Saturday, July 6, 2013

Latest Health Research

This is very good news for me because I get at least 200 minutes of exercise a week, but only exercise 2-3 days a week and am completely inactive the other days:

Total amount of exercise important, not frequency, research shows



A new study by Queen’s University researchers has determined that adults who accumulated 150 minutes of exercise on a few days of the week were not any less healthy than adults who exercised more frequently throughout the week.


Shorter Bouts of High-Intensity Exercise Improve Physical Fitness


It is a commonly held perception that getting in shape and staying there requires hard work and hours upon hours of training. Now, new research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) shows the opposite -- just four minutes of vigorous activity three times per week is enough to make previously inactive men fitter and more healthy.



Good news for me:


Aspirin for Primary Prevention in Men When Cancer Mortality Benefit Added


While aspirin has been shown to be effective in preventing heart attacks in men, it also increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and possibly stroke, even at low doses. As such, national guidelines suggest that aspirin be used for prevention only in men at higher risk for cardiovascular events, so that the benefits of aspirin are greater than its adverse effects.

Recent data suggest that aspirin may also be effective for reducing cancer deaths. Would the possible combined health benefits of reducing heart attacks and cancer outweigh the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding and stroke for middle-aged men?

A research team, including UNC scientists, reports that including the positive effect of aspirin on cancer mortality influences the threshold for prescribing aspirin for primary prevention in men. The benefit of aspirin for cancer mortality prevention would help offset the risks and thus lower the age and increase the number of men for whom aspirin is recommended.



Farmed Salmon Raises Blood Levels of Omega-3s



People who eat farm-raised salmon can increase their intake of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids to levels that may help reduce their risk of heart disease, according to studies by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

The studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) nutritionist Susan Raatz and physiologist Matthew Picklo address concerns about whether farm-raised salmon have less available omega-3s than salmon caught in the wild. The scientists work at the ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

Two omega-3 fatty acids—EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)—are abundant in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring. Consuming 250 milligrams daily of EPA and DHA—the amount in a 3-ounce farmed salmon fillet—has been associated with reduced heart disease risk.



Statin and Aspirin Use Linked to Improved Survival in Women with Endometrial Cancer





Endometrial cancer patients who took statins and aspirin reduced their chance of death by a highly significant 84 percent, according to a new study by researchers at Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care. Additionally, women who used only statins saw their risk of dying decline by 45 percent.



4 lifestyle changes will protect heart, reduce your risk of death


A large, multi-center study led by Johns Hopkins researchers has found a significant link between lifestyle factors and heart health, adding even more evidence in support of regular exercise, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, keeping a normal weight and, most importantly, not smoking.



Healthy lifestyle choices mean fewer memory complaints



Research has shown that healthy eating, not smoking and exercising regularly are associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, but less is known about the potential link between positive lifestyle choices and milder memory complaints, especially those that occur earlier in life and could be the first indicators of later problems.

Coenzyme Q10 Improves Heart Failure Mortality


Coenzyme Q10 decreases all cause mortality by half, according to the results of a multicentre randomised double blind trial presented at Heart Failure 2013 congress. It is the first drug to improve heart failure mortality in over a decade and should be added to standard treatment, according to lead author Professor Svend Aage Mortensen (Copenhagen, Denmark).

Patients with ischaemic heart disease who use statins could also benefit from CoQ10 supplementation. Professor Mortensen said: "We have no controlled trials demonstrating that statin therapy plus CoQ10 improves mortality more than statins alone. But statins reduce CoQ10, and circulating CoQ10 prevents the oxidation of LDL effectively, so I think ischaemic patients should supplement statin therapy with CoQ10."


Consuming olive oil and nuts may improve survival men with prostate cancer

By substituting healthy vegetable fats – such as olive and canola oils, nuts, seeds and avocados – for animal fats and carbohydrates, men with the disease had a markedly lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer and dying from other causes, according to the study.


More good news - things I already do:

Fish oil supplements may protect the heart in stressful situations


Vitamin D Can Help Prevent Hypertension

Fatty acids found in fish linked to lower risk of breast cancer

Higher omega-3 fatty acids in blood = reduced risk of hip fractures


Aspirin may fight cancer by slowing DNA damage


And things I try to avoid:

Eating more red meat associated with increased risk of Type 2 diabetes



Soda and illegal drugs cause similar damage to teeth


Addicted to soda? You may be shocked to learn that drinking large quantities of your favorite carbonated soda could be as damaging to your teeth as methamphetamine and crack cocaine use. The consumption of illegal drugs and abusive intake of soda can cause similar damage to your mouth through the process of tooth erosion.



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