Curcumin, a component of the curry spice turmeric, has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Both oxidative damage - damage caused by oxygen - and inflammation have been implicated in nerve cell death associated with Parkinson’s disease. Now, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have shown in a laboratory model of Parkinson’s disease that curcumin does protect brain cells from dying.

To test the protective effects of curcumin, the research team used a Parkinson’s disease cell model system. They tested curcumin on nerve-like cells that make a mutant form of the protein alpha-synuclein, called A53T, that clumps together inside of cells to cause harmful biochemical and cellular changes that eventually kill the cells. A53T alpha-synuclein causes 50 percent of untreated cells to die, whereas only 19 percent of A53T cells treated with curcumin died. Further research showed that curcumin itself reduces oxidative damage.

“These results suggest that curcumin is a potential candidate for inhibiting the oxidative damage that leads to Parkinson’s disease,” says Wanli Smith, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Hopkins. “This common curry spice could be a weapon to protect the brain” (Newswise).

AACR.org - According to data presented at the Seventh Annual American Association for Cancer Research International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, an understanding of the relationship between calcium and magnesium may lead to new avenues of personalized prevention for colorectal cancer.

High magnesium intake has been associated with low risk of colorectal cancer. Americans have similar average magnesium intake as East Asian populations. If that were all that were involved, observers might expect both groups to have similar risk for colorectal cancer.

However, the United States has seen a much higher colorectal cancer incidence rate than East Asian populations. Furthermore, when East Asians immigrated to the United States, their incidence rates for colorectal cancer increased. This led researchers at Vanderbilt University to suspect there was something else at work.

Calcium supplementation has been shown to inhibit colorectal carcinogenesis although high calcium may simultaneously be preventing the body from absorbing magnesium. United States patients have a higher calcium intake and higher colorectal cancer incidence. “If calcium levels were involved alone, you’d expect the opposite direction. There may be something about these two factors combined – the ratio of one to the other – that might be at play”, said Qi Dai, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University.

Dai and colleagues examined this hypothesis in a large clinical trial and found indeed that supplementation of calcium only reduced the risk of adenoma recurrence if the ratio of calcium to magnesium was low and remained low during treatment. “The risk of colorectal cancer adenoma recurrence was reduced by 32 percent among those with baseline calcium to magnesium ratio below the median in comparison to no reduction for those above the median,” said Qi. A lower ratio of calcium to magnesium (e.g. the fraction: calcium / magnesium) can be achieved by increasing the dose of magnesium supplementation.

The implications for prevention of adenoma recurrence or reduced risk of primary colorectal cancer is that designing a personalized diet/supplementation regimen that takes the ratio of both nutrients into account may be better than supplementing with one or the other alone.

About one in eighteen individuals will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime and 40 percent will die within five years of diagnosis, mainly due to diagnosis at a late stage. The understanding of how dietary factors affect colorectal cancer may lead to the prevention of cancer recurrence and possibly prevention of the initial cancer.

How do minor behavior problems and experiences early in life lead to serious acts of violence in teenagers? A group of researchers has found that the answer may lie in a cascading effect in which early life experiences lead to behaviors and new experiences that lead to yet other experiences that culminate in serious violent behavior.

The researchers found that children who had social and academic problems in elementary school were more likely to have parents who withdrew from supervision and monitoring when the children entered middle school. When this happened, children were more likely to make friends with other children who had deviant behavior, and this ultimately was more likely to lead teens to engage in serious and sometimes costly acts of violence. Interestingly, violent outcomes in girls followed largely the same developmental path as those for boys.

“The findings indicate that these trajectories are not inevitable but can be deflected at each subsequent era in development, through interactions with peers, school, and parents along the way,” notes Kenneth A. Dodge, William McDougall Professor of Public Policy and psychology and neuroscience, director of the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, and the study’s lead author. “Successful early intervention could redirect paths of antisocial development to prevent serious violent behavior in adolescence.” The study appears in the November/December 2008 issue of the journal Child Development.

The scientists followed 754 children from 27 schools in four areas of the United States, collecting annual reports by the children, their parents, peers, and observers, as well as school records from kindergarten through 11th grade. Through a novel approach that goes beyond measuring risk factors in a summary fashion, the study suggests how serious violence develops across the life span from early childhood through adolescence.

