السلام عليكم

Calcium Increases Risk for Prostate Cancer

Researchers target gene common among African-American men

Newswise — WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sept. 16, 2011 – A study by epidemiologists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and colleagues suggests that a high intake of calcium causes prostate cancer among African-American men who are genetically good absorbers of the mineral.

“High dietary intake of calcium has long been linked to prostate cancer but the explanation for this observation has been elusive,” said Gary G. Schwartz, Ph.D., associate professor of cancer biology, urology, and public health sciences at Wake Forest Baptist and co-author on the study.

Schwartz and colleagues from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) and the Cancer Prevention Institute of California studied 783 African-American men living in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas, 533 of whom were diagnosed with prostate cancer. They studied the effects of genotype, calcium intake and diet-gene interactions.

The study is one of the few to explore genes related to calcium absorption or to examine diet in a large African-American population. Although prostate cancer is 36 percent more common among African-Americans than in non-Hispanic whites, data on the diet-cancer link primarily comes from Caucasian populations. The team targeted a genetic allele that is more common in populations of African origin than in other populations and which is associated with regulating the absorption of calcium.

In the United States, more than 240,000 men are diagnosed annually with prostate cancer and about 33,720 die from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. Only lung cancer kills more American men. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, there are no proven strategies for preventing the disease, but changes in diet and lifestyle have shown to reduce the risk of disease progression.

The study, which is now available in the online issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, found that men who reported the highest intake of calcium were two times more likely to have localized and advanced prostate cancer than those who reported the lowest. Men with a genotype associated with poor calcium absorption were 59 percent less likely to have been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer than men who genetically were the best absorbers of calcium. And, among men with calcium intake below the median, genetically poor absorbers had a 50 percent decreased risk of having advanced prostate cancer than the best absorbers. The final paper is scheduled to appear in the January 2012 print issue.

The results pose somewhat of a “conundrum,” said Sue Ann Ingles, Dr.P.H., associate professor of preventive medicine at USC and principal investigator of the study. Although calcium appears to increase risk for prostate cancer, it is essential for bone health and appears to protect against colorectal cancer, she said.

“It may be possible in the future to personalize prevention using this type of genetic knowledge,” Schwartz said of the research findings. “But first, we will need to confirm this genetic result among men of other races to be sure that it is the allele that increases the risk of disease, rather than the possibility that we’re seeing this result simply because we are studying an allele that is highly associated with African-American men.”

He added the findings provide some clarity about the link between calcium and prostate cancer. Unlike age and race, which are fixed risk factors for prostate cancer, diet is modifiable.

“We now have a better understanding of why calcium in diet may increase the risk for prostate cancer and who is at increased risk,” Schwartz said. “If our results are confirmed, it gives much better insight into the preventable causes of prostate cancer. So if I know I’m a good absorber of calcium, I may want to be careful about my diet and about the use of calcium supplements.”

السلام عليكم

Newswise — Two newer drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes could be linked to a significantly increased risk of developing pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, and one could also be linked to an increased risk of thyroid cancer, according to a new UCLA study.

Researchers from the Larry L. Hillblom Islet Research Center at UCLA examined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's database for adverse events reported between 2004 and 2009 among patients using the drugs sitagliptin and exenatide. They found a six-fold increase in the odds ratio for reported cases of pancreatitis with these drugs, compared with four other diabetes therapies they used as controls. They also found that patients who took the two drugs were more likely to have developed pancreatic cancer than those who were treated with the other therapies.

The study is published in the journal Gastroenterology.

“We undertook these studies because several studies in animal models by several investigators had suggested that this form of therapy may have unintended actions to promote growth of the ducts (tubes) in the pancreatic gland that convey digestive juices from the pancreas to the gut,” said Dr. Peter Butler, director of the Hillblom Center and a study co-author. “This is a concern if it happens in humans since it might be expected to increase the risk for pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. While the FDA data base has limitations, it does have advantages in being very large, openly accessible and independent from companies that market the drugs.

“Taken together the animals studies and the FDA data base analysis suggest that further work needs to be undertaken to at least rule out that this now widely available new drug class for diabetes does not increase the risk of pancreatic cancer,” Butler, who is also a member of UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, added.

