Kidney cancer is the eighth most common cancer in adults, with just over 10,100 people diagnosed each year.
Signs and symptoms of kidney cancer can include: blood in your urine; a constant pain in your side, just below the ribs; and a lump or swelling in the kidney area (on either side of the body).
See your General Practitioner (GP) as soon as possible if you experience any of these symptoms. They will examine you and may refer you to a specialist clinic for further tests.
In around half of all cases of kidney cancer, there are no symptoms, and the condition is detected during tests for other unrelated conditions.
The kidneys and cancer The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located on either side of the body, just underneath the ribcage. Their main role is to filter out waste products from the blood, in addition to producing urine. Only one of the kidneys is usually affected by cancer.
The human body is made up of billions of cells, which normally grow and multiply in an orderly way, with new cells being created only when and where they’re needed. In cancer, this orderly process goes wrong and cells begin to grow and multiply uncontrollably.
Exactly what triggers this growth is unknown; however, there are certain risk factors that can increase the chances of the condition developing, such as smoking and obesity.
Kidney cancer most frequently affects people over 50 years of age and is more common among men. Treating kidney cancer
The earlier kidney cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. How it is treated will depend on the size and spread of the cancer. Surgery to remove the cancerous cells is usually the first course of action.
Unlike most other cancers, chemotherapy isn’t very effective at treating kidney cancer. However, non-surgical treatments are available, such as radiotherapy or targeted therapies. These are most commonly used in the more advanced stages of kidney cancer, when the cancer has spread beyond the kidney.
Preventing kidney cancer As the causes of kidney cancer aren’t fully understood, it is not possible to fully prevent it.
However, leading a healthy lifestyle may reduce the chances of developing the condition. A combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise will help to avoid becoming overweight or obese, which is a significant risk factor for kidney cancer.
If you are overweight or obese, you can lose weight and maintain a healthy weight by combining regular exercise with a calorie-controlled diet.
The unmistakable taste and smell of coffee — not to mention its ability to perk people up in the morning — have made it one of the world’s most popular beverages.
Better still, observational studies indicate that coffee may protect against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and certain cancers.
Prospective studies, which follow people over time, have provided evidence that drinking this beverage is safe for most people and is associated with lower mortality rates.
However, a new study suggests that some of the supposed health benefits of coffee for cardiovascular health may have been overblown. The research was limited to white British participants.
As a result of the caffeine that coffee contains, excessive consumption can cause unpleasant symptoms such as tachycardia (a fast resting heart rate) and palpitations.
Drinking coffee can also lead to a moderate, temporary increase in blood pressure.
So it may come as a surprise that regular coffee drinkers either have normal or reduced blood pressure compared with people who do not drink coffee.
One explanation may be that coffee drinkers develop a physiological tolerance for the effects of caffeine.
But a new study suggests that people with a high genetic risk of cardiovascular disease unconsciously reduce how much they drink to avoid unpleasant cardiovascular symptoms.
The research found that individuals with high blood pressure, angina, or arrhythmia drank less caffeinated coffee and were more likely to drink decaffeinated coffee.
Crucially, there was strong evidence that their genetic vulnerability to cardiovascular disease led to their reduced consumption of coffee.
This rules out the alternative explanation that consuming less coffee made them more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease.
“Whether we drink a lot of coffee, a little, or avoid caffeine altogether, this study shows that genetics are guiding our decisions to protect our cardio health,” Professor Elina Hyppönen, who led the research and directs the Australian Centre for Precision Health at the university.
“If your body is telling you not to drink that extra cup of coffee, there’s likely a reason why,” she adds. “Listen to your body — it’s more in tune with your health than you may think.”
In observational studies, this effect could give the false impression that coffee prevents high blood pressure and protects the heart.
In reality, people vulnerable to high blood pressure may simply avoid drinking coffee because, for them, the caffeine is more likely to cause unpleasant symptoms.
The scientists drew on information about 390,435 white British participants aged 39–73 years who are part of a medical and genetic database called UK Biobank.
On recruitment, participants reported their regular coffee consumption. Researchers also measured their blood pressure and heart rate and noted any cardiovascular symptoms.
Participants with high blood pressure, angina, or arrhythmia consumed less caffeinated coffee compared with those without these symptoms.
To determine whether regular coffee consumption caused the symptoms, or whether the symptoms triggered a reduction in coffee consumption, the researchers used a statistical technique called Mendelian randomization.
This technique exploits the random inheritance of genetic variants that increase a person’s risk of a particular outcome later in life — in this case, the association between blood pressure and heart rate with habitual coffee consumption.
Because factors, such as lifestyle or diet, cannot change a person’s genetic sequence, any associations that the researchers discovered must be due to the gene variants rather than any other factors.
When they analyzed the data, it showed that having a particular genetic variant determined how much coffee a person drank.
“What this means is that someone who drinks a lot of coffee is likely more genetically tolerant of caffeine, as compared to someone who drinks very little,” says Prof. Hyppönen.
“Conversely, a noncoffee drinker, or someone who drinks decaffeinated coffee, is more likely prone to the adverse effects of caffeine and more susceptible to high blood pressure,” she adds.
