Cancer Quick Facts: Get Cancer Quick Facts at Solitarius

Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Ken

Shannon before her mastectomy — 7 Takeaways From a Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivor (national breastcancer.org)

**Time is more important than we realize.**
Within all my experiences of the last 10 years on social media and having a Facebook group. Those that seek alternative treatments the natural way for TNBC usually don’t respond well and for any aggressive type of cancer. I always tell cancer patients to know what you’re up against by first getting your cancer graded and tested.

Many on social media trying to become rich with agenda’s have tried to make me look bad. But they usually end up coming and going. Whereas I have never made my first dollar on this free access ~ non-profit blog spreading awareness of the knowledge that I share from learning through other experiences and help guiding them through the path that I have traveled through those years. (Learning No Two Cancers Are the Same).

Though 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, nothing about the experience feels normal. While every individual and every cancer is unique, we can all agree that breast cancer has a lasting impact on patients, survivors, and their loved ones.
Shannon provides a candid glimpse into her journey with dense breast tissue and a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis.
She faced breast cancer shortly after turning 40, with the support of her husband and community, while caring for her two young daughters. Shannon is the Head Drill Team Director at Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas.

I thought I knew a little bit about breast cancer, so I didn’t worry too much when
I felt a small lump in the shower. I’d had a mammogram within the past two years, and
I’d had benign issues prior to that. So I watched the lump for a few weeks—a few weeks
longer than I should have.
The doctor at my first visit told me that I had an 80% chance of the lump being
absolutely nothing, but we’d just check it out to be sure. The radiologist at my follow-up mammogram was concerned. But later that week, the doctor who biopsied me said the areas of concern looked benign to her. Lab results proved otherwise, and a day or two later, I got the dreaded phone call.

I want to share the following information not to frighten anyone,
but to empower you with the knowledge I wish I’d had:
1. Most people who are diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a strong family history
of it. They also often do not carry any genetic disposition for it (BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations). I didn’t have either of these.
2. Dense breast tissue is very common, but it shouldn’t be dismissed.
My oncologist said that looking at the breast tissue of someone with dense breasts is like reading the mammogram through fog. If you’ve been told your breast tissue is dense, do more regular breast self-exams to know your body and strongly consider following up 3D mammograms with ultrasound, if you have the means.
3. There are many types of breast cancer. Hormone-positive breast cancers are usually the ones you hear about. I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. This means that the growth of malignant (cancerous) cells was not promoted by estrogen, progesterone, or the protein HER-2. Doctors don’t really know why you get this aggressive type of breast cancer yet, but if you are around my age or younger, please hear this—although triple negative is a rare type of breast cancer, this is more likely to also affect younger people,
African Americans, Hispanics, and those with a BRCA1 gene mutation.

4. Triple negative breast cancer is aggressive. Unfortunately, it often grows fast, even in the time between annual mammograms. While I may have had cancer cells in my body for some time, it is likely they would have only been detectable on a mammogram for a few months. Had I waited another month or two before beginning treatment, I could have been looking at significantly advanced disease. Don’t watch or wait on lumps for months at a time. Insist on screenings.
By the way, I wasn’t doing a self-exam in the shower when I found my lump. I rarely did self-exams. It was a very unexpected “coincidence” that occurred while soaping up my underarm. Some days, the lump felt like a little piece of gravel. Other days, it seemed more pliable like a soft pea. It didn’t feel like I thought cancer would.
5. Treatment for breast cancer varies based on the type, stage, and growth rate. Some require lumpectomy only. Some require lumpectomy or mastectomy with radiation. Others get all that, plus lots of chemotherapy and sometimes immunotherapy. Triple negative breast cancer is different than most—patients aren’t able to receive hormonal therapy, which can help prevent recurrence from happening. We treat our cancer with chemotherapy before and often after, as well, in order to reduce the chance of any errant cells surviving the treatment or taking up residence in other parts of our body. Bottom line: You could have two friends with breast cancer, but they might have vastly different treatments and prognoses.
6. Breast cancer in men is rare, but not as rare as we’d like to think. Men need to monitor their bodies and breast tissue as well—maybe even more so without the benefit of recommended mammograms.
7. Nurses and doctors are exceptional, and they save lives on a daily basis. Cancer patients LOVE their doctors and nurses in a way I never understood before my own diagnosis. I’d do anything for mine.
I had my last reconstruction surgery on July 9, 2021, so I finally feel as if I’ve “finished” my breast cancer treatment. While I will be monitored closely for years, and I will likely panic over every new twinge for the foreseeable future, I can’t believe that I finally get to say that it is hopefully *over*.

Celebrities that Survived Triple Negative Breast Cancer – Search Videos (bing.com)

I recall sitting in my car one day asking God to give my journey purpose. If this was to be my story, let it radically change my life and let me somehow use it for good. I had several survivors (friends and friends-of-friends I’d never met) who led me through this experience like only someone who’s “been there” can, and I’ll never forget it.
I found that the trauma isn’t in the treatment, although the treatment can be rough.
The trauma, honestly, is the diagnosis. The word “cancer.” It’s coming face-to-face with the reality of your mortality.
If I flash back to Friday, February 15, 2019, the day of my diagnosis, these are
the things I wish I’d known before the phone began to ring. And even further back, I wish I’d understood the value of regular self-exams for a woman of my age, breast density, and health history. Stop now and set the reminder alarm on your phone. Do your breast self-exams and then do your part by sharing the information with your friends.
Publish Date: September 30, 2020

Carol
January 26, 2024 at 5:53 pm
I am dealing with my 2nd recurrence of TNBC (within 4 and 1/2) .
**This time my oncologist sent my tumor to CARIS – Search (bing.com)**
– to check my DNA against 22,000 genes to see what chemo will work for me. It will be ready in 10 days. **I highly recommend this testing.** She also tested if I was PDL1 positive or negative and Thank God I am negative. Surgery set for the beginning of March and also my port to be placed. And since I have had radiation in the same area, I cannot have radiation again. So, I have to get proton therapy. There aren’t many proton therapy centers in the US. **Bonus:** MistleToe Injections ~ Believe Big – Search Videos (bing.com)

And I started on Mistletoe injection therapy last week.
MistleToe Injections John Hopkins Kimmel cancer Center – Search (bing.com)
REPLY

Jean
July 16, 2023, at 8:00 pm
Lumpectomy and 3 nodes. I will be starting radiation soon.
I am 65 years old and have just finished chemo. I had surgery about 3 weeks ago.
Triple-negative breast cancer seems to be entering a phase where it is easier to treat. I was amazed at how well Keytruda worked for me. I was in a study that paired Keytruda with radiation at the beginning of treatment. The tumor shrank significantly in size in the first two weeks. There was actually a noticeable hollow in the side of my breast. Scans and labs from surgery are now seeing no signs of malignancy and I am ecstatic! Not done yet, but thrilled nonetheless! Now I just need good strategies for how to keep it from coming back!
REPLY

