Having high insulin levels may be more than tough to manage when you have diabetes: New research shows it also appears to raise the risk of pancreatic cancer. In the study, scientists found excessive insulin levels overstimulated pancreatic acinar cells, which produce digestive juices. This overstimulation triggers inflammation that turns these cells into precancerous cells. “Alongside the rapid increase in both obesity and type 2 diabetes, we’re seeing an alarming rise in pancreatic cancer rates,” said co-senior study author James Johnson, a professor in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences and interim director of the Life Sciences Institute at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. “These findings help us understand how this is happening, and highlights the importance of keeping insulin levels within a healthy range, which can be accomplished with diet, exercise and, in some cases, medications,” Johnson said in a university news release. The study focused on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This is the most prevalent pancreatic cancer. It is highly aggressive with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%. By 2030, PDAC is expected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The new study sheds light on the role of insulin and its receptors in pancreatic cancer risk. “We found that hyperinsulinemia [high insulin levels] directly contributes to pancreatic cancer initiation through insulin receptors in acinar…  read on >  read on >

A kinder, more thoughtful workplace can lead to better heart health among older employees, a new study finds. Older workers’ heart health risk factors decreased significantly when their office employed interventions designed to reduce work-family conflicts, researchers report in the Nov. 8 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Specifically, their heart risk factors reflected those of people 5 to 10 years younger when their workplace culture provided them better flexibility and support. “The study illustrates how working conditions are important social determinants of health,” said co-lead researcher Lisa Berkman, director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies. “When stressful workplace conditions and work-family conflict were mitigated, we saw a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease among more vulnerable employees, without any negative impact on their productivity,” Berkman added in a Harvard news release. “These findings could be particularly consequential for low- and middle-wage workers who traditionally have less control over their schedules and job demands and are subject to greater health inequities.” For the study, researchers worked with two companies — an IT company with 555 participating employees and a long-term care company with 973 participating employees. The researchers trained company supervisors on strategies that support employees’ personal and family lives. Teams of supervisors and employees also attended hands-on trainings to identify new ways to increase employees’ control over their…  read on >  read on >

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8, 2023 (Healthday News) — A new drug to treat postpartum depression will cost nearly $16,000 for a 14-day course of treatment, a price tag that has doctors worried that some patients won’t be able to afford the medication. Zurzuvae (zuranolone) was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration back in August, and it carried the distinction of being the first postpartum depression (PPD) drug that can be taken as a pill. Despite Zurzuvae’s high cost, drugmaker Sage Therapeutics said Tuesday that the drug should hit the market by December, and that it and partner Biogen are now talking with insurers about coverage of the medication. The companies’ goal is “to enable broad and equitable access for women with PPD who are prescribed this drug,” Sage Chief Executive Officer Barry Greene said in a company news release. The hope is for patients to be able to get the medicine, “where possible, with little to no co-pay regardless of financial means.” He added that the two companies will also help cover costs or provide the drug free to certain patients. Mental health experts have welcomed the drug’s approval, not just because it presents a new way to treat postpartum depression but also because it “appears to be fast-acting,” Dr. Catherine Monk, chief of the Division of Women’s Mental Health in the Department of…  read on >  read on >

Everyone knows smoking to be a major cause of cancer. Now, exactly how tobacco smoke triggers tumor development just got a bit clearer, thanks to new Canadian research. According to a team at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) in Toronto, smoking appears to prevent the formation of proteins that work to keep runaway cell development in check. According to Nina Adler, a University of Toronto PhD student who led the study, smoking gives rise to what are known as “stop-gain” mutations in cellular DNA. In essence, the mutations tell the body to stop making these protective proteins. Without these proteins, tumors are more likely to occur. “Our study showed that smoking is associated with changes to DNA that disrupt the formation of tumor suppressors,” said Adler, who led the study during her postgraduate research in Dr. Jüri Reimand’s lab at OICR. “Without them, abnormal cells are allowed to keep growing unchecked by the cell’s defenses and cancer can develop more easily,” she explained in an OICR news release. The Toronto team already knew that a history of smoking leaves a unique imprint in a smoker’s DNA. In their research, they compared that genetic legacy to DNA collected from 12,000 tumor samples across 18 different types of cancer. They found that smoking appeared strongly connected to stop-gain mutations that leave people more vulnerable to…  read on >  read on >