Cleveland Clinic > Neuroscience > Professional Information > News > Stroke, Hemorrhage and Neurocritical Care
The "French Paradox" - Cleveland Clinic Researchers Study Beneficial Effects of Red Wine in Stroke
Since neurons are extremely vulnerable to ischemia (i.e. interruption of cerebral blood flow), compared with other cell types, such as glia and endothelial cells, most strategies for ischemic stroke therapy have been directed toward neuronal protection. However, such efforts have not succeeded in clinical trials. Currently, the only approved medical treatment for acute stroke is intravenous injection of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) which aims primarily to restore cerebral blood flow by dissolving blood clot materials. This therapy is limited by a short window of opportunity in terms of time between the onset of a stroke's evolution and the start of treatment. Also, intracerebral hemorrhage is a potential morbid side effect.
Recently, new therapeutic strategies have been considered for stroke that target mechanisms of brain tissue injury mediated by other cellular types, including endothelial and inflammatory cells. Part of The Cleveland Clinic's basic stroke research program has been focusing on the molecular aspect of brain tissue injury resulting from ischemic stroke. This research seeks a molecular target to treat stroke. Using wild-type or genetically-modified animal models where focal ischemia has been induced by intraluminal filament insertion techniques (see Illustration, right), researchers are able to dissect the mechanisms of brain tissue injury resulting from ischemia.
Recently, Clinic researchers discovered that resveratrol, a polyphenol that is abundant in red wine, strongly activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) á and ã.PPARs are members of the nuclear hormone receptor family of ligand-dependent transcription factors. In agreement with clinical studies of the "French paradox," it was found that daily oral administration of resveratrol protects the brain against focal cerebral ischemia in laboratory models. This data suggests that PPARs may be a potential target to develop drugs that mimic the beneficial effects of red wine.
For more information, please call Shobu Namura, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neurological Surgery, at 216/444-5672
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
CNN.com - Study: Fish-eaters stay sharper with age - Oct 10, 2005
CNN.com - Study: Fish-eaters stay sharper with age - Oct 10, 2005
Study: Fish-eaters stay sharper with age
Researchers say one meal a week slows decline by 10 percent
Monday, October 10, 2005; Posted: 4:13 p.m. EDT (20:13 GMT)
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Eating fish at least once a week is good for the brain, slowing age-related mental decline by the equivalent of three to four years, a study suggests.
The research adds to the growing evidence that a fish-rich diet helps keep the mind sharp. Previous studies found that people who ate fish lowered their risk of Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Fish such as salmon and tuna that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids also have been shown to prevent heart disease.
For the new study, researchers measured how well 3,718 people did on simple tests, such as recalling details of a story. The participants, all Chicago residents 65 and older, took the tests three times over six years. They also filled out a questionnaire about what they ate that included 139 foods.
"We found that people who ate one fish meal a week had a 10 percent slower annual decline in thinking," said co-author Martha Clare Morris, an epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center. "Those who ate two fish meals a week showed a 13 percent slower annual decline."
The study was posted Monday on the Web site of the Archives of Neurology and will appear in the journal's December issue. It was published early online because of its general interest.
The researchers looked for, but failed to find, a link between omega-3 fatty acids and protection from brain decline. Previous studies found such a link.
Morris said it is possible that something else about eating fish worked to keep people's minds sharp. Or the food questionnaire might have been too broad to allow researchers to estimate omega-3 intakes accurately, said Dr. Pascale Barberger-Gateau, who does similar research at the University of Bordeaux in France but was not involved in the current study.
In the questionnaire, "only four seafood items were included, which did not allow this distinction," Barberger-Gateau said in an e-mail.
The questionnaire included four broad seafood categories: tuna fish sandwich; fish sticks/fish cakes/fish sandwich; fresh fish as a main dish; and shrimp/lobster/crab.
Testing participants' blood for omega-3 fatty acids would have given a more definitive measure, said Dr. William E. Connor of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. He was not involved in the study.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
Study: Fish-eaters stay sharper with age
Researchers say one meal a week slows decline by 10 percent
Monday, October 10, 2005; Posted: 4:13 p.m. EDT (20:13 GMT)
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Eating fish at least once a week is good for the brain, slowing age-related mental decline by the equivalent of three to four years, a study suggests.
The research adds to the growing evidence that a fish-rich diet helps keep the mind sharp. Previous studies found that people who ate fish lowered their risk of Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Fish such as salmon and tuna that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids also have been shown to prevent heart disease.
For the new study, researchers measured how well 3,718 people did on simple tests, such as recalling details of a story. The participants, all Chicago residents 65 and older, took the tests three times over six years. They also filled out a questionnaire about what they ate that included 139 foods.
"We found that people who ate one fish meal a week had a 10 percent slower annual decline in thinking," said co-author Martha Clare Morris, an epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center. "Those who ate two fish meals a week showed a 13 percent slower annual decline."
The study was posted Monday on the Web site of the Archives of Neurology and will appear in the journal's December issue. It was published early online because of its general interest.
The researchers looked for, but failed to find, a link between omega-3 fatty acids and protection from brain decline. Previous studies found such a link.
Morris said it is possible that something else about eating fish worked to keep people's minds sharp. Or the food questionnaire might have been too broad to allow researchers to estimate omega-3 intakes accurately, said Dr. Pascale Barberger-Gateau, who does similar research at the University of Bordeaux in France but was not involved in the current study.
In the questionnaire, "only four seafood items were included, which did not allow this distinction," Barberger-Gateau said in an e-mail.
