Publisher Health

A new study led by researchers at Washington State University has identified a protein that could be the key to improving treatment outcomes after a heart attack.
Published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the research suggests that protein kinase A (PKA) plays a role in heart muscle cell necrosis, a major type of cell death that commonly occurs after reperfusion therapy, the treatment used to unblock arteries and restore blood flow after a heart attack.
“Our study has found that turning off a gene that controls this protein activity increased necrotic cell death and led to more heart injury and worse heart function following heart attack in a rodent model,” said study author Zhaokang Cheng, an assistant professor in the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “With further research, this discovery could ultimately lead to the development of a small-molecule drug that could intervene in that pathway to limit or prevent heart muscle cell death after reperfusion therapy.”
Such a drug could help reduce heart injury and increase the survival and lifespan of heart attack victims, Cheng said. Every year, about 800,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack, which amounts to one heart attack occurring every 40 seconds.
Reperfusion therapy, which uses clot-dissolving drugs or mechanical means to unblock clogged arteries, has long been the most effective treatment for heart attack. Though it significantly reduces heart damage, patients treated with this therapy still experience some damage, about half of which actually results from the treatment itself. This is because the rapid restoration of blood flow into oxygen-deprived heart tissues can lead to a swift rise in free radicals. When left unchecked, this surge of free radicals induces oxidative stress, which can cause heart muscle cell death and heart injury as part of a condition known as ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Though scientists have long considered necrosis to be a passive, unavoidable form of cell death, recent studies have suggested that some forms of it happen in a highly regulated manner that could potentially be targeted for treatment. Little has been known about how this type of cell death is regulated, however, which is what prompted Cheng to take a closer look.
He and his team had previously screened more than 20,000 genes to look for ones that appeared to either suppress or promote necrotic cell death. One gene that stood out to them as warranting further study was PRKAR1A, which helps regulate PKA activity by encoding a protein known as PKA regulatory subunit R1alpha.
So the researchers conducted a series of experiments to validate whether the R1alpha protein can regulate necrotic cell death in a rodent model. They found that turning off the PRKAR1A gene increased cell death, both in cultured cells and in mice. Mice lacking the gene also had more heart injury and worse heart function after heart attack, as compared to wild-type mice.
Cheng explained that, under normal circumstances, the rapid increase of free radicals after heart attack treatment triggers the heart to launch its antioxidant defense system, the built-in protective mechanism that helps keep free radicals in check. What their new study findings suggest is that the antioxidant defense system cannot be launched as effectively when the R1alpha protein is removed from the heart, resulting in more oxidative stress, which leads to cell death and heart injury.
He explained that the R1alpha protein binds to another type of protein known as PKA catalytic subunits to keep PKA activity in check. When R1alpha is removed, the catalytic subunits are uncontrolled and PKA activity increases, which Cheng believes is what prevents the activation of the antioxidant defense system. This suggests that use of a small-molecule compound that selectively inhibits PKA activity could potentially block necrotic cell death and lead to better outcomes after heart attack treatment.
Though Cheng said he hoped their research would eventually allow them to test such a compound in an animal model, the next step they are pursuing is to determine whether there are other mechanisms by which PKA regulates necrotic cell death aside from the antioxidant defense system.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Washington State University. Original written by Judith Van Dongen. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

A healthy diet around the time of conception through the second trimester may reduce the risk of several common pregnancy complications, suggests a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Expectant women in the study who scored high on any of three measures of healthy eating had lower risks for gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related blood pressure disorders and preterm birth. The study was conducted by Cuilin Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). It appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The researchers analyzed dietary data collected multiple times during pregnancy from the NICHD Fetal Growth Study. Nearly 1,900 women responded to questionnaires on their diets at eight to 13 weeks of pregnancy and were asked to estimate what they ate in the previous three months. At 16 to 22 weeks and 24 to 29 weeks, the women identified what they ate in the previous 24 hours. Their responses were scored according to three measures of healthy eating: the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED), and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. All three measures emphasize consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grain, nuts and legumes while limiting red and processed meat.
Overall, the researchers found that following any of the diets around the time of conception through the second trimester was associated with a lower risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia and preterm delivery. For example, women with a high AHEI score at 16 to 22 weeks had a 32% lower risk for gestational diabetes than women with a low AHEI score. Women with a high DASH score at eight to 12 weeks and 16 to 22 weeks had a 19% lower risk for pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorders. A high AMED score at 24 to 29 weeks or a high DASH score at 24 to 29 weeks was associated with a 50% lower risk for preterm birth.
Story Source:
Materials provided by NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

