Cancer risk in psoriatic patients

A new study published in February 2020 in the journal JAMA Dermatology reports that there is a 21% increased risk of cancer in patients with psoriasis, but not with psoriatic arthritis alone.

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the skin and the joints, mediated by the T immune cells. The skin cells typically travel from the basal layer of the epidermis, where they are generated to the most superficial layer. By the time they reach the top layer, they have differentiated completely and are dead skin cells or keratinocytes, filled with the skin protein called keratin.
However, in psoriasis, the basal cells speed up on their journey to the top layer, and as a result, they reach it in an immature state, pushing the mature keratinocytes off. The skin, therefore, appears red, tender, cracked, and peeling.

Earlier studies have found that patients with psoriasis are at an increased risk of cancer compared to people without the condition or the general population. Psoriasis is also associated with smoking and drinking; two factors also linked to cancer risk. It is already known that lymphomas and keratinocyte cancers are present at a higher rate in patients with psoriasis.

Psoriasis on elbow.

Secondly, several new biologic drugs have been introduced for the treatment of psoriasis, but biologic agents have a risk of cancer. However, whether these agents confer a risk of cancer independent of the disease itself is an unanswered question.

The study

The current study is a systematic review and meta-analysis to find the risk of cancer in two conditions, namely, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, in addition to the risk of specific cancers. The researchers also aimed at finding the risk of cancer in psoriasis patients who are on biologic agents rather than conventional drugs.

The researchers looked at 112 studies in which over 2 million patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis were involved, and in which cancer outcomes were reported. They analyzed the risk of cancer overall, and certain cancers specifically.

The findings

The study showed an almost 4.8% prevalence of cancer in psoriasis patients, with an incidence rate (IR) of nearly 11.8 per 1000 person-years. If keratinocyte cancer is excluded, the prevalence and IR are 4% and 7.6, respectively.

Eight studies showed a higher and two studies at a lower risk of cancer in psoriasis patients. The overall risk was 20% higher, or 14% higher after excluding keratinocyte cancer.

Keratinocyte cancer occurred in 2.5% of patients with psoriasis, with an IR of 4.4. The risk for this cancer was more than 2.28 times higher in psoriasis patients compared to others. For melanoma, lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the risk was 13%, 56%, and 48% higher, respectively. For Hodgkin lymphoma, the risk was 87% higher.

Concerning breast cancer and colorectal cancer, the risk was not higher in these patients. However, psoriasis patients were at a 26% higher risk of lung cancer.

Overall, there was no significant change in the risk of cancer for patients on biological agents, nor when keratinocyte cancer or lymphomas were considered. The same was the case with psoriatic arthritis as well, except for breast cancer, which was significantly higher in three studies.

Implications

The current study includes over twice the number of studies as the last comprehensive review in 2013, including newer studies with a more significant number of participants. Yet the findings remain the same overall, supporting the existence of an association between psoriasis and cancer, but not psoriatic arthritis.

Keratinocyte cancer is linked to sunlight exposure, and the risk is significantly increased in patients with psoriasis who are on PUVA therapy, involving exposure to ultraviolet rays. The highest risk is for squamous cell carcinoma. Other factors that have been suggested are more extended periods spent in the sunlight and treatment with UVB irradiation and with coaltar, which are both risk factors for keratinocyte cancer.

The increased risk of lymphoma may be due to the higher risk of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, which is markedly more common in people with severe psoriasis. This might be due to chronic activation of the immune system, the authors speculate.

Lifestyle factors like alcohol and smoking are also linked to the higher risk of psoriasis and also of cancer in these patients. However, other factors are also involved, and these need to be identified.

With many different types of cancer occurring at a higher rate in patients with psoriasis, it is essential that doctors who treat such patients be aware that such risks exist. Especially in the case of lymphomas, any therapy for psoriasis which activates the immune system could also result in increased lymphoma activity. More research is required to assess the risk with the use of biologic agents and in psoriatic arthritis.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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New smart wearable technology to overcome jet lag developed

Researchers have developed a way to counter jet lag by delivering personalised advice using smart wearable technology, an advance that may help people who travel frequently across time zones get better quality sleep. 

