Medics Diary

dengue fever in south america

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:24:56 +0000

South America health authorities reported that “they are prepared to deal with a possible strong epidemic of dengue, which is a viral disease transmitted by a mosquito bite that causes high fever, headaches, joint pain, diarrhea and vomiting.
They are worried about the most affected countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay and the emergence of the most dangerous variant of the disease, ‘the so-called severe dengue “, formerly known as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)’.

Professionals reported to international media, “DHF is the most lethal disease stage and it occurs when a person who was infected by one of the four dengue strains is infected again by a new serotype.

Dr. Marcia Moreira, dengue expert at the Pan American Health Organization, said “DHF can cause bleeding and health complications, which in some cases can be life threatening.

And she stressed that “the risks of death can be prevented if health services are prepared and have sufficient resources to address the effects of infection.”

“Currently there is no cure for dengue, so the only prevention is to avoid bites and stop the spread of aedes egyptian, the mosquito that transmits the virus,” dr. Moreira added.

She also recalled that “In 2009, the Southern Cone region experiencing its worst dengue epidemic in recent decades.

Experts express concern about the disease resurgence, with consequent increased risk of DHF. “

Brazil is the South American country with more cases and authorities announced that “five people have been killed by the disease, while another 350 are in serious condition’. Also ‘more than 12 thousand cases of dengue across the country have already registered’.

Bolivia Health Ministry confirmed a two-years-old girl’s death by DHF and 24 cases of regular dengue”.

Paraguay reported 314 cases of regular dengue and it warned about at least two different virus strains in the country.

Argentina confirmed 424 cases in Misiones province, located next to Paraguay. The critical situation in the border area is affecting one of the most visited tourist attractions of Argentina, the Iguazu Falls.

Doctors and unions in the area of Puerto Iguazú, located in Triple Frontier between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay reported that “cases of infection have been hidden in order that tourism is not affected and they asked for a declaration of emergency health “.

They also added that “It is estimated that some 60 people are treated every day in Puerto Iguazu in case they have been infected with dengue in an area that receives more than a million Argentine and foreign tourists every year.”
Missions governorate said there is no saturation or flooding of the health system and to prevent the spread of mosquito they are acting accordingly.

Argentine Health Ministry reported cases in Buenos Aires, Corrientes, Entre Rios and Santa Fe.

Argentina had last year, historic levels of the disease with around 50 thousand infected

drug candidates against various dengue virus

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:36:14 +0000

NanoViricides, Inc., reported that it has signed a research and development agreement with Dr. Eva Harris laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley
Under this agreement, Dr. Harris and colleagues will evaluate the effectiveness of nanoviricides (R) drug candidates against various dengue virus. Cell culture models and in vivo animal studies will be used to test drug candidates.
The Company believes that the drug is being developed nanoviricide be expected to be a broad spectrum of anti-dengue antiviral medication that can attack all four dengue virus serotypes and variant strains. There are currently no approved vaccines for the prevention of dengue fever, or drugs to treat dengue virus infections. World market size is an effective anti-dengue treatment may be as large as that for the treatment of hepatitis C virus, or the billions of dollars, based on current population exposure data.
Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever / dengue shock syndrome emerged as a global health problem that seriously. Dengue is endemic in most of the world. Now threatens more than 3 billion people around the world, or 40% of the world’s population, and is considered the threat that came back in the United States. Dengue is officially regarded as “neglected tropical disease” by the World Health Organization. Approximately 50-100 million people infected with dengue virus each year. In fact, recently, the government Cali, Columbia declared an emergency because of the number of dengue hemorrhagic fever infection and death. Globalization and climate warming along with changes in the ecology of mosquitoes carrying the virus that accelerate the spread of the virus. Without proper treatment, DHF mortality rate can exceed 20%
Dr. Eva Harris is a Professor of Infectious Diseases at UC Berkeley. He was a leading researcher in the field of dengue. His group has developed a unique animal model for dengue virus infection and emulate effective disease seen in human pathology. In particular, the critical problem of dengue virus infection, which is called “Antibody-Dependent Enhancement” (ADE), reproduced in this animal model. When a person previously infected with one serotype of dengue virus and then infected with different serotypes, antibodies produced by the immune system can lead to increased severity of a second dengue infection, rather than control it. ADE which can cause severe illness or dengue dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).

what is dengue hemoragic fever?