Doris Boruta
June 27, 2023 at 4:23 am
God bless all you strong women and keep your spirits up. Do all you can to make whatever choice you must if you can do a clinical trial try it. I’m 71. I read all your stories and I’m also at the beginning with chemo,a very small tumor with a grade 3 aggressive cancer.
I have to trust my doctors, we can’t go back, yet to what life was before but we sure can make every day count good or bad. We are not alone or if we are we still can master enough God given strength to fight,eat what you can in chemo, try to walk to stay strong and lf your married and you have a loving husband well that’s great but it’d be your fight, don’t be as independent as you can. I’m a widow strong on my own with two grown children who will help me during chemo but I don’t plan to make their life so complicated by my illness….I’m strong I will have some help but the more I do that I can do on my own is what I’m aiming for I don’t want people looking at me like my life is over, feeling sad or sorry for me…everyone is different but I have found the less people know about your illness the better off except your care team and one good friend. That’s my choice. I wish you ladies God’s speed, don’t be too scared because that changes your happiness…”
“Let’s roll… be strong… adapt & overcome… God bless us. all. ”

Mary
June 26, 2023 at 9:59 pm
Just diagnosed at 63. Have only my husband for support at 72 and limited use of his arms due to a botched neck surgery. I am strongly considering no treatment and I know that means death. I have heard too many people who have gone through chemo surgery and radiation only to have recurrence of TNBC within a year or two then die. I also cannot find real descriptions of the chemo side effects and what you are able physically do other than generalizations. Can you direct me where I can learn more? My oncologist kind of brushed me off when I said I was considering no treatment.
REPLY

National Breast Cancer Foundation
June 27, 2023 at 3:04 pm
Hi Mary, thank you for sharing how you’re doing currently and your very real
concerns in regard to treatment options. There are a few common chemo side effects you can read about here. Full side effects can vary by individual.
Here are a few blogs that share different perspectives:
– What Helps During Chemo?
– “I Am Still Beautiful:” Paris’s Journey with MS and Breast Cancer; She shares how different radiation was from chemotherapy.
– Why I Never Dreaded Chemo
There are many resources available. Support groups can provide a community of survivors and those currently in treatment. For other breast cancer resources that can help, click here. We hope this helps! For any other questions you have, reach out to help@nbcf.org.
REPLY

Shelley
November 7, 2021 at 6:38 pm
Diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer on August 11, 2021. Three clinical breast exams this year without palpable lump. Routine screening mammograms picked up new calcification prompting core biopsy. Biopsy revealed cancer. Family history positive- both grandmothers, one survived three bouts of breast cancer. Genetics negative for all known cancer genes. Currently undergoing neoadjuvant AC treatment 4 rounds to be followed by 12 rounds of Taxol, surgery and radiation. It is a long road. Faith is getting me through it.
I continue to work full time through this journey as I am the household support.
REPLY

Rachael Jacobs
July 27, 2021 at 12:46 am
I was diagnosed with TNBC in 2018 July. Finished treatment has now been in NED since Jan 2019. It hasn’t been an easy ride and coping with the new norm after treatment has been challenging. I wish all those going through treatment all the best.
REPLY

Melissa
July 16, 2021 at 1:48 am
I am so glad I came across this. My sister was recently diagnosed – she just turned 45 on the 4th. She noticed a lump in February. She called her doctor… she had a mammogram a few months earlier and he told her it was just a cyst. She did continue to question and finally biopsies were ordered last month. The last three weeks we have been on emotional rollercoasters. Her oncologist told her she thought she saw an additional spot on her MRI. She does her PET scan tomorrow and starts chemo Monday. Please keep her in your prayers. I know God has this.
REPLY

Leanne Judson
June 27, 2021 at 8:01 am
I’d love to be involved.
I have a diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer and although I have remained positive from the first day and have responded really well to Chemotherapy I am now feeling like I’m not going to survive. I have a double mastectomy in a week’s time and then radiotherapy but I have just received the news that I have the BRCA 1 mutation and for some reason it has completely sent me into an emotional wreck.
I know every case is individual but all I want to know is can you survive this and live to be old or is it literally just waiting for that first 3,5 or 7 years? And then anything after that is a bonus? For the first time in 6 months I actually feel like what’s the point of going through all of this if I’m not going to survive.
I almost feel like you’re given Chemotherapy, an operation, radiotherapy and drugs etc just to kind of say that you’ve had everything available to you but really there’s very little point or reason to it because you’re going to die from Cancer anyway whether it’s in a year or a bit longer. I just feel its a death sentence either way.
I hate to put such a negative slant on this situation as I’m usually a very positive person but this is the way I’ve been left feeling.
I have struggled to find any support network specifically for TNBC in the UK.
Thank you so much Leanne
REPLY

Sonia
December 1, 2023 at 11:06 pm
You’re not alone, you will survive, just be strong & keep fighting
I also have TNBC but I believe it’s a test from God
He will help us, he will support us and he is The Merciful
Have faith girl
REPLY

National Breast Cancer Foundation
June 30, 2021 at 9:31 pm
Leanne, thank you for being so open to reach out and share what you’re going through. You’re not alone. Our team is going to reach out to you via email.
REPLY

Kathy Adcock
May 10, 2021 at 8:50 pm
Thank you for sharing your story. I did the same when I was diagnosed and asked God to show me once I was done with my journey who I could help. My daughter has already made a comment about how strong my faith is so if my journey brings those I love and others to God, I’m ready.
REPLY

Lynn Taylor Proctor
March 13, 2021 at 2:46 am
I am just starting this journey.
Was diagnosed February 16 (2021). I will turn 61 on March 25. I had a Superport insertion yesterday. Chemo to start 3/19. 4-6 rounds then will be a radical mastectomy. DNA shows no markers but my mom (91 and a 15 year survivor), her sister (died about 1994 as it had metastasized to all organs) and their mom (died at age 43 of a “brain tumor” late 1940s)
all had it. So strange.
I am reading everything and anything I can find online to be prepared.
My body has fallen apart in the last several years as I have serious arthritis. Bilateral knee replacements, bilateral shoulder replacements. And in the last 4 years, achilles tendon replacement, cervical fusion, 2 lumbar fusions. I now have Flatback Syndrome which I will always have. I thought I was actually on the downhill side, able to take a breath or two……Wrong!
I am as ready as possible to fight. I have 2 beautiful daughters, a beautiful daughter-in-law and an amazing 3 year old grand-daughter as well as a super supportive husband, mother and brothers and an angel of a best friend (since I was 2 years old) to fight for and with.
I plan to garden again and keep chickens and goats.
My dogs and cats are by my side.
My amazing husband is always right here.
I am ready.  Lynn Taylor Proctor – Facebook
REPLY

Lara Gregg
March 15, 2021 at 10:42 pm
Lynn, thank you for your transparency. It’s truly touching. My mom was just diagnosed today. I’m so scared for her. She’s 59. She discovered the lump in November 2020 when it was grape sized. She had an examination scheduled to look into it, however, in December, she got COVID and was hospitalized and sedated on the ventilator for one month.
At that time, her husband of 40 years, my father, suddenly passed away.
I had to tell my mother the love of her life was gone via Zoom. It was horrific. She came home to recover and was prescribed oxygen as she relearned general motor skills. Amidst her other many post Covid appointments, she insisted she get her follow-up mammogram. That appointment was 2 weeks ago.
Since then, we’ve been on a hell of a ride. We’re awaiting an appointment with an oncology team to discuss a treatment plan. I’m so anxious and scared for her. We’re trying to remain faithful.
Your post about fighting really encouraged me. Although my dad is gone, me, my 2 sisters, 3 nieces, grandma and host of cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends are going to fight with her. I did NOT go through all of that to be beaten by TNBC! Sending you love and prayers.