Sitagliptin and exenatide are drugs that enhance the actions of a gut hormone known as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which has been shown to be effective in lowering blood sugar in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. Sitagliptin, marketed as Januvia by Merck & Co. Inc., works by inhibiting dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DDP-4), an enzyme that degrades GLP-1. Exenatide, manufactured by Amylin Pharmaceuticals and sold as Byetta, mimics the action of GLP-1 and resists DDP-4 degradation.

Previous research by UCLA Hillblom Center researchers suggested there might be a link between drugs that enhance the actions of GLP-1 and pancreatitis, possibly resulting from an increase in the rate of formation of cells that line the pancreatic ducts. That research, based on studies in rats, was published in 2009 in the journal Diabetes.

In addition to the six-fold increase in reported cases of pancreatitis, the researchers also found a 2.9-fold greater rate of pancreatic cancer in patients using exenatide and a 2.7-fold higher rate of pancreatic cancer in patients on sitagliptin, compared with the other therapies. Additionally, they found a statistically significant increase in the risk of thyroid cancer among the exenatide group, but not among the sitagliptin group.

The FDA data did not indicate links between the two diabetes drugs and any other form of cancer.

The researchers caution that the FDA's adverse events database "is not the ideal mechanism to compare adverse event rates between drugs," given its known limitations, such as incomplete data and reporting biases. They stress that more study is needed

يلي على باله يدخل ماجستير وزارة الصحة

بدأت وزارة الصحة يوم الأحد، استلام طلبات ذوي المهن الطبية من أطباء بشريين وأطباء أسنان وصيادلة الراغبين في التعاقد مع وزارة الصحة بقصد الاختصاص بموجب مفاضلة عامة سبق لوزارة الصحة أن أعلنت عن نيتها القيام بها.‏

السلام عليكم

شو محاسن ومساوئ هالشغلة...؟؟؟؟

وكم سنة بضل متعاقد معهم....؟؟

السلام عليكم

دواء جديد لعلاج سرطان المبيض

دبي-سانا

أظهر دواء تجريبي جديد تأثيراً جيداً في علاج سرطان المبيض في المريضات اللواتي لديهن اندماج وراثي بين المورثات بي ار سي اي 1 أو بي ار سي اي 2 وربما ممن ليس لديهن هذا الاندماج أيضاً.

ذكر موقع سي ان ان أن الدواء الذي يدعى أولاباريب هو واحد من أدوية تجريبية تمنع نشاط البروتين المدعو بارب والذي له دور مشابه للمورثين السابقين في إنتاج الحمض النووي المسؤول عن حدوث المرض.

وفي التجارب السابقة كانت مثبطات بارب تحرض على موت الخلايا الورمية في سرطان الثدي والمبيض لدى مريضات هذا النوع من الاندماج بين مورثي بي ار سي اي عبر منع الخلايا من تطوير الحمض النووي الخاص بهن.

وأكدت الباحثة كارين جيلمون من وكالة بي سي الكندية للسرطان والمشرفة على الدراسة فعالية هذا الدواء في مجموعة كبيرة من مريضات السرطان غير الوراثي والذي ليس له خيارات عديدة في العلاج.

وتضمنت الدراسة 65 مصابة بسرطان المبيض و26 مصابة بسرطان الثدي وكلاهما من النوع الشديد والمتطور وقد خضعت بعض المريضات لعلاجات كيماوية وغيرها من العلاجات المختلفة قبل البدء بتطبيق دواء أولاباريب لديهن بجرعة 400 ميلغرام مرتين يومياً لمدة شهر وتم تسجيل بعض التأثيرات الجانبية مثل الوهن والغثيان والقيء ونقص الشهية.

وبعد مرور أربعة أسابيع على العلاج لوحظ أن حجم الأورام في مريضات سرطان المبيض قد تقلص في 41 في المئة من الحالات ذات الاندماج الوراثي و24 في المئة من حالات عدم الاندماج بينما لم تكن النتائج مشجعة في حالات سرطان الثدي وخاصة تلك التي تعرف بالأورام ثلاثية السلبية والتي لا تستجيب للعلاجات الهرمونية أو غيرها.

