News
Vitamin D may help maintain stronger muscles
16 January 2013
According to a new US study, adequate blood vitamin D concentrations may help prevent muscle mass loss associated with aging.
20 March 2014
According to a new data analysis, a regular supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids appears not to decrease the cardiovascular disease risk in elderly patients with age-related macular degeneration. People with no history of hypertension or cardiovascular disease may, however, benefit significantly.
To determine if supplementing a diet with long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids or with lutein and zeaxanthin results in a reduced rate of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the study analyzed data of AREDS2 involving 4,203 elderly patients (median age of 74 years) with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) who received, in addition to a defined (AREDS) vitamin and mineral formulation, daily supplements containing 650 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus 350 mg docosahexaenoic acids (DHA), 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin, the omega-3 fatty acids plus the carotenoids or a placebo for a median of 4.8 years (1). The analysis showed that, overall, no statistically significant reductions for CVD were observed for the partici- pants with a history of CVD or at higher risk of CVD who used omega-3 supplements, lutein and zeaxathin supplements, or a combination of these, compared to placebo. However, in AMD patients with no history of CVD or at low risk for development of the disease (no CVD, no hypertension, no elevated cholesterol level), omega-3 fatty acid supplementation showed some risk reductions in developing CVD: a statistically signifi- cant 34% reduction in risk of CVD in participants with no history of hypertension, and a non-significant 19% reduction for AMD patients with no history of CVD.
Experts criticized that the study (AREDS2) whose data were analyzed was not designed with enough partici- pants to reasonably detect a significant (defined in the study as a 25%) reduction in composite CVD events (myocardial infarction, stoke and cardiovascular death). With a risk reduction of 10 to 15%, which would be more prudent and realistic for cardiovascular events, and zero side effects, they said omega-3 fatty acids could have an immense impact on CVD risk of the population. The omega-3 fatty acid intakes of AREDS2 participants were significantly below the intakes (above 2 g/day), which were reported in a recent meta- analysis to support reducing blood pressure (2).
16 January 2013
According to a new US study, adequate blood vitamin D concentrations may help prevent muscle mass loss associated with aging.
1 January 2014
Cell aging is a complex process in which numerous factors can be involved. Telomeres located at the ends of chromosomes play an important role here – they consist of repetitive DNA sequences and associated proteins (histones) that stabilize the DNA by forming a kind of protective cap. When DNA is copied during cell division, some of the DNA building blocks (nucleotides) at the ends of the chromosomes are not copied, with the result that the telomeres on the newly formed DNA strands get shorter with each cell division. With increasing telomere shortening the cell changes its pattern of gene activation, slows its rate of division, then halts division completely (senescence), and eventually dies (apoptosis). Telomerase, an enz- yme that forms telomeres, counteracts this cell aging process by adding nucleotides that would otherwise be lost to the ends of the new DNA strand. Cell aging and death are thus delayed. Both telomere length and the amount and activity of telomerase, along with other factors, determine how many times cells can divide. Studies have shown that these factors can be positively influenced by micronutrients.
19 March 2014
A new data review suggests that while higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids may be linked with a reduced coronary disease risk, the overall evidence is insufficient to encourage high consumption of omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular health. Experts commented that the new data analysis should not change the current recommendation of diets high in polyunsaturated fats.