Inflammation

Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Test for Confirming Dry Eye Disease

June 24, 2014 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE This prospective, sequential, masked clinical trial enrolled 237 patients to compare the InflammaDry test with clinical assessment (tear break-up time [TBUT], Schirmer tear testing, and corneal staining) for the confirmation of dry eye. InflammaDry had a total positive agreement of 81% (127/157) and negative agreement of 98% (78/80). The authors […]

What’s the Link? Psoriasis and Heart Failure

PracticeUpdate.com Peter Libby MD In a recent article published in the European Journal of Heart Failure, Dr. Usman Khalid and colleagues interrogated the national database of Denmark to probe the link between psoriasis and the risk for heart failure.1 They followed a cohort for 14 years and identified psoriasis diagnoses by identifying individuals who received prescriptions for topical vitamin […]

Nutrient Intake and Brain Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s in At-Risk Cognitively Normal Individuals

PracticeUpdate.com RESEARCH · July 01, 2014 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Cognitively normal individuals (n = 49) participating in an ongoing brain imaging study completed semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires to evaluate the relationship between dietary nutrients and brain biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, β-carotene, and folate intake were associated with […]

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Is Associated with Abdominal Fat Partitioning in Healthy Adults

Ma J, et al. – In this cross–sectional analysis, the authors examined whether habitual sugar–sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and diet soda intakes are differentially associated with deposition of body fat. Daily consumers of SSBs had a 10% higher absolute visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume and a 15% greater VAT–to–SAT ratio compared with nonconsumers, whereas consumption […]

Immune responses following McKenzie lumbar spine exercise in individuals with acute low back pain

Immune responses following McKenzie lumbar spine exercise in individuals with acute low back pain: A preliminary study. Al-Obaidi S Acta Med Acad. 2014 May;43(1):19-29. Abstract OBJECTIVE: This study explores the immune responses following 4 weeks of McKenzie lumbar spine exercise in individuals with acute low back pain (ALBP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with ALBP […]

Associations Between Glucosamine and Chondroitin Supplement Use and Biomarkers of Systemic Inflammation

Associations Between Glucosamine and Chondroitin Supplement Use and Biomarkers of Systemic Inflammation To cite this article: KantorElizabeth D., LampeJohanna W., NavarroSandi L., SongXiaoling, MilneGinger L., and WhiteEmily. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. June 2014, 20(6): 479-485. doi:10.1089/acm.2013.0323. Published in Volume: 20 Issue 6: June 10, 2014 Journal Reference ABSTRACT Objectives: Glucosamine and chondroitin […]

Evaluation of TNF-α serum level in patients with recalcitrant multiple common warts, treated by lipid garlic extract

Dermatol Ther. 2014 Jun 9. doi: 10.1111/dth.12136. [Epub ahead of print] Evaluation of TNF-α serum level in patients with recalcitrant multiple common warts, treated by lipid garlic extract. Kenawy S1, Mohammed GF, Younes S, Elakhras AI. Abstract No universal consensus about optimal modality for treating the recalcitrant multiple common warts (RMCW). The objective of the […]

The Role of Vitamin Supplementation in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Events

Desai CK1, Huang J, Lokhandwala A, Fernandez A, Riaz IB, Alpert JS. Clin Cardiol. 2014 May 23. doi: 10.1002/clc.22299. [Epub ahead of print] Abstract The production, sale, and consumption of multiple vitamins is a multibillion-dollar industry. Most Americans take some form of supplement ostensibly for prevention of cardiovascular disease. It has been claimed that vitamin […]

Exercise Cuts Cytokines in Prostate Cancer

Published: Jun 2, 2014 By Ed Susman , Contributing Writer, MedPage Today CHICAGO — A structured physical exercise program appears to reduce cytokine production related to depression and inflammatory processes that may impact prostate cancer progression, researchers said here. Patients receiving usual care experienced a 0.08 log10 increase in pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 production, while patients treated […]

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Phenols Suppress Migration and Invasion of Bladder Cancer Cells Through Modulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase

Coccia A, et al. – This study aimed to investigate the potential antimetastatic effect of total phenols extracted from EVOO against the human transitional bladder carcinoma cell line T24. The results may support the epidemiological evidences that link olive oil consumption to health benefits and may represent a starting point for the development of new […]

