Genetic Damage Caused by Smoking

November 14, 2016

Smoking, the most preventable cause of death, is responsible for at least 6 million deaths annually, worldwide.

New research confirms extensive genetic damage caused by smoking: not only in lungs, but also in other organs that are not directly exposed to smoke. The study further demonstrates that a pack of cigarettes a day causes an average of 150 mutations a year in lung cells.

While scientists have known that smoking contributes to at least 17 types of cancer, the ways in which smoke exposure damages DNA was previously unknown—specifically, how cigarettes cause tumors. Though lung tissue was shown to produce the greatest number of genetic mutations, other parts of the body displayed altered DNA, which clarifies the correlation between smoking and other various forms of cancer.

Working towards tracking genes and root causes is significant, as the underlying causes of most types of cancer are still not fully understood. The new research of smoking-related cancers will help researchers and scientists better understand the development of the disease, and potential preventions.

Yet despite the data collection and scientific studies, a continuation of the current trend indicates that smoking will kill over 1 billion people in the 21st century, according to the World Health Organization.

The Importance & Application of BHRT

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) has been a contentious and hotly contested topic in the medical field since its inception. Using hormones that are molecularly and chemically identical to endogenous hormones—those produced in the body—was first conceived in the 1930s, as a potential treatment for menopausal symptoms. Because BHRT is not technically manufactured with FDA oversight, many critics pounce upon the lack of regulation. Yet compounding pharmacies that have implemented proper quality assurance procedures, while using the requisite equipment and tactics, will often exceed any FDA standards for mass-produced medications. Moreover, if bioidentical hormones were widely used, the pharmaceutical and drug industries would face massive profit losses and sales.

Conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) differs from BHRT in several ways: BHRT utilizes hormones that are chemically identical to human hormones that the body makes, and customizes dosages for the individual patient. While the primary objective of BHRT is hormone balance, the goal of HRT is to prevent disease.

The idea of achieving a natural hormone balance can serve a host of diagnoses and medical issues; many people, particularly later in life, experience hormone imbalances that can contribute to HPA axis dysfunction, thyroid disease, cardiovascular disease, as well as sexual dysfunction. In attempting to treat the causes of symptoms, while simultaneously restoring depleted hormone levels, hormone replacement therapy has functioned as a solution for many who felt that they were out of options.

A recent article discussed a publication that focused on the ways in which HRT could mitigate the risk factors in developing dementia: senior author Dr. Jill Goldstein of Harvard Medical School articulated that the condition—and initial memory less—could likely be triggered by lowering levels of estrogen, during the period of menopause. The study’s clinical trials found a strong correlation between women with lower levels of estrogen and memory/cognition problems.

Dr. Goldstein further expressed the critical importance of maintaining a regular and consistent level of estradiol (the type of estrogen that has the great effect on brain function), as it has significant potential in limiting the development of Alzheimer’s.

Learn more about BHRT at our upcoming September symposium in Nashville.

SOURCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21464264
https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Citation/2017/04000/Sex_differences_in_episodic_memory_in_early.7.aspx
https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2016/11/20/menopause-really-does-affect-memory-researchers-find/n2oOYjcEMfWy3g1xHlNaOL/story.html

The Path to Parkinson’s Disease

November 8, 2016

Janet Reno, the country’s first female Attorney General, passed away yesterday from complications of Parkinson’s disease, at age 78.

According to statistics from the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, approximately 1 million people in the United States are affected by the disease. While there is no test for the disorder, and no concrete, tangible cause, scientists uniformly believe that a combination of genetic and environmental factors lead to Parkinson’s.

The disease is a progressive and chronic movement disorder, which involves the malfunction and gradual death of the brain’s vital nerve cells (neurons). The neurons that produce dopamine—the chemical that communicates with the segment of the brain that controls coordination and movement—regularly decrease; as the levels of dopamine lessen, a person becomes unable to normally control movement. As the symptoms worsen, the primary motor signs of Parkinson’s include body tremors, bradykinesia/slowness of movement, rigidity, and severe postural instability.

While the NIH has not yet identified a cure for Parkinson’s, scientists and doctors have found several ways to help patients cope with and alleviate symptoms, including various medications that help trigger the brain and create more dopamine, and deep brain stimulation. A recent study conducted at Harvard found that patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s demonstrated significant improvement after they had transplanted tissue from fetal dopamine cells into their brains.

There is a remarkably strong correlation between ageing and Parkinson’s; most clinical research suggests that advancing age is the biggest risk factor. As the second most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative disease, after Alzheimer’s, it is incontrovertible that the social, economic, and public health impacts that result from Parkinson’s will continue to increase directly alongside the population’s longevity.

At A4M, our overarching goal is to treat—and ultimately prevent—the onset of diseases associated with aging. Attend our World Congress and learn about the advancement of technology and biomedical engineering, coupled with the most recent research & inquiries into methods that optimize the human aging process.

Be on the forefront of public health and healthcare. Better yourself, your practice, and your patients. Register now.