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August 2010
How hard do you have to work out to protect your brain? Pretty intensely, appears to be the answer — perhaps more vigorously than you'd have to exercise to protect your heart. In an analysis of data on 1,211 patients from the long-running Framingham Heart Study, those who reported regularly engaging in moderate to heavy physical activity were 45% less likely to develop any kind of dementia than those reporting only light exercise. Similar figures were seen when looking only at risk of Alzheimer's disease. Over two decades of follow-up, 244 total participants developed either Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. It's not necessarily only heavy physical activity that can reduce risk of dementia, researchers commented, "but we can fairly say that at least moderate exercise can be protective." — International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease…
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July 2010
You might want to read this next item standing up. Researchers report that people who spent more than 6 hours a day sitting were significantly more likely to die over a 14-year span than those spending less than 3 hours daily on their duffs. The association was independent of physical activity and other risk factors such as Body Mass Index or smoking. Women who sat a lot saw a greater relative jump in mortality — a 34% increase — than men (17%). Even those sitting 3-5 hours were slightly more likely to die than those sitting the least. Although the research involved more than 120,000 healthy participants (average age 63.6 for men, 61.9 for women) in an American Cancer Society study, death from cardiovascular disease was most strongly associated with sitting time. Scientists speculated that sitting might be a marker for other unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating, or it might have independent metabolic effects. And even though the association was observed regardless of physical activity levels, those who sat the most and also exercised the least were at the greatest overall risk of dying. So now might be a good time to stand up and do some jumping jacks. — American Journal of Epidemiology…
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July 2010
The jury's still out on mental "exercises" to protect your aging brain, but evidence keeps mounting that physical activity does help prevent cognitive decline. A new Canadian study suggests that the earlier in life you get off the couch and get moving, the better for your brain in later years. Researchers analyzed data on 9,344 women, average age 71.6, participating in an osteoporosis study who were also assessed using a standard test for cognitive ability. Women who reported that they were physically active in their teens — even if they slacked off later in life — were the least likely to have developed cognitive impairment. But if you started your workout routine late, don't despair: Women who were inactive as teens but began exercising at age 30 or age 50 also had lower odds of cognitive impairment compared to lifelong couch potatoes, although not to the degree seen among those active as teens. Researchers cautioned that the study wasn't designed to show cause and effect. Given the proven health benefits of exercise, however, knowing your brain might also benefit is more motivation to break a sweat. — Journal of the American Geriatrics Society…
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July 2010
Want to reduce your risk of stroke, the nation's third most-common killer? Get your blood pressure under control. The new Interstroke study of 3,000 stroke cases matched with 3,000 controls in 22 countries reports that hypertension is the strongest predictor of stroke risk, followed by smoking, abdominal obesity, diet and physical activity. A history of high blood pressure was associated with more than 2 1/2 times the risk of suffering a stroke. Smokers were at more than double the risk of stroke. Although body-mass index (BMI) wasn't associated with greater risk, abdominal obesity as measured by waist-to-hip ratio was. Eating more fruit and fish was linked to lower stroke occurrence, while eating lots of red meat, organ meats, eggs, fried foods, pizza and salty snakes all boosted risk. Moderate alcohol intake actually decreased risk, but having more than 30 drinks per month was associated with a 50% greater likelihood of stroke. Regular exercise cut stroke risk by more than 30%. — The Lancet
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June 2010
Could the "good" HDL cholesterol, already known to help protect against heart disease, also reduce your risk of cancer? A new meta-analysis finds that cancer risk dropped 36% for every 10 mg/dl higher increment of HDL cholesterol. Richard H. Karas, MD, PhD, of Tufts Medical Center, and colleagues were quick to caution that their research wasn't designed to prove cause and effect; it could be that low HDL may simply be a marker for less-healthy lifestyles linked to cancer risk. Dr. Karas and colleagues looked at 24 prior randomized controlled trials totaling 76,265 intervention-group patients and 69,478 controls over an average period of five years. The relationship between higher HDL and lower cancer incidence not only persisted but became even stronger after adjusting for demographics and other risk factors. Regardless of which way the cause-and-effect arrow actually points, the findings are further evidence for the importance of a healthy diet and exercise, which can boost HDL while helping to reduce risk of chronic diseases that may contribute to cancer. — Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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June 2010