Mary Davies
February 15, 2021 at 7:33 pm
Please read about vegan diets.
Also, the effect of the amino acid methionine on breast cancer. – Search (bing.com)
I have read it could be helpful to eliminate it as much as possible from your mom’s diet.

Wisdom From a Seventeen-Year-Old Survivor – Stories of Hope – National Breast Cancer Foundation

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Longevity Lessons: Why Include Blue Zones on Your Bucket List (msn.com)

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Tara Coyote’s Healing Journey

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Ken

If you want to know what it’s like for us cancer thrivers. I wrote these so others understand the reality we face. Please read this. It’s a raw and real share.

It is a deep dive.
It is not easy.
These monthly shots that knock me down
Down into Inanna’s cave I go.
To face my monsters, fears & worries
To transmute the darkness into light


Sometimes I wake up screaming, the nightmares can be intense.
Sometimes I’m happy to just rest.
The emotional content that was pushed aside during the rest of
the month comes flaring its loud presence of what I cannot deny.
This time: more layers of heartbreak around the recent breakup
The raw, open heart lies exposed to heal from the inside out
It can also be hard, as I miss out on family gatherings and events,
but this is part of it and I’m so grateful to be alive.
So I accept this.
It’s a part of the price to pay, on the cancer healing path.
This is waking up to back breaking pain that thankfully passes after some hours.
The hot flashes
The ‘I must get up to feed the horses’ & pushing myself to do what I can
Don’t make me walk to the gate, it’s simply too far for me.
I share this as I know y’all think I’m so buoyant, bubbly and inspiring.
And yes I can be
But this is hard work, that requires me to reach into my deepest strength
One must walk alone at times to find their way
And this is the case with these drugs.
This is raw and real
The good part of it is that I get a shit ton done as the force of gravity is so strong.
I’m leveled out on my bed or sofa, editing videos, writing, etc.
And the rest is great too, despite the physical discomfort, as I’m usually going nonstop
I share this as MANY of US CANCER THRIVERS go through this every month, but IT IS NOT SPOKEN ABOUT,
so I am here to share
Please listen so you can understand the path we’re on
It requires incredible strength, especially to stay positive in the face of one’s constant mortality. I speak for all of us.

And, as I know I’ll get asked, I get monthly shots of Faslodex (hormone blocking shots) & every 3 months I receive Xgeva (for my bones). Some people are not affected so sensitively as I am, but some of us are. I tend to be on the highly sensitive side of the spectrum with most medicines
And to add: I think this is why I’m so drawn to mermaiding. After so much death, loss and cancer treatment, being a  brings out the joy and play which I so desperately need to balance it out!

The new book ‘Kaimana the Hawaiian Mermaid’ is out!
I gotta say, in all honesty, writing & self-publishing a book is hard work. It takes great dedication, focus & stubborn stamina to do ALL the steps necessary to birth a book baby. It is no small feat. It is necessary to have a motivating factor.
What was my drive to publish this ocean conservation book?
In short, my love of the ocean and her creatures. In the last year, swimming in the ocean with a mermaid tail has been the incredibly healing after the tragic death of my parents.
In the process of swimming with turtles, fish and recently whales, stingrays and sharks (incredible!!  ) I’ve fallen deeper in love with the ocean and the benevolent joy she selflessly gives.
In January, when a rare and mysterious sperm whale washed up on the coast of Kaua’i, Hawaii choked by garbage debris in its stomach, I knew I had to tell the story.
Note: This photo is taken near Lydgate Beach right where the whale washed up!!!
This whale that was killed by human ignorance does not have a voice, so I will speak for him/her, thank you very much

These magnificent creatures hold peaceful wisdom beyond what our reptilian human brain can comprehend. While we fight and kill one another with unnecessary wars, the animals look on in wonder asking themselves who the primitive creatures truly are
Do they unnecessarily kill one another? NO

I am concerned.
Without becoming too dismal (but you all know the reality upon Earth now), the oceans and our sacred planet dearly need our attention. If we do not wake up and create dramatic change NOW, my possible future grandchildren will be inheriting a hell of a future.
The innocent beings deserve much more than this.
I decided to use my platform and the fact that I have an audience to speak for whales,
coral reefs and marine life.
We stare at the ocean in wonder,
yet do not understand the verdant life that lives miles under the surface.
I’ve been swimming often in her waters and I’m here to say that life under
the water is enchanted & magical.
Just because we can’t see what lives under the surface of the water
doesn’t mean it deserves to live anymore then we do.

In this colorful new kid’s book collaboration with Nica Quinn, I’m proud to say that~
I created a resource guide sharing about the whales (their songs, migration & current dangers they face), the importance of a healthy coral reef & information about %las*tic (yes, I’m coding this word to work around the algorithm that wants to suppress posts that speak about p*l*tion).
I want the world to know that YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
And future generations depend on YOU for this.
In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

What are you waiting for

So, hey, check out this gorgeous new kid’s book
Also, check out the newsletter I wrote last night pouring my heart into sharing why I wrote the book, which besides what I shared above has to do with my incredible environmental activist parents. This book in many ways is a tribute to them.

Go forth ~ Live large ~ Be brave

And cultivate joy in between the cracks of it all

Love y’all

Announcing a new video ‘All About Whales’! I am thrilled to share
this interview with my brother Ted Cheeseman of Happywhale with you!
It is jam packed full with fascinating facts about whale behavior, songs, migration and why it’s vitally important for them to have a healthy ocean ecosystem for them to survive.
   Tara Coyote interviews Ted Cheeseman from Happywhale
I included photos and videos of whales to give the visual perspective of the sheer mysterious beauty of the cetaceans & also beloved family photos.
We also talk about the impact of growing up with wonderful safari leading parents,
Doug & Gail Cheeseman who inspired countless people with their love of the environment & the safari biz they created
It is the longest video I’ve created at 47 minutes, but I’ve broken it down
into separate chapters so you can digest it and take in the info you want.
Grab some popcorn & enjoy it!
Ted is one inspirational guy who is changing the face of how we understand whales around the globe with his organization Happywhale. He developed a tail recognition software that can help track & identify whales around the world. This greatly benefits whale research & to understand these gentle giants.

