CLINICAL UPDATES
from SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc.
January 2010 - Volume 04, Issue 01
In This Issue….
- Omega 3 fatty acids linked to slower telomere shortening
- Glutamine depletion a marker of overtraining?
- Maternal folic acid may slash heart problems in children
- Vitamin B6 reduces inflammation
- Research confirms link between Lp(a) and heart disease
- CoQ10 a risk factor for depression and chronic fatigue
CLINICAL UPDATE – Omega 3 fatty acids linked to slower telomere shortening
Telomere length was measured and then re-measured five years later on 608 patients with coronary artery disease. Researchers found that those with the highest levels of the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA experienced the slowest rate of telomere attrition.
(Journal of the American Medical Association, January 2010)
LINK to ABSTRACT Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels With Telomeric Aging in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease
CLINICAL UPDATE – Glutamine depletion a marker of overtraining?
Strenuous exercise depletes the amino acid glutamine, which may result in suppressed immunity. Since moderate activity makes glutamine more bioavailable while inactivity reduced glutamine synthesis and availability, researchers concluded that glutamine depletion may be a marker for overtraining, and that supplementation of the amino acid may benefit a compromised immune system that often accompanies overtraining.
(Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, January 2010)
LINK to ABSTRACT Effect of physical activity on glutamine metabolism.
CLINICAL UPDATE – Maternal folic acid may slash heart problems in children
Folic acid supplements during pregnancy may not only reduce the risk of birth defects but also protect the children from congenital heart defects, says a new study from the Netherlands.
(European Heart Journal, December 2009)
LINK to NEWS SUMMARY
LINK to ABSTRACT Protective effect of periconceptional folic acid supplements on the risk of congenital heart defects: a registry-based case-control study in the northern Netherlands.
CLINICAL UPDATE – Vitamin B6 reduces inflammation
An analysis of more than 2600 adults showed that high vitamin B6 intake was associated with protection against the inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein (CRP), and thus associated with reduced inflammation.
(Journal of Nutrition, January 2010)
LINK to ABSTRACT Vitamin B-6 intake is inversely related to, and the requirement is affected by, inflammation status.
LINK to FREE FULL TEXT
CLINICAL UPDATE –Research confirms link between Lp(a) and heart disease
Genes were evaluated on more than 3100 people with heart disease and over 3300 people without heart disease. Researchers identified three genes that were strongly associated with heart disease with the strongest association being the gene that codes for the dangerous lipoprotein(a), suggesting a causal role for this atherogenic lipoprotein particle in cardiovascular disease.
(New England Journal of Medicine, December 2009)
LINK to ABSTRACT Genetic variants associated with Lp(a) lipoprotein level and coronary disease.
CLINICAL UPDATE – CoQ10 a risk factor for depression and chronic fatigue
Coenzyme Q10 levels were significantly lower in depressed patients and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome than in normal controls. Researchers conclude that since statins are known to deplete CoQ10 levels, supplementation should be considered for cardiovascular disease patients taking statins that exhibit depression or fatigue.
(NeuroEndocrinology Letters, December 2009)
LINK to ABSTRACT Lower plasma Coenzyme Q10 in depression: a marker for treatment resistance and chronic fatigue in depression and a risk factor to cardiovascular disorder in that illness.
LINK to ABSTRACT Coenzyme Q10 deficiency in myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is related to fatigue, autonomic and neurocognitive symptoms and is another risk factor explaining the early mortality in ME/CFS due to cardi.