Psychological effects
Medical News Today asked Prof. Hyppönen whether the psychological effects that some people experience when they drink a lot of coffee, such as anxiety and agitation, could also play a role.
“This is not something that we looked at in our study, but any unpleasant sensation that an individual feels in response to coffee consumption is likely to reduce their wish to drink coffee,” said Prof. Hyppönen.
MNT asked Dr. Edo Paz, a doctor atdigital primary care platform K Health, about the effects of drinking too much coffee.
He responded:
“[D]rinking too much coffee can result in headache, anxiety, tremors, and difficulty sleeping. With regards to the heart, in particular, excess coffee intake can result in palpitations and may trigger events in the heart, such as abnormal heart rhythms, in susceptible individuals.”
The problem of reverse causation
The findings of the new research suggest that observational studies that found an association between coffee consumption and better health may have fallen prey to “reverse causation.”
In other words, heart health issues led people to drink less coffee, rather than the other way round.
Prof. Hyppönen said Mendelian randomization studies had cast doubt on other apparent protective effects.
For example, epidemiological studies have led people to infer that moderate alcohol consumption protects against cardiovascular disease, and that having excess weight reduces mortality compared with moderate weight.
“According to [Mendelian randomization] studies, there does not appear to be any benefit for having [excess weight] versus [slim or moderate] weight, with the possible exception for smokers,” she said.
Smoking reduces appetite and hence weight, but it also has links with a wide range of negative effects on health.
“Also for alcohol, [the] evidence suggests linear increases in blood pressure and stroke risk, with no benefit for light alcohol consumption,” she added.
While further studies are necessary using a more diverse population, this study suggests using a considered, personalized approach when promoting high coffee intakes.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, has said that government plans to commission a modern 500-bed capacity mental healthcare facility for admission and rehabilitation of psychiatric patients.
Abayomi made the disclosure on Wednesday while speaking at the Eko Wellness Fair. The event will hold from Saturday, May 1 to Friday, May 7 virtually.
He noted that mental health should be given priority, considering the pressure and other challenges that residents of the state are subjected to on a daily basis.
Abayomi disclosed that plans are ongoing to establish mental health units in all general hospitals while the government works on improving recreation facilities across the state to achieve Lagos State’s one health initiative.
Convener, Eko Wellness Network, Oyin Talabi, explained that the fair aims to connect people with wellness practitioners as a preventive instead of curative measure.
She noted that series of events in the nation since 2020 suggests that many Nigerians are in a survival mode, making it difficult for people to think critically for optimal productivity.
The fair tagged “My Mental Health Matters: For Our Collective Prosperity” will feature workshops by high-level Nigerian psychotherapists and wellness practitioners, cooking demonstrations of healthier food alternatives, art and therapy stimulations, and online shopping of healthy foods and lifestyle products by proudly Nigerian businesses.
According to Talabi, Nigeria is yet to scratch the surface in creating mental health awareness. She called for more engagement as there are still depths to cover in healthy living.
Talabi called on the government to enact laws that support the mental health of citizens as the “existing ones are archaic.”
“A part of the law permits arrest of an individual if found mentally unstable, and displaying in a public place instead of getting the person help,” Talabi said.
Zainab Abu, Vertical Lead, SMEs, Flutterwave, noted that the change in consumer behaviour since the pandemic informed their partnership with the fair.
“As partners we are helping all vendors display goods and facilitate online payment,” Abu said. “We are creating an avenue for them to display their goods virtually during the event and receive payment from every purchase. The platform allows them to put up pictures description and amount of products on sale.”
Africa Film Awards, the curators of the AMA-Awards, also partnered with the Eko Wellness Network to amplify awareness for mental health through a short film contest. The 7 top films will be screened on each day of the week-long fair.
One in seven pregnancies worldwide ends in miscarriage, and eleven percent of women endure a failed pregnancy at least once in their lifetime, experts said Tuesday.
Some 23 million miscarriages occur every year, according to data pieced together from around the globe by an international team of 31 researchers.
But the actual tally is sure to be “substantially higher” due to underreporting, they said in a trio of studies published in The Lancet.
Two percent of women — one in 50 — have experienced two miscarriages, while less that one percent have been through three or more.
Levels of care for women suffering miscarriage is highly uneven across countries, and even within many wealthy nations, the data showed.
“A new system is needed to ensure miscarriages are better recognised and women are given the physical and mental health care they need,” the researchers said in a statement.
Misconceptions about miscarriage are widespread.
Many women believe they occur only rarely, for example, or that they can be caused by lifting heavy objects or previous contraceptive use.
They may also think that there’s no effective treatments to prevent a miscarriage, especially in women at high risk.
Such misconceptions can be damaging, leaving women and their partners feeling at fault and discouraging them from seeking treatment and support, the authors note.
Miscarriage can also lead to isolation, since many women might not tell their family, close friends, or even their partner about the loss of a pregnancy.
“Silence around miscarriage remains not only for women who experience it, but also among health care providers, policymakers and research funders,” said co-lead author Siobhan Quenby, a professor at the University of Warwick and director of Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research.
A miscarriage is widely defined as the loss of a pregnancy before 20 to 24 weeks of gestation, with the exact time period varying from country to country.
