High hormone levels in blood raise prostate cancer risk

Men with higher levels of testosterone and a growth hormone in their blood are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a new study.

A research of more than 200,000 men is one of the first to show strong evidence of two factors that could possibly be modified to reduce prostate cancer risk.

"Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men worldwide after lung cancer and a leading cause of cancer deaths. But, there is no evidence-based advice that we can give to men to reduce their risk," said the study's lead author.

"We were interested in studying the levels of two hormones circulating in the blood because previous research suggests they could be linked with prostate cancer and because these are factors that could potentially be altered in an attempt to reduce prostate cancer risk," he added.

The researchers studied 200,452 men who are part of the UK Biobank project. All were free of cancer when they joined the study and were not taking any hormone therapy.

The men gave blood samples that were tested for their levels of testosterone and a growth hormone called insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I).

The researchers calculated the levels of free testosterone which is circulating in the blood and not bound to any other molecule and can therefore have an effect in the body.

A subset of 9,000 men gave a second blood sample at a later date, to help the researchers account for natural fluctuations in the hormone levels.

The men were followed for an average of six to seven years to see if they went on to develop prostate cancer. Within the group, there were 5,412 cases and 296 deaths from the disease.

The researchers found that men with higher concentrations of the two hormones in their blood were more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

For every increase of five nanomoles in the concentration of IGF-I per litre of blood (5 nmol/L), men were nine per cent more likely to develop prostate cancer.

For every increase of 50 picomoles of testosterone per litre of blood (50 pmol/L), there was a 10 per cent increase in prostate cancer risk.

According to the researchers, 25 per cent greater risk in men who have the highest levels of IGF-I, compared to those with the lowest.

Men with the highest testosterone levels face an 18 per cent greater risk of prostate cancer, compared to those with the lowest levels.

"This type of study can't tell us why these factors are linked, but we know that testosterone plays a role in the normal growth and function of the prostate and that IGF-I has a role in stimulating the growth of cells in our bodies," the author said. The study was presented at 2019 NCRI Cancer Conference in London.

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Many factors influence decisions to withdraw life-support brain injury patients

There are several factors that determine the decisions to withdraw life support treatments in critically ill patients with severe brain injury, says a recent study.

The study provides a new understanding of the decision-making processes for this patient population, which accounts for most hospital deaths from trauma.

One of the researchers said, many clinicians struggle to make recommendations to withdraw life-sustaining treatments because decision-making is often complicated by uncertainty from trying to match family or caregiver opinions about  what they think the patient would have wanted in terms of quality of life and how well physicians can predict a prognosis.

The death rate in critically ill patients with severe traumatic brain injury is generally high as it occurs after a decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatments.

This patient population differs from the general intensive care unit (ICU) population as most patients were healthy before admission to the ICU, as compared with older patients who may already have a poorer quality of life due to pre-existing illness.

Therefore, decisions to withdraw life-sustaining treatments are made differently, mainly based on long-term prognosis and quality of life.

The researchers performed a descriptive qualitative study of interviews with critical care physicians from across Canada to understand the factors that determine a critical care physician's decision to discuss with families the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Results show that several factors are accountable including the patients' pre-expressed wishes and the family's wishes, severity, and location of the injury, along with evidence.

Past physician experience, legislation, opinions of colleagues and time are additional factors influencing decisions. The incidence of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments and of death in critically ill patients with traumatic brain injury varies between hospitals.

Better evidence, tools to help predict patient outcomes, standardisation, better ways to integrate patient values and preferences into decision-making, improved training during critical care fellowships and more time to estimate prognosis are some things that could improve decision-making whether to withdraw life-sustaining treatments.

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11 Surprising Heart Disease Factors

Heart diseases are among the greatest killers of our day and age and lay claim to the lives of about 18 million people worldwide every year, according to the WHO. Of those, a whopping 80% deaths are the result of a stroke or a heart attack. While some possible triggers of heart conditions, such as obesity, are a matter of public knowledge, other possible causes may surprise you:

 

1. Poor Dental Hygiene

Apparently, not brushing your teeth may cause plaque buildup… in the arteries. The same oral bacteria that cause periodontal (or gum) disease can enter the blood stream and cause atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular condition wherein blood vessels become clogged by arterial plaque, possibly leading to strokes and heart attacks.

