Moderate-to-high intensity exercise may help reduce stroke risk in older men but not in women.
New research examined over 3,000 men and women, average age 69, who were followed for about nine years. During that time, there were 238 strokes among the participants. At the start of the study, 20 percent of the participants said they did regular moderate-to-high intensity exercise such as jogging, swimming or tennis. Some 41 percent said they did no physical activity.
Men who did moderate-to-high intensity exercise were 63 percent less likely to have a stroke than people who didn't exercise. Over five years, the baseline risk of ischemic stroke which is the leading type of stroke for all study participants was 4.3 percent; 2.7 percent for those who did moderate-to-high intensity exercise and 4.6 percent for those who didn't exercise.
The study conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia appears in the Nov. 24 issue of the journal Neurology. Taking part in moderate-to-heavy intensity physical activity may be an important factor for preventing stroke, noted the study's author.
A large percentage of the participants were not taking part in any physical activities. This may be true of many elderly people who live in cities. Identifying ways to improve physical activity among these people may be a key goal for public health.
Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States and the third leading cause of death according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the national trade organization. This year some 600,000 Americans will suffer their first stroke.
Showing posts with label medical news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medical news. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Diuretics Still Best Treatment for High Blood Pressure
Diuretics are confirmed as the best first-line treatment in older men and women with high blood pressure according to new research.
Medical researchers reported the findings of a study at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association this week. They reported that the thiazide-type diuretic chlorthalidone outshone three other treatments -- a calcium channel blocker, an ACE inhibitor and an alpha-receptor blocker -- in most areas. This was especially effective in lowering the incidence of stroke and heart failure.
An estimated 80 million American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Some 785,000 will have a new coronary attack this year according to the industry trade group.
The findings the medical experts note are largely unchanged. They note that the main message is that treating hypertension [high blood pressure] is very necessary and that treating hypertension with chlorthalidone resulted in a significant reduction in heart failure and stroke.
The original trial, begun in 1994, involved more than 42,000 patients with hypertension and at least one other risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The participants were randomly assigned to take one of the following anti-hypertensive drugs: chlorthalidone (the diuretic), amlodipine besylate (the calcium channel blocker), doxazosin mesylate (the alpha blocker) or lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor).
The five-year follow-up, which ended in 2002, was intended to see if new differences emerged with long-term use of the medications, especially regarding coronary heart disease, total mortality, heart failure and aggregate cardiovascular disease.
This is the largest hypertension trial to date, one researcher noted. Earlier results had also found that diuretics were as good or better than other blood pressure-lowering drugs for treating hypertension in patients with metabolic syndrome (a collection of factors that put people at risk of heart disease), especially black patients.
Medical researchers reported the findings of a study at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association this week. They reported that the thiazide-type diuretic chlorthalidone outshone three other treatments -- a calcium channel blocker, an ACE inhibitor and an alpha-receptor blocker -- in most areas. This was especially effective in lowering the incidence of stroke and heart failure.
An estimated 80 million American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Some 785,000 will have a new coronary attack this year according to the industry trade group.
The findings the medical experts note are largely unchanged. They note that the main message is that treating hypertension [high blood pressure] is very necessary and that treating hypertension with chlorthalidone resulted in a significant reduction in heart failure and stroke.
The original trial, begun in 1994, involved more than 42,000 patients with hypertension and at least one other risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The participants were randomly assigned to take one of the following anti-hypertensive drugs: chlorthalidone (the diuretic), amlodipine besylate (the calcium channel blocker), doxazosin mesylate (the alpha blocker) or lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor).
The five-year follow-up, which ended in 2002, was intended to see if new differences emerged with long-term use of the medications, especially regarding coronary heart disease, total mortality, heart failure and aggregate cardiovascular disease.
This is the largest hypertension trial to date, one researcher noted. Earlier results had also found that diuretics were as good or better than other blood pressure-lowering drugs for treating hypertension in patients with metabolic syndrome (a collection of factors that put people at risk of heart disease), especially black patients.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Study Drug Shrinks Lung Cancer Tumors In Mice
A potential new drug for lung cancer has eliminated tumors in 50% of mice.
Researchers report that the drug also stopped lung cancer tumors from growing and becoming resistant to treatment.
One in five people with lung cancer have small cell lung cancer and only three per cent of these people are expected to survive for five years. With this form of lung cancer, tumors spread quickly so it is rarely possible to remove the tumors surgically. Because of this, small cell lung cancer is treated with chemotherapy, with or without additional radiotherapy.
Initially, the treatment often appears to work, reducing the size of the tumors. However, the tumors usually grow back rapidly and then become resistant to further treatment.
The researchers have identified a drug that, in some mice, was able to completely shrink tumors away. In the mouse models, it was also able to stop tumors from growing and it helped other forms of chemotherapy to work more effectively. If the drug proves successful in humans, the researchers hope that it could help patients with this kind of lung cancer to live longer.
The Section of Molecular Oncology and Lung Cancer Research at Imperial College London which conducted the study suggests that it may be possible to develop the drug PD173074 into a new targeted therapy for small cell lung cancer. We hope to take this drug, or a similar drug that also stops FGF-2 from working, into clinical trials next year to see if it is a successful treatment for lung cancer in humans. An added bonus of this drug is that it could be taken orally, which would make it less invasive than some other forms of cancer therapy.
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancer killer in the world according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Around one in five of people diagnosed with lung cancer will have small cell lung cancer. Although it responds to chemotherapy initially, the tumors soon become resistant to treatment and sadly nearly all people with the disease do not survive.
The Cancer Treatment and Research Trust, Cancer Research UK and the UK Department of Health funded the research.
Researchers report that the drug also stopped lung cancer tumors from growing and becoming resistant to treatment.
One in five people with lung cancer have small cell lung cancer and only three per cent of these people are expected to survive for five years. With this form of lung cancer, tumors spread quickly so it is rarely possible to remove the tumors surgically. Because of this, small cell lung cancer is treated with chemotherapy, with or without additional radiotherapy.
Initially, the treatment often appears to work, reducing the size of the tumors. However, the tumors usually grow back rapidly and then become resistant to further treatment.
The researchers have identified a drug that, in some mice, was able to completely shrink tumors away. In the mouse models, it was also able to stop tumors from growing and it helped other forms of chemotherapy to work more effectively. If the drug proves successful in humans, the researchers hope that it could help patients with this kind of lung cancer to live longer.
The Section of Molecular Oncology and Lung Cancer Research at Imperial College London which conducted the study suggests that it may be possible to develop the drug PD173074 into a new targeted therapy for small cell lung cancer. We hope to take this drug, or a similar drug that also stops FGF-2 from working, into clinical trials next year to see if it is a successful treatment for lung cancer in humans. An added bonus of this drug is that it could be taken orally, which would make it less invasive than some other forms of cancer therapy.
