Physical activity needed to reap benefits of dietary restriction

ScienceDaily (July 2, 2012) — Fruit flies on dietary restriction (DR) need to be physically active in order to get the lifespan extending benefits that come from their Spartan diet. If the same axiom holds true in humans, those practicing caloric restriction in hopes of living longer need to make sure they eat enough to avoid fatigue.

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According to research at the Buck Institute, flies on DR shift their metabolism toward increasing fatty acid synthesis and breakdown, specifically in muscle tissue. "Dietary restriction is known to enhance spontaneous movement in a variety of species including primates, however this is the first examination of whether enhanced physical activity is necessary for its beneficial effects," said Buck faculty Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, who runs the lab where the research took place. "This study establishes a link between DR-mediated metabolic activity in muscle, increased movement and the benefits derived from restricting nutrients," he said, adding that flies on DR who could not move or had inhibited fat metabolism in their muscle did not exhibit an extended lifespan. "Our work argues that simply restricting nutrients without physical activity may not be beneficial in humans," said Kapahi.

The research is published in the July 3, 2012 edition of Cell Metabolism.

The research also points to a potential target that could yield a drug that mimics the beneficial effects of DR. Lead author, Subhash D. Katewa, PhD, Buck Institute staff scientist, said flies genetically engineered to overexpress the circulating peptide AKH (the fly equivalent of glucagon in mammals) showed increased fat metabolism, spontaneous activity and extended lifespan even though their diet was unrestricted. AKH plays a critical role in glucose and lipid metabolism. "Our data suggests that DR may induce changes in muscle similar to those observed under endurance exercise and that molecules like AKH could serve as potential mimetics for DR that enhance activity and healthspan," said Katewa.

"A better understanding of the dynamics of fat metabolism is needed in order to clarify its role in aging and disease," Katewa said. "These current results suggest that enhanced fat metabolism could help slow aging and the onset of age-related disease."

Contributors to the work: Other Buck Institute researchers involved in the study include Marysia Kolipinski, and Simon Melov. Other collaborators include Fabio Demontis and Norbert Perrimon, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Allan Hubbard, School of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley; and Matthew S. Gill, Department of Metabolism and Aging, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL. The work was funded by grants from the American Federation of Aging Research, and the National Institutes of Health.

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Fast food intake increases risk of diabetes and heart disease in Singapore

ScienceDaily (July 2, 2012) — The dangers of fast food are well documented; the portions are often larger and the food is generally high in calories and low in nutrients. Now, University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers have examined the eating habits of residents in Singapore and found new evidence that a diet heavy in fast food increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

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The latest research, published online July 2 by the American Heart Association's journal Circulation, found that people who consume fast food even once a week increase their risk of dying from coronary heart disease by 20 percent in comparison to people who avoid fast food. For people eating fast food two-three times each week, the risk increases by 50 percent, and the risk climbs to nearly 80 percent for people who consume fast food items four or more times each week.

Eating fast food two or more times a week was also found to increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 27 percent.

According to University of Minnesota researchers, the few existing studies on the association of fast food and metabolic risk have looked almost exclusively at Western-Caucasian populations from the United States.

"We wanted to examine the association of Western-style fast food with cardio-metabolic risk in a Chinese population in Southeast Asia that has become a hotbed for diabetes and heart disease," said the study's lead researcher, University of Minnesota post-doctoral researcher Andrew Odegaard, Ph.D., M.P.H. "What we found was a dramatic public health impact by fast food, a product that is primarily a Western import into a completely new market."

To arrive at their results, School of Public Health researchers worked alongside researchers from the National University of Singapore. Together, they examined results of a study conducted over a period of 16 years beginning in 1993, which looked at the eating habits of 52,000 Chinese residents of Singapore who have experienced a recent and sudden transition from traditional foods to Western-style fast food.

"What's interesting about the results is that study participants who reported eating fast food most frequently were younger, better educated, smoked less and were more likely to be physically active," said Odegaard. "This profile is normally associated with lower cardio-metabolic risk."

According to the study's senior researcher, Mark Pereira, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the School of Public Health's Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, the new research provides an important perspective on global health and the nutrition transfer when cultures developing in different parts of the world start moving away from their traditional diet and mode of exercise.

"The big picture is that this

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Ampio signs deal with Biocon unit on sexual dysfunction drug

Reuters – 11 hrs ago REUTERS - Ampio Pharmaceuticals Inc signed a deal with Syngene, a unit of Bangalore-based Biocon Ltd , to produce its experimental drug for premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction, sending its shares up 23 percent.

The combination drug, Zertane-ED, would be made by Syngene, Ampio said.

Ampio's Korea-based partner Daewoong Co Ltd will finance and conduct late-stage studies in South Korea.

"We will be working with Daewoong to get the study approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and in South Korea, but there is no specific timeline yet," a company spokesman told Reuters.

The drug would combine Ampio's experimental drug Zertane, which is being tested in a late-stage trial to treat premature ejaculation, with an erectile dysfunction drug similar to Pfizer Inc's blockbuster medicine Viagra.

There are currently no approved drugs in the United States to treat premature ejaculation and Ampio estimates up to 30 percent of males treated for premature ejaculation also suffer from erectile dysfunction.

The biopharmaceutical company is also developing three other products to treat inflammation and eye damage due to diabetes.

Shares of the company were up 11 percent at $5.68 on Monday on the Nasdaq, after soaring to $6.25.

(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Bangalore; Editing by Don Sebastian)

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Gel Shows Promise as Future Male Contraceptive

HealthDay – 8 mins ago MONDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- Men may one day have a birth-control option other than the condom or vasectomy -- if early research on a new contraceptive gel pans out.

