Every few weeks or months, the media reports on a new study that tantalisingly dangles the possibility of a new <keyword id="19913384" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="drug" source="keywords">drug</keyword> that promises us longer, healthier lives. The latest study centres around a drug involved in targeting <keyword id="22473394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="interleukin-11" source="keywords">interleukin-11</keyword>, a protein involved in <keyword id="20100635" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflammation" source="keywords">inflammation</keyword>. Blocking this protein appeared to help mice stave off disease and extend their life by more than 20%. If only defying the ravages of time could be achieved through such a simple and effort-free way - by taking a pill. But as is so often the case, the real-world significance of these findings falls a fair way short of the hype. The role of inflammation in disease and <keyword id="19900302" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ageing" source="keywords">ageing</keyword> <keyword id="20210083" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chronic-inflammation" source="keywords">Chronic inflammation</keyword> in the body plays a role in causing disease and accelerating ageing. In fact, a relatively new label has been coined to represent this: "<keyword id="22554558" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflammaging" source="Orion">inflammaging</keyword>". While acute inflammation is an important response to infection or injury, if inflammation persists in the body, it can be very damaging. A number of lifestyle, environmental and societal drivers contribute to chronic inflammation in the modern world. These are largely the factors we already know are associated with disease and ageing, including poor diet, <keyword id="155531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lack-of-exercise" source="Orion">lack of exercise</keyword>, <keyword id="6364492" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="obesity" source="Orion">obesity</keyword>, stress, lack of sleep, lack of social connection and pollution. While addressing these issues directly is one of the keys to addressing chronic inflammation, disease and ageing, there are a number of research groups also exploring how to treat chronic inflammation with pharmaceuticals. Their goal is to target and modify the molecular and chemical pathways involved in the inflammatory process itself. What the latest research shows This new interleukin-11 research was conducted in mice and involved a number of separate components. In one component of this research, interleukin-11 was genetically knocked out in mice. This means the gene for this chemical mediator was removed from these mice, resulting in the mice no longer being able to produce this mediator at all. In this part of the study, the mice's lives were extended by over 20 per cent, on average. Another component of this research involved treating older mice with a drug that blocks interleukin-11. Injecting this drug into 75-week old mice (equivalent to 55-year-old humans) was found to extend the life of mice by 22-25%. These treated mice were less likely to get cancer and had lower cholesterol levels, lower body weight and improved muscle strength and metabolism. From these combined results, the authors concluded, quite reasonably, that blocking interleukin-11 may potentially be a key to mitigating age-related health effects and improving lifespan in both mice and humans. Why you shouldn't be getting excited just yet There are several reasons to be cautious of these findings. First and most importantly, this was a study in mice. It may be stating the obvious, but mice are very different to humans. As such, this finding in a mouse model is a long way down the evidence hierarchy in terms of its weight. Research shows only about 5% of promising findings in animals carry over to humans. Put another way, approximately 95% of promising findings in animals may not be translated to specific therapies for humans. Second, this is only one study. Ideally, we would be looking to have these findings confirmed by other researchers before even considering moving on to the next stage in the knowledge discovery process and examining whether these findings may be true for humans. We generally require a larger body of evidence before we get too excited about any new research findings and even consider the possibility of human trials. Third, even if everything remains positive and follow-up studies support the findings of this current study, it can take decades for a new finding like this to be translated to successful therapies in humans. Until then, we can focus on doing the things we already know make a huge difference to health and longevity: eating well, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress and nurturing social relationships.