2. Drinking Diet Sodas

If you’re looking into sugar-free soft drinks as a means to avoid obesity and related heart complications,you have another thing coming . Heavy diet soda drinkers are actually more likely to suffer from a stroke or a heart attack than those who drink sugar-sweetened sodas.

3. Shunning Beans

Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart. This isn’t just a line out of a nursery rhyme, it’s a medical fact. Eating beans and other protein-rich legumes (such as lentils, chickpeas, soybean, peas and peanuts) has been found to lower your resting heartbeat as effectively as regular exercise, potentially preventing heart attack.

4. Dieting

Committing to a drastic change of lifestyle may sound like a good idea when thinking about weight loss, but often dramatic and prohibitive diets are very hard to sustain over time, cause great fluctuations in body mass over a short period of time and can cause more harm than good. This yo-yo effect, in and of itself, can dramatically increase the risk of heart disease.

5. Contracting Flu

If there weren’t enough reasons to get a flu shot, according to this study, among people between the ages of 65-86, the likelihood of having a heart attack within one week of contracting influenza A was six times! Odds were even higher for people with prior heart complications and those who contracted influenza B.

6. Depression

The notion that body and mind operate independently is flat-out wrong, as many mental health conditions and physical illnesses appear to be inextricably tied. This is also true of depression, as a recent study established. The research showed that among men above the age of 45, depression was associated with a 30% increased chance of heart attack, and a 18% increased chance among women of the same age group. For both groups, depression was also associated with 24-44% increased chance of stroke, with odds increasing with the intensity of their mental distress.

Likewise, one of the major symptoms of depression is social withdrawal, which- independently of the aforementioned study- has been shown to be associated with a 30% increased chance of coronary heart disease and stroke

7. Avoiding Fruit

Much like legumes, eating fresh fruit has been established as an effective way to reduce heart pressure, as well as lowering blood sugar levels. According to the study conducted in China, people who consumed fresh fruit on a daily basis were 40% less likely to have a heart attack, 34% less likely to have a major heart complication, and 30% less likely to have a stroke.  

8. Sleep Apnea

Snoring might be a hassle for your partner, but it can indicate a huge risk for you. Severe obstructive sleep apnea, characterized by problems breathing through the nose while sleeping has been associated with a nearly twofold increase in coronary heart disease, heart failure and heart disease-related death.

9. Living at a Low Altitude

This may seem strange to you, but for athletes who depend on good cardio, this is hardly news. Living at a high altitude increases cardiovascular endurance, which in turn decreases the odds of having metabolic syndrome, a cluster of several medical conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar, by 25%. Metabolic syndrome is a major cause of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

10. Body Image

We know that obesity can be a cause for multiple heart conditions, but apparently stigma around obesity greatly increases the risk. According to a 2017 study, obese people who suffered from a negative body image were 46% more likely to have metabolic syndrome than those who are more accepting of their body type.

11. Your Job

Yes. Your work, and particularly if your career finds you sitting on a chair in front of a monitor for the better part of the day, can kill you. A 2012 study found that a sedentary schedule was associated with a 147% increase in heart complications and a 90% increase in heart-related deaths. Meanwhile, a work schedule of 55 or more weekly hours was associated with a 13% increased chance of coronary heart disease and a 33% increased chance of stroke.

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Factors that Influence Our blood Sugar Levels

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A big rise in blood sugar levels is an issue for everyone. Of course, this is most important to those who suffer from diabetes or have any risk factors associated with the disease.

 

Besides the sweets and sugar-filled desserts we all think about when we think of sugar, there are some surprising factors and other foods that can, especially over time, prevent the body from balancing its blood sugar levels. This post will explain the foods and habits you should avoid, as well as those which you can take to help balance your glucose levels.

 

 

Sugar-free Products

Surprisingly enough and completely unfair, sugar-free foods can cause a spike in our blood sugar levels. A lot of these foods contain carbs, starch, and fat. Carbs alone are known to spike the blood sugar levels and can cause organ damage for those suffering from diabetes.

 

 

Chinese Food

Fat-rich foods can keep the blood sugar levels higher for a longer period of time. Chinese food (especially in fast-food restaurants) contains a lot of oil as well as sugar, and so is probably not a good combination if you're diabetic or want a lower blood sugar level. This isn't to say that common oil foods like fries or pizza are a good idea either.

