Laurie Toich, Associate Editor

This article was originally published by Specialty Pharmacy Times.

Many studies suggest that certain dietary interventions may reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) or improve symptoms. The Mediterranean diet, in particular, has garnered significant attention for MS. The diet, which is rich in fish and vegetables, has been shown to reduce inflammation in patients with MS.

Novel study findings suggest that eating fish 1 to 3 times per month, plus daily fish oil supplements, may reduce MS risk. These results suggest that omega-3 fatty acids could lower the risk of developing MS, according to a press release.

The preliminary study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 70th Annual Meeting in April.

“Consuming fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to have a variety of health benefits, so we wanted to see if this simple lifestyle modification, regularly eating fish and taking fish oil supplements, could reduce the risk of MS,” said study author Annette Langer-Gould, MD, PhD.

For more information about the study and its results, visit

Articles

Many studies suggest that certain dietary interventions may reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) or improve symptoms. The Mediterranean diet, in particular, has garnered significant attention for MS.

Fish Consumption May Help Lower Multiple Sclerosis Risk

Consuming nuts may help reduce the risk of colon cancer recurrence, according to a new study published in the

Many studies have explored the link between food consumption and the risk of cancer. Certain types of foods—especially those with antioxidants&mdash;have been found to protect against cancer, while others have been shown to increase the risk of developing cancer.

The study's findings showed that patients with stage 3 colon cancer who regularly consumed nuts had a lower risk of disease recurrence and mortality compared with patients who do not consume nuts.

Included in the study were 826 patients with colon cancer who were followed for a median of 6.5 years after treatment with surgery and chemotherapy.

The authors discovered that patients who regularly consumed two 1-ounce servings of nuts had a 42% improvement in disease-free survival and a 57% increase in overall survival, according to the study.

“Further analysis of this cohort revealed that disease-free survival increased by 46% among the subgroup of nut consumers who ate tree nuts rather than peanuts,” said senior author Charles S. Fuchs, MD.

The authors characterized tree nuts as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans, while peanuts are considered legumes.

“These findings are in keeping with several other observational studies that indicate that a slew of healthy behaviors—including increased physical activity, keeping a healthy weight, and lower intake of sugar and sweetened beverages&mdash;improve colon cancer outcomes,” said lead author Temidayo Fadelu, MD. “The results highlight the importance of emphasizing dietary and lifestyle factors in colon cancer survivorship.”

The researchers said this finding was significant because it uncovers a relationship between biological processes and worsened disease outcomes for colon cancer and chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Previous studies suggest that nuts may help reduce insulin resistance, which is often a precursor to T2D.

The authors also noted that other studies indicate that patients with colon cancer whose lifestyle factors increase insulin resistance have poor outcomes.

“These studies support the hypothesis that behaviors that make you less insulin-resistant, including eating nuts, seem to improve outcomes in colon cancer,” Dr Fuchs said. “However, we don’t know yet what exactly about nuts is beneficial.”

The authors hypothesized that nuts may reduce hunger without consumption of carbohydrate-rich food or types that are linked to poor outcomes; however, patients may not be eating nuts due to concerns over fat content, according to the study.

“People ask me if increasing nut consumption will lead to obesity, which leads to worse outcomes,” Dr Fuchs said. “But what’s really interesting is that in our studies, and across the scientific literature in general, regular consumers of nuts tend to be leaner.”

These results suggest that diet can make a difference in colon cancer outcomes, according to the study. The authors previously found that coffee consumption also reduced recurrence and mortality among this patient population, highlighting an additional way to potentially improve outcomes for these patients.

“First and foremost, I talk about avoiding obesity, exercising regularly, and staying away from a high-carbohydrate diet. Then we talk about things like coffee and nuts. If you like coffee or nuts, enjoy them, and if you don’t, there are many other helpful steps you can take,” Dr Fuchs said. “Overall, we are working to apply the same rigorous science to the understanding of diet and lifestyles in the colon cancer patient population that we apply to defining new drugs.”

Certain types of foodsâ€”especially those with antioxidantsâ€”have been found to protect against cancer, while others have been shown to increase the risk of developing cancer.

Could Nut Consumption Lower Risk of Colon Cancer Recurrence?

Officials with the FDA are urging consumer to be wary of unapproved products that claim to prevent, treat, or cure influenza, according to a press release.

This year’s flu season not only resulted in a significant number of flu infections, but also an uptick in concerns regarding the potential of individuals purchasing unapproved products.

The FDA is especially concerned that patients may be lured into purchasing counterfeit antivirals online from websites posing as pharmacies, according to the release. They are advising patients to be cautious when purchasing influenza drugs online.

“This year the flu has been widespread, impacting millions of patients across the country, and leading to a new record number of flu-related hospitalizations,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, said in the release. “We understand the toll this year’s flu season has taken on peoples’ lives. As the flu continues to make people sick—and even cause deaths&mdash;unscrupulous actors may also be taking advantage of unsuspecting consumers by promoting their fraudulent products that have not been reviewed by the FDA to be safe and effective.”

The FDA advises Americans that there are no legal OTC products that can prevent or cure the flu itself; however, there are legally marketed OTC drugs that can address the symptoms of the flu, including fever, muscle aches, and congestion.

In the release, the agency noted that several claims may indicate that a product is fraudulent:

·      reduces severity and length of the flu

·      boosts immunity without vaccination

·      boosts your immune response against the flu

Health scams—such as fraudulent flu drugs&mdash;can result in wasted money, delays in diagnosis and treatment, and may lead to serious injury or death, according to the release.

To combat fraud, the FDA issues warnings to the public and regularly takes actions against the companies that promote these products. Due to some companies moving their operations to new websites, there are still a number of unapproved and potentially harmful products being sold to Americans, according to the release.

Officials with the FDA are urging consumer to be wary of unapproved products that claim to prevent, treat, or cure influenza. 

FDA: Be Wary of Fraudulent, Unproven Flu Products

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a final recommendation that addresses screening for ovarian cancer.

Due to the available evidence, the task force does not recommend screening for ovarian cancer among women without any signs of the condition, according to an agency news bulletin.

This is a D recommendation, the task force noted.

Ovarian cancer is troublesome to diagnose and most patients do not exhibit symptoms until the later stages of the disease. Additionally, symptoms are similar to those of other conditions and can be present in healthy women, which further complicates diagnosis, according to the task force.

These factors make it more likely that ovarian cancer is diagnosed at a later stage when treatments are less effective. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer death among women, causing more than 14,000 per year.

Currently, screening tests are unable to correctly determine whether or not a patient has ovarian cancer. There is also a lack of FDA-approved screening tests for the disease.

The task force concluded that screening may result in a patient undergoing unnecessary surgery when she does not have cancer.