Bone Changes in Spine Disease Worse With Inflammation

Published: May 10, 2014 By Nancy Walsh, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today Action Points Disease activity appears to correlate and contribute longitudinally to radiographic progression in the spine in ankylosing spondylitis. The effect was higher in males versus females and in patients with less years of symptom duration.   High disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis […]

Advice to Follow a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Has a Favourable Impact on Low-Grade Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes Compared With Advice to Follow a Low-Fat Diet

Authors:  Lena Jonasson, Hans Guldbrand, Anna K. Lundberg & Fredrik H. Nystrom Ann Med. May 2014   http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/07853890.2014.894286 BACKGROUND: Inflammation may play an important role in type-2 diabetes. It has been proposed that dietary strategies can help control inflammation, which can increase the risk of many conditions, such as heart disease. METHODS: The authors investigated the effects of […]

Inflammation Reduced with Behavioral Training

Subjects were taught to suppress their immune responses using physical conditioning May 6, 2014 |By Heidi Ledford and Nature magazine Dutch celebrity daredevil Wim Hof has endured lengthy ice-water baths, hiked to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts and made his mark in Guinness World Records with his ability to withstand cold. Now he […]

Function of the sympathetic supply in acute and chronic experimental joint inflammation

Schaible HG, et al. Auton Neurosci. 2014 May;182:55-64. doi: 10.1016/j.autneu.2013.12.004. Epub 2013 Dec 24. Abstract Joints are densely innervated by postganglionic sympathetic nerve fibers. These fibers control the blood flow in the joint and vascular permeability, either directly or indirectly, in cooperation with leukocytes. Chemical sympathectomy or suppression of adrenergic signaling significantly reduces inflammatory processes […]

The Correlation Between Food and Joint Pain

Posted on Tue, Apr 22, 2014 @ 10:17 AM Patients with autoimmune diseases such as, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or Sjogren’s disease are typically given protocol-driven treatments with limited success because an acute care model is given to a chronic problem while the underlying causes are never investigated. The problem with this is everyone […]

Irritable Eye Syndrome: Neuroimmune Mechanisms and Benefits of Selected Nutrients

Janos Feher, MD, PhD The Ocular Surface Volume 12, Issue 2 , Pages 134-145, April 2014 Abstract Previous studies showed comorbidity of some ocular, enteral, and affective symptoms comprising irritable eye syndrome. Aims of the present study were to learn more about the pathogenic mechanisms of this syndrome and to evaluate benefits of food supplements […]

Overweight and Obesity Linked to Age-Related Cataract

Research · April 03, 2014 Full Story Journal Reference   TAKE-HOME MESSAGE This meta-analysis of six longitudinal cohort studies revealed that overweight (defined as BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2) was significantly associated with the development of posterior subcapsular (PSC) cataracts, while obesity (defined as BMI > 30 kg/m2) was significantly associated with nuclear, cortical, […]

Association between baseline IL-6 and 1-year recovery in lumbar radicular pain

Eur J Pain. 2014 Nov;18(10):1394-401. doi: 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2014.502.x. Epub 2014 Apr 2. Schistad EI, Espeland A, Pedersen LM, Sandvik L, Gjerstad J, Røe C. Abstract BACKGROUND: In the present study, the influence of cytokines on 1-year recovery in lumbar radicular pain was examined. METHODS: In total, 110 patients with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation were followed for […]

Early Intervention and Treatment for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

March 31, 2014 Journal of internal medicine TAKE-HOME MESSAGE In this review article, the authors describe some of the systemic vascular and inflammatory pathways and genetic factors that may underlie the pathology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as well as some of the potential systemic side effects of ocular AMD therapy that clinicians should consider. […]

Aerobic exercise and weight loss reduce vascular markers of inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity in obese women

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 03/21/2014 Clinical Article Ryan AS, et al. – The study aims to examine the relationships between plasma and tissue markers of systemic and vascular inflammation and obesity and insulin resistance and determine the effects of aerobic exercise training plus weight loss (AEX+WL) and weight loss (WL) alone on these […]