The metabolic changes triggered by just 10 minutes of brisk exercise can linger for as long as an hour, according to new research in the emerging field of "metabolomics" — metabolic profiling. Researchers tested the metabolic effects of exercise on three groups: people who become short of breath with exertion, the healthy middle-aged, and marathon runners. While metabolic changes from 10 minutes on the treadmill could still be measured an hour later, people who were already fit and thinner people showed the most lasting benefits from a workout. And longer exertion produced even more metabolic changes: The 25 Boston Marathon runners tested had 10-fold increases in key metabolic products after running the race; by measuring metabolic changes, scientists could even tell which runners had finished the marathon under four hours and who were laggards. Next, researchers hope to measure metabolic changes in people on different diets. "The long-term hope," they say, "is you could use this in making our way toward personalized medicine." — Science Translational Medicine
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May 2010
You already know that smoking, drinking too much alcohol, not getting enough exercise and eating a poor diet are all bad for you. But a new study of almost 5,000 British adults over 20 years dramatizes how such unhealthy habits add up to shorten your lifespan — especially in combination. Researchers looked at four risky behaviors: smoking tobacco, drinking more than two alcoholic beverages daily for women or three for men, getting less than two hours of physical activity weekly, and eating less than three servings daily of fruits and vegetables (most guidelines call for even more). Among people with all four bad habits, 29% died during the 20-year span. That compares with only 8% for people with none of the risky behaviors. The effect on mortality was the equivalent of adding 12 years to the age of the unhealthiest group, researchers said, adding, "You don't need to be extreme. . . . It should be possible for most people to manage" to avoid these life-shortening habits. — Archives of Internal Medicine
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May 2010
Recommendations of the scientific experts reviewing the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be presented at the committee's final meeting next week, and sugary soft drinks and sodium are in the bullseye. The expert committee's report on May 12 will be followed by a public-comment period in June, with the final 2010 guidelines issued later this year. The guidelines are updated every five years to reflect changes in scientific knowledge about nutrition. The committee is said to be targeting sugar-sweetened soft drinks, especially for children, and considering lowering the recommended daily sodium limit from 2,300 mg to 1,500 mg. It's also weighing alternatives to milk for those who are lactose-intolerant, and may recommended soymilk as the next best thing. Other concerns expected to affect the 2010 guidelines include: the obesity epidemic; a focus on reducing added sugar, fats, refined carbohydrates and sodium rather than discretionary calories; helping people get more exercise; and shifting the overall food environment toward a more plant-based diet. — American Society of Nutrition…
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April 2010
To reduce your risk of stroke, lace up your walking shoes. That's the conclusion of a new analysis of data on nearly 40,000 older women participating in the Women's Health Study (WHS) over about 12 years: The more the women walked and the faster their pace, the less their risk of stroke. Previous studies have reported inconsistent results about whether physical activity helps protect against stroke — and, indeed, the researchers failed to find such a relationship in the WHS data. But when they looked specifically at walking, women who walked 2 hours or more per week were 14%-18% less likely to suffer any type of stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke risk dropped by 50% or more with greater walking time. A faster pace — 3 mph or greater — was associated with a 25%-37% reduced stroke risk after adjusting for known risk factors. Scientists couldn't explain why vigorous exercise wasn't linked to stroke protection but walking was; one possibility they posited was that moderate activity such as walking might be more effective in reducing blood pressure. — Stroke
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April 2010
Despite advances in pharmaceutical treatments for osteoporosis, diet and lifestyle remain women's first line of defense, according to a new statement by the North American Menopause Society. The society recommended periodic review of 7 key measures plus annual assessment of fall risk after menopause. The 7 diet and lifestyle keys to reducing postmenopausal risk of bone loss and osteoporotic fractures cited by the organization are:
* Maintaining a healthy weight
* Eating a balanced diet
* Obtaining adequate calcium (1,200 mg per day at age 50 and beyond) and vitamin D (800 to 1,000 IU vitamin D3 per day)
* Participating in appropriate exercise
* Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption
* Not smoking
* Taking measures to prevent falls.
