CPR: Push Harder!

New findings show that the majority of people untrained in how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and even many trained emergency personnel, do not push with enough force to properly administer CPR.The research tested 104 adults untrained in CPR and 83 firefighters, trained in the procedure. The findings, to be published in the June issue of the journal Cardiovascular Engineering¹, showed that most of the untrained people simply do not apply enough force, said Leslie Geddes of Purdue University, one of the authors of the study.The success rate for CPR ranges from 5 percent to 10 percent, depending on how quickly it is administered after a person's heart stops. "This is important because every minute lost in applying CPR results in a 10 percent decrease in successful resuscitation,"...

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Use Caution with All Pain Medications

Not long ago, choosing a pain reliever meant finding one that eased your pain without being too hard on the stomach. Now, research suggests that some commonly used pain medications—not just the now-banned Vioxx—can raise the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. New step-by-step recommendations from the American Heart Association (AHA) can help you choose a pain reliever that's good for both the heart and stomach, reports the June 2007 issue of the Harvard Heart Letter.The AHA suggests starting with aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to quell muscle or joint pain. Aspirin is good for the heart, and acetaminophen doesn’t affect blood clotting. If they don't work, the next step for most people would be a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Try naproxen (Aleve) first, then ibuprofen...

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Flavonol in tea, cocoa, etc. & exercise = memory+

A natural compound found in blueberries, tea, grapes, and cocoa enhances memory in mice, according to newly published research. This effect increased further when mice also exercised regularly."This finding is an important advance because it identifies a single natural chemical with memory-enhancing effects, suggesting that it may be possible to optimize brain function by combining exercise and dietary supplementation," says Mark Mattson, PhD, at the National Institute on Aging.The compound, epicatechin, is one of a group of chemicals known as flavonols and has been shown previously to improve cardiovascular function in people and increase blood flow in the brain. Flavonols are found in some chocolate. Henriette van Praag, PhD, of the Salk Institute, and colleagues there and at Mars, Inc.,...

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Aerobic exercise helps maintain muscle in elderly

Why do older people tend to lose muscle mass and grow frail? One important factor identified by medical science is the reduced ability of the elderly to respond to the muscle-building stimulus of the hormone insulin.Insulin is best known for its link to diabetes — a condition in which either a complete lack of insulin or systemic resistance to the hormone's activity (as in type 2 diabetes) causes blood sugar levels to soar out of control. Recent studies have shown, however, that insulin also provides crucial assistance in building muscle, and that its ability to do so drops off dramatically in the elderly.Now, a small but provocative study by medical researchers in Texas and California suggests that a simple, cost-free therapy appears to largely overcome that drop-off in insulin response:...

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Can You Exercise Too Much?

You run in the morning, train for your next marathon at night despite a nagging injury, and head to the gym to weight train in your free time. Missing a workout is not an option.Are you exercised obsessed, or just an avid exercise enthusiast?That depends on your attitude, say mental health experts. If you exercise frequently because you enjoy it and you like the health benefits it provides, you have the right reasons in mind. If you exercise because you feel compelled to do so, and in spite of having injuries, you may be at risk for developing an exercise disorder.“There is no set formula or standard that reveals how much exercising is too much,” says Theresa Fassihi, Ph.D., a psychologist with the Eating Disorders Program at The Menninger Clinic. “But if exercising is interfering in a person’s...

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Carb, Protein Supps Can Reduce Muscle Damage

A new study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research suggests that drinking a carbohydrate and protein supplement prior to and during exercise does not improve exercise performance. However, subjects who consumed the supplement did experience significantly reduced muscle damage compared to control subjects.The study examined the effects of consuming a carbohydrate and protein supplement prior to, during, and following an intense resistance exercise workout. The results indicate that a carbohydrate and protein supplement can significantly reduce muscle damage during acute bouts of resistance exercise, potentially allowing athletes to participate in their next high-intensity exercise bout in a shorter period of time. This finding can also apply to novice lifters and other individuals...

