Q: My acupuncturist suggests I try to tamp down inflammation that's aging me -- I'm 70 -- especially something called IL-11. What is it and what can I do? -- Joyce R., Gainesville, Florida
A: IL-11 -- interleukin-11 -- is a natural part of your body chemistry. It acts as a cytokine, stimulating inflammation and increasing the risk for premature aging, tumor growth, and metabolic decline, especially as you age. It also does good works, like helping build platelets for blood clotting. You see, the body is often fueled by counterregulatory forces you want to keep in balance.
Fortunately, researchers are looking at how to tamp IL-11 down safely. In a lab study in Nature, they found that blocking the activity of IL-11 for around half a year improved muscle function and reduced frailty, while it improved metabolism. And when given to aged lab mice, the treatment reduced the animals' development of diseases caused by fibrosis, chronic inflammation and poor metabolism, and reduced cancer deaths, extending their lifespan by 25%. And recently, scientists found that Therapeutic Plasma Exchange decreases IL-11 in humans. (TPE is a procedure that filters out plasma in blood and replaces it with red blood cells and other fluid.) Stay tuned for further trials and confirmation. Until then ...
-- Get plenty of anti-inflammatory, anti-aging omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish such as salmon or take 1,100 milligrams of DHA-EPA fish oil daily.
-- Eat foods rich in the bioflavonoid quercetin, such as onions, cranberries and green tea. This nutrient is anti-inflammatory and helps prevent and treat liver and cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.
-- Berberine increases other forms of interleukin (AKA IL-4, IL-27 and IL-35) that control inflammation-producing IL-11. It is found in Goldenseal and the fruit of the European barberry. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine can provide more info at www.nccih.nih.gov.
For a deeper dive into how to control the aging effects of chronic inflammation, check out our book "YOU on a Diet (Revised Edition)."
Q: I feel like the medical profession is dedicated to poking and prodding me for all kinds of conditions that I don't have. Do I really have to go through all these regular screenings -- from mammograms and colonoscopies to chest X-rays? -- Pat R., Columbia, Missouri
A: The power of screening for cancer and taking steps to prevent it has saved nearly 6 million lives over the past 45 years in America -- and the technology and medical expertise get better all the time, increasing the enormous benefits they provide.
Prevention and screening are responsible for 80% of the lives saved, according to a new National Institutes of Health study published in JAMA Oncology. Treatment advances saved 20% of those folks. It breaks down like this.
-- For lung cancer, the campaign to prevent smoking and help people to quit accounted for 98% of the 3.45 million deaths averted. Treatment advances accounted for the rest. And with the new advocacy of screening chest X-rays for anyone ages 50 to 80 who quit smoking within the past 15 years or smoked a pack a day for 20 years can prevent even more deaths.
-- Screening for and removal of precancerous polyps during a colonoscopy saved almost 1 million folks from dying of colon cancer.
-- PSA testing saved around 200,000 lives and treatment advances accounted for saving around 150,000 men with prostate cancer.
-- In breast cancer, 1 million deaths were averted from 1975 to 2020; 75% because of treatment advances and 25% by having a mammogram.
So, you can see how important it is to take steps to prevent and detect cancer as early as possible. Talk with your doctor about scheduling appropriate screening tests and ask how you can best deal with any nervousness you feel. If you smoke, call 800-QUIT-NOW to connect with a coach. And for help preventing chronic diseases, check out the free newsletter at LongevityPlaybook.com. If you need medical care, check out our book "YOU: The Smart Patient: An Insider's Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment."
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
King Features Syndicate