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancer killer in the world according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Around one in five of people diagnosed with lung cancer will have small cell lung cancer. Although it responds to chemotherapy initially, the tumors soon become resistant to treatment and sadly nearly all people with the disease do not survive.
The Cancer Treatment and Research Trust, Cancer Research UK and the UK Department of Health funded the research.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Walking And Exercise May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk
Men who regularly get moderate exercise may have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
Researchers examined men who underwent biopsies for possible prostate cancer. Those who exercised moderately, the equivalent of three to six hours of walking per week, were less likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
The study found that compared with their sedentary counterparts, these men were two-thirds less likely to have a biopsy positive for prostate cancer. In addition, men who performed one to three hours of walking each week had an 86 percent lower chance of having an aggressive form of the cancer.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, some 745,000 men are diagnosed with cancer each week. Prostate cancer is the leading cancer impacting men. The study findings which appear in the current issue of the Journal of Urology do not prove that exercise helps prevent prostate cancer the researchers point out. But it could offer men another incentive to get active.
A number of studies have looked at the relationship between exercise and prostate cancer, and while most have pointed to a protective effect, about one-third have found no association. The medical experts found that among the 111 sedentary men in the study, half were diagnosed with cancer after biopsy. That compared with 27 percent of those men who got the equivalent of three to six hours of walking each week.
And among men diagnosed with prostate cancer, 51 percent of sedentary patients had more-aggressive cancer, versus 22 percent of those who had been mildly active -- getting the equivalent of one to three hours of moderate walking per week.
Exercise itself remained linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer after the researchers accounted for a number of other factors, like age, weight and race. Exercise has been shown to lower blood levels of testosterone and other hormones that may stimulate prostate tumor growth. Exercise is also believed to stimulate the immune system and the body's natural antioxidant mechanisms, both of which may help prevent the development of prostate cancer.
Researchers examined men who underwent biopsies for possible prostate cancer. Those who exercised moderately, the equivalent of three to six hours of walking per week, were less likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
The study found that compared with their sedentary counterparts, these men were two-thirds less likely to have a biopsy positive for prostate cancer. In addition, men who performed one to three hours of walking each week had an 86 percent lower chance of having an aggressive form of the cancer.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, some 745,000 men are diagnosed with cancer each week. Prostate cancer is the leading cancer impacting men. The study findings which appear in the current issue of the Journal of Urology do not prove that exercise helps prevent prostate cancer the researchers point out. But it could offer men another incentive to get active.
A number of studies have looked at the relationship between exercise and prostate cancer, and while most have pointed to a protective effect, about one-third have found no association. The medical experts found that among the 111 sedentary men in the study, half were diagnosed with cancer after biopsy. That compared with 27 percent of those men who got the equivalent of three to six hours of walking each week.
And among men diagnosed with prostate cancer, 51 percent of sedentary patients had more-aggressive cancer, versus 22 percent of those who had been mildly active -- getting the equivalent of one to three hours of moderate walking per week.
Exercise itself remained linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer after the researchers accounted for a number of other factors, like age, weight and race. Exercise has been shown to lower blood levels of testosterone and other hormones that may stimulate prostate tumor growth. Exercise is also believed to stimulate the immune system and the body's natural antioxidant mechanisms, both of which may help prevent the development of prostate cancer.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Obesity Causes 100,000 U.S. Cancer Cases
Obesity causes more than 100,000 cases of cancer in the United States each year according to a report from the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, creating a greater financial strain on health insurance companies and American families.
Researchers estimate that obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of all medical spending in the United States or an estimated $147 billion a year. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease. The American Cancer Society reports that nearl 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 562,000 will die of the disease.
Medical researchers at the American Institute for Cancer Research reported that having too much body fat causes nearly half the cases of endometrial cancer, which is a type of cancer of the uterus. Too much body fat they note was also responsible for one third of esophageal cancer cases.
The researchers expect the number of cancer cases will likely rise as Americans get fatter. Nearly a third of Americans are overweight, defined as having a BMI of 25 to 30.
More than 26 percent of Americans are obese, defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. BMI is equal to weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. A person 5 feet 5 inches tall becomes obese at 180 pounds (82 kg).
The American Institute for Cancer Research reported the percented of cancer cases that would be prevented if everyone in the United States maintained a healthy weight. Here are some of its estimates of cancer types that could be prevented annually if Americans stayed slender:
Endometrium - 49 percent of cases or 20,700 people
Esophageal - 35 percent of cases or 5,800 people
Pancreatic - 28 percent or 11,900 people
Kidney - 24 percent or 13,900 people
Gallbladder - 21 percent or 2,000 people
Breast - 17 percent or 33,000 people
Colon - 9 percent or 13,200 people
Researchers estimate that obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of all medical spending in the United States or an estimated $147 billion a year. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease. The American Cancer Society reports that nearl 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 562,000 will die of the disease.
Medical researchers at the American Institute for Cancer Research reported that having too much body fat causes nearly half the cases of endometrial cancer, which is a type of cancer of the uterus. Too much body fat they note was also responsible for one third of esophageal cancer cases.
The researchers expect the number of cancer cases will likely rise as Americans get fatter. Nearly a third of Americans are overweight, defined as having a BMI of 25 to 30.
More than 26 percent of Americans are obese, defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. BMI is equal to weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. A person 5 feet 5 inches tall becomes obese at 180 pounds (82 kg).
The American Institute for Cancer Research reported the percented of cancer cases that would be prevented if everyone in the United States maintained a healthy weight. Here are some of its estimates of cancer types that could be prevented annually if Americans stayed slender:
Endometrium - 49 percent of cases or 20,700 people
Esophageal - 35 percent of cases or 5,800 people
Pancreatic - 28 percent or 11,900 people
Kidney - 24 percent or 13,900 people
Gallbladder - 21 percent or 2,000 people
Breast - 17 percent or 33,000 people
Colon - 9 percent or 13,200 people
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Race, Income, Marital Status Has No Impact On Prostate Cancer Outcome
A patient's income, martial status and race has absolutely no impact on their outcome following curative radiation therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer.
A study conducted at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit found that socioeconomic status factors had no impact on predicting the outcome of treatment. All patients did equally well, based on the known prognostic factors.
The study, presented this week at the American Society for Radiation Oncology meeting in Chicago is unique in that nearly 50 percent of patients in the analysis are African American.
Prostate cancer affects one in six men in the United States according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance and the majority of all prostate cancer are diagnosed in men older than 65. Most individuals diagnosed with the illness will survive. Only one in 35 will die of prostate cancer. Radiation therapy involves administering high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells.
According to the study's lead researcher, prior studies on socioeconomic status and cancer outcomes done by other groups have had conflicting results. One study, for example, suggested that African Americans with breast or colon cancer do much worse than white patients because they receive care at hospitals with less expertise.