The researchers found that children who are born into economically disadvantaged environments were more likely to have parents who practiced harsh and inconsistent parenting, perhaps because of the stress of their circumstances. This parenting, in turn, was more likely to lead to early, minor social and cognitive problems in the children when they started school. From there, the behavior problems cascaded.

The researchers caution that their model should not be used to conclude that an antisocial 5-year-old is destined to be a violent teenager, noting that while the risk is substantial, it is not certain. In contrast, the study points to ways that this trajectory can be deflected by life events, and it cites implications for preventive intervention.

Summarized from Child Development, Vol. 79, Issue 6, Testing an Idealized Dynamic Cascade Model of the Development of Serious Violence in Adolescence by Dodge, KA, et al (Courtesy of EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS).

Television watching provides short-term reward, but displaces activities with long-term benefit.

UMD.edu – A new study by sociologists at the University of Maryland concludes that unhappy people watch more TV, while people who describe themselves as very happy spend more time reading and socializing (and attending religious services). The study appears in the December 2008 issue of the journal Social Indicators Research.

Analyzing 30-years worth of national data from time-use studies and a continuing series of social attitude surveys, the Maryland researchers report that spending time watching television may contribute to viewers’ happiness in the moment, with less positive effects in the long run.

“TV doesn’t really seem to satisfy people over the long haul the way that social involvement or reading a newspaper does,” says University of Maryland sociologist John P. Robinson, the study co-author and a pioneer in time-use studies. “It’s more passive and may provide escape - especially when the news is as depressing as the economy itself. The data suggest to us that the TV habit may offer short-run pleasure at the expense of long-term malaise.”

TV viewing increases with too much free time

Based on data from time use surveys, Robinson projects that TV viewing might increase significantly as the economy worsens in the next few months and years.

“Through good and bad economic times, our diary studies, have consistently found that work is the major activity correlate of higher TV viewing hours,” Robinson says. “As people have progressively more time on their hands, viewing hours increase.”

But Robinson cautions that some of that extra time also might be spent sleeping. “As working and viewing hours increase, so do sleep hours,” he says. “Sleep could be the second major beneficiary of job loss or reduced working hours.”

Study data

In their new study, Robinson and his co-author, University of Maryland sociologist Steven Martin, set out to learn more about the activities that contributed to happiness in people’s lives. They analyzed two sets of data spanning nearly 30 years (1975-2006) gathered from nearly 30,000 adults:

A series of time-use studies that asked people to fill out diaries for a 24-hour period and to indicate how pleasurable they found each activity; General Social Survey attitude studies, which Robinson calls the national premier source for monitoring changes in public attitudes – in-depth surveys that over the years consistently asked subjects how happy they feel, how they spend their time among a number of other questions.

Unhappy people watch significantly more television

Robinson and Martin found that the two sets of data largely coincided for most activities – with the exception of television.

From the General Social Survey, the researchers found that self-described happy people were more socially active, attended more religious services, voted more and read more newspapers. By contrast, unhappy people watched significantly more television in their spare time.

According to the study’s findings, unhappy people watch an estimated 20 percent more television than very happy people, after taking into account their education, income, age and marital status – as well as other demographic predictors of both viewing and happiness.

Unhappy people are pleased with TV - temporarily

Data from time-diaries told a somewhat different story. Responding in “real time,” much closer to daily events, survey respondents tended to rate television viewing more highly as a daily activity.

“What viewers seem to be saying is that ‘While TV in general is a waste of time and not particularly enjoyable, the shows I saw tonight were pretty good,’ ” Robinson says.

The data also suggested to Robinson and Martin that TV viewing was “easy.” Viewers don’t have to go anywhere, dress up, find company, plan ahead, expend energy, do any work or spend money in order to view. Combine these advantages with the immediate gratification offered by television, and you can understand why Americans spend more than half their free time as TV viewers, the researchers say.

Unhappy people were also more likely to feel they have unwanted extra time on their hands (51 percent) compared to very happy people (19 percent) and to feel rushed for time (35 percent vs. 23 percent). Having too much time and no clear way to fill it was the bigger burden of the two.

TV viewing can function like an addiction

Martin likens the short, temporary pleasure of television to addiction: “Addictive activities produce momentary pleasure but long-term misery and regret,” he says. “People most vulnerable to addiction tend to be socially or personally disadvantaged. For this kind of person, TV can become a kind of opiate in a way. It’s habitual, and tuning in can be an easy way of tuning out.”