The researchers, including those from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the US, said alterations in the body's internal clock -- called the circadian rhythm -- cause people to experiencing jet lags. They added that this internal clock helps regulate many of our physiological processes, including sleep, metabolism, hormone secretion, and even how our brain functions.

In the study, published on Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE, the researchers demonstrated a series of algorithms which can analyse biometric information recorded by a smart device, and then recommend the best combination of sleep and light to help a person readjust their circadian rhythm. "Using these algorithms and a mathematical model of a person's circadian rhythm, we have the ability to compute the best light to adjust your circadian rhythm and foster your well-being.

This opens the opportunity to create a smart and healthy environment," said Agung Julius, study co-author from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Julius said the new tool also recommends the kind of sleep -- both how much and when it should be received -- that a person needs. According to the researchers, people's energy, alertness, and other biological processes can suffer when their circadian rhythm doesn't align with the time zone they are trying to follow. 

"The circadian and sleep processes are also very tightly related to your mental state and how alert you are. If you try to do something in the wrong time of day, your alertness is not going to be as effective as if you do it in the right time of day as defined by your circadian clock," Julius said. Usually, a person's circadian rhythm variation is determined using information gathered from a blood or saliva test that measures levels of the hormone melatonin. 

This approach had a problem, according to the researchers, as obtaining these test results takes time, and doesn't allow for instant analysis. In the current study, the researchers used algorithms they developed to process data -- like heart rate and body temperature -- collected from wearable smart technology. They said these algorithms converted the data from wearable technology into an estimate of a person's circadian rhythm variation. 

The estimates generated by the algorithms were in line with the hormone measurement techniques used by medical labs, the scientists said. 

"The question is whether that kind of data can give you as accurate an estimation as the clinical standard," Julius said. With the new technology, the researchers said, it is now possible to efficiently use light to optimise and maintain human health and performance.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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Gene 'switch' that helps breast cancer spread identified

Scientists have identified a genetic ' switch' that helps breast cancer spread through the body, an advance that may help combat the deadly disease.

The team showed that the 'switch' boosts the production of a type of internal scaffolding. This scaffolding is a type of protein- Keratin-80, and related to the protein that helps keep hair strong. Boosting the amount of this scaffolding makes the cancer cells more rigid, which the researchers say may help the cells clump together and travel in the bloodstream to other parts of the body. The researchers studied human breast cancer cells treated with a common type of breast cancer drug called aromatase inhibitors.

The team found the same switch is involved in breast cancer cells becoming resistant to the medication (meaning the drugs are no longer effective if the cancer returns). Targeting this switch with a different drug could help reverse this resistance, and make cancer less likely to spread, said the lead author of the study. Even worse, when the cancer comes back it has usually spread around the body, which is difficult to treat, he said.

The study suggests a type of genetic switch- called a transcription factor- can turn on genes that cause the cancer cells to not only become resistant to the treatment, but move into health tissue around the body. This research now needs to be followed up with larger studies, but if confirmed, targeting this genetic switch could prevent cancer cells from becoming resistant to the drugs, and from spreading to other areas of the body, he said. Aromatase inhibitors are used to treat a type of breast cancer called estrogen-receptor positive. These make up over 79 % of all breast cancers, and are fueled by the hormone estrogen. However, around 30% of breast cancer patients taking aromatase inhibitors see their cancer eventually return.

This returning cancer is usually metastatic, meaning it has spread around the body and the tumours are often resistant to aromatase inhibitors starve cancer cells of estrogen, some cells adapt by increasing production of cholesterol, which they then use for energy to survive. This means that if the cancer returns, it can no longer be killed by the same type of drugs.

