Frontiers | The Porphyromonas gingivalis/host interactome shows enrichment in GWASdb genes related to Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

Periodontal disease is of established aetiology in which polymicrobial
synergistic ecology has become dysbiotic under the influence of
Porphyromonas gingivalis. Following breakdown of the host’s protective
oral tissue barriers, P. gingivalis migrates to developing inflammatory
pathologies that associate with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Periodontal
disease is a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders (CVD), type II
diabetes mellitus (T2DM), AD and other chronic diseases, whilst T2DM
exacerbates periodontitis. This study analysed the relationship between
the P. gingivalis/host interactome and the genes identified in
genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for the aforementioned conditions
using data from GWASdb (P<1E-03) and, in some cases, from the
NCBI/EBI GWAS database (P< 1E-05). Gene expression data from
periodontitis or P. gingivalis microarray was compared to microarray
datasets from the AD hippocampus and/or from carotid artery plaques. The
results demonstrated that the host genes of the P. gingivalis
interactome were significantly enriched in genes deposited in GWASdb
genes related to cognitive disorders, AD and dementia, and its co-morbid
conditions T2DM, obesity, and CVD. The P. gingivalis/host interactome
was also enriched in GWAS genes from the more stringent NCBI-EBI
database for AD, atherosclerosis and T2DM. The misregulated genes in
periodontitis tissue or P. gingivalis infected macrophages also matched
those in the AD hippocampus or atherosclerotic plaques. Together, these
data suggest important gene/environment interactions between P.
gingivalis and susceptibility genes or gene expression changes in
conditions where periodontal disease is a contributory factor.

Nonnutritive sweeteners and cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies

 BACKGROUND Nonnutritive sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose and stevioside, are widely consumed, yet their long-term health impact is uncertain. We synthesized evidence from prospective studies to determine whether routine consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners was associated with long-term adverse cardiometabolic effects. 

METHODS We searched MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library (inception to January 2016) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated interventions for nonnutritive sweeteners and prospective cohort studies that reported on consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners among adults and adolescents. The primary outcome was body mass index (BMI). Secondary outcomes included weight, obesity and other cardiometabolic end points.

 RESULTS From 11 774 citations, we included 7 trials (1003 participants; median follow-up 6 mo) and 30 cohort studies (405 907 participants; median follow-up 10 yr). In the included RCTs, nonnutritive sweeteners had no significant effect on BMI (mean difference −0.37 kg/m2; 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.10 to 0.36; I2 9%; 242 participants). In the included cohort studies, consumption of nonnutritive sweeteners was associated with a modest increase in BMI (mean correlation 0.05, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.06; I2 0%; 21 256 participants). Data from RCTs showed no consistent effects of nonnutritive sweeteners on other measures of body composition and reported no further secondary outcomes. In the cohort studies, consumption of nonnutritive sweeteners was associated with increases in weight and waist circumference, and higher incidence of obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events. Publication bias was indicated for studies with diabetes as an outcome.

 INTERPRETATION Evidence from RCTs does not clearly support the intended benefits of nonnutritive sweeteners for weight management, and observational data suggest that routine intake of nonnutritive sweeteners may be associated with increased BMI and cardiometabolic risk. Further research is needed to fully characterize the long-term risks and benefits of nonnutritive sweeteners. Protocol registration: PROSPERO-CRD42015019749"



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The association between total phthalate concentration and non-communicable diseases and chronic inflammation in South Australian urban dwelling men - ScienceDirect

 Objective
To investigate associations between urinary total phthalate concentration, chronic low-grade inflammation and non-communicable diseases in a cohort of South Australian men.
Methods
1504 men aged 39–84 years who provided a urinary sample at the follow-up visit of the Men Androgen Inflammation Lifestyle Environment and Stress (MAILES) study, a randomly-selected group of urban-dwelling, community-based men from Adelaide, Australia (n = 2038; study participation rate: 78.1%). Total phthalate concentration was quantified in fasting morning urine samples. Chronic diseases were assessed through self-report questionnaire or directly measured using standardised clinical and laboratory procedures. Inflammatory biomarkers were assayed by ELISA or spectroscopy. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were applied to determine associations of log-transformed urinary phthalate concentration with inflammation and chronic disease.
Results
Total phthalates were detected in 99.6% of urinary samples; geometric mean (95% CI) was 114.1 (109.5–118.9) µg/g creatinine. Higher total phthalate levels were associated with higher levels of hs-CRP, IL-6 (all p < 0.05) and TNF-α but not MPO. Urinary total phthalate concentrations were positively associated with cardiovascular disease, type-2-diabetes and hypertension. Comparing extreme quartiles of total phthalate, prevalence ratios were 1.78 (95% CI 1.17 – 2.71, p-trend = 0.001) for cardiovascular disease and 1.84 (95%CI 1.34 – 2.51, p-trend = 0.001) for type-2-diabetes and 1.14 (95%CI 1.01 – 1.29, p-trend = 0.013) for hypertension. Total phthalates and asthma and depression were not significantly associated.
Conclusion
A positive association between total phthalates and cardiovascular disease, type-2-diabetes, hypertension and increased levels of chronic low-grade inflammatory biomarkers was observed in urban-dwelling Australian men."



