Housed near Bristol, UKHSA’s National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi (NCPF) is home to more than 4,500 isolates of potentially deadly fungi isolates, gathered over the last century.
In this blog post, we’ll cover the history of the NCPF: why it was set up, what it houses and how it continues to play an important role in protecting our health.
A new study shows people with depression have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease, but more women experience heart disease due to depression compared to men.
The findings were published March 12 in JACC: Asia.
Researchers examined the relationship between depression and cardiovascular outcomes by analyzing data from the JMDC Claims Database between 2005 and 2022. They found 4,125,720 eligible participants. The median age was 44 years, and 2,370,986 participants were men.
The study found that men with depression were at a 39% increased risk for heart disease whereas women with depression had a 64% increased risk of heart disease.
“This is an interesting study of sex-specific associations between depression and risk for cardiovascular disease in a large sample of Japanese adults,” said Dr. Allison Gaffey, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “Managing depression seems essential for heart disease prevention. Results add to the evidence in favor of addressing depression—through screening, referral, and treatment—to reduce the risk for heart disease in men and women.”
Gaffey was not involved in the study.
There are three main ways that depression and heart disease are connected, according to Dr. Roy C. Ziegelstein, MACP, Professor of Medicine and Vice Dean for Education at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Ziegelstein was not involved in the study.
First, depression is a risk factor for the development of heart disease, and this study highlights that relationship. Some consider depression a “non-traditional” cardiovascular risk factor, with other, perhaps better known, risk factors being considered “traditional” (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and cigarette smoking).
Second, heart disease is associated with an increased likelihood of developing or being diagnosed with depression. These two aspects together lead to the description of the relationship between depression and heart disease as “bidirectional”.
Third, individuals with depression after a cardiovascular event (e.g., a heart attack) are at greater risk of poor outcomes, including death, than individuals who have a cardiovascular event and who are not depressed.
“There are several reasons for the existence of this relationship, however one thing to note in particular is that individuals with depression find it more challenging to attend to many activities in life – including many of the activities that are important to prevent and/or treat heart disease – since many things seem to require extra effort and energy that individuals with depression feel they don’t have,” said Ziegelstein.
Ziegelstein also pointed out that people with depression may have more difficulty exercising, eating healthy or taking medications as prescribed.
Also, “there is some evidence that individuals with mental illness – including depression – receive needed treatments for heart disease less frequently than individuals without mental illness, even for heart conditions of similar severity,” Ziegelstein added.
As this study highlights, there are sex-based differences between cardiovascular disease risk and depression. Experts explain potential reasons for this association.
“As women progress to later stages of life (post-menopausal), their cardioprotective effects of estrogen begin to wane and coupled with higher rates of inflammation and stress hormones from depression, leads to the disparity between men and women,” said Dr. Hosam Hmoud, a cardiology fellow at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital.
Hmoud was not involved in the study.
Gaffey explained, “In general, women are more likely to be depressed than men, and this pattern is seen throughout the lifespan. Women may be more vulnerable to the physiological effects of depression.”
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., but many people are not aware of this fact.
“Much of the traditional teaching has emphasized that women may be ‘protected’ from heart disease, and for this reason, the actual risk of heart disease may be underestimated by women and health care providers,” Ziegelstein stated.
For example, studies show that many people are unaware that heart disease is the #1 cause of death in women in the United States.
“As a result of this ‘double whammy’ (women and health care providers both underestimating risk), risk factors for heart disease may not receive enough attention in women compared to men, and women may seek medical attention for symptoms later than men,” said Ziegelstein. “This is important because the severity of a heart attack, for example, is directly related to the time from the onset of symptoms to the time the individual seeks medical attention, so if women seek medical attention later, they will be at increased risk.”
While this study sheds light on an important health concern, further research is needed. Other factors need to be taken into consideration.
“This sample was based on medical claims information only, so subclinical symptoms of depression were not accounted for, and may be associated with a unique risk for depression. There was no data presented on which individuals received treatment for depression or other psychological conditions. Women-specific factors such as history of pregnancy, [were] not accounted for,” said Gaffey.
Ziegelstein explained several of the study limitations:
Perhaps most importantly, the group of individuals in this study are very different from the typical U.S. adult population. Although racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity are not described in this observational study, the claims database “mainly includes employees working for relatively large companies in Japan” and this is likely a much less diverse group of individuals than the typical U.S. adult population. Moreover, there are important differences in the prevalence of traditional risk factors in the population studied here compared to the U.S. adult population.