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April 2010
If you're not overweight and want to stay that way, you may need to exercise even more than the 150 minutes per week that federal guidelines recommend. And if you're already overweight, it may be too late for exercise to get you slim — although physical activity can still have important benefits against chronic disease. Those were the depressing findings of a new analysis of data on 34,079 healthy US women, average age 54, from the Women's Health Study. Over an average follow-up of 13 years, the women gained an average of nearly 6 pounds. Among the 13.3% who gained less than this, the average amount of exercise was 60 minutes daily — 420 minutes a week — of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking (or half as much intense exercise, such as jogging). Physical activity was associated with reduced weight gain, but only among normal-weight women; for those with a BMI of 25 and up, exercise had no effect on weight control. The women maintained a "usual diet," suggesting that if you can't carve out an hour for activity daily, the only way to keep the pounds off is restricting calories. — JAMA…
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April 2010
Postmenopausal women can protect their bones by exercising, but adding black cohosh — an herbal supplement thought to have estrogen-like effects — to exercise confers no extra protection. That's the conclusion of a year-long clinical trial involving 128 women who recently went through menopause. German researchers randomly assigned 86 women to a vigorous exercise program that interspersed high-impact aerobics and strength training with intervals of brisk walking and step aerobics. The rest of the women joined a "wellness" group with only light, infrequent exercise. Half of the exercise group also received daily doses of black cohosh. After a year, women in the exercise group showed no significant decline in bone density at the spine and a slight increase in bone mass at the hip; those in the black cohosh subgroup saw no added benefit from the herb. Women in the wellness group, by comparison, saw declines in both measures of bone density. — Menopause
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February 2010
If you're not overweight and want to stay that way, you may need to exercise even more than the 150 minutes per week that federal guidelines recommend. And if you're already overweight, it may be too late for exercise to get you slim — although physical activity can still have important benefits against chronic disease. Those were the depressing findings of a new analysis of data on 34,079 healthy US women, average age 54, from the Women's Health Study. Over an average follow-up of 13 years, the women gained an average of nearly 6 pounds. Among the 13.3% who gained less than this, the average amount of exercise was 60 minutes daily — 420 minutes a week — of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking (or half as much intense exercise, such as jogging). Physical activity was associated with reduced weight gain, but only among normal-weight women; for those with a BMI of 25 and up, exercise had no effect on weight control. The women maintained a "usual diet," suggesting that if you can't carve out an hour for activity daily, the only way to keep the pounds off is restricting calories. — JAMA
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January 2010
Need yet another reason to get up off the couch? Moderate exercise may reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment associated with aging, while high-intensity aerobics may actually help those already suffering from the condition. In the first of two new studies, Mayo Clinic researchers compared the exercise habits reported by 1,324 older men and women to their cognitive abilities. Those with a habit of moderate physical activity — such as brisk walking, aerobics, yoga, strength training or swimming — in midlife were 39% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment. Moderate activity in late life was associated with a 32% risk reduction. In the second study, 23 adults already with mild cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to supervised, high-intensity aerobics, 45 to 60 minutes daily, four times a week. Compared to a control group of 10 who did only stretching exercises, the aerobics group showed improvements in cognitive function. The benefit was greater for women, possibly because of differing metabolic and hormonal responses to exercise by gender. — Archives of Neurology
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January 2010
Can active video games such as those played with the motion-controlled Nintendo Wii give you enough of a workout to count toward the goal of 30 minutes of daily exercise? A new study (funded by Nintendo) offers a cautious "yes," demonstrating that playing games included in the Wii Sports and Wii Fit packages can be the equivalent of walking on a treadmill at 3 miles an hour or faster. That's the threshold for "moderate-intensity" activity, about 3 metabolic equivalents (METS), a measure of energy expenditure. Japanese researchers put 12 healthy, normal-weight adults, ages 25 to 44, through the paces on Wii games in an airtight test chamber; by measuring changes in carbon dioxide in the room, researchers could estimate players' energy use. About a third of the Wii games tested reached the 3-METS level. Only one game — the Wii Fit Plus single-arm resistance activity — approached the 6-METS threshold of "high-intensity" exercise. — American Heart Association
