Lighten up, live forever

Will live forever.

Researchers have found that personality traits like being outgoing, optimistic, easygoing, and enjoying laughter, as well as staying engaged in activities, may be part of the longevity genes mix.

"When I started working with centenarians, I thought we'd find that they survived so long in part because they were mean and ornery," said Nir Barzilai, M.D., the Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert Chair of Aging Research, director of Einstein's Institute for Aging Research and co-corresponding author of the study. 

"But when we assessed the personalities of these 243 centenarians, we found qualities that clearly reflect a positive attitude towards life. Most were outgoing, optimistic and easygoing. They considered laughter an important part of life and had a large social network. They expressed emotions openly rather than bottling them up." 

In addition, the centenarians had lower scores for displaying neurotic personality and higher scores for being conscientious compared with a representative sample of the U.S. population.

The scientists wouldn't say it, but I will: jerks will die off more quickly. I've got a list.

Miracles and wonders: think to drink coffee

"While American companies operate in radically different ways than they did 40 years ago, the sheltered, government-dominated sectors of the economy — especially education, health care and the welfare state — operate in astonishingly similar ways," David Brooks writes in The New York Times.

That is the most worrisome thing about Obamacare. In corporate America, command-and-control is dead, having given way to "edge of network," hierarchies are flattening, and knowledge is being sucked in from everywhere, including outside of the company. Companies post technical problems on special websites and researchers around the world bid to solve them.

Against this, we have Washington doing its best to consolidate power and decision-making in its bureaucratic hallways. Paradoxically, this is an era of miracles and wonders -- every day brings some new astounding breakthrough in medicine. These usually mean some more effective and more efficient way to cure something -- which means cheaper.

For example:

Researchers have long tried to get the optic nerve to regenerate when injured, with some success, but no one has been able to demonstrate recovery of vision. A team at Boston Children’s Hospital reports a three-pronged intervention that not only got optic nerve fibers to grow the full length of the visual pathway (from retina to the visual areas of the brain), but also restored some basic elements of vision in live mice.

Tiny, wearable gadgets that monitor and record the data of the body’s weight, heart rate, activity levels and other vital signs can change the game in health care. Sonny Vu, co-founder of the medical-device company AgaMatrix, has already developed the first FDA-approved mobile attachment for Apple’s iPhone that acts as a sensor in detecting glucose levels. Vu believes this is one of the many devices that our bodies will harness to keep us up-to-date on what is going on with our health. Mobile devices are popular and will continue to gain popularity, so it makes sense to integrate it with the healthcare system. People can text, check Facebook and ensure that they have normal blood pressure because everything is readily available like the shirt on their back.

An ultrasensitive biosensor that could allow for early detection of cancer and for personalized medicine tailored to the specific biochemistry of individual patients has been developed by Purdue University researchers. The biosensor combines a mechanical sensor, which identifies a biomolecule based on its mass or size, with an electrical sensor that identifies molecules based on their electrical charge. The sensor makes it possible to detect small quantities of DNA fragments and proteins deformed by cancer long before the disease is visible through imaging or other methods.

A woman who lost the use of her limbs after a devastating stroke nearly 15 years ago has taken a sip of coffee by guiding a robotic arm with her thoughts. The 58-year-old used a brain implant to control the robot and bring a flask of the coffee to her lips, the first time she had picked up anything since she was paralysed and left unable to speak by a catastrophic brain stem stroke. Doctors hailed the feat as the first demonstration of an implant that directly controls a reaching and gripping robotic arm by sensing and decoding the patient's brain signals. Watch it here:

Snoring kills. Good.

Snoring and other types of "sleep disordered breathing," as it is known, can deprive the body of enough oxygen for hours at a time. And scientists now believe having low blood oxygen levels can trigger the development of cancerous tumors, by promoting the growth of the vessels that feed them.

Researchers in the US looked at cancer rates in more than 1,500 people, in a study of sleep problems that has been going for 22 years. They found those with severe sleep disordered breathing (SDB) were 4.8 times more likely to develop cancer than those who had no such problems.

This is good news for two reasons. First, it's nature's way of eliminating annoying people. Second, it introduces yet another acronym for hypochondriacs to call their doctors about. SDB. Sound serious.