Another study the medical experts noted show that men with prostate cancer who are married have better outcomes than those who are unmarried or without a partner. And yet other studies suggested that hospitals with large minority patient populations have higher mortality for cancer.
A shortcoming of many of the studies is the fact that they include a relatively small percentage of African American patients. By comparison, almost half of the Ford study group was African American, which allowed researchers to undertake a more accurate assessment of how socioeconomic status affects prostate cancer outcomes.
The study included 788 Henry Ford Hospital patients with localized prostate cancer who were treated with external beam radiation therapy. Among those in the study, 48.5 percent were African American with a median household income $36,917, and 46 percent were white with a median household income of $60,190. The patients' ages ranged from 44 to 90.
While there was a large difference in median household income among African Americans and whites, none of the socioeconomic factors examined predicted for patient outcome. Only known disease risk factors determined overall survival or biochemical (PSA) control rates.
A study conducted at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit found that socioeconomic status factors had no impact on predicting the outcome of treatment. All patients did equally well, based on the known prognostic factors.
The study, presented this week at the American Society for Radiation Oncology meeting in Chicago is unique in that nearly 50 percent of patients in the analysis are African American.
Prostate cancer affects one in six men in the United States according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance and the majority of all prostate cancer are diagnosed in men older than 65. Most individuals diagnosed with the illness will survive. Only one in 35 will die of prostate cancer. Radiation therapy involves administering high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells.
According to the study's lead researcher, prior studies on socioeconomic status and cancer outcomes done by other groups have had conflicting results. One study, for example, suggested that African Americans with breast or colon cancer do much worse than white patients because they receive care at hospitals with less expertise.
Another study the medical experts noted show that men with prostate cancer who are married have better outcomes than those who are unmarried or without a partner. And yet other studies suggested that hospitals with large minority patient populations have higher mortality for cancer.
A shortcoming of many of the studies is the fact that they include a relatively small percentage of African American patients. By comparison, almost half of the Ford study group was African American, which allowed researchers to undertake a more accurate assessment of how socioeconomic status affects prostate cancer outcomes.
The study included 788 Henry Ford Hospital patients with localized prostate cancer who were treated with external beam radiation therapy. Among those in the study, 48.5 percent were African American with a median household income $36,917, and 46 percent were white with a median household income of $60,190. The patients' ages ranged from 44 to 90.
While there was a large difference in median household income among African Americans and whites, none of the socioeconomic factors examined predicted for patient outcome. Only known disease risk factors determined overall survival or biochemical (PSA) control rates.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Study Reports Cholesterol Medicines Effective Against Cancer
Research shows that medicines based on statins used to lower blood cholesterol may also be effective in the treatment of cancer.
Statins lower cholesterol by blocking certain enzymes involved in metabolism. Medical experts note that they have also been shown to help proteins attach to cell membranes. Because many of the proteins that are lipid-modified cause cancer, there are now hopes that it will be possible to use statins in the treatment of cancer.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Germany, conducted studies that show statins can have a dramatic inhibitory effect on growth and development. The researchers note that their results support the idea that statins can be used in more ways than just to lower cholesterol. Not least that they can prevent the growth of cancer cells caused by lipid-modified proteins, but also that they can be effective in the treatment of diabetes and neurological disorders such as Parkinson's.
The findings were published in the article Statins Inhibit Protein Lipidation and Induce the Unfolded Protein Response in the Non-Sterol Producing Nematode C. elegans, published in the journal PNAS. The study is the result of a research partnership between the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology.
Information on critical illness is gathered and posted by the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the national trade organization focused on helping individuals understand the importance of protecting their financial futures.
Statins lower cholesterol by blocking certain enzymes involved in metabolism. Medical experts note that they have also been shown to help proteins attach to cell membranes. Because many of the proteins that are lipid-modified cause cancer, there are now hopes that it will be possible to use statins in the treatment of cancer.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Germany, conducted studies that show statins can have a dramatic inhibitory effect on growth and development. The researchers note that their results support the idea that statins can be used in more ways than just to lower cholesterol. Not least that they can prevent the growth of cancer cells caused by lipid-modified proteins, but also that they can be effective in the treatment of diabetes and neurological disorders such as Parkinson's.
The findings were published in the article Statins Inhibit Protein Lipidation and Induce the Unfolded Protein Response in the Non-Sterol Producing Nematode C. elegans, published in the journal PNAS. The study is the result of a research partnership between the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology.
Information on critical illness is gathered and posted by the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the national trade organization focused on helping individuals understand the importance of protecting their financial futures.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Low Vitamin D Linked To Heart, Stroke Deaths
Low vitamin D levels in the may be deadly causing a higher risk of death from heart disease or stroke.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the non-profit industry organization, some 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack this year. From 1995 to 2005, the death rate from coronary heart disease declined 34 percent.
The new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology reports that adults with lower, versus higher, vitamin D levels in their blood may be more likely to die from heart disease or stroke.
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin mostly obtained from direct sunlight exposure, but also found in foods and multivitamins. Researchers at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland compared blood levels of vitamin D and deaths from heart disease or stroke over time in several thousand men and 3,402 women.
Participants were just over 49 years old on average at the beginning of the research and had no indicators of cardiovascular disease. During follow-up of about 27 years on average, 640 of the participants (358 men) died from heart disease and another 293 (122 men) died from stroke. Compared with participants' with the highest vitamin D, those with the lowest had 25 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, the researchers noted.
There was a "particularly striking association" between vitamin D levels and stroke deaths, they explain. Those having the lowest vitamin D seemed to confer "twice the risk," compared with those having the highest vitamin D. Allowing for age, gender, and other demographic factors, plus alcohol intake, smoking, physical activity, and season in which vitamin D levels were obtained did not significantly alter these associations.
In this study, vitamin D levels were "substantially lower" than levels thought to be sufficient, and "somewhat lower" than those reported in previous studies in other European and American populations.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the non-profit industry organization, some 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack this year. From 1995 to 2005, the death rate from coronary heart disease declined 34 percent.
The new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology reports that adults with lower, versus higher, vitamin D levels in their blood may be more likely to die from heart disease or stroke.
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin mostly obtained from direct sunlight exposure, but also found in foods and multivitamins. Researchers at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland compared blood levels of vitamin D and deaths from heart disease or stroke over time in several thousand men and 3,402 women.
Participants were just over 49 years old on average at the beginning of the research and had no indicators of cardiovascular disease. During follow-up of about 27 years on average, 640 of the participants (358 men) died from heart disease and another 293 (122 men) died from stroke. Compared with participants' with the highest vitamin D, those with the lowest had 25 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, the researchers noted.
There was a "particularly striking association" between vitamin D levels and stroke deaths, they explain. Those having the lowest vitamin D seemed to confer "twice the risk," compared with those having the highest vitamin D. Allowing for age, gender, and other demographic factors, plus alcohol intake, smoking, physical activity, and season in which vitamin D levels were obtained did not significantly alter these associations.