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December 2009
That phrase "running for your life" may apply literally when it comes to endurance athletes such as marathoners, whose exercise habits seem to have anti-aging effects at the cellular level. New German research has found that middle-aged marathoners and triathletes, as well as younger track-and-field pros, have longer telomeres — DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten with aging — than their sedentary peers. The study, conducted first in mice and then largely confirmed with humans, found what researchers called "direct evidence of an anti-aging effect of physical exercise." Endurance runners (average age 51.1) and pro track-and-field athletes (average age 20.4) were compared to sedentary control groups. Both groups of athletes had longer telomeres than the older control group. "Our data improve the molecular understanding of the vasculoprotective effects of exercise," researchers said, "and underline the potency of physical training in reducing the impact of age-related disease." — Circulation
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November 2009
In important news for the estimated 57 million Americans with high blood-sugar levels that put them at risk for diabetes, a long-term followup on the Diabetes Prevention Program trial finds that lifestyle changes can result in lasting reductions in diabetes risk. Reducing dietary fat, exercising about 30 minutes daily and losing 5% to 7% of body weight proved more effective than a drug, metformin, at preventing diabetes among 3,234 at-risk participants in the original trial. Results were so much better for lifestyle changes than metformin or placebo, in fact, that the study was stopped early after 3 years, and all participants were offered help with diet and exercise. Apparently that worked: Annual diabetes incidence in all three groups was roughly the same over the next 7 years. The 3-year head start on lifestyle changes paid off after a total of 10 years, however, as that original group remained 34% less likely to develop diabetes over the decade than the placebo group. The original metformin group showed an 18% reduced risk. — The Lancet
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October 2009
Emphasizing the importance of lifestyle factors in diabetes risk, a new study says people who live in "healthier" neighborhoods may be less prone to developing the disease. Drexel University researchers studied 2,285 adults, ages 45 to 84, from three communities involved in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). A nine-question survey was used to rate the "healthiness" of participants' neighborhoods by such factors as ease of nearby walking, access to fresh produce, availability of exercise facilities and even how often neighbors are seen out walking. During five years of follow-up, 10% of participants developed type-2 diabetes. The one-third of participants living in the healthiest neighborhoods were 38% less likely to develop diabetes than those in the least-healthy areas — a reduction in risk, researchers said, similar to dropping 5 points in Body Mass Index (BMI). As an accompanying editorial pointed out, the study couldn't prove cause and effect; people predisposed to pursue healthy lifestyles may choose to live in neighborhoods that make healthy living easier. — Archives of Internal Medicine…
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October 2009
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but what can you do to reduce your risk besides being more aware? A new National Cancer Institute study suggests that middle-aged women who want to lower their risk of breast cancer can exercise — not just a little, but a lot, and hard. In the research on 118,899 postmenopausal women participating in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, women who reported more than seven hours a week of higher-intensity exercise over the previous 10 years were 16% less likely to develop breast cancer. Over a 6-year follow-up, a total of 4,287 participants were diagnosed with breast cancer. Exercise earlier in life at any level and less-intense or -frequent physical activity were not linked to any significant risk reduction. Researchers said the findings about intense exercise were consistent with the biological mechanisms proposed for the benefit, which included altered hormone levels, effects on insulin and insulin-like growth factors, enhanced immunity and reduced chronic inflammation. — BMC Cancer
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September 2009