Btw, this is a photo of Ted taken with a sperm whale by Scott Davis –
Spectacular photo, isn’t it?

Tara is an ocean activist, mermaid & author who recently published a new children’s book called ‘Kaimana the Hawaiian Mermaid’. It has a thick ocean conservation section at the end of it sharing about whales, the importance of a healthy coral reef, reducing plastic pollution & so much more! This book is based on a true story of a sperm whale washing up on the coast of Kaua’i, Hawaii in January 2023 choked by plastic and human garbage in its stomach.  Video link: https://youtu.be/OLnX1mBvbjg?si=l2BOwnBnjNzUpiaw

I hope this video inspires you to learn more about whales & understand their importance on our fragile Earth. Please like, comment on the YouTube video and let us know your thoughts. Mahalo for watching!

Grace, Grit & Gratitude: A Cancer Thriver’s Journey from Hospice to Full Recovery
with the Healing Power of Horses Paperback – July 30, 2021 Amazon.com : Tara Coyote
by Tara Coyote (Author), Linda Kohanov (Foreword), & 1 more
4.8 *4.8 out of 5 stars*    159 ratings

To the outside eye, it looked like Tara Coyote was living the perfect life in the suburbs
with her musician husband, successful Pilates studio and Brady Bunch type family.
What the outside world didn’t see was the pivotal event that turned her life upside down.

*Grace, Grit & Gratitude* is one woman’s story of a profound bond with horses
that carried her through nine years of pain, trauma, cancer and the challenges of loss.
It is about finding the courage to face one’s shadow in the darkest hour.
Learn how the ancient principles of death and also rebirth from the
Mesopotamian Goddess, Inanna, has saved more than just one life.

Follow one woman’s spiritual journey of pain, perseverance and discovery
with the unexpected power of her horses and ancient teachings as her guide.

A portion of the sale of each book will be donated to The Wild Beauty Foundation, an organization that works to raise awareness for the wild horses of North America. As Tara’s mustang, Comanche has had a profound impact upon her life, she is passionate about supporting this important cause!

Tara Coyote is the founder of Wind Horse Sanctuary, a certified Eponaquest ‘Equine Facilitated Learning’ instructor, life coach, workshop leader, writer and dancer.
You will find her happily scooping horse manure on Kauai, Hawaii!
#whale #whales #spermwhale @highlight @followers

Love ya’ my cancer thriver tribe!

Keep going – I see you

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Totality

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Ken

A new study rooted in genetic modeling from experts across the world says that there is substantial evidence
that we came from a whole bunch of places © Photo by Cathy Scola – Getty Images

A New Study Has Changed the Birthplace of Humanity
Story by Tim Newcomb

New genetic research further shows that humans didn’t derive from a single location. Instead, it likely arose from multiple areas in Africa.
The rise of different population groups may have happened during different time periods.
Africa remains the focal point of the search for the earliest human existence, even if it may not have a single point of origin.

Stop looking for a single pinpoint location for the start of human evolution. A new study rooted in genetic modeling from experts across the world says that there is substantial evidence that we came from a whole bunch of places. Published on May 17 in *Nature*, the study claims to disprove the idea of just one location serving as the birthplace of humanity.

“Decades of study of human genome variation have suggested a predominantly tree-like model of recent population divergence from a single ancestral population in Africa,” the study says. “It has been difficult to reconcile this finding with the fossil and archaeological records of human occupation across the vast African continent.”
To reach their conclusion, the researchers investigated the genomes of nearly 300 people across a variety of ancestral backgrounds and—even going back a million years—still weren’t able to lock in on just one distinct population set. Instead, their findings suggested that there must be at least two populations, which they dub Stem1 and Stem2.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that more complex models involving additional stems, more complex population structure, or hybrid models including both weak structure and archaic hominin admixture, may better explain the data,” the study says.

As Eleanor Scerri, an evolutionary archaeologist not involved in the study, tells the *New York Times*, “There is no single birthplace. It really puts a nail in the coffin of that idea.”
The research team—from the University of Wisconsin, University of California, Davis, Baylor College of Medicine, Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and McGill University in Quebec—believes that both the Stem1 and Stem2 populations originated in Africa, but not together. It was hundreds of thousands of years, they say—potentially because of some environmental event around 120,000 years ago—before the populations started mixing and two groups merged to really kick off the start of new people groups based in Africa.
The study used computer modeling to simulate the spread of human DNA across time and throughout Africa. “We could ask what types of models are really plausible for the African continent,” Brenna Henn, of the Genome Center at the University of California, Davis, and study co-author, tells the *New York Times*.

By comparing DNA from multiple groups of people throughout Africa, and then comparing that DNA to the genomes of people from other ancestry groups, the researchers believe they have found enough solid proof to say that there had to have been a Stem1 and Stem2. The precise locations of the two groups remains unknown, but the distinctly Stem1 or Stem2 DNA seemingly survived and was continuing to influence ancestry as recently as 25,000 years ago.
Much like how researchers believe humans mixed with Neanderthals in Eurasia before the Neanderthal went extinct, the study suggests that an “archaic hominin ghost population” could have further contributed to migration events and helped inform genetic data. In the hopes of eventually gaining an even clearer view of the complexity that is human life, researchers hope to continue to gather more genetic information and run additional simulations.
Maybe, someday, we’ll be able to pinpoint those populations once and for all.
DNA death predictors: What do they really tell you?

Genetic tests lay odds on killer diseases, and now a “health check”
for your chromosomes spots traits that could reveal your lifespan –
if it really works By Alison Motluk

Ever wondered how long you have got?
(Image: Shutterstock)

MY PATERNAL grandfather lived until he was 89; his brother outdid him by a decade.
My grandmothers made it to 85 & 93. My parents are both alive and kicking at 73 & 82.
The only people to die young in my family were killed in wars or industrial accidents. Maybe I am just clinging to the rosy bits, but this is the information I choose to employ when predicting my own longevity. I reckon the odds are with me, and I’m not interested in knowing if I’m wrong. My greatest fear about the timing of my death is that it will come many decades after I have exhausted my supply of money.

**It seems I am unusual, however.**
Apparently, many people are thirsting for a little extra information to help them calculate how long they have left. How else can you explain the burgeoning number of commercial enterprises promising to meet that desire? Already, gene-sequencing companies such as 23andme, deCodeMe and Navigenics can do a quick scan of your risk of developing everything from lung cancer to multiple sclerosis. Now two new firms are offering to tell us how well we are ageing, based on an analysis of structures at the ends of our chromosomes called telomeres.
If these developments continue, a person’s lifespan could become as quantifiable as the shelf life of a carton of milk. So instead of parading around blissfully unaware of how long we have left, we could find out our own use-by dates. For some, this knowledge would be a burden, while others may be glad of the chance to plan their future. But whether you find the prospect of being able to foretell your own death terrifying or enticing, how realistic is it? Are these new tests really a game changer? After all, we have long been able to test for life-threatening factors such as high cholesterol and blood pressure. And while a better understanding of the biology of ageing is bound to tell us even more, surely the date of one’s death will always remain unknowable?

