JAMA news releases are made available to the public after 3 pm US Central time on the first 4 Tuesdays of each month. the Archives of Journals news releases are made available to the public after 3 pm Central time on Mondays. We also provide a list of previous news releases.
THIS WEEK'S CONTENTS
ARCHIVES OF INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWS RELEASES
(Embargoed Until: 3 P.M. (CT), Monday, May 14, 2007)
CALCIUM PLUS VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTS MAY HELP PREVENT WEIGHT GAIN IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
GRAIN FIBER AND MAGNESIUM INTAKE ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER RISK FOR DIABETES
ARCHIVES OF NEUROLOGY NEWS RELEASES
(Embargoed Until: 3 P.M. (CT), Monday, May 14, 2007)
TESTOSTERONE MAY HELP MEN WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
SPECIAL ONLINE PUBLICATION — COENZYME Q10 DOES NOT IMPROVE PARKINSON’S DISEASE SYMPTOMS
ARCHIVES OF OPHTHALMOLOGY NEWS RELEASES
(Embargoed Until: 3 P.M. (CT), Monday, May 14, 2007)
HIGHER INTAKE OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS AND FISH, AND HIGHER VITAMIN D LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER RISK OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DISEASE
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, May 14, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact Bette Caan, Dr.P.H., call Jeff Hausman at 916-614-4506.
CALCIUM PLUS VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTS MAY HELP PREVENT WEIGHT GAIN IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
CHICAGO—Postmenopausal women who take calcium and vitamin D supplements may gain less weight than those who do not, although the overall effect is small, according to a report in the May 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The benefit is greater in those who had not previously been getting the daily recommended amount of calcium.
“Because weight loss or prevention of weight gain is likely to have significant health benefits for middle-aged women, early to middle menopause may be a critical period of life in which to slow the trajectory of weight gain,” the authors note as background information in the article. Some evidence suggests that calcium and vitamin D may play a role in effective weight management. These nutrients may stimulate the breakdown of fat cells and suppress the development of new ones.
Bette Caan, Dr.P.H., of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, and colleagues studied 36,282 postmenopausal women age 50 to 79 who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative clinical trial. The women were randomly assigned to receive a dose of 1,000 milligrams of calcium plus 400 international units of vitamin D (18,176 women) or placebo (18,106 women) daily. They were weighed each year for approximately seven years.
At the beginning of the study, 39.63 percent of the women met current recommended daily intake of 1,200 milligrams of calcium, 53.94 percent reported taking any calcium supplements and 28.95 percent reported taking supplements of 500 milligrams of calcium or more. At the end of the study, women who took the supplements weighed an average of 0.28 pounds less than those who did not. Among women who were getting less than the recommended amount of calcium daily before the study, those who took the supplements weighed an average of 0.42 pounds less than those who did not.
After three years, when compared to women taking placebo, women taking the calcium and vitamin D supplements had a lower risk of gaining weight in both small amounts (2.2 to 6.6 pounds) and moderate amounts (more than 6.6 pounds) and had a higher likelihood of maintaining a stable weight (within 2.2 pounds of starting weight) or losing weight (more than 2.2 pounds).
“Prevention of weight gain is an important public health goal, and caloric restriction and daily physical activity should still be considered the basic tenets of weight management,” the authors conclude. “Further research should be undertaken to address the effect of calcium supplementation combined with caloric restriction and physical activity on weight gain prevention.”
(Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:893-902. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: This study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Department of Health and Human Services. Many clinical centers received assistance from the General Clinical Research Center program of the National Center for Research Resources. The active study drug and placebo were supplied by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, May 14, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact Matthias B. Schulze, Dr.P.H., e-mail: mschulze{at}dife.de.