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:20:04 +0000

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is an acute disease caused by one of the 4 serotypes of dengue virus, characterized by bleeding manifestations and tendentious can cause shock and death.
Approximately 2.5 billion people, or two-fifths of the world’s population, are now at risk from dengue.The disease is now endemic in over 100 countries.Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some Asian countries.
In 2007, there were over 890,000 reported cases of dengue in the Americas, of which 26,000 cases were DHF.Dengue infection rates among people who have not been previously exposed to the virus are commonly 40% to 50% during epidemics, but may sometimes reach 80% to 90%.Approximately half-a-million people with DHF are hospitalized each year, of whom many are children. About 2.5% of these patients die.DHF fatality reads may exceed 20% if untreated. If there is access to medical care with health care professionals trained in treating DHF, the death rate may be less than 1%.
There are four Dengue viruses (DENV) that cause Dengue fever, all of which are spread by a species of mosquito known as the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and more rarely by the Aedes albopictus mosquito. Aedes aegypti originated in Africa, but nowadays is found in all the tropical areas around the world and prospers in and close to areas of human population.
The high risk regions for catching dengue fever are Central America, South America, the Caribbean and tropical Asia; more specifically – northern Argentina, northern Australia, the entirety of Bangladesh, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Micronesia, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad, Venezuela and Vietnam, and increasingly in southern China.
The virus is transmitted from an infected mosquito to human. The process begins when a person who is infected with the Dengue virus is bitten by a mosquito, the virus is then passed on when someone else is then bitten by the infected mosquito.
If you have suffered from dengue fever previously it is still possible to contract it again, because of the number of different types of viruses that cause the fever. If you were infected again and became ill, there is a greater risk of developing a harsher form of the disease, such as dengue hemorrhagic fever (particularly in children). This is unusual because, normally, previous exposure to a virus causes the body to carry antibodies that allow the body to fight off the virus more easily the second time.
symptoms during onset may be mild,maybe just have a fever, but gradually worsen after a number of days. DHF can result in death if not treated in time. Mild dengue fever symptoms may occur in DHF, as well as the ones listed below:
* Bleeding from your mouth/gums
* Nosebleeds
* Clammy skin
* Considerably damaged lymph and blood vessels
* Internal bleeding, which can result in black vomit and feces
* Lower number of platelets in blood (thrombocyt)
* Sensitive stomach
* Small blood spots under your skin
* Weak pulse
Because dengue is a virus there is no specific treatment or cure, however there are things the patient or the doctor can do to help, depending on the severity of the disease.
For milder forms of dengue the treatment methods are:
* Prevent dehydration – high fever and vomiting can dehydrate the body. Make sure you drink clean (ideally bottled) water rather than tap water. Rehydration salts can also help replace fluids and minerals.
* Painkillers – this can help lower fever and ease pain. As some NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen can increase the risk of internal bleeding, patients are advised to use Tylenol (paracetamol) instead.
The following treatment options are designed for the more severe forms of dengue fever:
* Intravenous fluid supplementation (IV drip) – in some harsher cases of dengue the patient is unable to take fluids orally (via the mouth) and will need to receive an IV drip.
* Bloood transfusion – a blood transfusion may be recommended for patients with severe dehydration.
* Hospital care – it is important that you be treated by medical professionals, this way you can be properly monitored (e.g. fluid levels, blood pressure) in case your symptoms worsen. If the patient is cared for by physicians and nurses experienced with the effects and complications of hemorrhagic fever, lives can be saved.