In this study, vitamin D levels were "substantially lower" than levels thought to be sufficient, and "somewhat lower" than those reported in previous studies in other European and American populations.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
High-def Colonoscopy Detects More Polyps
A high-definition (HD) colonoscopy is much more sensitive than standard colonoscopy in finding polyps that could morph into cancer.
According to researchers from the Mayo Clinic it appears that high-definition colonoscopy detects more precancerous polyps. The difference could be as much as 20 percent.
Approximately 14 million colonoscopies are performed each year according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the industry organization that tracks and reports data related to critical illnesses. Some 745,000 men were diagnosed with cancer each year, roughly 10 percent with colon cancer.
A study was conducted between September 2006 and December 2007 when the Mayo Clinic in Florida was switching its six colonoscopy procedure rooms from standard colonoscopy endoscopes to high-definition endoscopes.
The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in San Diego, Calif., are not only important because a large group (2,430) of patients participated, but they resulted from the only study to date that has compared these two methods in a general clinical practice setting, among all the patients who needed a colonoscopy and with all the physicians who performed it.
An endoscope is the lighted tube inserted into the colon and rectum to look for, and remove, polyps. A high-definition endoscope uses both a high-definition video chip and HD monitors (like HD television) that increase the resolution of the image. Patients were not assigned to one scope or the other. Instead, they were placed in whatever room was available and assigned a gastroenterologist who was on duty at the time.
Researchers found that the rate of detection of adenomas -- polyps that are likely to become cancerous -- was 29 percent among patients who were scanned with high-definition endoscopes, versus 24 percent for those in which standard endoscopes were used.
The study was funded by Mayo Clinic, and the authors declare no conflict of interest nor do they endorse the products mentioned in the study.
According to researchers from the Mayo Clinic it appears that high-definition colonoscopy detects more precancerous polyps. The difference could be as much as 20 percent.
Approximately 14 million colonoscopies are performed each year according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the industry organization that tracks and reports data related to critical illnesses. Some 745,000 men were diagnosed with cancer each year, roughly 10 percent with colon cancer.
A study was conducted between September 2006 and December 2007 when the Mayo Clinic in Florida was switching its six colonoscopy procedure rooms from standard colonoscopy endoscopes to high-definition endoscopes.
The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in San Diego, Calif., are not only important because a large group (2,430) of patients participated, but they resulted from the only study to date that has compared these two methods in a general clinical practice setting, among all the patients who needed a colonoscopy and with all the physicians who performed it.
An endoscope is the lighted tube inserted into the colon and rectum to look for, and remove, polyps. A high-definition endoscope uses both a high-definition video chip and HD monitors (like HD television) that increase the resolution of the image. Patients were not assigned to one scope or the other. Instead, they were placed in whatever room was available and assigned a gastroenterologist who was on duty at the time.
Researchers found that the rate of detection of adenomas -- polyps that are likely to become cancerous -- was 29 percent among patients who were scanned with high-definition endoscopes, versus 24 percent for those in which standard endoscopes were used.
The study was funded by Mayo Clinic, and the authors declare no conflict of interest nor do they endorse the products mentioned in the study.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Fitness Level, Not Body Fat, Stronger Predictor Of Longevity After 60
Want to live longer? Focus on fitness. A study reveals that adults over age 60 who had higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness lived longer than unfit adults, independent of their levels of body fat.
Prior studies have provided evidence that obesity and physical inactivity each can produce a higher risk of death in middle-aged adults. Whether this is also true for older adults is uncertain, according to background information in the article.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, which tracks important developments and news that can help Americans remain healthy and avoid critical illness including heart disease, stroke and cancer, Medical researchers at the University of South Carolina, Columbia examined the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, various clinical measures of adiposity (body fat) and death in older women and men. The study included 2,603 adults age 60 years or older (average age, 64.4 years; 19.8 percent women) enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study who completed a baseline health examination during 1979-2001. Fitness was assessed by a treadmill exercise test and adiposity was assessed by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and percent body fat. Low fitness was defined as the lowest fifth of the sex-specific distribution of treadmill exercise test duration. There were 450 deaths during an average follow-up of 12 years.
The researchers found that those who died were older, had lower fitness levels, and had more cardiovascular risk factors than survivors. However, there were no significant differences in adiposity measures. Participants in the higher fitness groups were for the most part less likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol levels.
Fit participants had lower death rates than unfit participants within each stratum of adiposity, except for two of the obesity groups. In most instances, death rates for those with higher fitness were less than half of rates for those who were unfit.
Higher levels of fitness were inversely related to all-cause death in both normal-weight and overweight BMI subgroups, in those with a normal waist circumference and in those with abdominal obesity, and in those who have normal percent body fat and those who have excessive percent body fat.
The data provided further evidence regarding the complex long-term relationship among fitness, body size, and survival. It may be possible to reduce all-cause death rates among older adults, including those who are obese, by promoting regular physical activity, such as brisk walking for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week (about 8 kcal/kg per week), which will keep most individuals out of the low-fitness category. Enhancing functional capacity also should allow older adults to achieve a healthy lifestyle and to enjoy longer life in better health, they noted.
Prior studies have provided evidence that obesity and physical inactivity each can produce a higher risk of death in middle-aged adults. Whether this is also true for older adults is uncertain, according to background information in the article.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, which tracks important developments and news that can help Americans remain healthy and avoid critical illness including heart disease, stroke and cancer, Medical researchers at the University of South Carolina, Columbia examined the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, various clinical measures of adiposity (body fat) and death in older women and men. The study included 2,603 adults age 60 years or older (average age, 64.4 years; 19.8 percent women) enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study who completed a baseline health examination during 1979-2001. Fitness was assessed by a treadmill exercise test and adiposity was assessed by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and percent body fat. Low fitness was defined as the lowest fifth of the sex-specific distribution of treadmill exercise test duration. There were 450 deaths during an average follow-up of 12 years.
The researchers found that those who died were older, had lower fitness levels, and had more cardiovascular risk factors than survivors. However, there were no significant differences in adiposity measures. Participants in the higher fitness groups were for the most part less likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol levels.
Fit participants had lower death rates than unfit participants within each stratum of adiposity, except for two of the obesity groups. In most instances, death rates for those with higher fitness were less than half of rates for those who were unfit.
Higher levels of fitness were inversely related to all-cause death in both normal-weight and overweight BMI subgroups, in those with a normal waist circumference and in those with abdominal obesity, and in those who have normal percent body fat and those who have excessive percent body fat.
