Increasing selenium intake may decrease bladder cancer risk

Ω- 39 percent reduced risk seen in a meta-analysis.- Selenium effects may vary according to individual's characteristics.A common mineral may provide protection against bladder cancer.According to results of a study published in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, selenium intake is associated with decreased risk of bladder cancer."The lower the levels of selenium, the higher the risk of developing bladder cancer," said lead researcher Núria Malats, M.D., Ph.D., leader of the Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Group, Human Cancer Genetics Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Center.Selenium is an essential micronutrient that is incorporated into about 25 proteins, called selenoproteins. Most...

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Combining resistance and endurance training best for heart health

ΩA study of triathletes published in the online edition and October issue of Radiology reveals that the heart adapts to triathlon training by working more efficiently."To our knowledge, this is the first study using MRI to investigate effects of triathlon training on cardiac adaptations," said lead researcher Michael M. Lell, M.D., associate professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Erlangen, Germany.Dr. Lell and colleagues conducted cardiac MRI on 26 professional male triathletes (mean age 27.9) and 27 male controls (mean age 27.3), who were recreationally active no more than three hours per week. Triathletes in the study were top national and international competitors with six or more years of continuous training. Triathlons are multi-sport events consisting of swimming, cycling...

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Diverse diet of veggies may decrease lung cancer risk

ΩAdding a variety of vegetables to one's diet may help decrease the chance of getting lung cancer, and adding a variety of fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of squamous cell lung cancer, especially among smokers.Study results are published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research."Although quitting smoking is the most important preventive action in reducing lung cancer risk, consuming a mix of different types of fruit and vegetables may also reduce risk, independent of the amount, especially among smokers," said H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., senior scientist and project director of cancer epidemiology at The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, The Netherlands.Using information...

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Jon's Health Tips - Latest Health Research

Lots of new research in the last 3 weeks, almost all of which confirms or reinforces my own practices. 1. I already take L-arginine amino acid – I will be taking more of it starting today: L-arginine amino acid produces a 'striking' endurance boost:Research from the University of Exeter has revealed taking a dietary supplement to boost nitric oxide in the body can significantly boost stamina during high-intensity exercise.The study has important implications for athletes, as results suggest that taking the supplement can allow people to exercise up to 20% longer .The report, published on-line by the Journal of Applied Physiology, found taking the supplement:- Improves severe-intensity exercise endurance by 20%- Significantly reduces systolic blood pressure- Reduces the oxygen...

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Risk of Stroke from Aspirin

ΩThe American Heart Association: Background— Low-dose aspirin is an important therapeutic option in the secondary prevention of myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic stroke, especially in light of its unique cost-effectiveness and widespread availability. In addition, based on the results of a number of large studies, aspirin is also widely used in the primary prevention of MI. This review provides an update of the available data to offer greater clarity regarding the risks of aspirin with respect to hemorrhagic stroke, as well as insights regarding patient selection to minimize the risk of this complication.Summary of Review— In the secondary prevention of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and ischemic events, the evidence supports that the benefits of aspirin treatment significantly outweigh...

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L-arginine amino acid produces a 'striking' endurance boost

ΩResearch from the University of Exeter has revealed taking a dietary supplement to boost nitric oxide in the body can significantly boost stamina during high-intensity exercise.The study has important implications for athletes, as results suggest that taking the supplement can allow people to exercise up to 20% longer and could produce a 1-2% improvement in race times.This comes on the back of previous research from Exeter which showed that the high nitrate content of beetroot juice, which also boosts nitric oxide in the body, has a similar effect on performance.However, the latest study gets the nitric oxide into the body through a different biological process – and now the researchers are hoping to find out whether combining the two methods could bring an even greater improvement in athletic...

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Walking can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on

ΩA group of “professional couch potatoes,” as one researcher described them, has proven that even moderate exercise – in this case walking at one’s own pace for 40 minutes three times a week – can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on cognitive tasks.Moderate walking three times per week for a year increased brain connectivity and brain function in older adults, the researchers found. | Photo by Elise McAuley for the Exercise Psychology Laboratory at the U. of I.The study, in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, followed 65 adults, aged 59 to 80, who joined a walking group or stretching and toning group for a year. All of the participants were sedentary before the study, reporting less than two...

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Blood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue.