Exercise and ADHD

Exercise clears the mind. It gets the blood pumping and more oxygen is delivered to the brain. This is familiar territory, but Dartmouth's David Bucci thinks there is much more going on.

"In the last several years there have been data suggesting that neurobiological changes are happening -- [there are] very brain-specific mechanisms at work here," says Bucci, an associate professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. From his studies, Bucci and his collaborators have revealed important new findings:

• The effects of exercise are different on memory as well as on the brain, depending on whether the exerciser is an adolescent or an adult.

• A gene has been identified which seems to mediate the degree to which exercise has a beneficial effect. This has implications for the potential use of exercise as an intervention for mental illness.

Bucci began his pursuit of the link between exercise and memory with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one of the most common childhood psychological disorders. 

Bucci is concerned that the treatment of choice seems to be medication. "The notion of pumping children full of psycho-stimulants at an early age is troublesome," Bucci cautions. "We frankly don't know the long-term effects of administering drugs at an early age -- drugs that affect the brain -- so looking for alternative therapies is clearly important."

"The implication is that exercising during development, as your brain is growing, is changing the brain in concert with normal developmental changes, resulting in your having more permanent wiring of the brain in support of things like learning and memory," says Bucci. "It seems important to [exercise] early in life." 

When I was in school -- and this was first grade through 12th -- we had physical education for one hour every single day. That's not happening now. What's it like at your school?

I told you there is a God

After years of waffling research on coffee and health, even some fear that java might raise the risk of heart disease, a big study finds the opposite: Coffee drinkers are a little more likely to live longer. Regular or decaf doesn’t matter.

The study of 400,000 people is the largest ever done on the issue, and the results should reassure any coffee lovers who think it’s a guilty pleasure that may do harm.

“Our study suggests that’s really not the case,” said lead researcher Neal Freedman of the National Cancer Institute. “There may actually be a modest benefit of coffee drinking.”

No one knows why. Uh, do you really care?

 Coffee contains a thousand things that can affect health, from helpful antioxidants to tiny amounts of substances linked to cancer. The most widely studied ingredient — caffeine — didn’t play a role in the new study’s results.

It’s not that earlier studies were wrong. 

There is evidence that coffee can raise LDL, or bad cholesterol, and blood pressure at least short-term, and those in turn can raise the risk of heart disease. 

Even in the new study, it first seemed that coffee drinkers were more likely to die at any given time. But they also tended to smoke, drink more alcohol, eat more red meat and exercise less than non-coffee-drinkers. 

Once researchers took those things into account, a clear pattern emerged: Each cup of coffee per day nudged up the chances of living longer.

Next week: why smoking, drinking, red meat and no exercise are good for you.

Second opinions count

"Let's do more tests."

So this doctor told me the other day that I'm dying. I said, "I'd like a second opinion."

"Okay," he said. "You're ugly, too."

That's an old joke, but I'm an old guy.

I've gotten second opinions on lots of things over the years. I've even gotten third opinions. Here's some advice from Johns Hopkins Medicine:

When faced with a serious medical condition like prostate cancer, many men seek a second opinion to confirm their diagnosis or clarify treatment options. Yet others dread getting a second opinion for fear of offending their doctor. But that's rarely the case: Doctors are accustomed to having their patients consult another doctor to get a second point of view, and some doctors may recommend it.

What's more, you may not have a choice in the matter. Your insurance company may require a second opinion for certain therapies and procedures, particularly if your treatment is expensive. Even so, do check with your insurance company before getting a second opinion to make sure the visit is covered.

When doctors disagree: What studies show

Medical research strongly supports the value of second opinions. For example, after reviewing slides of tissue obtained from breast cancer patients, pathologists at Northwestern University had major disagreements with the initial diagnoses -- almost all made at community hospitals -- that altered the surgical procedure in 8 percent of patients. 

The second opinion also changed the prognosis in 40 percent of cases. At the request of patients, Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia offered second opinions for 100 patients undergoing eye surgery. The reviewers disagreed with the initial diagnoses or management in 15 percent of cases, a finding that further underscores the importance of second opinions for surgeries, in particular.

Finding a second doctor

It's easiest to ask your primary care physician for a referral. Or, if you prefer, call the local medical society or a nearby medical center or medical school for the names of specialists. You can check credentials in the Official American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists, available at most libraries or online at www.abms.org.

