July 15, 2010 · 10:01 AM

Maybe Diet Prevents Alzheimer Dementia After All

I blogged about a study by Gu et al on April 30, 2010, that found significantly lower incidence of Alzheimer dementia in people in Manhattan who followed this dietary pattern:

  • relatively high consumption of salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, and cruciferous  vegetables
  • relatively low consumption of poultry, red meat, butter, and high-fat dairy

About the same time, a National Institutes of Health expert panel pooh-poohed the possibility that diet had any effect one way or the other on Alzheimer’s. 

Why does this matter?  Five million U.S. adults have Alzheimer dementia already, and it’s going to get much worse over the coming decades.

A June, 2010, issue of Journal of the American Medical Association has a commentary by two doctors (Martha Morris, Sc.D., and Christine Tangney, Ph.D.), experts in the field of nutrition.  Here’s their explanation of the NIH panel’s negative findings:

Many of the inconsistencies among studies of dietary factors can be attributed to the complexity of nutrition science and the omission of nutrition expertise in the design and analysis of both epidemiological and randomized controlled trials.

Morris and Tangney think the findings of Gu et al are valid, confirming prior studies showing benefit to diets high in vitamin E (from food) and low in saturated fat from animals.  They point out that the animal foods may simply be displacing beneficial nutrients in other foods, rather than directly causing harm.

Until we have further data, anyone at risk for Alzhiemer’s may be better off following the dietary pattern above, or the Mediterranean diet.  The two are similar.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Disclaimer:  All matters regarding your health require supervision by a personal physician or other appropriate health professional familiar with your current health status.  Always consult your personal physican before making any dietary or exercise changes. 

Reference: Morris, M., & Tangney, C.  Diet and Prevention of Alzheimer Disease.  The Journal of the American Medical Association, 303 (2010): 2,519-2,520.    doi: 10.1001/jama.2010.844

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July 6, 2010 · 6:32 AM

Diabetes Drug Rosiglitazone About to Be Pulled Off the Market?

ResearchBlogging.orgIt’s over for rosiglitazone.

Sold in the U.S. as Avandia, rosiglitazone is a drug used to control type 2 diabetes either alone or in combination with insulin, metformin, or a sulfonylurea.  It has only one competitor in its class: pioglitazone (sold as Actos).

Both drugs in the thiazolidinedione class (aka TZDs or glitazones) increase the risk of heart failure.  Prior studies had suggested that rosiglitazone increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, and death.  Research suggested that pioglitazone actually reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.

A study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association directly compared clinical use of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone.  Investigators looked at Medicare data involving over 227,000 patients, average age 74, average follow-up of 105 days.

Rosiglitazone comes out the loser: users had significantly higher risk of stroke, heart failure, and death.  Risk of heart attack trended a bit higher in the rosi users but did not reach statistical significance. 

The researchers also calculated the composite risk of suffering either a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or death:  rosiglitazone risk was about 18% higher compared to pioglitazone. 

What do these numbers mean from a practical viewpoint?  The researchers calculated a “number needed to harm.” Treat 60 patients with rosi and 60 with pio for one year; the rosi group will have one extra event—heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or death—compared with the pio users.

Why put up with that risk?  There’s no good reason.  Especially when pioglitazone is available.

Implications

If you take rosiglitazone, ask your doctor to find an alternative or switch you to pioglitazone.  Soon.

Clearly, we don’t know all of the adverse effects of many of the drugs doctors prescribe, whether for diabetes or other illnesses.  We balance the good with the bad, and that equation changes over time. 

Rosiglitazone’s manufacturer may pull the drug off the market voluntarily.  If not, the FDA will do it.  Cardiovascular disease—e.g., heart attacks, strokes, heart failure—kills 68% of diabetics.  The last thing we need is a drug that increases that risk.

Within a month, you’ll see ads on U.S. television from trial lawyers asking if you or a loved one has been hurt by rosiglitazone.  “If so, call this toll-free number now…”

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference: Graham, D., Ouellet-Hellstrom, R., MaCurdy, T., Ali, F., Sholley, C., Worrall, C., & Kelman, J. (2010). Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction, Stroke, Heart Failure, and Death in Elderly Medicare Patients Treated With Rosiglitazone or Pioglitazone JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association DOI: 10.1001/jama.2010.920

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July 2, 2010 · 2:00 AM

Basic Science: Mediterranean Diet Boosts Antioxidant Power

Compared to the low-fat American Heart Association diet, the traditional Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil has more capacity to counteract potentially harmful “free radicals” and “reactive oxygen species” in our bodies, according to researchers at the University of Navarra in Spain.