GRAIN FIBER AND MAGNESIUM INTAKE ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER RISK FOR DIABETES
CHICAGO—Higher dietary intake of fiber from grains and cereals and of magnesium may each be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a report and meta-analysis in the May 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Projections indicate that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes worldwide may increase from 171 million in 2000 to 370 million by 2030, according to background information in the article. The associated illness, death and health care costs emphasize the need for effective prevention, the authors write. Fiber may help reduce the risk of diabetes by increasing the amount of nutrients absorbed by the body and reducing blood sugar spikes after eating, among other mechanisms. Current American Diabetes Association guidelines include goals for total fiber intake, but research suggests that some types of fiber may be more beneficial than others. Findings regarding magnesium and diabetes risk remain unclear.
Matthias B. Schulze, Dr.P.H., and colleagues at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, conducted a study of 9,702 men and 15,365 women age 35 to 65 years. Participants completed a food questionnaire when they enrolled in the study between 1994 and 1998, then were followed up through 2005—an average of seven years—to see if they developed diabetes. In addition, the researchers performed a meta-analysis of previously published work related to intake of fiber or magnesium and risk of diabetes.
During the follow-up period, 844 individuals in the study developed type 2 diabetes. Those who consumed more fiber through cereal, bread and other grain products (cereal fiber) were less likely to develop diabetes than those who ate less fiber. When the participants were split into five groups based on cereal fiber intake, those who ate the most (an average of 17 grams per day) had a 27 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those in the group that ate the least (an average of 7 grams per day). Eating more fiber overall or from fruits and vegetables was not associated with diabetes risk, nor was magnesium intake.
In the meta-analysis, the researchers identified nine studies of fiber and eight studies of magnesium intake. Based on the results of all the studies, in which participants were classified into either four or five groups according to their intake of fiber or magnesium, those who consumed the most cereal fiber had a 33 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who took in the least, while those who consumed the most magnesium had a 23 percent lower risk than those who consumed the least. There was no association between fruit or vegetable fiber and diabetes risk.
“In conclusion, the evidence from our study and previous studies, summarized by means of meta-analysis, strongly supports that higher cereal fiber and magnesium intake may decrease diabetes risk,” the authors conclude. “Whole-grain foods are therefore important in diabetes prevention.”
(Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:956-965. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org).
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, May 14, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Rhonda R. Voskuhl, M.D., call Mark Wheeler at (310) 794-2265.
TESTOSTERONE MAY HELP MEN WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
CHICAGO—A small pilot study suggests that testosterone treatment is safe, well tolerated and may reduce symptoms, slow brain degeneration and increase muscle mass in men with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, the most common form of the disease, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disease involving the immune and central nervous systems. MS and many other autoimmune diseases (in which the body attacks its own systems or tissues) are less common in men than in women, according to background information in the article. This is especially true during reproductive years. Sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen, may be responsible for the difference. Testosterone has been shown to protect against an MS–like condition and other autoimmune diseases in animals.
Nancy L. Sicotte, M.D., of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a study of testosterone treatment in 10 men with relapsing-remitting MS, characterized by periods of neurologic symptoms (such as numbness or difficulty walking) followed by periods of remission. The men, who had an average age of 46, were enrolled in the study and then entered a six-month pre-treatment phase, during which symptoms were monitored but no therapies were administered. Then, each man applied 10 grams of a gel containing 100 milligrams of testosterone to his upper arms once daily for 12 months.
“One year of treatment with testosterone gel was associated with improvement in cognitive performance and a slowing of brain atrophy [deterioration],” the authors write. During the first nine months of the study—the period of time before the men began taking testosterone, plus the first three months of treatment, before it had time to take effect—brain volume decreased an average of -0.81 percent per year. In the second nine months, this decline slowed by 67 percent to an annual rate of -0.25 percent. “Because the protective effect of testosterone treatment on brain atrophy was observed in the absence of an appreciable anti-inflammatory effect, this protection may not be limited to MS, but may be applicable to those with non-inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases,” including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease, the authors write.
In addition, lean body mass (muscle mass) increased an average of 1.7 kilograms (about 3.74 pounds) during the treatment phase. Participants did not report any adverse effects, there were no abnormalities in blood tests taken during the trial and the men’s prostate examination results remained stable.
