Poor oral health can cause cognitive decline

Oral health is an important healthcare ritual that everyone needs to follow every day. But poor oral health is linked to a decreased quality of life, along with depression, hypertension, and cognitive decline, researchers have found.

The studies had researchers interview over 2700 Chinese Americans of and above the age of 60.

They found that nearly 50 per cent of the participants reported experiencing tooth symptoms, 25.5 per cent reported dry mouth.

 

In the first study, those who reported tooth symptoms experienced decline in cognition and episodic memory, often precursors to dementia. In the second study, the researchers found that stress increased symptoms of dry mouth, leading to poorer overall oral health.

“Racial and ethnic minorities are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of poor oral health,” said the author.

“Minorities have less access to preventive dental care that is further exacerbated by language barriers and low socioeconomic status. Older Chinese Americans are at particular risk for experiencing oral health symptoms due to lack of dental insurance or not visiting a dental clinic regularly,” he added.

Among the key findings put forth by this study was the fact that 47.8 per cent of older Chinese Americans reported having teeth symptoms; participants who reported teeth symptoms at baseline experienced their global cognition and episodic memory decline.

Another 18.9 per cent older Chinese Americans reported gum symptoms.

15.6 per cent of them reported teeth and gum symptoms with 25.5 per cent reporting dry mouth.
More perceived stress was associated with higher odds of dry mouth.

“In our study, the prevalence rate of dry mouth is followed by diabetes and heart disease. Our findings demonstrate the importance of studying the linkage between stress and dry mouth in this vulnerable population.” said the author. 

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Optimal levels of vitamin D vary from person to person

Vitamin D requirements differ from person to person and is even dependant on the ethnic groups. A study published  said that those with less than 20 nanograms of Vitamin D per millilitre of blood have deficiency.

Whereas, the Endocrine Society has set a higher threshold of 30 nanograms. “Recommendations based on earlier studies using a number of different tests for vitamin D levels persist and, not surprisingly, current guidelines vary,” said author.

“For example, it is not clear that the most optimal levels for vitamin D are the same for Caucasians, blacks or Asians alike. More laboratories are now implementing improved tests and efforts are being made to standardize results from different laboratories,” the author added.

Vitamin D’s main function is to ensure that our body absorbs calcium. A deficiency of vitamin D can cause delayed development of the skeletal system as well as rickets in children. Adults with deficiency are also at an increased risk of fractures and osteoporosis.

Calcium supplements are not enough for to prevent rickets. Vitamin D should be consumed along with them to get optimum results. Elderly people will benefit from taking these supplements. But excess of vitamin D is harmful as well.  High doses increase the risk of fracture. The National Academy of Medicine recommends 400 iu/day for infants, 600 iu/day for people age 1 to 70 and 800 iu/day for people over 70.

Some studies have proven that Vitamin D supplementation has reduced mortality and others suggest that it is good for immune function, cancer and cardiovascular health. She said a consistent benefit of vitamin D supplementation has yet to be shown. However, she noted that most studies have not discriminated between participants who are vitamin D sufficient or deficient.  

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Now doctors may predict accurate treatment for patients

A recent research may enable doctors to use the genetic profiles of patients to predict with great accuracy which treatment and prevention protocols will work for them, but requires greater inclusion of ethnic minorities as well. An anthropologist, and bio-ethicist said that to improve medical care researchers need more data about the individual differences that make each of us unique.

“Without engaging underrepresented communities in genetic studies, efforts to move precision science forward may recapitulate ongoing inequities in health care and limit and bias the research. The early stages of precision medicine offer a critical window in which to intervene before research practices and their consequences become locked in,” she said in the study which was published recently.

Precision medicine relies on the collection of bio-specimens, electronic records and other sources of behavioral and environmental data, she said.

Diseases can present differently among ethnic groups. They may, for example, appear at an earlier age, or they may progress more rapidly or respond disparately to treatment.

The study will explore how these centres recruit participants and collect, measure and share data. It will also examine how they communicate the findings of their research.

“We are looking to see if there are unintended consequences that would limit researchers’ ability to meet diversity recruitment goals, address social and biological causes of health disparities, and distribute the benefits of precision medicine equitably,” she said.

She warned that building a diverse genetic database may prove challenging. He also stressed that, as a result, recruiting for diverse participation alone is not nearly enough.

“An ethics of inclusion demands transparency and a culture of openness. Precision medicine studies must open themselves up to multidisciplinary teams that include social scientists, ethicists, and policymakers who can identify and implement practices that respect the histories and concern of diverse populations-and recognize where reform is needed,” she said.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                      FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                     https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

Gene mutation behind type 2 diabetes identified

Researchers have identified mutations in a gene that can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even in people who have risk factors such as obesity and old age.

The current study breaks new ground in type 2 diabetes research and guides future therapeutic development in this disease. In the new study, researchers describe the genetic analysis of 150,000 patients showing that rare mutations in a gene called SLC30A8 reduce risk of type 2 diabetes by 65 percent.

The results were seen in patients from multiple ethnic groups, suggesting that a drug that mimics the effect of these mutations might have broad utility around the globe.

The protein encoded by SLC30A8 had previously been shown to play an important role in the insulin-secreting beta cells of the pancreas, and a common variant in that gene was known to slightly influence the risk of type 2 diabetes.

However, it was previously unclear whether inhibiting or activating the protein would be the best strategy for reducing disease risk - and how large an effect could be expected.

The team set out to ask if the effects of SLC30A8 protective mutations were limited to the two mutations found in populations in Finland and Iceland. As part of the NIH-funded T2D-GENES Project, chaired by Mike Boehnke at the University of Michigan, the Broad Institute had performed sequencing of 13,000 samples drawn from multiple ethnicities.

The T2D-GENES Project joined the collaboration, found ten more mutations in the same gene, and again saw a protective effect. Combining all the results confirmed that inheriting one copy of a defective version of SLC30A8 led to a 65 percent reduction in risk of diabetes.

In laboratory experiments, members of Altshuler's team showed that the protective mutations disrupt the normal function of the protein encoded by SLC30A8, known as ZnT8. The ZnT8 protein transports zinc into insulin-producing beta cells, where zinc plays a key role in the crystallization of insulin. Exactly how the reduction in ZnT8 functions plays a protective role remains unknown.

THE study has been published in the journal Nature Genetics. 

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