on the protein.  This addition of oxygen takes the protein into a two-oxygen form that facilitates its chaperone function.

It had been thought that the amino acid substitution led to an unfolding of the protein, but the team found that it instead slightly alters the structure of the active site pocket, preventing the addition of oxygen at that site.

In addition the team found that the attachment of too much oxygen or an oxygen atom linked at the wrong location also disabled the protein’s protective abilities, Rochet said.

“The interaction of this protein with oxygen needs to be very precise,” Rochet said.  “We need just enough oxygen added at just the right site to activate the protective ability of the protein, but too much oxygen or oxygen added at the wrong location causes real problems.”

Because the precise oxidation of the protein may play a significant role in preventing the development of PD, evaluation of the levels of oxidized DJ-1, non-oxidized DJ-1 and over-oxidized DJ-1 could be the starting point of a new diagnosis method, Regnier said.

“Mass spectrometers could be used to find specific forms of DJ-1 and changes in the levels of these different forms could lead to a diagnosis of the disease,” he said.  “If we could find that a certain form or ratio appears early in disease development, we might be able to catch it and treat it earlier.”

The team’s findings are detailed in a paper in the February issue of the journal Molecular and Cellular Proteomics.  In addition to Regnier and Rochet, paper co-authors include postdoctoral research associate Ashraf G. Madian and graduate student Naomi Diaz-Maldonado of the Purdue Department of Chemistry; graduate students Jagadish Hindupur and Vartika R. Mishra and former graduate student John D. Hulleman of the Purdue Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology; and Emmanuel Guigard and Cyril M. Kay from the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Alberta, Canada.

Grants from the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Aging, National Institute on Drug Abuse, American Parkinson Disease Association, National Parkinson Foundation, American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education, Protein Engineering Network of Centres of Excellence and Alberta Cancer Board funded this work.

5 Mar

Parents Getting Older? What’s Your Game Plan?

Posted by lkroyet in Alzheimer's, Bay Area, Caregivers, Contra costa County, Dementia, Depression, Fall Prevention, Home Care, Living well, Medicare, Nursing Home, Parkinson's, Stroke. Tagged: , , , .

  • Parents getting older?
  • Worried about them living safely?
  • Planning for local or long-distance caregiving?
  • Considering moving them closer?

You are invited to a FREE workshop by experienced Elder Care Professionals, who will provide tips, suggestions and resources for adult children concerned about their aging parents.  All are welcome!  Same content, three locations to choose from:

  1.  Tuesday, March 13, 2012
    AgeSong Lakeside Park
    468 Perkins Street, Oakland, CA
    5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
  2. Tuesday, April 10, 2012
    Temple Isaiah
    3800 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, CA
    7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
  3. Thursday, May 3, 2012
    JFCS/East Bay
    2484 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 210, Berkeley, CA
    5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Please RSVP to Rob Tufel at rtufel@jfcs-eastbay.org or call 1-510-558-7800 and indicate which workshop you will be attending.

Presented by JFCS/East Bay, AgeSong Lakeside Park and the Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living.

 

2 Mar

Get Smart About Eating Soy

Posted by lkroyet in Living well. Tagged: , , , , , .

By Sally Kuzemchak, R.D., March 2, 2012 – www.cnn.com/health.

If you bypass tofu at salad bars, skip the meatless dishes at Chinese restaurants, and avoid edamame when you’re out for sushi, well, it’s time to give soy-based foods a second look.  “Whole soy foods are a great substitute for meat,” says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Their healthy protein content makes them a good option even if you’re not one of the growing number of people going “flexitarian,” or opting to eat less meat.

Here’s your guide to making this legume a regular and great-tasting part of your diet.

Soy 101

All soy products are made from soybeans, mostly grown here in the United States.  You can buy whole soybeans dried or canned, or in the produce section or freezer aisle as edamame, the common name for soybeans picked before they’re fully mature.  (Edamame can be purchased either in pods or shelled.)