Unrecognised trauma A review of published academic literature up to mid-May 2020 identified many causes for miscarriages, including a more advanced maternal age, previous miscarriages, and a father older than 40.
Other risk factors correlating with pregnancies that end spontaneously are being extremely under- or over-weight, smoking, alcohol consumption, persistent stress, working night shifts, and constant exposure to air pollution or pesticides.
Health consequences can be severe, especially for women who experience a second or multiple miscarriages.
“Recurrent miscarriage is a devastating experience for most women, but the mental health impact is rarely acknowledged or addressed in medical care,” said co-lead author Arri Coomarasamy, from the University of Birmingham.
“Women can experience trauma and bereavement, which may have no obvious sign and can go unrecognised.”
There is also a link with anxiety, depression and — for about 20 percent of women — post-traumatic stress disorder nine months after a miscarriage.
The authors of the three studies noted that most data comes from wealthier nations, but that the “silence around miscarriage” is found everywhere.
They recommended that national health authorities strengthen miscarriage care services, improve research in prevention, and identify women at high risk.
“For too long miscarriage has been minimised and often dismissed,” The Lancet said in an companion editorial.
“The lack of medical progress should be shocking — instead, there is pervasive acceptance.”
“The era of telling women to ‘just try again’ is over,” The Lancet said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer accounted for 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020. Globally, it is a leading cause of death.
In the United States, an estimated 39.5% of people will receive a cancer diagnosis within their lifetime.
Myths tend to develop around particularly prevalent conditions. It is no surprise, therefore, that people often misunderstand cancer.
“Cancer” is a generic term for a group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. This variety adds fuel to the fire of confusion.
In this article, we hope to dispel some myths and clarify this common and varied group of diseases.
1. Cancer is a death sentence
Cancer is not a death sentence. Despite the sobering statistics quoted above, cancer is not always terminal.
As scientists understand cancer better and develop improved treatments, recovery rates continue to improve.
For instance, in January 2019, an estimated 16.9 million cancer survivors were living in the United States. In the United Kingdom, survival rates have doubled in the last 40 years.
It is also worth noting that survival rates vary significantly depending on the type of cancer. For instance, in the U.K., survival rates for testicular cancer are 98%, whereas survival rates for pancreatic cancer are just 1%.
“In the United States, the likelihood of dying from cancer has dropped steadily since the 1990s. Now, 5-year survival rates for some cancers, such as breast, prostate, and thyroid cancers, are 90% or better. The 5-year survival rate for all cancers combined is currently about 67%.”
Overall, cancer death rates are slowly declining, although the survival rates of some cancers are increasing more than others. An annual report on the status of cancer in the U.S., which appears in Cancer in 2020, concludes:
“[C]ancer death rates decreased 1.5% on average per year during 2001 through 2017.”
2. Cancer is contagious
This is a myth. Cancer is not contagious. Someone with cancer cannot spread it to others.
However, some sexually transmitted diseases, including human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B and C, can cause cancers in the cervix and the liver. In these cases, an infectious agent causes the cancer, but the cancer itself is not contagious.
As an interesting aside, scientists have documented that cancers in some animals, including Tasmanian devils and dogs, can cause fatal transmissible cancers: devil facial tumor disease and canine transmissible venereal tumor, respectively.
3. Cell phones cause cancer
To date, there is no evidence that cell phones cause cancer. One of the reasons this myth developed is that these devices emit radiofrequency radiation (radio waves), a form of non-ionizing radiation. The body absorbs this radiation.
Scientists know that exposure to ionizing radiation, for instance, X-rays, increases the risk of cancer. However, radiofrequency radiation is non-ionizing radiation, which does not increase cancer risk. The National Cancer Institute writes:
“[A]lthough many studies have examined the potential health effects of non-ionizing radiation from radar, microwave ovens, cell phones, and other sources, there is currently no consistent evidence that non-ionizing radiation increases cancer risk in humans.”
4. Power lines cause cancer
This is also a myth. The extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields produced by power lines are non-ionizing and, therefore, do not cause cancer.
“Several large studies have looked at the possible effects of ELF magnetic fields on cancer in rats and mice. These studies expose the animals to magnetic fields much stronger than what people are normally exposed to at home […]. Most of these studies have found no increase in the risk of any type of cancer. In fact, the risk of some types of cancer was actually lower in the animals exposed to the ELF radiation.”
However, the American Cancer Society also explains that some studies have found a slight increase in leukemia risk for children who live close to power lines. However, the reasons for this remain unclear.
Medical News Today spoke with Dr. Joel Newman, a consultant hematologist and specialty lead for pathology at East Sussex Healthcare Trust in the U.K. He puts the risk into perspective:
“We don’t have any real evidence that cell phones or power lines cause cancer, and there are many other things that we do daily that put us at a much greater risk than these ever could, including smoking and alcohol consumption.”
5. Artificial sweeteners cause cancer
To date, there is no good evidence that artificial sweeteners increase the risk of developing cancer.
The National Cancer Institute explains why this myth may have arisen:
“Questions about artificial sweeteners and cancer arose when early studies showed that cyclamate in combination with saccharin caused bladder cancer in laboratory animals.”