Ω STROKE IDENTIFICATION: During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call the paramedics). She said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself for the rest of the evening.Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital and at 6:00 p.m. Jane passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this... A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke...

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Cranberry Juice Fights Bacteria That Cause Urinary Tract Infections

ΩScientists today reported new scientific evidence on the effectiveness of that old folk remedy –– cranberry juice –– for urinary tract infections, at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), being held here this week.“A number of controlled clinical trials _ these are carefully designed and conducted scientific studies done in humans _ have concluded that cranberry juice really is effective for preventing urinary tract infections,” said Terri Anne Camesano, Ph.D., who led the study. “That has important implications, considering the size of the problem and the health care costs involved.”Estimates suggest that urinary tract infections (UTIs) account for about 8 million medical visits each year, at a total cost of more than $1.6 billion. UTIs involve bacterial infections...

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More Walking, Cycling Linked to Healthier Weights Worldwide

ΩAmble, stroll or pedal: it’s all good. A new study provides evidence supporting a seemingly obvious _ but unproven _ link between walking- and cycling-friendly communities and lower levels of obesity.Researchers found that people are more likely to have healthy weights if they live in places where walking and cycling are more common. The link held up among nations, cities and U.S. states.The research does not prove that living in couch-potato land directly boosts a resident’s risk of being fat.Still, the study findings suggest, “It’s really important to promote walking and cycling as safe, convenient and feasible modes of getting around on an everyday basis,” said lead author John Pucher, a professor who studies transportation at Rutgers University.Pucher and colleagues analyzed statistics...

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Moderate drinking: Health benefits or not?

Ω-There is disagreement about the health benefits of moderate drinking.-A new study has examined drinking and mortality during a 20-year period.-Findings confirm an association between moderate drinking and reduced mortality among older adults.While moderate drinking – one to less than three drinks per day – is linked to a decrease in mortality in middle-aged and older adults, there is also concern that the health benefits of moderate drinking have been overestimated. A new study of the association between drinking and mortality during a 20-year period, which controlled for confounding factors such as previous problem drinking, confirms an association of moderate drinking and reduced mortality among older adults.Results will be published in the November 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical &...

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Bottled tea beverages may contain fewer polyphenols than brewed tea

ΩThe first measurements of healthful antioxidant levels in commercial bottled tea beverages has concluded that health-conscious consumers may not be getting what they pay for: healthful doses of those antioxidants, or "poylphenols," that may ward off a range of diseases.Scientists reported here today at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) that many of the increasingly popular beverages included in their study, beverages that account for $1 billion in annual sales in the United States alone, contain fewer polyphenols than a single cup of home-brewed green or black tea. Some contain such small amounts that consumers would have to drink 20 bottles to get the polyphenols present in one cup of tea."Consumers understand very well the concept of the health benefits from...

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Eating berries may activate the brain's natural housekeeper for healthy aging

ΩScientists today reported the first evidence that eating blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries may help the aging brain stay healthy in a crucial but previously unrecognized way. Their study, presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), concluded that berries, and possibly walnuts, activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline.Shibu Poulose, Ph.D., who presented the report, said previous research suggested that one factor involved in aging is a steady decline in the body's ability to protect itself against inflammation and oxidative damage. This leaves people vulnerable to degenerative brain diseases, heart disease, cancer, and other age-related...

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Alcohol intake increases certain types of breast cancer

ΩAlcohol increases the risk of lobular and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, but not necessarily invasive ductal carcinomas, according to a study published August 23 online in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.Although alcohol intake is an established risk factor for overall breast cancer, few studies have looked at the relationship between alcohol use and breast cancer risk by subtype of breast cancer. While some studies have shown alcohol use is more strongly related to risk of hormone receptor-positive (estrogen receptor and/or progesterone receptor-positive) breast cancer, not many have looked at breast cancer risk by histology, or whether a tumor is ductal—in the milk ducts—or lobular—in the milk-producing lobules.To understand how alcohol may influence sub-types of...

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Increased Risk of Stroke Associated With Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. A Nationwide Case–Crossover Study

ΩBackground and Purpose—Limited studies assessed cerebrovascular safety of individual nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We evaluated the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke associated with short-term use of selective and nonselective NSAIDs in a Chinese population with a high incidence of stroke.Methods—A retrospective case–crossover study was conducted by analyzing the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database. We identified all ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients in 2006, aged 20 years, based on International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes from inpatient claims and defined the index date as the date of hospitalization. For each patient, we defined case period as 1 to 30 days before the index date and control period as...