New proof that you're never too old to exercise comes from an Israeli study that finds people over age 70 live longer and better if they're physically active at least four hours a week. The Jerusalem Longitudinal Cohort Study followed 1,821 people, age 70 at baseline, for 18 years. Participants were classified as active or sedentary based on self-reported physical activity, which included regular walking as well as vigorous exercise. Between ages 70 and 78, 27.2% of the sedentary group died, compared to 15.2% of the active group. From ages 78 to 85, 40.8% of sedentary participants died, compared to 26.1% of the active elderly. And from ages 85 to 88, 24.4% of the sedentary seniors died, versus just 6.8% of their physically active peers. Keeping active also helped stave off decline in the independent performance of functions of daily living. The investigators concluded, "Not only was the effect of this benefit similar regardless of increasing age, but the magnitude of the difference between physically active and sedentary participants actually increased with advancing age." — Archives of Internal Medicine
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September 2009
Your morning workout may help you live longer than your neighbor who never budges from the couch. New research on 4,384 middle-aged and older Americans finds that physical activity boosts longevity — even beyond exercise's cardiovascular benefits and effects on weight. Researchers assessed participants' fitness using treadmill tests, divided them into five groups based on fitness, then followed them for an average of nine years. After adjusting for factors like obesity, hypertension and diabetes, the least-fit group was still more than four times as likely to die during that period than the most-fit group. Even being just a little more fit was associated with a big longevity improvement: While 25% of the least-fit group died during the study period, only 13% of the next-least-fit participants died. Researchers noted that overall exercise habits among participants didn't vary much during their adults lives — but recent activity did: "Since it is recent activity that offers protection, it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life." — Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise…
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August 2009
Just four healthy lifestyle habits can reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer by almost 80%, according to a new study. US researchers followed 23,153 Germans, ages 35 to 65, for an average of almost eight years. The risk of developing diabetes or cancer or having a heart attack or stroke was compared with four lifestyle factors: never smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting at least a half-hour daily of physical activity, and maintaining a body-mass index (BMI) of under 30, the cut-off point for obesity. Those who stuck to all four healthy habits—only 9% of the total—were 78% less likely to develop a chronic disease than those who followed zero. Diabetes risk was most sharply reduced by a healthy lifestyle, while cancer was affected the least. Avoiding obesity was the most effective factor in reducing risk, although researchers pointed out that this is largely a matter of combining a healthy diet with adequate exercise.—Archives of Internal Medicine…
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August 2009
Exercising today may help you recover from a stroke tomorrow. Mayo Clinic researchers report that people who exercise at least once a week seem to improve their odds of having a good outcome after a stroke, whereas sedentary stroke victims are much more likely to have one or more bad outcomes. "It makes sense," said lead author James F. Meschia, MD. "A brain that generally has good blood and oxygen flow from aerobic exercise will be in better position to compensate for neurological defects caused by a stroke." Dr. Meschia and colleagues looked at data on 673 first-time stroke victims in the Ischemic Stroke Genetics Study. They tracked three measures of functional outcome and one of neurological impairment. Those who'd exercised one to three times weekly in the year prior to the stroke and those who'd exercised four or more times a week were about equally likely to have good outcomes. But those who hardly exercised at all before a stroke faced much worse odds of recovery.—Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry…
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July 2009
Women who adopt six key dietary and lifestyle habits can reduce their risk of high blood pressure by 80%, according to new findings from the second Nurses' Health Study. After adjusting for known hypertension risk factors, researchers found benefits from each of the six dietary and lifestyle traits, as well as from combining them: a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25; a daily average of 30 minutes of vigorous exercise; a high adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet; modest alcohol intake; use of nonnarcotic analgesics less than once per week; and intake of 400 micrograms or more per day of supplemental folic acid. The study included 83,882 healthy adult women (ages 27 to 44). Over 14 years of follow-up, 12,319 women developed hypertension.—JAMA
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July 2009
