COFFEE CAN REDUCE WOMEN'S RISK OF DEMENTIA

IS COFFEE A PROPHYLACTIVE TO DEMENTIA?

The answer is delicious yes. Today is International Coffee Day and the tasty way to celebrate the day is by sharing this good news with all our readers.

A new study suggests that older women who drink coffee with two to three cups daily may be at lower risk of having dementia and other cognitive diseases.

Researches have concluded that caffeine a mild stimulant present in coffee has many cognitive benefits.

A study regarding the relationship between coffee drinking habits and improvement of long term memory has been published in The Journal Of Nature Neuroscience in 2014.

The new findings of caffeine's benefit in reducing the risk of getting dementia by women are published in The Journals Of Gerontology, Series-A. Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

About 6467 women aged 65 years and older were selected for Women's Health Initiative Memory Study(WHMS) which was funded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

The lead author of this study Prof.Ira Driscoll, Ph.D., noted that 'the unique about this study is that we had an unprecedented opportunity to examine the relationship between caffeine intake and dementia incidence in a large and well defined, prospectively studied cohort of women'.

Driscoll et al examined the participants of the program study by their caffeine intake as determined through self-consumption of coffee tea and cola.

The researches found that women who consume a minimum of 64mgs of coffee (1 8-ounce cup) are more prone to get dementia than those who consume more than 260mgs of caffeine(2 to 3,8-ounce cups of coffee or 5 to 6, 8-ounce cups of black tea).

The team found this beneficiary factor overriding even after accounting the possible confounding factors such as age, race, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake depression hypertension, sleep quality, and history of cardiovascular diseases.

The authors of the study say that they are unable to establish a direct association between caffeine intake and dementia risk reduction nor are they able to generalize the findings to men.

NEWS UPDATE-SMOKING THICKENS HEART WALL

SMOKING AND THE PERICARDIUM

It is observed by the latest research that heavy smoking thicken the wall of the heart, the pericardium, and makes it difficult to pump the blood.

The study was published in the journal Circulation.

Smoking is the major cause of many complications in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and other regions of the body.

It has been established that smoking tobacco leads to an increased risk of heart failure even in a healthy individual.

But the mechanism by which the tobacco smoking damages the heart is not clearly established.

NEWS UPDATE-NEW GENETICAL APPROACH TO DM

A GENE THAT CAUSES DM

Type 2 diabetes the most common type of DM affecting 90% of the people in which either the beta cells of the pancreas are unable to produce insulin or the body cannot utilize or respond to the insulin.

Now a research team from the UK has discovered a gene that causes the destruction of the beta islets of Langerhans that produces insulin that contributes to producing type-2 DM.

By blocking the gene TNFR5 halted the destruction process, a discovery that leads to new hope in the treatments of Type-2 DM.

The research team was lead by Dr.Mark Tuner of the School of Science and Technology, at Nottingham University in the UK.

They say that it is certain that a long time use high fat and high sugar diet can worsen the destruction of beta islet cells in Type-2 DM people with uncleared reasons.

But, now they cleared it after research with a number of genes they found that the gene TNFR-5 had the highest sensitivity to glucose and fatty acids and overexpression of this gene in response to the high fat and sugar diet leads to the development of type 2 DM.

Hence they said blocking this gene halted he destruction according to their Laboratory tests.

NEWS UPDATE-COFFEE AND CAFFEINE

COFFEE AND CAFFEINE

It has been found out that occasional coffee drinking is riskier than regular coffee drinking. A research was carried out with a group of occasional coffee drinkers and another group of regular coffee drinkers.

The result has shown those occasional coffee drinkers because of the deep fluctuation of the concentration of caffeine in their blood are prone to have higher risks of blood pressure and other cardiovascular complications.300 ml of black coffee consumption can elevate blood pressure within two hours and last for several hours. Hence a drink of coffee may affect the blood pressure measurement results if it was consumed just before the B.P. measurements by the occasional drinkers.

Also coffee drinking by occasional drinkers may interfere with their B.P.medications, such as calcium channel blockers.

Research has shown that Felodipine a calcium channel blocker used to reduce the B.P when used along with a cup of coffee has elevated the B.P. instead of reducing it.

These are because in occasional coffee drinkers the concentration of caffeine deeply fluctuates even if they drink the coffee with a two days gap.

After a cup of coffee the caffeine concentration remains in the blood for two days only. Within two days the blood is almost cleaned off most of the caffeine content. Then by another drink of coffee at the end of the second-day caffeine reenter into the blood as a fresh candidate and may have all its effects freshly. Hence a drink of coffee on every alternate day too are considered as occasional drinks and the body cannot tolerate caffeine as with the regular drinkers.

Regular daily drinking of coffee will be tolerated by the body and the maintenance of a fixed concentration of caffeine in the blood may not complicate blood pressure and other cardiovascular irregularities.

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AUTOCOIDS AND ANTAGONISTS-PART-4

AUTOCOIDS AND THEIR ANTAGONISTS

Contd...

Ergot Alkaloids:-

1.Bromocriptine

2.Ergonovine

3.Ergotamine

These products are not endogenous substances and hence they are not true autocoids. They are alkaloids of ergot fungi. Yet they are discussed here because of their important actions on smooth muscles as similar to autocoids.

Ergot alkaloids are a group of compounds produced by the fungus Claviceps purpurea.

Ergot alkaloids are mainly acting on adrenergic, serotonergic, and dopamine receptors.