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Polyphenol antioxidants inhibit iron absorption

ΩHealth benefits from polyphenol antioxidants — substances found in many fruits and vegetables — may come at a cost to some people. Penn State nutritional scientists found that eating certain polyphenols decreased the amount of iron the body absorbs, which can increase the risk of developing an iron deficiency."Polyphenols have been known to have many beneficial effects for human health, such as preventing or delaying certain types of cancer, enhancing bone metabolism and improving bone mineral density, and decreasing risk of heart disease," said Okhee Han, assistant professor of nutritional sciences. "But so far, not many people have thought about whether or not polyphenols affect nutrient absorption."The researchers, led by Han, studied the effects of eating grape seed extract and epigallocatechin-3-gallate...

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Antagonistic people may increase heart attack, stroke risk

ΩStudy highlights: * Antagonistic people have greater thickening of neck artery walls than agreeable people, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. * Those deemed the least agreeable had a 40 percent increased risk of artery narrowing compared to those who were the most agreeable. Antagonistic people, particularly those who are competitive and aggressive, may be increasing their risk of heart attack or stroke, researchers report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.Researchers for the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), studied 5,614 Italians in four...

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Healthier protein-rich foods instead of red and processed meats may reduce heart disease risk in women

ΩAmerican women who ate more protein-rich foods instead of red meat had a significantly lower risk of developing heart disease, according to a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.Eating more fresh red meat, processed red meat and high-fat dairy carried an increased risk of heart disease in the study. Women who had two servings per day of red meat compared to those who had half a serving per day had a 30 percent higher risk of developing coronary heart disease.“Our study shows that making substitutes for red meat or minimizing the amount of red meat in the diet has important health benefits,” said Adam M. Bernstein, M.D., Sc.D., the study’s first author and post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health in...

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Women who drink beer more likely to develop psoriasis

ΩRegular beer—but not light beer or other types of alcohol—appears to be associated with an increased risk of developing psoriasis, according to a report posted online today that will be published in the December print issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals."Psoriasis is a common immune-mediated skin disease," the authors write as background information in the article. "The association between alcohol consumption and increased risk of psoriasis onset and psoriasis worsening has long been suspected. For example, individuals with psoriasis drink more alcohol than individuals without psoriasis, and alcohol intake may exacerbate psoriasis severity."For other diseases, type of alcoholic beverage has been shown to influence risk—for instance, beer confers a larger risk...

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Mediterranean diet = skin cancer prevention

ΩWe all want that summer glow that comes from a day at the beach, but taking in the rays can have long-term implications for our health. Now Dr. Niva Shapira of Tel Aviv University's School of Health Professions suggests a way to make fun in the sun safer — and it's all in our food.In a study recently published in Nutrition Reviews, Dr. Shapira has shown that a diet rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, like the diet eaten in Mediterranean regions where melanoma rates are extremely low, can help protect us from skin cancer.The sun's rays damage both the skin and the immune system by penetrating the skin and causing photo-oxidation, she explains, affecting both the cells themselves and the body's ability to repair any damage. Her prescription is to "go Greek" with foods such as olive...

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Caffeine Only Benefit Of Energy Drinks

ΩPopular energy drinks promise better athletic performance and weight loss, but do the claims hold up? Not always, say researchers at Nova Southeastern University in Florida."Energy drinks typically feature caffeine and a combination of other ingredients, including taurine, sucrose, guarana, ginseng, niacin, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin," says Stephanie Ballard, PharmD., assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Nova Southeastern University's West Palm Beach campus."Most of the performance-enhancing effects of energy drinks can be linked to their caffeine content," she says. "Caffeine has been consistently been observed to enhance aerobic performance, although its effects on anaerobic performance may vary."Ballard and colleagues Jennifer Wellborn-Kim, PharmD., and Kevin Clauson, PharmD.,...

