Ketamine fights depression, so does vitamin D

Yale University researchers have found a new pathway that explains why the antidepressant ketamine works to relieve depressive symptoms in a matter of hours instead of weeks or months, which is typical of other antidepressants.

 

The study reported in the August 20, 2010 issue of the journal Science indicates that theses findings should speed up the development of a safe and easy-to-administer form of the antidepressant ketamine, which is effective in treating severe depression, but needs to be delivered intravenously by medical professionals.

 

The traditional form of ketamine, even though effective at relieving depression, when taken by itself, it can lead to short-term psychotic symptoms. It is also used as a recreational or club drug known as "Special K" or simply "K".

 

Ronald Duman, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Yale, colleagues George Aghajanian and others mapped the molecular action of ketamine in the prefrontal cortex of rats and discovered that the drug, traditionally also used as an anesthetic for children, acts on a pathway that quickly forms new synaptic connections between neurons.

 

Specifically, the researchers identified a critical point in the pathway, Mammalian target of rapamycin or simply mTOR, which is required to control protein synthesis for the new synaptic connections.

 

Still, no one knows for sure when an effective form of ketamine can be developed.  Ketamine can cause side effects, including blurred vision, confusion, drowsiness, increased or decrease blood pressure or heart beat, metal or mood changes, nausea, vomiting and nightmares.

 

Those who can't wait for drug companies to develop an effective and safe antidepressant may want to consider trying supplementation of vitamin D, which evidence suggests boosts depression risk when it is insufficient or deficient.

 

Stewart R. and Hirani V from King's College London and University College London Medical School in the United Kingdom published in the July 1, 2010 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine saying depressivesymptoms in older people were linked with clinical vitamin D deficiency defined as having 25(OH)D levels lower than 10 ng/mL.

 

Another study led by May H.T. and colleagues from Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, UT  and published in the June 2010 issue of American Heart Journal indicates that vitamin D levels are associated with incident depression among people aged 50 or older who had cardiovascular disease, but no prior history of depression. 

 

Still another study led by Milaneschi Y. and colleagues at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore MD and published in the July 2010 issue of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that low vitamin D is a risk factor for depression in older people.

 

Depression affects an estimated 17.5 million men and women in the United States, 9.2 million of whom have major or clinical depression. The condition costs Americans $30.4 billion in economic loss. 

By Jimmy Downs and editing by Rachel Stockton

Low vitamin D levels tied to pregnancy complication

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study finds that women who develop a severe form of pregnancy-related high blood pressure tend to have lower blood levels of vitamin D than healthy pregnant women -- raising the possibility that the vitamin plays a role in the complication.

The condition is known as early-onset severe preeclampsia, and while it arises in about 2 to 3 percent of pregnancies, it contributes to about 15 percent of preterm births in the U.S. each year.

Preeclampsia is a syndrome marked by a sudden increase in blood pressure and a buildup of protein in the urine due to stress on the kidneys. Early-onset severe preeclampsia is a particularly serious form that arises before the 34th week of pregnancy.

In the current study, researchers found that vitamin D levels were generally lower among 50 women with early severe preeclampsia compared with those of 100 healthy pregnant women. The average vitamin D level in the former group was 18 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), versus 32 ng/mL in the latter group.

There is debate over what constitutes an adequate level of vitamin D in the blood. But many experts say that at least 32 ng/mL is needed for overall health.

The findings, reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, do not prove that lower vitamin D levels contribute to early-onset severe preeclampsia.

They do, however, add to a spate of recent research finding connections between vitamin D levels in the blood, or vitamin D intake, and the risks of a host of health problems.

Studies have, for example, linked relatively low vitamin D levels to higher risks of type 1 diabetes and severe asthma attacks in children and, in adults, heart disease, certain cancers and depression.

But whether vitamin D is the reason for the excess risks -- and whether taking supplements can curb those risks -- has yet to be shown.