Referrals from friends, family or support networks may also be worthwhile. But always check credentials. Some departments at Johns Hopkins provide second opinions remotely for patients unable to travel to the Baltimore area. For details, visit www.hopkins medicine.org/second_opinion or call 1-855-695-4872.

Getting medical records

Your physician should send your relevant medical records, including x-rays and blood tests. Because of strict privacy laws on personal medical records, you'll have to sign a release. The process can get tricky, as test results and other medical information may come from unaffiliated offices. Poor management of medical records is unfortunately a common problem for patients, hospitals and doctors.

Now it's the "portolio" diet

A study has found that a vegetarian diet emphasizing a “portfolio” of cholesterol-lowering foods did a better job of reducing low-density lipoprotein — the so-called “bad” cholesterol — than a low-saturated-fat vegetarian diet. 

All participants in the study followed a heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Those in the portfolio group were told to emphasize four specific types of cholesterol-lowering foods in their diets — soluble fiber, nuts, soy protein, and margarines enriched with plant sterols — while those in the low-saturated fat group were told to avoid these foods.

For someone eating 2,000 calories per day, a portfolio diet would aim to provide the following amounts of these cholesterol-lowering foods:

• Soluble fiber: 18 grams per day of fiber from foods such as oatmeal, oat bran, barley, peas, beans, lentils, psyllium, and vegetables such as okra and eggplant
• Nuts: one ounce, or about one handful, per day
• Soy protein: 42.8 grams per day from soy-based foods such as soy milk, tofu, and soy meat substitutes (four ounces of tofu contains 9.4 grams of soy protein; eight ounces of regular soy milk contains six grams of soy protein)
• Plant-sterol-enriched margarine: 1.8 grams per day (1 to 2 tablespoons, depending on the product)

Here is a representative diet followed by participants in the portfolio group:

Breakfast: Hot oat bran cereal, soy beverage, strawberries, sugar, psyllium, oat bran bread, plant-sterol-enriched margarine, jam
Snack: Almonds, soy beverage, fresh fruit
Lunch: Black bean soup, sandwich made from soy deli slices, oat bran bread, plant-sterol-enriched margarine, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber
Snack: Almonds, psyllium, fresh fruit
Dinner: Tofu (baked with eggplant, onions, and sweet peppers), pearled barley, vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)
Snack: Fresh fruit, psyllium, soy beverage

Researchers at the University of Toronto enrolled 351 women and men with hyperlipidemia (high levels of fats in the blood), including an LDL level that averaged 171 milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL. (Optimal LDL is less than 100 mg/dL). 

All were instructed to follow weight-maintaining, largely vegetarian diets. Some were assigned to incorporate a “portfolio” of cholesterol-lowering foods into their diet. These foods included soluble fibers such as oatmeal, barley, psyllium-enriched cereals, okra, and eggplant; nuts; soy protein (soy milk, tofu, and soy meat substitutes); and margarines enriched with plant sterols. The control group was advised to focus on eating low-fat dairy, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and to avoid the portfolio foods.

After six months, LDL levels dropped an average of 13% to 14% in the portfolio group, compared with 3% — a nonsignificant drop, meaning it could have been due to chance — in the group eating the low-saturated-fat diet. The portfolio group also had an 11% reduction in their calculated 10-year risk of having a heart attack (based on the Framingham Heart Study risk assessment tool). On the other hand, the control group had a nonsignificant 0.5% drop in calculated risk. 

Results showed that a diet high in cholesterol-lowering foods can lower LDL levels even in people who are already following a heart-healthy diet. But this brief study doesn’t tell us whether this results in fewer heart attacks or other cardiovascular events down the road. Also, the study did not determine the LDL-lowering impact of the individual portfolio foods, though the combination may be important, because each lowers cholesterol in different ways. Nonetheless, the findings offer evidence of the value of adding cholesterol-lowering foods to your diet.

I just bought two bags of pine bark mulch for the garden, but I think I'll sprinkle some sugar and milk on it and eat it instead. 

Cancers we can prevent

The HPV virus in a pap smear.

One in every six cancer deaths worldwide is caused by preventable infections, a total of 1.5 million deaths yearly that could be halted by widespread vaccination programs, researchers report. 

