Low levels of vitamin D in the blood double the risk of developing
bladder cancer, Spanish researchers reported recently. The low levels
increase the risk of the most aggressive form of the disease almost
six-fold, the researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Spain
has about 11,000 new cases of bladder cancer per year, one of the
highest rates in the world. The United States has about 73,500 new cases
per year, with nearly 15,000 deaths. It is primarily a disease of the
elderly, with nine out of 10 victims over the age of 55.
Low
levels of vitamin D have previously been linked to increased risk of
breast and colon cancer, but no one has studied the potential
association with bladder cancer, according to Dr. Nuria Malats, a
geneticist at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center.
The
team collected blood samples from 1,125 patients with bladder cancer in
18 Spanish hospitals and from 1,028 individuals with no sign of the
disease. They measured levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3, the most stable
form of the vitamin. The team found that those with the lowest levels of
the vitamin were 1.83 times as likely to have bladder cancer as those
with the highest levels. When the team separated out patients with the
most aggressive form of invasive bladder cancer, they found that those
with the lowest vitamin levels were 5.94 times as likely to develop the
disease.
Molecular studies also showed that vitamin D regulates
the production of a protein, FGFR3, that plays a role in bladder cancer.
the risk of developing invasive bladder cancer was highest in patients
with the lowest levels of the protein and the lowest levels of vitamin
D.
"These results indicate that high levels of the vitamin are
associated with protection from the illness or, similarly, that low
levels are associated with a higher risk of suffering from it," Malats
said.
Ditching meat and fish in favor of a vegetarian diet can have a dramatic effect on the health of your heart, research suggests.
A study of 44,500 people in England and Scotland showed vegetarians were 32% less likely to die or need hospital treatment as a result of heart disease.Differences in cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body weight are thought to be behind the health boost.
The findings were published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Heart disease is a major blight in Western countries. It kills 94,000 people in the UK each year, more than any other disease, and 2.6 million people live with the condition.
The heart's own blood supply becomes blocked up by fatty deposits in the arteries that nourish the heart muscle. It can cause angina or even lead to a heart attack if the blood vessels become completely blocked.Scientists at the University of Oxford analyzed data from 15,100 vegetarians and 29,400 people who ate meat and fish.Over the course of 11 years, 169 people in the study died from heart disease and 1,066 needed hospital treatment - and they were more likely to have been meat and fish eaters than vegetarians.
Dr Francesca Crowe says: "The main message is that diet is an important determinant of heart health. "I'm not advocating that everyone eats a vegetarian diet. The diets are quite different. Vegetarians probably have a lower intake of saturated fat so it makes senses there is a lower risk of heart disease."The results showed the vegetarians had lower blood pressure, lower levels of "bad" cholesterol and were more likely to have a healthy weight.
Tracy Parker, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "This research reminds us that we should try to eat a balanced and varied diet - whether this includes meat or not.
"But remember, choosing the veggie option on the menu is not a shortcut to a healthy heart. After all, there are still plenty of foods suitable for vegetarians that are high in saturated fat and salt."If you're thinking of switching to a vegetarian diet, make sure you plan your meals carefully so that you replace any lost vitamins and minerals, such as iron, that you would normally get from meat."