Our tissues normally contain free radicals and reactive oxygen species, which are intrinsic to cell metabolism.  They serve useful purposes.  In excessive amounts, however, many believe they cause “oxidative damage” and thereby contribute to chronic degenerative conditions such as atherosclerosis, aging, dementia, and cancer.

Antioxidants are thought to neutralize free radicals and reactive oxygen species, which may lead to better health.

The PREDIMED study is an ongoing Spanish project testing the heart-protective effects of the Mediterranean diet in high-risk people over the course of four years.  The three intervention groups are 1) Medi diet plus supplemental virgin olive oil, 2) Medi diet plus extra tree nuts, and 3) low-fat American Heart Association diet.

After three years of follow-up, the researchers measured “total antioxidant capacity” in the bloodstream of a subset of the PREDIMED participants.

They found that the two Mediterranean diet groups had significantly greater total antioxidant capacity, about 50% more than the low-fat control group.  Within the Medi + olive oil group, the participants with the highest levels of antioxidant capacity actually tended to lose weight, an association not seen in the other groups.

The Researchers’ Conclusions

Mediterranean diet, especially rich in virgin olive oil, is associatied with higher levels of plasma antioxidant capactiy.  Plasma total antioxidant capacity is related to a reduction in body weight after three years of intervention in a high cardiovascular risk population with a Mediterranean-style diet rich in virgin olive oil.

In other words, the Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil may help you keep your weight under control, and the antioxidant capacity may contribute to the well-documented health benefits of the diet.

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS:  It’s impossible to tell from this report just how much weight loss was seen in the high-TAC Medi+olive oil subjects.  I doubt it was much.  Baseline body mass index for all participants was around 29, so they were overweight and just a shade under obese.

PPS:  Both the Ketogenic Mediterranean and Diabetic Mediterranean Diets mandate minimal amounts of olive oil consumption, with no upper limit.

Reference: Razquin, C., et al. A 3 year follow-up of a Mediterranean diet rich in virgin olive oil is associated with high plasma antioxidant capacity and reduced body weight gain.  European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63 (2009): 1,387-1,393.  doi 10.1038/ejcn.2009.106

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June 30, 2010 · 2:00 AM

Cancer and Diabetes: Any Connection?

ResearchBlogging.orgType 2 diabetes is associated with higher incidence of several cancers: liver, pancreas, uterus, colo-rectal, breast, and bladder.  On a brighter note, diabetics have lower risk of prostate cancer.

That’s about all we know for sure, according to a report from an expert panel convened by the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society and published recently in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

The report is focused on type 2 diabetes simply because 95% of all worldwide cases of diabetes are type 2; we have much more data.  [Type 1 diabetes, you may recall, has onset much earlier  in life and is fatal if not treated with insulin injections.  The type 1 pancreas produces no insulin.]

This report is a good summary of all we know about the cancer/diabetes connection in 2010.  What we don’t know far outweighs what we do know.

Does optimal treatment of diabetes reduce cancer risk?  Do particular diabetic medications raise or lower the risk of cancer?  If an overweight diabetic loses excess weight, does the risk of cancer diminish?  Sorry, we don’t know.

In men, 25% of all invasive cancers in the U.S. will be prostate cancer.  In women, breast cancer is the leader, comprising 26% of all cancers.  [Common skin cancers are rarely invasive or fatal and are not included in these statistics.  Melanoma, on the other hand, is invasive.]

The lifetime probability of an individual developing invasive cancer in the U.S. is about 4 in 10 (40%).  A little higher in men (45%), a little lower in women (38%).  The American Cancer Society projected 565,650 deaths from cancer in 2008.  If we look at deaths of people under 85, cancer kills more people than heart disease.

The traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risk of prostate, breast, colon, and uterus cancer.  Three of these, you’ll note, are seen at higher rates in diabetics.

Lack of regular exercise is associated with higher cancer rates. 

If I were a type 2 diabetic wanting to reduce my risk of cancer, I’d be sure to exercise regularly, keep my body mass index under 30 (if not lower), refrain from smoking, consider a Mediterranean-style diet, and ask my doctor to monitor for onset of cancer.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference: Giovannucci, E., Harlan, D., Archer, M., Bergenstal, R., Gapstur, S., Habel, L., Pollak, M., Regensteiner, J., & Yee, D. (2010). Diabetes and Cancer: A Consensus Report CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians DOI: 10.3322/caac.20078

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June 29, 2010 · 8:51 AM

“Health on the Net Foundation” Survey

The Health on the Net Foundation is asking people to tell them how they use the Internet for health/disease information. If you’re willing to participate in their 10-15 minute survey, click on the the following logo:

Survey 2010

You know there’s much misleading information on the Internet regarding health, and most everything else. I appreciate the Health on the Net Foundation for attempting to certify reliable health information resources, such as this website.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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June 28, 2010 · 2:00 AM

MSDP Protects Against MetSyn (NCEP ATP-III Criteria) in FHSOC

ResearchBlogging.orgTranslation:  A Mediterranean-style dietary pattern protected against onset of metabolic syndrome (as defined by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III) in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort.