Maybe you have an 85-year-old grandfather who still moves quickly through the newspaper crossword puzzle every morning or a 94-year-old aunt who never forgets a name or a face. They don’t seem to suffer the ravages of memory that beset most people as they age.

Researchers at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine wondered if the brains of the elderly with still laser sharp memory - called “super aged” - were somehow different than everyone else’s. So, instead of the usual approach in which scientists explore what goes wrong in a brain when older people lose their memory, they investigated what goes right in an aging brain that stays nimble.

Now they have a preliminary answer. Scientists examined the brains of five deceased people considered super aged because of their high performance on memory tests when they were more than 80 years old and compared them to the brains of elderly, non-demented individuals. Researchers found the super aged brains had many fewer fiber-like tangles than the brains of those who had aged normally. The tangles consist of a protein called tau that accumulates inside brain cells and is thought to eventually kill the cells. Tangles are found in moderate numbers in the brains of elderly and increase substantially in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

“This new finding in super aged brains is very exciting,” said Changiz Geula, principal investigator of the study and a research professor of neurology at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Northwestern’s Feinberg School. “It was always assumed that the accumulation of these tangles is a progressive phenomenon through the aging process. But we are seeing that some individuals are immune to tangle formation and that the presence of these tangles seems to influence cognitive performance.” Individuals who have few tangles perform at superior levels, while those who have more tangles appear to be normal for their age, Geula noted.

The number of plaques in the brains of the super aged was similar to that in the brains of the normally aging group. The plaque is an aggregation of protein called amyloid that becomes deposited outside the brain cell and disrupts communication between neurons. Like tangles, plaques also are found in modest numbers in the brains of aged individuals and show a dramatic increase in number in Alzheimer’s disease.

Geula said the lower number of tangles in the super aged appears to be the critical difference in maintaining memory skills.

Some of the super aged in the study performed memory tasks at the level of people who were about 50 years old. For example, after being told a story, they were able to remember it immediately after and still accurately recall its details 30 minutes later. They also remembered a list of 15 words and recalled these words equally well when tested after 30 minutes.

Geula said new research will focus on what makes cells in super aged brains more resistant to tangle formation. “We want to see what protects the brains of these individuals against the ravages that cause memory loss,” he said. ” Understanding the specific genetic and molecular characteristics of the brains that makes them resistant, someday may lead to the ability to protect average brains from memory loss.” (Courtesy of EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS).

AAD.org - While spider veins, varicose veins, cellulite and pedicures gone awry may sound like the makings of a modern-day horror flick, the scary part is these dermatologic conditions and associated problems can strike anyone at anytime. In fact, much of what is perceived as common knowledge or factual information about these problems is little more than fiction.

Dermatologist Robert A. Weiss, MD, FAAD, associate professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, reviews below the common myths about spider veins, varicose veins and cellulite, the latest treatment options, and how to ensure a safe pedicure.

Spider Veins

Spider veins, also referred to as roadmap veins, are very tiny superficial blood vessels that increase in size over time and commonly occur on the legs. Dr. Weiss noted that some people are more susceptible to spider veins, including women and those who have a blood relative with the condition. Spider veins also are common in workers who stand regularly in their jobs – such as nurses, cashiers or hair stylists – as standing increases the venous pressure in the legs and can cause the veins to stretch.

Although some spider vein suffers may mistakenly believe tanning their legs can help mask their condition, Dr. Weiss warned that excess sun exposure actually can cause spider veins. Harmful ultraviolet light breaks down collagen – which composes the walls of spider veins – and can cause thinning and spreading of the veins.

“There are many common myths about spider veins, so it is important for patients to consult their dermatologist for the best advice on how to minimize their risk of developing the condition and how to treat it,” said Dr. Weiss.

Myths about spider veins:

Myth: Crossing your legs causes spider veins. Dr. Weiss: “Everyone at some point crosses their legs, and not everyone develops spider veins. This common myth has no truth to it.”

Myth: Gaining a lot of weight causes spider veins. Dr. Weiss: “When people lose weight, they actually may be more prone to spider veins, as weight loss causes the skin to deflate and reveal what is underneath. Fat under the skin actually helps mask spider veins.”

Myth: Vitamin supplements that contain horse chestnut extract prevent spider veins. Dr. Weiss: “There is no truth that any vitamin supplements can prevent spider veins. The fact is that heredity accounts for 80 percent of people who develop spider veins.”

