HJBR Mar/Apr 2022

40 MAR / APR 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs potentially longevity,” said Eric Ravussin, PhD, associate executive director for clinical science at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “In other words, calorie restriction rewires many of the metabolic and immune responses that boost lifespan and health span.” The new study used data gathered by Pen- nington Biomedical’s CALERIE 2 (Comprehensive Assessment of the Long-Term Effects of Reduc- ing Intake of Energy), the longest-running calorie restriction trial in humans. The new study is pub- lished in the journal Science. The study found that people who cut their cal- orie intake by about 14% over two years gener- ated more T cells, which play a key role in immune function and slow the aging process. “As people age, their thymuses shrink and pro- duce fewer T cells. As a result, older people have a harder time fighting off infections and certain cancers,” said Ravussin. “Calorie restriction helps prevent the thymus from shrinking so the person generates more T cells.” In addition to improving immunity, an increase in T cells is associated with an improved ability to burn stores of fatty acids for energy, Ravussin said. That’s important because if a person doesn’t burn this fuel, the fat may build up in organs such as the muscle and liver, leading to insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and aging. The study had another important finding: a potential treatment to reduce age-related inflam- mation and improve metabolic health. Studies have shown that restricting calories by 40% in rodents extended their lives. But there were tradeoffs in growth, reproduction, and immunity. However, calorie restriction also reduces the lev- els of the gene encoding platelet activating fac- tor acetyl hydrolase (PLA2G7). Reducing PLA2G7 produces health benefits that include lowering age-related inflammation and improving meta- bolic health. “If researchers can find a way to harness PLA2G7, they could create a treatment to extend a person’s health span, the time an individual experiences good health,” said Pennington Bio- medical Executive Director John Kirwan, PhD. This research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health under awards AG031797, AG045712, P01AG051459, and AR070811 to V.D.D.); the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research (V.D.D.); Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (V.D.D.); and the Aging Biology Founda- tion (M.N.A.). The CALERIE study was funded by the National Institute on Aging under awards U01AG022132, U01AG020478, U01AG020487, and U01AG020480. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. CIS Uses BioMimics 3D Stent to Treat PAD Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) inter- ventional cardiologist Satish Gadi, MD, is using the BioMimics 3D Vascular Stent System to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD). The system was used in a procedure, which took place Feb. 2 in the Special Procedures Laboratory at Baton Rouge General Medical Center. Manufactured by Veryan, the BioMimics 3D Vascular Stent is a self-expanding, nitinol stent with unique 3D spiral design that is made to con- form to the natural movement of the body. This reduces the risk of future stent fracture. “As the name suggests, this stent mimics the natural twist and turn of the artery in the leg, which enables stent longevity and patency,” said Gadi. “It’s very unique and is a great tool in fight- ing PAD and preventing amputations.” PAD occurs when plaque builds up in the arter- ies of the legs, which leads to blockages in the legs or feet. This lack of blood flow to the limbs causes pain, limited mobility, ulcers, or even amputation. n Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) interventional cardiologist Satish Gadi, MD, is using the BioMimics 3D Vascular Stent System to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD). The system was used in a procedure, which took place Feb. 2 in the Special Procedures Laboratory at Baton Rouge General Medical Center. Pictured, from left to right, are Mark Bulot, RN, Denesha Harvey, RN, and Gadi.