Download WHO`s cancer agency: Diesel fumes cause cancer

WHO's cancer agency: Diesel fumes cause cancer
Diesel fumes cause cancer, the World Health Organization's cancer agency
declared Tuesday, a ruling it said could make exhaust as important a public
health threat as secondhand smoke.
The risk of getting cancer from diesel fumes is small, but since so many people
breathe in the fumes in some way, the science panel said raising the status of
diesel exhaust to carcinogen from "probable carcinogen" was an important shift.
"It's on the same order of magnitude as passive smoking," said Kurt Straif,
director of the IARC department that evaluates cancer risks. "This could be
another big push for countries to clean up exhaust from diesel engines."
Since so many people are exposed to exhaust, Straif said there could be many
cases of lung cancer connected to the contaminant. He said the fumes affected
groups including pedestrians on the street, ship passengers and crew, railroad
workers, truck drivers, mechanics, miners and people operating heavy
machinery.
The new classification followed a weeklong discussion in Lyon, France, by an
expert panel organized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The
panel's decision stands as the ruling for the IARC, the cancer arm of the World
Health Organization.
The last time the agency considered the status of diesel exhaust was in 1989,
when it was labeled a "probable" carcinogen. Reclassifying diesel exhaust as
carcinogenic puts it into the same category as other known hazards such as
asbestos, alcohol and ultraviolet radiation.
The U.S. government, however, still classifies diesel exhaust as a likely
carcinogen. Experts said new diesel engines spew out fewer fumes but further
studies are needed to assess any potential dangers.
"We don't have enough evidence to say these new engines are zero risk, but
they are certainly lower risk than before," said Vincent Cogliano of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. He added that the agency had not received
any requests to reevaluate whether diesel definitely causes cancer but said their
assessments tend to be in line with those made by IARC.
Experts in Lyon had analyzed published studies, evidence from animals and
limited research in humans. One of the biggest studies was published in March
by the U.S. National Cancer Institute. That paper analyzed 12,300 miners for
several decades starting in 1947. Researchers found that miners heavily
exposed to diesel exhaust had a higher risk of dying from lung cancer.
Lobbyists for the diesel industry argued the study wasn't credible because
researchers didn't have exact data on how much exposure miners got in the early
years of the study; they simply asked them to remember what their exposure was
like.
Further restrictions on diesel fumes could force the industry to spend more on
developing expensive new technology. Diesel engine makers and car companies
were quick to point out emissions from trucks and buses have been slashed by
more than 95 percent for nitrogen oxides, particulate and sulfur emissions.
"Diesel exhaust is only a very small contributor to air pollution," the Diesel
Technology Forum, a group representing companies including Mercedes, Ford
and Chrysler, said in a statement. "In southern California, more fine particles
come from brake and tire wear than from diesel engines."
A person's risk for cancer depends on many variables, from genetic makeup to
the amount and length of time of exposure to dangerous substances.
Some experts said the new cancer classification wasn't surprising.
"It's pretty well known that if you get enough exposure to diesel, it's a
carcinogen," said Ken Donaldson, a professor of respiratory toxicology at the
University of Edinburgh who was not part of the IARC panel. He said the
thousands of particles, including some harmful chemicals, in the exhaust could
cause inflammation in the lungs and over time, that could lead to cancer.
But Donaldson said lung cancer was caused by multiple factors and that other
things like smoking were far more deadly. He said the people most at risk were
those whose jobs exposed them to high levels of diesel exhaust, like truck
drivers, mechanics or miners.
"For the man on the street, nothing has changed," he said. "It's a known risk but
a low one for the average person, so people should go about their business as
normal ... you could wear a mask if you want to, but who wants to walk around all
the time with a mask on?"
___
Online:
www.iarc.fr
AP
Can't get kids to eat veggies? Try smiling
Psychologists have discovered that children are likelier to try foods that they do
not normally like if they see adults smiling while they eat them.
Children as young as five were more willing to taste vegetables they had
previously rejected if they saw an adult savouring them.
The findings suggest that youngsters' immature brains are susceptible to the
emotions of others, the Telegraph reported.
Simply seeing enjoyment on the face of an adult might trigger the same feelings
in a part of their brains called the prefrontal cortex.
The World Cancer Research Fund said that 80 percent of children in England eat
less than the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, increasing
their risk of cancer.