A “prescription” to sit less and move more is the optimal first treatment choice for reducing mild to moderately elevated blood pressure and blood cholesterol in otherwise healthy adults, according to the new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension.
“The current American Heart Association guidelines for diagnosing high blood pressure and cholesterol recognize that otherwise healthy individuals with mildly or moderately elevated levels of these cardiovascular risk factors should actively attempt to reduce these risks. The first treatment strategy for many of these patients should be healthy lifestyle changes beginning with increasing physical activity,” said Bethany Barone Gibbs, Ph.D., FAHA, chair of the statement writing group and associate professor in the department of health and human development and clinical and translational sciences at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
An estimated 21% of U.S. adults, about 53 million, have systolic (top number) blood pressure between 120-139 mm Hg or diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure between 80-89 mm Hg; both values are abnormally high. Individuals in this range who have an otherwise low risk of heart disease or stroke meet the American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) High Blood Pressure Guideline criteria for lifestyle-only treatment for elevated blood pressure.
Likewise, the scientific statement authors estimate that 28% of U.S. adults, or about 71 million, have an LDL cholesterol score above 70 mg/dL and otherwise meet criteria for low risk of heart disease or stroke. These people would meet the 2018 AHA/ACC Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines criteria for lifestyle-only treatment. Lifestyle changes highlighted in the blood pressure and cholesterol guidelines include increased physical activity, weight loss, improving diet, stopping smoking and moderating alcohol intake.
“Increasing physical activity can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, along with many other health benefits.” Gibbs said. Physical activity also has benefits beyond cardiovascular health, including a decreased risk of some cancers, improved bone, brain and mental health, and better sleep.
Increasing physical activity results in clinically meaningful reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, typically an average reduction of 3 or 4 mm Hg. Similar improvements are seen with blood cholesterol. For example, increased physical activity typically decreases LDL cholesterol by 3 to 6 mg/dL.
The statement highlights research concluding that physically active people have a 21% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 36% lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases compared to those who are not physically active.
To improve health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest individuals participate in either a cumulative 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity weekly plus two or more strength training sessions each week.
However, there is no minimum amount of time to receive benefits from physical activity. “Every little bit of activity is better than none,” said Gibbs. “Even small initial increases of 5 to 10 minutes a day can yield health benefits.”
The statement provides suggestions for clinicians to provide exercise “prescriptions” such as patient counselling, incorporating health behavior professionals (e.g., health coaches) and connecting patients to local resources like community centers to help meet their physical activity needs.
According to the statement, prescribing exercise includes: Screening patients about physical activity at every interaction, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine’s ‘Exercise is Medicine’ campaign. Clinicians can ask patients to report their physical activity with a few questions or by using a wearable device. Providing ideas and resources for supporting patients to improve and sustain regular physical activity; Meeting patients where they are by exploring activities that the patient enjoys and provide ideas for early success; and Encouraging and celebrating small increases in physical activity, such as walking more or taking the stairs.”In our world where physical activity is increasingly engineered out of our lives and the overwhelming default is to sit — and even more so now as the nation and the world is practicing quarantine and isolation to reduce the spread of coronavirus — the message that we must be relentless in our pursuit to ‘sit less and move more’ throughout the day is more important than ever,” said Gibbs.
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Heart Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

