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The Role of Inflammation in Enlarged Prostate

| Posted by in Aging | Immune Homeostasis (Immune Balance) | Inflammation | Obesity | Prostate | Weight Management - (0 Comments)

Repeatedly I am asked whether there is an association between inflammation and an enlarged prostrate.

Fifty percent of men by age 50, and 80% of men by age 80 have inflamed, enlarged prostrates, a condition medically known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). (The prostate is an organ that wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine to the outside. The primary function of the prostate is to produce sperm. Hyperplasia refers to the fact that the number of cells in the prostate increase, resulting in abnormal growth.)

As many men age, inflammation of the prostrate increases its size, enlarging it and putting pressure on the urethra.   (Although the prostate is enlarged, it is not a cancerous or fatal condition.) Why this occurs is still under investigation, but it appears to be a result of a combination of genetics, hormones and immune reactions.

Men with prostate hyperplasia have lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) such as an urgent and frequent need to urinate (especially during the night), waiting longer than usual for the stream of urine to begin, straining to urinate, having a weak stream or dribble of urine, not being able to completely empty one’s bladder, or needing to urinate immediately and having an “accident”.

Obesity leads to greater over-all inflammation and puts overweight people at higher risk of having prostrate and urinary tract disorders. Obese men are 3.5 times more likely to have enlarged prostrates compared with men of healthier weights.

The more weight a man carries, the more inflamed he is, the higher the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well. The relationship of an enlarged prostrate to diabetes remains controversial. Diabetes has been associated with bladder problems and the ability to control urination.

Additionally, the higher the level of sugar in the blood, the more likelihood of urinary problems and enlarged prostrates, especially in men that do not take medications for their diabetes. However, since both diabetes and benign prostate hyperplasia are inflammatory in nature and are clinically similar it is not clear whether the two diseases are associated.

Inflammation is tightly controlled to keep it balanced, in homeostasis.  We need enough inflammation for healing and for defending us from infections, but not so much inflammation that organs and tissues are damaged.

Being active, controlling one’s weight, going outdoors for a few minutes a day and using a proven immune balancing supplement will greatly affect the ability of the body to modulate inflammation.

For years I have helped people promote  their overall quality of life.  Feel free to contact me DrHellen@DrHellenGreenblatt.info, use the form, or give me a call at 302.265.3870 (ET) and let us talk. Let me help you help yourself, you deserve it.
www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/prostate-problems/prostate-enlargement-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3735085/
www.andrologyaustralia.org/your-health/lower-urinary-tract-symptoms-luts-in-men/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3221555/
www.hindawi.com/journals/au/2009/818965/

 

 

 

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Depression, Aging, Longevity, and Inflammation

| Posted by in Aging | Boosting Immune Responses (Pro-Inflammatory) | Chronic Disease | Diabetes | Immune Homeostasis (Immune Balance) | Inflammation | Obesity | Smoking - (0 Comments)

Shirley Wang published an article in the WSJ titled “New View of Depression: An Ailment of the Entire Body”. Her lead-in stated: “Scientists are increasingly finding that depression and other psychological disorders can be as much diseases of the body as of the mind. People with long-term psychological stress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder tend to develop earlier and more serious forms of physical illnesses that usually hit people in older age, such as stroke, dementia, heart disease and diabetes”.

Ms. Wang reported that Dr. Owen Wolkowitz at the University of California, San Francisco thinks of depression as “a systemic illness”, rather than a mental or brain disease. Dr. Wolkowitz found that
“[D]epression is associated with an unusually high rate of aging-related illnesses and early mortality”, or “accelerated aging”. He also points out that individuals who are aging more rapidly and/or are ill, have shorter telomeres than expected.

[Division is essential for most healthy cells. Telomeres are the protective tips of chromosomes that guide the chromosomes during cell division. Every time a cell divides, the telomeres shorten in length. Eventually there is little or no telomere resulting in an inability of the cell to divide efficiently. Eventually the cell dies. Some investigators are of the opinion that the length of telomeres is a predictor of longevity.]

There appears to be a strong association of inflammation with shorter telomeres. Senescent cells, which are unable to divide any longer and have almost non-existent telomeres, produce high concentrations of immune factors, cytokines, that regulate genes that result in inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is found in a myriad of diseases including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer multiple sclerosis, dementia, as well as depression. Heightened levels of inflammation are found in smokers and the obese. Each pack of cigarettes smoked results in a 18% shortening of telomeres, and the telomeres of obese women are shorter than those of lean women. Using other biomarkers, both smokers and obese individuals have higher levels of inflammation in their bodies than the general population.

Depression results in inflammation and inflammation “feeds” depression. The same cytokines that cause inflammation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, under other circumstances may be anti-inflammatory.
Data from studies demonstrate that depressed individuals have an imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory factors.

Some practitioners suggest that depressed patients need to “boost” their immune responses. Instead, “boosting” the immune response, i.e., inflammation, may only exacerbate the disease.

Because of the complexity of immune responses, it is important to let the body find its own “set” point. This is why achieving immune homeostasis, immune balance, is essential for good health.

http://twinsuk.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Valdes-.lancet.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23136552
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1868538/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17705097
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395609001241
http://drhellengreenblatt.info/2011/09/smoking-inflammation-immune-homeostasis-balance/

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Balance, Inflammation, and Sleep Apnea

| Posted by in Chronic Disease | Immune Homeostasis (Immune Balance) | Inflammation | Obesity - (0 Comments)

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome  (OSAS) occurs when an individual repeatedly stops breathing, sometimes as many as 1-2 times a minute during their sleep.  It is most frequently associated with heavy snoring, broad swings in heart rate, and, as one would expect, extreme daytime sleepiness.  Those that suffer with sleep apnea are prone to accidents; they are twice as likely to be involved in car crashes as compared to individuals without the condition.

 The relationship between inflammation and sleep apnea is complicated, with not only inflammation of the airways, but  body-wide inflammation as well.

 As with other inflammatory conditions, obstructive sleep apnea is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.  Visceral fat, belly fat, is a major predictor of having obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, since fat cells produce large amounts of immune modulating molecules, that trigger inflammation.

 People suffering with sleep apnea have complex imbalances of immune factors, cytokines.  Their levels of immune modulating cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor and interleukin (IL)-6, are markedly high, as are levels of other inflammatory proteins, including  C-reactive protein (hsCRP). [CRP is a blood protein typically associated with the presence and amount of inflammation in the body.]  Additionally,  hormones that regulate insulin and hunger levels are higher than levels found in those without sleep apnea.

 There is conflicting data about the affect of CPAPs, continuous positive airway pressure breathing devices,  on inflammation. Some studies suggest that the devices help lower the number of inflammatory molecules circulating in the body, other studies suggest that using a CPAP increases inflammation.

 Successfully battling disease, and healing , is determined by inflammatory immune cells and the types and ratios of cytokines they generate.  Restoring balance, immune homeostasis, to the body, helps the body stay healthy, and recover rapidly when in ill health.

emedicine.medscape.com/article/295807-overview
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218214401.htm
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22515302
www.chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/127/3/1074.full
www.chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/126/1/1.long
www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep-apnea/DS00148
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22408197

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