Boys aged five to 15 on average consume 3.1 portions of fruit and vegetables a
day and girls 3.3 portions.
Parents often deploy a variety of tactics to encourage them to eat vegetables,
from playing games with food to exaggerating their own enjoyment of them.
But the latest research suggests simply smiling while eating could be the key.
Experts at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research in Paris
recruited children aged five, eight and a group of adults.
The psychologists assessed their reactions to photographs of women eating
various foods, including some that the volunteers said they did not like, including
vegetables.
The researchers said the findings might have important implications for the
encouragement of children's healthy eating habits.
In a report on their findings, the researchers said: "Adults may unconsciously
influence children's food preferences via their facial expressions of pleasure or
disgust."
The findings are published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology.
(ANI)
Post-menopause, women more vulnerable to heart attacks
Paris, June 12 (IANS) Women tend to suffer less from cardiovascular disease
than men, but this difference becomes less marked post-menopause.
This observation is behind a great deal of received wisdom, where oestrogen is
assumed to have a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels. Today, new
data seems to question these assumptions.
A study has been conducted by a team of researchers at Paris-based Inserm
(Institut national de la sante et de la recherche medicale - National Institute of
Health and Medical Research), led by Pierre-Yves Scarabin, on 6,000 women
aged over 65.
The results demonstrate, for the first time, that women with high levels of
oestradiol (one of the oestrogen hormones) in their blood are exposed to a
greater risk of myocardial infarction (heart attacks) or strokes, the Journal of the
American Heart Association reports.
Oestrogen hormones play a key role in sexual development and reproduction in
women. Its blood levels are particularly high during the active reproductive
period, according to an Inserm statement.
After menopause, the ovarian function ceases, leading to a significant drop in
oestrogen levels in the blood. However, low concentrations of these hormones
do continue to circulate and may still exert biological actions.
Throughout their lives, women are less exposed to the risk of cardiovascular
disease than men. For many years, this relative immunity displayed by women
was attributed to oestrogen undertaking a 'protector' role in terms of
atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) and its complications.
Now for the first time, the Inserm results demonstrate that high oestrodial levels
in the blood lead to an elevated risk of myocardial infarction or strokes.
This new data questions the beneficial role of oestrogen on the heart and
vessels. "Fresh studies must confirm this harmful effect and establish whether
these results can be applied to younger menopausal women," stated Pierre-Yves
Scarabin.
IANS
Statins may cause fatigue
Individuals taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are more likely than nonusers to experience decreased energy, fatigue upon exertion, or both, a new
study has revealed.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, suggest that these
findings should be taken into account by doctors when weighing risk versus
benefit in prescribing statins.
Statin drugs are among the best selling and most widely used prescription drugs
on the market.
Recently, increasing attention has focused on statins' side effects, particularly
their effect on exercise.
While some patients reported fatigue or exercise intolerance when placed on
statins, randomized trials had not previously addressed occurrence of fatiguewith-exertion or impaired energy in patients on statins relative to placebo.
In the June 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD,
associate professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and
colleagues present randomized trial data which show that these side effects were
significantly greater in persons placed on statins than those on a placebo.
More than 1,000 adults from San Diego were randomly allocated to identical
capsules with placebo, or one of two statins at relatively low potencies:
pravastatin (Pravachol) at 40mg, or simvastatin (Zocor) at 20mg - chosen as the
most water-soluble and most fat-soluble of the statins, at doses expected to
produce similar LDL ("bad cholesterol") reduction.
According to the researchers, the cholesterol reduction would be similar to that
expected with atorvastatin (Lipitor) at 10mg, or rosuvastatin (Crestor) at 2.5-5mg.
Persons with heart disease and diabetes were excluded. Neither subjects nor
investigators knew which agent the subject had received.
Subjects rated their energy and fatigue with exertion relative to baseline, on a
five-point scale, from "much worse" to "much better."
Those placed on statins were significantly more likely than those on placebo to
report worsening in energy, fatigue-with-exertion, or both.
Both statins contributed to the finding, though the effect appeared to be stronger
in those on simvastatin. (Simvastatin led to significantly greater cholesterol
reduction.)
"Side effects of statins generally rise with increasing dose, and these doses were
modest by current standards," Golomb said.
"Yet occurrence of this problem was not rare - even at these doses, and
particularly in women. Energy is central to quality of life. It also predicts interest in
activity.