 

 

The Flu

Yes, unfortunately there are situations outside of our control that can spike our blood sugar levels. The extreme loss of fluid that happens when battling a cold creates a spike in the blood sugar levels.  But that's not all, medicine such as antibiotics can also shift the sugar balance in the body. That is why you should drink more and eat even less sugar and carbs at this time.

 

 

Mental Stress

Stress, from whatever source (work, personal life), can cause the body to release "stress hormones", which usually elevates the amount of sugar in the blood. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation can alleviate the tension and reduce the sugar levels back to their proper levels. 

 

 

Buns

Yes, buns. How are they different to regular bread? Well, buns usually have a better taste than regular bread, and that's because they contain quite a bit more sugar. It's better to stick to full wheat bread.

 

 

Energy Drinks

Sports drinks were initially made to allow the body to absorb liquid easily and quickly after a physical workout. But two things are important to consider: first, they are full of sugar, and second, they are not made for the average person. They are made for athletes and runners. 

 

Dry Fruit

 

Eating fruit is a very healthy choice, but not in all forms. In the case of lowering your blood sugar levels, dry fruit isn't recommended as they contain a lot of sugar. A handful of dry fruit is enough to spike your blood sugar levels.

 

 

Steroids

Allergies, as well as asthma, osteoporosis, rash and many other medical problems are treated with steroids. However, you should be aware that certain types of steroids may encourage the onset of diabetes. It doesn't mean you shouldn't get what the doctor ordered, but pointing out this fact to them and mentioning that you are at risk of diabetes can't hurt.

 

 

 

Factors aiding the balance of blood sugar levels

To keep a balanced level of sugar in our blood, here are a couple of tricks that can help:

 

Continuous mild physical activity

We're not talking about daily trips to the gym, but even daily tasks such as cleaning the house or working in the garden. This kind of ongoing activity has an excellent influence on the blood sugar levels and can significantly reduce them.

 

 

Yogurt

Yogurt contains pro-biotic agents - bacteria that helps our digestion. The aid to our digestive system ultimately leads to a reduction of the sugar levels in our bloodstream. Warning: One can destroy this benefit by mixing sweet or fruit-flavored yogurts.

 

 

A Vegetarian Diet

Studies have found that people who gave up meat, dairy products and eggs have had better control over their blood sugar levels, and needed less insulin. One of the theories about this effect is that plant food, high in fiber, can slow the deconstruction of carbs and so brings about a slower, more controlled absorption of the sugar into the blood, as opposed to spiking it.

 

 

Cinnamon

Other than the fact that cinnamon has been, for years now, considered a home remedy that lowers the risk of diabetes, recent studies have confirmed this. Cinnamon contains natural chemicals that improve the function of insulin and help maintain a reasonable level of sugar in the blood. In order to enjoy these advantages, add a little to every meal.

 

 

A few important notes:

- Studies have found that birth control pills can affect blood sugar levels.

 

- Those who suffer from type 1 diabetes may experience a drop during the night and should consider having a little snack before, or even during bed time.

 

- High-intensity physical training can cause a 'roller coaster' of blood sugar levels, meaning a spike and then a quick drop. It's important to record your blood sugar levels before, during and after a workout.

 

- Drinking alcoholic drinks can have the same 'roller coaster' effect. You should eat something when you drink.

 

- Heat can also play a role in spikes and drops in blood sugar levels. It's best to stay in cool places during hot hours, and of course - drink a lot of water.

Human blood created from human stem cells in lab

Scientists have discovered two genetic programs that are responsible for taking blank-slate stem cells to turn them into both red and white cells that make up human blood.

Igor Slukvin, the lead researcher from University of Wisconsin-Madison explained that this was the first demonstration of the production of different kinds of cells from human pluripotent stem cells, using transcription factors.

Slukvin said that by over-expressing just two transcription factors, they could reproduce the sequence of events they see in the "embryo" where blood was made, in the laboratory dish.

The method developed by Slukvin's group was shown to produce blood cells in abundance. For every million stem cells, the researchers were able to produce 30 million blood cells.

According to Slukvin, an unfulfilled aspiration is to produce hematopoietic stem cells, multipotent stem cells found in bone marrow that are used to treat some cancers, including leukemia and multiple myeloma, in the lab.

The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.
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