A new study finds people who consume two servings of fruit per day have 36 percent lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consume less than half a serving. The research was published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Diabetes is a disease where people have too much sugar in their bloodstream, and it is a huge public health burden. Approximately 463 million adults worldwide were living with diabetes in 2019, and by 2045 this number is expected to rise to 700 million. An estimated 374 million people are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. A healthy diet and lifestyle can play a major role in lowering a person’s diabetes risk.
“We found people who consumed around 2 servings of fruit per day had a 36 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next five years than those who consumed less than half a serving of fruit per day,” said study author Nicola Bondonno, Ph.D., of Edith Cowan University’s Institute for Nutrition Research in Perth, Australia. “We did not see the same patterns for fruit juice. These findings indicate that a healthy diet and lifestyle which includes the consumption of whole fruits is a great strategy to lower your diabetes risk.”
The researchers studied data from 7,675 participants from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute’s Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study who provided information on their fruit and fruit juice intake through a food frequency questionnaire. They found participants who ate more whole fruits had 36 percent lower odds of having diabetes at five years. The researchers found an association between fruit intake and markers of insulin sensitivity, meaning that people who consumed more fruit had to produce less insulin to lower their blood glucose levels.
“This is important because high levels of circulating insulin (hyperinsulinemia) can damage blood vessels and are related not only to diabetes, but also to high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease,” Bondonno said.
Story Source:
Materials provided by The Endocrine Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

After a shift by the C.D.C., employers withdrew mask policies that workers felt were protecting them from unvaccinated customers.The Kroger supermarket in Yorktown, Va., is in a county where mask wearing can be casual at best. Yet for months, the store urged patrons to cover their noses and mouths, and almost everyone complied.

Men who had physically demanding jobs lived, on average, about a year longer than those who were deskbound.Is it good for our health and longevity to heave, dig, hoist, stroll or otherwise exert ourselves during working hours? Or are strenuous occupations hard on our bodies and health?Common sense might tell us that being in motion at work should be beneficial for our hearts and health, just as going for a jog or bike ride or working out at the gym is good for us. But some recent research has suggested that manual labor often increases workers’ risks for cardiovascular disease and premature death, meaning the effects of work-related physical activity might be different and less salubrious than those of the workouts we choose to do on our own time.Now, though, the newest and largest study to date of occupational physical activity and mortality has some good news for those with physically demanding jobs. The new study, which involved almost half a million workers, finds that people whose jobs involve frequent moving and lifting tend to live longer than those whose occupations are deskbound. The results refute the idea that worktime exertions somehow are different than other exercise and instead suggest that, whenever possible, we should be on the move while on the job.No one disputes that exercise is beneficial, and, in general, the more, the better. But exercise is volitional; we can decide, for the most part, whether, when, where, how long, how hard and with whom we will work out. It has not been altogether clear whether mandatory physical activity affects our bodies in the same ways as workouts we choose for ourselves.In animal studies, it does not. When mice or rats run on treadmills, where the pace, intensity, duration and mere existence of the workouts are set for them, they typically produce stress hormones and often wind up with different biological outcomes than if they skitter through the same mileage on running wheels, something rodents voluntarily seem to love to do. In an interesting 2008 study, rats running on treadmills developed higher levels of anxiety than rats running on wheels, and showed different effects on the production of new neurons in their brains.Familiar with this area of research, some exercise scientists started to wonder a few years ago if workplace physical activity, which can be compulsory, might likewise produce different and potentially less-desirable physiological effects on people than leisure-time exercise. To find out, they checked survey data about occupational physical activity against death registries.And they uncovered sobering associations. According to a 2018 analysis of more than a dozen relevant studies, men whose jobs demanded frequent lifting, carrying and other tiring physical labor were 18 percent more likely to die prematurely than men whose jobs were less physically demanding. (The studies found no associations between women’s occupational activities and longevity.)The review’s authors and other scientists called their findings a “physical activity paradox,” in which having to move at work seemed to undermine men’s health and life spans, while choosing to exercise during off-hours improved them.But some exercise researchers remained skeptical. These scientists suspected that any relationship between hard labor and early death might be due more to people’s lives away from the job than to their exertions at work, and that past research had not controlled adequately for lifestyle.So, for the new study, which was published in April in The Lancet Public Health, researchers at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo, and other institutions, decided to delve as deeply and broadly as possible into lifestyle, as well as workplace labor, and life spans.They began by turning to data already gathered by Norwegian health agencies, which, as part of ongoing studies, have been measuring the health of hundreds of thousands of Norwegians for decades. That data included detailed information about their work and exercise histories, education, income and other aspects of their lives.The researchers now pulled records for 437,378 of the participants in these studies and categorized them by job types. Some, like clerks or inspectors, did some walking and lifting at work; others performed heavy manual labor; and the rest more or less sat at their desks all day. The researchers then crosschecked people’s records against decades’ worth of databases tracking diseases and deaths in Norway.On a first pass, their results bolstered the idea that active jobs shorten lives. Over the course of about 30 years, men in sedentary jobs outlived those who often walked or otherwise exerted themselves at work. (As before, there were no significant links between women’s professions and their longevity.)But when the scientists scrupulously controlled for everyone’s education, income, smoking, exercise habits and weight, the associations flipped. In this fuller analysis, men who were active at work developed heart disease and cancer at lower rates than deskbound men. Whether they tended to walk a fair amount for work or perform other, more-strenuous labor, the active men lived, on average, about a year longer.In essence, the study shows that “every movement counts, regardless of whether you are active at work or during leisure,” says Ulf Ekelund, a professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, who oversaw the new study. Conversely, the results also remind us, he says, that sitting, even at comfortable desks or on cushy couches, is unhealthy.What this study does not tell us is which aspects of our lives, away from work, might most affect our health and longevity, or why women’s life spans seem generally unaffected by worktime exertions. Dr. Ekelund and his colleagues hope to look into some of those issues in future research. But, for now, he says, assume “that all physical activity is beneficial, regardless of whether it’s performed during leisure, at work, at home or during transportation.”