A drug that can extend your life by 25%? No, don't hold your breath just yet

Prices are accurate at the time of publication.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Vitamin B6 deficiency happens when adults get fewer than 1.3 mg of vitamin B6.</li><li>B6 deficiency can cause symptoms like depression, cracked skin, weakened immunity, and low energy.</li></ul>Being deficient in even just one nutrient, such as vitamin B6, is enough to cause noticeable symptoms. Depending on factors like your age and how deficient you are, a vitamin B6 deficiency can cause problems that range from mild, like low energy, to dangerous, like an increased risk for cardiovascular problems. Here's how much vitamin B6 you need, where to get it, and warning signs you may be deficient. <h2>What is vitamin B6?</h2>Vitamin B6 is one of the eight <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/water-soluble-vitamins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">water-soluble B vitamins</a> that your body needs, and it can be found in food or taken as a dietary supplement, says <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/people-search/luis-rustveld-29868" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luis Rustveld</a>, a registered dietitian and assistant professor of family and community medicine at <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baylor College of Medicine</a>. Rustveld says vitamin B6 is involved in <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">various bodily functions</a>, including:<ul><li>Amino acid metabolism</li><li>Development of the brain, nerves, and skin</li><li>Immune system function </li></ul>How much vitamin B6 you need daily depends on your sex and age, says <a href="https://www.mhs.net/physicians/d/del-pino-white-perla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Perla del Pino-White</a>, a primary care physician at <a href="https://www.mhs.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Healthcare System</a>. The <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-Consumer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Institutes of Health's guidelines</a> are as follows:<table><tbody><tr><td>Group</td><td>Daily needed B6 in milligrams (mg)</td></tr><tr><td>Infants up to six months old</td><td>0.1 mg </td></tr><tr><td>Infants seven to 12 months old</td><td>0.3 mg </td></tr><tr><td>Children one to three years old</td><td>0.5 mg</td></tr><tr><td>Children four to eight years old</td><td>0.6 mg</td></tr><tr><td>Children ages nine to 13 years old </td><td>1 mg </td></tr><tr><td>Teen girls ages 14 to 18 years old</td><td>1.2 mg</td></tr><tr><td>Teen boys ages 14 to 18 years old</td><td>1.3 mg</td></tr><tr><td>All adults under 50</td><td>1.3 mg</td></tr><tr><td>Women over 50</td><td>1.5 mg</td></tr><tr><td>Men over 50</td><td>1.7 mg</td></tr><tr><td>Pregnant women</td><td>1.9 mg</td></tr><tr><td>Breastfeeding women</td><td>2 mg</td></tr></tbody></table>While you can take vitamin B6 in supplement form, it's ideal to get the nutrient from foods. "The human body is designed to absorb maximum nutrition from healthy foods. Nutrients, including vitamin B6, are dependent on other ingredients in foods to function well," Rustveld says. Some <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">common foods</a> packed with vitamin B6 are:<ul><li>Chickpeas: 1.1 mg in a 1 cup serving (65% daily value)</li><li>Fish</li><ul><li>Tuna: 0.9 mg in a 3-ounce serving (53% daily value)</li><li>Salmon: 0.6 mg in a 3-ounce serving (35% daily value)</li></ul><li>Meat</li><ul><li>Beef liver: 0.9 mg in a 3-ounce serving (53% daily value)</li><li>Chicken breast: 0.5 mg in a 3-ounce serving (29% daily value)</li><li>Turkey: 0.4 mg (25% daily value)</li><li>Ground beef: 0.3 mg in a 3-ounce serving (18% daily value)</li></ul><li>Starchy vegetables</li><ul><li>Potatoes: 0.4 mg in a 1 cup serving (25% daily value)</li><li>Sweet potatoes: <a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168483/nutrients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">0.6 mg</a> in a 1 cup serving (35% daily value)</li></ul><li>Fruit </li><ul><li>Bananas: 0.4 mg in a medium-sized banana (25% daily value)</li><li>Avocados: <a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1102652/nutrients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">0.4 mg</a> in one avocado (25% daily value)</li></ul><li>Fortified breakfast cereals: 0.4 mg in a serving (25% daily value)</li></ul><h2>Signs of a vitamin B6 deficiency</h2>In the United States, vitamin B6 deficiency is rare in healthy adults. However, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470579/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">certain medical conditions</a> make you more susceptible, such as:<ul><li>Alcohol dependency/abuse</li><li>Autoimmune