"Exertional fatigue not only predicts actual participation in exercise, but both
lower energy and greater exertional fatigue may signal triggering of mechanisms
by which statins may adversely affect cell health," Golomb said.
For these reasons, the researchers state that decreases in energy, and
increases in exertional fatigue on statins represent important findings, which
should be taken into account in risk-benefit determinations for statins.
According to Golomb, this is particularly true for groups for whom evidence does
not support mortality benefit on statins - such as most patients without heart
disease, and women and those over 70 or 75, even if heart disease is present.
(ANI)
Early risers happier and healthier than night owls
Morning people are happier and more satisfied with life overall, while evening
people may be more prone to social jet lag, a new study has found.
Early riser also tended to be healthier than night owls.
The study also suggested older adults are more likely morning-type people and
they report greater positive emotion than younger adults, according to the
Discovery News.
Teenagers' night owl tendencies fade as they age, and the study said this switch
to a morning-focused schedule could be why older adults are happier than
younger ones.
"Past research has suggested that morning-type people report feeling happier
than evening-type people, and this research was only on young adults," study
researcher Renee Biss, a graduate student at the University of Toronto, told
LiveScience.
The new study looked across the lifespan to see if the morning habits of older
individuals contributed to their overall life outlook.
The researchers studied two populations: a group of 435 adults ages 17 to 38,
and a group of 297 older adults, ages 59 to 79. Both groups filled out
questionnaires about their emotional state, how healthy they feel and their
preferred "time of day."
By age 60, most people are morning types, the researchers found. Only about 7
percent of young adults are morning larks, but as the population ages, this
switches - in the older years only about 7 percent of the population are still night
owls.
"We found that older adults reported greater positive emotion than younger
adults, and older adults were more likely to be morning-type people than younger
adults," Biss said.
"The 'morningness' was associated with greater happiness emotions in both age
groups," she added.
Morning-type people also tended to say they felt healthier than did night owls.
The researchers said this could be because they are getting better sleep since
they are naturally morning people. It could not only make them feel more alert,
but actually impact their immune system.
"We don't know why this is, but there are a few potential explanations. Evening
people may be more prone to social jet lag; this means that their biological clock
is out of sync with the social clock," Biss said.
The study was published in the May issue of the journal Emotion. (ANI)
Intensive mobile phone use triggers sleep disorder and depression
Young adults who are constantly connected to the Internet via their mobile phone
or computer are more likely to suffer from sleep disturbances, stress and
symptoms of mental health, according to a study.
"Public health advice should therefore include information on the healthy use of
this technology," researcher Sara Thomee from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the
University of Gothenburg, Sweden, said.
Doctoral student Thomee and her research colleagues at the University of
Gothenburg's Sahlgrenska Academy have conducted four different studies
looking at how the use of computers and mobile phones affects the mental health
of young adults.
These studies, which included questionnaires for 4,100 people aged 20-24 and
interviews with 32 young heavy ICT users, reveal that intensive use of mobile
phones and computers can be linked to stress, sleep disorders and depressive
symptoms.
"We looked at the effects both quantitatively and qualitatively and followed up the
volunteers a year on," Thomee explained.
"The conclusion is that intensive use of ICT can have an impact on mental health
among young adults," she said.
The studies reveal, for example, that heavy mobile use is linked to an increase in
sleeping problems in men and an increase in depressive symptoms in both men
and women.
"Those who find the constant accessibility via mobile phones to be stressful are
most likely to report mental symptoms," Thomee said.
Frequently using a computer without breaks also increases the risk of stress,
sleeping problems and depressive symptoms in women, whereas men who use
computers intensively are more likely to develop sleeping problems.
"Regularly using a computer late at night is associated not only with sleep
disorders but also with stress and depressive symptoms in both men and
women," she said.
A combination of both heavy computer use and heavy mobile use makes the
association even stronger. One conclusion is that public health advice to young
people should include information on how to use ICT in a healthy way:
"This means taking breaks, taking time to recover after intensive use, and putting
limits on your availability," she added. (ANI)
How infections in liver and stomach can lead to cancer
Chronic inflammation of liver, colon or stomach, often caused by viral or bacterial
infections, is one of the biggest risk factors for cancer in these organs.
Now, a new study from MIT has provided the most comprehensive look yet at
how such infections provoke tissues into becoming cancerous.