The data provided further evidence regarding the complex long-term relationship among fitness, body size, and survival. It may be possible to reduce all-cause death rates among older adults, including those who are obese, by promoting regular physical activity, such as brisk walking for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week (about 8 kcal/kg per week), which will keep most individuals out of the low-fitness category. Enhancing functional capacity also should allow older adults to achieve a healthy lifestyle and to enjoy longer life in better health, they noted.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Migraine Headaches With Aura Can Double Stroke Risk
Young women who smoke and use birth control pills may be susceptible to getting migraine headaches with aura.
Medical researchers advise that those with the combination of conditions should stop smoking and using birth control pills because new findings reveal they may increase their risk of stroke.
People who suffer migraine headaches with aura experience visual disturbances before or during the migraine. For these individuals, the medical scientists found that the risk for ischemic stroke is doubled. Being female, under 45, smoking and using oral contraceptives that contain estrogen added to the risk. Studies were conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the national organization that tracks data on strokesm heart attacks and cancer, an ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel. The connection between migraine and stroke was already suspected executives note. What was unknown was the extent of risk and who is most at risk.
Migraine headaches affect up to 20 percent of the U.S. population. Women are up to four times more likely than men to get migraines, and as many as one third also experience an aura before or during a migraine.
Migraine with aura is associated with a twofold increased risk for ischemic stroke compared to people without migraine. The report notes that migraine without aura does not appear to change the risk.
The report is published in the Oct. 27 online edition of the British Medical Journal confirms that the risk appears to be highest among women with migraine with aura who smoke and use oral contraceptives. The medical reserachers add that migraine alone does not appear to alter the risk for heart attack and death from cardiovascular disease.
Medical researchers advise that those with the combination of conditions should stop smoking and using birth control pills because new findings reveal they may increase their risk of stroke.
People who suffer migraine headaches with aura experience visual disturbances before or during the migraine. For these individuals, the medical scientists found that the risk for ischemic stroke is doubled. Being female, under 45, smoking and using oral contraceptives that contain estrogen added to the risk. Studies were conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the national organization that tracks data on strokesm heart attacks and cancer, an ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel. The connection between migraine and stroke was already suspected executives note. What was unknown was the extent of risk and who is most at risk.
Migraine headaches affect up to 20 percent of the U.S. population. Women are up to four times more likely than men to get migraines, and as many as one third also experience an aura before or during a migraine.
Migraine with aura is associated with a twofold increased risk for ischemic stroke compared to people without migraine. The report notes that migraine without aura does not appear to change the risk.
The report is published in the Oct. 27 online edition of the British Medical Journal confirms that the risk appears to be highest among women with migraine with aura who smoke and use oral contraceptives. The medical reserachers add that migraine alone does not appear to alter the risk for heart attack and death from cardiovascular disease.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Women Have More Heart Attacks; Survival More Likely
Hearts attacks among middle-aged American women have increased over the past two decades. That news is accompanied by a report that their chance of survival has improved.
Two new studies reveal that men still have a higher prevalence of heart attack than women. Medical researchers report that the gap has narrowed as heart attacks among women have increased while they have decreased among men.
A study by researchers at the University of Southern California revealed that 2.5 percent of the men and 0.7 percent of the women reported a history of heart attacks in the prior surveys. In the more recent study, they found 2.2 percent of men and 1 percent of women reported heart attacks.
Every 34 seconds an American will suffer a heart attack according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Some 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack and nearly half a million will have a recurrent attack.
The narrowing of the male-female difference is easily explained, according to medical experts. They point to the fact that risk factors are being better controlled in men than in women. In men, levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol remained the same between the two surveys, while levels of "good" HDL cholesterol improved. Blood pressure levels improved, and fewer men smoked.
Researchers noted that the improvements for women were marginal, with LDL cholesterol levels about the same. The only risk factor that improved in women was HDL cholesterol. Diabetes and obesity increased in both men and women, the study found.
They noted that societal changes may play a role. With more women in the work force, rising rates of obesity and diabetes can be attributed to job demands.
A second study used information from a different data bank listing death rate trends from 1994 to 2006. Researchers found a marked reduction in hospital deaths from heart attacks in all patients, especially among women. For women under 55, the risk of dying dropped by 53 percent, which was the greatest improvement noted. The least reduction, 33 percent, was seen in men under 55.
The studies are reported in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Two new studies reveal that men still have a higher prevalence of heart attack than women. Medical researchers report that the gap has narrowed as heart attacks among women have increased while they have decreased among men.
A study by researchers at the University of Southern California revealed that 2.5 percent of the men and 0.7 percent of the women reported a history of heart attacks in the prior surveys. In the more recent study, they found 2.2 percent of men and 1 percent of women reported heart attacks.
Every 34 seconds an American will suffer a heart attack according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Some 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack and nearly half a million will have a recurrent attack.
The narrowing of the male-female difference is easily explained, according to medical experts. They point to the fact that risk factors are being better controlled in men than in women. In men, levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol remained the same between the two surveys, while levels of "good" HDL cholesterol improved. Blood pressure levels improved, and fewer men smoked.
Researchers noted that the improvements for women were marginal, with LDL cholesterol levels about the same. The only risk factor that improved in women was HDL cholesterol. Diabetes and obesity increased in both men and women, the study found.
They noted that societal changes may play a role. With more women in the work force, rising rates of obesity and diabetes can be attributed to job demands.
A second study used information from a different data bank listing death rate trends from 1994 to 2006. Researchers found a marked reduction in hospital deaths from heart attacks in all patients, especially among women. For women under 55, the risk of dying dropped by 53 percent, which was the greatest improvement noted. The least reduction, 33 percent, was seen in men under 55.
The studies are reported in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Drinking Coffee May Slow Development Of Liver Disease
Coffee slows the progression of advanced liver disease in people with chronic hepatitis C.
New research published in the November issue of the journal Hepatology reveals information on the first study to address the association between liver disease progression related to hepatitis C and coffee intake.
Researchers studies nearly 800 patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who were asked to report their intake of coffee, green tea and black tea. The patients were seen every three months during the nearly four-year study, and liver biopsies were taken at 18 months and 3.5 years to determine the progression of liver disease.
Patients who drank three or more cups of coffee per day were 53 percent less likely to have liver disease progression than those who didn't drink coffee. Green and black tea didn't appear to have an effect, but tea consumption was low among the study participants, the researchers noted in the report.
Given the large number of people affected by HCV, the researchers noted the importance of identifying modifiable risk factors associated with the progression of liver disease. Although we cannot rule out a possible role for other factors that go along with drinking coffee, results from our study suggest that patients with high coffee intake had a lower risk of disease progression, the study concluded.
HCV infects about 2.2 percent of the worldwide population, including more than 3 million Americans according to the Ameriocan Association for Critical Illness Insurance. The virus is the leading cause of liver transplantation in the United States and is responsible for 8,000 to 10,000 deaths in the country each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New research published in the November issue of the journal Hepatology reveals information on the first study to address the association between liver disease progression related to hepatitis C and coffee intake.