However, they explain that further studies “have not provided clear evidence of an association with cancer in humans. Similarly, studies of other [Food and Drug Administration (FDA)]-approved sweeteners have not demonstrated clear evidence of an association with cancer in humans.”
Similarly, a study investigating aspartame and cancer, which included data from more than half a million participants, found no links between “aspartame consumption and lymphoma, leukemia, or brain cancer.”
6. Cancer surgery causes cancer to spread
This is only a partial myth. It is true that cancer surgery can cause the cancer to spread, but this is rare. As the American Cancer Society explains:
“Advances in equipment used during surgery and more detailed imaging tests have helped make this risk very low.”
A related myth indicates that a tumor will grow faster or spread to other parts of the body when exposed to the air. This is untrue.
7. Herbal medicines can cure cancer
There is no evidence that any herbal medicines can cure or treat cancer.
However, some people find certain alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, meditation, and yoga, help with the psychological stress associated with cancer and some of the side effects of cancer treatment.
As the National Cancer points out, just because something is “natural” does not mean it is safe. In some circumstances, herbal supplements can harm a person’s health; they provide a couple of examples:
“[S]ome studies have shown that kava kava, a herb that some people use to help with stress and anxiety, may cause liver damage. And St. John’s wort, which some people use for depression, may cause certain cancer drugs not to work as well as they should.”
It is important that people with cancer speak with a doctor about supplements and vitamins before taking them.
8. Cancer runs in families
Although some cancers are passed on genetically through families, they are the minority of cases: an estimated 3–10% of cancers result from mutations inherited from parents.
Because people are more likely to develop cancer as they age, and people today live longer lives, it is not uncommon for people to have some relatives who develop cancer. This might help explain why this myth persists.
Most cases of cancer are due to a buildup of mutations in genes that accumulate over time. As the American Cancer Society explains:
“Some types of cancer run in certain families, but most cancers are not clearly linked to the genes we inherit from our parents. Gene changes that start in a single cell over the course of a person’s life cause most cancers.”
9. Cancer always comes back
To address this question, MNT spoke with Dr. Collin Vu, a medical oncologist and hematologist at MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. He said:
“Fortunately for all of us, this statement is a myth and entirely not true. The current therapies for cancers are improving to the point where the cure of cancer — that is, treatments that will kill cancer completely — are improving continuously.”
However, he explains that the subject is complicated because “different cancer types have a markedly different ability to be cured, and different cancer types also have different time frames for which a cancer may typically recur. [This] makes it very difficult for patients to know when they may be truly ‘cured’ or when they still have a high risk of cancer recurrence.”
Dr. Vu has great hopes for the future of cancer treatment; he told MNT:
“In the future, with current scientific progress in better treatments for cancer, and improved population awareness of cancer risks and diagnosis, the statement that ‘cancer always comes back’ may become even more of a myth.”
10. There is no cure for cancer
Thankfully, this is also a myth. As medical science delves deeper into the mechanisms behind cancer, treatments steadily grow more effective.
According to Dr. Vu, some cancers, such as testicular and thyroid cancer, have a 60% cure rate. Dr. Vu defines the cure rate as “the population of cancer patients that has the same life expectancy as the general population.”
Breast, prostate, and bladder also have cure rates of around 50%. Dr. Vu concludes:
“As can be seen by the above data, some cancers can be eradicated, but, unfortunately, not all cancers can be cured completely. There is ongoing optimism that cure rates are increasing given the ongoing focus on screening and better treatments for cancer.”
MNT also spoke with Dr. Anton Bilchik, Ph.D., a surgical oncologist, professor of surgery, chief of gastrointestinal research, and chief of medicine at Saint John’s Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. He also leads with a message of hope:
“It is imperative that patients who are diagnosed with cancer, even at an advanced stage, do not lose hope: there are many effective, novel therapies, as well as more effective surgical techniques. A good example is with the use of modern immunotherapy, up to 40% of patients with stage 4 melanoma are curable, and 50% of patients with stage 4 colon cancer metastatic to the liver can be cured with a combination of chemotherapy and surgery.”
In short: although the battle with cancer is ongoing, science is making significant headway.
Obesity can have severe effects on a person’s quality of life and lifespan. Research shows that it substantially increases the risk of a wide range of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.
Despite the long-established health risks, however, recent decades have seen an inexorable rise in rates of obesity throughout the world.
One study found that between 1980 and 2015, the prevalence of obesity doubled in more than 70 countries and steadily increased in most others.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016, more than 650 million adults had obesity. Overweight and obesity now claim the lives of more than 2.8 million people each year.
A major challenge for researchers is to distinguish the effects of genetics from those of lifestyle on the progression of obesity and its effects on health.
A team of researchers, led by two from the Obesity Research Unit at the University of Helsinki, in Finland, used an ingenious way to do this.
By studying 49 pairs of identical twins who did not share the same body mass index, or BMI, readings, they removed the effect of genes from the equation.
Identical, or monozygotic, twins have the same genetic makeup. They experience almost identical conditions in the womb and usually have very similar upbringings.
This means that the differences between the twins in the study arose from the influence of their environment or lifestyle as adults, rather than their genes or conditions during childhood.
First, the researchers took blood samples and biopsies of fat, or adipose, tissue and skeletal muscle tissue from the volunteers.
