Posts Tagged ‘cancer’

Keep The Long in Longevity – Telomere Length and Cancer

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

We are all mortal and some people will go to great lengths to live longer. The quality of life is just as important and telomeres, the cap at the end of each strand of DNA has been associated with both. Telomere length may be a predictor of cancer risk and cancer fatality.

One of the theories on aging is that each time your DNA replicates, you lose telomere length. Once a cell reaches a certain number of replications, the telomere becomes too short. Like a shoelace that loses its cap, with the cap (telomere) gone, DNA unravels and can no longer serve as a template to make new proteins, cells and other factors for growth and repair. Loss of telomere length can also cause cells to become unstable and replication continues in an unbridled fashion to produce malignant cancer.

In July’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers looked at telomere length and the overall incidence of cancer and mortality. They found a link between telomere length and certain types of cancer. There was also some evidence that tumors with a high fatality rate were associated with telomere length. Tumors with a more favorable prognosis showed little or no association with telomere length.

Their conclusions were that short telomeres are associated with an enhanced risk of cancer and fatal cancer in particular. You can measure your cellular longevity by measuring telomere length. Telomere length can be maintained with an anti-aging diet, dietary supplements, lifestyle and other factors all of which may enhance your health and assure healthy aging and the ability to repair and regenerate cells. Schedule a consult with an Anti Aging Doctor to measure your telomere length and learn how to preserve that length. Stay tuned for more on this topic.

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Vitamin D and Memory: How Much is Enough?

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

The list of benefits of adequate levels of Vitamin D keeps growing. In a recent article July Archives of Neurology, Participants whose serum concentration of the vitamin was at least 50 nmol/L had a 65% lower risk of cognitive decline than those whose levels were below 25 nmol/L. The lower limit of normal in most laboratories is 35 nmol/L. The suggested optimal level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, according to the authors, currently is 75 to 80 nmol/L, which is well above what is accepted as normal. Cognitive functions are your ability to think, remember, and process information and more. As we age, it is important to maintain these functions.

In an accompanying editorial, Marian Leslie Evatt, MD, of Emory University in Atlanta noted that vitamin D is actually a hormone with many functions in addition to its more widely recognized effects on calcium absorption and bone growth.
“Because vitamin D regulates the gamut of physiological processes that go awry in disease states, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival, as well as resistance to oxidative stress, regulation of other hormones, and immune modulation, it is not surprising that insufficient or low vitamin D has been associated with increased risk of several cancers and chronic diseases,” Evatt wrote.

As you can see, Vitamin D helps cells grow and regulates their growth that is important in immune function. It also helps new cells that don’t have an assigned function, turn into cells that are specific to repair any tissue damage. It protects us against damage and allows cells to survive longer. What a powerhouse!

Vitamin D plays a role in osteoporosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disease, and high blood pressure. Get your levels measured and use the appropriate amount of dietary supplements of Vitamin D3. Since Vitamin D is fat soluble and can accumulate, it is important to have your levels checked. Have an Anti Aging Physician look at the whole picture of vitamin and mineral deficiencies as well as carbohydrate, protein and fat balance, oxidative stress and hormone levels to prevent or reverse the chronic degenerative diseases of aging and to preserve your memory and cognitive functions.

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Sunscreen Safety – Are you Protected?

Monday, July 19th, 2010

The sun, as pleasant as it is when it is shining, has harmful UVA and UVB rays that age the skin and may cause malignant skin cancer. Yet, use of sunscreens can be a double-edged sword. It can give people a false sense of security to stay in the sun longer, which increases the risk of cancer. Some active ingredients are readily absorbed and can disrupt hormones, and other ingredients may speed the development of skin cancer. Sunscreens also block the production of Vitamin D, which is essential to bone health and immunity as well as prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. So how do you choose a sunscreen that is safe and effective? The Environmental Working Group www.ewg.org analyzed the data and rated sunscreens on both their safety and efficacy. Here are the highlights.

The most safe and effective sunscreens have broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection and contain the least hazardous ingredients such as:

• Zinc or titanium dioxide, which are known as mineral sunscreens, have the best safety profile

• Mexoryl SX (ecamsule) is another good option, but it’s sold in very few formulations.

• Avobenzone (3 percent for the best UVA protection) is for those who don’t like mineral products

Avoid sunscreens with:

• Oxybenzone and 4 MBC since they are hormone disruptors, penetrate the skin and may be toxic over time in children

• Retinyl palmitate which may actually speed the development of skin cancer

To add further protections from the inside out, take a supplement with lutein and zeaxanthin and eat more kale, spinach and chard that contain these compounds that may protect against sun damage. Take at least 2,000 international units of Vitamin D and have your Vitamin D levels measured.

Have fun in the sun knowing you are protected and enjoy your summer.

If you have a question on Skin rejuvenation please feel free to leave it as a comment and I will answer your question promptly.

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CT or Not CT…..Does it cause Cancer? That is the Question

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Radiation exposure is not just a function of a catastrophic disaster such as Chernobyl. What about Cat Scans, otherwise known as CT’s? We have a plethora of technology available to us to look inside ourselves and see tumors, plaque, abscesses, hemorrhages and other maladies. CT has had a profound impact on the practice of medicine and had indeed been a terrific technology allowing us to avoid unnecessary exploratory surgery.

The Archives of Internal Medicine in December 2009 reviewed “Cancer Risks and Radiation Exposure form Computed Tomographic Scans. ”The researchers found a 13-fold difference in radiation dose between the highest and lowest that occurred within and across institutions. “The articles in this issue make clear that there is far more radiation from medical CT scans than has been recognized previously, in amounts projected to cause tens of thousands of excess cancers annually. Also, as these scans have become more sensitive, incidental findings lead to additional testing (and often more radiation), biopsies, and anxiety. “They question the need for screening CT’s as well as the frequency of follow up. “The one year change in Coronary Artery Calcification does no appear to be a suitable surrogate end point for treatment trials in patients with Cardiovascular Disease or chronic kidney disease. “ In the article “Projected Cancer Risks from CT Scans Performed in the United States in 2007, the overall conclusion was an estimated 29,000 future cancers could be related to CT scans performed in the US in 2007. Consider the risk of the screening scans for your entire body, your heart or other areas. While these may be valuable in select cases, yearly screenings could significantly increase your risk of developing cancer.

All of us want the latest technology and absolute assurances about our health and if a CT is not ordered, may feel slighted. Before you hastily jump to conclusions, consider the risks and benefits, especially when you are considering screening CT’s.

Dr. Lorraine Maita has is a Diplomate in The American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and Internal Medicine. She specializes in lifestyle, stress management, exercise, nutrition, supplements, bio-identical hormone replacement, neuro-cognitive function and executive physicals in her Medical practice in Short Hills, NJ

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