"Fat is our friend! But the type of fat you eat matters!"

What the Heck Do I Eat to Stay Healthy? Advice Straight From the Doctor

"Fat is our friend! But the type of fat you eat matters! Almost everyone I know — doctors and patients and eaters alike — are all confused about fat and still hold on to myths and misinformation that prevents them from taking advantage of the latest science to lose weight and get healthy. You're likely familiar with many of them: fat makes us fat, contributes to heart disease, leads to diabesity; saturated fat is bad; vegetable oils are good . . . I could go on, but I think you know what I'm talking about. None of these beliefs about fat are true. The right fats can help you become lean, healthy, and vibrant. These are foods like wild fatty fish, nuts and seeds, olive oil, avocados, olives, and grass-fed meat."

"The most concerning problem with 'fat taxes' and 'thin subsidies' are the regressive effects that arise because of dietary patterns that exist before the regulation is enacted."

Can We Nudge, Instead Of Regulate, Our Way Out Of Obesity?

"In the case of obesity, the costs are not completely internalized by an individual because taxpayers fund almost two-thirds of medical costs. The spillover effect associated with obesity increases with government spending on healthcare, and outlays for health programs as a percentage of GDP is at an all-time high of 6.6%.

The economist’s classic response to these concerning numbers are taxes and subsidies. Unfortunately, the traditional approaches appear to fall short in successfully addressing obesity. The most concerning problem with “fat taxes” and “thin subsidies” are the regressive effects that arise because of dietary patterns that exist before the regulation is enacted. People with lower income tend to eat a less healthy diet, and therefore fat taxes increase the prices paid by low income households and decrease the prices paid by high income households. Thus, the subset of the population who can least afford to bear the burden of regulation from fat taxes are forced to unduly absorb more of the cost while collecting less of the benefit."

Roughly Half of Obese Patients Who Have Bariatric Surgery Are Off Type 2 Diabetes Meds at 6 Years

Stopping medication after surgery depends on the patient’s diabetes, but nearly all benefit from a cardiometabolic reset, one expert says.

Still, investigators warn that morbid obesity “remains a chronic disease even after bariatric surgery because 50.1% of patients with preexisting antidiabetes treatment remained on treatment 6 years after surgery.” The present study highlights the need for “careful lifelong follow-up to monitor obesity complications.

I am a candidate for the College of American Pathologists President Elect, 2019 - 2021 term. My vision is here.

I am a candidate for the College of American Pathologists President Elect, 2019 - 2021 term.   My vision is here: https://sites.google.com/site/timothycraigallenmdjd/home 

Pathologists, non-pathology colleagues, patients and families, policymakers, and payers, please share with me your thoughts and concerns regarding opportunities, challenges, successes, failures, strengths, and weaknesses in pathology and laboratory medicine.

Best,

Tim

Clean eating

'Clean eating' has become such a sham that fast food chains are pushing it

None of the aggressive, judgmental pitches of the movement have ever been proven. The power of its association with the economic elite has, though.

"For instance, you can’t walk into Chipotle and miss their signs declaring that nothing on the premises is produced with GMOs. But even if we leave aside the truthiness of the assertion, who cares? The argument against GMOs has been as thoroughly debunkedas the anti-vaxxer mantra that vaccination causes autism. (It certainly is no antidote for E. coli.)"

"The researchers believe that noise pollution causes a surge in stress hormones, which appear to have harmful effects on the arteries in the heart and the rest of the body."

Everyday noises may cause increased risk of heart disease, experts say

"The researchers believe that noise pollution causes a surge in stress hormones, which appear to have harmful effects on the arteries in the heart and the rest of the body. While this new research cannot prove that noise causes heart disease, it does provide convincing evidence that stress, especially when it is generated by noise, is linked to big consequences for our health."

Obesity may make ignoring ‘food cues’ even harder

"When obesity-prone rats learned to recognize a certain sound as the cue for food availability, a key receptor appeared more frequently on the surface of certain cells in the reward center. But similar changes in this receptor were not seen in obesity-resistant rats.

What’s more, when researchers used a drug to block the receptors, called CP-AMPA receptors or CP-AMPARs, the food cue no longer triggered the obesity-prone rats to seek out food—even though they still showed signs that they recognized the cue.

It was as if they had switched from eagerly trying to trace the smell of pizza and go find its source to smelling it and not even getting up to find it.

Although a drug that could do the same for humans isn’t yet available, the researchers hope their work will help form the basis for new understanding of human obesity’s roots in our genes, learned behaviors and the brain."

Aging Dis. 2018 Feb 1;9(1):119-132. doi: 10.14336/AD.2017.0202. eCollection 2018 Feb.

Role of Dietary Protein and Muscular Fitness on Longevity and Aging.

Strasser B1, Volaklis K2, Fuchs D3, Burtscher M4.

Author information

1

1Division of Medical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria.

2

2Department of Prevention and Sports Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany.