disorders</li><li>Conditions that result in malabsorption (such as inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease)</li><li>Kidney disease</li><li>Pregnancy</li></ul>If you do have a vitamin B6 deficiency, it's likely you're <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470579/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also deficient</a> in other B vitamins, too. In this case, B complex vitamins can be beneficial to help you get enough of every B vitamin. Five signs of a B6 deficiency are:<h3>1. Low energy </h3>Vitamin B6 is necessary for your body to make <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/hemoglobin-test/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hemoglobin</a>, a protein found in your red blood cells. This protein is responsible for transporting oxygen from your lungs throughout your whole body. Del Pino-White says if your body doesn't have enough vitamin B6, it may not be able to make enough hemoglobin, causing you to be <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20351360" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anemic</a>, which means you lack healthy red blood cells. As a result, oxygen is not efficiently carried to tissues throughout your body, causing low energy and tiredness. Other potential anemia symptoms include lightheadedness or struggling with shortness of breath.<h3>2. Depression </h3>Vitamin B6 is important for the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4288272/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">synthesis of serotonin</a>, which is a neurotransmitter that affects mood. B vitamins, including B6, are responsible for converting tryptophan into serotonin, says del Pino-White. <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002332.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tryptophan</a> is an amino acid you get from the food you eat. So if you're deficient in B6, your body may not be able to convert the tryptophan you consume into serotonin as well as it should. "When vitamin B6 is low in the body, there is also a deficiency of our important neurotransmitters, which can cause or worsen depression," del Pino-White says. <h3>3. Cracked, inflamed skin</h3>Vitamin B6 is involved in the synthesis of <a href="https://parjournal.net/article/view/3863" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collagen</a>, which is a protein that's found in skin. Oftentimes it's referred to as a building block of skin. "Collagen is what gives our skin its strength and elasticity. It's a fibrous protein that helps skin cells bind to one another," del Pino-White says. But when your body is lacking collagen, you might experience dermatitis <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470579/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rashes</a> (dry, cracked, inflamed skin) or cheilitis (scaly chapped lips or inflamed cracks in the corners of the mouth), says del Pino-White. <h3>4. Weakened immune system</h3>Vitamin B6 plays a role in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8467949/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">production of white blood cells</a>, which your immune system needs to fight off infections, says del Pino-White. More specifically, the vitamin helps produce T lymphocytes (AKA T cells) and interleukins, which are both crucial for immune function. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29763015/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Interleukins</a> also play a role in the body's inflammatory response. "When there's a decrease in vitamin B6, our white blood cell production and function will decrease, which makes us prone to more infections," del Pino-White says. <h3>5. Elevated homocysteine levels</h3>Since vitamin B6 is responsible for <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regulating levels</a> of the amino acid homocysteine, a deficiency can lead to high levels of homocysteine in your blood, which can be dangerous, says Rustveld. This can <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21527-homocysteine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase your risk of</a>:<ul><li>Damage to your arteries' lining</li><li>Blood clots</li><li>Heart attack </li></ul><h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>Vitamin B6 is a necessary nutrient our body needs to function. It can be found in foods such as meat and fish, or it can be taken in supplement form. If you don't get enough vitamin B6, you can experience symptoms ranging from tiredness to an increased risk of heart attack due to high levels of homocysteine. Blood tests can determine your vitamin B6 levels. If you are concerned you might be deficient in vitamin B6, particularly if you have an underlying condition that would make you susceptible, talk to your doctor about testing.

