News From the Henry Ford Medical Group Researchers
February 2009
Oscar A. Carretero, M.D., Division Head, Hypertension and Vascular Research, Department of Internal Medicine, has been awarded the internationally highly recognized E.K. Frey - E. Werle Commemorative Gold Medal on occasion of the 5th International Symposium: Peptide Receptors & Kinin 2009 in recognition of his outstanding contributions adding to the knowledge of the role of the kallikrein-kinin and renin-angiotensin system in health and disease over decades.
In addition to the E.K. Frey - E. Werle Commemorative Gold Medal, Dr. Carretero has received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Henry Ford Medical Group, Novartis Award for Hypertension Research from the Council for High Blood Pressure Research of the American Heart Association and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Hypertension Research from the Inter-American Society of Hypertension. He has published more than 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals and 35 book chapters.
As division head of Hypertension and Vascular Research, Dr. Carretero is responsible for its growth into a division of nine senior scientists and more than thirty seven support staff. Dr. Carretero is the lead investigator on a five-year, $12 million grant from the National Institutes of Health awarded to Henry Ford Hospital to study the fields of hypertension, or high blood pressure, one of the nation’s most common cardiovascular diseases. He also was recently awarded a $1.3 million, four year grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the mechanisms that control circulation in small blood vessels of the kidney.
“Ultimately, we believe our studies will greatly increase our knowledge about the origin and development of both hypertension and end organ damage,” says Dr. Carretero.
September 20, 2008
Acupuncture is as effective and longer-lasting in managing the common debilitating side effects of hot flashes, night sweats, and excessive sweating (vasomotor symptoms) associated with breast cancer treatment and has no treatment side effects compared to conventional drug therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind study conducted by Henry Ford researchers.
Findings also show there are additional benefits to acupuncture treatment for breast cancer patients, such as an increased sense of well being, more energy, and in some cases, a higher sex drive, that were not experienced in those patients who underwent drug treatment for their hot flashes.
The reduction in hot flashes lasted longer for those breast cancer patients after completing their acupuncture treatment, compared to patients after stopping their drug therapy plan.
Eighty percent of women treated for breast cancer suffer from hot flashes after being treated with chemotherapy and/or anti-estrogen hormones, such as Tamoxifen and Arimidex. Although hormone replacement therapy is typically used to relieve these symptoms, breast cancer patients cannot use this therapy because it may increase the risk of the cancer coming back. As a treatment alternative, patients are generally treated with steroids and/or antidepressant drugs.
These drugs, however, have additional side effects, such as weight gain, nausea, constipation and fatigue. The antidepressant, venlafaxine (Effexor), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is one of the most common drugs used to treat these hot flashes. However, many women decide against this treatment choice because of potential side effects, including decreased libido, insomnia, dizziness and nausea, or because they simply do not want to take any more medications.
The randomized clinical trial compared acupuncture treatment to venlafixine for 12 weeks to find out if acupuncture reduced vasomotor symptoms in breast cancer patients receiving hormonal therapy and produced fewer side effects than venlafaxine. The study involved 47 breast cancer patients who received either Tamoxifen or Arimidex and had at least 14 hot flashes per week. Results show that acupuncture reduces hot flashes as effectively as venlafaxine, with no side effects, and also provides additional health benefits to patients.
April 2008
Researchers at Henry Ford are working on methods to detect early signs of head and neck cancer. Because most cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed in advanced stages, finding a method for earlier detection is vital to helping people battle the cancer, said lead researcher Seema Sethi, M.D.
In Sethi's research, samples of DNA taken from patients with head and neck cancer were compared with samples from healthy people. Using a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay, the researchers examined 82 genes with known associations to head and neck cancer.
The data were analyzed and 11 genes showed a high individual predictive ability for the cancer.
More than 40,000 Americans are affected by HNSCC and approximately 12,000 die of it annually, according to the researchers. "Early detection will reduce the mortality, devastating morbidities and associated health care costs," Sethi said.
The results of the study are preliminary, Sethi said. The goal though is to detect head and neck cancer at its earliest stages. This study was presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
April 2008
New research from Henry Ford scientists suggests that post-menopausal women may have options when it comes to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, conducted with mice, researchers found that lower doses of estrogen were safer, while moderate and high doses increased the risk of heart and kidney problems. The study suggests that the amount of hormone replacement a woman takes may determine whether it helps or harms her.
Dr. Yang's study was recently presented at the Experimental Biology Meeting in San Diego, CA. Her study generated a lot of interest at the meeting, and was subsequently reported by several news media, including US News and World Report.
Hormone replacement therapy has been a very challenging area for women," said Xiao-Ping Yang, PhM.D., author of the study. Yang works at in Henry Ford Hospital's Hypertension and Vascular Research Division in the Department of Internal Medicine. "Even though this study was done in mice, it might give us some insight into how it applies to women. Further research and testing will be critical for us to make this determination. Still, it's a path we need to explore."
In 2002, one part of a large scale national health study designed to look at issues affecting older women was halted when researchers found that HRT led to an increase in heart attack, breast cancer and stroke. Millions of women were affected and had their HRT either halted or significantly altered.
Since then, scientists have been looking at ways to provide women with HRT to mitigate the symptoms of menopause while not increasing other health problems down the road. "For many, many women the symptoms of menopause really have a negative impact on how they live their lives. Hormone replacement therapy was a good way for them to manage those symptoms. Also there are significant benefits to HRT," Yang said. "We are working hard to find a way to provide women with safe options."This Dr. Yang' s study looked at the effect of different doses of estrogen. Both the moderate and the high doses resulted in a 4.5-fold increase in blood estrogen levels in the mice. This, in turn, was linked with fluid retention in the uterus, protein in the urine and dilated kidneys. These doses also increased atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a hormone that is a marker of severity of heart failure. Low doses of estrogen, on the other hand, put blood estrogen levels back to those seen in control rodents -- those not receiving replacement estrogen. The low-dose mice didn't experience fluid retention, kidney damage or changes in ANP levels.
Yang said it makes sense that different dosages may result in different outcomes. "That's why I think it's very important when women talk to their doctors that they ask, 'Is the time right?' And I think the amount of medication you take should be kept to a minimum." Doctors now typically recommend that women looking to hormone replacement therapy to counter menopausal symptoms take the lowest possible dose for the shortest amount of time. Dr. Yang hopes that her study will provide a basis for additional studies in women that will ultimately lead to better treatment options.
Yang is preparing to publish in the scientific literature.