Preliminary findings suggest that when applied to the skin, the gel dramatically lowers sperm counts, thus also lowering -- though not eliminating -- the risk for pregnancy.

This is the first time that a combination of testosterone and a synthetic progestin called Nestorone has been tested as a gel that could be applied topically. Previous research involved administering the combination by injection or via a patch, said study senior author Dr. Christina Wang, a professor of medicine at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute.

The combination contraceptive needs to undergo further testing before it is commercially available.

Although men have sometimes received a bad rap for not being willing to assume responsibility for birth control, Dr. Joseph Alukal, an assistant professor of urology at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City, thinks this reputation may be somewhat undeserved.

"I think

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Japan raw liver lovers lament new food ban

Reuters – 2 hrs 14 mins ago TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan, the home of raw fish, has banned the serving of raw liver after a series of food poisoning cases last year in which five people died and 24 became seriously ill after consuming the dish at a major restaurant chain.

The dish, raw beef liver cut into bite-sized chunks and served with onions and sauce, was taken off restaurant menus indefinitely from July 1 by Japan's Health Ministry.

"When you actually cook liver it's a bit rough, but raw it's very easy to eat," said Yoshiko Miki, a 38-year-old who rushed to Kintan, a downtown Tokyo restaurant that specialized in the dish, before the ban came into effect.

"Especially the liver here is very nice and delicious. So when I think about the fact that I can't eat it anymore, it's quite sad."

Food analyst Chiharu Saito, a member of the Japan Food Analyst Association, said there were a number of well-liked raw meat items on sale, but beef liver was the most popular.

"In terms of what has the most chance of causing food poisoning, I believe that's why they chose to ban beef liver," she said.

"It can be a star product for restaurants, and if they are suddenly unable to sell that then it will indeed affect sales and profits."

Yuichi Kamata, management chief at Edge, the company that oversees the Kintan restaurant chain, said that probably 90 percent of customers had been coming specifically to eat raw liver, with a plate going for around 1,800 yen ($23).

But despite the ban, it's still far too early to count out the restaurant chain - or its star product. Kintan said it was looking into developing new products to circumvent the ban, including one in which the liver is partly cooked.

(Reporting by Chris Meyers; Editing by Elaine Lies and Eric Meijer)

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With boomers coming, hospice industry diversifies

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GlaxoSmithKline fined $3 bn in US

"The headquarters Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) in west London. GlaxoSmithKline was socked with $3 billion in fines by US authorities over charges it marketed drugs for unauthorized uses, held back safety data, and cheated the government's Medicaid program. (AFP Photo/Odd Andersen)" title

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Botox May Ease Tremors in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

HealthDay – 8 mins ago MONDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- The drug Botox, best known for paralyzing muscles in the forehead to reduce wrinkles, can also relieve shaking in the limbs of patients with multiple sclerosis, a small new study suggests.

The treatment, which requires several times the amount of Botox (botulinum toxin type A) used for wrinkles, could be expensive and it's not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this use. However, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients can still legally get the treatment in the United States.

"Most patients tolerate the injections very well and are keen to continue the treatment once they see the benefits they get from it," said Dr. Anneke van der Walt, lead study author and a neurologist and research fellow at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, in Australia.

The shaking, known as a tremor, can affect one or both arms, or less commonly the legs, in MS patients. "The shaking affects them when they're just trying to hold the arms up or do common daily tasks such as eating and drinking, shaving and, particularly, writing," van der Walt said. "As with many MS symptoms, the tremor can be worse on very hot days and worse when the person is tired."

Physicians may turn to medications to treat the tremors, but the drugs often have little effect, van der Walt said. Brain surgery to implant electrodes is another option to relieve the tremors, but the benefits may not last long.

In the new study, researchers randomly gave Botox or an inactive placebo by injection to 23 MS patients with tremors in their arms. Twelve weeks later, they reversed the injections so each arm ultimately received both Botox and placebo.

The investigators assessed tremor severity and a variety of motor skills before and after treatment.

According to the study, published in the July 3 issue of the journal Neurology, after Botox injection, the patients had "significant" improvement in tremors as well as in drawing and writing ability, as rated on a 10-point scale.

One side effect, weakness in the limb, was very common in the patients who received Botox -- 42 percent reported it, compared with 6 percent among those who received the placebo. However, the weakness was mild to moderate in the patients and went away within two weeks.

It's not clear how the drug relieves tremors, but it may have something to do with changing the way muscles, nerves and the brain interact, van der Walt said.

The patients received an average of 83 international units of Botox, about three to four times the amount used for wrinkles, although less than the typical amount that migraine patients get. The injections are needed from two to four times a year and cost the equivalent of about $500 to $1,000 in Australia, van der Walt said.

She recommended that "patients who are interested in exploring Botox treatment for their tremor

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No Health Risk When Jehovah's Witnesses Refuse Blood: Study

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Dangerous Rage May Be Common Among U.S. Teens

HealthDay – 8 mins ago MONDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- Almost two-thirds of U.S. teens have had an anger attack so severe they have destroyed property, or threatened or attacked another person, a new study finds.

When these attacks persist, the syndrome can be considered intermittent explosive disorder. One in 12 U.S. teens may have the condition, which usually surfaces in late childhood, the researchers say.

"This is one of the most common adolescent disorders in America, and the most important ignored disorder among youth in America," said lead researcher Ronald Kessler, a professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

"For reasons that are unclear to me,

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More Than 1 in 4 Teens Have 'Sexted': Study

" -- sent a naked photo of themselves through email or cell-phone texting. And more than half said they'd been asked to send someone else a naked photo.","exp":"","source":"y.news","art_imgurl":"http:

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Medicare Coverage Gap May Cause Seniors to Forgo Antidepressants

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