In the latest research, which used human breast cancer cell cultures in the laboratory, the team found the witch that turns of genes that increase cholesterol production also activates genes that make the cells more rigid and prone to invade nearby tissues. The team also found that in women whose cancers had spread around the body, the cells contained higher amounts of keratin-80. The team said larger scale patient studies are now needed to confirm the findings, but the research could provide new avenues for helping treat breast cancer that returns and spreads around the body.

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/    

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Scientists have identified a genetic 'switch' that helps breast cancer spread through the body, an advance that may help combat the deadly disease. The team from Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research in London showed that the 'switch' boosts the production of a type of internal scaffolding. This scaffolding is a type of protein, called Keratin-80, and related to the protein that helps keep hair strong. Boosting the amount of this scaffolding makes the cancer cells more rigid, which the researchers say may help the cells clump together and travel in the bloodstream to other parts of the body. The researchers, who published their work in the journal Nature Communications, studied human breast cancer cells treated with a common type of breast cancer drug called aromatase inhibitors. https://www.thehansindia.com/life-style/health/gene-switch-that-helps-breast-cancer-spread-identified-534226

https://www.thehansindia.com/life-style/health/gene-switch-that-helps-breast-cancer-spread-identified-534226

Tips for Traveling With Diabetes

With Diabetes, travelling can be a bit of a hassle. However you stick to your diet, things can become haywire, as your medication time can change, also your food habits, your exercise schedule etc. So, with some basic hints, you can manage your trip to become memorable.

1. Create a supply checklist.Write down everything you’ll need to stay healthy to ensure that you don’t forget important items, especially when you’re in a rush to get out the door.


2. Keep a small travel bag with you at all times.

• Insulin and as many syringes as you’ll need for the trip (and a disposal container for storing used syringes and test strips)
  
• Blood and urine testing supplies (with extra batteries and strips for your glucose meter)
  
• Oral medications with the prescription labels attached (extras are a good idea)
  
• Other medications, such as antibiotic ointment, anti-nausea drugs, etc.
  
• Your ID and diabetes identity card, as well as your doctor’s emergency number
  
• A well-wrapped snack pack containing crackers, cheese, peanut butter, fruit, raisins, a juice box, and some form of sugar (such as candy or glucose tablets) to treat low blood sugar levels
  
• A portable meal (that doesn’t require refrigeration) in case of unexpected delays.

3. Pack workout clothing. 
That way you’ll be ready to exercise, wherever you are. Most hotels have facilities for guests but require proper clothing. Ask the hotel staff or locals about safe places to walk and other active pursuits in the area. 

4. Wear comfortable shoes. They’ll help you walk briskly – and ache-free – through airports, train stations or cruise ships. Plus, once you reach your destination, use them for sightseeing on foot. 

5. Don’t neglect your blood-sugar monitoring.No matter how long you’ll be traveling, test your blood glucose as frequently as your doctor recommends. Regular monitoring can help you catch potential problems early, thus preventing highs and avoiding lows.

At the AirportTraveling by air can be stressful, especially if you have diabetes-related items to keep in tow.

Fortunately, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows people with diabetes to carry testing supplies and medications in their hand luggage.

 

6. Keep anything vital in your carry-on.
More than two million bags were reported lost or mishandled by the airlines last year. If your checked luggage ends up lost, you don’t want to be without important medications, syringes and blood-testing supplies.

7. Tell the security screener you have diabetes and are carrying supplies.The TSA allows people with diabetes to carry these items on the plane:

• Insulin and insulin-loaded dispensing products (vials or a box of individual vials, jet injectors, biojectors, epipens, infusers, and preloaded syringes)
  
• Unlimited number of unused syringes when accompanied by insulin or other injectable medication.
• Lancets, blood glucose meters, blood glucose meter test strips, alcohol swabs, meter-testing solutions
  
• Insulin pump and insulin pump supplies (cleaning agents, batteries, plastic tubing, infusion kit, catheter, and needle); insulin pumps and supplies must be accompanied by insulin
  
• Glucagon emergency kit
  
• Urine ketone test strips
  
• Unlimited number of used syringes when transported in Sharps disposal container or other similar hard-surface container.

