Better Health 25 Eng

HEALTH BRIEFS
Damaging duo of diabetes and
heart failure
On their own, heart failure and diabetes are serious,
potentially fatal diseases. Even worse, a new research study
offers evidence that the two diseases go hand-in-hand –
having one increases a patient’s risk of becoming afflicted
with the other.
The results of the study, conducted by researchers at
Japan’s Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine and
published in the journal Cell Metabolism, help explain why
patients with diabetes are more prone to suffer heart failure,
and why heart failure patients have higher rates of insulinresistant
diabetes.
The connection between the two age-related diseases –
their incidence increases with age – involves a domino
effect that prompts the body’s p53 protein (which also acts
as a tumor suppressor) to produce a stress response that
increases cell inflammation, a precursor to both heart
failure and systemic insulin resistance, i.e. diabetes.
The findings of the study suggest that developing more
effective treatments depends upon figuring out a way to keep
inflammation in check before the p53 protein response is
triggered, and to accomplish this without suppressing the
protein’s important tumor-fighting capabilities.
Osteoporosis added to
obesity’s heavy toll
The long list of diseases shown to be caused by
obesity keeps growing. A recent Swedish study by
researchers at the University of Gothenburg has led
to osteoporosis joining the list.
The study found that adiponectin, a hormone
involved in weight control, is associated with the
development of osteoporosis, the disease that makes
bones weaker and more susceptible to fractures. The
research findings were revealed following the study’s
examination of osteoporosis risk factors among
11,000 men in the US, Sweden and Hong Kong.
The human skeletal system is far more complex
than just bones, joints and
vertebrae. It is an important
part of the body’s inter-
connected systems that
are closely involved in
the function of the brain
and central nervous system.
The skeletal system is also
responsible for producing
hormones that send signals
to organs that regulate blood
sugar and body weight.
The study’s results
showed that high adipo-
nectin levels exacerbate
skeletal fragility and impair
the proper functioning of the
body’s complex muscular
system. The resulting decline
in muscle mass increases a
person’s risk of dangerous falls
and bone fractures.
Silent strokes a leading cause of memory loss in seniors
A US study of seniors revealed that silent strokes are the cause
of roughly 25 percent of episodes of memory loss. Results of the
study, published in a recent issue of the journal Neurology, chronicled
the significant impact on memory resulting from strokes which
produce no noticeable symptoms.
The study was conducted among a group of over 600 men
and women aged 65 or older with no history of dementia. Each
senior underwent an MRI brain scan and participated in tests
measuring memory, language, speed of thought and visual
perception capabilities.
Brain scans revealed that about one in four study participants
had suffered silent strokes, and their resulting memory test scores
were lower than those who had not suffered silent strokes.
This study adds to the growing body of research on memoryrelated
conditions that affect a significant segment of the senior
population, while highlighting the importance of stroke prevention
in helping preserve memory function.
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