Trends

ASA Monitor October 2023, Vol. 87, 12–13.

A new study funded by the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute (NHLBI) provides strong evidence for omega-3 fatty acids’ power to maintain lung health. Researchers interested in nutritional interventions that could prevent lung disease have long suspected that omega-3s could aid lung disease prevention due to their anti-inflammatory qualities. The study emphasizes the need for Americans to get enough omega-3s in their diet, which can be obtained from fish and fish oil supplements. This study is the first to seriously show the connection between lung health and omega-3 fatty acids. The two-part study consisted of a longitudinal study of over 15,000 adults and a retrospective genetic analysis of participants from the UK Biobank. Both parts of the study showed that participants with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood had a decreased rate of lung function decline. The fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had the closest association with maintained lung health. Researchers are planning to partner with the COPDGene Study to conduct future studies on omega-3 fatty acid levels in adults with lung disease. The study’s first author, Bonnie K. Patchen, PhD, is hopeful that individualized diets, tailored for people at high risk for lung disease, are right around the corner. Currently, Americans can focus on eating their recommended two servings of fish per week and choosing foods with anti-inflammatory properties.

Source: asamonitor.pub/45jegsQ

People living with HIV are at high risk for heart disease. A new study, backed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), suggests that statins could mitigate major cardiovascular events and deaths for people living with HIV. After five years, the double-blinded phase 3 trial was stopped early when it was deemed the benefits for the participants far outweighed any potential risks. The success of the study was measured by comparing the percentage of major cardiovascular events and deaths between participants in the placebo and treatment groups. Researchers found that participants taking the daily statin had 35% fewer major cardiovascular events than participants in the placebo group. Moreover, participants in the treatment group were 21% less likely to die from major cardiovascular events than participants in the placebo group. Much of the treatment’s success is due to the statins lowering participants’ low-density lipoproteins (LDL) by 30%. However, Steven K. Grinspoon, MD, the study chair, said, “These findings suggest there may be additional effects of statin therapy that explain these reduced risks among people living with HIV,” and claims more research is needed to understand the increased immune system activation and benefits of the treatment for people living with HIV. The study, officially known as Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE), began in 2015 and had 7,769 adult participants. The average age of the participants was 50 and all were assessed at low-to-moderate risk for cardiovascular disease.

Source: asamonitor.pub/3s71ijC

According to a recent study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), women receiving breast cancer treatment show accelerated biological aging. Those who received radiation therapy showed the most biological aging, while surgery treatments could not be linked to accelerated biological aging. These findings imply that cancer itself does not affect biological aging. The participants of this study were solely women who remain cancer free after treatment. Biological age is assessed by a person’s cell and tissue health. The study emphasized the need to better understand why radiation treatments affect patients in such a way. Researchers emphasized that women should consider all treatments, but not shy away from radiation treatment when recommended by their doctor. Radiation treatment remains highly effective at stopping the spread of cancer. For the millions of breast cancer survivors, the study promotes efforts among researchers and physicians to mitigate the long-lasting effects of cancer and its treatments.

Source: asamonitor.pub/3OuBm8Z

A study led by researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has underscored the need to treat COVID-19 as a systemic disorder rather than a respiratory one. The new findings shed light on “long COVID,” its causes, and its effects. Previous studies have shown that the SARS-CoV-2 proteins sometimes bind to mitochondrial proteins, thus inhibiting mitochondrial function. To better understand how COVID-19 is affecting mitochondrial function, researchers made interesting discoveries into how the virus affected different parts of the body. While analyzing various types of autopsy tissues from patients and animal models, it was discovered that mitochondrial gene expression had recovered in the lungs, indicating they would recover. However, mitochondrial function remained impaired in the heart, kidneys, liver, and even the brain. The heart was affected the most. Co-senior author Douglas C. Wallace, PhD, said, “The continued dysfunction we observed in organs other than the lungs suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction could be causing long-term damage to the internal organs of these patients.” Dr. Wallace hopes the study provides the evidence needed to start treating COVID-19 as a systemic disorder rather than solely an upper respiratory infection. On a more promising note, the research team was able to identify a potential course of treatment for repairing damaged mitochondria. The microRNA 2392 was shown to regulate mitochondrial function, thus making it a good target for establishing a treatment.

Source: asamonitor.pub/3s6A9NP