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Soy Nuts May Improve Blood Pressure

Substituting soy nuts for other protein sources in a healthy diet appears to lower blood pressure in postmenopausal women, and also may reduce cholesterol levels in women with high blood pressure, according to a report in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.The American Heart Association estimates that high blood pressure (hypertension) affects approximately 50 million Americans and 1 billion individuals worldwide. The most common-and deadly-result is coronary heart disease, according to background information in the article. Women with high blood pressure have four times the risk of heart disease as women with normal blood pressure.Francine K. Welty, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, assigned 60 healthy...

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Exercise May Boost "Good" Cholesterol Levels

Regular exercise appears to modestly increase levels of high-density lipoprotein, or "good," cholesterol, according to a meta-analysis study in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.A low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide, according to background information in the article. There is strong evidence that individuals who are more physically active have higher HDL-C levels. "Thus, the value of regular aerobic exercise in increasing serum [blood] HDL-C level and in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease has received widespread acceptance," the authors write. "In contrast, results of aerobic exercise studies vary considerably, depending...

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Vitamin D, Calcium = Lower Risk of Breast Cancer

Intake of Vitamin D, Calcium Associated With Lower Risk of Breast Cancer Before Menopause Women who consume higher amounts of calcium and vitamin D may have a lower risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer, according to a report in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Data from animal studies have linked calcium and vitamin D to breast cancer prevention, according to background information in the article. However, epidemiologic studies on humans have been less conclusive.Jennifer Lin, Ph.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues assessed 10,578 premenopausal and 20,909 postmenopausal women age 45 and older who were part of the Women's Health Study. At the beginning of the study (in 1993 or 1995),...

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Eating apples/fish helps vs asthma/allergies

Women who eat apples and fish during pregnancy may reduce the risk of their children developing asthma or allergic disease, suggests a new study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Sunday, May 20.The SEATON study, conducted at the University of Aberdeen, UK, found that the children of mothers who ate the most apples were less likely to ever have wheezed or have doctor-confirmed asthma at the age of 5 years, compared to children of mothers who had the lowest apple consumption. Children of mothers who ate fish once or more a week were less likely to have had eczema than children of mothers who never ate fish.The study did not find any protective effect against asthma or allergic diseases from many other foods, including vegetables, fruit juice, citrus...

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Sleep apnea increases risk of heart attack, death a lot

The nighttime breathing disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea increases a person’s risk of having a heart attack or dying by 30% over a period of four to five years, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Monday, May 21.The more severe the sleep apnea at the beginning of the study, the greater the risk of developing heart disease or dying, the study found.“While previous studies have shown an association between sleep apnea and heart disease, ours is a large study that allowed us to not only follow patients for five years and look at the association between sleep apnea and the combined outcome of heart attack and death, but also adjust for other traditional risk factors for heart disease,” says researcher Neomi Shah, M.D., of Yale...

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Green tea may protect from inflamed bladder

Herbal agents could be used to treat inflammatory bladder diseases, according to a preliminary study that looked at the ability of green tea to protect bladder cells from inflammation. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study, being presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Anaheim, Calif., found that components of green tea protected bladder cells from damage in culture. The study is Abstract 299 in the AUA proceedings.Green tea, reported to have many health benefits, is rich in powerful antioxidants that make it a possible remedy for many medical conditions. It is comprised of catechins – plant metabolites that provide it with many anti-oxidative properties."We discovered that catechins found in green tea protected both normal and cancerous...

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Vitamin supplements don't protect vs. lung cancer?

Some vitamin supplements don't protect against lung cancerA study of more than 75,000 adults found that taking supplemental multivitamins, vitamin C and E and folate do not decrease the risk of lung cancer. The findings are being reported at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Monday, May 21.The study, which also did not find any increased lung cancer risk from the supplements, is one of the most detailed, prospective observational studies to look at the effect of vitamin supplements instead of vitamins from foods on lung cancer risk.“People are spending billions of dollars on supplements, and there is a general sense in the population that they prevent cancer,” said researcher Chris Slatore, M.D., of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. “We...