They then used a variety of molecular techniques to analyze the transcription of genes, production of proteins, and processing of metabolites in the two types of tissue.
A key finding was that the activity of mitochondria, the power plants of cells, was reduced in the muscle and adipose tissue of people with obesity.
The change was more marked in adipose than in muscle tissue.
Meanwhile, there was also increased inflammation in the tissues from twins with obesity, compared with their leaner siblings.
The changes in adipose tissue, but not muscle tissue, were associated with adverse health effects, including fatty liver disease and insulin resistance, conditions that have been linked to the development of diabetes.
Reduced power output
“If mitochondria […] are compared to the engine of a car, you could say that the power output decreases as weight increases,” explains senior author Prof. Kirsi Pietiläinen, also of the university’s Obesity Research Unit.
The researchers believe that these underperforming mitochondria produce more of the harmful reactive oxygen species, or free radicals, that stoke inflammation.
“A low-powered mitochondrial engine may also generate toxic exhaust fumes, which can cause a pro-inflammatory state in adipose tissue and, consequently, the onset of diseases associated with obesity,” explains Prof. Pietiläinen.
“What was surprising was that the mitochondrial pathways in muscle had no association with these adverse health effects,” she adds.
Another notable finding was that mitochondria in the adipose and muscle tissue of individuals with obesity were less efficient at breaking down a type of amino acid. These acids are the building blocks of proteins.
“This finding was of particular significance because the reduced breakdown of these amino acids and the resulting heightened concentration in blood have also been directly linked with prediabetic changes and the accumulation of liver fat in prior twin studies,” says Prof. Pietiläinen.
The researchers observe that in people with obesity, excessive nutrients may upset the control of catabolic and anabolic processes, reactions that break down and assemble organic molecules, respectively.
They write:
“We argue that, because of a high nutrition load, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle tissue no longer sufficiently shift between catabolic and anabolic reactions in acquired obesity. Consequently, the cells in these tissues increase their [internal] communication and activate emergency responses, such as inflammation.”
They acknowledge that the major limitation of their study was its cross-sectional design, meaning that it focused on a single point in time.
While the study identified associations between obesity and the various metabolic and health measures, it could not prove the existence of any causal relationships, as a result of this design
Scientists have offered a detailed view of the biochemical pathway surrounding Parkin — a protein that plays a key role in maintaining cellular energy.
The research, which appears in the journal Science Advances, may help scientists develop new treatments for Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, which can all occur when Parkin is not functioning properly.
Mitophagy
Parkin’s central role is to remove damaged mitochondria, which are the power stations of the cell that are responsible for generating energy. Cellular stress can damage mitochondria.
Damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria tend to accumulate in the cell, and the body needs to clear them away using a process known as mitophagy. This process is essential for cell health and energy production.
Researchers have implicated mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s.
A key question for scientists has been how Parkin is able to respond to cellular stress so quickly. The signal for Parkin to do its work appeared to occur after it had already started.
Biochemical pathways
In the present study, the scientists gained a better perspective on the biochemical pathway that signals Parkin to clear away damaged mitochondria.
According to Prof. Reuben Shaw, director of the Salk Cancer Center in La Jolla, CA, and senior author of the study, “our findings represent the earliest step in Parkin’s alarm response that anyone has ever found by a long shot.”
“All the other known biochemical events happen at 1 hour; we have now found something that happens within 5 minutes.”
“Decoding this major step in the way cells dispose of defective mitochondria has implications for a number of diseases.”
Building on their prior research, the scientists searched for proteins that activate in response to the enzyme ULK1, which the enzyme AMPK triggers. They found that Parkin was a prime candidate.
The results were surprising as biochemical pathways are normally very complicated, involving up to 50 different proteins.
The scientists confirmed the findings using mass spectrometry. This process revealed how ULK1 was interacting with Parkin, offering a detailed view of how the various proteins work together.
It is this chain, from AMPK to ULK1 to Parkin, that accounts for the speed with which Parkin can react to cellular stress.
Future treatments?
By drawing a link between Parkin and AMPK, the research may aid in the development of new treatments for various diseases.
For Prof. Shaw, “the big takeaway […] is that metabolism and changes in the health of your mitochondria are critical in cancer, they are critical in diabetes, and they are critical in neurodegenerative diseases.”
“Our finding says that a diabetes drug that activates AMPK, which we previously showed can suppress cancer, may also help restore function in patients with neurodegenerative disease.”
“That is because the general mechanisms that underpin the health of the cells in our bodies are way more integrated than anyone could have ever imagined.”
However, there is also a complex two-way relationship between obesity and mental illness.
According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 43%Trusted Source of the U.S. adults aged 20 years and over who are living with depression also have obesity. There is also an association between mental illness in general and obesity.
Weight gain is a recognized side effect of many antidepressant medications. Conversely, research suggests that obesity can have a psychological effect on people that predisposes them to depression.
But researchers believe that there may also be a more direct, physiological link between the two conditions.
Among the possible causes that obesity and mental illness may have in common are:
inflammation
hormonal disturbances
genetic factors
Brain circuitry
There is also a possibility that certain neural circuits in the brain predispose people to both obesity and mental health conditions. However, exactly where these circuits are and how they work have been unclear.
Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, recently led a team of researchers that may have discovered such a circuit in mice.
The team found that feeding mice a high fat diet disrupted the circuit, which led not only to weight gain but also to signs of anxiety and depression on standard behavioral tests.
When the researchers used genetic techniques to restore the normal functioning of nerve receptors in the circuit, this resulted in weight loss and eliminated the animals’ signs of anxiety and depression.
Remarkably, despite still having a healthy appetite, the mice reduced their food intake and were no longer interested in high fat food.
“We were surprised to see that the animals lost weight not because they lost their appetite but because genetically aided readjustment of the mental states changed their feeding preference from high fat to low fat food,” says Dr. Guobin Xia, a postdoctoral associate at Baylor who is co-first author of the study.
Two drugs that target the same nerve receptors in this brain circuit had similar beneficial effects on the mice and their feeding preferences.
Whereas the hypothalamus plays a central role in the hormonal regulation of appetite and physiology, among other functions, the BNST is involved in stress and fear responses.
The researchers showed that in mice, eating a high fat diet disrupted the circuit, dulling its ability to regulate appetite and emotions.
“This newly discovered circuit was malfunctioning in mice that were both obese and depressed,” says Dr. Xia.
The scientists found that they could restore the circuit by tweaking the activity of two nerve receptors in the BNST, either genetically or with drugs that target the receptors.
This reversed the negative effects of the high fat diet, eliminating signs of anxiety and depression and reducing body weight.
Drug combination
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already approved the two drugs, zonisamide and granisetron, as treatments for epilepsy and for preventing nausea, respectively.
Dr. Qi Wu, who is the corresponding author of the new study, explains:
“We discovered that the combination of two clinically approved drugs, zonisamide and granisetron, profoundly reduced anxiety and depression in mice and promoted weight loss by synergistically acting upon two different molecular targets within our newly identified brain circuit.”
The researchers believe that their findings could lead to future clinical trials of this drug combination for treating the link between obesity and mental health conditions.
Until other researchers have confirmed the findings and conducted clinical trials, however, these early results from a study in animals remain tentative and may not translate to humans.
Photo editing by Stephen Kelly; Alexander Spatari/Getty Images
People with dementia have difficulties with their memory, attention, thinking, and reasoning that interfere with everyday activities. These cognitive difficulties are not part of the typical aging process.
The World Health Organization (WHO) report that there are around 50 millionTrusted Source dementia cases globally, with around 10 million new cases being diagnosed every year.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60–70% of cases.
About 5–10% of cases are associated with impaired blood flow to the brain — for example, as a result of a stroke — and are known as vascular dementia.
Genetic and environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle, are known to affect the development and progression of dementia.
However, a new study from scientists at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom suggests there is a link between eating processed meat in particular and an increased risk of developing dementia.
Processed meats include products such as sausages, bacon, salami, and corned beef.
That said, the research also indicates that red meat may have a protective effect against dementia.
The scientists analyzed data from the UK Biobank, a database of genetic and health information from around half a million volunteers in the U.K. aged 40–69 years.
On recruitment to the project, every participant filled out a dietary questionnaire and completed 24-hour dietary assessments.
This allowed the researchers to estimate the total amount of meat each participant regularly consumed and how much of each type they ate.
The database also allowed them to identify which participants had thegene variant APOE ε4 allele, which is known to increase a person’s risk of dementia.
They then used hospital and mortality records to identify subsequent cases of dementia from all causes, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia during the follow-up period of around 8 years.
Of the 493,888 participants, 2,896 had all-cause dementia. These included 1,006 cases of Alzheimer’s disease and 490 cases of vascular dementia.
To estimate the role of meat consumption, the researchers had to account for a wide range of other factors that are known to affect a person’s likelihood of having dementia.
These included age, gender, ethnicity, education, and socioeconomic status. In addition, the researchers accounted for lifestyle factors, such as smoking, physical activity, and consumption of fruits and vegetables, fish, tea, coffee, and alcohol.
After these adjustments, they found that each additional 25-g portion of processed meat eaten per day was associated with a 44% increase in the risk of dementia from all causes.
This intake was also associated with a 52% increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
By contrast, each additional 50-g portion of unprocessed meat eaten per day was linked to a 19% reduction in the risk of all-cause dementia and a 30% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The results for unprocessed poultry and total meat consumption were not statistically significant.
Eating large amounts of processed meat was also associated with a higher risk of vascular dementia, but the link with steadily increasing daily consumption was not significant.
As expected, the researchers noted that having the APOE ε4 allele increased the risk of dementia 3–6-fold. However, it did not significantly affect the observed associations between diet and dementia.
Processed meat and disease risk
A large body of evidence has linked consumption of processed meat to cancer. In 2015, the WHO even went so far as to define it as a carcinogen.
“Worldwide, the prevalence of dementia is increasing, and diet as a modifiable factor could play a role,” says Huifeng Zhang, a Ph.D. student at the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds, who was the lead researcher of the new study.
“Our research adds to the growing body of evidence linking processed meat consumption to increased risk of a range of nontransmissible diseases,” she adds.