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingimage copyrightGetty ImagesA 41-year-old Chinese man has been confirmed as the first human case of infection with a rare bird flu strain. Officials did not give details on how the man got infected but the H10N3 strain is thought to not easily spread from humans to humans. The Jiangsu province resident, who was diagnosed last week, has now recovered and is ready to be discharged. There are many bird flu strains and it is not unheard of that people working with poultry occasionally get infected. Contact tracing did not find any other cases of the virus. Beijing’s National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday the resident of the city of Zhenjiang was hospitalized on 28 April and diagnosed with H10N3 one month later. “No human cases of H10N3 have been reported in the world. This case is an occasional poultry-to-human cross-species transmission, and the risk of a large-scale spread is extremely low,” the NHC said, according to a Global Times report. Russia sees first case of H5N8 bird flu in humansDutch and German farms cull flocks over bird fluIndia begins culling poultry amid bird flu fearsThe commission also said H10N3 was low pathogenic meaning it did not cause severe diseases in poultry and was unlikely to spread rapidly. The World Health Organization (WHO) told the Reuters news agency that “at this time, there is no indication of human-to-human transmission”.”As long as avian influenza viruses circulate in poultry sporadic infection of avian influenza in humans is not surprising, which is a vivid reminder that the threat of an influenza pandemic is persistent,” the WHO explained.There is currently an outbreak among birds of a the H5N8 variant which has led to hundreds of thousands of poultry culled in various European countries.In February, Russia reported the first case of that particular strain in humans. Human infections with bird flu have been rare since a larger outbreak of the H7N9 strained killed around 300 people in 2016 and 2017. You might also be interested in…

