Flaxseed May Limit Prostate Tumors
Flaxseed, when combined with a low-fat diet, may retard the growth of prostate tumors, according to preliminary studies at Duke University Medical Center.
The seed is a rich source of lignan, a family of fibers that bind to the male hormone testosterone and limit its ability to promote prostate tumor growth. Flaxseed also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have shown a protective effect against cancer and heart disease.
Dr. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried and her colleagues at Duke studied 25 men with prostate cancer who were awaiting surgical removal of their prostates. All the men were given a low-fat diet supplemented with three tablespoons of ground flaxseed per day. The seed must be ground because it is tough, pointy and can puncture the intestine when consumed whole. The men were instructed to sprinkle the ground flaxseed into cereal, yogurt, applesauce or juice.
The researchers reported in the July issue of the journal Urology that, after an average of 34 days of treatment, the men had lower cholesterol levels, decreased testosterone levels and an increased death of tumor cells compared to historical controls. Their levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a measure of tumor size, also fell. The men suffered no loss of libido.
Demark-Wahnefried cautioned that more studies are necessary before anyone can recommend that men take the supplements routinely.
Testing of Implanted Male Contraceptive Begins
The Dutch pharmaceutical company Organon has begun clinical trials of an implanted male contraceptive that could be on the market by 2005.
The contraceptive contains etonorgestrel, a form of progestogen present in the female contraceptive pill. The firm said 120 European and U.S. men will receive the implants--a tiny rod implanted under the skin of the arm--in the trial, which will continue through the end of 2002. The implant is expected to be effective for about a year. The men will have testosterone injections every four to six weeks to maintain their libido and other male characteristics.
Left-Handedness Linked to Bowel Diseases
Left-handers have about twice the normal risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, according to a new British study. Although researchers do not know why, left-handedness has previously been associated with other autoimmune diseases, including asthma, autism and diabetes.
Dr. Danielle Morris and her colleagues at the Royal Free and University College Hospital Medical School in London studied about 17,000 people who were born in Great Britain in 1958 and 1970. They were monitored by questionnaires at the ages of 26 and 33. Handedness was determined by hand preference for writing and foot preference for kicking a ball at the age of either 7 or 10.
The team reported in the July issue of the journal Gut that 71 people in the group had either Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, with left-handers more than twice as likely to be affected overall.
Electrical Pulse Speeds Healing of Diabetic Ulcers
Electrical stimulation can speed the healing of diabetic foot ulcers, according to a new study.
Dr. Lawrence A. Lavery and his colleagues at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio studied 35 diabetic patients with foot ulcers that were resistant to healing. Half received eight hours of high-voltage, pulsed galvanic electric stimulation every night, while the other half received a placebo treatment. All the patients also underwent weekly removal of dead tissue, topical treatment and rest.
The team reported in the June Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation that, after three months, 65% of those receiving electrical stimulation had healed, compared with 35% of those receiving placebo treatment. The researchers are not sure why the treatment improves healing.
The experiment used special equipment donated by Prizm Medical Equipment.
Many Heart Patients Do Little to Cut Risk
People who have already had a stroke or heart attack run a high risk of having a second one but, surprisingly, a large percentage of them do not take steps to reduce their risk, according to researchers from the University of Buffalo.
Dr. Adnan I. Qureshi and his colleagues studied 1,252 people identified through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who had suffered either a stroke or a heart attack. They reported in the July 10 Archives of Internal Medicine that 53% of the victims who had been diagnosed with hypertension before their illness still suffered dangerously high blood pressure. Similarly, 46% of those who had high cholesterol levels before their illness had not reduced them afterward.
Researchers concluded that physicians should treat such patients more aggressively and that patients should be better educated about the risks of doing nothing.
Report Debunks Myth About Dentists, Suicide
An above-normal suicide rate in dentists is little more than an urban folk tale, according to Dr. Roger E. Alexander of the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. Since 1933, both the public and professional media have portrayed dentists as being suicide-prone, he said, presumably because of the stress involved in the profession.
Alexander reports in the June issue of the Journal of the American Dental Assn.: “There is no statistical evidence available to prove that dentists are suicide-prone, and most reliable data suggest the opposite.”
Study: Cocaine Craving Increases for Ex-Users
The craving for cocaine does not diminish after use of the drug is halted, according to animal studies by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Instead, the craving grows stronger with passing time--a finding that explains why it is so hard for many people to kick the habit.
Psychologist Jeff Grimm and his colleagues studied rats that had become addicted to cocaine, learning to press a lever to receive the drug. The team reported in the July 12 issue of Nature that the animals continued to press the lever after the scientists stopped rewarding them with the drug, and that the frequency of pressing increased with time for as long as two months, indicating an increased desire for the drug.
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Medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II can be reached at thomas.maugh@latimes.com.