This brave new age of scientific soothsaying began a few years ago with the invention of home genetics tests that promise to alert you to things that might contribute to your ultimate decline. It couldn’t be simpler. You order the kit online, receive it through the post, collect a cheek-swab sample of DNA while sitting on your own couch and then mail it off for analysis. The news came back by email a few weeks later. In the interests of science, I gave it a go.

You decide. I soon discovered a fundamental problem:
the results are wide open to interpretation, making it easy to reconcile them with the views you already hold. Say you learn that, like me, you are one of those unlucky people whose risk of a heart attack goes up 60 per cent just by drinking a third cup of coffee every day. Bad though that sounds, the chances you will have a coffee-induced heart attack are still very low – and that it will kill you, lower still. Besides, if you scratch around enough, you can probably find something to offset even that small risk – such as your slightly lower-than-average odds of heart attack in general. That’s what I did. And I concluded that my grandparents might still be my best guide to my longevity.

**To cut a long story short:**
Except for finding out whether you are susceptible to a few single-gene killer diseases, an inventory of genes is not very informative for anyone wanting to know how long they have got. A big list of small risks simply is not going to tell you what your odds are of making it to 95, or even 60. Will something called gastric cardia adenocarcinoma be what takes me out – my risk of getting it is 0.08 percent, compared with an average of 0.07 per cent? Or will it be the more common melanoma, which I am ignoring because my risk is 1.3 per cent, compared with an average of 0.7 per cent?
According to Timothy Caulfield, a bioethicist and lawyer at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, who has been looking into how people react to tests like these, my attitude isn’t uncommon.
“People don’t seem to do much with this risk information,” he says. “They don’t freak out. And they don’t start exercising more, eating better or getting more screening.” This should not surprise us, he adds, since we have never responded much to other more traditional predictive information, such as weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

**The Reactive Approach Is the Consequences of the “Do Nothing”**

In fact, our ostrich-like attitude to genetic warning signs may even be quite sensible.
Eline Slagboom at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and her colleagues found that healthy people in their 80s and 90s were no less likely than the rest of us to carry gene variants, or alleles, known to increase the risks of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes (*Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*, vol 107, p 18046). “These people from long-lived families have exactly the same numbers of deleterious alleles,” she says. The difference, however, is that they probably possess other genes that keep the dangerous ones at bay. Although none of these have been identified so far, Slagboom and colleagues have discovered four separate areas of the genome that seem to be important. They suspect the critical genes will be unglamorous, controlling aspects of metabolism, inflammation and immunity.

**At 23andme, I was tested for a “longevity trait” identified by the company.**
Apparently I don’t possess it and have merely typical odds of living to age 95 or 100. Again, I discount this. The trait is based on two studies of small numbers of subjects and controls, with ethnicities and genders that are different from my own. Even if it does correlate with longevity in some people, why should I trust the company, given that
it got a few other traits wrong, including my eye colour and whether my hair tends to curl?

Accuse me of overblown scepticism if you like, but the most evangelical proponents of genetic testing cannot get around the fact that longevity is not simply genetic. It is largely down to myriad environmental factors, including lifestyle, the effects of which cannot be measured directly. At best, the particular genes you carry will only ever explain about 25 percent of your propensity to live a long life, says Slagboom. So can the new telomere-based tests do any better?

“At best, the particular genes you carry will only ever explain about 25 percent of your propensity to live a long life”. Like the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces, telomeres keep your chromosomes from fraying and getting tangled up with one another.
Every time chromosomes replicate during cell division the telomeres get a bit shorter. This process starts even before you are born and about a third of their length is lost in the first 20 years of life, says Calvin Harley, president and chief scientific officer of Telome Health, based in Menlo Park, California.
As we age, the shortening continues – by about 9 per cent each decade, on average.
It is not clear whether some people have a higher natural rate of loss but we do know that telomeres respond to lifestyle, and that smoking, heavy drinking, obesity and stress can all shorten them a little more quickly. That is bad news because short telomeres are associated with earlier death. One study by Richard Cawthon at the University of Utah, for instance, looked at their lengths in adults over 60. People whose telomeres were shorter than average for their age cohort were 3.18 times more likely to die of heart problems and 8.54 times more likely to die from infectious disease, than those who had longer than average telomeres for their age (*The Lancet*, vol 361, p 393).

It is easy to see why people trying to divine their own personal expiration date would be interested in knowing how long their telomeres are, and how they compare with other people of the same age. This is exactly the information offered by a Spanish company called Life Length, based in Madrid, which began selling its €500 test a year ago. Telome Health had also planned to offer a telomere test. Back in May, co-founder Elizabeth Blackburn – a Nobel laureate for her discovery of telomerase, the enzyme that stimulates telomere elongation – told *New Scientist* its test would be available for under $200 by the end of the year. However, Harley now says it will only be used for research purposes for the foreseeable future. He didn’t say why.

**How short is too short?**
Both tests base their analysis on measurements of the telomeres in a type of white blood cell called leukocytes. “It’s a good surrogate of what’s going on throughout the body,” says Harley. Both will compare the average length of your telomeres with those of your peers, although to begin with that comparison group will be very small.
However, unlike Telome Health, Life Length also provides information about the abundance of critically short telomeres. This difference in approach highlights some key gaps in our understanding of telomeres. Harley says that most studies associating telomere length with health, use measures of average length.
But Life Length scientists argue that the abundance of critically short telomeres – not averages – is what individuals really need to know about.
Once they shrink to a certain point, telomeres can no longer do the job of capping off the chromosomes. Critically short telomeres cause cell death and ultimately senescence, says Maria Blasco, founder of Life Length and head of the Spanish National Cancer Centre in Madrid. However, even she acknowledges that there is a lot we don’t understand yet.

“We need large population studies to find the actual meaning of telomere length,” she says.
Carol Greider at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, who shared the Nobel prize with Blackburn, points out that there is no consensus yet on the best technique for measuring telomeres. In fact, her work on mice found no correlation between telomere length and lifespan (*Nucleic Acids Research*, vol 28, p 4474) and she argues that little is known about how telomere length affects health and longevity in humans. “There’s a very wide distribution of telomere lengths,” she says, and they can vary a lot for any given age. If you fall below the first percentile, you are clearly at risk for age-related diseases, she adds, but the science hasn’t really established much beyond that. Greider concludes that telomere testing for the general public is premature.