Researchers studies nearly 800 patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who were asked to report their intake of coffee, green tea and black tea. The patients were seen every three months during the nearly four-year study, and liver biopsies were taken at 18 months and 3.5 years to determine the progression of liver disease.
Patients who drank three or more cups of coffee per day were 53 percent less likely to have liver disease progression than those who didn't drink coffee. Green and black tea didn't appear to have an effect, but tea consumption was low among the study participants, the researchers noted in the report.
Given the large number of people affected by HCV, the researchers noted the importance of identifying modifiable risk factors associated with the progression of liver disease. Although we cannot rule out a possible role for other factors that go along with drinking coffee, results from our study suggest that patients with high coffee intake had a lower risk of disease progression, the study concluded.
HCV infects about 2.2 percent of the worldwide population, including more than 3 million Americans according to the Ameriocan Association for Critical Illness Insurance. The virus is the leading cause of liver transplantation in the United States and is responsible for 8,000 to 10,000 deaths in the country each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Researchers Report Tie Between Depression And Chronic Kidney Disease
A new study finds that one in five patients with chronic kidney disease is depressed, even before beginning long-term dialysis therapy or developing end-stage renal disease.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center conducted the first study to examine the relationship.
Medical experts have noted that patients in the early stages of chronic kidney disease are at increased risk for clinical depression according to the study in the current issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
Previous research has shown that depression rates in the general community are 2 percent to 4 percent. Among diabetes patients, the rate is 11 percent. Among congestive heart failure patients, 14 percent; and among coronary artery disease after heart attack patients, 16 percent.
Chronic kidney disease patient depression numbers may be higher due to the presence of the same simultaneously occurring conditions that resulted in progressive kidney disease, such as diabetes and atherosclerotic vascular disease, one of the researchers noted. Patients such as diabetics, who are depressed, may develop progressive kidney disease because of non-adherence to medications and physicians' advice.
From May 2005 to November 2006, researchers invited patients at the Dallas VA Medical Center who were visiting the clinic for chronic kidney disease appointments to join the study. Patients who agreed to participate then underwent a structured clinical interview to determine if they had a current major depressive episode, based on the DSM IV definition of major depressive disorder.
Some 21 percent were found to be depressed. The mean age of depressed patients was about 65. The researchers also found that diabetic patients were twice as likely to be depressed as those without diabetes; 63 percent of patients had at least three other medical conditions; and 41 percent had at least four other diseases.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, some 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease and millions more are at increased risk. If treatment does not begin early, the condition progresses to end-stage renal disease. At that point, a patient's kidneys have failed to the point where dialysis is needed. Dialysis involves filtering of toxic chemicals in the blood and removing fluid to help control blood pressure.
Expenditures for end-stage renal disease patients totaled $15.5 billion, which is approximately 6 percent of the entire Medicare budget, and are projected to consume $28 billion by 2010.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center conducted the first study to examine the relationship.
Medical experts have noted that patients in the early stages of chronic kidney disease are at increased risk for clinical depression according to the study in the current issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
Previous research has shown that depression rates in the general community are 2 percent to 4 percent. Among diabetes patients, the rate is 11 percent. Among congestive heart failure patients, 14 percent; and among coronary artery disease after heart attack patients, 16 percent.
Chronic kidney disease patient depression numbers may be higher due to the presence of the same simultaneously occurring conditions that resulted in progressive kidney disease, such as diabetes and atherosclerotic vascular disease, one of the researchers noted. Patients such as diabetics, who are depressed, may develop progressive kidney disease because of non-adherence to medications and physicians' advice.
From May 2005 to November 2006, researchers invited patients at the Dallas VA Medical Center who were visiting the clinic for chronic kidney disease appointments to join the study. Patients who agreed to participate then underwent a structured clinical interview to determine if they had a current major depressive episode, based on the DSM IV definition of major depressive disorder.
Some 21 percent were found to be depressed. The mean age of depressed patients was about 65. The researchers also found that diabetic patients were twice as likely to be depressed as those without diabetes; 63 percent of patients had at least three other medical conditions; and 41 percent had at least four other diseases.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, some 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease and millions more are at increased risk. If treatment does not begin early, the condition progresses to end-stage renal disease. At that point, a patient's kidneys have failed to the point where dialysis is needed. Dialysis involves filtering of toxic chemicals in the blood and removing fluid to help control blood pressure.
Expenditures for end-stage renal disease patients totaled $15.5 billion, which is approximately 6 percent of the entire Medicare budget, and are projected to consume $28 billion by 2010.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Protein May Predict Heart Attack
October 21, 2009. People with high levels of a protein called C-reactive protein may be at higher risk for heart attack.
According to a study published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology the C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood, may predict those at higher risk for heart attack and death but not stroke.
The study involved over 2,200 people who were 40 years old or older and stroke-free. All participants had their blood tested for CRP levels and were evaluated for stroke and heart attack risk factors.
Participants were followed for an average of eight years. In that time, there were 198 strokes, 156 heart-related events and 586 deaths. The group was comprised of 63 percent Hispanic, 20 percent non-Hispanic black and 15 percent non-Hispanic white residents.
The study's researchers found that people with CRP levels greater than three milligrams per liter were 70 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack and 55 percent more likely to die early compared to people who had levels of one milligram per liter or less of the protein in their blood. The protein was not associated with an increased risk of stroke once other risk factors were taken into account.
Prior studies have found the C-reactive protein to be a marker for predicting risk of heart disease. CRP protein levels are associated with such medical and lifestyle risk factors as diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity. A lead researcher noted that by living a healthy lifestyle, one may be able to lower these protein levels, thus lowering the risk of cardiac events and possibly early death.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Reported by Jesse Slome, American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
According to a study published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology the C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood, may predict those at higher risk for heart attack and death but not stroke.
The study involved over 2,200 people who were 40 years old or older and stroke-free. All participants had their blood tested for CRP levels and were evaluated for stroke and heart attack risk factors.
Participants were followed for an average of eight years. In that time, there were 198 strokes, 156 heart-related events and 586 deaths. The group was comprised of 63 percent Hispanic, 20 percent non-Hispanic black and 15 percent non-Hispanic white residents.
The study's researchers found that people with CRP levels greater than three milligrams per liter were 70 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack and 55 percent more likely to die early compared to people who had levels of one milligram per liter or less of the protein in their blood. The protein was not associated with an increased risk of stroke once other risk factors were taken into account.
Prior studies have found the C-reactive protein to be a marker for predicting risk of heart disease. CRP protein levels are associated with such medical and lifestyle risk factors as diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity. A lead researcher noted that by living a healthy lifestyle, one may be able to lower these protein levels, thus lowering the risk of cardiac events and possibly early death.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Reported by Jesse Slome, American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Breast Cancer Developing Earlier
Researchers noted that breast cancer may be developing in more women at younger ages.
