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Conclusions In this trial of apparently healthy persons without hyperlipidemia but with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, rosuvastatin significantly reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events. \n\nRosuvastatin to prevent vascular events in men and women with elevated C-reactive protein.\nRidker PM, Danielson E, Fonseca FA, Genest J, Gotto AM Jr, Kastelein JJ, Koenig W, Libby P, Lorenzatti AJ, MacFadyen JG, Nordestgaard BG, Shepherd J, Willerson JT, Glynn RJ; JUPITER Study Group.\nN Engl J Med. 2008 Nov 20;359(21):2195-207. Epub 2008 Nov 9.\nPMID: 18997196

Mice injected with cancer cells experienced significantly elevated levels of C-reactive protein, white blood cells, and lipid peroxidation compared with control mice. These levels were reduced in animals that received cisplatin and/or DHA. While treatment with 125 mg/kg DHA inhibited tumor growth by 38 percent compared to untreated animals, 250 mg/kg suppressed tumor growth by 79 percent, which was a greater effect than that of cisplatin alone (which was associated with a 55 percent reduction). The combination of DHA and cisplatin resulted in an 81 percent inhibition of growth, while reducing elevated white blood cell levels (leukocytosis) to normal levels. Treatment with the higher dose of DHA alone was associated with a similar reduction in white blood cells, which, when elevated, are associated with tumor growth. A strong relationship was observed between tumor growth and white blood cell levels as well as C-reactive protein levels. In another experiment with rats treated with cisplatin, the addition of 250 mg/kg DHA prevented lethal kidney toxicity in 88 percent of the animals that received it, while none of the rats that received cisplatin alone survived.

CHART: Statins Reduce Risks: A study of 18,000 people with high levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP, found that the risk of a heart attack or stroke was cut in half among those who took a statin. The study was stopped after two years, but some participants were tracked for up to five years. (Sources: Dr. Paul M. Ridker; New England Journal of Medicine) (pg.A21) A large new study suggests that millions more people could benefit from taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, even if they have low cholesterol, because the drugs can significantly lower their risk of heart attacks, strokes and death. The study, involving nearly 18,000 people worldwide, tested statin treatment in men 50 and older and in women 60 and older who did not have high cholesterol or histories of heart disease. What they did have was high levels of a protein called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or CRP, which indicates inflammation in the body.

VITAMIN D LOWERS C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) Van den Berghe and colleagues at the University of Leuven in Belgium appear to be the first to show that simple, natural and cheap vitamin D (cholecalciferol) lowers CRP in critically ill patients. Even small amounts of cholecalciferol (500 IU) lowered CRP by more than 25% in a small group of critically ill patients. Another marker of inflammation (IL-6) was reduced even more. The researchers also found that critically ill patients were profoundly deficient in vitamin D.

An inverse relationship between plasma n-3 fatty acids and C-reactive protein in healthy individuals M A Micallef, I A Munro and M L Garg Eur J Clin Nutr 63: 1154-1156; advance online publication, April 8, 2009; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.20

C-reactive protein concentration and risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and mortality: an individual participant meta-analysis. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 22 December 2009 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61717-7 Interpretation CRP concentration has continuous associations with the risk of coronary heart disease, ischaemic stroke, vascular mortality, and death from several cancers and lung disease that are each of broadly similar size. The relevance of CRP to such a range of disorders is unclear. Associations with ischaemic vascular disease depend considerably on conventional risk factors and other markers of inflammation.

