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Kids' Asthma Worse When Sad or Depressed

In the traditional Chinese system of medicine, the lungs are considered to be the organ of grief and sadness. Recent research conducted by Dr. Bruce Miller and his colleagues at State University of New York at Buffalo appears to bear this out. Miller had 90 kids with asthma watch the movie ET: The Extraterrestrial and measured their lung function afterward. Half of the children, aged 7 to 17, were also depressed. Those with asthma and depression had worse lung function (more airway resistance) after sad scenes in the movie. In those without depression breathing patterns were more normal. Miller notes that parents should be aware that sadness may exacerbate breathing difficulties in asthmatic children.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2009;124:66-73.

Quitting Smoking Reduces Inflammation

Vascular inflammation caused by cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. After quitting smoking, the risk of heart disease decreases over 5-10 years; however, nobody has researched the immediate effects of smoking cessation on markers of systemic inflammation. Researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York investigated the effect of quitting on C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin 6 (IL-6), soluble TNF receptor (sTNFR)-I, sTNFR-II, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM)-1. Forty-six women were seen four times over a six-to-seven- week period, and significant reductions were noted in four of six inflammatory markers (TNF, sTNFR-I, sTNFR-II, and sVCAM-1 ) over the length of the study. This study gives health care practitioners more information and leverage in helping patients become non-smokers, as the results show that inflammation starts decreasing fairly rapidly after smoking cessation. This information can help the patient understand there are immediate benefits to quitting that will reduce their risk of heart disease.
Chest 2009;136:212-219.

Mediterranean Diet Helps Prevent Depression

The benefits of eating the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular disease risk are well known. Now it appears that adhering to this dietary pattern also may prevent incidence of depression. Researchers at University Las Palmas in Spain followed 10,094 individuals for four years who, at study entry, were not depressed. Those people who adhered the most to the Mediterranean diet through the study period had a 30-percent lower incidence of depression than individuals who did not. The Mediterranean diet consists of low meat intake, moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products, and high intake of fruits, nuts, vegetables, cereals, and fish. The researchers found dose-response relationships for fruits and nuts, the monounsaturated-to-saturated fats ratio, and legume intake.
Archives of General Psychiatry 2009;66:1090-1098.

Researchers Discover Possible Viral Link to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), characterized by extreme, sometimes debilitating fatigue, affects millions of individuals in the United States. A viral etiology for this condition has been postulated in the past, but no virus has been directly linked to CFS until now. A retrovirus named XMRV was recently found in 67 percent of patients with CFS, compared to 4 percent in healthy individuals, in a study done at the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno, Nevada. The same virus was recently isolated in prostate tumors. Although the virus was found in the majority of CFS cases, this does not prove the virus causes CFS. Other viruses have been connected with CFS, including the Epstein-Barr virus. The researchers state that XMRV can activate other viruses, which might explain the association of other viruses with CFS. This discovery will hopefully increase the treatment options to those suffering with CFS.
Science 2009 Oct 8.

Green Tea May Support Bone Health

The overall health benefits of green tea consumption are well known; however, new evidence from researchers in Hong Kong provides more reason to drink green tea. The researchers exposed rat osteoblasts (cells responsible for increasing bone formation) to three chemical substances isolated from green tea?epigallocatechin (EGC), gallocatechin (GC), and gallocatechin gallate (GCG). They found that EGC stimulated osteoblastic alkaline phosphatase, which significantly increases bone mineralization. In addition, EGC inhibited the formation of osteoclasts, which promote bone resorption. Green tea had a significantly positive effect on bone metabolism in this in vitro study.
Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 2009;57:7293

Antioxidant Flavonoid May Increase Exercise Endurance

Quercetin, a flavonoid compound found in numerous fruits and vegetables, has been widely studied and found to be a potent antioxidant. A recent small study found supplementation with 500 mg quercetin daily improved exercise capacity in 12 healthy college students. Oxygen utilization and time to fatigue while bike riding were measured before and after supplementation with quercetin or placebo. While supplementing with quercetin, the subjects demonstrated a significantly increased maximum oxygen uptake and a 13-percent increase in time to fatigue. This study points out another positive health benefit of ingesting this ubiquitous flavonoid.
International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (online)

High Homocysteine Increases Risk of Depression in Elderly

The plasma level of the amino acid homocysteine usually increases with age. High homocysteine has already been found to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is correlated with numerous other health conditions. In this study of 3,752 men, age 70 and older, an increase in plasma homocysteine was associated with a significantly increased risk of depression. Since genetic polymorphisms of the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme affect homocysteine levels, the study participants were also examined for their MTHFR genotype to see if there was a difference in depression incidence between genotypes. Those with the aberrant C677T TT genotype that increases homocysteine also demonstrated an increased risk of depression (22% more likely than C6777T CC genotype). More research needs to be done to determine if this correlation is causal; however, lowering plasma homocysteine might be helpful in decreasing the incidence of depression in the elderly.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2008;65:1286-1294.