An apple a day may help keep exercise exhaustion away, according to a small study of the antioxidant quercetin. Found in red apples, berries, cabbage, red onions, broccoli and both green and black tea, quercetin is thought to fight inflammation and promote cell-energy activation, but has mostly been studied in animals. University of South Carolina researchers tested quercetin supplements on a dozen healthy college students in a crossover trial: For seven days, the volunteers drank Tang with 500 mg of added quercetin, twice daily; then for another week the students got Tang without quercetin. Their maximum oxygen uptake and exercise endurance was measured using a stationary bicycle. Compared to the non-quercetin period, participants were able to ride 13% longer when getting the quercetin supplements. Their maximum oxygen uptake also increased slightly, by 4%. Researchers commented that the findings suggest quercetin "may be important in relieving fatigue that keeps people sedentary."—International Journal of Sports Medicine and Exercise Metabolism
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July 2009
Antioxidant vitamins and resistance-training exercises could help postmenopausal women protect against bone loss. In a small six-month pilot study, Canadian researchers found that women taking supplements of vitamin E and C and/or exercising suffered no loss of bone-mineral density (BMD) in the hip or spine, while a control group did see bone deterioration. The study split 34 women, average age 66.1, into four groups: antioxidant supplements (600 mg vitamin E plus 1,000 mg vitamin C), antioxidants plus exercise, placebo plus exercise, and placebo with no exercise. Only the placebo group not also on an exercise regimen experienced significant BMD loss, at the spine. The antioxidants plus exercise group saw no additional benefits from the combination. While cautioning that further research is needed, the scientists pointed to Tufts research published earlier this year that showed intake of other antioxidants—carotenoids, especially lycopene—similarly was associated with reduced bone loss.—Osteoporosis International
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June 2009
Despite constant admonitions to adopt healthier lifestyles, Americans are going in reverse when it comes to eating right, exercising and other healthy habits. A new study also finds that not even people who already have heart disease, hypertension or diabetes are mending their ways. In the comparison of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1988-1994 and 2001-2006, the percentage of Americans ages 40 to 74 hitting the goal of five daily servings of fruits and vegetables dropped from 42% to 26%. The number saying they exercise at least 12 times a month fell from 53% to 43%. Obesity, not surprisingly, went from 28% in the earlier surveys to 36%. Despite the avalanche of evidence for smoking's deadly effects, tobacco use stayed about the same at 26%. The only healthy habit that gained was moderate drinking (up to one drink a day for women, two for men) which went from 40% to 51%; it wasn't clear, however, whether that meant more heavy drinkers had cut back or more teetotalers had started drinking. Researchers found no difference between overall respondents and those already diagnosed with chronic health conditions, a finding they called "concerning."—American Journal of Medicine…
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May 2009
Controversial new research in Germany suggests that supplements of antioxidants such as vitamins C and E may block the metabolic benefits of exercise and could even increase diabetes risk. Researchers compared two groups of exercisers, one of which received 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin E daily. After four weeks, the group getting antioxidant vitamins showed no improvement in insulin sensitivity—a normal diabetes-fighting benefit of exercise. When exercise causes muscle cells to burn glucose, oxygen gets consumed much as in a fire; some highly reactive oxygen molecules escape in this process, but the body has natural mechanisms to mop them up. Researchers theorized that the antioxidants might short-circuit the body's own defenses against this "free-radical" oxygen. "If you exercise to promote health," they concluded, "you shouldn't take large amounts of antioxidants." Natural antioxidants in foods rather than pills, however, are in lower doses and come with other nutritional benefits.—Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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May 2009
If you want to reduce your risk of a possibly crippling fall, your best bet is exercise—especially Tai Chi—according to a new review of 111 randomized trials totaling more than 55,000 participants. Exercise programs, studied in 43 of the trials, proved the most effective at reducing both the rate of falls and the risks of falling. Reductions in fall risk ranged from 17% for multi-component group programs to 35% for Tai Chi. Five studies of fracture risk also found that exercise reduced the likelihood of bone breaks by a combined 64%. Other fall-prevention efforts, including drug-dose adjustments and home-safety assessments, lacked convincing evidence of benefit. (One intervention, however—a traction device attached to shoes in icy conditions—did stand out as effective, reducing falls by 58%.) The reviewers concluded, "The effect of exercise programs in reducing the risk and rate of falling should now be regarded as established."—Cochrane Reviews
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February 2009