“Overall, in this first trial of testosterone treatment in men with relapsing-remitting MS, the treatment was shown to be safe and well tolerated,” the authors conclude. “In addition, exploratory findings reported herein suggest a possible neuroprotective effect of testosterone treatment in men, which warrants further investigation.”
(Arch Neurol. 2007;64:683-688. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org).
Editor's Note: This study was supported by grants from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the General Clinical Research Centers at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, the Sherak Family Foundation and the Skirball Foundation. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, May 14, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact Alexander Storch, M.D., e-mail: Alexander.Storch{at}neuro.med.tu-dresden.de.
COENZYME Q10 DOES NOT IMPROVE PARKINSON’S DISEASE SYMPTOMS
CHICAGO—Small doses of the antioxidant coenzyme Q10 appear to increase blood levels of this naturally occurring compound in patients with Parkinson’s disease, but does not improve Parkinson’s disease symptoms, according to an article posted online today that will appear in the July 2007 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremors and difficulty with walking or other movements. The biological mechanisms underlying the condition are not fully understood, but researchers suspect a malfunction of the mitochondria, parts of the cells that help convert food to energy, according to background information in the article. Coenzyme (CoQ10), an antioxidant sold as a dietary supplement, is also involved in mitochondrial processes. “Because of these functions, CoQ10 has attracted attention concerning neuroprotective actions in neurodegenerative disorders linked to mitochondrial defects or oxidative [oxygen-related] stress, such as Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” the authors write. Previous studies indicate that high doses of CoQ10 (1,200 milligrams) may slow the deterioration associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Alexander Storch, M.D., of the Technical University of Dresden, Germany, and colleagues conducted a randomized clinical trial of a 300-milligram dose of CoQ10 in 131 patients with Parkinson’s disease who did not have changes in motor functions and were on stable treatment for their condition. Those assigned to the treatment group took 100 milligrams of CoQ10 three times daily for three months, followed by a two-month “washout” period. The researchers assessed Parkinson’s disease symptoms before treatment began, each month during treatment and again after the washout period. Blood tests were performed at the beginning of the study, after three months of treatment and after the washout period.
A total of 106 patients completed the full three months of the study—55 in the CoQ10 group and 51 in the placebo group. The compound was well tolerated overall, and the percentage of patients who experienced adverse effects—including viral infection, diarrhea and hearing loss—did not differ between the two groups. Blood levels of CoQ10 increased in the treatment group from an average of 0.99 milligrams per liter to an average of 4.46 milligrams per liter after three months.
“Although we demonstrated a significant increase in plasma levels of CoQ10 toward levels observed with high doses of standard CoQ10 formulations in Parkinson’s disease and other disorders, our study failed to show improvement of Parkinson’s disease symptoms and did not meet its primary or secondary end points,” which were changes on scales that measured Parkinson’s disease symptoms and their effects on physical and mental functioning, the authors write. “Our study further demonstrated that 300 milligrams per day of nanoparticular CoQ10 is safe and well tolerated in patients with Parkinson’s disease already taking various antiparkinsonian medications.”
“Since we did not find symptomatic effects of CoQ10 in Parkinson’s disease, our study does not support the hypothesis that restoring the impaired energy metabolism of the diseased dopaminergic neurons leads to symptomatic benefits in Parkinson’s disease,” the authors conclude. “Future studies will need to explore the protective effects of CoQ10 at the highest effective dose (equivalent to about 2,400 milligrams per day of a standard formulation) over a long treatment period and in a large cohort of patients both sufficient to clearly define the protective potential of this compound in Parkinson’s disease.”
(Arch Neurol. 2007;64:(doi:10.1001/archneur.64.7.nct60005).
Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org).
