Research Roundup
"Research Roundup," a new feature, presents examples of recent reports on NCCAM-funded research, published in peer-reviewed journals listed in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database.
Yoga and Exercise: Do They Help People with MS?
Fatigue, depression, and cognitive problems (including difficulties with paying attention and being alert) often affect people with multiple sclerosis (MS). In the first randomized clinical trial to learn whether yoga could help these symptoms, a team led by Oregon Health & Science University's Barry Oken, M.D., found that yoga—as well as aerobic exercise—reduced fatigue compared with a group of 20 people who did not participate in either activity. However, neither yoga nor exercise produced significant improvements in depression or cognitive problems. For 6 months, researchers followed 22 yoga participants and 15 exercise participants who did these activities in classes for 90 minutes weekly (modified to suit physical limitations) and at home. In the June 8, 2004, issue of Neurology, the authors described the results of this trial as significant but noted that no known direct physical cause-and-effect relationship could explain the findings, so other factors (such as the placebo effect) might have been at work.
DHEA May Pose Prostate Cancer Risk
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body. Levels decrease as people age. Some people take DHEA as a dietary supplement with the hope of slowing down the aging process. However, previous research on DHEA provided conflicting results about whether the hormone protects against or increases the risk of certain cancers. In the March 2005 issue of the American Journal of Physiology—Endocrinology and Metabolism, Julia Arnold, Ph.D., and a team of researchers at NCCAM described experiments conducted on DHEA and prostate cancer cells. The experiments indicated that DHEA, like other naturally occurring hormones, may cause prostate cancer cells to grow. Until more research is completed, the researchers cautioned that men who have or may have prostate cancer should avoid taking DHEA supplements.
Tart Cherry Extract Shows Promise for Pain Control
Tart cherries have been credited in unscientific reports as reducing pain from gout and arthritis. To investigate this possibility, Jill M. Tall, Ph.D., of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, directed experiments (at Hopkins and Michigan State University) with rats using tart cherry extracts called anthocyanins, pigments that color flowers and fruits from blue to red. Earlier laboratory research had found that anthocyanins had strong anti-inflammation properties. However, until this study, no research had been done with animals. This research found that anthocyanins given by mouth reduced pain and swelling related to inflammation as effectively as a medicine commonly used to treat pain and swelling. In their article in Behavioural Brain Research (August 12, 2004), the authors noted that the role of diet in pain is just beginning to be explored; additional research may increase treatment options for patients with chronic pain.