Physiology:-

1.Hallucinations and delusions on overdoses

2.Psychoses and neuro problems on higher doses

3.Vasoconstrictions

4.Uterine stimulation

Therapeutical Use

 

1. Ergotamine is used to treat migraine by reducing cerebrovascular pulsations

2. Bromocriptine is used to treat hyperprolactinemia

3. Ergotamine and Ergonovine is used to control postpartum hemorrhage

 Side Effects

1.Gangrene due to prolonged vasoconstriction which can be reversed by sodium nitroprusside.

2.Diarrhea

3.Nausea and vomiting

4.Unintentional uterine contractions

5.CNS psychoses.

 

AUTOCOIDS-ANTAGONISTS-PART-3

AUTOCOIDS AND ANTAGONISTS-Contd...

SEROTONIN AND IT'S ANTAGONISTS

Serotonin a central nervous system stimulating hormone found in the CNS neurons was already discussed in this blog as CNS stimulants. But in addition, to being as a neuronal biochemical this hormone is present in each and every cell of our body tissue as an autocoid without being secreted into the blood system directly.

Chemically it is a derivative of tryptamine with a hydroxyl ion at the 5th position.

 Of course tissue serotonin is not secreted into the blood but blood platelets are containing serotonin.90% of the body's serotonin are present in blood platelets and the enterochromaffin cells of the digestive systems.

Pharmacologically serotonin is known as a hormone of ecstasy and pleasure, and a low level of it produces sadness. The body synthesizes serotonin from the aminoacid L-tryptophane and a good supply of food enriched with L-tryptophane serves as 

antidepressants.

Sesame seeds are rich in L-Tryptophane.

Serotonin is acting through its seven major types of 5-HT receptors subtypes.

Serotonin is mostly metabolized by mitochondrial monoamine oxidase enzymes.

Physiology

1.Neurotransmission

2.Regulation of pituitary functions(as an autocoid)

3.General vasoconstriction except for skeletal muscle and heart where it causes vasodilation(as an autocoid)

4.Contraction of GI smooth muscle(as an autocoid)

5.Stimulation of pain receptors(as an autocoid)

6.Precursor to melatonin

Sumatriptan an antimigraine drug is the serotonin agonist

Sumatriptan has side effects of dizziness, muscle weakness, and neck pain.

Antagonists

1.Ketanserin that lowers blood pressure

2.Ondansetron is used to relieve nausea and vomiting in post-surgical procedures and chemotherapy.

3. Cyproheptadine is used to treat smooth muscle contractions.

The above antagonists also block H-1 and alpha receptors.

AUTOCOIDS AND ANTAGONISTS-PART-2

AUTOCOIDS-AUTOCOIDS ANTAGONISTS-Contd...

PROSTAGLANDINS

Chemically prostaglandins are derivatives of prostanoic acid a 20 carbon fatty acids contain a pentagonal carbon ring.

In general prostaglandins are synthesized by our body from fatty acid eicosatetraenoic acid or arachidonic acid. As being these are all eicosanoids they are considered as true hormones.

Prostaglandins are very important biologically active substances in our bodies identical to hormones. In the beginning they were extracted from the seminal secretions of prostate glands. But nowadays they are found to be present in almost all tissues of our body. Even a nanogram of the chemicals is biologically very active.

Classifications

Prostaglandins are classified as A, B, and E.

They are classically abbreviated as PGA, PGB, and PGE. These classifications are further differentiated and related to the presence or absence of keto or hydroxyl groups at positions 9 and 11.

Subscripts relate to the number and position of double bonds in the aliphatic chain.

Pharmacology

Endogenous prostaglandins are biological substances that affect many body functions.

Many external stimuli which may be chemical, mechanical insults are causing the release of prostaglandins which contributes to the signs and symptoms of the inflammatory processes such as reddening, edema, pain, and itching. 

Prostaglandin releases are responded by our body physiologically with vasodilation, in many vascular beds and vasoconstrictions in isolated areas.

Prostaglandin-Es inhibit platelet aggregation, relax bronchial and GI smooth muscle, contract uterine smooth muscle, and inhibit gastric acid secretion. The gastric acid secretion block is done along with Prostaglandin-I.

Alternatively the Prostaglandin-Ds and Fs are causing contractions of bronchial and gastric smooth muscle.

In general all prostaglandins are increasing renal blood flow, increase diuresis with loss of sodium, and potassium in urine but paradoxically increases renin secretion.

They also cause diverse endocrine and metabolic effects.

Clinical Indications

PG-E Analogues

Alprostadil (Prostin VR Pediatric):-It is used for temporary maintenance of a patent ductus arteriosus, in awaiting corrective surgery for congenital heart defects.

Alprostadil(Caverject) To treat impotence due to erectile dysfunction.

Misoprostol:-To prevent and treat NSAIDs induced gastric ulcers. To induce abortion.

Also the other PGE analogs such as Dinoprostone(Prostin-E2, Prepidil, Cervidil)and Carboprost(Hemabate) are used to induce safe abortion. Also they are used to ease the labor during pregnancy by inducing cervical ripening.

Side Effects

1.CNS effects:-

CNS irritability

Fever

Seizures

Headache

2.Cardiovascular effects:-

Hypotension

Dysrhythmias

Vasodilation

Flushing

Cardiac arrest

3.Respiratory depression

4.Hematologic:-

Anemia

Thrombocytopenia

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

5.Diarrhea

6.Renal dysfunction

7.Irregular spotty menses

8.Abortion

9.Pain at the penis