Each airline may enforce security measures differently, so check with yours before you leave.

8. Identify your insulin and syringes with the proper manufacturer’s label. You may need to prove that what you’re carrying is insulin. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says you should bring the box that your insulin came in (or the plastic bag your boxes came in, if your insulin is from a mail-order pharmacy).

These packages should have a “professional, pharmaceutical preprinted label which clearly identifies the medication.”

9. Make special arrangements before your flight.Ask for an aisle seat if you plan to use the restroom for insulin injections. If the flight has meal service and you’re on a special diet, notify the airline at least 24 hours ahead.

If no food is offered on the flight, bring your own healthy meal on board. 

10. Tell the flight attendant that you have diabetes, especially if you’re traveling alone.You may need help if your blood glucose levels go too low.

11. Drink plenty of water.
Dehydration is common because cabin air has a much lower humidity level than a typical indoor environment. It can cause mild discomfort, scratchy eyes, fatigue and breathing problems for people with respiratory conditions, such as asthma. Drink water to stay hydrated, but avoid alcoholic and caffeinated beverages throughout the flight.

When Traveling AbroadBecause prescriptions can differ from country to country, take precautions if you’re traveling internationally and bringing diabetes medication.

12. Consult your doctor before you leave on your trip.Ask your doctor for prescriptions and a letter that explains your diabetes medications, supplies and allergies, the ADA advises. This way, pharmacists or physicians in other countries can provide them for you in an emergency.

Some drugs may not be available in the country you're traveling to. And even if they are, they may have different names or come in other strengths.

13. Get extra supplies from your pharmacist.Keep a two-week supply of medications with you at all times, along with supplies you can store in a separate bag in case your luggage is lost or stolen.

14. Store all medications in an air-tight, insulated case.This will protect them from exposure to extreme temperatures or humidity. 

15. Wear an ID bracelet. Also, stash an ID card in your wallet that identifies you as someone with diabetes. The identification should be written in the languages of the places you are visiting.

16. Plan for time-zone changes.Make sure you’ll always know when to take your diabetes medicine, no matter where you are. If you wear a watch with two time displays, keep one set to your home time.

Eastward travel means a shorter day, so you may need less insulin, according to the National Diabetes Education Program. Heading westward, you could need more.

When Dining OutWhen you’re on a strict diabetes diet, navigating an unfamiliar restaurant menu can be difficult. The key is to be prepared and feel comfortable asking for what you need.

17. Be vocal.Ask about the ingredients of menu items to avoid post-meal highs or lows that can ruin your day. Also, find out how food has been prepared, and request sauces and salad dressing on the side so you can control the amount on your food. make sure the server understands the requests are for medical reasons.

18. Choose the right restaurant.

Read the menu – it’s often posted outside by the entrance – and decide if you have enough healthy, lower-fat choices before you sit down.

You also can call the restaurant, have a menu faxed to you, look it up on the Internet or ask your concierge if the hotel has a menu collection.

Many chain restaurants post calories and other nutritional information, either at the restaurant or online. 

