FASCIA AND ADVANCED GLYCATION ENDPRODUCTS (AGES): THE SUGAR YOU EAT TODAY WILL BE THE DAMAGE YOU WEAR TOMORROW
The picture above is taken from an 1892 book titled On Contractions of the Fingers (Dupuytren’s and Congenital Contractions) and on Hammer-Toe, showing the thickening and contractions at the base of the fingers and upper palm area, characteristic of the FASCIAL ADHESIONS associated with DUPUYTREN’S CONTRACTURE. Dr. Baron Guillaume Dupuytren (1777-1835) was a French physician whose claim-to-fame at the time was that he successfully treated Napoleon’s hemorrhoids. Today, however, he is best known for both naming the problem above, as well as well as performing the first surgery on it. Some of the facts concerning Dupuytren’s are as follows.
It’s a genetic problem, with any number of EPIGENETIC TRIGGERS, including drugs or alcohol abuse, NAFLD and other liver diseases, EPILEPSY, hand trauma, manual labor, THYROID DISEASE, and a number of others including being under-weight. While various non-surgical treatments are typically employed (STEROID INJECTIONS, STRETCHES, etc, etc), people with minor cases live with it (it’s generally painless) and people who get severe cases that hinder activities of daily living have surgery to remove it — sometimes removing the entire PALMAR FASCIA in the process The condition occurs mostly in white males of Western European or Norwegian descent.
My point today is not to create a huge post about Dupuytren’s “trigger fingers” and whether or not TISSUE REMODELING is a solution (sometimes it is, especially if dealt with early), but to show you some insights into the cause — insights that can translate into almost every area of your health. One of the biggest risk factors I left out of my short list above is BLOOD SUGAR ISSUES, including DIABETES.
Just about any book on hand pathology or hand surgery is going to contain information linking blood sugar to Dupuytren’s. For instance, going back to a Y2K issue of the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (Epidemiology of Dupuytren’s Disease), researchers from Reykjavik, Iceland looked at over 2,000 randomly chosen individuals, ages 46-74, and said this about them.
Dupuytren’s disease or palmar fibromatosis is a common disabling hand disorder, mainly confined to Caucasians of northwestern European origin. Blood samples were collected and biochemical parameters were evaluated. Altogether 19.2% of the males and 4.4% of the female participants had clinical signs of Dupuytren’s disease. In men elevated fasting blood glucose…. was significantly correlated with the presence of the disease.
Wow; almost one of every five males in this study had some degree of Dupuytren’s. No matter how you slice it, that’s a lot of people. One of the British Medical Journal’s numerous publications, BMJ Postgraduate Medical Journal (Clinical Associations of Dupuytren’s Disease) showed something similar back in 2005.
Notice below that an average of 1 in 5 people with diabetes has Dupuytren’s, and that it causes a pathological activation of FIBROBLASTIC ACTIVITY, leading to OXIDATIVE STRESS (free radicals) and tissue HYPOXIA (a lack of O2). Here’s the scary thing; once you realize that half of all American adults have diabetes or pre-diabetes (HERE), this issue of AGES becomes a much bigger deal than just Dupuytren’s.
Initially, there is a proliferative stage characterized by an increase in myofibroblasts. The abnormal tissue contains increased glycosaminoglycans and collagen, with an increase in the ratio of type III to type I collagen. It has been suggested that Dupuytren’s is a result of local hypoxia and chronic ischemia . The palmar fat of those with Dupuytren’s has shown a lipid composition compatible with that of mild hypoxia. High levels of free radicals have been found, which can induce fibroblast proliferation.
The association with diabetes is well recorded, with a reported prevalence of between 3% and 32%, and an average of around 20%. It is equally common in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, although it occurs at a younger age in patients with type 1 diabetes. Dupuytren’s occurring in diabetic patients is different from the condition in non-diabetic patients. There is a lower incidence of contractures, and fewer cases require surgery. Usually Dupuytren’s is more common in men, but in diabetic patients the sex ratio is equal.
Speaking of AGES and Duyutren’s, a brand new study from the Journal of Orthopedic Surgery and Research (Association of Advanced Glycation End Products in Dupuytren Disease) concluded thusly…
Advanced glycation end products are associated with aging, hyperglycemia, and oxidative stress. Accumulation of advanced glycation end products can cause various pathological conditions. Immunostaining of the palmar fasciae of the Dupuytren’s disease group showed higher expressions of advanced glycation end products and receptor for advanced glycation end products than that in the control group.
Recently, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been gaining attention because deposition of AGEs in organs and tissues can cause various diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, cataract, renal failure, and osteoporosis. AGEs… are known to increase oxidative stress and inflammation through binding to the receptor for AGEs (RAGE). Accumulation of AGEs is also accelerated by hyperglycemia leading to the development of diabetic complications.
SUGAR is messing people up in ways they don’t really understand. Although my readers grasp the fact that sugar is ultra-inflammatory (HERE), and that inflammation always results in scar tissue / fibrosis (HERE), what is the exact mechanism of this pathology? We’ve discussed it before on this site in a post titled BLOOD SUGAR DYSREGULATION (DIABETES & PRE-DIABETES) AND ITS EFFECTS ON TENDONS, LIGAMENTS, AND FASCIA.
With a little sleuthing you’ll see that almost every health problem / disease you can name can be linked back to blood sugar in one way or another. Add it all up and it goes a long way toward explaining why problems in the fascia have been linked to all sickness, disease, and pain (HERE). What’s a person to do?
Fortunately, I’ve given you a protocol that contains science-based information about controlling blood sugar (HERE is an example of true “evidence-based” steps to address blood sugar issues). To access this top secret document, simply wire $10,000 dollars to my secret Swiss bank account and follow the instructions found HERE.
Just kidding. It’s completely free, FOUND HERE, and will help most of you at least get started thinking about creating your own personalized plan to take your life back and get off the MEDICAL MERRY-GO-ROUND you’ve been riding for way too long. And if you like what you’re reading, be sure to like, share, or follow us on FACEBOOK, as it’s a great way to reach those you love and care about most.