5 sneaky signs of vitamin B6 deficiency, including low energy and dry skin

London, Jun 11 () A drug used to treat joint inflammation can be repurposed to treat patients with COVID-19, according to a study which may lead to a new treatment option for the deadly disease. Researchers, including those from Imperial College London in the UK, noted that baricitinib is an oral drug used for treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis -- a chronic inflammatory disorder which affects the joints, causing pain and stiffness. According to the study, published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, the drug may lower inflammation and the quantity of the virus particles present in patients with COVID-19 Using AI-algorithms, the scientists identified existing drugs capable of blocking both inflammation and infectivity, and they found baricitinib to be a promising repurposing candidate for COVID-19. They said the drug acts as an inhibitor of janus kinase, a type of molecule in the body that acts as an "on" or "off" switch in many cellular functions. Baricitinib interferes with the inflammatory processes of the immune system and may be a potential treatment candidate for COVID-19, the study noted. The drug also previously demonstrated ability to inhibit the activity of cell-cell messenger molecules called cytokines, the researchers said. In test tube studies, and in miniature liver models, the scientists showed that the drug inhibited signalling of cytokines, which are known to overreact and drive inflammation in severe COVID-19 cases. According to the study, baricitinib also helped reduce the quantity of the novel coronavirus in infected cells, and the level of the signal molecule interleukin-6 (IL-6) -- a predictor of mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with COVID-19. When a small pilot study of the drug in three men and one woman with COVID-19 was conducted in Italy, all four patients showed improvements in signs and symptoms such as cough, fever, with reductions in quantity of the virus particles, and blood IL-6 levels after 10-12 days of treatment, the study noted. "Collectively, these data suggest that baricitinib may lower inflammation and viral load in COVID-19," said Ali Mirazimi, a co-author of the study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The scientists said more trials of baricitinib are currently underway in 85 hospitalised COVID-19 patients across three hospitals in Northern and Central Italy, with "encouraging initial results in patient outcomes." "We are integrating and carefully analysing these trial data and providing functional and mechanistic follow-up studies to scrutinise baricitinib's mode of action," said Volker Lauschke, another co-author of the study from Karolinska Institutet. VIS VIS

Joint inflammation drug may be repurposed to treat COVID-19: Study

Houston, Jun 28 () The majority of children with COVID-19 in 26 countries fared well clinically compared to adults, according to a review of studies which assessed research published during the first four months of the pandemic. Scientists, including those from The University of Texas in the US, performed the largest systematic review to date of children and young adults with COVID-19, assessing the clinical data of more than 7,500 individuals. In the findings, published in the journal EClinicalMedicine, a journal of The Lancet, they said nearly a fifth of the pediatric population with COVID-19 did not exhibit any symptoms, and 21 per cent of the children exhibited patchy marks of tissue injury on lung X-rays. The researchers said 5.6 per cent of the children assessed in the studies suffered from co-infections, such as flu, on top of COVID-19, and a little more than 3 per cent were admitted to intensive care units. Seven deaths were reported, according to the review research. "Our data is compiled from 131 studies and encompasses 7,780 patients who span the pediatric age spectrum," said study senior author Alvaro Moreira from UT. The research reported the most common symptoms, quantified laboratory findings, and described X-ray scan characteristics of children with COVID-19. "Furthermore, we summarise treatments that were administered and offer an initial glimpse of a handful of patients who met the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children," Moreira said. According to the study, the most frequent symptoms, similar to the adult population, were fever and cough -- found in 59 and 56 per cent of the pediatric population, respectively. In 233 individuals, the scientists said a past medical history was noted with 152 children in the group presenting with compromised immune systems, or had underlying respiratory or cardiac disease. "Although we are hearing about severe forms of the disease in children, this is occurring in very rare circumstances," Moreira said. Based on laboratory measures noted in the reviewed studies, the scientists said pediatric COVID-19 patients had abnormal levels of molecules signifying inflammation in the body like creatine kinase, interleukin-6, and procalcitonin. According to the scientists, only a small number of patients met inclusion for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. They said the disease condition in these children paralleled the extreme forms of COVID-19 seen in adults. "Children with systemic inflammation had a significant decrease in the amount of lymphocytes in their blood," Moreira said. COVID-positive children who didn't have the extreme form of the disease had 42 per cent of the immune cells called lymphocytes in their blood, versus 11 per cent in children with the multisystem syndrome, he added. The scientists said kidney failure was seen in nine pediatric patients, liver failure also in nine, and shock in 19. They said mechanical ventilation was required by 42 patients. While the review research provides evidence that children with COVID-19 have an overall better prognosis, the scientists said further studies are needed to confirm the findings, and "better understand which patients are at increased risk for developing severe inflammation and multiorgan failure." VIS VIS

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A drug that can extend your life by 25%? No, don't hold your breath just yet

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5 sneaky signs of vitamin B6 deficiency, including low energy and dry skin

Ashley Laderer,Kailey Proctor

Joint inflammation drug may be repurposed to treat COVID-19: Study

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Children more resilient against COVID-19: Lancet study

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