ومن المتوقع أن تنشر الدراسة في مجلة لانسيت ان كولوجي وستعزز من فرص الشركة المشرفة عليها لعرض الدواء على منظمة الغذاء والدواء الأمريكية للموافقة على طرحه في الأسواق قريباً.

السلام عليكم

Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Beta-blocker drugs, commonly used to treat high blood pressure, may also play a major role in slowing the progression of certain serious cancers, based on a new study.

A review of thousands of medical records in the Danish Cancer Registry showed that patients with the skin cancer melanoma, and who also were taking a specific beta-blocker, had much lower mortality rates than did patients not taking the drug.

The report, published in the current issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, summarized the work of a team of researchers at Ohio State University’s Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research (IBMR) and the Comprehensive Cancer Center.

If the results are confirmed in a planned clinical trial, this might be an additional adjunct treatment for cancer patients facing a poor prognosis.

At the center of this research is the fact that certain molecules that play important roles in the immune system also appear to promote both tumor growth and metastasis, the shedding and spreading of tumor tissue to other parts of the body.

“The work started with some earlier studies where we discovered that certain tumor cells had receptors to two specific catecholamine stress hormones – epinephrine and norepinephrine,” explained Ron Glaser, professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics and director of the IBMR.

“When either of these hormones bind to the tumor cell receptors, it stimulates the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and certain matrix metalloproteins – all molecules known to stimulate blood flow to tumors, enhancing their growth, and promoting metastasis.”

The earlier studies first used tissue from a nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line, and later from both multiple myeloma and melanoma cell lines. When treated with the beta-blocker propranol, all cells stopped producing the tumor-enhancing molecules. Similar work by other scientists showed similar results with ovarian cancer tissues.

Then the team turned to Stanley Lemeshow, a professor and dean of the College of Public Health at Ohio State. Lemeshow had previously partnered with colleagues in Denmark and knew that country had a vast database of patient information, including records of all Danish cancer patients for decades, as well as pharmacy records of all drugs prescribed for those patients.

“These databases can be linked together and by doing so, you have the ability to find patients with melanoma who had previously been prescribed beta-blockers,” Lemeshow said.

The researchers looked at melanoma patients who had taken beta-blockers and at those who hadn’t to determine whether the former group exhibited longer survival.

“Among patients diagnosed with melanoma, those who were taking beta-blockers when their cancer was diagnosed experienced longer survival than those patients who weren’t taking the drug,” Lemeshow said.

“Their chance of surviving for a specified number of years improved by 13 percent.”

When the researcher looked at all causes of death among melanoma patients – not just melanoma – their chances of survival were improved by 19 percent.

“We’re talking about survival time, here. They simply lived longer.”

السلام عليكم

Newswise — MAYWOOD, Ill. --Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researchers are reporting a possible new blood test to help diagnose heart attacks.
In the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, researchers report that a large protein known as cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) is released to the blood following a heart attack.

"This potentially could become the basis for a new test, used in conjunction with other blood tests, to help diagnose heart attacks," said senior author Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD. "This is the beginning. A lot of additional studies will be necessary to establish cMyBP-C as a true biomarker for heart attacks."

Sadayappan is an assistant professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. First author is Suresh Govindan, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Sadayappan's lab.

Between 60 and 70 percent of all patients who complain of chest pain do not have heart attacks. Many of these patients are admitted to the hospital, at considerable time and expense, until a heart attack is definitively ruled out.
An electrocardiogram can diagnose major heart attacks, but not minor ones. There also are blood tests for various proteins associated with heart attacks. But most of these proteins are not specific to the heart. Elevated levels could indicate a problem other than a heart attack, such as a muscle injury.

Only one protein now used in blood tests, called cardiac troponin-I, is specific to the heart. But it takes at least four to six hours for this protein to show up in the blood following a heart attack. So the search is on for another heart attack protein that is specific to the heart.

The Loyola study is the first to find that cMyBP-C is associated with heart attacks. The protein is specific to the heart. And it may be readily detectable in a blood test because of its large molecular size and relatively high concentration in the blood.

Researchers evaluated blood samples from heart attack patients. They also evaluated rats that had experienced heart attacks. They found that in both humans and rats, cMyBP-C was elevated significantly following heart attacks.
Sadayappan said cMyBP-C is a large assembly protein that stabilizes heart muscle structure and regulates cardiac function. During a heart attack, a coronary artery is blocked, and heart muscle cells begin to die due to lack of blood flow and oxygen. As heart cells die, cMyPB-C breaks into fragments and is released into the blood.