In addition, the definition of obesity in this study includes many individuals who would be considered overweight but not obese in the United States; despite this, the prevalence of obesity in this study is far less than in the U.S. adult population. Along with the lower prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors compared to the U.S., these traditional risk factors were nearly twice as common in men in this study than in women, raising the possibility that the relative contribution of a non-traditional risk factor like depression might have been more important among the women.
Finally, because this study is observational, it must be remembered that “depression” here is based on a diagnostic code in the database, with no indication of whether the condition is currently affecting the individual, how severe it is, or how long the individual has had that diagnosis. This is important because women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with depression in the United States, however, the prevalence of diagnosed depression was about the same in men and women in this study. That may suggest that the women in this study may have had more severe depression than the men, and that possibility affects the interpretation of these results as well.
A new study shows women with depression have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than men.
According to experts, there are a few potential reasons for the sex-based differences between cardiovascular disease risk and depression. Women may be more vulnerable to the physiological effects of depression. Also, during post-menopausal years, women experience hormonal changes, and the cardioprotective effects of estrogen begin to decrease.
There are numerous limitations of this study. Further research is required.
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A study published online ahead of the April 1, 2024 print version of Cancer has found that worsening metabolic syndrome appears to increase the risk of developing cancer.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, metabolic syndrome is a clustering of symptoms that increases a person’s risk for coronary heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
It may be recognized by the presence of three or more of the following symptoms:
Breast, endometrial, kidney, colorectal, and liver cancers were especially associated with this metabolic condition.
Per the study authors, management of metabolic syndrome could be an effective way to modulate cancer risk.
To examine how metabolic syndrome affects cancer risk, the researchers studied 44,115 Chinese adults with an average age of 49 years.
Researchers calculated metabolic syndrome scores for participants based on the presence of each of the five metabolic syndrome symptoms, with a score of 0 being the lowest and a score of 5 being the highest.
The study participants were then placed into one of four different metabolic syndrome trajectories based on trends observed in their metabolic syndrome scores between 2006 and 2010. These trajectories were:
While the first three groups maintained steady metabolic syndrome scores over time, the elevated-increasing group started out with elevated scores that rose over the course of the study period.
The four groups were then followed between 2010 and 2021.
During this time frame, 2,271 people were diagnosed with cancer.
When the team compared the elevated-increasing group with the low-stable group, they found that the risk of developing any type of cancer was 1.3 times greater.
However, the risks for developing certain types of cancers were also notably higher:
Additionally, individuals with the elevated-increasing pattern had a greater increase in risk for all cancer types than the other groups combined.
The researchers further found that the elevated-increasing pattern and concurrent chronic inflammation was associated with a greater risk for breast, endometrial, colorectal, and liver cancer. Kidney cancer, however, was mainly seen in those in the elevated-increasing group who did not have without chronic inflammation.
Dr. Michael Sturek, a member of the American Physiological Society, said the authors were correct in stating that metabolic syndrome is a constellation of factors, including obesity, high blood cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure, mild increases in blood sugar, and chronic inflammation.
“These factors are interconnected and act synergistically to promote the adverse growth of tumors,” he explained.
Sturek, who was not involved in the study, went on to note that this has previously been shown in other studies as well.
However, the authors of this study have made the point that the rate of increase in severity of metabolic syndrome was a major reason that cancer risk was greater.
“The findings are solid,” he added, “but the molecular pathways causing the increase in cancer cannot be known from this study.”
Dr. Jared Braunstein, a board certified internist with Medical Offices of Manhattan and contributor to LabFinder who was not involved in the study, speculated, however, that leptin could play a role.
“Patients with metabolic syndrome tend to be obese and make high amounts of leptin which has been associated with prostate, colon, breast and endometrial cancers,” he said.
Braunstein advises that reducing obesity — especially abdominal obesity — is an important part of dealing with metabolic syndrome.
Visceral fat, the fat associated with abdominal obesity, is biologically active, secreting certain hormones and chemicals that can contribute to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
This fat tends to accumulate deep in the abdomen surrounding the internal organs, including the stomach, liver, and intestines. It is different from the subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin.
“Probably the most proactive plan is to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes proper nutrition and exercise, which can prevent MetS [metabolic syndrome] and inflammation,” added Sturek.