South Africa to treat all HIV-positive babies

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:23:31 +0000

PRETORIA, South Africa — South Africa announced ambitious new plans Tuesday for earlier and expanded treatment for HIV-positive babies and pregnant women, a change that could save hundreds of thousands of lives in the nation hardest hit by the virus that causes AIDS.
President Jacob Zuma — once ridiculed for saying a shower could prevent AIDS — was cheered as he outlined the measures on World AIDS Day. The new policy marks a dramatic shift from former President Thabo Mbeki, whose health minister distrusted drugs developed to keep AIDS patients alive and instead promoted garlic and beet treatments. Those policies led to more than 300,000 premature deaths, a Harvard study concluded.
The changes are in line with new guidelines issued a day earlier by the World Health Organization that call for HIV-infected pregnant women to be given drugs earlier and while breast-feeding. By treating all HIV-infected babies, survival rates should also improve for the youngest citizens in South Africa, one of only 12 countries where child mortality has worsened since 1990, in part due to AIDS.
Zuma compared the fight against HIV, which infects one in 10 South Africans, to the decades-long struggle his party led against the apartheid government, which ended in 1994 with the election of Nelson Mandela in the country’s first multiracial vote.
“At another moment in our history, in another context, the liberation movement observed that the time comes in the life of any nation when there remain only two choices: submit or fight,” Zuma said. “That time has now come in our struggle to overcome AIDS. Let us declare now, as we declared then, that we shall not submit.”
Zuma was greeted with a standing ovation when he entered a Pretoria exhibition hall filled with several thousand people.
In some ways, Zuma is an unlikely AIDS hero. As his Zulu tradition allows, he has three wives — experts say having multiple, concurrent partners heightens the risk of AIDS. And in 2006, while being tried on charges of raping an HIV-positive family friend, he testified he took a shower after extramarital sex to lower the risk of AIDS. He was acquitted of rape.
The one-time chairman of the country’s national AIDS council may never live down the shower comment. But Zuma has won praise for appointing Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi as his health minister. AIDS activists say Motsoaledi trusts science and is willing to learn from past mistakes.
South Africa, a nation of about 50 million, has an estimated 5.7 million people infected with HIV, more than any other country.
UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe, who took the podium shortly before Zuma, told the president: “What you do from this day forward will write, or rewrite, the story of AIDS across Africa.”
Zuma said in his speech broadcast across South Africa on state radio and television that the policy changes would take effect in April. They include treatment for all children under 1 year old, regardless of their level of CD4 cells, a measure of immune system health.
Patients with both tuberculosis and HIV will get treatment if their CD4 count is 350 or less, compared to 200 now, which means treatment would start earlier. Pregnant women who are HIV-positive also would start treatment earlier. That is in line with the new WHO recommendations that doctors start HIV patients on drugs when their level of CD4 cells is about 350.
The expanded treatment was expected to be free, as it is now, although Zuma did not confirm that. He said all health institutions, not just specialist centers, would provide counseling, testing and treatment.
He also called on South Africans to get tested for HIV. But, contrary to speculation in recent days, he did not take an HIV test Tuesday.
“I have taken HIV tests before and I know my status,” he said. “I will do another test soon as part of this new campaign. I urge you to start planning for your own tests.”
Kurt Firnhaber, who runs Right to Care, one of the largest private providers of AIDS treatment, counseling and testing in South Africa, said Zuma outlined “steps that aren’t rhetoric — if they’re implemented.”
He said the burden would now be on the government and foreign donors to find the money to meet Zuma’s ambitious goals.
On Tuesday, in response to a plea from Zuma, the United States announced it was giving South Africa $120 million over the next two years for AIDS treatment drugs. That is in addition to $560 million the U.S. has already pledged to give South Africa in 2010 for fighting AIDS.
Mark Heywood, executive member of the Treatment Action Campaign, an independent group that has challenged the South African government on AIDS, said the Zuma speech marked a departure in thinking that would have a global impact. Heywood shared the stage with Zuma on Tuesday.
“It was a very good speech in all its aspects — the empathy he showed, what he said about prevention and the need to test for HIV was all very positive,” Heywood said.
Zuma’s government had earlier set a target of getting 80 percent of those who need AIDS drugs on them by 2011.
Setjhaba Ranthako brought his 4-year-old daughter Tshegofatso to hear Zuma’s speech, saying education should start early.
“I’ve seen in President Zuma a person who’s willing to listen, and say, `Here I am, come with your views, and let’s turn your views into an effective campaign to combat the spread” of AIDS, said Ranthako, who works with a group that raises awareness about AIDS among men.
The crowd rose to their feet when Zuma finished his speech. Then he danced along with a choir that sang: “Zuma, you are blessed.”
from google news