السلام عليكم


باحثون امريكيون يطورون جلاً يحارب التجاعيد   

واشنطن-سانا

طور باحثون أميركيون جلا يعتمد على مكون فعال يستخدم عادة في حقن البوتوكس لمعالجة

التجاعيد يمكن أن يساعد في التخفيف من التجاعيد حول العينين من دون آلام الحقن.

ونقلت وكالة يو بي أي عن الباحث المسؤول عن الدراسة مايكل كاين من مستشفى مانهتان

للعين والأذن والحنجرة قوله على موقع هلث داي نيوز الأميركي.. إن الدراسة الجديدة مشجعة

لكونها تظهر أن الجل خفف بشكل ملحوظ التجاعيد حول العينين.

وأضاف كاين إن الجل غير مسوق تجاريا بعد وغير مصدق عليه لافتا إلى أنه حاليا في المرحلة

الثانية من التجربة الكلينيكية ولن يتوفر عند الأطباء إلى حين التجربة الثالثة ومصادقة الإدارة

الأميركية للغذاء والدواء عليه.

وتستمر فعالية الجل الذي يحتوي على مادة البوتولينيوم قرابة أربعة أشهر لكن كاين قال إنه ما

زال غير واضح كلفة العلاج وإن كان أفضل من البوتوكس المحقون ووقت توفره في السوق.

وتبين خلال المرحلة الثانية من التجارب التي شملت 90 شخصاً يعانون من التجاعيد حول العينين

التي تتراوح بين المعتدلة والحادة أن قرابة 90 بالمئة منهم سجلوا تراجعا كلينيكيا بارزاً في

التجاعيد.

Could Too Little Vitamin B-12 Shrink the Aging Brain?


Deficiency may affect thinking skills, but not enough evidence to advise supplements, experts say.


http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.aspx?Docid=657177&source=govdelivery

السلام عليكم


استخدام الاسبرين يوميا يزيد بمقدار الضعف من خطر فقد البصر


كشفت دراسة أوروبية أن البالغين الذين يتناولون الأسبرين بشكل يومي تزيد عندهم بمقدار

الضعف احتمالات الإصابة بما يسمى بالتنكس البقعي وهو فقدان للبصر مرتبط بالسن وذلك

مقارنة بالأشخاص الذين لا يعتمدون نهائيا على هذا المسكن.

وذكرت رويترز أن باحثين بقيادة (بولوس دي غونغ) في معهد هولندا لعلم الأعصاب والمركز

الطبي الأكاديمي جمعوا معلومات عن صحة وأنماط حياة أكثر من 4700 شخص فوق سن 65

عاما حيث شملت الدراسة بالغين من النرويج واستونيا وبريطانيا وفرنسا وايطاليا واليونان

واسبانيا.

وبينت الدراسة أنه من بين 839 شخصا يتناولون الأسبرين بشكل يومي أصيب 36 منهم بشكل

متقدم بمرض يطلق عليه التنكس البقعي الرطب أو نحو أربعة من كل مئة يعتمدون على العقار

يوميا وبالمقارنة بذلك أصيب نحو 2 من كل مئة لا يتناولون الأسبرين بشكل متكرر بنفس النوع من

التنكس البقعي.

وقال دي غونغ إنه يوجد خلاف بشأن الربط بين أمراض القلب والتنكس البقعي مشيرا في رسالة

عبر البريد الالكتروني إلى أن فريقه قام بتحليل حول ما اذا كان مرض القلب قد أثر على النتائج

ووجد أن مستخدمي الأسبرين بصرف النظر عن صحتهم القلبية معرضون لخطر الإصابة بالنوع

الأشد خطورة من فقدان البصر.

يشار إلى أن النوع الجاف أكثر شيوعا واقل خطرا رغم أن المصابين به يعانون أيضا من خلل في

الرؤية حيث يشكل النوعان الرطب والجاف من التنكس البقعي السببين الرئيسيين لفقدان

الرؤية بين البالغين فوق 60 عاما الذي يصيب الملايين في الولايات المتحدة.