Consumption of bilberries controls gingival inflammation

Bioactive molecules in berries may be helpful in reducing the risk of oral diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of bilberry consumption on the outcome of a routine dental clinical parameter of inflammation, bleeding on probing (BOP), as well as the impact on selected biomarkers of inflammation, such as cytokines, in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in individuals with gingivitis. Study individuals who did not receive standard of care treatment were allocated to either a placebo group or to groups that consumed either 250 or 500 g bilberries daily over seven days. The placebo group consumed an inactive product (starch). A study group, receiving standard of care (debridement only) was also included to provide a reference to standard of care treatment outcome. Cytokine levels were assayed using the Luminex MagPix system. The mean reduction in BOP before and after consumption of test product over 1 week was 41% and 59% in the groups that consumed either 250 or 500 g of bilberries/day respectively, and was 31% in the placebo group, and 58% in the standard of care reference group. The analysis only showed a significantreduction in cytokine levels in the group that consumed 500 g of bilberries/day. A statistically significant reduction was observed for IL-1β (p = 0.025), IL-6 (p = 0.012) and VEGF (p = 0.017) in GCF samples in the group that consumed 500 g of bilberries daily. It appears that berry intake has an ameliorating effect on some markers of gingival inflammation reducing gingivitis to a similar extent compared to standard of care

Improved General and Oral Health in Diabetic Patients by an Okinawan-Based Nordic Diet:A Pilot Study

Periodontal disease, periodontitis as well as the preceding gingivitis, has been associated with both obesity and diabetes. Studies have shown that diet changes can lead to a lower incidence of such inflammation. The aim of the present case series over four weeks was to study the effects on medical and dental conditions in patients with type 2 diabetes of the consumption of the Okinawan-based Nordic Diet (OBND®). Medical and dental examinations were performed to estimate the general health and gingivitis/periodontitis. Serum cytokine levels were assessed using Luminex technology. Eight of ten study participants completed the study. All participants lost weight (p = 0.012). Six out of seven that were treated with insulin could reduce their insulin intake after two weeks with OBND®. The reduction was about 16 units which corresponds to a 34% relative reduction compared to the starting point (range 15–63%). Fasting blood glucose values fell (p = 0.035). Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (p = 0.01), triglycerides (p = 0.05), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (p = 0.05) were also reduced. Bleeding on probing changed from ~28% before any dietary changes to ~13% after two weeks with OBND® (p = 0.01). The reduction in gingival bleeding was as substantial as might be expected from one session of professional tooth cleaning. Markers of inflammation were also reduced. The OBND® thus showed significant promise in alleviating the impact of diabetes on dental as well as general health

Systemic inflammatory impact of periodontitis on acute coronary syndrome

Aim: A causative relationship between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and periodontitis has yet to be defined. The aim of this study was to assess differences in levels of serum cytokines between individuals with or without ACS or periodontal comorbidity. Material and Methods: In a case–control study, individuals with ACS (78 individuals, 10.3% females) and matching healthy controls (78 individuals, 28.2% females) were included. Medical and dental examinations were performed to diagnose ACS and periodontitis. Serum levels of cytokines were assessed, using Luminex technology. Results: A diagnosis of periodontitis in the ACS and control group was diagnosed in 52.6% and 12.8% of the individuals, respectively. The unadjusted odds-ratio that individuals with ACS also had periodontitis was 7.5 (95% CI: 3.4, 16.8,

Impact of an Okinawa/Nordic based diet on endocrinological and periodontal conditions in individuals with type 2 diabetes. A randomized case–control study