Mammogram Radiation May Put Some Women at Risk

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:20:43 +0000

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Low-dose radiation from mammograms and chest X-rays may increase the risk of breast cancer in young women who are already at high risk because of family history or genetic susceptibility, Dutch researchers said on Tuesday.
They said high-risk women, especially those under 30, may want to consider switching to an alternative screening method such as magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, which does not involve exposure to radiation.
“Our findings suggest that low-dose radiation increases breast cancer risk among these young, high-risk women, and a careful approach is warranted,” said Marijke Jansen-van der Weide of the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands.
“I should recommend to be careful with radiation before 30 and to think about alternatives,” Jansen-van der Weide, who presented her findings at the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago, said in a telephone interview.
For the study, Jansen-van der Weide pooled data from six published studies that involved 12,000 high-risk women from Europe and the United States.
The team found that of the 8,500 women who had been exposed to radiation from chest X-rays or mammograms before the age of 20 or those who had had five or more exposures were 2.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer than other high-risk women who had not been exposed.
The findings apply only to high-risk women, and not to women of average risk for breast cancer, but they may fuel confusion among women in the United States about the risks and benefits of mammography screening.
Last month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a federal advisory panel, recommended against routine breast mammograms for women in their 40s to spare them some of the worry and expense of extra tests to distinguish between cancer and harmless lumps.
Those recommendations contradicted years of messages about the need for routine breast cancer screening starting at age 40, sparking a rebellion from breast cancer specialists who argued the guidelines would confuse women and result in more deaths form breast cancer.
from ABC news

Going to the hospital may be hazardous to your health

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:17:23 +0000

Going to the hospital may be hazardous to your health. If you don’t believe it, check out a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
An international group of researchers examined data on 13,796 adult patients from 1,265 hospitals in 75 countries who were unlucky enough to be in an intensive care unit on May 8, 2007. Here’s a summary of what they found:

* Fifty-one percent of ICU patients had some sort of infection. That’s up from 45% in a similar study from 1995.
* The longer you’re in the hospital, the more likely you are to become infected. “Only” 32% of patients who had been in the ICU for a day or less had an infection of some kind, but the comparable figure for patients who had spent more than a week in the unit topped 70%.
* The mortality rate for ICU patients with an infection was 25%, compared with 11% for patients without an infection.
* The most common infection site was the respiratory tract (64%), followed by the abdomen (20%), bloodstream (15%) and renal/urinary tract (14%).
* Infection rates in North America were slightly below average, at 48%, but the lowest rate was in Africa, at 46%. The highest infection rate was 60%, found in Central and South America.

What should I know about lupus?

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:01:09 +0000

Lupus is a disease that can affect many parts of the body and occurs when the immune system – the body’s natural defence against infections – goes wrong.
It is estimated that about 50,000 people in the UK may have lupus, of whom 90% will be female.

What is the cause?
The exact cause is not known, but certain triggers, such as viral infections and changes in hormone levels at puberty, the menopause and following pregnancy, have been linked to lupus.
Often other family members will also have lupus or other immune system-related illnesses, known autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
In lupus the immune system becomes overactive and produces an excess of antibodies that harm the body itself.
Lupus is not infectious or contagious.

What are the symptoms?
The two most common groups of symptoms are joint and muscle aches and pains and extreme fatigue and weakness.
With systemic lupus, almost any part of the body can be affected so there are many other symptoms that can arise.
The skin may have a rash, characteristically a so-called “butterfly rash” that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose.
Often, the rash is made worse by exposure to sunlight.
If a rash is the only symptom a person has then this form of lupus is called cutaneous or discoid lupus.
In comparison, a person with systemic lupus (sometimes called systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE) may also experience dry eyes, hair loss, chest and abdominal pains, depression, kidney problems, headaches, flu-like symptoms, swollen glands and poor circulation.
Women with lupus may also experience recurrent miscarriages.

What is the outlook?
Some people with lupus have only minor symptoms that need no treatment. Others can have multiple symptoms that are severe.
The course of the disease is different for each person. In some it will disappear completely, for others the condition waxes and wanes or gets progressively worse.
Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms and disease pattern varies so much from person to person.
However, there are blood tests available to help spot the condition.
Decades ago people used to die from lupus, partly because it was often diagnosed late and partly because treatments were not as effective as they are today.
Now most people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span.

