By Dr. Robert Goldman & Dr. Ronald Klatz

Longevity News and Review provides readers with the latest information in breakthroughs pertaining to the extension of the healthy human lifespan.  These news summaries are compiled by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M; www.worldhealth.net), a non-profit medical society composed of 24,000 physician and scientist members from 110 nations, united in a mission to advance biomedical technologies to detect, prevent, and treat aging related disease and to promote research into methods to retard and optimize the human aging process.   Dr. Ronald Klatz, M.D., D.O., A4M President, and Dr. Robert Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., D.O., FAASP, A4M Chairman, physician co-founders of the anti-aging medical movement, distill these headlines and provide their insightful commentary.

Boost Fruits & Veggies to Slash Disease & Death Risks
Frank B. Hu, from Harvard School of Public Health (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues completed a meta-analysis of 16 published studies on all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality by levels of fruit and vegetable consumption, involving a total of 833,234 subjects. The researchers observed a dose-response relationship: the more fruits and veggies people ate, the less likely they were to have heart problems or die during the study period.   The protective effects of fruits and veggies leveled out at five servings per day, consistent with current dietary recommendations.  The study authors conclude that: “This meta-analysis provides further evidence that a higher consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of all cause mortality, particularly cardiovascular mortality.”

Dr. Klatz observes: “While it is commonly accepted that incorporating fruits and vegetables  into the daily diet confers an array of health benefits, the quantity to consume has been subject to debate.  Large-scale meta-analysis reveals that 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, may help to reduce your chances of developing heart disease and dying from it.”

Declines in Cognitive Skills May Signal Stroke Risk
Kumar Rajan, from Rush University Medical Center (Illinois, USA), and colleagues analyzed data on cognitive function in 7,217 adults, ages 65 years and older.  Subjects took four tests every three years that evaluated short- and long-term memory, attention, awareness and other mental functions before and after a stroke. Researchers found that those with lower cognitive test scores before a stroke were at 61% higher chance of a stroke. After stroke, cognitive function declined almost twice as fast compared to those before stroke. And, stroke coupled with cognitive decline increased the risk of death. Observing that: “Baseline cognitive function was associated with incident stroke” and that: “Cognitive decline increased significantly after stroke relative to before stroke,” the study authors write that: “Cognitive decline increased mortality risk independent of the risk attributable to stroke and should be followed as a marker for both stroke and mortality.”

Remarks Dr. Goldman: “Previously, a number of studies show that poor cardiovascular health may increase the risk of cognitive impairment, including difficulties with memory and learning. These researchers observe that adverse memory and learning changes associate with increased risk of stroke.”

Coffee Combats Tooth Loss
Nathan Ng, from Boston University (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 1,152 men, ages 26 to 84 years at the study’s start, enrolled in the US Department of Veterans Affairs Dental Longitudinal Study.  Observing that: “It was found that higher coffee consumption was associated with a small but significant reduction in number of teeth with periodontal bone loss,” the study authors note that: “No evidence was found that coffee consumption was harmful to periodontal health.”

Comments Dr. Klatz:  ‘Coffee is a major dietary source of antioxidants as well as of other anti-inflammatory factors.  This team finds that consuming coffee may reduce the number of teeth lost in periodontal disease, among men.”

Anti-aging medicine is the fastest-growing medical specialty throughout the world and is founded on the application of advanced scientific and medical technologies for the early detection, prevention, treatment, and reversal of age-related dysfunction, disorders, and diseases.  It is a healthcare model promoting innovative science and research to prolong the healthy lifespan in humans.  As such, anti-aging medicine is based on solid scientific principles of responsible medical care that are consistent with those applied in other preventive health specialties.  The goal of anti-aging medicine is not to merely prolong the total years of an individual’s life, but to ensure that those years are enjoyed in a productive and vital fashion.  Visit the A4M’s World Health Network website, at www.worldhealth.net, to learn more about the A4M and its educational endeavors and to sign-up for your free subscription o Longevity Magazine™ e-Journal.