In The News This Week … Mar 30–Apr 5, 2008: Heart Health, Cancer, Autism, & Universal Healthcare

Heart Attack Risk News

Five studies were presented this week at the American College of Cardiology's 57th Annual Scientific Session. In one, researchers reported that patients with coronary artery disease who reduced their anxiety levels or kept them steady were up to 60% less likely to have a heart attack or die compared to those who had an increased anxiety level. A second found that young heart attack victims (i.e., those <35 years) who continue to smoke are three times more likely to have future heart problems (e.g., cardiac death, a repeat heart attack, revascularization due to clinical deterioration) than those who quit – the increased risk was independent of treatment, other CV risk factors, and even function of the left ventricle. A third study reported that the anniversary of the death of a close family member, particularly a parent, is a strong trigger for sudden death, especially in men. The fourth study reported that while men are at greater risk for cardiovascular problems than women, the difference disappears when victims are morbidly obese. The final study said that individuals with heart failure have lower immune responses to flu vaccines when compared to healthy individuals of similar age.

Diabetes & Heart Attack Risk

A paper published online on March 31 in Circulation has found that diabetics aged 30 or older who required glucose-lowering therapy, exhibited a cardiovascular risk comparable to non-diabetics with a prior MI, regardless of sex and diabetes type.

Future Tactic for Chemo?

A special feature published online on March 31 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that a few days of fasting may be a way to help patients tolerate chemo better. In tests on mice, one group was fasted for 48 hours and another group was fed normally, then both were given a high dose of chemo. The high dose of chemo killed 43% of the mice that had been fed normally, but only one of the mice that had fasted. The mice that had not eaten regained their lost weight within four days. Test tube experiments using human cells confirmed the differential resistance of normal and cancer cells to chemotherapy after a short period of starvation. As explained in a March 31 press release from the University of Southern California, "(S)tarved cells go into what Longo [the lead researcher] calls a maintenance mode characterized by extreme resistance to stresses. In essence, the cells are waiting out the lean period, much like hibernating animals. But tumors by definition disobey orders to stop growing because the same genetic pathways are stuck in an 'on' mode." The lab is preparing to test the strategy in humans, and in the meantime, researchers warn that fasting before chemotherapy has unknown risks and benefits for humans, so people should not try this themselves.

Genes & Lung Cancer

Three studies, two in Nature and one in Nature Genetics, which were published online between April 2 and 3, have found genetic variations that increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers and former smokers. By studying the DNA of more than 60,000 people, researchers found a genetic variant on chromosome 15 that can boost a person's chances of developing lung cancer – if they have one copy of the variant, the chances increase by about 30% and if they have two copies, chances increase by about 80%. The research suggested that about half of the general population has one copy. The studies are: A variant associated with nicotine dependence, lung cancer and peripheral arterial disease, A susceptibility locus for lung cancer maps to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit genes on 15q25, and Genome-wide association scan of tag SNPs identifies a susceptibility locus for lung cancer at 15q25.1.

Preemies & Autism Risk?

A paper published in the April issue of Pediatrics, which looked at a group of 91 preterm infants (≤1500g), has found that 26% had a positive result on the autism screening tool. The authors concluded: "Early autistic behaviors seem to be an under-recognized feature of very low birth weight infants. The results from this study suggest that early screening for signs of autism may be warranted in this high-risk population followed by definitive autism testing in those with positive screening results."

Doctors & Universal Healthcare for Americans

An article entitled "Support for National Health Insurance among U.S. Physicians: 5 Years Later," which was published in the April 1 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine reports that of more than 2,000 doctors surveyed, 59% said they support legislation to establish a national health insurance program, while 32% said they opposed it. The last survey, in 2002, found that 49% were in favor and 40% opposed.

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