Dementia

To ward off  dementia, you need to start taking care of your  brain in your 30s and 40s - or even  earlier. I was planning to send this to the "seniors" only but then changed my mind after reading the highlighted portion. Dementia    Most of us start worrying about dementia after retirement - and that may be too little, too late. Experts say that if you really want to ward off  dementia, you need to start taking care of your  brain in your 30s and 40s - or even  earlier. "More and more research is suggesting that lifestyle is very important to your brain's health," says  Dr. Paul Nussbaum, a neuro-psychologist and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "If you want to  live a long, healthy life, then many of us need to start as early as we can." So what can you do to beef up your brain - and possibly ward off dementia?  Nussbaum, who recently gave a speech on the topic for the  Winter Park (Fla.) Health Foundation, offers 20 tips that may help. 1.  Join clubs or organizations that need volunteers.  If you start volunteering now, you won't feel lost and unneeded after you retire.     2.  Develop a hobby or two.  Hobbies help you develop a robust brain because you're trying something new and complex.         3.  Practise writing with your non-dominant hand several minutes everyday.  This will exercise the opposite side of your brain and fire up those neurons.     4.  Take dance lessons.  In a study of nearly 500 people, dancing was the  only regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.  The people who danced three or four times a week showed 76 percent less incidence of dementia than those who danced only once a week or not at all.      5.  Need a hobby? Start gardening.  Researchers in New Zealand found that, of 1,000 people, those who gardened regularly were less likely to suffer from dementia!  Not only does gardening reduce stress, but gardeners use their brains to plan gardens; they use visual  and spatial reasoning to lay out a  garden.      6. Walking daily can reduce the risk of dementia because cardiovascular health is important to maintain blood flow to the brain.  Or... buy a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps a day.     7.  Read and write daily.  Reading stimulates a wide variety of brain areas that process and store information.  Likewise, writing (not copying) stimulates many areas of the brain as well.       8.  Start knitting.  Using both hands works both sides of your brain.  And it's a stress reducer.     9.  Learn a new language. Whether it's a foreign language or sign language,you are  working your brain by making it go back and forth between one language and the other.   A researcher in England found that being bilingual seemed to delay symptoms of  Alzheimer's disease for four years.  And some research suggests that the earlier a child learns sign language, the higher his IQ - and people with high IQs are less likely to have dementia. So start them  early.      10.  Play board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly.  Not only are you taxing your brain, you're socializing too.  Playing  solo games, such as solitaire or online computer brain games can be helpful, but Nussbaum prefers games that encourage you to socialize too.       11.  Take classes throughout your lifetime.  Learning produces structural and chemical changes in the brain, and education appears to help people live longer.  Brain researchers have found that people with advanced degrees live longer - and if they do have Alzheimer's, it often becomes apparent only in the very later stages of the disease.     12.  Listen to classical music.  A growing volume of research suggests that music may hard wire the brain, building links between the two hemispheres. Any kind of music may work, but there's some research that shows positive effects for classical music, though researchers don't understand why.     13.  Learn a musical instrument. It may be harder than it was when you were a kid, but you'll be developing a dormant part of your brain.      14.  Travel.  When you travel (whether it's to a distant vacation spot or on a different route across town), you're forcing your brain to navigate a new and complex environment.  A study of London taxi drivers found experienced drivers had larger brains because they have to store lots of information about locations and how to navigate there.      15.  Pray.  Daily prayer appears to help your immune system.  And people who attend a formal worship service regularly live longer and report  happier, healthier lives. 16.  Learn to meditate.  It's important for your brain that you learn to shut out the stresses of everyday life.       17.  Get enough sleep. Studies have shown a link between interrupted sleep and dementia.      18.  Eat more foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon, sardines, tuna, ocean trout, mackerel or herring, plus walnuts (which are higher in omega 3s than salmon) and flaxseed. Flaxseed oil, cod liver oil and walnut oil are good sources too.      19.  Eat more fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables mop up some of the damage caused by free radicals, one of the leading killers of brain cells.     20.  Eat at least one meal a day with family and friends.   You'll slow down, socialize, and research shows you'll eat healthier food than if you ate alone or on the go.           DOING ALL 20 THINGS LISTED ABOVE AND YOU WILL NOT FIND ENOUGH TIME IN YOUR LIFE TO FIT IN DEMENTIA AS WELL: IN OTHER WORDS, "CONTINUE TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU ALREADY DO AND YOU WILL HAVE COVERED MOST OF THE THINGS LISTED!"