The findings presented at the 2009 Breast Cancer Symposium, held last week in San Francisco, could potentially affect how women are screened for breast cancer.
Reserachers reported that women with a high genetic risk of developing breast cancer are being diagnosed sooner than similar women in the past. They note this may suggest that tumors are being found earlier in the younger generation.
About 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are thought to be connected to a genetic mutation that is also linked to ovarian cancer. Women with the mutations, known as BRCA1 or BRCA2, have an increased risk of developing breast tumors the scientists noted. Over a lifetime, 60 percent of these women will develop the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. By comparison, 12 percent of women in the general population will develop breast cancer.
Women who have the genetic mutation are advised to be screened for breast cancer starting when they are 25. The same they note is true for women whose mothers or aunts have the genetic mutation. A Mammography and MRI are now recommended for these women.
Some 1.4 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer last year according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. About 26 percent of cases diagnosed in women are breast cancer.
In the new study, the researchers examined the medical records of women with the genetic mutation who took part in the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's clinical cancer genetics program. The median age of diagnosis in the newer generation was 42, but 47 in the older women. The study authors report that this is worrisome because it could mean that the cancer is developing earlier.
The findings the researchers noted are concerning and could have implications on the screening and genetic counseling of these women.
The findings presented at the 2009 Breast Cancer Symposium, held last week in San Francisco, could potentially affect how women are screened for breast cancer.
Reserachers reported that women with a high genetic risk of developing breast cancer are being diagnosed sooner than similar women in the past. They note this may suggest that tumors are being found earlier in the younger generation.
About 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are thought to be connected to a genetic mutation that is also linked to ovarian cancer. Women with the mutations, known as BRCA1 or BRCA2, have an increased risk of developing breast tumors the scientists noted. Over a lifetime, 60 percent of these women will develop the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. By comparison, 12 percent of women in the general population will develop breast cancer.
Women who have the genetic mutation are advised to be screened for breast cancer starting when they are 25. The same they note is true for women whose mothers or aunts have the genetic mutation. A Mammography and MRI are now recommended for these women.
Some 1.4 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer last year according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. About 26 percent of cases diagnosed in women are breast cancer.
In the new study, the researchers examined the medical records of women with the genetic mutation who took part in the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's clinical cancer genetics program. The median age of diagnosis in the newer generation was 42, but 47 in the older women. The study authors report that this is worrisome because it could mean that the cancer is developing earlier.
The findings the researchers noted are concerning and could have implications on the screening and genetic counseling of these women.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Smoking Bans Reduce Heart Attack Occurrence
October 19, 2009. Smoking bans are effective at reducing the risk of heart attacks and heart disease associated with exposure to secondhand smoke.
A new report from the Institute of Medicine confirms that there is sufficient evidence that breathing secondhand smoke boosts nonsmokers' risk for heart problems. The medical researchers added that indirect evidence indicating that even relatively brief exposures could lead to a heart attack is compelling.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, some 43 percent of nonsmoking children and 37 percent of nonsmoking adults are exposed to secondhand smoke in the United States. Experts report that roughly 126 million nonsmokers were still being exposed in 2000.
A 2006 report from the U.S. Surgeon General's office concluded that exposure to secondhand smoke causes heart disease and indicated that smoke-free policies are the most economical and effective way to reduce exposure. However, the effectiveness of smoking bans in reducing heart problems has continued to be a source of debate.
The Institute of Medicine researchers conducted a comprehensive review of published and unpublished data and testimony on the relationship between secondhand smoke and short-term and long-term heart problems. Eleven key studies that evaluated the effects of smoking bans on heart attack rates informed the committee's conclusions about the positive effects of smoke-free policies. The studies calculated that reductions in the incidence of heart attacks range from 6 percent to 47 percent.
The report was sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public.
A new report from the Institute of Medicine confirms that there is sufficient evidence that breathing secondhand smoke boosts nonsmokers' risk for heart problems. The medical researchers added that indirect evidence indicating that even relatively brief exposures could lead to a heart attack is compelling.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, some 43 percent of nonsmoking children and 37 percent of nonsmoking adults are exposed to secondhand smoke in the United States. Experts report that roughly 126 million nonsmokers were still being exposed in 2000.
A 2006 report from the U.S. Surgeon General's office concluded that exposure to secondhand smoke causes heart disease and indicated that smoke-free policies are the most economical and effective way to reduce exposure. However, the effectiveness of smoking bans in reducing heart problems has continued to be a source of debate.
The Institute of Medicine researchers conducted a comprehensive review of published and unpublished data and testimony on the relationship between secondhand smoke and short-term and long-term heart problems. Eleven key studies that evaluated the effects of smoking bans on heart attack rates informed the committee's conclusions about the positive effects of smoke-free policies. The studies calculated that reductions in the incidence of heart attacks range from 6 percent to 47 percent.
The report was sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Breast Tenderness Linked To Elevated Cancer Risk
October 16, 2009. Women who developed new-onset breast tenderness after starting estrogen plus progestin hormone replacement therapy were at significantly higher risk for developing breast cancer. This compared to women on the combination therapy who didn't experience such tenderness.
Breat cancer is the most common cancer among women according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Some 692,000 women were diagnosed with cancer last year; about 26 percent with breast cancer.
According to researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA they are not certain why breast tenderness indicates increased cancer risk among women on the combination therapy.
The researchers based their findings by examining data on more than 16,000 participants in the Women's Health Initiative estrogen-plus- progestin clinical trial. They speculated that it may be because the hormone therapy is causing breast-tissue cells to multiply more rapidly, which causes breast tenderness and at the same time indicates increased cancer risk.
The UCLA research, published in the Oct. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, compared the daily use of oral conjugated equine estrogens (0.625 mg) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg), or CEE+MPA, with the daily use of a placebo pill.
Of the participants in the trial, over 8,500 took estrogen plus progestin and just over 8,100 were given placebos. Participants underwent mammography and clinical breast exams at the start of the trial and annually thereafter. Self-reported breast tenderness was assessed at the beginning of the trial and one year later, and invasive breast cancer over the next 5.6 years was confirmed by medical record review.
Women on the combination therapy who did not have breast tenderness at the trial's inception were found to have a threefold greater risk of developing tenderness at the one-year mark, compared with participants who were assigned placebos (36.1 percent vs. 11.8 percent). Among the women who did report breast tenderness at the beginning, the risk at one-year was about 1.26 times that of their counterparts on placebos.
Of the women who reported new-onset breast tenderness, 76.3 percent had been on the combination therapy.
Women in the combination therapy group who did not have breast tenderness at the outset but experienced new-onset tenderness at the first annual follow-up had a 48 percent higher risk of invasive breast cancer than their counterparts on combination therapy who did not have breast tenderness at the first-year follow-up.
