A new study provides more evidence that aspirin may do more than relieve everyday pain or help prevent a stroke or heart attack. The research builds on a growing number of studies that found a link between aspirin use and a reduced risk of cancer. In this case, the study found a significant reduction in liver cancer.

Among 300,000 people age 50-71, those who took aspirin were 45 percent less likely to die from chronic liver disease and 41 percent less likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer. People who took non-aspirin NSAIDs were 26 percent less likely to die from chronic liver disease but had no reduction in the risk of liver cancer.

The study followed the participants for 10-12 years. In that time, more than 400 participants died from chronic liver disease and 250 developed liver cancer.

Previous research has linked chronic inflammation associated with liver disease to cellular processes that could promote cancer development. Other research has also suggested that aspirin and other types of NSAIDs may help reduce the risk of some cancers.

The known causes of chronic liver disease and liver cancer are hepatitis B and C virus infections and alcohol use. A link with obesity and diabetes also has been suggested. In fact, studies have found that the diabetes drug metformin may reduce the risk of liver cancer by preventing fatty liver disease.

Sources:

HealthDay

Science Daily

If you are a baby boomer born between 1945 and 1965, you should know that your generation accounts for more than 75% of all Americans living with Hepatitis C. It is estimated that one in thirty boomers may be infected with the virus, but may not realize it until their liver is severely damaged.

Baby boomers have a rate of infection about five times higher than others because they were young adults before the cause of hepatitis C was discovered in 1989. Before that, the blood supply wasn't screened for the virus, which enabled it to spread through transfusions or organ transplants. It can also be spread through injected drug use or sexual contact.

Serious Health Concern

Hepatitis C is often called a "silent killer" as it can go undetected for years without symptoms while slowly destroying the liver. If hepatitis C is not detected and not treated, it can lead to cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. It is currently the leading cause of liver transplants in the U.S.

Deaths from the virus topped 15,000 annually in the last decade and are expected to increase in the coming years.

Raising Awareness

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention views hepatitis C infection as an unrecognized health crisis and believes universal screening among boomers is the answer because current strategies are not working. The current recommendation is to test only people with known risk factors, which include HIV, drug use and people with signs of liver disease.

By screening all baby boomers, the CDC estimates that an additional 800,000 people living with hepatitis C could be identified and more than 120,000 hepatitis C-related deaths prevented.

With current therapies up to 75% of hepatitis C infections can be cured.

Sources:

WebMD

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The number of cancers linked to obesity keeps rising. Now a new study finds that adults who were obese as children are at an increased risk for liver cancer. Not only that, the longer a child continues to be obese the higher their risk of developing liver cancer later in life. These findings held up even after removing other contributing factors from their assessment.

The study included an examination of the birth weight and body mass index (BMI) of more than 165,000 men and 160,000 women in Denmark born between 1930 and 1989. Among the participants, 252 developed the most common form of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma.

The researchers found a correlation between BMI and liver cancer risk. At age 7 the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma increased by 12% for every one point increase in BMI. By age 13, the risk increased to 25%. As BMI increased into adulthood, so did the risk of liver cancer. These results were similar for both men and women over time.

While other factors such as alcoholism, hepatitis B and C infection, and other liver diseases can contribute to liver cancer, the study results did not change when participants with these conditions were excluded from the study. Therefore childhood obesity was the major factor in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, said the researchers.

When you consider all the health risks associated with obesity:  cancer, metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, gout, osteoarthritis, sleep disorders, and a host of other health problems, the implications are quite alarming.

Sources:

Medicine Net

Health Finder

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has been used traditionally to support liver health for over 2,000 years and modern medical research has confirmed its benefits.

The National Institutes of Health published an analysis of results concerning 16 placebo-controlled clinical trials on Milk Thistle Seed Extract. They concluded that milk thistle may help to protect the liver through several complimentary mechanisms, which include:

• Antioxidant activity
• Enhanced protein synthesis
• Toxin blockade at the membrane level, thus inhibiting membrane peroxidation

The beneficial compounds in milk thistle are a group of flavonoids called silymarins that have antioxidant properties several times greater than that of vitamins C and E. Of all the silymarins, silybin has been shown to be the most effective in promoting liver health.

What to Look for in a Milk Thistle Supplement

Because its benefits are well known, milk thistle supplements are widely available. Unfortunately, not all milk thistle supplements are created equal. In fact, when independently tested for potency by Consumerlab.com, 70% of the milk thistle supplements tested for silymarins were found to be subpotent, delivering as low as 47% of the amount claimed on the label!

Purity can also be an issue as any herbal product can be exposed to contaminants in the soil, through farming, and in extracting the active plant compounds. High quality milk thistle supplements should be thoroughly tested for a range of natural and man-made contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides used in farming and solvent residue. Some solvents such as methanol, 1,2 dichloroethane and others are known carcinogens. Purity testing should also include screening for heavy metals, such as lead and biological toxins, including bacteria and mycotoxins (toxic by-products of fungi, such as aflatoxin, which is extremely toxic to the liver).

About CNCA Milk Thistle Pro

At CNCA, we use superior quality ingredients and rigorous quality testing to ensure an ultra-pure and potent milk thistle supplement that delivers:

• Authenticity:  Every lot is tested by a third party using thin layer chromatography (TLC) to prove the identity of authentic milk thistle seed extract.
• Potency:  Each lot is assayed for total amounts of silymarins as well as specific types of silymarins, such as silybin. CNCA guarantees 60% silybin content.
• Purity:  Every lot is extensively tested for heavy metals, fungicides, pesticides, herbicides, residual solvents, bacteria, yeasts, molds and mycotoxins (aflatoxins).
• Value:  CNCA Milk Thistle Pro contains up to 40 times more silymarins than other brands.

Learn more about the importance of liver health here.

http://www.cncahealth.com/health-info/general/top-ways-protect-liver-health.htm

Precautions

Milk thistle should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women. As with any dietary supplement, discuss its use with your healthcare practitioner, especially if you have an existing medical condition or are taking prescription drugs.

Source:

University of Maryland Medical Center