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Retinol lotion reduces the fine wrinkles from aging

Retinol lotion reduces the fine wrinkles from natural aging of skinProducts previously were thought only to improve skin aged by sunLotions containing retinol improve the appearance of skin that has become wrinkled through the normal aging process, not just skin that has been damaged by exposure to the sun, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System.Researchers tested lotions containing retinol – Vitamin A that is found in many skin-care products – on the skin of elderly patients. Lotion containing retinol was used on one arm of each participant, while a lotion without retinol was applied to the other arm.Wrinkles, roughness and overall aging severity were all significantly reduced in the retinol-treated arm compared with the control arm, according to the study,...

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Exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle

Buck Institute faculty leads study showing 'genetic fingerprint' becoming younger in healthy seniors who did resistance trainingNot only does exercise make most people feel better and perform physical tasks better, it now appears that exercise – specifically, resistance training -- actually rejuvenates muscle tissue in healthy senior citizens.A recent study, co-led by Buck Institute faculty member Simon Melov, PhD, and Mark Tarnopolsky, MD, PhD, of McMaster University Medical Center in Hamilton, Ontario, involved before and after analysis of gene expression profiles in tissue samples taken from 25 healthy older men and women who underwent six months of twice weekly resistance training, compared to a similar analysis of tissue samples taken from younger healthy men and women. The results of...

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Botox injections help men with enlarged prostate

Men with enlarged prostate can benefit from botox injections up to a year after treatmentInjecting botulinum toxin A, or Botox, into the prostate gland of men with enlarged prostate, eased symptoms and improved quality of life up to a year after the procedure, according to a study by researchers at the Chang Gung University Medical College, Taiwan, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The study, based on 37 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Anaheim, Calif. and published in Abstract 1837 in the AUA proceedings."Millions of men in the United States suffer from enlarged prostate," said Michael B. Chancellor, M.D., senior author of the study and professor of urology and gynecology...

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Benefits of aspirin to prevent colon cancer

A colon cancer researcher at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) has laid out the roadmap for how medical science should employ aspirin and new aspirin-like drugs for use in preventing colon cancer in certain high-risk individuals.In today's New England Journal of Medicine, Sanford Markowitz, MD, PhD, writes an editorial accompanying research from Dr. Charles Fuchs' team at Harvard Medical School that lays out the hypothesized mechanism by which the use of aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), also called COX-2 inhibitors, act to decrease the risk of developing colon cancer."The compelling evidence that chronic use of aspirin or certain NSAIDS can substantially lower the risk of colon cancer has important implications, especially...

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Moderate drinking lowers women's heart attack risk

Women who regularly enjoy an alcoholic drink or two have a significantly lower risk of having a non-fatal heart attack than women who are life-time abstainers, epidemiologists at the University at Buffalo have shown.Moderation is the key, however. Women in the study who reported being intoxicated at least once a month were nearly three times more likely to suffer a heart attack than abstainers, results showed.One difference in the protective pattern among drinkers involved those who drank primarily liquor. Women who preferred liquor to wine experienced a borderline increase in risk of heart attack, results showed.The study is published in the May 2007 issue of the journal Addiction."These findings have important implications, because heart disease is the leading cause of death for women,"...

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Grim warning for America's fast food consumers

It's research that may have you thinking twice before upgrading to the large size at your favorite fast food joint. Saint Louis University research presented this week in Washington, D.C., shows the dangers of high-fat food combined with high fructose corn syrup and a sedentary lifestyle – in other words, what may be becoming commonplace among Americans.Brent Tetri, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University Liver Center, and colleagues studied the effects of a diet that was 40 percent fat and replete with high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener common in soda and some fruit juices. The research is being presented at the Digestive Diseases Week meeting."We wanted to mirror the kind of diet many Americans subsist on, so the high fat content is about the same you'd...

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People may need more dietary choline

New study indicates that people may need more dietary choline than previously thoughtEggs one of the best sources of the nutrientA new study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that the current recommended Adequate Intake (AI) for choline may, in fact, be inadequate for some people. Choline is an essential nutrient for normal functioning of all cells, including those involved with liver metabolism, brain and nerve function, memory, and the transportation of nutrients throughout the body.In this depletion-repletion study, 57 adult subjects (26 men, 16 premenopausal women and 15 postmenopausal women) were fed a diet containing 550 mg of choline for 10 days, then fed less than 50 mg a day of choline for up to 42 days.When deprived of the nutrient,...