The study tracked a variety of genetic and chemical changes in the livers and
colons of mice infected with Helicobacter hepaticus, a bacterium similar to
Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach ulcers and cancer in humans.
The findings could help researchers develop ways to predict the health
consequences of chronic inflammation, and design drugs to halt such
inflammation.
"If you understand the mechanism, then you can design interventions," said
Peter Dedon, an MIT professor of biological engineering.
"For example, what if we develop ways to block or interrupt the toxic effects of
the chronic inflammation?" he stated.
For the past 30 years, Steven Tannenbaum, a professor of biological engineering
and chemistry and a senior author of the study, has led a group of MIT
researchers dedicated to studying the link between chronic inflammation and
cancer.
Inflammation is the body's normal reaction to any kind of infection or damage, but
when it goes on for too long, tissues can be damaged.
When the body's immune system detects pathogens or cell damage, it activates
an influx of cells called macrophages and neutrophils. These cells' job is to engulf
bacteria, dead cells and debris: proteins, nucleic acids and other molecules
released by dead or damaged cells. As part of this process, the cells produce
highly reactive chemicals that help degrade the bacteria.
"In doing this, in engulfing the bacteria and dumping these reactive chemicals on
them, the chemicals also diffuse out into the tissue, and that's where the problem
comes in," Dedon explained.
If sustained over a long period, that inflammation can eventually lead to cancer.
In the new MIT study, the researchers analyzed mice that were infected with H.
hepaticus, which causes them to develop a condition similar to inflammatory
bowel disease in humans. Over the course of 20 weeks, the mice developed
chronic infections of the liver and colon, with some of the mice developing colon
cancer.
Throughout the 20-week period, the researchers measured about a dozen
different types of damage to DNA, RNA and proteins. They also examined tissue
damage and measured which genes were turned on and off as the infection
progressed. One of their key findings was that the liver and colon responded
differently to infection.
In the colon, but not the liver, neutrophils secreted hypochlorous acid (also found
in household bleach), which significantly damages proteins, DNA and RNA by
adding a chlorine atom to them. The hypochlorous acid is meant to kill bacteria,
but it also leaks into surrounding tissue and damages the epithelial cells of the
colon.
The researchers found that levels of one of the chlorine-damage products in DNA
and RNA, chlorocytosine, correlated well with the severity of the inflammation,
which could allow them to predict the risk of chronic inflammation in patients with
infections of the colon, liver or stomach.
Tannenbaum recently identified another chlorine-damage product in proteins:
chlorotyrosine, which correlates with inflammation.
While these results point to an important role for neutrophils in inflammation and
cancer, "we don't know yet if we can predict the risk for cancer from these
damaged molecules," Dedon said.
Another difference the researchers found between the colon and the liver was
that DNA repair systems became more active in the liver but less active in the
colon, even though both were experiencing DNA damage.
"It's possible that we have kind of a double whammy [in the colon]. You have this
bacterium that suppresses DNA repair, at the same time that you have all this
DNA damage happening in the tissue as a result of the immune response to the
bacterium," Dedon added.
The researchers also identified several previously unknown types of damage to
DNA in mice and humans, one of which involves oxidation of guanine, a building
block of DNA, to two new products, spiroiminodihydantoin and
guanidinohydanotoin.
In future studies, the MIT team plans to investigate the mechanisms of cancer
development in more detail, including looking at why cells experience an
increase in some types of DNA damage but not others.
The study appeared in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences. (ANI)
Simple scan may help spot Alzheimer's early
Scientists have shed light on a simple test that could diagnose Alzheimer's
disease years before its devastating and debilitating symptoms appear.
Experts have agreed that the key to battle this degenerative disorder lies in its
early detection, when treatment is more effective at holding off the ravages of the
killer brain disease.
With advancements made in molecular imaging, a scan can now detect
accumulations of a toxic protein, a trademark of the disease.
The harmful protein in the brain called 'beta amyloid' can build up for more than a
decade before manifesting into any outward signs of dementia such as confusion
or memory loss, the Daily Express reported.
"Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can now be made when the patient first
presents symptoms and still has largely preserved mental function," Professor
Christopher Rowe, lead researcher for the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and
Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing, said.
"Previously there was an average delay of three years between consulting a
doctor over memory concerns and the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, as diagnosis
required the presence of dementia. When used as an adjunct to other diagnostic
measures, molecular imaging can help lead to earlier diagnosis.
