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Carbs, not turkey, behind Thanksgiving sleepiness
It Seems like two things of the Thanksgiving bird peoples sharing a feast that
happen every Thanksgiv-
ing. First, everybody gets
sleepy after indulging in a
big meal. Then somebody
blames it all on tryptophan,
a chemical found in turkey
that's reputed to have nap-
inducing powers.
Not so fast, says Okla-
homa Medical Research
Foundation President
Stephen Prescott, M.D.
"Although tryptophan is a
key ingredient in making a
brain chemical associated
with relaxation and sleep,
it's probably not what is
inspiring Uncle Jeff to take
a nap on the couch."
Turkey does contain
tryptophan, an amino acid
that's essential for produc-
ing serotonin, which regu-
lates mood and can induce
sleepiness. But a serving
doesn't contain any more
of the amino acid than other
forms of protein.
"The turkey coma is just a
myth," said Prescott. If any-
thing, the culprit is probably
sitting next to the main dish,
he said. "Eating carbohy-
drate-rich foods like dinner
rolls, mashed potatoes, and
stuffing causes a chain
reaction that ends with the
creation of the sleep-caus-
ing chemical melatonin in
the brain."
So if you want to stay
awake for afternoon foot-
ball, don't worry about
the turkey; just take it easy
on the carbs. Indeed, the
first Thanksgiving meal is
thought to have consisted
of more protein and fiber
and less sugar and starch,
with the colonists and native
might have contained lob-
ster, cod, bass, deer, rabbit,
chicken, squash, beans,
chestnuts, onions, leeks,
dried fruits, honey, radishes,
cabbage, carrots and eggs.
"Variety is the spice of life,
but it's also important to
intestinal health," Prescott
said. "When we eat just a
few foods over and over
again, we're depriving our
bodies of essential nutrients.
That can lead to irritable
bowel syndrome and other
gastrointestinal disorders."
To get the right mix of
vitamins, amino acids,
minerals and fatty acids,
it's important to eat a wide
range of foods, he said. No
one has to eat them all in
one sitting--moderation
is still a good idea--but
the first Thanksgiving
meal does have the kind
of diversity that would be
healthy in the long run.
"Mixing up your diet is
a smart and delicious way
to improve your health,"
he said. "And even your
doctor will understand
if you end the meal with
a slice of pumpkin pie.
After all, it is Thanksgiv-
ing."
The Mounting Toll of Diabetes in Oklahoma
As financial t011 of disease costing $595 billion in this represents more than style. That means attaining tive officer of Continental Kingdom
mounts, Harold Hamm Dia-
betes Center urges Oklaho-
mans to take steps now to
protect themselves
In a state hard hit by
diabetes financially and
physically, new statistics
showing diabetes rates
have tripled in Oklahoma
may come as no surprise;
but physicians and scien-
tists said it points to the
need for better prevention,
new treatments and more
research.
A report this week by the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention reveals dra-
matic increases in diabetes
nationwide. Oklahoma
saw the biggest jump in 15
years. Its rate climbed to 10
percent.
"Oklahoma is at the center
of the growing diabetes epi-
demic," said Dr. Timothy
Lyons director of Research
and Scientific Programs at
the Harold Hamm Diabetes
Center. "Diabetes costs our
state more than $3 billion
in healthcare expenditures,
and the economic toll is
mounting."
The International Diabetes
Federation predicts that by
the year 2030, 552 million
people will have diabetes,
healthcare expenditures.
"Just as alarming is the
rapid growth of Type 2 dia-
betes in children," said Dr.
Kenneth Copeland, direc-
tor of Children's Programs
at the Diabetes Center.
"Because this is an aggres-
sive disease in children, we
need to be equally aggres-
sive in both treatment and
prevention or we will see
the projected healthcare
costs related to diabetes
increase exponentially. The
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention estimates
that one in three children
born in the year 2000 will
develop. Type 2 diabetes
later in life."
Copeland and Lyons
both pointed out that the
economic toll is great, but
so too are the human costs
of diabetes.