It is important to note that the researchers have reported their results as percentage increases in the risk of developing dementia, or “relative risk.”
This is in contrast to the change in “absolute risk,” or how many extra cases there will be per 1,000 individuals, for example.
Ms. Zhang told Medical News Today that data from the UK Biobank are unsuitable for calculating absolute risk, because it is not a representative sample of the entire population.
For example, she said, it does not contain a sufficiently high proportion of individuals aged over 70 years.
The risk of dementia rises with age, so this imbalance would skew any calculation of absolute risk.
It is also worth noting that this was an observational study, so it could not prove that consuming processed meat causes dementia. It does, however, demonstrate a statistical association between the two.
“It’s always important to remember when looking at studies like this that they can’t attribute causation and [that] important confounding factors might account for apparent associations,” says Prof. Robert Howard, professor of old age psychiatry at University College London in the U.K., who was not involved in the study.
“As a doctor who works clinically with people with dementia and conducts research into potential dementia treatments, the data wouldn’t persuade me to give up my breakfast bacon,” he adds.
High blood pressure is a dangerous condition that can damage your heart. It affects one in three people in the US and 1 billion people worldwide (1Trusted Source, 2).
If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure raises your risk of heart disease and stroke.
But there’s good news. There are a number of things you can do to lower your blood pressure naturally, even without medication.
Regular exercise can help lower your blood pressure.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do to lower high blood pressure.
Regular exercise helps make your heart stronger and more efficient at pumping blood, which lowers the pressure in your arteries.
In fact, 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as running, per week, can help lower blood pressure and improve your heart health (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
What’s more, doing even more exercise than this reduces your blood pressure even further, according to the National Walkers’ Health Study (5Trusted Source).
Bottom line: Walking just 30 minutes a day can help lower your blood pressure. More exercise helps reduce it even further.
2. Reduce your sodium intake
Salt intake is high around the world. In large part, this is due to processed and prepared foods.
For this reason, many public health efforts are aimed at lowering salt in the food industry (6Trusted Source).
Many studies have linked high salt intake with high blood pressure and heart events, including stroke (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
However, more recent research indicates that the relationship between sodium and high blood pressure is less clear (9Trusted Source, 10).
One reason for this may be genetic differences in how people process sodium. About half of people with high blood pressure and a quarter of people with normal levels seem to have a sensitivity to salt (11Trusted Source).
If you already have high blood pressure, it’s worth cutting back your sodium intake to see if it makes a difference. Swap out processed foods with fresh ones and try seasoning with herbs and spices rather than salt.
Bottom line: Most guidelines for lowering blood pressure recommend reducing sodium intake. However, that recommendation might make the most sense for people who are salt-sensitive.
3. Drink less alcohol
Drinking alcohol can raise blood pressure. In fact, alcohol is linked to 16% of high blood pressure cases around the world (12Trusted Source).
While some research has suggested that low-to-moderate amounts of alcohol may protect the heart, those benefits may be offset by adverse effects (12Trusted Source).
In the U.S., moderate alcohol consumption is defined as no more than one drink a day for women and two for men. If you drink more than that, cut back.
Bottom line: Drinking alcohol in any quantity may raise your blood pressure. Limit your drinking in line with the recommendations.
When you’re chronically stressed, your body is in a constant fight-or-flight mode. On a physical level, that means a faster heart rate and constricted blood vessels.
When you experience stress, you might also be more likely to engage in other behaviors, such as drinking alcohol or eating unhealthful food that can adversely affect blood pressure.
Several studies have explored how reducing stress can help lower blood pressure. Here are two evidence-based tips to try:
Listen to soothing music: Calming music can help relax your nervous system. Research has shown it’s an effective complement to other blood pressure therapies (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
Work less: Working a lot, and stressful work situations, in general, are linked to high blood pressure (23Trusted Source, 24).
Bottom line: Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure. Finding ways to manage stress can help.
7. Eat dark chocolate or cocoa
Here’s a piece of advice you can really get behind.
While eating massive amounts of dark chocolate probably won’t help your heart, small amounts may.
That’s because dark chocolate and cocoa powder are rich in flavonoids, which are plant compounds that cause blood vessels to dilate (25Trusted Source).
A review of studies found that flavonoid-rich cocoa improved several markers of heart health over the short term, including lowering blood pressure (25Trusted Source).
For the strongest effects, use non-alkalized cocoa powder, which is especially high in flavonoids and has no added sugars.
Bottom line: Dark chocolate and cocoa powder contain plant compounds that help relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure.
8. Lose weight
In people with overweight, losing weight can make a big difference to heart health.
According to a 2016 study, losing 5% of your body mass could significantly lower high blood pressure (26Trusted Source).
In previous studies, losing 17.64 pounds (8 kilograms) was linked to lowering systolic blood pressure by 8.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 6.5 mm Hg (27Trusted Source).
To put that in perspective, a healthy reading should be less than 120/80 mm Hg (4Trusted Source).
The effect is even greater when weight loss is paired with exercise (27Trusted Source).
Losing weight can help your blood vessels do a better job of expanding and contracting, making it easier for the left ventricle of the heart to pump blood.
Bottom line: Losing weight can significantly lower high blood pressure. This effect is even more significant when you exercise.