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Lower levels of folate=symptoms of dementia and poor brain function, also called "cognitive decline"

ΩB vitamins–B-6, B-12 and folate–all nourish the brain. But much remains to be discovered about the relation between these essential nutrients and our brainpower.U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutritionist Lindsay H. Allen has collaborated in ongoing research that has taken a closer look at the role these nutrients may play in preventing decline in brain function. The investigations, led by Mary N. Haan of the University of California-San Francisco, are part of the multiyear Sacramento (Calif.) Area Latino Study on Aging, or "SALSA." Begun in 1996, the study attracted nearly 1,800 Hispanic seniors, ages 60 to 101, as volunteers.According to Allen, the research is needed because many studies of B vitamins and brain function have given inconsistent or conflicting results. Allen is director...

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Moderate chocolate consumption linked to lower risks of heart failure

ΩStudy highlights:• Eating moderate amounts of chocolate is linked to lower risks of heart failure among middle-aged and older women, compared to eating no chocolate at all.• Experts warn Americans that the potential for heart health benefits from chocolate must be carefully weighed against the negative risks including excess calories and fat.• This is the first study to examine long-term effects of eating chocolate on heart failure rates.Middle-aged and elderly Swedish women who regularly ate a small amount of chocolate had lower risks of heart failure risks, in a study reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association.The nine-year study, conducted among 31,823 middle-aged and elderly Swedish women, looked at the relationship of the amount of high-quality...

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Moderate drinking, especially wine, associated with better cognitive function

ΩA large prospective study of 5033 men and women in the Tromsø Study in northern Norway has reported that moderate wine consumption is independently associated with better performance on cognitive tests. The subjects (average age 58 and free of stroke) were followed over 7 years during which they were tested with a range of cognitive function tests. Among women, there was a lower risk of a poor testing score for those who consumed wine at least 4 or more times over two weeks in comparison with those who drink < 1 time during this period The expected associations between other risk factors for poor cognitive functioning were seen, i.e. lower testing scores among people who were older, less educated, smokers, and those with depression, diabetes, or hypertension.It has long been known that...

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Green leafy vegetables reduce diabetes risk

ΩEating more green leafy vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, finds research published today on bmj.com.The authors, led by Patrice Carter at the University of Leicester, say there is a need for further investigation into the potential benefits of green leafy vegetables.In the last two decades there has been a dramatic increase in the number of individuals developing type 2 diabetes worldwide.Diets high in fruit and vegetables are known to help reduce both cancer and heart disease, but the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and diabetes remains unclear, say the authors.The researchers also note that previous research found that in 2002, 86% of UK adults consumed less than the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, with...

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Green Tea Extract Appears to Keep Cancer in Check in Majority of CLL Patients

ΩMayo Clinic has conducted the first clinical studies of tea extract in cancer patientsAn extract of green tea appears to have clinical activity with low toxicity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who used it in a phase II clinical trial, say researchers at Mayo Clinic.The findings are the latest in a series of Mayo studies to show promise for use of the chemical epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) — the major component of green tea — in reducing the number of leukemia cells in patients with CLL. Mayo first tested EGCG in a variety of laboratory assays about eight years ago, and it was found to reduce the survival of CLL leukemic cells. This laboratory finding was followed by a successful phase I clinical trial — the first time green tea extract had been studied in CLL patients."Although...

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Acetaminophen use in adolescents linked to doubled risk of asthma

ΩNew evidence linking the use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) to development of asthma and eczema suggests that even monthly use of the drug in adolescents may more than double risk of asthma in adolescents compared to those who used none at all; yearly use was associated with a 50 percent increase in the risk of asthma.The research results will be published online on the American Thoracic Society's Web site ahead of the print edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine."This study has identified that the reported use of acetaminophen in 13- and 14 year old adolescent children was associated with an exposure-dependent increased risk of asthma symptoms," said study first author Richard Beasley, M.D., professor of medicine, at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand...

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Free statins with fast food could neutralize heart risk, scientists say

ΩFast food outlets could provide statin drugs free of charge so that customers can neutralize the heart disease dangers of fatty food, researchers at Imperial College London suggest in a new study published this weekFast food outlets could provide statin drugs free of charge so that customers can neutralise the heart disease dangers of fatty food, researchers at Imperial College London suggest in a new study published this week.Statins reduce the amount of unhealthy "LDL" cholesterol in the blood. A wealth of trial data has proven them to be highly effective at lowering a person's heart attack risk.In a paper published in the Sunday 15 August issue of the American Journal of Cardiology, Dr Darrel Francis and colleagues calculate that the reduction in cardiovascular risk offered by a statin...

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