State health department
data shows 304,500 adults
living in Oklahoma have
been diagnosed with diabe-
tes, but it's estimated that
another 124,000 have diabe-
tes and don't know it, An-
other 608,000 Oklahomans
are estimated to have some
.form of impaired glucose
tolerance, often referred to
as pre-diabetes. In total,
one in three Oklahomans.
Oklahoma ranks in the top
four in the nation in diabe-
tes prevalence, and diabetes
is the fourth leading cause
of death in Oklahoma,
whereas it is the seventh
leading Cause of death
nationally.
Adults with diabetes
have heart disease death
rates two to four times
higher than adults without
diabetes. One third of
adults with diabetes over
the age of 40 have diabetic
retinopathy, which can
lead to severe vision loss
and blindness. Diabetes
increases the risk for neu-
ropathy, stroke, kidney
failure and other health
issues.
Copeland said turning
the tide on this health crisis
starts with each Oklahoman
learning his or her risk for
the disease and taking
appropriate steps to protect
themselves from the dam-
aging, even deadly, effects
of diabetes.
"We know that the best
way to beat diabetes is to
never get it. With Type 2
diabetes, there are things
you can do," he said. "It
starts with a healthy life-
and maintaining a healthy
weight, eating a diet filled
with nutrient-rich foods and
getting an adequate amount
of physical activity each
week."
Lyons agreed, saying the
recommendations are not
new, but the need to encour-
age more Oklahomans to
begin to follow them is more
critical than ever.
"The number of people
with diabetes in Oklahoma
continues to rise. We are
moving in the wrong direc-
tion, and the consequences
are dire. If we do not turn
this around, we will see
more people losing limbs,
vision, kidney function
and even their lives to this
disease."
On a positive note, Lyons
pointed out that new treat-
ments and technology have
helped improve the care
provided to those living
with diabetes. Still, more
research is needed. That
is why Harold Hamm
Diabetes Center earlier
this year announced a new
International Prize for dia-
betes research, funded by
an endowment established
by Harold Hamm, founder,
chairman, and chief execu-
Resources, Inc. The Prize
is a $250,000 award given
every other year to an
outstanding researcher or
team of researchers whose
work is focused on finding,
a cure.
"We're going to see this
prize change how research-
ers look at diabetes," said
Hamm. "It will ignite
a global fire of research
focused on progress
toward a cure for diabetes
by encouraging the best
scientists in the world to
apply the latest advances in
technology and medicine to
this global pandemic."
On World Diabetes Day,
Diabetes Center officials
announced the first panel
of jurors who will decide
the recipient of the first
International Prize, which
will be awarded next fall.
They are:
• Timothy Lyons, M.D.
FRCP - Harold Hamm
Diabetes Center, Univer-
sity of Oklahoma Health
Sciences Center
• John Buse, M.D., Ph.D.,
CDE - University of North
Carolina School of Medi-
cine
• Edwin Gale, M.D. - Uni-
versity of Bristol, United
• Barbara Howard, Ph.D.
- MedStar Health Research
Institute
• Paul Robertson, M.D.
- University of Washing-
ton
• Charles Stanley, M.D.
University of Pennsyl-
vania Perelman School of
Medicine
"The establishment of this
prize is another example of
the many ways in which
the impact of Harold
Hamm Diabetes Center is
felt not only in Oklahoma
and the region, but also
across the United States
and the world," said OU
President David L. Boren.
"Thanks to the leadership
and continued support of
Harold Hamm, the diabetes
center has quickly risen to
national and international
prominence as one of the
top comprehensive centers
of excellence."
To learn more about
diabetes prevention, treat-
ment and research, visit
the Diabetes Center online
at www.haroldhamm.org.
To learn more about
Harold Hamm Interna-
tional Prize for Biomedical
Research in Diabetes, visit
www.HaroldHammPfize.org.
OMRF discovery could change brain cancer surgeries
Anew discovery by scien- cells in the surrounding the same under a microscope, Their work appears in the this, it will change the face of in Houston, Texas also col-
tists a the Oklahoma Medical
Research Foundation could
be key to improving brain
cancer treamaent.