Objectives: To assess if the results following intake of a diet using an Okinawan-based Nordic diet (OBND) over one month differs in endocrinological, periodontal clinical outcome, and serum cytokine levels compared to a standard hospital care diet in individuals with diabetes type 2 (T2D) (control group). Background: Scientific evidence suggests that the use of diet for individuals with T2D may be beneficial. Methods: Participating individuals with T2D were randomly assigned to a test (OBND) (n = 14), or control group (n = 16). Anthropometric data, blood glucose levels, HbA1c levels, lipids, serum inflammation markers (CRP, and a routine panel of 24 cytokines), blood pressure, gingival bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depths (PPD), and clinical attachment levels (CAL) were studied. Results: Statistical analyses of baseline study data failed to demonstrate study group differences. The mean weight reduction was greater in the OBND group (4.1 kg) versus the control group (1.3 kg) (p < 0.01). The reduction in BMI was 1.4 kg/m2 in OBND (p < 0.001) and 0.5 kg/m2 in the control group, respectively (p < 0.01). Diastolic and systolic blood pressure reductions were greater in the OBND group than in the control group (p < 0.01). Periodontal study parameters (BOP % scores) and (PPD values) decreased (p < 0.001) overall with no between group differences. The OBND resulted in reduction of serum levels of IFNγ, Eotaxin IL-9, IP10,IL17a, MCP-1,m and PDFBB compared to the control diet. Conclusions: A strict T2D- diet provides an association between reduction in serum HbA1c and BOP scores. Serum levels decreases in IFNγ, Eotaxin IL-9, IP-10, IL17a. MCP-1, and PDFBB were only found in the test group

A genome-wide association study of anorexia nervosa suggests a risk locus implicated in dysregulated leptin signaling

J. Kaprio, A. Palotie, A. Raevuori-Helkamaa ja S. Ripatti ovat työryhmän Eating Disorders Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium jäseniä. Erratum in: Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 21;7(1):8379, doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-06409-3We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of anorexia nervosa (AN) using a stringently defined phenotype. Analysis of phenotypic variability led to the identification of a specific genetic risk factor that approached genome-wide significance (rs929626 in EBF1 (Early B-Cell Factor 1); P = 2.04 x 10(-7); OR = 0.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.61-0.8) with independent replication (P = 0.04), suggesting a variant-mediated dysregulation of leptin signaling may play a role in AN. Multiple SNPs in LD with the variant support the nominal association. This demonstrates that although the clinical and etiologic heterogeneity of AN is universally recognized, further careful sub-typing of cases may provide more precise genomic signals. In this study, through a refinement of the phenotype spectrum of AN, we present a replicable GWAS signal that is nominally associated with AN, highlighting a potentially important candidate locus for further investigation.Peer reviewe

New loci for body fat percentage reveal link between adiposity and cardiometabolic disease risk

To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of adiposity and its links to cardiometabolic disease risk, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of body fat percentage (BF%) in up to 100,716 individuals. Twelve loci reached genome-wide significance (P<5 × 10−8), of which eight were previously associated with increased overall adiposity (BMI, BF%) and four (in or near COBLL1/GRB14, IGF2BP1, PLA2G6, CRTC1) were novel associations with BF%. Seven loci showed a larger effect on BF% than on BMI, suggestive of a primary association with adiposity, while five loci showed larger effects on BMI than on BF%, suggesting association with both fat and lean mass. In particular, the loci more strongly associated with BF% showed distinct cross-phenotype association signatures with a range of cardiometabolic traits revealing new insights in the link between adiposity and disease risk

A principal component meta-analysis on multiple anthropometric traits identifies novel loci for body shape

Large consortia have revealed hundreds of genetic loci associated with anthropometric traits, one trait at a time. We examined whether genetic variants affect body shape as a composite phenotype that is represented by a combination of anthropometric traits. We developed an approach that calculates averaged PCs (AvPCs) representing body shape derived from six anthropometric traits (body mass index, height, weight, waist and hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio). The first four AvPCs explain >99% of the variability, are heritable, and associate with cardiometabolic outcomes. We performed genome-wide association analyses for each body shape composite phenotype across 65 studies and meta-analysed summary statistics. We identify six novel loci: LEMD2 and CD47 for AvPC1, RPS6KA5/C14orf159 and GANAB for AvPC3, and ARL15 and ANP32 for AvPC4. Our findings highlight the value of using multiple traits to define complex phenotypes for discovery, which are not captured by single-trait analyses, and may shed light onto new pathways

Kloka gummorna hade rätt – groblad kan läka sår!

