E-Cigarettes Not Gateway Drug Among British Youth, Survey Says

By Dr Deepu
The Guardian (UK) (8/17, Meikle) reports that an online survey by the British anti-tobacco group Action On Smoking and Health found that “experimentation with e-cigarettes is rising among 11- to 18-year-olds in Britain but is most common among those who already smoke or who have done in the past.” The group suggests that the results show it is “unlikely” that e-cigarettes are being used as a gateway drug to tobacco. Also covering the story are the Daily Mail (UK) (8/17, Duell) and the Independent (UK). (8/17, Connor)

Helicobacter Pylori May Be Common In Patients With COPD

By Dr Deepu
The Daily Mail (UK) (8/16) reported that “the bacteria helicobacter pylori” may “be common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).” Research has “found that levels of the bacteria are up to three times higher in people with COPD, and one theory is that infection in childhood may affect the growth of the lungs, making them more vulnerable to disease.”

Researcher Identify Factors That May Put COPD Patients At Higher Risk For Falls

By Dr Deepu

Reuters (8/15, Rapaport) reported that research suggests that older individuals with COPD may have a higher likelihood of experiencing falls if they have additional medical conditions, prior falls, or a lengthier smoking history. The findings were published in Respirology.

Trans fats, but not saturated fats, linked to greater risk of death and heart disease

By Dr Deepu

Higher trans fat intake associated with 20-30% increased risk, say researchers

Saturated fats are not associated with an increased risk of death, heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes, finds a study published in The BMJ this week. However, the findings show that trans fats are associated with greater risk of death and coronary heart disease.

The study confirms previous suggestions that industrially produced trans fats might increase the risk of coronary heart disease and calls for a careful review of dietary guidelines for these nutrients.

Guidelines currently recommend that saturated fats are limited to less than 10%, and trans fats to less than 1% of energy to reduce risk of heart disease and stroke.

Saturated fats come mainly from animal products, such as butter, cows' milk, meat, salmon and egg yolks, and some plant products such as chocolate and palm oils. Trans unsaturated fats (trans fats) are mainly produced industrially from plant oils (a process known as hydrogenation) for use in margarine, snack foods and packaged baked goods.

Contrary to prevailing dietary advice, a recent evidence review found no excess cardiovascular risk associated with intake of saturated fat. In contrast, research suggests that industrial trans fats may increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

To help clarify these controversies, researchers in Canada analysed the results of observational studies assessing the association between saturated and/or trans fats and health outcomes in adults.

Study design and quality were taken into account to minimise bias, and the certainty of associations were assessed using a recognised scoring method.

The team found no clear association between higher intake of saturated fats and all cause mortality, coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), ischemic stroke or type 2 diabetes, but could not, with confidence, rule out increased risk for CHD death. They did not find evidence that diets higher in saturated fat reduce cardiovascular risk.

However, consumption of industrial trans fats was associated with a 34% increase in all cause mortality, a 28% increased risk of CHD mortality, and a 21% increase in the risk of CHD.

Inconsistencies in the included studies meant that the researchers could not confirm an association between trans fats and type 2 diabetes. And they found no clear association between trans fats and ischemic stroke.

The researchers point out that the certainty of associations between saturated fat and all outcomes was "very low," which means that further research is very likely to have an important impact on our understanding of the association of saturated fats with disease. The certainty of associations of trans fat with CHD outcomes was "moderate" and "very low" to "low" for other associations.

They also stress that their results are based on observational studies, so no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. However, they say their analysis "confirms the findings of five previous systematic reviews of saturated and trans fats and CHD."

And they conclude that dietary guidelines for saturated and trans fatty acids "must carefully consider the effect of replacement nutrients."

Link to article

Nicotine-degrading bacteria show therapeutic promise in smoking cessation!!!

By Dr Deepu

An early-phase study developing a new drug to aid smoking cessation has found that an enzyme made in the lab could digest nicotine before it reaches the brain.
In the Journal of the American Chemical Society, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) report how the enzyme can consume nicotine, indicating the potential to significantly reduce the length of time that nicotine remains in the blood.
The team assessed a protein extracted from Pseudomonas putida bacteria in mouse models. P. putida was originally isolated from a tobacco field and is now known to rely on nicotine as its sole source of carbon and nitrogen. The team isolated the nicotine-degrading enzyme, NicA2, from the bacteria to establish whether this protein was stable and whether the process would continue once the protein was isolated.
The results showed that the protein reduced the half-life of the nicotine from one cigarette from 2–3 hours to 9–15 minutes. The team found no evidence of any negative physical or behavioural effects of the enzyme on the mice and, at this stage, the by-products from the process of breaking down the nicotine do not appear to be toxic.
The authors state that further studies are necessary, particularly with regard to any human immune-response to the protein.