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The type, not just the amount, of sugar consumption matters in risk of health problems

Female rats were given a liquid solution of either glucose (a form of sugar found naturally in the body after carbohydrates are broken down) or fructose (sugar found in fruit and fruit juices) in addition to their normal diet of solid food. The rats received the sweetened solutions for eight weeks, roughly equivalent to a person eating large amounts of sugar for six years. The sugar-fed rats were compared with a control group that received plain drinking water in addition to their food supply.
Researchers found that although both sugar-fed groups consumed more calories than the control group, the total calorie intake of the glucose-fed rats was higher than the rats that were given fructose. Another surprising observation was that "despite this difference, only the fructose group exhibited a significant increase in final body weight," wrote the research team.
In addition to higher weight gain, the fructose group showed more markers of vascular disease and liver damage than the glucose group. These included high triglycerides, increased liver weight, decreased fat burning in the liver (a factor that can contribute to fatty liver) and impaired relaxation of the aorta, which can affect blood pressure."

New research exposes the health risks of fructose and sugary drinks

"There is compelling evidence that drinking too many sugar-sweetened beverages, which contain added sugars in the form of high fructose corn syrup or table sugar (sucrose), can lead to excess weight gain and a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to a new review paper published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology."



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Fructose powers a vicious circle -- ScienceDaily

A new paper by Krek and his team member Peter Mirtschink describes a
further, more troubling side effect of fructose. The researchers have
discovered a previously unknown molecular mechanism that points to
fructose as a key driver of uncontrolled growth of the heart muscle, a
condition that can lead to fatal heart failure. Their study was recently
published in Nature.


When a person has high blood pressure, the heart has to grow as it is
harder to pump the blood through the circulatory system. These growing
heart muscle cells require a considerable amount of oxygen. However,
since not enough oxygen is available to adequately supply the increased
growth, the cells switch to an alternative energy supply. Instead of
drawing energy from fatty acids, they rely more on an anaerobic process
called glycolysis -- literally, the 'splitting of sugars'. If the heart
muscle cells can access fructose in addition to glucose, this can set
off a fatal chain reaction.

Relationship between arsenic, heart disease and diabetes discovered

Associated with various types of cancer such as
skin and liver, the intake of arsenic it is also linked to
cardiovascular disease and diabetes. According to a long-term study
conducted by experts from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies
(CINVESTAV) it was determined that this metalloid inhibits enzymes
associated with antioxidant protection.


The study focused on analyzing children that had ingested arsenic
through maternal consumption of contaminated water, and it was
determined that oxidizing properties favor generation of fatty plaque in the arteries.


To corroborate the relationship between cardiovascular disease
with arsenic consumption, blood samples were also obtained from the
study group to identify the presence of an amino acid called asymmetric
dimethylarginine (ADMA), which is associated with problems in the
arteries.

Artery Stiffness Linked With Amyloid Plaques in Brain

Consistent and long-term treatment of high blood pressure may blunt the progression of arterial stiffness and perhaps prevent deposition of beta-amyloid in the brain.

Recent studies have shown that more than half of individuals aged 80 or older have significant amounts of beta-amyloid plaques—a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease—in their brains. Yet with the exception of the presence of the APOE-e4 gene variant, the reasons why beta-amyloid plaques accumulate in the brains of older people are not well understood.

Some research has suggested, however, that the stiffness of arteries in the body—a sign of subclinical vascular disease—might play a role in the plaque deposits. So Timothy Hughes, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh conducted a longitudinal study to determine whether there might be an association between the degree of arterial stiffness in the body and the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brains of older people.

Energy drinks alter heart function, study shows - Medical News Today

 "Energy drinks have become a multi-billion dollar industry that continues to grow, yet regulation of this enterprise remains largely unchecked. Now, a new study shows that healthy adults who consume energy drinks have "significantly increased" heart contraction rates an hour later."

Environmental toxins linked to heart defects

  The group showed a strong correlation with rates of congenital heart defects. According to Ngwezi, the group of chemicals consists of a mixture of organic compounds and metals namely: benzene, butadiene, carbon disulphide, chloroform, ethylene oxide, hexachlorobenzene, tetrachloroethane, methanol, sulphur dioxide, toluene, lead, mercury and cadmium."

Saturated fat's role in heart disease is a myth, says heart specialist

A UK cardiologist says it is time "to bust the myth of the role of saturated fat in heart disease," pointing out that since we started following advice to remove it from our diets, cardiovascular risk has gone up.