Since 1990, that number has grown by about half a million, suggesting that vaccination programs are losing ground in the battle rather than gaining it. The vast majority of the cases are caused by three viruses and a bacterium, which are the leading causes of gastric, liver and cervical cancers. Cervical cancers account for about half of the infection-related cancers in women, while liver and gastric cancers account for about 80% of those in men.

Cervical cancers are caused primarily by the human papilloma virus (HPV), as are anal and penile tumors. Stomach cancers are caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. The hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses cause liver cancer. All such infections are readily preventable by vaccination. Other less common agents include the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes nasopharynx tumors and Hodgkin's lymphoma; human herpes virus type 8, which causes Kaposi's sarcoma, usually in conjunction with HIV; and the parasite Schistosoma haematobium, which causes bladder cancer.

The researchers reported that the worldwide average of cancers caused by infectious agents was 16.5%, with about three times more (22.9%) occurring in developing countries than in developed countries (7.4%). Rates varied widely between regions, ranging from a low of 3.3% in Australia and New Zealand to a high of 32.7% in sub-Saharan Africa. About 4% of cancers were caused by infectious agents in North America and 7% in Europe.

(Thanks, Jack Marler)

Miracles and wonders: video games, seeing again

Brain cells.

Here is the real future in our health care:

The tantalising prospect of treating a range of brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, all with the same drug, has been raised by UK researchers. They prevented brain cells dying in mice with prion disease. It is hoped the same method for preventing brain cell death could apply in other diseases. Many neuro-degenerative diseases result in the build-up of proteins which are not put together correctly - known as misfolded proteins. This happens in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's as well as in prion diseases, such as the human form of mad cow disease.

A video game developed at UCLA allows non-professional volunteers to accurately diagnose the presence of malaria in patients' red blood cells, aiding medical professionals in this time consuming process. Players are presented with a six-by-eight grid of neutral and infected cells representing a patient's biopsy, the object of the game being to neutralize the infected cells while preserving all the remaining healthy ones. Having gamers diagnose malaria not only saves time but researchers behind the new game say it improves the accuracy of results in the developing world where diagnosis tools are not always in plentiful supply.

Nanotechnology, which allows anti-cancer drugs to target specific tumor cells, has shown early success in human trials. In tests conducted by Bind Biosciences in Cambridge, MA, "multiple lung metastases shrank or even disappeared after one patient received only two-hour-long intravenous infusions of an experimental cancer drug. Another patient saw her cervical tumor reduce by nearly 60 percent after six months of treatment." The technology works by packing drugs inside nano-sized spherical structures which are made of polymers to protect the drug and shield it from the body's immune system.

Two previously blind British men have regained some vision after being fitted with a retinal implant developed by two opticians at the Oxford Eye Hospital and King's College Hospital in London. The two men suffered from a previously inoperable condition in which photoreceptor cells at the back of the eye gradually cease to function. The opticians developed a "wafer-thin, 3mm square microchip with 1,500 light-sensitive pixels that take over the function of the failed photoreceptor rods and cones." When light enters the eye, the chip sends a signal to the optic nerve and from there to the brain. "The end result is the perception of light."

Three studies published this week show that introducing new cells into mice can replace diseased cells — whether hair, eye or heart — and help to restore the normal function of those cells. These proof-of-principle studies now have researchers setting their sights on clinical trials to see if the procedures could work in humans. “You can grow cells in a Petri dish, but that’s not regenerative medicine,” says Robin Ali, a geneticist at University College London, who led the eye study. “You have to think about the biology of repair in a living system.”

I need you to listen to me

Talking about ourselves—whether in a personal conversation or through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter—triggers the same sensation of pleasure in the brain as food or money, researchers say.

About 40% of everyday speech is devoted to telling others about what we feel or think. Now, through five brain imaging and behavioral experiments, Harvard University neuroscientists have uncovered the reason: It feels so rewarding, at the level of brain cells and synapses, that we can't help sharing our thoughts.

"Self-disclosure is extra rewarding," said Harvard neuroscientist Diana Tamir, who conducted the experiments with Harvard colleague Jason Mitchell. Their findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "People were even willing to forgo money in order to talk about themselves," Ms. Tamir said.