“Even with the advent of lasers, sclerotherapy is still considered the gold standard in treating spider veins,” said Dr. Weiss. He explained that sclerotherapy is the most efficient treatment because large areas of the veins can be treated with hair-thin needles. “One sclerotherapy injection can cover a very large area of veins, whereas with a laser you have to cover this same area dot by dot,” said Dr. Weiss. Newer sclerosing solutions that have recently been introduced make the procedure more comfortable for patients and virtually eliminate any stinging or pain during the procedure.

Varicose veins

Varicose veins are larger, dilated blood vessels that can be raised above the skin’s surface and have a rope-like appearance. While Dr. Weiss noted that many of the same myths for spider veins apply to varicose veins, the main myth relating to varicose veins is that you only need to treat the veins that are visible on the surface of the leg.

“Most varicose veins stem from a hidden vein trunk beneath the skin’s surface, that must be treated for any procedure to be successful,” said Dr. Weiss. Two of the latest treatments for varicose veins include lasers and radiofrequency. With the laser procedure, tiny laser fibers are delivered to the vein through a needle puncture that is thread up to the main vein trunk responsible for these veins. The laser’s heat shrinks the vein from the inside, and an ultrasound-guided anesthetic is placed around the vein to reduce discomfort and increase safety during the procedure.

With the new radiofrequency procedure, radiofrequency energy converted to heat is used to collapse the vein, which is then reabsorbed by the body. The radiofrequency energy is delivered by a simple needle puncture, and Dr. Weiss noted that 95 percent of treatments are successful.

Cellulite

Cellulite, a hormonally-based condition unique to women, is caused by a herniation or rupture of fat through the fibrous tissue and the subsequent pulling back of this tissue that creates dimpled areas – typically on the thighs. A common myth is that liposuction can improve the appearance of cellulite. Dr. Weiss explained that although liposuction removes excess fat, it can make the appearance of cellulite worse by creating more depressions in the skin.

Some new remedies being explored to treat cellulite work by softening the fibrous bands and contracting them at the same time, which effectively tightens up the fibrous bands. One procedure Dr. Weiss is currently studying in clinical trials involves using a large panel of red and infrared Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to emit certain wavelengths known to soften and disrupt fat tissue, which causes them to shrink. This procedure is combined with rollers and suctions to soften the fibrous bands that are pulling the skin back in and causing cellulite. In this controlled study, Dr. Weiss is treating 20 patients with the device on one thigh and the other thigh is left untreated. Patients receive two to three treatments a week for a period of three to four weeks.

Dr. Weiss also is studying the effectiveness of another new laser to melt fat and disrupt the fibrous bands of cellulite. The laser fiber is inserted under the skin and then stroked back and forth to break up cellulite.

“While we are still tabulating our results from this study, the initial results I have seen of the treated thighs are very encouraging,” said Dr. Weiss. “We’re also exploring another technology to improve cellulite using mono-polar radiofrequency, in which the tip on the device that delivers the energy is four times larger than the standard tip used for other skin rejuvenation procedures. All of these new technologies have the potential to improve cellulite more quickly, more effectively and with longer-lasting results.”

Safe Pedicures

Despite their popularity, pedicures can pose serious health risks for nail salon patrons if proper sanitation is overlooked.

“Every instrument used for a pedicure needs to be sterilized properly to prevent the spread of fungal infections and even potentially serious antibiotic-resistant staph infections, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA,” said Dr. Weiss.

In order to ensure a safe pedicure, Dr. Weiss advised consumers to ask nail technicians how their instruments are cleaned and to avoid any salons that don’t appear to be clean. Another option he recommended for people who regularly get pedicures is to consider buying their own instruments to use at the salon to minimize their risk of contracting an infection. Foot baths that are not properly cleaned after each use also can harbor bacteria and fungus, which can cause infections, so consumers should ask if they have been thoroughly disinfected before they use them.

Another potential hazard of pedicures is smoothing the surface of the nail too aggressively with nail files and buffers at the base of the nail, which can damage the cuticle.

“It’s a common myth that pushing your cuticles back helps keep nails healthy and helps them grow,” said Dr. Weiss. “Actually, the cuticle is the nail’s protective barrier, and pushing back on the cuticle can damage it – increasing your risk of infection.”

Utilizing current technology, dermatologists can assist people with many of their skin and nail concerns below the belt. Dr. Weiss added that the best way to avoid being misled by myths concerning skin, hair or nails is to discuss your questions with a dermatologist.