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Binge drinking= deficits among college students

Binge drinking leads to neurocognitive deficits among college studentsAlcoholics tend to have poorer neurocognitive functioning, including decision-making capabilities.A new study has found that binge drinking, common among college students, is associated with impaired decision making.The long-term neurocognitive effects of binge drinking during young adulthood are unclear.Researchers know that alcoholics tend to have poorer neurocognitive functioning, including decision making, than non-alcoholics do. Less is known, however, about alcohol’s effects on decision-making capabilities among people who drink heavily but are not considered alcoholics. A new study has found that binge drinking can lead to poor decision making among college students, independent of impulsivity.Results are published...

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Coffee consumption may lower blood uric acid levels

Coffee consumption may lower blood uric acid levels -- the precursor of goutHigh uric acid levels in the blood are a precursor of gout, the most common inflammatory arthritis in adult men. It is believed that coffee and tea consumption may affect uric acid levels but only one study has been conducted to date. A new large-scale study published in the June 2007 issue of Arthritis Care & Research (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritiscare) examined the relationship between coffee, tea, caffeine intake, and uric acid levels and found that coffee consumption is associated with lower uric acid levels but that this appears to be due to components other than caffeine.Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world; more than 50 percent of Americans drink it at the...

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Prostate Cancer: Beta-carotene Makes Worse

No magic tomato? Study breaks link between lycopene and prostate cancer preventionTomatoes might be nutritious and tasty, but don’t count on them to prevent prostate cancer. In the May issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, researchers based at the National Cancer Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report that lycopene, an antioxidant predominately found in tomatoes, does not effectively prevent prostate cancer. In fact, the researchers noted an association between beta-carotene, an antioxidant related to lycopene, and an increased risk for aggressive prostate cancer.According to the researchers, the study is one of the largest to evaluate the role of blood concentrations of lycopene and other carotenoid antioxidants in preventing prostate cancer. Study...

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Lipoic acid explored as anti-aging compound

Researchers said today they have identified the mechanism of action of lipoic acid, a remarkable compound that in animal experiments appears to slow down the process of aging, improve blood flow, enhance immune function and perform many other functions.The findings, discussed at the "Diet and Optimum Health" conference sponsored by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, shed light on how this micronutrient might perform such a wide range of beneficial functions."The evidence suggests that lipoic acid is actually a low-level stressor that turns on the basic cellular defenses of the body, including some of those that naturally decline with age," said Tory Hagen, an LPI researcher and associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics at OSU. "In particular, it tends to restore...

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'Five-Second Rule' for Dropped Food More Like 30

Two Connecticut College student researchers have found that the "five-second rule" - which stipulates that dropped food will be safe to eat if it stays on the floor for fewer than five seconds - might better be known as the "30-second rule." Connecticut College seniors and cell and molecular biology majors Molly Goettsche and Nicole Moin took two food samples - apple slices and Skittles candies - to the Connecticut College dining hall and snack bar. They dropped the foods onto the floors in both locations for five, 10, 30 and 60 second intervals, and also tested them after allowing five minutes to elapse. They then looked for any rogue bacteria that might have attached to the foods. The researchers found no bacteria were present on the foods that had remained on the floor for five,...

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Heavy multivitamin use = advanced prostate cancer?

While regular multivitamin use is not linked with early or localized prostate cancer, taking too many multivitamins may be associated with an increased risk for advanced or fatal prostate cancers, according to a study in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.Millions of Americans take multivitamins because of a belief in their potential health benefits, even though there is limited scientific evidence that they prevent chronic disease. Researchers have wondered what impact multivitamin use might have on cancer risk.Karla Lawson, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues followed 295,344 men enrolled in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study to determine the association between multivitamin use and prostate cancer...

