Pancreatic Cancer clues could be hiding in plain sight — in your mouth. Read what study says

A recent study established a link between poor oral health and pancreatic cancer risk by identifying 27 species of bacteria and fungi that may contribute to the disease. Conducted by NYU researchers, the study analysed saliva samples from 122,000 adults.

A recent study published in JAMA Oncology made a disturbing revelation about how certain bacteria and fungi in mouth can significantly increase risk of pancreatic cancer by three-fold. According to the new research, conducted by NYU Langone Health and Perlmutter Cancer Center, a total of 27 types of bacterial and fungal species were identified in the mouth’s microbiome that may contribute to the one of the deadliest cancers.

"Altogether, we summarized the effects of these 27 microbial species by creating a risk score that combines each species’ effect size and abundance," co-senior study author and professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Jiyoung Ahn, informed Fox News Digital. He added, "Using this approach, we found that individuals with higher scores had a 3.5-fold increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer."

How is poor oral health linked to pancreatic cancer?

Around 122,000 healthy adults were surveyed whose saliva samples were collected and analysed. These individuals were followed for nine years. Oral microbiota found in 445 patients, who developed pancreatic cancer, were compared with that of 445 randomly selected cancer-free participants.

The investigators considered factors such as medical history, smoking habits, race and age during the study. The findings revealed 24 species of bacteria and fungi that were associated with an increased or lowered risk of pancreatic cancer. Meanwhile, it was observed that three more bacteria were linked to both gum disease and pancreatic cancer.

According to Jiyoung Ahn, who is also an associate director for population science at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, Oral microbiome profiling could serve as a non-invasive biomarker to identify individuals at elevated risk. These vulnerable individuals can be treated through early detection methods for pancreatic cancer.

This study established the connection between poor oral health and pancreatic cancer with respect to specific species of bacteria that are potential culprits. Hence, good oral health is not only important to wade off caries and bad breath but also significantly impacts overall systemic health, making regular brushing, flossing and dental care a must.

Shedding light on the findings, spokesperson for the American Dental Association, Kumar, who was not involved in the study, said, "We cannot separate the oral cavity or oral diseases from diseases that happen elsewhere in the body," Fox News Digital reported.

I know a man who had very poor oral health, when he went to doctor with pain in head, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and died within a few days. Please be careful with all oral issues, get it checked whenever there's a doubt. Prevention is better than cure. Good luck to all. Whenever you've dental appointments, ask your dentist to take a good look of your entire mouth, any red/ white spots, any cuts, any difference in colour in your gums and so on.

Good luck to all for good health and happiness. 

 

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Potential Link Between Marijuana and Heart Risks Discovered by Cardiologists

As more states legalize marijuana for both medicinal and recreational use and use increases nationwide, cardiologists should advise patients about the potential risks, including effects of marijuana with some commonly prescribed cardiovascular medications, according to a research review published today (January 20, 2020) in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The authors estimate that more than 2 million cardiovascular disease patients are currently using marijuana or have used marijuana previously. This includes recreational use and approved medical uses, such as human immunodeficiency virus-related weight loss, treatment of seizure disorders, or chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting.

"Some observational studies have suggested an association between marijuana and a range of cardiovascular risks,” said lead author Muthiah Vaduganathan, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center in Boston. “We also know that marijuana is becoming increasingly potent. Our review suggests that smoking marijuana carries many of the same cardiovascular health hazards as smoking tobacco. While the level of evidence is modest, there’s enough data for us to advise caution in using marijuana for our highest-risk patients, including those who present with a heart attack or new arrhythmia, or who have been hospitalized with heart failure.”

Certain cardiovascular medications, including statins and blood thinners, can be affected by marijuana use, the review found. For example, statin levels can increase in the blood when used together with marijuana because both are metabolized through a network of liver enzymes called the cytochrome P450 system. Levels of blood thinners such as warfarin also can be expected to increase when used together with marijuana.

“The review provides detailed tables of many drugs administered for various cardiovascular conditions, with the anticipated effects of marijuana on each one,” Vaduganathan said. “These will be helpful to cardiologists and pharmacists reviewing patients’ medications and will help them collaboratively decide whether they need to adjust dosing if the patient continues to use marijuana.”

The reviewers recommend that cardiologists screen their patients for marijuana use, asking them how often and how much they use. They also should ask about how they use marijuana.

“Vaping marijuana is becoming more and more common, and we know vaping marijuana increases the pharmacological effects of the drug,” Vaduganathan said.

For patients who wish to continue to use marijuana, or who have other medically indicated reasons for use, the reviewers recommend limiting use as much as possible and for clinicians to inform patients that vaping and certain synthetic forms of cannabinoids are particularly potent and may have greater adverse effects.

In some patients, cardiologists should test for marijuana use by urine toxicology screening, the reviewers recommend. These include patients being considered for heart transplantation or those who present with early-onset heart attacks or heart failure at a young age.

The review also analyzed the current state of evidence linking marijuana use with cardiovascular health and disease.

Data on the exact health effects of marijuana on the cardiovascular system are limited, largely because federal laws that classify marijuana as a Schedule I drug have limited the ability of scientists to conduct high-quality research, Vaduganathan said.

“Now that we have seen marijuana use become more popular than tobacco smoking, we need more rigorous research, including randomized clinical trials, to explore the effects of marijuana on cardiovascular health,” he said.

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Researchers find key to preventing muscular dystrophy-related heart disease

A Rutgers-led team may have found the key to preventing Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)-related heart disease, the leading cause of death in patients living with the disease.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), examined the role of Connexin-43 (Cx43), a protein that regulates heart function. The researchers found that Cx43 was dysfunctional in both human and mouse DMD hearts, so they modified the Cx43 protein in the hopes of alleviating heart disease. The researchers discovered that altering the Cx43 protein through a process called phosphorylation protected DMD mice against irregular heart beat and late-stage failure.

 For many DMD patients, the heart muscles gradually break down, leading to death. Our findings may help give hope to millions of patients."     Diego Fraidenraich, study co-author, assistant professor of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

"Medical advances have managed to slow down the disease progression in most muscles in the body, but there are yet to be any discoveries that target or prevent deterioration of the DMD heart, which remains the number one killer among these patients," said co-author Eric Himelman, a PhD candidate at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. "Therapies based on our finding may help prolong the lives of muscular dystrophy and other heart disease patients."

DMD, a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration, is the most common type of muscular dystrophy, affecting about one in 5,000 males and typically beginning at about age 4. The average life expectancy is 26.

These findings were simultaneously published together in JCI insight with another Rutgers-led study that examined Cx43 activity in the heart

Next steps include developing drugs that directly target Cx43 in DMD hearts, with a goal of potentially introducing clinical trials using Cx43 modification as a therapy for DMD patients.

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