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingimage copyrightEPAThe Australian state of Victoria will extend its lockdown by another week as authorities battle to control a growing virus outbreak.Officials say people have been catching the virus from “fleeting” encounters in a Melbourne outbreak of the B.1.617.1 strain, now named the Kappa variant by the World Health Organization.Australia’s second most-populous state will now be locked down until 10 June.It’s the fourth shutdown endured by residents so far in the pandemic.Six new local cases were reported on Wednesday, taking the cluster to 60. “I know this is not the news that everybody wants to hear but given the cases we have… the government had no choice,” said Acting Premier James Merlino.”If we don’t do this [lockdown], this thing will get away. This variant of concern will become uncontrollable and people will die.”Nearly seven million people have been in lockdown since 27 May, after the state recorded its first cases in the community in nearly three months.For another seven days, people in the state capital Melbourne will be required to stay at home except for essential work, shopping, exercise, caregiving or to get a Covid vaccine. No gatherings are allowed. Some measures have been eased including the expansion of travel limits to within 10km (6.1 miles) of the home, and senior school students will be allowed to return to the classroom.The battle to open up ‘Fortress Australia’Why hotel quarantine keeps leading to lockdownsOutside the state capital, restrictions will be relaxed for regional towns with limited outdoor gatherings and the re-opening of restaurants.But Mr Merlino warned people to remain cautious. He said there are more than 350 places where people may have been exposed to the virus, including camping spots in the neighbouring state of New South Wales after a Melbourne resident travelled there.image copyrightEPA”No one – no one – wants to repeat last winter,” he said, referencing Melbourne’s second wave last year which caused over 90% of deaths nationwide.The state endured a 112-day lockdown to bring the case rate back to zero.Vaccination delayVictoria’s new outbreak has highlighted the low level of vaccination among Australians – a task that has been the responsibility of the federal government.Less than 2% of the population has been vaccinated. Cases reported in aged care homes in Melbourne this week have also fuelled criticism of the flawed rollout. The government had pledged it would prioritise vaccines for vulnerable groups like the elderly, but was forced to admit yesterday it did not know how many vaccinations had occurred in aged care homes amid reports of widespread delays.The Victorian outbreak marks the biggest case increase in Australia since October. The nation has largely avoided the level of Covid deaths seen in many other developed nations due to a stringent system of snap lockdowns, border controls and movement restrictions.Officials say this outbreak has been traced to a traveller who tested positive days after finishing quarantine in South Australia. It’s believed he contracted the virus through airborne transmission from an infected traveller in another room- throwing up questions over the safety of hotel quarantine.Are you in Victoria? How are you finding the extended lockdown? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSayUpload pictures or videoPlease read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

After finding unexplained dark marks on her skin which she couldn’t explain, BBC reporter Bree Johnson decided to investigate why it seems harder to diagnose skin conditions on non-white people.She speaks to Kanayo Dike-Oduah, who nearly died as a result of a rare skin disorder, and to Malone Mukwende, who wrote a guide to help medical professionals diagnose clinical signs on black and brown skin. Professor Colin Melville, director of education and standards at the General Medical Council, says: “We want to be active in driving change that is real and effective in support of black and minority ethnic students, trainees, doctors and patients in the UK”.

Army scientists working as part of an international consortium have developed and tested an antibody-based therapy to treat Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), which is carried by ticks and kills up to 60 percent of those infected. Their results are published online today in the journal Cell.
Using blood samples donated by disease survivors, the study’s authors characterized the human immune response to natural CCHFV infection. They were able to identify several potent neutralizing antibodies that target the viral glycoprotein — a component of the virus that plays a key role in disease development. Several of these antibodies, administered individually or in combination, protected mice from CCHFV when given prior to virus exposure.
To treat mice that had already been infected, the team created “bispecific” antibodies that combined potency with the ability to bind to two separate sites on the CCHFV glycoprotein. One of these bispecific antibodies, called DVD-121-801, overcame CCHFV infection in mice with just a single dose administered 24 hours after challenge with live virus.
Efforts are underway to develop DVD-121-801 as a potential therapeutic for human patients, according to co-first author Andrew H. Herbert, Ph.D., of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).
CCHFV is the most prevalent tick-borne virus that causes human disease, and is endemic in countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Despite its high lethality and widespread distribution, no vaccines or specific treatments are available. It has been designated a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization.
“Rodent models of CCHFV infection are useful in testing and down-selecting neutralizing antibodies,” commented Herbert. “However, to advance a lead candidate for therapeutic use, it will be necessary to conduct studies in larger animal models that more faithfully recapitulate human disease.”
Story Source:
Materials provided by US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.