How can it be treated?
The aim of treatment is to relieve the symptoms and prevent permanent damage to organs such as the kidney.
Some patients are given low dose aspirin to help ease the joint and muscle pains and reduce any inflammation.
Anti-malaria drugs also help with the inflammation and have the added bonus of helping to guard the skin against rashes triggered by exposure to sunlight.
Immunosuppressant drugs can be used to dampen down the overactive immune response, as can steroids.
People with lupus may be more likely to develop other medical conditions such as blood clots, osteoporosis and coronary artery disease.
Drugs are available to help treat these.
Those with lupus can also help themselves by avoiding direct sunlight and getting plenty of rest, as well as following a healthy lifestyle in general, with a well balanced diet and regular exercise.

Lupus drug headed to FDA

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:45:56 +0000

Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences announced Monday that its experimental lupus drug has completed its final round of testing at a higher dose and will be headed to the Food and Drug Administration for approval.
The latest round of studies on the experimental drug Benlysta showed that a sufficient number of lupus patients given a higher dosage of the drug showed improvement after a year, which enabled the drug to meet its target. A lower dosage of the drug did not meet that target.
The next step is to submit the drug to the FDA. If approved, Benlysta could be on the market in late 2010.
“We believe that likelihood of approval is high and that commercial potential is substantial,” Barclays Capital analyst Jim Birchenough wrote in a note to investors.
Many industry analysts and lupus experts have questioned whether a new medication for treating the disease would ever come; it has been more than 50 years since a lupus drug has been approved.
HGS would share any profit from the drug with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, a partner that contributed to the drug’s development and testing expenses.
“We’ve got a good chance to redefine the standard of care for patients living with lupus,” said H. Thomas Watkins, chief executive of HGS. Lupus, an autoimmune disease, manifests itself differently in every patient, making the development of treatments particularly difficult.
Before July 20, the day HGS revealed that its experimental drug had performed well in a near-final round of testing, the company’s shares had been trading at under $3. Ever since, the company’s stock has been rising. Monday’s announcement sent shares surging again to over $25 in morning trading.
The stock also has risen in recent months as a result of periodic rumors that GlaxoSmithKline will acquire HGS.
Watkins said his company is “no small start-up” and, therefore, doesn’t need to be bought out by a larger firm in order to bring its lupus drug to the market. “HGS has the wherewithal to fully realize this opportunity as an independent company,” he said. “Our business plans call for us to go forward as an independent company.”
Benlysta attempts to control the actions of a protein that becomes overactive in lupus patients. In test results, 43.2 percent of patients responded to the drug at the higher dose and 40.6 percent responded at the lower dose. That compares with a placebo response rate of 33.8 percent.
Analyst Joseph P. Schwartz, of Leerink Swann, reiterated his “outperform” rating on HGS stock, and wrote that the test results “provide us with increased confidence in Benlysta’s approvability and uptake.”
The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that about 1.5 million Americans have some form of the disease, which has typically been treated with chemotherapy and steroids.
“Individuals with lupus and their families have waited more than 50 years to hear that it is possible to develop therapies that control the disease,” Sandra C. Raymond, the organization’s president and chief executive, said in a statement. “We believe that this is a significant first step in developing the full arsenal of therapies and personalized treatment lupus requires.”

