all Alberto Ascherio stories

Elevated urate levels may slow progression of Parkinson's disease

404132862 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:22:55 -0400

Naturally elevated levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease in men. Researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MGH-MIND) and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) examined data from an earlier study and found that, among recently diagnosed Parkinson’s patients, those with the highest urate levels had a significantly slower rate of disease progression during the two-year study period. The report appears in the online edition of read more

Stronger evidence found linking Epstein-Barr virus and risk of multiple sclerosis

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 06:34:15 -0400

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Kaiser Permanente, and a team of collaborators have found further evidence implicating the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as a possible contributory cause to multiple sclerosis. The study appears in the advance online edition of the June 2006 issue of Archives of Neurology.

MS is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Although genetic predisposition plays an important role in determining susceptibility, past studies have shown that environmental factors are equally important.

Anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce Parkinson's disease risk

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:31:26 -0400

In the first study to investigate the potential benefit in humans of the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in reducing the risk of Parkinson's disease, Harvard School of Public Health researchers found that regular users of these drugs had a lower risk for Parkinson's disease than non-users. More than 44,000 men and nearly 99,000 women were followed for 14 years and 18 years, respectively. Use of aspirin and non-aspirin NSAIDs (such as Motrin, Advil, ibuprofen, Indocin, Naprosyn) was assessed via biennial questionnaires. A total of 236 men and 179 women developed Parkinson's disease during the course of the study. The risk of developing Parkinson's disease was 45 percent lower among men and women who regularly used non-aspirin NSAIDs than among non-users. Regular use of non-aspirin NSAIDs was reported by 6.1 percent of the men at the beginning of the study and 3.7 percent of the women. The findings appeared in the August 2003 issue of The Archives of Neurology.

High levels of Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in women linked to risk of multiple sclerosis

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:17:29 -0400

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Nationwide, there are an estimated 250,000 to 350,000 people with MS. Researchers have long wondered how MS develops and why it targets certain individuals, though they have long suspected that a virus was involved.

Caffeine linked to protection from Parkinson's disease

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:11:36 -0400

Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous disease occurring generally after age 50. It destroys brain cells that produce dopamine and is characterized by muscular tremor, slowing of movement, weakness and facial paralysis. Men who drank four to five cups per day of caffeinated coffee cut the risk of developing Parkinson's disease nearly in half compared to men in a recent study who consumed little or no caffeine daily. Women who consumed between one and three cups of caffeinated coffee per day also cut their risk nearly in half of developing Parkinson's disease when compared to women who drank less than a cup of coffee per day, but this apparent benefit was lost at higher levels of intake. Further research with women is required. The results were announced by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.

No link between hepatitis B vaccine and risk of multiple sclerosis

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:05:49 -0400

The French government in 1998 decided to temporarily suspend hepatitis B vaccine programs in schools after several cases of multiple sclerosis were reported a few weeks after the vaccine had been administered in 1995 and 1997 as part of a mass immunization program. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system. A research team led by Alberto Ascherio, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, found no association between the hepatitis B vaccine and the development of multiple sclerosis. The authors conclude that alterations in hepatitis B vaccination policies are not warranted and that changes could compromise or delay control of the disease. "The study's results appear to contradict previous concerns raised in other research and justifies keeping hepatitis B vaccination programs and policies firmly in place," Ascherio said.

Lowering iron levels does not cut heart attack risk for men

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:05:53 -0400

Men who give blood reduce the amount of iron in their bodies, but that does not result in a reduction in their risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart attack. Iron levels in the body had once been thought to explain the difference in CHD rates among men and women. "The results of this study throw cold water on the 20-year-old hypothesis that reduced iron levels decrease the risk of coronary heart disease," said Alberto Ascherio, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Previous studies hypothesized that women have lower incidences of coronary heart disease than men because of a loss of iron in the blood through menstruation. Men can cut their iron level stores in half by donating one unit of blood per year and can further lower the level to that of premenopausal women by donating two or three units per year. The contrast between U.S. men who donate blood, and those who do not, provided a test for the hypothesis.