Dietary cod protein reduces plasma C-reactive protein in insulin-resistant men and women. Ouellet V, Weisnagel SJ, Marois J, Bergeron J, Julien P, Gougeon R, Tchernof A, Holub BJ, Jacques H. J Nutr. 2008 Dec;138(12):2386-91. PMID: 19022962 Therefore, these results show that CP can lower hsCRP, a marker of inflammation associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Simultaneously Blocking Glycolysis and Fat Metabolism Can the use of DCA and a fatty acid metabolism blocker together force more cancer cells into using aerobic metabolism? Tim McGough used green tea extract, which contains EGCG, in his fantastic response. DCA works by reactivating mitochondria and shifts metabolism from glycolysis to glucose oxidation. Hopefully the cancer cell will then undergo apoptosis. However, cancer cells have an alternate energy source: fat metabolism. This page explores to possibility of blocking fat metabolism to help force the cell into apoptosis. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a cancer that does not respond well to DCA. This study, Head and Neck Cancer Cell Lines Are Resistant to Mitochondrial-Depolarization-Induced Apoptosis states: "Results: ΔΨm in head and neck cell lines started to show slight loss of ΔΨm, while HL-60 showed significant loss of ΔΨm after 30 min of treatment. All cell lines demonstrated complete mitochondrial depolarization within 24 h, however, only the control cell line HL-60 underwent apoptosis. In addition, HNSCC cell lines did not demonstrate cytoplasmic cytochrome c release despite significant mitochondrial membrane depolarization, while HL-60 cell initiated apoptosis and cytochcrome c release after 24 h of treatment. Conclusions: Head and neck cancer cell lines exhibit defects in mitochondrial-membrane-depolarization-induced apoptosis as well as impaired release of cytochrome c despite significant mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Proximal defects in the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway are a feature of HNSCC.(head and neck squamous cell carcinoma)" Note that although the cell lines were depolarized, apoptosis did not occur. So I checked to see if fatty acid metabolism is used by squamous cell carcinoma.

Biochemical effects of consumption of eggs containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Ohman M, Akerfeldt T, Nilsson I, Rosen C, Hansson LO, Carlsson M, Larsson A. Ups J Med Sci. 2008;113(3):315-23.P MID: 18991244 Today, eggs with an increased content of -3 fatty acids are available but there are few publications on the effects of consumption of such eggs on the lipoproteins and acute phase markers in humans. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of consumption of standard eggs and -3 enriched eggs on lipoproteins, glucose and inflammation markers. Nineteen healthy volunteers consumed one extra egg per day of either standard eggs or omega-3 enriched eggs in a double-blind, cross-over study. The duration of each period was 1 month. The effects of the different egg diets on apolipoprotein A1 and B (Apo A1 and B), lipoprotein (a), creatinine, cystatin C, C-reactive protein, serum amyloid protein A, interleukin 6, triglycerides, glucose, total-, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipo-protein cholesterol concentrations were analyzed. Addition of one regular egg per day to the normal diet had no negative impact on blood lipids or inflammation markers. Consumption of omega-3 enriched eggs resulted in higher levels of ApoA1, lower ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and lower plasma glucose. These effects have been associated in previous studies with a reduced risk for cardiovascular mortality and diabetes.

Aspirin-triggered lipoxin A4 blocks reactive oxygen species generation in endothelial cells: a novel antioxidative mechanism. Nascimento-Silva V, Arruda MA, Barja-Fidalgo C, Fierro IM. Thromb Haemost. 2007 Jan;97(1):88-98. PMID: 17200775 DOI: 10.1160/TH06-06-0315

"November 25, 2009 | Michael O'Riordan Orlando, FL - Treating healthy women with low LDL cholesterol but elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels with rosuvastatin (Crestor, AstraZeneca) cuts their risk of cardiovascular events in half, according to a new analysis of Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER). The reduction in risk is consistent with the reduction observed in the overall trial, and with the 42% benefit observed in men.

What is C-reactive protein (CRP)? It is a blood-borne protein that originates in the liver and serves as an index of the body's inflammatory state. It is triggered by yet another inflammatory signal molecule, interleukin-6. What triggers this cascade of inflammatory markers? Any inflammatory stimulus, such as being overweight, lack of exercise, vitamin D deficiency, viral illness no matter how trivial, any inflammatory disease like arthritis, small LDL, high triglycerides, poor diet rich in processed foods, resistance to insulin, any injury, incipient diabetes, hidden cancer, lack of education (no kidding), etc.