Writing in this week's online issue of the British Medical Journal Aseem Malhotra, an interventional cardiology specialist registrar at Croydon University Hospital, London, also says government obsession with reducing total cholesterol has led to millions of people being overmedicated with statins, when the real issue is not cholesterol but a more complex triad of lipid abnormalities called "atherogenic dyslipidemia. Dr. Malhotra points the finger at sugar. When you take the fat out of food, it tastes worse, so the food industry replaced the saturated fat with added sugar.

Artificial sweeteners produce the counterintuitive effect of inducing metabolic derangements

The negative impact of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages on weight and other health outcomes has been increasingly recognized; therefore, many people have turned to high-intensity sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin as a way to reduce the risk of these consequences. However, accumulating evidence suggests that frequent consumers of these sugar substitutes may also be at increased risk of excessive weight gain, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This paper discusses these findings and considers the hypothesis that consuming sweet-tasting but noncaloric or reduced-calorie food and beverages interferes with learned responses that normally contribute to glucose and energy homeostasis. Because of this interference, frequent consumption of high-intensity sweeteners may have the counterintuitive effect of inducing metabolic derangements.

Study suggests reduced risk of dementia

A new Swedish study published in the journal Neurology shows that the risk of developing dementia may have declined over the past 20 years, in direct contrast to what many previously assumed. The result is based on data from SNAC-K, an ongoing study on aging and health that started in 1987.The overall risk of developing dementia must have declined during the period, possibly thanks to prevention and better treatment of cardiovascular disease.

180,000 deaths worldwide may be associated with sugary soft drinks | American Heart Association

 "Sugar-sweetened beverages are consumed throughout the world, and contribute to excess body weight, which increases the risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some cancers. Using data collected as part of the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study, the researchers linked intake of sugar- sweetened beverages to 133,000 diabetes deaths, 44,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 6,000 cancer deaths. Seventy-eight percent of these deaths due to over-consuming sugary drinks were in low and middle-income countries, rather than high-income countries."

Mediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke: Results of PREDIMED study presented

Results of the PREDIMED study, aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine. They show that the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.

Blood Microbiota Dysbiosis Is Associated with the Onset of Cardiovascular Events in a Large General Population: The D.E.S.I.R. Study.

We recently described a human blood microbiome and a connection between this microbiome and the onset of diabetes. The aim of the current study was to assess the association between blood microbiota and incident cardiovascular disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS:

D.E.S.I.R. is a longitudinal study with the primary aim of describing the natural history of the metabolic syndrome and its complications. Participants were evaluated at inclusion and at 3-, 6-, and 9-yearly follow-up visits. The 16S ribosomal DNA bacterial gene sequence, that is common to the vast majority of bacteria (Eubac) and a sequence that mostly represents Proteobacteria (Pbac), were measured in blood collected at baseline from 3936 participants. 73 incident cases of acute cardiovascular events, including 30 myocardial infarctions were recorded. Eubac was positively correlated with Pbac (r = 0.59; P<0.0001). In those destined to have cardiovascular complications, Eubac was lower (0.14±0.26 vs 0.12±0.29 ng/µl; P = 0.02) whereas a non significant increase in Pbac was observed. In multivariate Cox analysis, Eubac was inversely correlated with the onset of cardiovascular complications, (hazards ratio 0.50 95% CI 0.35-0.70) whereas Pbac (1.56, 95%CI 1.12-2.15) was directly correlated.

CONCLUSION:

Pbac and Eubac were shown to be independent markers of the risk of cardiovascular disease. This finding is evidence for the new concept of the role played by blood microbiota dysbiosis on atherothrombotic disease. This concept may help to elucidate the relation between bacteria and cardiovascular disease.

More links found between schizophrenia, cardiovascular disease

 "A new study, to be published in the Feb. 7, 2013 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, expands and deepens the biological and genetic links between cardiovascular disease and schizophrenia. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of premature death among schizophrenia patients, who die from heart and blood vessel disorders at a rate double that of persons without the mental disorder."

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Tree and human health may be linked

In an analysis of 18 years of data from 1,296 counties in 15 states, researchers found that Americans living in areas infested by the emerald ash borer, a beetle that kills ash trees, suffered from an additional 15,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 6,000 more deaths from lower respiratory disease when compared to uninfected areas. When emerald ash borer comes into a community, city streets lined with ash trees become treeless.

Neurotensin Level Linked To Various Diseases | Medical News and Health Information

What do diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and death all have in common? Researchers say it’s plasma levels of proneutrotensin, a precursor of the hormone neurotensin.

More white blood cells in cardiac patients with depression

(Medical Xpress)—Cardiac patients suffering from depression are at greater risk for new cardiac events or cardiac death than patients without depression. It is still unclear which underlying mechanisms play a role in this adverse relationship. Researchers from Tilburg University, the Veterans Affair Hospital in San Francisco, and VU University Medical Center in the Netherlands suggest that inflammatory processes could be involved (Psychoneuroendocrinology, August 2012).

Read more at: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-white-blood-cells-cardiac-patients.html#jCp