Americans are expected to spend $225 million on "brain exercise" programs this year—but a new review of 10 trials of such products concludes the evidence that they do any good for people who don't already have memory problems is slim. The programs, ranging from computer software to piano lessons, sometimes boosted performance on tasks related to the training. Evidence of long-term benefits, however, was lacking. "These marketed products don't confer any additional benefit over and above being socially and intellectually active in one's normal daily life," reviewers concluded. "Brain training" may help those already suffering cognitive impairment, but the best bet for the rest of us is being physically active.—Alzheimer's & Dementia
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February 2009
Can you spare about seven minutes a week to help ward off diabetes? A small Scottish clinical study suggests that spurts of high-intensity exercise can significantly improve factors such as insulin resistance and glucose tolerance linked to type 2 diabetes risk. Researchers recruited 16 sedentary but otherwise healthy young men and put them through six training sessions over two weeks, totaling just 15 minutes of intense exercise and burning about 500 calories. Each every-other-day session consisted of four to six 30-second sprints on a stationary bicycle. Among other measures, the men showed a 23% improvement in how effectively their bodies used insulin to clear glucose from the bloodstream—a result researchers called "remarkable."—BMC Endocrine Disorders
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January 2009
Even if you don't have diabetes, lowering your blood-glucose levels may be good for your brain. Columbia University scientists report that higher levels of blood glucose are associated with dysfunction in an area of the brain's hippocampus; dysfunction in this part of the brain with normal aging is known to contribute to cognitive decline. The MRI-scan study of 240 dementia-free adults age 65 and older included both diabetics and non-diabetics. Negative effects on the brain could be seen even when blood sugar was only moderately elevated. "We have a behavioral recommendation—physical exercise," said researchers, noting that exercise improves glucose regulation.—Annals of Neurology
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January 2009
Need an extra incentive to keep those New Year's resolutions to lose weight and exercise more? Even a little extra weight can increase your risk of heart failure, while physical activity can reduce your risk, according to new data from the Physicians' Health Study. In the 20-year study of 21,091 men ages 40 to 84, higher Body Mass Index (BMI) increased risk of heart failure in both active and inactive men. For a 5-foot-10 man, every seven pounds of excess body weight raised the risk of heart failure 20%. But vigorous exercise decreased risk regardless of BMI. Those at the extreme of both factors—obese, inactive men—had an almost 300% greater risk of heart failure.—Circulation
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December 2008
Almost four in 10 American adults—and one in nine children—are using complementary or alternative medical treatments, up slightly from five years ago, according to a new government study. Back pain was the top reason for turning to alternative treatments, followed by neck and joint pain and arthritis; popular treatments included deep-breathing exercises, meditation and massage therapy. Overall, the most commonly used adult treatment was fish oil. The study was the first to ask about use of unconventional treatments by those under 18, who most commonly sought relief for back pain, colds, anxiety, stress and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.—US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
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December 2008
Are Americans getting enough exercise? The answer depends on which set of federal exercise recommendations you consider. Nearly 65% of Americans meet guidelines recently released by the US Health & Human Services Department (look for a full report in the January Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, including an interview with expert panel co-chair Miriam Nelson). Those recommendations call for 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 minutes weekly of vigorous exercise. But only 49% of Americans meet the government's Healthy People 2010 goals, which set similar daily rather than weekly targets. It's easier for people to meet weekly goals, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which surveyed 399,000 US adults.—CDC…
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November 2008
A six-month program of increased physical activity improved memory over a period of 18 months in a randomized controlled trial of 138 patients at risk for Alzheimer's disease. Australian researchers were studying whether exercise could help delay the onset of the disease. The study subjects did not have dementia, but did report memory problems and score lower on cognitive tests. Results among those performing at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly were only modestly better, but researchers said the benefits were potentially important given projected increases in Alzheimer's victims.…
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