I'm sure you'd give up money to hear about me, too. What a special treat for you. Here's a picture of a brain scan.

Bragging gives the same sensation of pleasure as food and money. The same areas of the brain are activated, scans show. If you had yellow arrows sticking in your head, you'd probably be talking a lot, too.

I don't know whose brain that is, but I know my head feels like that when I'm trying to think about stuff.

Don't mess with my chi

About to remove your skull.

I was looking for a place to resume my study of aikido, and I was not having much luck. Then I came across a martial arts school not far from me that teaches tai chi, including the "fast" version used for self-defense.

I'd always considered aikido to be the most "spiritual" of the martial arts. Vigorous training of the body also trains the mind and informs the spirit.

I'm thinking now, however, that tai chi may fill the bill. Tai chi ch'uan is Chinese for "supreme ultimate fist." Whoa, dude. That's pretty spiritual.

At any rate, I actually showed up for a class, which is 99 percent of the game for an introvert like me. The teacher is a guy named Rich, a pleasant, unassuming young man. These guys who hang around martial arts dojos are usually pleasant and unassuming, knowing that they can, while you sneeze, remove your skull and affix it to your sacrum, and you won't even notice until you get in your car and the seat belt starts rubbing on your ear.

So we're on the mat, four of us and Rich. A guy named Chris with a motorcycle jacket to kill for -- except for the part about him rearranging your skull -- is off by himself whupping up on an invisible opponent. I'm in my corner trying the first three moves and trying not to fall over and trying to act real cool when I start to fall over.

A couple of the students showed up with tai chi swords. Dude!

Most people are aware of the very slow, graceful forms of tai chi, but each has a self-defense meaning -- if you don't fall over. The slow form also has the health benefits that result from relaxation and meditation.

Researchers have found that intensive t'ai chi practice shows some favorable effects on the promotion of balance control, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and has shown to reduce the risk of falls in both healthy elderly patients, and those recovering from chronic stroke, heart failure, high blood pressure, heart attacks, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and fibromyalgia. T'ai chi's gentle, low impact movements burn more calories than surfing and nearly as many as downhill skiing. 

T'ai chi, along with yoga, has reduced levels of LDLs 20–26 milligrams when practiced for 12–14 weeks. A thorough review of most of these studies showed limitations or biases that made it difficult to draw firm conclusions on the benefits of t'ai chi. A later study led by the same researchers conducting the review found that t'ai chi (compared to regular stretching) showed the ability to greatly reduce pain and improve overall physical and mental health in people over 60 with severe osteoarthritis of the knee.  

In addition, a pilot study, which has not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, has found preliminary evidence that t'ai chi and related qigong may reduce the severity of diabetes. In a randomized trial of 66 patients with fibromyalgia, the t'ai chi intervention group did significantly better in terms of pain, fatigue, sleeplessness and depression than a comparable group given stretching exercises and wellness education.

Read a lot more here on the health benefits. And don't mess with my chi -- I may fall over on you.

Run around, live forever

Will live forever.

Jogging regularly could add about six years to your life, a new Danish study suggests.

"We can say with certainty that regular jogging increases longevity," Peter Schnohr, chief cardiologist of the long-term Copenhagen City Heart Study, said. "The good news is that you don't actually need to do that much to reap the benefits."

The researchers found that male joggers can extend their life by 6.2 years, and women by 5.6 years.

Jogging at a slow pace for one to two and a half hours weekly provided the most significant benefits. "You should aim to feel a little breathless, but not very breathless," said Schnohr. "The relationship appears much like alcohol intakes. Mortality is lower in people reporting moderate jogging, than in non-joggers or those undertaking extreme levels of exercise."

I'm gonna get started tomorrow.

(Thanks, Jim)

Healing, the ultimate natural wonder

Dr. Ornish is widely known for his lifestyle-driven approach to the control of coronary artery disease (CAD) and other chronic diseases. Beginning in 1977, he directed a series of clinical research studies proving, for the first time, that comprehensive lifestyle changes could not only stop the progression of CAD, but could actually reverse it. These lifestyle changes included a whole foods, plant-based diet, smoking cessation, moderate exercise, stress management techniques including yoga and meditation, and psychosocial support.

I encourage you to hear him out.