Stem-Cell Research In Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is in the process of creating a new stem-cell research center, joining the UK, Sweden, Israel, and China in furthering this research with policies much more liberal than those in the US.
Details of the center will be released in September, and it should be in operation within the year. The project is being funded by Jedda BioCity, with the hope that Saudi Arabia will become a world leader in the field of biotechnology.
Saudi Arabian scientists are not limited to taking embryonic stem cells from a small number of embryos that already exist, as in the US. Instead, the scientists there will be able to conduct therapeutic cloning research, in the hopes of creating healthy cells by using DNA from a cell taken from a person with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or diabetes. The healthy cells could then be transplanted back into the person without fear of rejection from his/her immune system. The debate over the morality of such a process continues in the US, and some scientists fear that the US will be left behind as other countries make progress in this field.
  
Top Cholesterol Levels May Be Too High
According to a new study, the level of LDL ("bad") cholesterol that is considered to be the highest safe level may not be safe at all.
This study is known at the Heart Protection Study, and included more than 20,000 British men and women between the ages of 40 and 80. All of the participants had a higher risk of stroke than the general population, due to having artery disease, diabetes, or a previous stroke. Half of these participants took a daily dose of a statin drug called simvastatin, and the other half took a placebo. The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation, the U.K. Medical Research Council, and Merck & Co., which is the pharmaceutical company that markets simvastatin as Zocor.
The study lasted for five years, during which time the death rate from heart attack and stroke was 18% lower in the group that took the statin than in the group that took the placebo. In addition, the group that took the statin had 25% fewer nonfatal heart attacks and strokes. Those whose LDL levels were under 120 (as opposed to the maximum level of 130 set by current guidelines) also had beneficial health results. The study authors believe that the implication of this finding is that guidelines should be adjusted to reflect cholesterol levels that are associated with the best health.
Study authors also believe that their findings should encourage doctors to prescribe statins to anyone who has a high risk of stroke or heart attack, regardless of cholesterol levels. The study participants experienced minimal side effects while taking the drug, and the benefits of taking the drug far outweighed these. The results of the study have been published in the journal The Lancet (volume 360; pages 7-22; July 6, 2002).
Stroke Risk Of Women With High Cholesterol
According to a new study, women with cholesterol levels that are even slightly higher than recommended should be concerned about their risk of stroke, regardless of age.
The study was conducted by researchers at Columbia University in New York, who used information gathered in the Women's Pooling Project (WPP). The WPP includes eight long-term studies, involving over 24,000 women with no history of heart disease. The researchers found that 568 women had died of stroke. These women's cholesterol levels averaged 225, which is higher than the recommended level of 200 or less.
In addition, the younger women who had died of stroke were much more likely to have had high cholesterol levels. African-American women were also at a higher risk of stroke; the risk was more than double for those who had the highest cholesterol levels as compared to those with the lowest levels. This was true even when the researchers accounted for high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and obesity.
The researchers have published their findings in the journal Stroke (volume 33; pages 1863-8; July 2002), and hope that women and their physicians will become more aggressive in identifying and treating high cholesterol. Cholesterol can usually be lowered by making changes in diet and exercise, but there are also drugs available if needed.
Breast Cancer Drugs
For women who are at high risk for developing breast cancer, two drugs may help prevent the disease. However, further research must be conducted to determine long-term effects of the drugs, whether or not the benefits of the drugs outweigh the side effects, and the medical conditions, including diabetes, that rule against using the drugs.
Recently, researchers at University of North Carolina and RTI International conducted a study that indicates that the drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene appear to lower the risk of developing breast cancer in women who are at high risk for the disease. However, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which is an independent panel of experts funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), stated that women who have a low or average risk for breast cancer should not take the drugs.
The study authors reviewed information obtained from four studies, three involving the drug tamoxifen and one involving raloxifene. Tamoxifen is the only drug approved by the FDA for preventing breast cancer in women with high risk of developing the disease. Raloxifene has only been approved for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, although it appears to reduce breast cancer risk as well. The largest tamoxifen study involved 13,000 women in the US, and found that those who took the drug had a 47% reduction in their risk of developing breast cancer.
The side effects associated with the drugs include a risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs, and hot flashes. Tamoxifen also might increase the risk of stroke and endometrial cancer. The FDA has announced that it will add a warning to the label on the drug to make people aware of the risk of developing uterine sarcoma while taking the drug. Women with a history of blood clots, hypertension, or diabetes should not take the drugs, and neither should women who are not at high risk for breast cancer.
The results of the study, as well as the recommendations of the task force, have been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 137; page 162; July 2, 2002).
Foot Scan May Reduce Foot Ulcers
A painful and dangerous complication of diabetes is diabetic foot ulcers, which can even necessitate amputation. A new scanning device may be the answer to preventing this problem.
At the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco (Diabetes; June 15, 2002; vol 51; suppl 2; abstract 75-OR), researchers from Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois reported on their study of people at high risk for foot ulcers. Eighty-five study participants were given therapeutic shoes and insoles, and were educated about foot care. They also saw a podiatrist at least every ten weeks as needed. Half of the participants were also given a FootScan device, which uses an infrared temperature gauge to measure increases in temperature in the foot caused by inflammation.
The participants who used the FootScan measured the temperature of their feet in six spots, two times a day. They recorded this information for six months. When the temperature had risen by four degrees in one of their feet, they were told to contact a nurse and reduce the pressure they placed on the foot.
The researchers found that 16% of the participants who received standard foot care developed ulcers, while only 2.4% of those using the FootScan did. According to the American Diabetes Association, the device will probably be on the market within a year, and will cost around $150.
Full Night's Sleep Needed For Health
Besides decreasing normal mental functioning, a lack of sleep may also affect levels of hormones in the body.
At the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Francisco (June 23, 2002), researchers from Pennsylvania State University in Hershey presented their findings from a study on sleep deprivation. Participants in their study included 25 young healthy men and women who spent 12 consecutive days in a sleep laboratory. For the fist four nights, the participants were allowed to sleep for eight hours. For the rest of the time, they were only allowed to sleep for six hours.
After a week of mild sleep deprivation, the researchers measured the participants' quality of sleep, drowsiness during the day, hormonal activity, and performance on a vigilance test. They found that the participants fell asleep faster and slept more deeply. They were also sleepier in the day and did poorly on the vigilance tests. In addition, both men and women had a 40-60% increase in the inflammatory marker interleukin-6 (IL-6). The male participants also had a 20-30% increase in tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is also an indicator of inflammation.
The researchers are particularly concerned about this increase in chronic, low-level inflammatory response. This has been linked to conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes. These findings emphasize the importance of getting a good night's sleep.
Walking Toward A Good Mood
There have been several studies that indicate that exercise regimens help improve mood as well as health. To add to these studies, researchers from Iowa State University have recently concluded that even a fifteen-minute walk can help people gain energy and feel better.
The study included 20 men and women of the average age of 53. The participants completed questionnaires before, during, and after a 15-minute self-paced treadmill walk. After the walks, the participants generally stated that they had more energy and less tiredness, as well as more pleasurable feelings. They also said they felt calmer after their walk than before they'd started.
The researchers presented their findings at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity Conference in Hunt Valley, Maryland (June 2002). They hope that more people will take up walking to improve their health and mental well-being.
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