Clean living could cut third of many cancers
Healthier living could prevent about a third of the most common cancers in rich countries and about a quarter in poorer ones, international researchers said on Thursday. Better diets, more exercise and controlling weight could also prevent more than 40 percent of colon and breast cancer cases in some countries, according to the study which urged governments and individuals to do more to cut the number... Read more
Formal “brain exercise” won’t help healthy seniors
Healthy older people shouldn’t bother spending money on computer games and Web sites promising to ward off mental decline, the author of a review of scientific evidence for the benefits of these “brain exercise” programs says. “These marketed products don’t confer any additional benefit over and above being socially and intellectually active in one’s normal daily... Read more
Seniors Who Exercise Help Their Health
Sedentary seniors can improve their motor function and decrease their risk for insulin resistance by starting an exercise program that includes both aerobics and resistance training, new Canadian research suggests. “For a long time, the standard recommendation for people of moderate age — those under 65 — has been 150 minutes a week of aerobic type activity,” noted study co-author... Read more
Study: Exercise Won’t Cure Obesity
Physical activity has many proven benefits. It strengthens bones and muscles, improves mental health and mood, lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer. Exercise is also good for your brain. It may not be a cure-all for obesity, however. Though better nutrition coupled with exercise has long been the... Read more
Poor blood flow to brain may provoke Alzheimer’s: study
A slow, chronic reduction of blood sugar to the brain could trigger some forms of Alzheimer’s disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. The study of human and mice brains suggests a reduction of blood flow deprives energy to the brain, setting off a process that ultimately produces the sticky clumps of protein researchers believe is a cause of the disease, they said. The finding could lead... Read more
Study Shows Exercise Shields Against Osteoporosis
Doing weight-bearing exercise during adolescence may help women maintain their bone strength in old age, a new study says. Published online Dec. 22 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the Japanese study drew its conclusions by looking at the teenage exercise habits of 46 postmenopausal women, now aged 52 or older. Those who had participated in low-impact, weight-bearing exercise, such as swimming,... Read more
The best exercise programs benefit the elderly
Older adults who regularly take part in top-rated, low-cost physical activity programs offered by their local senior center or YMCA can see noticeable improvement in physical functioning and lower their risk of becoming disabled, research shows. “Older adults can benefit greatly from these programs,” Susan L. Hughes told Reuters Health. Hughes, co-director at the Center for Research on... Read more
If You Were Diabetic While Pregnant
Many women who develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy will go on to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. If you’ve had gestational diabetes, certain lifestyle changes may help lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association offers these suggestions: Maintain a healthy body weight. Being more than 20 percent over your ideal body weight can increase your... Read more
Exercise Eases Obesity and Anger in Kids
Overweight kids may be able to work out their anger with exercise, a new report finds. A study of sedentary but otherwise healthy 7- to 11-year-olds found they reduced both their weight and anger issues by taking part in a 10- to 15-week after-school aerobic exercise program. The finding applied to children across lines such as race, gender and socioeconomic status, as well as regardless of how fit... Read more
Obesity, lack of exercise reported in asthmatics
Study findings suggest less than one quarter of asthmatic adults meet national exercise guidelines and, among this group, obesity may be a greater exercise deterrent actual asthma symptoms. People with asthma may get caught in a vicious cycle, note Dr. Carol A. Mancuso and colleagues from Weill Cornell Medical College and the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “Obesity leads to worse... Read more