Weight loss may reverse heart disease

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) can reverse the effects of the condition by losing weight, finds a study. Researchers found that a 10 per cent loss in weight, along with management of associated risk factors, can reverse the progression of the disease. They studied 355 overweight or obese people who lost varying amounts of weight. AF is a progressive disease in which initial short, intermittent symptoms develop into more sustained forms of the condition. Obesity and lifestyle factors are associated with its progression. People who lost weight experienced fewer symptoms, required less treatment and had better outcomes. Those who previously had sustained symptoms experienced only intermittent symptoms or indeed stopped experiencing AF entirely, said a researcher. This study shows that weight-loss and treating lifestyle factors is an essential component for effectively managing AF, in many instances being an alternative to surgery or drug intervention. The study appears in the journal Europace. 

Common white pigment linked to diabetes

The most common white pigment used in everyday products ranging from paint to candies may be linked to diabetes, says a study. Researchers found that crystalline particles of titanium dioxide were found in pancreas specimens with type 2 diabetes, suggesting that exposure to the white pigment is associated with the disease. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is not a known constituent of any normal human tissue. The team examined 11 pancreas specimens, eight of which were from donors who had type 2 diabetes and three from donors who did not. Whereas the three non-diabetic pancreatic tissue specimens contained no detectable TiO2 crystals, the crystals were detected in all of the eight type 2 diabetes pancreatic tissue specimens. Researchers found more than 200 million TiO2 crystallites per gm of TiO2 particles in the specimens from type 2 diabetes donors but not in the three specimens from non-diabetic donors. Initial findings raise the possibility that type 2 diabetes could be a chronic crystal-associated inflammatory disease of the pancreas, similar to chronic crystal-caused inflammatory diseases of the lung such as silicosis and asbestosis, said a researcher. In the mid-20th century, the pigment replaced highly toxic lead-based pigments. It became the most commonly used white pigment in paints and in foods, medications, toothpaste, cosmetics, plastics and paper. As a result, annual production of titanium dioxide has increased by 4 million tonnes since the 1960s. According to the WHO, the number of people with diabetes has quadrupled during the past four decades, affecting about 425 million people, with type 2 diabetes comprising the majority of recorded cases. Although obesity and old age are still considered major factors leading to a rise in type 2 diabetes cases worldwide, the study says that increased use of titanium dioxide may also be linked to the rapid rise in the number of people suffering from the disease. The increased use of TiO2 over the last five decades could be a factor in the type 2 diabetes epidemic.  The dominant T2D-associated pancreatic particles consist of TiO2 crystals, which are used as a colorant in foods, medications and indoor wall paint, and they are transported to the pancreas in the bloodstream, a researcher said. The study raises the possibility that humanity’s increasing use of TiO2 pigment accounts for part of the global increase in the incidence of T2D.  — Agencies