Breat cancer is the most common cancer among women according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Some 692,000 women were diagnosed with cancer last year; about 26 percent with breast cancer.
According to researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA they are not certain why breast tenderness indicates increased cancer risk among women on the combination therapy.
The researchers based their findings by examining data on more than 16,000 participants in the Women's Health Initiative estrogen-plus- progestin clinical trial. They speculated that it may be because the hormone therapy is causing breast-tissue cells to multiply more rapidly, which causes breast tenderness and at the same time indicates increased cancer risk.
The UCLA research, published in the Oct. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, compared the daily use of oral conjugated equine estrogens (0.625 mg) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg), or CEE+MPA, with the daily use of a placebo pill.
Of the participants in the trial, over 8,500 took estrogen plus progestin and just over 8,100 were given placebos. Participants underwent mammography and clinical breast exams at the start of the trial and annually thereafter. Self-reported breast tenderness was assessed at the beginning of the trial and one year later, and invasive breast cancer over the next 5.6 years was confirmed by medical record review.
Women on the combination therapy who did not have breast tenderness at the trial's inception were found to have a threefold greater risk of developing tenderness at the one-year mark, compared with participants who were assigned placebos (36.1 percent vs. 11.8 percent). Among the women who did report breast tenderness at the beginning, the risk at one-year was about 1.26 times that of their counterparts on placebos.
Of the women who reported new-onset breast tenderness, 76.3 percent had been on the combination therapy.
Women in the combination therapy group who did not have breast tenderness at the outset but experienced new-onset tenderness at the first annual follow-up had a 48 percent higher risk of invasive breast cancer than their counterparts on combination therapy who did not have breast tenderness at the first-year follow-up.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Green Tea May Curb Some Cancers
October 15, 2009. Drinking green tea may lower your risk of developing certain blood cancers.
According to a study by Japanese researchers noted that it may take at least 5 cups a day to reduce the risk.
Drinking green tea has been associated with lower risk of dying and heart disease deaths, medical experts have reported. The just-released study notes that drinking green tea may have a favorable effect "for particular cancers."
Researchers gathered information on the diets and green tea drinking habits of a large group of Japanese adults aged 40 to 79 years old. They followed the group for development of blood and "lymph system" cancers. The lymph system is a major component of the body's immune system.
Some 40,000 men and women who participated in the study had no previous history of cancer. During 9 years of follow up, 157 blood, bone marrow, and lymph system cancers developed in the study group.
The researchers found that the overall risk for blood cancers was 42 percent lower among study participants who drank 5 or more, versus 1 or fewer, cups of green tea daily. Drinking 5 or more cups of green tea daily was also associated with 48 percent lower risk for lymph system cancers.
These associations held up in analyses that allowed for age, gender, education, smoking status and history, alcohol use, and fish and soybean consumption. The report appears in the American Journal of Epidemiology, September 15, 2009.
These associations held up in analyses that allowed for age, gender, education, smoking status and history, alcohol use, and fish and soybean consumption. The report appears in the American Journal of Epidemiology, September 15, 2009.
Posted by Jesse Slome
American Association for Critical Illness Insurance
According to a study by Japanese researchers noted that it may take at least 5 cups a day to reduce the risk.
Drinking green tea has been associated with lower risk of dying and heart disease deaths, medical experts have reported. The just-released study notes that drinking green tea may have a favorable effect "for particular cancers."
Researchers gathered information on the diets and green tea drinking habits of a large group of Japanese adults aged 40 to 79 years old. They followed the group for development of blood and "lymph system" cancers. The lymph system is a major component of the body's immune system.
Some 40,000 men and women who participated in the study had no previous history of cancer. During 9 years of follow up, 157 blood, bone marrow, and lymph system cancers developed in the study group.
The researchers found that the overall risk for blood cancers was 42 percent lower among study participants who drank 5 or more, versus 1 or fewer, cups of green tea daily. Drinking 5 or more cups of green tea daily was also associated with 48 percent lower risk for lymph system cancers.
These associations held up in analyses that allowed for age, gender, education, smoking status and history, alcohol use, and fish and soybean consumption. The report appears in the American Journal of Epidemiology, September 15, 2009.
October 15, 2009. Drinking green tea may lower your risk of developing certain blood cancers.
According to a study by Japanese researchers noted that it may take at least 5 cups a day to reduce the risk.
Drinking green tea has been associated with lower risk of dying and heart disease deaths, medical experts have reported. The just-released study notes that drinking green tea may have a favorable effect "for particular cancers."
Researchers gathered information on the diets and green tea drinking habits of a large group of Japanese adults aged 40 to 79 years old. They followed the group for development of blood and "lymph system" cancers. The lymph system is a major component of the body's immune system.
Some 40,000 men and women who participated in the study had no previous history of cancer. During 9 years of follow up, 157 blood, bone marrow, and lymph system cancers developed in the study group.
The researchers found that the overall risk for blood cancers was 42 percent lower among study participants who drank 5 or more, versus 1 or fewer, cups of green tea daily. Drinking 5 or more cups of green tea daily was also associated with 48 percent lower risk for lymph system cancers.
These associations held up in analyses that allowed for age, gender, education, smoking status and history, alcohol use, and fish and soybean consumption. The report appears in the American Journal of Epidemiology, September 15, 2009.
Posted by Jesse Slome
American Association for Critical Illness Insurance
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Aging Heart Can Be Prevented
Old age is a major risk factor for heart failure, a condition when the heart is unable to pump enough blood around to supply the oxygen the body needs. Some 5.7 million Americans have heart failure, and nearly 10 out of every 1,000 people over age 65 suffer heart failure every year according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
Japanese researchers at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto described how they managed to suppress a variety of the P13K gene in a group of elderly mice. The gene regulates the lifespan of cells and plays a role in the aging of tissues.
Prior studies found that the suppression of this gene extended the lifespan roundworm and kept the hearts of old fruit flies healthy. The Japanese researchers reported that compared with another group of mice in which the gene was left intact, mice with the suppressed gene had improved cardiac function and fewer biological markers of aging.
The medical researchers noted that mice are considered a good surrogate for studies of human diseases and conditions. Their body plan, physiology and genome share many features with humans they note. The findings were published in the journal Circulation.
Japanese researchers at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto described how they managed to suppress a variety of the P13K gene in a group of elderly mice. The gene regulates the lifespan of cells and plays a role in the aging of tissues.
Prior studies found that the suppression of this gene extended the lifespan roundworm and kept the hearts of old fruit flies healthy. The Japanese researchers reported that compared with another group of mice in which the gene was left intact, mice with the suppressed gene had improved cardiac function and fewer biological markers of aging.
The medical researchers noted that mice are considered a good surrogate for studies of human diseases and conditions. Their body plan, physiology and genome share many features with humans they note. The findings were published in the journal Circulation.
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