Magnetically applied MicroRNAs may relieve constipation

Constipation is an underestimated and debilitating medical issue related to the opioid epidemic. As a growing concern, researchers look to new tools to help patients with this side effect of opioid use and aging. Both constipation and incontinence, although multifactorial, have also been associated with the problems related to the regulation of a ring of smooth muscle around the anal opening termed, the internal anal sphincter.

 Unlike the way we can clench muscles just by thinking about them, smooth muscle is a type of muscle that we can't control with our thoughts. Using a new technique to deliver gene-therapy-like intervention directly where it's needed, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University successfully increased or decreased the muscle tone of the anal sphincter in appropriate animal models. These studies could have implications in treating constipation or incontinence.

Reserchers used altered copies of the body's own genetic make-up - small RNA fragments (microRNAs) that regulate the target gene RhoA/ROCK - in order to strengthen or weaken the muscle tone of the sphincter. But rather than simply inject the agent, where it could have spread through the tissue to affect other regions, the investigators kept the microRNAs localized to the ring of muscle. They did this by first injecting the microRNAs mixed with micro metal beads, and then kept them localized to the sphincter with a magnet.

This innovative yet simple approach was more effective at keeping the microRNAs in the right place than injecting the microRNAs alone. Because sphincters also keep food in the stomach from rising up the esophagus, using a similar approach has additional implications in the lower esophageal sphincter where its localized stimulation could help prevent acid reflux in difficult-to-treat cases.
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Heart burn pills increases the risk of stomach cancer

Chronic heartburn, caused by stomach acid splashing into the gullet, also known as acid reflux, affects many people. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)  is popularly used to treat the condition. Available both on prescription and over-the-counter at lower doses, PPIs are among the top ten most regularly taken drugs. A study this year by University College London (UCL) involving 63,000 patients, found those taking PPIs for two weeks were twice as likely as those not on the drugs to develop stomach cancer in the following seven years.

If they stayed on them for a year, they were five times more at risk of cancer. And after three years of taking the drugs daily, the risk rose eight-fold. Scientists think PPIs may linked to cancer by stimulating a hormone called gastrin, known to play a part in triggering the growth of cancerous cells in the stomach. It is important to clarify that the UCL findings do not prove these drugs cause cancer, and researchers stressed the risk of stomach cancer in patients on the drugs is still small.

Chronic reflux can cause cells in the gullet to grow abnormally, a condition known as Barrett’s oesophagus that’s thought to affect one in ten people with reflux. Left untreated, this can develop into oesophageal cancer. PPIs such as Nexium, Zanprol, Prevacid and Prilosec, work by suppressing the release of stomach acid by cells, called proton pumps, in the stomach lining. In theory, PPIs should reduce oesophageal cancer rates by treating acid reflux.

An investigation in 2016 by Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands revealed men who regularly took PPIs were three times more likely to have low sperm counts. Meanwhile, research from Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. in 2015 found that those on PPIs were 90 per cent more likely to develop kidney failure, while a study conducted by McGill University in Canada in 2015 found that they raised the risk of hip fractures by 44 per cent. In all the studies, the longer people stay on them, the bigger the risk. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already acted on PPI safety fears and nearly 300 patients in New Jersey have filed lawsuits in the past year or so claiming the drugs left them with kidney damage and that manufacturers knew about the risks but failed to warn them.

Stomach acid protects against infection by destroying the spores containing the C.difficile bacterium before they infect the gut. But if the stomach is producing very little acid because PPIs are being taken every day, it boosts the bug’s chances of thriving. Lab research at Stanford University in the U.S. showed that the drugs don’t just turn off acid pumps in the stomach-they also block production of acid in every cell in the body. Each cell has an area called a lysosome, which contains enzymes that help to break down damaged or defective proteins, the debris from the ageing process. But these enzymes only work properly in acidic conditions.

If the lysosome is unable to release acid to help with this process (because PPIs have blocked the mechanism), waste material builds up and cells age quicker. People with acid reflux should be able to control it by quitting smoking (a big risk factor), losing weight or raising the head of the bed by six to eight inches (which stops gravity pulling acid out of the stomach during sleep). A study this year by University College London (UCL) involving 63,000 patients, found those taking PPIs for two weeks were twice as likely as those not on the drugs to develop stomach cancer in the following seven years. If they stayed on them for a year, they were five times more at risk of cancer.
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Mediterranean diet for acid reflux

Eating fish, vegetables, whole grains and drinking alkaline-heavy water can reduce acid reflux compared to proton pump inhibitors PPIs. Gastric reflux is the movement of stomach contents back up into the esophagus- the reversal of the normal flow.

