Kullapat News
Newsletter No.1
A new treatment to stop the “Biological Clock” from ticking
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as Ubiquinone, is a vitamin like substance which is found in many
body tissues, but mostly in the heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. It takes part in several metabolic
processes, notably energy production by Mitochondria (The energy producing units of the cell) and is
also a powerful anti-oxidant. It has been recommended for many diseases, like heart failure, high
blood pressure, diabetes, Muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, immune system disorders and
many more. Typically its concentrations are highest in early life and they decrease with advancing age.
It has been therefore suggested for increasing the life span, as it may slow the aging process. Recently,
a Canadian group of scientists from Toronto, headed by Dr. Robert Casper, suggested that CoQ10 may
also reverse the ageing process of eggs and extend a woman’s natural fertility beyond the age limit; or
in other words reverse her “biological clock”.
Dr. Casper’s research team found that the mitochondria of eggs of become less efficient with
age, resulting in more anovulatory cycles (menstrual cycles with no egg production) and a
higher rate of chromosomal errors in the eggs. This explains the female age-related infertility
that we encounter in humans after 40 years of age, as well as the higher rates of miscarriages
and chromosomal abnormalities (like Down Syndrome) in older women. They also found that
when CoQ10 was given to 52-week-old female mice (about mid-age for a mouse as it typically
lives only 2 years) - their eggs appeared to rejuvenate. The mice which received the CoQ10 had
significantly more egg follicles and more pregnancies resulting in “normal babies”, than control
mice of similar age treated with “placebo” (a similar medication, but with no biological activity).
The CoQ10 treated mice showed reproductive performance similar to that of 10-week old
(young) mice. Obviously, these are only preliminary results and one cannot extrapolate from
mouse to human eggs, but studies which evaluate CoQ10 in humans are underway.
Using a lap-top computer with Wi-Fi may damage your sperm?
Radio waves, which are at the lowest end Electro-Magnetic (EM) spectrum of radiation, are
used for transmission of data in radios, televisions, mobile phones and wireless networks. This
type of “radiation” is usually considered safe, although there has been some concern over the
risk of cellular phones and brain tumors. Infertility is a common condition affecting millions of
couples worldwide and is rising over the last several decades. It has been speculated that this
rise may be caused by exposure to increasing numbers of devices using radio waves. Portable
computers are commonly used on the lap and may expose the genital area to EM radiation,
which is several times higher when using the Wi-Fi.
A recent study, published in the medical journal “Fertility & Sterility” by an Argentinean group
of scientists, suggested that a laptop computer connected to the Internet via a wireless
network access point (Wi-Fi), may cause significant damage to human sperm. Sperm samples
from healthy donors in laboratory dishes were placed under (within 3 cm) a lap-top which was
uploading and downloading information from the internet via a Wi-Fi connection. After 4 hours
they found significant reduction in sperm motility and an increase in sperm DNA (genetic
material) damage, compared to control samples from the same donors which were placed
under similar conditions but without the lap-top. These changes are suggestive of reduction in
sperm quality and fertilizing capacity. Similar reductions in sperm quality were reported in 2009
in a study which exposed human sperm samples to radiation from cellular (mobile) phones in
talk mode. It should be noted that lap-tops also generate heat, which can damage sperm
production (this is why we recommend to avoid saunas and hot baths). However, this study did
not address this issue as temperature was kept constant during the experiment, as well as in
the control sample.
However, this information is only preliminary and more research and studies need to be done
before we can draw any conclusions regarding damage to sperm by devices using radio waves.
Most importantly, these studies are only laboratory studies on sperm samples in dishes, outside
the human body, which are very sensitive to environmental conditions. In the testes, sperm
may be protected from all this radiation by the natural fluids of the body and the surrounding
tissues. Thus, it is only damage under laboratory (artificial) conditions which may not be
observed in real life. Finally, for those who are concerned about their fertility and until further
studies are done we recommend not use the lap-top on your laps, but on a table (remote from
the genital area).
Chlamydia can cause miscarriage
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium
called Chlamydia trachomatis. In western countries it is the most common STD in both sexes
and can occur "silently" (without the woman or the man ever recognizing it) or with only mild
symptoms. In both men and women the most common symptoms are discharge (from the penis
or vagina) and burning during urination (passage of urine). It has been known that Chlamydia
can cause damage to a woman's reproductive organs (inflammation of the Fallopian tubes),
which may result in infertility and ectopic pregnancy. It has also been suggested to play a role in
preterm labor (giving birth before 37 weeks) and premature rupture of the fetal membranes
(rupture of the bag of water before contractions, usually before “term”). A more recent study
from Switzerland, using sophisticated techniques, has also shown that Chlamydia can cause
miscarriage, as it was more common and could be isolated from the placenta in patients with
“spontaneous abortion” (AKA miscarriage). Chlamydia can be diagnosed with serologic blood
tests (and/or culture of the discharge) and can be easily cured with antibiotics.
Diet alone may be responsible for pregnancy complications
It has long been known that women who are obese or overweight suffer more from pregnancy
complications like: hypertension, diabetes, stillbirth (death of the fetus after 20 weeks of
pregnancy) and more. Maternal obesity has also been linked to inflammation of the placenta.
However, the exact mechanism is not known. Recently, a study in macaques (monkeys) has
shown that chronic maternal consumption of western-style high-fat diet (32% of calories from
fat) is associated with significant reduction in blood flow to the uterus, inflammation of the
placenta and fetal liver damage, compared with “control” animals which were fed on normal
diet (14% of calories from fat). Interestingly, this effect was observed even in animals which
were not obese! Finally, the rate of stillbirth was in obese animals on high-fat diet was 35%, in
non-obese on high-fat diet 7% and only 4% in the control animals. Obviously, high-fat diets are
also associated with other health-risks unrelated to pregnancy (Stroke, heart attack and more).
The take home message: whether you are considering a pregnancy or not it is time to consider
healthier lifestyle with modest or low consumption of fat. The usual recommendation is 20-30%
of calories from fat and not more than 30%.
IVF is probably the best treatment choice for older women with
unexplained infertility
Medical wisdom usually dictates a stepwise approach to the more sophisticated (and
expensive) infertility treatments like IVF. This means that we should offer IVF only after other
simpler (and less expensive) alternatives have failed in achieving pregnancy after some time. A
new study found that older women (38-42 years of age) with unexplained infertility were more
likely to achieve pregnancy and a live birth if treated immediately with IVF (in vitro fertilization),
rather than stepwise with induction of ovulation (fertility medications) first. Induction of
ovulation in this study was with either Clomiphen (tablets) or gonadotropins (injections)
coupled with intrauterine insemination (IUI). While the success rate of initial ovulation
induction is lower than IVF, it is definitely less expensive!
Body weight before pregnancy and weight gain during pregnancy are
major determinants of the baby’s weight
There are several factors which determine the baby’s weight (birthweight). A new study from
Norway which followed close to 60,000 pregnant women showed that there is a direct
relationship between a woman’s body weight (or BMI) before pregnancy and the birthweight. It
was also noted that weight gain during pregnancy had a similar effect on birthweight, which
was independent of the pre-pregnancy BMI. This means in order to reduce the risk of a “heavy
baby” (usually defined as more than 4 kg.), overweight and obese women should attain healthy
weight before conception and keep a moderate weight gain during pregnancy. This is also
advisable since obesity is associated with infertility and pregnancy and delivery complications.
However, it should be noted that there are also other factors which determine the birthweight,
like ethnicity, socio-economical status, smoking and the presence of diabetes.