9. Quit smoking
Among the many reasons to quit smoking is that the habit is a strong risk factor for heart disease.
Every puff of cigarette smoke causes a slight, temporary increase in blood pressure. The chemicals in tobacco are also known to damage blood vessels.
Surprisingly, studies haven’t found a conclusive link between smoking and high blood pressure. Perhaps this is because smokers develop a tolerance over time (28).
Still, since both smoking and high blood pressure raise the risk of heart disease, quitting smoking can help lessen that risk.
Bottom line: There’s conflicting research about smoking and high blood pressure, but what is clear is that both increase the risk of heart disease.
10. Cut added sugar and refined carbs
There’s a growing body of research showing a link between added sugar and high blood pressure (29, 30, 31).
In the Framingham Women’s Health Study, women who drank even one soda per day had higher levels than those who drank less than one soda per day (32).
Another study found that having one less sugar-sweetened beverage per day was linked to lower blood pressure (33Trusted Source).
And it’s not just sugar — all refined carbs, such as the kind found in white flour — convert rapidly to sugar in your bloodstream and may cause problems.
Some studies have shown that low carb diets may also help reduce blood pressure.
One study on people undergoing statin therapy found that those who went on a 6-week, carb-restricted diet saw a greater improvement in blood pressure and other heart disease markers than people who did not restrict carbs (34Trusted Source).
Bottom line: Refined carbs, especially sugar, may raise blood pressure. Some studies have shown that low carb diets may help reduce your levels.
11. Eat berries
Berries are full of more than just juicy flavor.
They’re also packed with polyphenols, natural plant compounds that are good for your heart.
Polyphenols can reduce the risk of stroke, heart conditions, and diabetes, as well as improving blood pressure, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation (34).
One study assigned people with high blood pressure to a low-polyphenol diet or a high-polyphenol diet containing berries, chocolate, fruits, and vegetables (35).
Those consuming berries and polyphenol-rich foods experienced improved markers of heart disease risk.
Bottom line: Berries are rich in polyphenols, which can help lower blood pressure and the overall risk of heart disease.
12. Try meditation or deep breathing
While these two behaviors could also fall under “stress reduction techniques,” meditation and deep breathing deserve specific mention.
Both meditation and deep breathing may activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is engaged when the body relaxes, slowing the heart rate, and lowering blood pressure.
There’s quite a bit of research in this area, with studies showing that different styles of meditation appear to have benefits for lowering blood pressure (36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).
Deep breathing techniques can also be quite effective.
In one study, participants were asked to either take six deep breaths over the course of 30 seconds or simply sit still for 30 seconds. Those who took breaths lowered their blood pressure more than those who just sat (38Trusted Source).
Try guided meditation or deep breathing. Here’s a video to get you started.
Bottom line: Both meditation and deep breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure.
13. Eat calcium-rich foods
People with low calcium intake often have high blood pressure.
While calcium supplements haven’t been conclusively shown to lower blood pressure, calcium-rich diets do seem linked to healthful levels (39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source).
For most adults, the calcium recommendation is 1,000 milligrams (mg) per day. For women over 50 and men over 70, it’s 1,200 mg per day (41).
Bottom line: Calcium-rich diets are linked to healthy blood pressure levels. You can get calcium through eating dark leafy greens and tofu, as well as dairy.
14. Take natural supplements
Some natural supplements may also help lower blood pressure. Here are some of the main supplements that have evidence behind them:
Aged garlic extract: Researchers have used aged garlic extract successfully as a stand-alone treatment and along with conventional therapies for lowering blood pressure (42Trusted Source, 43Trusted Source).
Berberine: Traditionally used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, berberine may increase nitric oxide production, which helps decrease blood pressure (44Trusted Source, 45Trusted Source).
Whey protein: A 2016 study found that whey protein improved blood pressure and blood vessel function in 38 participants (46Trusted Source).
Fish oil: Long credited with improving heart health, fish oil may benefit people with high blood pressure the most (47Trusted Source, 48).
Hibiscus: Hibiscus flowers make a tasty tea. They’re rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols that are good for your heart and may lower blood pressure (49Trusted Source).
Bottom line: Researchers have investigated several natural supplements for their ability to lower blood pressure.
15. Eat foods rich in magnesium
Magnesium is an important mineral that helps blood vessels relax.
While magnesium deficiency is pretty rare, many people don’t get enough.
Some studies have suggested that getting too little magnesium is linked with high blood pressure, but evidence from clinical studies has been less clear (50Trusted Source, 51Trusted Source).
Still, eating a magnesium-rich diet is a recommended way to ward off high blood pressure (51Trusted Source).
You can incorporate magnesium into your diet by consuming vegetables, dairy products, legumes, chicken, meat, and whole grains.
Bottom line: Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Find it in whole foods, such as legumes and whole grains.
Take home message
High blood pressure affects a large proportion of the world’s population.
While drugs are one way to treat the condition, there are many other natural techniques, including eating certain foods that can help.
Controlling your blood pressure through the methods in this article may, ultimately, help you lower your risk of heart disease.
SHOP FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER REMEDIES
If you want to buy any of the over-the-counter remedies listed in this article, then they are available online.
