'Good' fat that fights diabetes
discovered
New York: Fat is not all that bad.
Scientists have now discovered a new class of molecules -produced in human and
mouse fat - that protects against diabetes.
The researchers found that giving this
new “good” fat or lipid to mice with the equivalent of type 2 diabetes lowered
their elevated blood sugar.
The team also found that levels of the
new lipids called called fatty acid hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs) are low in
humans with a high risk for diabetes, suggesting that the lipids could
potentially be utilised as a therapy for metabolic disorders.
“We can add FAHFAs to the small list of
beneficial lipids. These lipids can also reduce inflammation, suggesting that
we might discover therapeutic opportunities for these molecules in inflammatory
diseases such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes,” explained
Alan Saghatelian, professor at the Salk Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston.
FAHFAs had not been noticed previously in cells and tissues
because they are present in low concentrations, making them difficult to
detect.
Once researchers
identified FAHFAs as being the lipid that was different between normal mice and
these diabetes-resistant mice, they found that when the mice eat FAHFAs, blood
sugar levels dropped and insulin levels rose, indicating the potential
therapeutic value of FAHFAs.
To determine whether FAHFAs are also relevant in humans, the
team measured FAHFA levels in humans who are insulin-resistant and found that
their FAHFA levels were lower in fat and blood, suggesting that changes in
FAHFA levels may contribute to diabetes.
“This work suggests that changes in FAHFA levels are a new
mechanism in diabetes,” Saghatelian concluded.
The study appeared in the journal Cell.
Source: www.zeenews.india.com
11.10.2014
Men twice as likely as women to die
after hip fracture
London: Men are the "weaker
sex" in terms of death and
disability caused by osteoporosis as their bone health is simply
being ignored by the healthcare systems, shows a study.
According to researchers, men are not
being adequately diagnosed or treated for osteoporosis, with those suffering a
hip fracture twice as likely to die compared to women.
"One-third of all hip fractures
worldwide occur in men with mortality rates as high as 37 percent in the first
year following fracture. This makes men twice as likely as women to die after a
hip fracture," said lead study author professor Peter Ebeling, head of
department of medicine at Monash University in Australia.
In the European Union, projections
suggest that by 2025, the total number of fractures in men will increase by 34
percent to almost 1.6 million cases per year.
In the US, the number of hip fractures among men is expected
to increase by 51.8 percent from 2010 to 2030, and in contrast the number among
women is expected to decrease 3.5 percent.
Osteoporosis experts
warn that as men often remain undiagnosed and untreated, millions are left
vulnerable to early death and disability, irrespective of fracture type.
The report highlights that the ability of men to live
pain-free lives in the old age is being seriously compromised. Continued
inaction will lead to millions of men being dependent on long-term healthcare
and social care systems tested to the limit.
Often mistakenly
considered a woman's disease, osteoporotic fractures affect one in five men
aged over 50 years.
However, this number is predicted to rise dramatically as men
are ageing fast.
John A. Kanis, president of the International Osteoporosis
Foundation (IOF), said: "It is estimated that the lifetime risk of
experiencing an osteoporotic fracture in men over the age of 50 years is up to
27 percent - higher than that of developing prostate cancer."
The report titled "Osteoporosis in men: why change needs
to happen" is released ahead of World Osteoporosis Day Oct 20.
Source: www.zeenews.india.com
11.10.2014
A man must be big enough to admit his
mistakes, smart enough
to profit from them and strong enough to correct them
John C. Maxwell
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