A few past studies have found an association between vitamin D and preeclampsia in general. Now more work is needed to see whether pregnant women's vitamin D levels predict the odds of preeclampsia developing -- and whether raising those levels with vitamin D supplements lowers women's risk of the complication, according to Dr. Christopher J. Robinson, of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

If vitamin D is involved in preeclampsia risk, Robinson told Reuters Health, then it might help explain why African American women are at greater risk of the complication than other racial groups -- even when factors like income and healthcare access are taken into account.

Vitamin D is naturally synthesized in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. This process is less efficient in people with darker skin, and studies have found that African Americans commonly have low levels of vitamin D in their blood; a recent study of U.S. teenagers, for example, found that while 14 percent overall had vitamin D deficiency -- defined as less than 20 ng/mL -- the same was true of half of black teens.

The current findings are based on 50 pregnant women with early-onset preeclampsia seen at the Medical University of South Carolina, along with 100 women with healthy pregnancies.

Of the preeclampsia group, 54 percent were deemed to have vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 ng/mL), versus 27 percent of the healthy group. Only 24 percent of women with preeclampsia had vitamin D levels greater than 32 ng/mL, compared with 47 percent of their healthy counterparts.

When Robinson and his colleagues accounted for a number of factors in preeclampsia risk -- including older age, heavier body weight and African American race -- vitamin D levels were independently related to the odds of early preeclampsia.

A 10 ng/mL increase in vitamin D was linked to a 63 percent reduction in the odds of the complication.

It is biologically plausible, Robinson said, that the vitamin could affect preeclampsia risk. Vitamin D acts as a hormone, and lab research has found that it may affect the regulation and function of proteins in the placenta; problems in the development of the placenta are believed to be at the roots of preeclampsia.

Right now, it's generally recommended that pregnant women get anywhere from 200 to 400 IU of vitamin D per day; prenatal vitamins contain 400 IU.

But there is much debate over that recommendation, with many researchers arguing that pregnant women -- and everyone else -- need more vitamin D than is officially advised.

Current U.S. guidelines call for adults age 50 and younger to get 200 IU of vitamin D each day, while older adults should get 400 to 600 IU. The upper intake limit is set at 2,000 IU; it is thought that the risk of vitamin D toxicity -- with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and weight loss -- may go up with intakes beyond that level.

However, research in recent years has been challenging those ideas on what is enough, and what is too much, vitamin D, and the U.S. guidelines are currently under review.

For now, though, Robinson said, the 400 IU in prenatal vitamins remains the recommended daily intake for pregnant women.

SOURCE: link.reuters.com/qen75n American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, online August 9, 2010.

Consumer Reports' 'Dirty Dozen': 12 Risky Supplements

These Products May Do More Harm Than Good, Reviewers Warn

Last year, Americans spent nearly $27 billion on dietary supplements -- but critics say some of them could be risky.
On "Good Morning America," ABC News senior health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser discussed the "dirty dozen" supplement ingredients list released by Consumer Reports.
While the products on the list may not be the top sellers in the category, they are both popular and readily available on health store aisles.
To learn whether you may be taking one or more of these "dirty dozen" products, have a look at CR's list below. And if you have any questions about the supplements you may be taking, remember to talk openly and honestly with your doctor. Your health may be at stake.