The work could ben-
efit patients suffering from
glioma, a type of cancer
that grows from glial cells
in the brain and spinal cord.
About 23,000 Americans are
diagnosed with a malignant
glioma each year and more
than 13,000 will die, accord-
ing to the American Cancer
Society. Even with surgery
and chemotherapy, patients
with the most aggressive
form typically have a life
expectancy of 12 to 15
months after diagnosis.
Standard therapy for glio-
mas usually involves surgery
that cuts away healthy brain
tissue around a cancer, said
OMRF researcher Rheal
Towner, Ph.D. "Doctors
use this approach to be safe
and catch any diffuse cancer
tissue," he said. "But when
surgeons remove more of
the brain itself, the result can
mean problems with speech,
balance and mobility, as well
as impaired senses."
A new discovery by Towner
and Jonathan Wren, Ph.D.,
might help surgeons mini-
mize collateral damage in
glioma surgery. The OMRF
researchers identified a
gene called ELTD1, which
can serve as a new "bio-
marker"--a way to identify
the cancerous cells. By using
this gene as a mapping tool,
surgeons could excise tumors
while leaving more healthy
brain tissue intact.
The gene could be useful
for early diagnosis of brain
cancers and might help doc-
tors plan more effective treat-
ments--aU important factors
for increasing patients' odds
of survival.
"Although they might look
cancer cells have a different
chemistry than healthy
cells," said Towner, direc-
tor of.OMRF's Advanced
Magnetic Resonance Center
Imaging Facility. "Our goal
was to find a way to make
those cells stand out."
Using a computer algo-
rithm to predict the function
of genes, Wren found 95
genes that could become
potential targets, then homed
in on ELTD 1. In follow-up
experiments, Towner found
that the gene plays a role in
the creation of blood vessels,
which is vital to the growth
of cancer cells.
With help from OMRF
scientist Florea Lupu, Ph.D.,
and Huntsman Cancer Insti-
tute neurosurgeon Randy
Jensen, M.D., Ph.D., the
OMRF scientists were able
to visualize and assess the
levels of ELTD1 in both
rodent and human gliomas.
most recent edition of the
scientific journal Neurosur-
gery.
Towner and Wren will
continue testing the other
predicted glioma biomarkers.
"If we can find more tools like
brain tumor treatment for the
better," Towner said.
Howard Colman, M.D.,
Ph.D., of the Huntsman
Cancer Institute and Brian
Vaillant, M.D., of the Meth-
odist Neurological Institute
laborated on the research.
Grants from the American
Cancer Society, the J.E. and
Leta Chapman Trusts, and
the National Institutes of
Health provided funding for
the project.
Marfan Syndrome Network Group to Meet
The National Marfan
Foundation's Oklahoma City
Network Group will have its
first meeting on December
1 at Mark Heitz Chevrolet
in Norman (1221 Ed Noble
Parkway). The network
group, which will be led by
Krystal Teal, will provide a
forum for people with Marfan
syndrome and related disor-
ders to share experiences and
information and provide peer
support.
Marfan syndrome is a
potentially fatal connective
tissue disorder that affects
the heart, blood vessels,
eyes, bones, joints and and tears are left undetected,
lungs. It is often, but not the aorta may rupture, leading
always, characterize d by a to sudden death.
tall stature and dispropor-
tionately long legs and arms.
Other skeletal manifestations
are curvature of the spine, a
protruding or indented chest
and loose joints. The most
serious problem associated
with Marfan syndrome is its
effect on the aorta, the main
artery carrying blood away
from the heart. The aorta is
prone to progressive enlarge-
ment, which can lead to tears
in the aortic wall that require
surgery. If aortic erflargement
At the first meeting, attend-
ees will have an opportunity
to meet each other and talk
about future activities and
get-togethers. It is open to
anyone with Marfan syn-
drome or a related connective
tissue disorder, their family
and friends. Members of the
public who would like to learn
more about the condition are
also invited to attend.
For more information,
please contact Kristal Teal at
405-408-8810.
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