Groblad (Plantago major) har använts som medicinalväxt i många århundraden i stora delar av världen. ’Gro’ är ett fornnordiskt ord för ’läka’ och syftar på bladens välkända läkeförmåga. I Sverige brukade forna tiders kloka gummor bandagera sår med blad av groblad. Även senare tiders distriktssjuksköterskor använde sig ibland av denna beprövade metod. Man ansåg att såren läkte både fortare och bättre om de behandlades med groblad. Ny forskning på SLU-Balsgård visar att både kloka gummor och distriktssjuksköterskor gjorde alldeles rätt. Groblad innehåller nämligen ett stort antal biologiskt aktiva substanser av betydelse för sårläkningen, och dessa positiva effekter har nu påvisats i försök med odlade celler av människa och med inducerade sår i öronen från nyslaktade grisar

Förbered för invasion från Öst? : En kvalitativ studie om huruvida Sverige kan och bör satsa mer på att attrahera fler kinesiska turister

Kina är idag en av världens ledande ekonomier och placerar sig på andra plats gällande landets BNP. Under de senaste åren har tillväxten av Kinas turistnäring ökat i en snabb takt. En av de bidragande faktorerna bakom detta är att regler och gränser har luckrats upp och ger kineserna möjlighet att besöka allt fler destinationer världen över. Från år 2000 till 2012 har Kinas utrikesturism ökat från 10 miljoner resor till 83 miljoner. Med sin stadiga årliga befolkningstillväxt beräknar UNWTO, United Nations World Tourism Organization, att 100 miljoner kineser kommer att resa redan innan år 2015. Frågan är om, och hur Sverige ska satsa på att attrahera det ökade antalet resande kineser.China is currently one of the world's leading economies and is ranked in second place in terms of GDP. In recent years, the growth of China's outbound tourism has increased rapidly. Contributing factors behind the increase are the new rules and regulations regarding outbound tourism, which gives the Chinese people the opportunity to visit more destinations worldwide. From the year of 2000 to 2012, China's outbound tourism has increased from 10 million travels to 83 million. With China’s steady annual population growth UNWTO, the United Nations World Tourism Organization, estimates that 100 million Chinese will be traveling before the year of 2015. The question is whether, and how, Sweden should attract the growing numbers of Chinese traveler

Sensory acceptance of a diet designed to counteract obesity, diabetes and periodontaldisease

A modified Nordic diet, developed by Igelösa Life Science AB, was tested in a clinical pilot study including ten individuals with type 2 diabetes during two weeks. The diet was based on locally produced, traditional ingredients such as intact grains, vegetables, legumes, root vegetables, fish, poultry, fruit and nuts. The intake of sugar, red meat and dairy products was restricted. One of the aims of the study was to study the sensory acceptance of the diet. The study was designed as a case-series. The diet was provided, ready-made and free of charge, to both the experimental subjects (N=10) and their partners (N=5). Two subjects were excluded due to heath implications, not related to the diet. The sensory acceptance was measured through questionnaire data and two focus groups (before and after the 2-week test period, 20 minutes each). Partners were invited to participate in the focus group interviews. Data from the questionnaire showed a high degree of liking for most meals. The result of the focus groups indicated the importance of the every-day meal as a social activity. They further expressed satisfaction with sensory properties and the perceived health benefits of the Igelösa diet but also some frustration regarding small portions, too little salt and somewhat unfamiliar ingredients. Sensory acceptance for diets nutritionally designed for weight reduction and/or maintenance is  a key factor. Despite the low number of participants, the pilot study indicate that the Igelösa diet is well accepted. An innovation of the study was that both the experimental subjects and their partners received the diet. The participants stated that this was supportive, facilitating adherence and promoting long-term impact on health. Habits, such as poor diet, can only be defeated by a concerted team effort and our work provide a glimpse of the potential benefits   of this shared approach