**So what about the idea that it can pinpoint your time of death?**
Harley plays down the notion, calling it “nonsense”. I had heard that a telomere test might be able to indicate a slim range – say, between ages 70 and 75 – with a 95 percent chance of getting it right. But Harley insists it can only be used as an overall health indicator – a sort of “check engine” light. He likens it to a cholesterol test. I point out that at least with a cholesterol test, you know what you are measuring and so have some idea what to do if you get a bad result.
“If they could say 70 versus 90 with some degree of certainty, I think that would have an impact,” says Caulfield. People may alter their retirement age, spending patterns, travel plans and love lives. Their insurers and employers may make decisions based on this information, too, he adds.
For now, though, finding that you have short telomeres for your age might persuade you
to adopt a healthier lifestyle, at best. I’m not convinced the test is for me. I already know
to eat lots of greens, get lots of exercise and not live in the shadow of an industrial plume.

**My grandparents taught me.**

**What can make you live longer.**

**BEING FEMALE**
Women outlive men by an average of five years. Tom Kirkwood at Newcastle University
in the UK suspects it may be because women’s bodies are better at repairing themselves.

**AN AUTUMN BIRTHDAY**
People born in autumn or early winter live significantly longer than those born in late spring. British immigrants to Australia show patterns similar to those of Danes and Austrians, and opposite to people who are Australian-born, suggesting the effect
happens during early development.

**AN ACADEMY AWARD**
It is not enough to be nominated; you have to win. A study by Donald Redelmeier of the University of Toronto, Canada, compared all actors and actresses ever nominated for an Oscar. Winners lived on average 3.9 years longer (*Annals of Internal Medicine*, vol 134,
page 955)

**BEING TALL**
After analyzing 490 sets of skeletal remains, measuring bone length and calculating age
of death from dental erosion, a UK research team concluded that tall people live longer.

**In search of a longevity pill**
More than a decade ago, Maria Blasco, now head of the Spanish National Cancer Centre
in Madrid, discovered how to extend the lifespan of mice by 40 per cent. The secret?
Telomerase, the enzyme that helps elongate the structures at the end of chromosomes called telomeres.
Telomerase is a major player in early embryonic development and fetal life, but, even before we are born, it is switched off. (The exception is in germ-line cells, which give rise
to sperm or eggs.) Why the enzyme’s activity is down-regulated is not entirely understood, but it is thought to be an anti-cancer strategy: although telomerase doesn’t cause cancer, once mutations occur, it helps tumours thrive. The mice in Blasco’s experiments, it should be noted, were engineered not to form tumors.

Nonetheless, there is a huge interest in the potential anti-ageing effects of telomerase and, since January 2007, a small group of people have been experimenting with a nutritional supplement called TA-65, which activates telomerase in human immune cells.
The supplement is derived from the Chinese herb astragalus, and was developed by, among others, Calvin Harley, now president of Telome Health (see main story).
As it happens, Harley is also one of the experimental subjects taking the TA-65.
Early results are mixed. After a year of supplementation, the average telomere length of the subjects did not increase. However, the percentage of critically short telomeres was significantly reduced (*Rejuvenation Research*, vol 14, p 45).
Randomized controlled trials are set to follow.

**Topics: Death**

The polar vortex above the Arctic has been spinning backwards for weeks. Here’s why.
2024 total solar eclipse will happen in April: Why it’s rare and special (msn.com)

New Scientist Default Image — A new study rooted in genetic modeling from experts across the world says that there is substantial evidence
that we came from a whole bunch of places © Photo by Cathy Scola – Getty Images

A New Study Has Changed the Birthplace of Humanity
Story by Tim Newcomb

New genetic research further shows that humans didn’t derive from a single location. Instead, it likely arose from multiple areas in Africa.
The rise of different population groups may have happened during different time periods.
Africa remains the focal point of the search for the earliest human existence, even if it may not have a single point of origin.

Stop looking for a single pinpoint location for the start of human evolution. A new study rooted in genetic modeling from experts across the world says that there is substantial evidence that we came from a whole bunch of places. Published on May 17 in *Nature*, the study claims to disprove the idea of just one location serving as the birthplace of humanity.

“Decades of study of human genome variation have suggested a predominantly tree-like model of recent population divergence from a single ancestral population in Africa,” the study says. “It has been difficult to reconcile this finding with the fossil and archaeological records of human occupation across the vast African continent.”
To reach their conclusion, the researchers investigated the genomes of nearly 300 people across a variety of ancestral backgrounds and—even going back a million years—still weren’t able to lock in on just one distinct population set. Instead, their findings suggested that there must be at least two populations, which they dub Stem1 and Stem2.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that more complex models involving additional stems, more complex population structure, or hybrid models including both weak structure and archaic hominin admixture, may better explain the data,” the study says.

As Eleanor Scerri, an evolutionary archaeologist not involved in the study, tells the *New York Times*, “There is no single birthplace. It really puts a nail in the coffin of that idea.”
The research team—from the University of Wisconsin, University of California, Davis, Baylor College of Medicine, Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and McGill University in Quebec—believes that both the Stem1 and Stem2 populations originated in Africa, but not together. It was hundreds of thousands of years, they say—potentially because of some environmental event around 120,000 years ago—before the populations started mixing and two groups merged to really kick off the start of new people groups based in Africa.
The study used computer modeling to simulate the spread of human DNA across time and throughout Africa. “We could ask what types of models are really plausible for the African continent,” Brenna Henn, of the Genome Center at the University of California, Davis, and study co-author, tells the *New York Times*.

By comparing DNA from multiple groups of people throughout Africa, and then comparing that DNA to the genomes of people from other ancestry groups, the researchers believe they have found enough solid proof to say that there had to have been a Stem1 and Stem2. The precise locations of the two groups remains unknown, but the distinctly Stem1 or Stem2 DNA seemingly survived and was continuing to influence ancestry as recently as 25,000 years ago.
Much like how researchers believe humans mixed with Neanderthals in Eurasia before the Neanderthal went extinct, the study suggests that an “archaic hominin ghost population” could have further contributed to migration events and helped inform genetic data. In the hopes of eventually gaining an even clearer view of the complexity that is human life, researchers hope to continue to gather more genetic information and run additional simulations.
Maybe, someday, we’ll be able to pinpoint those populations once and for all.
DNA death predictors: What do they really tell you?

Genetic tests lay odds on killer diseases, and now a “health check”
for your chromosomes spots traits that could reveal your lifespan –
if it really works By Alison Motluk

Ever wondered how long you have got?
(Image: Shutterstock)

MY PATERNAL grandfather lived until he was 89; his brother outdid him by a decade.
My grandmothers made it to 85 & 93. My parents are both alive and kicking at 73 & 82.
The only people to die young in my family were killed in wars or industrial accidents. Maybe I am just clinging to the rosy bits, but this is the information I choose to employ when predicting my own longevity. I reckon the odds are with me, and I’m not interested in knowing if I’m wrong. My greatest fear about the timing of my death is that it will come many decades after I have exhausted my supply of money.