While there is no specific diet that is recommended for the treatment of metabolic syndrome, it is usually advised that people eat nutritious whole foods and avoid processed foods high in sugar and saturated fat.
Three anti-inflammatory diets that fit the bill include the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the whole-food, plant-based diet.
As far as exercise, Sturek pointed to a September 2022 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in which it was found that taking 10,000 steps per day was associated with a lower risk of cancer.
He acknowledged, however, that compliance with a diet and exercise regimen is often difficult for people. “[I]t remains to be seen whether new weight control and diabetes drugs, like semaglutide (Ozempic) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro), will be effective treatments, also.”
A new study has found a link between worsening metabolic syndrome and increasing risk of developing cancer.
Greater risk was especially seen with breast, endometrial, kidney, colorectal, and liver cancers.
It can’t be determined from the study exactly what the mechanism is that is responsible for the increase in risk.
However, there could be some sort of interplay between the metabolic effects associated with this condition.
Working to reduce abdominal obesity through a healthy diet and exercise is the best way to reverse metabolic syndrome and reduce your cancer risk.
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Scientists have discovered that many topical acne products contain benzene, a colorless liquid chemical that can increase the risk of cancer.
The testing company Valisure found that acne products that contain benzoyl peroxide can produce high levels of benzene when they are exposed to hot temperatures.
This could occur when the products are kept in a hot car, for example, or stored in a bathroom when a warm shower is running.
Benzoyl peroxide is incredibly common in facial products that target acne and these products are available at major drug stores nationwide.
Benzene is a group one carcinogen, similar to asbestos and lead, meaning there is enough evidence to conclude the chemical can cause cancer.
Based on its findings, Valisure filed a citizen petition asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the products further and consider withdrawing them from the market.
“There are many acne products available to use besides benzoyl peroxide. If a patient is concerned enough, then seek an alternative,” Dr. Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, an associate professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine and a Yale Medicine dermatologist, told Healthline.
Persistent exposure to low levels of benzene has been directly linked to cancer in humans.
Some researchers believe there is no amount of benzene that is considered safe and that any amount can potentially increase the risk of cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has found evidence that benzene exposure can cause acute myeloid leukemia and is further linked to acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Currently, the FDA prohibits the use of benzene in drug products unless its inclusion is unavoidable — at which point, it cannot exceed a concentration of 2 ppm.
According to Bunick, there’s limited evidence regarding if and how, specifically, skincare products contaminated with benzene can lead to cancer.
“Little attention has been paid to the health risks and consequences of benzene exposure from personal skin care products and medicines,” he said.
That said, recent research from the United Kingdom found that low levels of ambient benzene exposure heightens the risk of death, heart disease, and various cancers.
The risk is associated with long-term use, and immediate, short-term health effects are rarely reported.
“More epidemiology studies are needed, but this report raises enough health concerns that the benzene issue needs to be taken seriously by regulatory agencies and manufacturers,” Bunick said.
According to Bunick, it’s been known for over 100 years that benzoyl peroxide can break down into benzene.
High temperatures accelerate this process.
In one of Valisure’s testing experiments storing one commonly-used acne product at 158°F — which is roughly the temperature of a hot compact car — for nearly 17 hours produced levels of benzene gas 1,270 times greater than the threshold the the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) associates with an increased risk of cancer from long-term inhalation exposure.
Another test, in which the acne products were stored at 104°F — which is roughly the temperature of a hot bathroom — the concentration of benzene reached four times the EPA’s threshold for an increased risk of cancer from long-term benzene inhalation.
The concerning effect was not observed in acne products that were not made with benzoyl peroxide, including those containing salicylic acid or adapalene, according to the report.
The takeaway: Any skincare products made with benzoyl peroxide that have been stored in a car or bathroom should be discarded, Bunick advises.
“At the current moment, there is not a proven way to stabilize or store benzoyl peroxide-containing products,” says Bunick.
That said, cold temperatures can delay the breakdown of benzoyl peroxide into benzene, he noted.
“I believe, at the moment, the best middle ground for patients who wish to continue benzoyl peroxide products is to always store them in the refrigerator,” Bunick said.
Scientists have discovered that many popular acne products made with benzoyl peroxide can produce high levels of benzene when they’re exposed to hot temperatures. Benzene is a known human carcinogen, and health experts are urging people to choose safer alternatives or store their acne products in a cold environment, such as a refrigerator, until there’s more evidence on the link between acne products and cancer.
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