This is due to a poorly functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter, a ring of muscle at the top of the stomach that normally shuts to stop the contents of the stomach leaking out and up the foodpipe.

The contents are mixed with the hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach lining to aid digestion, so they are highly acidic. As the acidic liquid moves up the esophagus, the result is inflammation, which can be severe and may cause both cramp-like spasm and pain- classic symptoms of reflux.

The diet consisted mostly of fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts and barely any dairy or meat including beef, chicken, fish, eggs and pork. Avoiding triggers of reflux like coffee, tea, alcohol, chocolate, fizzy drinks, fried and spicy food.

Patients on the plant-based diet also lost weight and needed fewer medicines for other conditions, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Patients who ate fish, vegetables and whole grains have greater reduction in symptoms than those on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).

Some of the patients treated with a plant-based diet and alkaline water have reduction in their Reflux Symptom Index RSI compared to patients taking PPI's.

The research focused on those with laryngopharyngeal reflux, this same diet regimen has implications to help patients with gastro-esophageal acid reflux- consists of fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts with near complete cessation of dairy and meats including beef, chicken, fish, eggs and pork. This is in addition to standard reflux diet precautions like avoiding coffee, tea, chocolate, soda, greasy and fried food, spicy foods, fatty foods and alcohol.

Plant-based diet approach with alkaline water and standard reflux precautions should either be attempted prior to the use of medication or with the short-term use of medication for more severe needs.
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Foods that upset gut

Belching is the expelling of gas generated in the gut during digestion. Frequent belching may be a symptom of dangerous health condition.

Excess gas like burping, bloating and flatulence can be reduce by eating slowly, avoiding fizzy drinks and not talking while eating.

Acid reflux may cause burping or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. The sphincter in the gullet fails to stay closed so stomach, food splash up, causing irritation and inflammation.

 Burping is caused by the loose valve at the bottom of the oesophagus, which cannot withstand pressure from the stomach, so gas escapes upwards. It can also be a symptom of bowel conditions including irritable bowel syndrome, coeliac disease and lactose intolerance.

Avoid these foods to reduce wind production: beans, peas, lentils and other pulses, bran cereal, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, egg, radishes, shellfish, milk, muesli, jacket potato skins, leeks, swedes, apples, coffee, parsnips, onions, dried fruits and junk foods.
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Effects of diabetes on vital organs

 The raised blood sugar levels that result from diabetes can cause a wide range of serious health issues. When people have diabetes, the body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use what it has effectively. As a result, the amount of sugar in the blood becomes higher than normal.

 Blood sugar is the main power source for the human body. It comes from the food people eat. The hormone insulin convert glucose into fuel. Diabetes may
cause complications in the circulatory system, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Diabetes can damage large blood vessels, causing macrovascular disease.
It can also damage small blood vessels, causing what is called microvascular disease. Microvascular disease can
cause eye, kidney, and nerve problems.

Excess blood sugar decreases the elasticity of blood vessels and causes them to narrow, impeding blood flow.
When people have diabetes, they can develop nerve damage because the blood vessels can not supply enough oxygen.

Nerve damage usually happens some 25 years or more after diagnosis. The most common form is peripheral neuropathy which causes pain and numbness in toes, feet, legs, and arms.

Over time, high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels in the kidneys. This damage prevents the kidneys from filtering waste out of the blood.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, diabetes is one of the major
causes of kidney disease.

Diabetes is the most frequently identified cause of gastroparesis. This is a condition that causes the stomach to slow the movement of food into the small intestine.

A person with gastroparesis may experience symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, and acid reflux.
Gastroparesis may cause: nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, bloating, abdomen pain and weight loss

Diabetes can interfere with the body's ability to send and implement responses to sexual stimuli. It can cause erectile dysfunction in men. If you have
diabetes, you can manage it by monitoring your glucose level and working closely with your health providers.

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