You can significantly reduce your risk for cancer by easy ways

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:40:56 +0000

Cancer is one of the most preventable life-threatening diseases facing Americans today.Cancer prevention is easier than you think. With a few simple lifestyle changes, you can drastically reduce your risk of many types of cancer. You can significantly reduce your risk for cancer by:
1. improving your diet
-Reduce your risk for cancer by improving your diet.New research shows that as many as one-third of all cancer deaths are linked to diet and physical activity.
-You have the power to change your eating habits.Start by reducing dietary fat intake, especially animal fat. Then try to make your diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and whole grains.
-Start small.No one can overhaul their food habits quickly. Add a few servings of fruits and vegetables to your diet each day to reduce your cancer risk. Mix some dark, leafy greens like spinach in with your salad. Eat a peach, or other brightly colored fruit for a snack.
-Limit alcohol.Alcohol consumption is linked to increased risk of mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver and breast cancers. If you drink alcohol, men should try to drink no more than two drinks a day, and women should try to drink no more than one drink a day.
2. increasing your phisical activity
Moderate exercise at least three days a week can make a big difference in your health and well-being. Research has shown that physical activity reduces risk of colon cancer by about 50 percent, and it plays a role in lowering risk of other cancers[1]. Small steps count — take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther from your destination or walk or ride your bike to work. No more excuses!
3. don’t smoke
-Tobacco use is one of the worst things you can do for your health.It is deadly and causes cancers of the lung, throat, mouth and esophagus, in addition to causing heart disease, emphysema and many other smoking-related health problems.
-Nearly one-third of cancer deaths are attributed to smoking.Smoking is the cause of more than 80 percent of all lung cancer cases and the cause of 30 percent of all cancer deaths. Non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke are at risk for lung cancer and other respiratory problems. Even ‘third-hand smoke’[1] — toxic residue left behind on hair, clothes, furniture and carpets long after second-hand smoke has cleared — is reported to present serious health risks to people who come in to contact with it.
-You have the power to do something about it.Small steps like finding an online support group to help you quit can reduce your risk for cancer. Quitting is not easy, but with the right help you can succeed.
4. getting screened
-There’s good news on the cancer front.We know more now than ever before about how the disease develops and what contributes to cancer risk. We have better weapons for fighting the disease, with new technologies for early detection, more options for diagnosis and treatment and improved therapies.
-Early detection screening is key.It’s estimated that screening can reduce breast cancer death by as much as 25 percent[1]. Pre-cancerous growths can be detected early and removed, stopping the disease in its tracks. Here’s an early detection screening chart to get you started.
You have the power to take control of your health and catch many cancers before they start, or at their earliest, most treatable stages. Be familiar with warning signs and symptoms, get regular check-ups and perform self-exams.
-Know your family history.Find out if you are at higher risk for some cancers because of your family history or your lifestyle. You may need earlier or more frequent screening, so it’s important to ask your health care professional which tests may be right for you.
Track your family history with this tool from the U.S. Surgeon General.
-Get immunized.Cancer prevention includes being immunized for certain types of cancer. Ask your health care professional about such vaccines.

Low Cholesterol May Help Prevent Cancer

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:29:14 +0000

Low blood cholesterol levels reduces the risk of not only heart disease but also cancer.
The findings should help ease longstanding fears that low cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of cancer, said Dr. Demetrius Albanes, a senior investigator at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and an author of one of two reports in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
“These results should help dispel any lingering thoughts that low cholesterol may help cause cancer,” said Eric Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society, who wrote an accompanying editorial.
Data from studies that have followed more than 29,000 Finnish men over 18 years shows two reasons for concern that low cholesterol levels increase the risk of cancer and the reason why people fear it is not acceptable.
Generally recommended cholesterol levels below 200 milligrams per deciliter is associated with a 18 percent higher risk of cancer overall, but increased the risk only applies to the cases diagnosed in the early years of the study.These findings support the notion that low cholesterol levels are the result of undiagnosed cancer.
And higher levels of HDL cholesterol, the “good” as it protects the coronary arteries, which is associated with the risk 14 percent lower than all types of cancer in the entire length of the study.
In addition, data on more than 5,500 men enrolled in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial showed that those with cholesterol levels lower than 200 has a 59 percent lower risk of developing the most dangerous form of cancer, said a second report in the same journal issue.
Low cholesterol levels are more likely to be seen in men who have prostate cancer of high Gleason score, the size of the prostate gland disorders normal structure caused by malignancy, the study found. Gleason prostate cancer with the highest score is considered as the most difficult to treat.

Cholesterol levels had no significant effect on the overall incidence of prostate cancer in the study, said study leader Elizabeth Platz, co-director of cancer prevention and control program at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

But the relationship between low cholesterol levels and reduce the incidence of aggressive disease “is well known that the reduction is not often seen for prostate cancer,” he said.
It is still not known whether statins, which help prevent heart disease by lowering levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, may reduce the risk of cancer, Albanes said.
“We do not collect detailed information on cholesterol-lowering efforts,” said Albanes. “Maybe it’s too early to read from our findings that the effort to actively lower cholesterol levels can achieve the benefits of cancer. Our results do not speak at that time.”
However, “the evidence continues to mount that the use of statins is inversely correlated with the risk of prostate cancer,” said Platz.
But both agreed that further research is needed to prove both points and identify the molecular mechanisms behind the association.