The questionnaire included four broad seafood categories: tuna fish sandwich; fish sticks/fish cakes/fish sandwich; fresh fish as a main dish; and shrimp/lobster/crab.
Testing participants' blood for omega-3 fatty acids would have given a more definitive measure, said Dr. William E. Connor of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. He was not involved in the study.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
Market America Launches First Fully Customizable Dietary Supplement
GREENSBORO, N.C. (October 10, 2005) – Market America, a product brokerage and Internet marketing company specializing in One-to-One Marketing and Mass Customization, today announced the introduction of Isotonix® Custom Cocktail. The new custom cocktail gives customers the ability to design a custom blend of up to 10 Isotonix-brand supplements in one, easy-to-use 90-day supply. Market America’s best-selling line of Isotonix-brand dietary supplements use an advanced, isotonic formula for maximum effectiveness through faster delivery.
Isotonix Custom Cocktail is the latest product to join the ranks of mass customization advances. Only recently has technology been developed that allows manufacturers and marketers to stray from mass-production models. Consumers are now able to order custom shoes, computers, clothes, bicycles and even cars online. Creating the technology that would allow Market America’s more than 1 million preferred customers to order a custom dietary supplement presented a very different set of challenges for the company.
To accommodate over 3.6 million possible combinations, Market America developed a dual-purpose Internet-based technology. “From a programming aspect, the sheer size of this was mind-boggling,” said Kevin Buckman, information systems vice president. “Offering custom products is one thing, but when there are that many possible combinations, technology has only progressed so far. We had to build this from the ground up. We also had to keep in mind that we were dealing with nutritional supplements. So, we built in a method to actively monitor the customer’s input and help provide a balanced nutritional blend.”
The newly developed technology allows customers to choose from up to 10 Isotonix components while also receiving nutritional advice about their unique blend. As customers build their own Isotonix Custom Cocktail, a chart indicates the percentage Daily Value of essential vitamins and minerals, suggesting a well-rounded dietary supplement.
The idea for Isotonix Custom Cocktail sprang not from a marketing executive but from surveys of Market America’s customers and independent distributors. The company has consistently used customer relationship management and data mining techniques to find out what its customers want and need.
“We continuously survey our customers for input,” said James Ridinger, Market America’s president and CEO. “We know that the majority of our customers take at least four Isotonix products daily. Many of our customers take double servings of certain products as a way to suit their personal supplement needs. The vast majority of those we surveyed indicated that they wanted an all-in-one product. Isotonix Custom Cocktail is a direct result of our ongoing dialogue with our customers.”
Market America’s business model relies on the information and feedback that comes from intimate relationships with customers. The company has more than 110,000 independent distributors around the world that maintain a one-to-one relationship with each of their customers. Isotonix Custom Cocktail is available through Market America’s independent distributors. To find a local distributor, visit marketamerica.com or call (800) 862-6561.
ABOUT MARKET AMERICA
Market America’s unique business model combines the power of the Internet and One-to-One Marketing to sell innovative products and services through independent distributors around the world. Founded in 1992, the company has realized more than $1.5 billion in suggested retail sales. The company now has more than 110,000 independent distributors worldwide. In 2005, the company opened operations in Taiwan and plans further expansion into the Pacific Rim. More information is available at www.marketamerica.com. # # #
Isotonix Custom Cocktail is the latest product to join the ranks of mass customization advances. Only recently has technology been developed that allows manufacturers and marketers to stray from mass-production models. Consumers are now able to order custom shoes, computers, clothes, bicycles and even cars online. Creating the technology that would allow Market America’s more than 1 million preferred customers to order a custom dietary supplement presented a very different set of challenges for the company.
To accommodate over 3.6 million possible combinations, Market America developed a dual-purpose Internet-based technology. “From a programming aspect, the sheer size of this was mind-boggling,” said Kevin Buckman, information systems vice president. “Offering custom products is one thing, but when there are that many possible combinations, technology has only progressed so far. We had to build this from the ground up. We also had to keep in mind that we were dealing with nutritional supplements. So, we built in a method to actively monitor the customer’s input and help provide a balanced nutritional blend.”
The newly developed technology allows customers to choose from up to 10 Isotonix components while also receiving nutritional advice about their unique blend. As customers build their own Isotonix Custom Cocktail, a chart indicates the percentage Daily Value of essential vitamins and minerals, suggesting a well-rounded dietary supplement.
The idea for Isotonix Custom Cocktail sprang not from a marketing executive but from surveys of Market America’s customers and independent distributors. The company has consistently used customer relationship management and data mining techniques to find out what its customers want and need.
“We continuously survey our customers for input,” said James Ridinger, Market America’s president and CEO. “We know that the majority of our customers take at least four Isotonix products daily. Many of our customers take double servings of certain products as a way to suit their personal supplement needs. The vast majority of those we surveyed indicated that they wanted an all-in-one product. Isotonix Custom Cocktail is a direct result of our ongoing dialogue with our customers.”
Market America’s business model relies on the information and feedback that comes from intimate relationships with customers. The company has more than 110,000 independent distributors around the world that maintain a one-to-one relationship with each of their customers. Isotonix Custom Cocktail is available through Market America’s independent distributors. To find a local distributor, visit marketamerica.com or call (800) 862-6561.
ABOUT MARKET AMERICA
Market America’s unique business model combines the power of the Internet and One-to-One Marketing to sell innovative products and services through independent distributors around the world. Founded in 1992, the company has realized more than $1.5 billion in suggested retail sales. The company now has more than 110,000 independent distributors worldwide. In 2005, the company opened operations in Taiwan and plans further expansion into the Pacific Rim. More information is available at www.marketamerica.com. # # #
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