Editor's Note: This study was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Parkinson-Vereinigung eV (German Parkinson Association), Neuss, Germany, and MSE Pharmazeutika GmbH, Bad Homburg, Germany. The co-enzyme Q10 and matching placebo were formulated and packaged without charge by MSE Pharmazeutika. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, May 14, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact the Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group, e-mail: aredspub{at}emmes.com. To contact corresponding author Julie A. Mares Ph.D., call Sayward Proctor at 608-265-7344.
HIGHER INTAKE OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS AND FISH, AND HIGHER VITAMIN D LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER RISK OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DISEASE
CHICAGO—Individuals who have higher dietary intake of foods with omega-3 fatty acids and higher fish consumption have a reduced risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration, while those with higher serum levels of vitamin D may have a reduced risk of the early stages of the disease, according to two reports in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs when the macula, the area at the back of the retina that produces the sharpest vision, deteriorates over time. It is the most common cause of blindness among older adults in the United States, affecting more than 7 million individuals older than 40 years, according to background information in the articles. The prevalence of AMD is likely to increase as the population ages. There is currently no known way to prevent the condition, but research has begun to identify potentially modifiable risk factors and nutrient-based treatments.
The Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group assessed 4,519 individuals who were age 60 to 80 when they enrolled in 1992 through 1998. At that time, photographs were taken of their retinas to determine if they had AMD, and if so, to which of four stages the condition had progressed. The participants also completed a food frequency questionnaire that measured how often they consumed foods rich in certain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids commonly found in tuna, salmon and other fish.
A total of 1,115 participants did not have any symptoms of AMD at the beginning of the study, and were compared with those who did, including 658 individuals with neovascular (severe) AMD. “Dietary total omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intake was inversely associated with neovascular AMD, as was docosahexaenoic acid,” or DHA, a fatty acid that previous evidence suggests affects the retina, the authors write. “Higher fish consumption, both total and broiled/baked, was also inversely associated with neovascular AMD.” Eating more than two medium (4-ounce) servings of fish per week or more than one medium serving of broiled or baked fish was associated with the lowest risk for advanced AMD.
Omega-3 fatty acids may influence processes involved in the development of blood vessel– and nerve-related diseases of the retina, the authors write. For instance, DHA may protect the retina by influencing which genes turn on and off, while fatty acids overall may eventually form compounds that promote cell survival and proper blood vessel function, reduce inflammation and maintain energy balance.
“These results and those from other observational analytic investigations suggest that modifying diet to include more foods rich in omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids could result in a reduction in the risk of having neovascular AMD,” the authors conclude. Clinical trials would provide further information about whether diet changes or supplements could prevent the development of advanced AMD.
In a related study, Niyati Parekh, Ph.D., R.D., of the University of the Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and colleagues analyzed data from 7,752 individuals (including 11 percent with AMD) who were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a large study designed to represent the entire U.S. population. Participants were enrolled in the study between 1988 and 1994. They had physical examinations that included blood and urine samples, photographs of the retinas, and interviews and questionnaires regarding sociodemographics, lifestyle habits and food intake.
“Levels of serum vitamin D were inversely associated with early AMD but not advanced AMD,” the authors write. When participants were split into five groups based on level of vitamin D in the blood, those in the highest group had a 40 percent lower risk of early AMD than those in the lowest group. “Milk intake was inversely associated with early AMD. Fish intake was inversely associated with advanced AMD.”
Vitamin D may reduce the risk of AMD by reducing inflammation or by preventing the growth of new blood vessels in the retina, which contributes to some forms of AMD, the authors speculate. “This study provides evidence that vitamin D may protect against AMD,” the authors conclude. “However, at this time there is insufficient epidemiologic evidence of the relationship between vitamin D level and AMD to make recommendations regarding optimum serum vitamin D levels or milk and fish intake to protect against AMD or its progression. The results of the present research warrant further investigation for confirmation of the vitamin D-AMD association in other population studies.”
(Arch Ophthalmol. 2007;125:661-669, 671-679. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org).
Editor's Note: Please see the articles for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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