**It seems I am unusual, however.**
Apparently, many people are thirsting for a little extra information to help them calculate how long they have left. How else can you explain the burgeoning number of commercial enterprises promising to meet that desire? Already, gene-sequencing companies such as 23andme, deCodeMe and Navigenics can do a quick scan of your risk of developing everything from lung cancer to multiple sclerosis. Now two new firms are offering to tell us how well we are ageing, based on an analysis of structures at the ends of our chromosomes called telomeres.
If these developments continue, a person’s lifespan could become as quantifiable as the shelf life of a carton of milk. So instead of parading around blissfully unaware of how long we have left, we could find out our own use-by dates. For some, this knowledge would be a burden, while others may be glad of the chance to plan their future. But whether you find the prospect of being able to foretell your own death terrifying or enticing, how realistic is it? Are these new tests really a game changer? After all, we have long been able to test for life-threatening factors such as high cholesterol and blood pressure. And while a better understanding of the biology of ageing is bound to tell us even more, surely the date of one’s death will always remain unknowable?

This brave new age of scientific soothsaying began a few years ago with the invention of home genetics tests that promise to alert you to things that might contribute to your ultimate decline. It couldn’t be simpler. You order the kit online, receive it through the post, collect a cheek-swab sample of DNA while sitting on your own couch and then mail it off for analysis. The news came back by email a few weeks later. In the interests of science, I gave it a go.

You decide. I soon discovered a fundamental problem:
the results are wide open to interpretation, making it easy to reconcile them with the views you already hold. Say you learn that, like me, you are one of those unlucky people whose risk of a heart attack goes up 60 per cent just by drinking a third cup of coffee every day. Bad though that sounds, the chances you will have a coffee-induced heart attack are still very low – and that it will kill you, lower still. Besides, if you scratch around enough, you can probably find something to offset even that small risk – such as your slightly lower-than-average odds of heart attack in general. That’s what I did. And I concluded that my grandparents might still be my best guide to my longevity.

**To cut a long story short:**
Except for finding out whether you are susceptible to a few single-gene killer diseases, an inventory of genes is not very informative for anyone wanting to know how long they have got. A big list of small risks simply is not going to tell you what your odds are of making it to 95, or even 60. Will something called gastric cardia adenocarcinoma be what takes me out – my risk of getting it is 0.08 percent, compared with an average of 0.07 per cent? Or will it be the more common melanoma, which I am ignoring because my risk is 1.3 per cent, compared with an average of 0.7 per cent?
According to Timothy Caulfield, a bioethicist and lawyer at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, who has been looking into how people react to tests like these, my attitude isn’t uncommon.
“People don’t seem to do much with this risk information,” he says. “They don’t freak out. And they don’t start exercising more, eating better or getting more screening.” This should not surprise us, he adds, since we have never responded much to other more traditional predictive information, such as weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

**The Reactive Approach Is the Consequences of the “Do Nothing”**

In fact, our ostrich-like attitude to genetic warning signs may even be quite sensible.
Eline Slagboom at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and her colleagues found that healthy people in their 80s and 90s were no less likely than the rest of us to carry gene variants, or alleles, known to increase the risks of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes (*Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*, vol 107, p 18046). “These people from long-lived families have exactly the same numbers of deleterious alleles,” she says. The difference, however, is that they probably possess other genes that keep the dangerous ones at bay. Although none of these have been identified so far, Slagboom and colleagues have discovered four separate areas of the genome that seem to be important. They suspect the critical genes will be unglamorous, controlling aspects of metabolism, inflammation and immunity.

**At 23andme, I was tested for a “longevity trait” identified by the company.**
Apparently I don’t possess it and have merely typical odds of living to age 95 or 100. Again, I discount this. The trait is based on two studies of small numbers of subjects and controls, with ethnicities and genders that are different from my own. Even if it does correlate with longevity in some people, why should I trust the company, given that
it got a few other traits wrong, including my eye colour and whether my hair tends to curl?

Accuse me of overblown scepticism if you like, but the most evangelical proponents of genetic testing cannot get around the fact that longevity is not simply genetic. It is largely down to myriad environmental factors, including lifestyle, the effects of which cannot be measured directly. At best, the particular genes you carry will only ever explain about 25 percent of your propensity to live a long life, says Slagboom. So can the new telomere-based tests do any better?

“At best, the particular genes you carry will only ever explain about 25 percent of your propensity to live a long life”. Like the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces, telomeres keep your chromosomes from fraying and getting tangled up with one another.
Every time chromosomes replicate during cell division the telomeres get a bit shorter. This process starts even before you are born and about a third of their length is lost in the first 20 years of life, says Calvin Harley, president and chief scientific officer of Telome Health, based in Menlo Park, California.
As we age, the shortening continues – by about 9 per cent each decade, on average.
It is not clear whether some people have a higher natural rate of loss but we do know that telomeres respond to lifestyle, and that smoking, heavy drinking, obesity and stress can all shorten them a little more quickly. That is bad news because short telomeres are associated with earlier death. One study by Richard Cawthon at the University of Utah, for instance, looked at their lengths in adults over 60. People whose telomeres were shorter than average for their age cohort were 3.18 times more likely to die of heart problems and 8.54 times more likely to die from infectious disease, than those who had longer than average telomeres for their age (*The Lancet*, vol 361, p 393).

It is easy to see why people trying to divine their own personal expiration date would be interested in knowing how long their telomeres are, and how they compare with other people of the same age. This is exactly the information offered by a Spanish company called Life Length, based in Madrid, which began selling its €500 test a year ago. Telome Health had also planned to offer a telomere test. Back in May, co-founder Elizabeth Blackburn – a Nobel laureate for her discovery of telomerase, the enzyme that stimulates telomere elongation – told *New Scientist* its test would be available for under $200 by the end of the year. However, Harley now says it will only be used for research purposes for the foreseeable future. He didn’t say why.

**How short is too short?**
Both tests base their analysis on measurements of the telomeres in a type of white blood cell called leukocytes. “It’s a good surrogate of what’s going on throughout the body,” says Harley. Both will compare the average length of your telomeres with those of your peers, although to begin with that comparison group will be very small.
However, unlike Telome Health, Life Length also provides information about the abundance of critically short telomeres. This difference in approach highlights some key gaps in our understanding of telomeres. Harley says that most studies associating telomere length with health, use measures of average length.
But Life Length scientists argue that the abundance of critically short telomeres – not averages – is what individuals really need to know about.
Once they shrink to a certain point, telomeres can no longer do the job of capping off the chromosomes. Critically short telomeres cause cell death and ultimately senescence, says Maria Blasco, founder of Life Length and head of the Spanish National Cancer Centre in Madrid. However, even she acknowledges that there is a lot we don’t understand yet.