3

3Division of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria.

4

4Department of Sport Science, Medical Section, University Innsbruck, Austria.

Abstract

Muscle atrophy is an unfortunate effect of aging and many diseases and can compromise physical function and impair vital metabolic processes. Low levels of muscular fitness together with insufficient dietary intake are major risk factors for illness and mortality from all causes. Ultimately, muscle wasting contributes significantly to weakness, disability, increased hospitalization, immobility, and loss of independence. However, the extent of muscle wasting differs greatly between individuals due to differences in the aging process per se as well as physical activity levels. Interventions for sarcopenia include exercise and nutrition because both have a positive impact on protein anabolism but also enhance other aspects that contribute to well-being in sarcopenic older adults, such as physical function, quality of life, and anti-inflammatory state. The process of aging is accompanied by chronic immune activation, and sarcopenia may represent a consequence of a counter-regulatory strategy of the immune system. Thereby, the kynurenine pathway is induced, and elevation in the ratio of kynurenine to tryptophan concentrations, which estimates the tryptophan breakdown rate, is often linked with inflammatory conditions and neuropsychiatric symptoms. A combined exercise program consisting of both resistance-type and endurance-type exercise may best help to ameliorate the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, to prevent muscle aging comorbidities, and to improve physical performance and quality of life. In addition, the use of dietary protein supplementation can further augment protein anabolism but can also contribute to a more active lifestyle, thereby supporting well-being and active aging in the older population.

Dis Markers. 2017;2017:2536187. doi: 10.1155/2017/2536187. Epub 2017 Dec 13.

SFRP Tumour Suppressor Genes Are Potential Plasma-Based Epigenetic Biomarkers for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Cheng YY1, Mok E1, Tan S2, Leygo C1, McLaughlin C2, George AM2, Reid G1.

Author information

1

Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

2

School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Abstract

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is associated with asbestos exposure. Asbestos can induce chronic inflammation which in turn can lead to silencing of tumour suppressor genes. Wnt signaling pathway can be affected by chronic inflammation and is aberrantly activated in many cancers including colon and MPM. SFRP genes are antagonists of Wnt pathway, and SFRPs are potential tumour suppressors in colon, gastric, breast, ovarian, and lung cancers and mesothelioma. This study investigated the expression and DNA methylation of SFRPgenes in MPM cells lines with and without demethylation treatment. Sixty-six patient FFPE samples were analysed and have showed methylation of SFRP2 (56%) and SFRP5 (70%) in MPM. SFRP2 and SFRP5 tumour-suppressive activity in eleven MPM lines was confirmed, and long-term asbestos exposure led to reduced expression of the SFRP1 and SFRP2 genes in the mesothelium (MeT-5A) via epigenetic alterations. Finally, DNA methylation of SFRPs is detectable in MPM patient plasma samples, with methylated SFRP2 and SFRP5showing a tendency towards greater abundance in patients. These data suggested that SFRP genes have tumour-suppresive activity in MPM and that methylated DNA from SFRP gene promoters has the potential to serve as a biomarker for MPM patient plasma.

Staggering: "Around 20 per cent of the population is thought to have NAFLD, while five per cent have developed advanced stages of the condition."

'It's a ticking timebomb': NHS set for liver disease crisis

LIVER disease caused by obesity and poor lifestyle is a “ticking timebomb” for the NHS, experts say. Around three million Britons are believed to have dangerous levels of fat building up around their livers which could lead to organ breakdown and the need for transplants.

"Around 20 per cent of the population is thought to have NAFLD, while five per cent have developed advanced stages of the condition."

Breast Imaging of Transgender Individuals

Curr Radiol Rep. 2018;6(1):1. doi: 10.1007/s40134-018-0260-1. Epub 2018 Jan 18.

Breast Imaging of Transgender Individuals: A Review.

Sonnenblick EB1, Shah AD1, Goldstein Z2, Reisman T3.

Author information

1

1Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, One Gustav Levy Place, New York, NY 10029 USA.

2

2Department of Medicine, Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at Mt. Sinai , 275 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10011 USA.

3

3Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, 275 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10011 USA.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

This review will inform radiologists about the evidence base regarding radiographic imaging for transgender individuals and considerations for providing culturally sensitive care for this population.

FINDINGS:

Transgender individuals are increasingly referred for both screening and diagnostic breast imaging. It is important that the clinic environment is welcoming, the medical staff utilize accepted terminology and patients are able to designate their gender and personal history to ensure appropriate care. Hormone and surgical treatments used for transition by many transgender women and men may change the approach to imaging.

SUMMARY:

Although not yet evidence-based, screening mammography is currently suggested for transgender women with risk factors, including those receiving hormone treatment over 5 years. The risk for breast cancer in transgender individuals is still being defined.

"the bus for the 1970's leaves in 30 minutes. Please have your boarding passes ready."

"the bus for the 1970's leaves in 30 minutes. Please have your boarding passes ready."