Supplements of antioxidant vitamins after exercise may decrease the benefits of the workout by blocking the positive effects of reactive oxygen, says a new study. Researchers from Germany and the US report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that a combination of 1,000 mg per day of vitamin C and 400 IU per day of vitamin E adversely affected insulin sensitivity, and thereby increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Participants, both trained and untrained, underwent 85 minutes of exercise five days per week for four weeks.

"Largest-ever meta-analysis finds CRP is unlikely to be causal for CVD December 21, 2009 | Lisa Nainggolan Cambridge, UK - In the largest and most comprehensive meta-analysis to date looking at C-reactive-protein (CRP) levels and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, British researchers conclude that CRP is unlikely to be a causal factor for cardiovascular disease [1]. Although CRP concentration was linearly associated with CHD, stroke, and vascular mortality, as well as nonvascular mortality, statistical adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors "resulted in considerable weakening of associations," note the scientists of the Cambridge-based Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration (ERFC), who report their findings online December 21, 2009 in the Lancet. In an editorial accompanying the paper [2], Drs S Matthijs Boekholdt and John JP Kastelein (Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) say the UK authors "are to be commended for this impressive data set." Although the findings "add weight to the evidence of noncausality" for a role of CRP in the development of cardiovascular disease, "the debate can be resolved only by randomized trials with agents that specifically target CRP, and such compounds are currently under development," say the Dutch doctors. Commenting on the new meta-analysis for heartwire, Dr Paul Ridker (Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA), a long-time advocate of CRP and the lead investigator of the JUPITER trial, said: "Whether or not CRP is 'causal' for heart disease is neither the crucial issue at hand nor relevant for public health. What is crucial is getting international agreement that CRP identifies higher-risk individuals who would not otherwise qualify for a life-saving therapy, and then showing that such individuals clearly benefit from treatment. The new meta-analysis demonstrates the former, and JUPITER demonstrates the latter." "

Last week, Harvard researchers reported how healthy 50-year-old men and 60-year-old women could benefit from taking a statin even if they didn't have high cholesterol. The people they studied had high levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP, which is a marker for inflammation. The study showed that risk for major heart problems was cut by about 50 percent among the statin users.\n\nBut like many industry-sponsored drug studies, the results focused on something called "relative risk," which compares differences between study groups. Relative risk has the effect of exaggerating a drug's benefits. What does a 50 percent reduction in heart risk mean? It means that just one out of 120 statin users was helped by the drug.

"March 29, 2009 | Michael O'Riordan Orlando, FL - Reducing LDL cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in primary-prevention patients treated with rosuvastatin (Crestor, AstraZeneca) results in better event-free survival than when neither of these targets are achieved or when LDL cholesterol alone is reduced, a new analysis shows [1]. Presenting the results of the Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER) study during an afternoon press conference at the American College of Cardiology 2009 Scientific Sessions, investigators say that initial interventions for low-risk primary-prevention patients remains lifestyle and dietary modifications, but for those choosing drug therapy, "reductions in both LDL cholesterol and hs-CRP are indicators of the success of treatment with statin therapy.""

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "Inflammation May Be Link Between Extreme Sleep Durations And Poor Health." ScienceDaily 7 February 2009. 25 February 2009 .

Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, Faulkner DA, Wong JM, de Souza R, Emam A, Parker TL, Vidgen E, Lapsley KG, Trautwein EA, Josse RG, Leiter LA, Connelly PW. Effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods vs lovastatin on serum lipids and

I stumbled on one of the growing number of local media stories on the power of vitamin D. \nIn one story, a purported "expert" was talking about the benefits of "high-dose" vitamin D, meaning up to 1000, even 2000 units per day. \nI regard this as high-dose---for an infant. \nJudging by my experiences, now numbering well over 1000 patients over three years time, I'd regard this dose range not as "high dose," nor moderate dose, perhaps not even low dose. I'd regard it as barely adequate.