Beyond whole beans, soy takes on a number of different guises.  Roasted soybeans are sold as soy nuts or ground into soy nut butter.  Soybeans can be soaked in water, cooked, and filtered to make soy milk and soy yogurt.  Adding a coagulant to soy milk curdles it, producing tofu, which ranges in texture from “silken” (very soft) to “extra firm,” depending on how much liquid is removed.

Soybeans can also be fermented into a paste called miso (the base for miso soup) or a cake or patty called tempeh, which is often used in place of meat in sandwiches or grilled and eaten on its own.  Finally, soy can be found in many packaged foods — such as frozen meatless burgers, cereals, and energy bars — often in the form of “soy protein isolate,” meaning it’s mostly the protein from soybeans you’re getting.

The power of soy

Soy’s biggest nutritional claim to fame is its complete protein, one of the only plant proteins that contains all nine essential amino acids our bodies need from our diets to function properly.  This makes it an ideal substitute for meat, poultry, and eggs.

In fact, a half cup of cooked soybeans supplies about one-third of your necessary daily protein, for a mere 149 calories (versus about 230 for one serving of cooked ground beef).  That protein and the fiber it contains make it incredibly filling.  Plus, soybeans are cholesterol-free and lower in heart-unhealthy saturated fat than meat and dairy.

Soy also packs a number of phytochemicals, including isoflavones, which may work together to help fight conditions like cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer.  (Though you might have heard that women with a history of breast cancer should avoid soy, recent research suggests that’s probably not necessary, says Karen Collins, R.D., nutrition adviser to the American Institute for Cancer Research.)

To score soy’s benefits, get up to three servings a day, mostly from less processed forms like soybeans, soy milk, soy nuts, and tofu.  ”When soybeans are eaten close to their original state, you get more of their good-for-you attributes,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., author of The Flexitarian Diet.

You may get slightly more nutrients from fermented soy foods like miso and tempeh, since the fermentation process can make those nutrients more absorbable by the body, says Blatner, but all forms of the legume deserve a place on your plate.

Two exceptions:  First, avoid soy isoflavone supplement pills and powders.  Research hasn’t yet determined how much of it’s safe to take, says Collins.  Plus, unlike whole soy foods, they don’t give you the full range of phytochemicals and other nutrients, such as B vitamins, which help with bodily processes like metabolism and keep your DNA healthy.

And though foods made with soy protein isolate (like soy burgers and soy dogs) do usually pack less saturated fat than their meat counterparts, they also tend to be loaded with sodium and additives, so don’t make them a staple.

Easy ways to eat soy

Look for simple places to swap soy in for other foods and drinks.  Snack on soy nuts instead of cheese; use soy nut butter instead of peanut butter for a change of pace (you may not be able to tell the difference!).  Soy milk is a great alternative for the lactose intolerant (just avoid sweetened ones, which pack extra sugars).

Soybeans and tofu take a bit more prep, but not much.  Here’s how to make them taste great, fast:

• Steam or boil edamame for 3 to 5 minutes.  You can purée them into hummus instead of chickpeas, or just sprinkle the pods with sea salt, chili powder, Chinese five-spice powder, or any other spice you like, and squeeze the beans into your mouth.

• Because it’s so soft, “silken” tofu works well as a thickener for sauces, dips, and smoothies.  The denser texture of “firm” or “extra firm” tofu works best for stir-frying, grilling, or baking.  Just remove extra moisture first so it’s not mushy:  Lay a clean kitchen towel on a cutting board and place tofu on top.  Cover with another clean towel and cutting board, then place a heavy pot on top.  Allow it to rest for about 1 hour.  Cut into cubes or strips and cook.  Tofu will soak up the flavor of any dish it’s in; you can also marinate it as you would meat and poultry.

• Prepare whole soybeans the same way you would other beans:  Cooked into soups or chili, added to Mexican dishes, or tossed cold in salads, they bring new flavor to your favorite dishes.

Health.com: Need more fiber? Try these 20 foods

Health.com: Six cancer-fighting superfoods

Health.com: 25 foods filled with hidden salt

Copyright Health Magazine 2011, www.health.com.

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