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Tobacco, alcohol increase risk of head/ neck cancer

Tobacco and alcohol use independently increase risk of head and neck cancerCigarette smoking is more strongly associated with head and neck cancers than drinking alcohol, according to a study in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study found that smoking is responsible for a quarter of head and neck cancers among individuals who do not drink alcohol.At least 75 percent of head and neck cancers are caused by a combination of cigarette smoking and drinking alcohol, but researchers have not known the individual contributions of these risk factors because people who smoke are more likely to drink than the general population and vice versa. In a new study, researchers sought to tease out the independent effect of each risk factor on head and neck cancer development.Mia...

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Boiling Broccoli Ruins Its Anti Cancer Properties

Researchers at the University of Warwick have found that the standard British cooking habit of boiling vegetables severely damages the anticancer properties of many Brassica vegetables such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower and green cabbage.Past studies have shown that consumption of Brassica vegetables decreases the risk of cancer. This is because of the high concentration in Brassicas of substances known as glucosinolates which are metabolized to cancer preventive substances known as isothiocyanates. However before this research it was not known how the glucosinolates and isothiocyanates were influenced by storage and cooking of Brassica vegetables.The researchers, Prof Paul Thornalley from Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick and Dr Lijiang Song from the University...

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Mediterranean Diet Halves Risk of Lung Disease

A Mediterranean diet halves the chances of developing progressive inflammatory lung disease (COPD), reveals a large study, published ahead of print in Thorax.COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is an umbrella term for chronic progressive lung disease, such as emphysema and bronchitis. It is expected to become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020, with cigarette smoking the primary factor in its development.The researchers tracked the health of almost 43,000 men, who were already part of the US Health Professionals Follow up Study. This began in 1986 and involved more than 50,000 US health care professionals aged between 40 and 75, who were surveyed every two years.They were asked questions about lifestyle, including smoking and exercise, diet and medical history. Dietary...

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A Walk a Day Might Help Keep the Doctor Away

New research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows daily, mild exercise - walking or bike riding - improves the fitness of post-menopausal women who are currently sedentary, overweight or obese.Timothy Church, M.D., Ph.D., of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, led a team of researchers who examined the effect of various amounts of walking on more than 460 women. The results showed that as little as 15 minutes a day, five days a week of walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike improved fitness. "The level of walking we studied was so light most people would not consider it exercise," Church said, "The message for women here is just get up and walk. You don't need a gym, you don't need fancy clothes or a stop-watch. All you need is a pair of comfortable...

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Calcium plus vitamin D may help prevent weight gain

Calcium plus vitamin D supplements may help prevent weight gain in postmenopausal womenPostmenopausal women who take calcium and vitamin D supplements may gain less weight than those who do not, although the overall effect is small, according to a report in the May 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The benefit is greater in those who had not previously been getting the daily recommended amount of calcium."Because weight loss or prevention of weight gain is likely to have significant health benefits for middle-aged women, early to middle menopause may be a critical period of life in which to slow the trajectory of weight gain," the authors note as background information in the article. Some evidence suggests that calcium and vitamin D may play a role...

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Grain fiber and magnesium = lower risk for diabetes

Grain fiber and magnesium intake associated with lower risk for diabetesHigher dietary intake of fiber from grains and cereals and of magnesium may each be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a report and meta-analysis in the May 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Projections indicate that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes worldwide may increase from 171 million in 2000 to 370 million by 2030, according to background information in the article. The associated illness, death and health care costs emphasize the need for effective prevention, the authors write. Fiber may help reduce the risk of diabetes by increasing the amount of nutrients absorbed by the body and reducing blood sugar spikes after eating, among other...

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More fish and vitamin D = less macular disease

Higher intake of fish and vitamin D levels linked to lower risk of age-related macular diseaseIndividuals who have higher dietary intake of foods with omega-3 fatty acids and higher fish consumption have a reduced risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration, while those with higher serum levels of vitamin D may have a reduced risk of the early stages of the disease, according to two reports in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs when the macula, the area at the back of the retina that produces the sharpest vision, deteriorates over time. It is the most common cause of blindness among older adults in the United States, affecting more than 7 million individuals older than 40 years, according to background...

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