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Whole milk consumption increases risk for prostate cancer recurrence in overweight and obese men, according to a study published in The Prostate. Researchers followed 1,334 participants from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor and tracked dairy intake and cancer-related deaths, recurrences, and treatments.

Those who consumed more than 4 servings of whole milk per week increased their risk for recurrence by 73%, compared to those who consumed fewer or no servings of milk. This increased risk rose threefold in men with high BMIs. Potential mechanisms behind the elevated risk include higher intake of IGF-1 and saturated fat and associated inflammation. Insulin resistance and increased inflammation seen in men with high BMIs may also attribute to this risk.

In its 2018 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, the American Diabetes Association maintains that a plant-based eating pattern is an effective option for type 2 diabetes management, and encourages clinicians to always include education on lifestyle management.

American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes – 2018. Diabetes Care. 2018;41(Suppl 1):S1-S167.

Researchers recently developed a chemical imaging technique using a microscopic mass detection instrument that allows for human skin sections to be analyzed to detect and map the chemical distribution throughout different layers of the skin.

The method can be applied to measure drug or other chemical penetration through the skin in toxicity studies for cosmetics, environmental exposures, or therapeutic drugs.

The technique provides accurate measures of chemical penetration through human skin that has not previously been possible and will help to understand how allergens like nickel absorb into and react with the skin. Nickel, one of the most common human allergens, cannot be detected as an allergen in the current animal test for this effect: the mouse local lymph node assay.

Malmberg P, Guttenberg T, Ericson MB, Hagvall L. Imaging mass spectrometry for novel insights into contact allergy – a proof-of-concept study on nickel. Contact Dermatitis. Published online November 23, 2017. doi: 10.1111/cod.12911.

Using data from 66 patients followed for up to 20 years, researchers developed a mathematical model to simulate the biological processes involved in the disease of multiple sclerosis, a chronic autoimmune disease leading to damage to nerve fibers in the brain with variable clinical presentation rates and symptoms and leading to blurred vision, memory problems, weakness, and more.

Using data from a second group of 120 patients with multiple sclerosis, they validated the model to predict different disease courses seen in these patients with the same underlying biological process, a concept which has profound implications for therapeutic development.

Although previously multiple sclerosis may be viewed as two or more diseases given its multiple clinical presentations, this mathematical model suggests that it is a single disease with a common underlying pathological process.

Kotelnikova E, Kiani NA, Abad E, et al. Dynamics and heterogeneity of brain damage in multiple sclerosis. PLoS Comput Biol. 2017;13:e1005757. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005757.

Avoiding red meat and other risk factors may prevent up to half of diverticulitis cases, according to a study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Researchers assessed outcomes from red meat intake, low fiber intake, obesity, minimal physical activity, and smoking in 51,529 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Results showed a 73 percent decreased risk for diverticulitis among men who ate more fiber, exercised, and ate less than one serving of red meat per day, compared with men who did not avoid any risk factors observed. The authors recommend clinicians incorporate lifestyle interventions into preventive strategies for disease prevention.

Liu PH, Cao Y, Keeley BR, et al. Adherence to a healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of diverticulitis among men. Am J Gastroenterol. Published online November 7, 2017.

Reducing saturated fat and trans fat intake reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in children and adolescents, according to a review and meta-analysis published in PLoS One. Researchers analyzed results and outcome measures for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies focused on dietary interventions to reduce saturated and trans fat intake in those between the ages of 2 and 19. Reductions of saturated and trans fats intake lowered blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, compared with control diets that did not reduce fat intake. Results showed no detrimental effects to growth or development due to lower fat intake. These conclusions suggest that low-fat dietary interventions effectively reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adolescents and may reduce the disease burden later in life.

Te Morenga L, Montez JM. Health effects of saturated and trans-fatty acid intake in children and adolescents: Systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017;12: e0186672.