Made you look! 

Don’t you just love acronyms?  Lately it seems you gotta have a clever acronym for your scientific study or it won’t get published or remembered. 

Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of clinical traits that are associated with increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (two-fold increased risk) and type 2 diabetes (six-fold increased risk).  It’squite common—about 47 million in the U.S. have it.  Metabolic syndrome features include insulin resistance, large waist circumference, low HDL cholesterol, elevated fasting blood sugar, high triglycerides, and elevated blood pressure. 

For optimal health, you want to avoid metabolic syndrome.

Boston-based researchers reported in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last December that followers of the the Mediterranean diet had less risk of developing metabolic syndrome; not by much, but it was statistically significant.  The study population was the Framingham (Massachusetts) Heart Study Offspring Cohort.

Several thousand men and women were studied via food frequency questionnaires, lab work, and physical exams.  Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured via a calculated score ranging from zero to 100.  No diabetics were enrolled.  Average age was 54.  Follow-up time averaged seven years.

They found that those adhering closely to the Mediterranean diet had fewer metabolic syndrome traits at baseline: less insulin resistance, lower waist size,  lower fasting blood sugar, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL cholesterol levels.

Not only that, the Mediterranean dieters developed less metabolic syndrome over time.  Over seven years, 38% of the folks with least compliance to the Mediterranean diet developed metabolic syndrome.  Of those with highest adherence, only 30% developed it.

This is the first study to show a prospective association between the Mediterranean diet and improved insulin resistance.  Avoiding insulin resistance is a good thing, and may help explain the Spanish study that found lower incidence of type 2 diabetes in Mediterranean diet followers.

Why didn’t the investigators report on the incidence of diabetes that developed over the course of the study?  Surely some of these folks developed diabetes.  Are they saving that for another report?  “Publish or perish,” you know.

You can start to see why the Mediterranean diet has a reputation as one of the healthiest around. 

It would be interesting to score these study participants with a very low-carb diet score (VLCDS—yeah, baby!).  Such diets are associated with lower blood pressure, lower blood sugars, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL cholesterol.  Like Mediterranean diet followers, I bet low-carbers would demonstrate lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome at baseline and lower incidence over time. 

Reference: Rumawas, M., Meigs, J., Dwyer, J., McKeown, N., & Jacques, P. (2009). Mediterranean-style dietary pattern, reduced risk of metabolic syndrome traits, and incidence in the Framingham Offspring Cohort American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90 (6), 1608-1614 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.27908

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June 25, 2010 · 2:00 AM

Seminal Paper: Carbohydrate Restriction for Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome

Carbohydrate-restricted eating is slowly gaining mainstream acceptance as treatment for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.  I thought it would be useful to present one of the watershed reports that summarize the potential benefits.  The article is from 2008.  Among the co-authors are some of the brightest names in this field: Richard K. Bernstein, Annika Dahlqvist, Richard Feinman, Eugene J. Fine, Robert Lustig, Uffe Ravnskov, Jeff Volek, Eric Westman, and Mary C. Vernon.

ResearchBlogging.orgThese are not wild-eyed, bomb-throwing radicals.  They are on faculty at some of the best institutes of higher learning.  They note that while many of the national diabetes organizations downplay the benefits of carb restriction, we have enough evidence now to warrant careful reconsideration.

Here are some of their major points, all backed up by references (68) from the scientific literature:

  1. Glucose (blood sugar) is a “major control element,” whether directly or indirectly through insulin, in glycogen metabolism, production of new glucose molecules, and in formation and breakdown of fat.
  2. The potential adverse effects of dietary fat are typically seen with diets high in carbohydrate.
  3.  Carb restriction improves control of blood sugars, a major target of diet therapy.  Many of the supportive studies were done with overweight or obese people (85% of type 2 diabetics are overweight).  Very low-carb diets are often so effective that diabetic medications have to be reduced at the outset of the diet. 
  4. For weight loss, carb-restricted diets work at least as well as low-fat diets.  They are usually superior. 
  5. Carb-restricted diets usually replace carbs with fat, resulting in improve markers for cardiovascular disease (lower serum triglycerides and higher HDL cholesterol levels). Replacing dietary fat with carbohydrate—the goal of many expert nutrition panels over the last 40 years—tends to increase the amount of artery-damaging “small, dense LDL cholesterol” in most of the population. 
  6. Carbohydrate restriction improves all five components of the metabolic syndrome: obesity, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar.
  7. Beneficial effects of carbohydrate restriction seem to occur even without weight loss. 
  8. Still worried about excessive fat consumption?  Many low-carb dieters demonstrate a significant increase in the percentage of total calories from fat, but without an increase in the absolute amount of fat eaten.  That’s because they simply reduced their total calories by reducing carb consumption. 