“We need large population studies to find the actual meaning of telomere length,” she says.
Carol Greider at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, who shared the Nobel prize with Blackburn, points out that there is no consensus yet on the best technique for measuring telomeres. In fact, her work on mice found no correlation between telomere length and lifespan (*Nucleic Acids Research*, vol 28, p 4474) and she argues that little is known about how telomere length affects health and longevity in humans. “There’s a very wide distribution of telomere lengths,” she says, and they can vary a lot for any given age. If you fall below the first percentile, you are clearly at risk for age-related diseases, she adds, but the science hasn’t really established much beyond that. Greider concludes that telomere testing for the general public is premature.

**So what about the idea that it can pinpoint your time of death?**
Harley plays down the notion, calling it “nonsense”. I had heard that a telomere test might be able to indicate a slim range – say, between ages 70 and 75 – with a 95 percent chance of getting it right. But Harley insists it can only be used as an overall health indicator – a sort of “check engine” light. He likens it to a cholesterol test. I point out that at least with a cholesterol test, you know what you are measuring and so have some idea what to do if you get a bad result.
“If they could say 70 versus 90 with some degree of certainty, I think that would have an impact,” says Caulfield. People may alter their retirement age, spending patterns, travel plans and love lives. Their insurers and employers may make decisions based on this information, too, he adds.
For now, though, finding that you have short telomeres for your age might persuade you
to adopt a healthier lifestyle, at best. I’m not convinced the test is for me. I already know
to eat lots of greens, get lots of exercise and not live in the shadow of an industrial plume.

**My grandparents taught me.**

**What can make you live longer.**

**BEING FEMALE**
Women outlive men by an average of five years. Tom Kirkwood at Newcastle University
in the UK suspects it may be because women’s bodies are better at repairing themselves.

**AN AUTUMN BIRTHDAY**
People born in autumn or early winter live significantly longer than those born in late spring. British immigrants to Australia show patterns similar to those of Danes and Austrians, and opposite to people who are Australian-born, suggesting the effect
happens during early development.

**AN ACADEMY AWARD**
It is not enough to be nominated; you have to win. A study by Donald Redelmeier of the University of Toronto, Canada, compared all actors and actresses ever nominated for an Oscar. Winners lived on average 3.9 years longer (*Annals of Internal Medicine*, vol 134,
page 955)

**BEING TALL**
After analyzing 490 sets of skeletal remains, measuring bone length and calculating age
of death from dental erosion, a UK research team concluded that tall people live longer.

**In search of a longevity pill**
More than a decade ago, Maria Blasco, now head of the Spanish National Cancer Centre
in Madrid, discovered how to extend the lifespan of mice by 40 per cent. The secret?
Telomerase, the enzyme that helps elongate the structures at the end of chromosomes called telomeres.
Telomerase is a major player in early embryonic development and fetal life, but, even before we are born, it is switched off. (The exception is in germ-line cells, which give rise
to sperm or eggs.) Why the enzyme’s activity is down-regulated is not entirely understood, but it is thought to be an anti-cancer strategy: although telomerase doesn’t cause cancer, once mutations occur, it helps tumours thrive. The mice in Blasco’s experiments, it should be noted, were engineered not to form tumors.

Nonetheless, there is a huge interest in the potential anti-ageing effects of telomerase and, since January 2007, a small group of people have been experimenting with a nutritional supplement called TA-65, which activates telomerase in human immune cells.
The supplement is derived from the Chinese herb astragalus, and was developed by, among others, Calvin Harley, now president of Telome Health (see main story).
As it happens, Harley is also one of the experimental subjects taking the TA-65.
Early results are mixed. After a year of supplementation, the average telomere length of the subjects did not increase. However, the percentage of critically short telomeres was significantly reduced (*Rejuvenation Research*, vol 14, p 45).
Randomized controlled trials are set to follow.

**Topics: Death**

The polar vortex above the Arctic has been spinning backwards for weeks. Here’s why.
2024 total solar eclipse will happen in April: Why it’s rare and special (msn.com)

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nutritional deficiencies
People with Alzheimer’s disease tend to be deficient in these 5 nutrients
that ‘help keep brains in top condition at all ages,’ researchers say,
Levels of five micronutrients are “strikingly lower” in the brains of
those who have Alzheimer’s disease compared with those who don’t.
That’s according to new research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease by Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine professor C. Kathleen Dorey and a team of researchers.

Scientists analyzed the brains of 31 donors, the average age of which was 75 years.
Most, but not all, had died with Alzheimer’s disease. Compared with unaffected brains, they found that brains of those with the disease had around half the level of the following micronutrients—vitamins and minerals critical to the body’s function, but needed in only small amounts: MCT OIL AND ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA – Search (bing.com)

• Lycopene: An antioxidant that could help protect cells from damage, lycopene gives some fruits and vegetables—like tomatoes, watermelon, red oranges, pink grapefruits, apricots, and guavas—their red hue.
• Retinol: A form of Vitamin A that helps the immune system work properly, retinol helps you see in dim lighting and keeps skin healthy. It’s found in foods like cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yogurt, and liver. The body can convert beta-carotene into retinol, so indirect sources include yellow, red, and green leafy vegetables like spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, and red peppers, as well as yellow fruits like mangos, papaya, and apricots.
• Lutein: Often referred to as the “eye vitamin,” lutein is thought to protect eye tissue from sun damage. You can find it in foods like egg yolks, spinach, kale, corn, orange peppers, kiwis, grapes, zucchinis, and squash.
• Zeaxanthin: An antioxidant, zeaxanthin is known to protect eye tissues from the sun. It’s found in eggs, oranges, grapes, corn, goji berries, mango, and orange peppers.
• Vitamin E: Also, an antioxidant, Vitamin E keeps free radicals in check, improves immune function, and can prevent clots from forming in the arteries of the heart. It can be found in plant-based oils, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables like sunflower oil, soybean oil, almonds, peanuts, spinach, pumpkin, red bell peppers, asparagus, mangoes, and avocados.

All five micronutrients are antioxidants, substances that may prevent or delay some cell damage. Lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are also carotenoids, nutrient-rich pigments found in fruits and vegetables. Other large studies have found that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was “significantly lower” in those who ate diets rich in carotenoids, or who had high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in their blood or retina, according to Dorey.

Vitamin B12 has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease 1 2. A deficiency in vitamin B-12 may mimic signs of Alzheimer’s like behavior changes, increased agitation and memory loss 2. Several studies have linked a vitamin B-12 deficiency with symptoms of Alzheimer’s and actual shrinkage of the brain 2. Higher levels of homocysteine can raise the risk of both strokes and dementia, and homocysteine levels can be lowered by increasing the amount of vitamin B12 in the blood 1. However, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that vitamin B12 supplementation can prevent Alzheimer’s disease from developing 3.

Copper and Zinc Deficiency and Alzheimer’s – Search (bing.com)

Multiple studies have also found that those who follow MIND
(Mediterranean/Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay)—which emphasizes the consumption of antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fish, with very little meat, dairy, and sweets—had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, better cognitive function prior to death, and fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in those who did develop the condition.

Want to Live Longer? Read This. (msn.com)