Longevity News and Review provides readers with the latest information in breakthroughs pertaining to the extension of the healthy human lifespan. These news summaries are compiled by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M; www.worldhealth.net), a non-profit medical society composed of 20,000 physician and scientist members from 90 nations, united in a mission to advance biomedical technologies to detect, prevent, and treat aging related disease and to promote research into methods to retard and optimize the human aging process. Dr. Ronald Klatz, M.D., D.O., A4M President, and Dr. Robert Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., D.O., FAASP, physician co-founders of the anti-aging medical movement, distill these headlines and provide their insightful commentary.


BACKGROUND TO THE A4M PRINCIPALS

VOLUME 2008 issue 4

Low Testosterone Increases Bone Fracture Risk in Older Men

While osteoporosis, a disease that thins and weakens the bones to the point that they become fragile and break easily, is more common in women than men (80% of those affected are women), men are at-risk for osteoporosis-related fractures as well. In the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study, Christian Meier, from the University of Sydney (Australia), and colleagues followed a group of 609 men for six years, tracking and analyzing testosterone levels in the blood and the incidence of fractures. The team found that men ages 60+ with low levels of testosterone are at increased risk for fractures resulting from osteoporosis. For each standard deviation decrease in testosterone below normal levels, the risk of fracture rose by 28%. For men with particularly low testosterone levels, the risk was twice that seen in other men.
[Meier C, Nguyen TV, Handelsman DJ, Schindler C, Kushnir MM, Rockwood AL, Meikle AW, Center JR, Eisman JA, Seibel MJ. “Endogenous sex hormones and incident fracture risk in older men: the dubbo osteoporosis epidemiology study.” Arch Intern Med. 2008 Jan 14;168(1):47-54.]

Dr. Klatz comments: "In the United States, 10 million people already have osteoporosis. Millions more have low bone mass, or osteopenia, placing them at increased risk for the disease. This study shows that testosterone can be a valuable marker of bone fracture risk in aging men. It provides an option for early detection and monitoring of osteoporosis in a patient group for which the disease is often overlooked.”

Vitamin B-6 Slashes Colorectal Cancer Risk

Globally, 945,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed every year, and the disease is responsible for 492,000 deaths worldwide every year. Evropi Theodoratou, from the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), and colleagues tracked almost 5,000 men and women and found that an increased intake of Vitamin B-6 reduced the risk of colorectal cancer by over 20%.The team also conducted a meta-analysis of previously published studies, finding that other researchers have observed that high Vitamin B-6 intake reduced the risk by 19%. Further, the protective effect was found to be higher among individuals age 55+.
[Theodoratou E, Farrington SM, Tenesa A, McNeill G, Cetnarskyj R, Barnetson RA, Porteous ME, Dunlop MG, Campbell H. “Dietary vitamin b6 intake and the risk of colorectal cancer.” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Jan;17(1):171-82.]

Dr. Goldman observes: "In the United States, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer, yet it is among the most preventable cancers (as poor diet and smoking have been found to be leading contributing factors for the disease). This study shows that Vitamin B-6, consumed either as part of the daily diet or as dietary supplements, can be a powerful weapon in significantly slashing one’s risk of colorectal cancer.”

Trans Fats Increase Risk of Prostate Cancer

Trans fats (trans fatty acids, or TFAs), are common in many processed foods, in the form of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. However, recent scientific studies report that trans fats raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol, promote inflammation, and increase a number of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Jorge Chavarro, from the Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues followed 15,000 men over a 13-year period, tracking the onset of prostate cancer. The team found that the highest blood levels of trans oleic acid and trans linoleic acids were associated with 116% and 97%, respectively, increased risk of non-aggressive prostate tumor risk.
[Chavarro JE, Stampfer MJ, Campos H, Kurth T, Willett WC, Ma J. “A prospective study of trans-Fatty Acid levels in blood and risk of prostate cancer.” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Jan;17(1):95-101.]

Dr. Klatz comments: “This study identifies trans fats as a contributing factor to prostate cancer., the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages. According to the European School of Oncology, over 500,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year worldwide. The incidence of the disease is increasing at a rate of 1.7% over 15 years. The simple choice of avoiding foods with trans fats and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils may be among the key health promoting decisions we make each and every day.”

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