This post was chosen as an Editor's Selection for ResearchBlogging.orgThe authors in 2008 called for a widespread reappraisal of carbohydrate restriction for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.  It’s been happening, and many patients are reaping the benefits.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference: Accurso A, Bernstein RK, Dahlqvist A, Draznin B, Feinman RD, Fine EJ, Gleed A, Jacobs DB, Larson G, Lustig RH, Manninen AH, McFarlane SI, Morrison K, Nielsen JV, Ravnskov U, Roth KS, Silvestre R, Sowers JR, Sundberg R, Volek JS, Westman EC, Wood RJ, Wortman J, & Vernon MC (2008). Dietary carbohydrate restriction in type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome: time for a critical appraisal. Nutrition & metabolism, 5 PMID: 18397522

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June 24, 2010 · 2:00 AM

Not Much Available To Prevent Age-Related Mental Decline?

You might find interesting my recent review of an article commissioned by the National Institutes of Health in the U.S.  It’s at one of my other blogs, Advanced Mediterranean Diet.  The NIH panel concluded there’s not much we can do.  But are they right? 

Steve Parker, M.D.

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June 23, 2010 · 2:00 AM

Difficulty Controlling Blood Sugar? Consider Diabetic Gastroparesis

One disorder I see fairly frequently in the hospital is diabetic gastroparesis.  It’s a condition in which the stomach doesn’t empty its contents as quickly into the small intestine (duodenum) as it should.  The nerves that tell the stomach muscles to contract aren’t working properly.  It’s a type of neuropathy.

With gastroparesis, food absorption—including carbohydrates—is slower than usual.  Not only that, if you take pills to lower your sugar, their absorption into the blood stream will also be delayed.

As a result, blood sugars in affected type 1 and type 2 diabetics are difficult to control.  The expected rise in blood sugar after a carb-containing meal is difficult to predict—a major problem if you just injected a rapid-acting insulin!  Oral medication effects are also erratic. 

The frequency of diabetic gastroparesis is unclear.  No doubt it’s more common in people who’ve had diabetes for years, and in type 1 diabetics.

How Is Gastroparesis Diagnosed?

Other than erratic, unexplained poor blood sugar control, are there any other clues to diagnosis?  Symptoms suggestive of gastroparesis include early satiety, abdominal bloating, after-meal fullness, nausea, and vomiting.

The most common diagnostic test for gastroparesis is done at a radiology facility.  The patient eats a meal containing a radioactive chemical called (99m)technetium.  A special camera takes a picture of the stomach after two and four hours to see if the meal has moved on into the small intestine in a timely fashion.

What’s the Treatment for Gastroparesis?

Best to work with your personal physician on that.  It’s not real straightforward, but there is treatment involving meal composition and timing, timing of medications, and drugs to speed up stomach emptying.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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June 22, 2010 · 9:01 AM

Nutritional Analysis of William Banting’s 1865 Diet

I recently blogged about London’s low-carb diet fad of 1865, originated by William Banting.  He’s often credited with popularizing the first “modern” low-carb diet.  Gary Taubes wrote about it in his Good Calories, Bad Calories book.  A participant at Active Low-Carber Forums took the time to analyze Banting’s diet.

At 100 g of carbs, Banting’s diet had about a third as much as today’s usual U.S. diet.

From elisaannh at Active Low-Carber Forums:

I entered Banting’s diet into my nutritional software and it came up to 1925 calories, 101gr carbs, 8gr fiber and 128gr protein, 34gr fat. I used 5.5 oz when he said 5-6 oz, and did add 3 oz brandy for his “tumbler” of grog which he said “if required”. The total oz for his wine and brandy is quite high, at 20! YUM!

I think the diet is a definite improvement over the diet in England at that time period. However, cooked fruit and bread are not necessary, and he doesn’t mention added fat, which I feel his diet is too low in. Perhaps the meat was well marbled, but I did use fish in the calc for his supper at 2 pm (beef and chicken were the other two meats I used to balance it out in the other meals). Prunes were used for the “cooked fruit from a pudding” and apples for his tea time fruit. Green beans were used for his vegetable.

[Reprinted with elisaannh’s permission.]

For screen shots of the calculations: http://picasaweb.google.com/elisaan…feat=directlink

Elisaannh also has a diet blog at http://thelittlebowl.blogspot.com.  Many thanks to Elisaannh, who is a long-haul trucker.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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