Consumer Reports' 'Dirty Dozen' Supplements

1. Aconite
Other names: aconiti tuber, aconitum, radix aconiti
Purported uses: Inflammation, joint pain, wounds, gout
Possible risks: Toxicity, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, respiratory system paralysis, heart rhythm disorders, death
2. Bitter Orange
Other names: aurantii fructus, citrus aurantium, zhi shi
Purported uses: Weight loss, nasal congestion, allergies
Possible risks: Fainting, heart-rhythm disorders, heart attack, stroke, death
3. Chaparral
Other names: creosote bush, larrea divaricata, larreastat
Purported uses: Colds, weight loss, infections, inflammation, cancer, detoxification
Possible risks: Liver damage, kidney problems
4. Colloidal Silver
Other names: ionic silver, native silver, silver in suspending agent
Purported uses: Fungal and other infections, Lyme disease, rosacea, psoriasis, food poisoning, chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV/AIDS
Possible risks: Bluish skin, mucous membrane discoloration, neurological problems, kidney damage
5. Coltsfoot
Other names: coughwort, farfarae folium leaf, foalswort
Purported uses: Cough, sore throat, laryngitis, bronchitis, asthma
Possible risks: Liver damage, cancer
6. Comfrey
Other names: blackwort, common comfrey, slippery root
Purported uses: Cough, heavy menstrual periods, chest pain, cancer
Possible risks: Liver damage, cancer
7. Country Mallow
Other names: heartleaf, sida cordifolia, silky white mallow
Purported uses: Nasal congestion, allergies, asthma, weight loss, bronchitis
Possible risks: Heart attack, heart arrhythmia, stroke, death
8. Germanium
Other names: Ge, Ge-132, germanium-132
Purported uses: Pain, infections, glaucoma, liver problems, arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer
Possible risks: Kidney damage, death
9. Greater Celandine
Other names: celandine, chelidonii herba, Chelidonium majus
Purported uses: Upset stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, liver disorders, detoxification, cancer.
Possible risks: Liver damage
10. Kava
Other names: awa, Piper methysticum, kava-kava
Purported uses: Anxiety
Possible risks: Liver damage
11. Lobelia
Other names: asthma weed, Lobelia inflata, pukeweed, vomit wort
Purported uses: Coughing, bronchitis, asthma, smoking cessation
Possible risks: Toxicity; overdose can cause fast heartbeat, very low blood pressure, coma, possibly death
12. Yohimbe
Other names: yohimbine, Corynanthe yohimbi, Corynanthe johimbi
Purported uses: Aphrodisiac, chest pain, diabetic complications, depression; erectile dysfunction
Possible risks: Usual doses can cause high blood pressure, rapid heart rate; high doses can cause severe low blood pressure, heart problems, death
Source: Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Professional Version, June 2010

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Up to 95 percent of infants are vitamin D deficient but only 1 percent get vitamin D supplements

by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Two studies published in the journal Pediatrics highlight that although vitamin D deficiency is widespread among infants in the United States, most pediatricians remain unaware of the problem.

The first study, conducted by researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that only 5 to 13 percent of breast-fed infants were receiving at least 400 IU of vitamin D per day, the amount currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Human breast milk is actually relatively low in vitamin D, probably because during our evolutionary history most babies got plenty of exposure to sunlight.

Although formula-fed infants were not included in the study, researchers noted that an infant would need to drink 32 ounces of fortified formula per day to get 400 IU of vitamin D, an amount that is probably unrealistic for young children.

The body produces vitamin D when exposed to UV-B radiation from sunlight. The nutrient is essential for the development and maintenance of bonesand the immune system, and deficiencycan increase the risk of soft or brittle bones, infection, cancer, heart disease and autoimmune disorders. Yet the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants get no direct sunlight at all for the first six months of life, and that they wear protective clothing and sunscreen beyond that age - effectively ruling out the healthiest, most reliable source of this essential nutrient.

Making matters worse, according to the CDC study, only 1 to 13 percent of children under the age of one take a vitamin D supplement.

A second study in the same issue found a lower (but still high) rate of vitamin D deficiency, with 58 percent of newborns and 36 percent of mothers testing deficient. A full 30 percent of mothers who took prenatal vitamins were still deficient in vitamin D.

Although increased sun exposure improved mothers' vitamin D levels, it did not raise those of their infants. This further suggests that breast milk is a poor source of vitamin D and that infants need to be exposed to sunlight directly in order to synthesize the vitamin for themselves.

Sources for this story include:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health....