"This may give the patient several years to prepare for dementia while they still
have control over their destiny. Molecular imaging is proving to be an essential
part of Alzheimer's disease detection," Rowe said.
"This and other amyloid imaging techniques will have an increasing role in the
earlier and more accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative conditions such as
Alzheimer's disease due to their ability to measure the actual underlying disease
process," he said.
In a series of studies conducted, 45 people who showed high levels of an
imaging agent, which binds to 'amyloid', plus loss of brain tissue, had an 80 per
cent chance of developing Alzheimer's within two years.
"The effect of beta amyloid in healthy ageing is of great interest," Dr Michael
Devous, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, said.
"This protein is strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease and may be
predictive of the transition from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's
disease."
"Brain scanning techniques are not yet suitable for use in most clinics to
diagnose Alzheimer's, but they are emerging as an important tool for research,
which is why Alzheimer's Research UK is funding similar work to advance
imaging techniques like these," Dr Simon Ridley, from Alzheimer's Research UK,
said.
"The ability to detect Alzheimer's early is crucial for research, allowing new
treatments to be trialled at the right time, as early as possible, when they are
more likely to have a beneficial effect," Ridley said.
"Improved diagnosis would also allow people with the disease to access existing
treatments and support earlier, making a real difference to people's lives.
"With 820,000 people in the UK affected by dementia and a rapidly ageing
population, the need for research to tackle the condition has never been more
urgent," he added.
There is no cure so far. (ANI)
Sucrose and menthol offer sweet and minty relief for cough
People usually take cough drops or syrup at the first sign of a cough, but how
these popular remedies work has been unknown to scientists.
Now, new research from the Monell Center has suggested that sucrose and
menthol, ingredients commonly regarded as flavorings in these preparations,
each act independently to reduce coughing.
Cough is a vital protective reflex that clears the respiratory tract of threats from
mechanical stimuli like food and chemical stimuli such as airborne toxins and
pollutants. As such, cough is necessary to protect the lungs, keep airways clear,
and preserve life.
"Individuals with a weak cough reflex are at increased risk of pneumonia and of
choking. Conversely, many acute and chronic conditions involve frequent
coughing, leading to 30 million health care visits annually, with billions spent on
over-the-counter medications and billions more lost due to reduced productivity,"
said lead author, Paul M. Wise, Ph.D., a sensory psychologist at Monell.
However, many aspects of coughing remain poorly understood, including how
chemicals act to trigger and modulate cough.
In the current study, 12 healthy young adults inhaled from a nebulizer containing
capsaicin, the burning ingredient in chili peppers and a potent chemical stimulus
for cough.
After each inhalation, the amount of capsaicin was doubled. This procedure
continued until the subject coughed three times within 10 seconds. The capsaicin
concentration that induced the three coughs was labeled as the individual's
cough threshold.
In some sessions, the subjects held either a very sweet sucrose or plain water in
their mouths for three seconds, spat the liquid into a sink, and then inhaled from
the nebulizer.
In other sessions, subjects inhaled three breaths of either menthol-saturated air
or clean air before each capsaicin inhalation. The menthol concentration was
selected to approximate the cooling intensity of a menthol cigarette.
Both sucrose and menthol increased the amount of capsaicin needed to elicit a
cough relative to plain water or clean air, respectively. Sucrose increased cough
threshold by about 45 percent, while menthol increased it by approximately 25
percent.
"This is the first study to empirically show that sweet taste reduces cough. This
also is the first study to show that menthol alone can reduce coughing in
response to a cough-eliciting agent," said Monell sensory scientist Paul Breslin,
Ph.D., an author on the study.
The findings support the hypothesis that adding menthol to cigarettes, popularly
known as "menthols," may make it easier to begin smoking by suppressing the
cough reflex, thus making the first cigarettes less distressing.
"Menthol may dull the sensitivity of sensory nerves in the airways and thereby
actually disable an important reflex mechanism that would otherwise protect
smokers from the chemical and particulate irritants present in cigarette smoke,"
said Wise.
Studies at Monell will continue to explore the chemical elicitation of cough, along
with the receptors and genes involved in this system.
The findings have been published in the June 2012 issue of Pulmonary
Pharmacology and Therapeutics. (ANI)
Atkins diet may up risk of heart disease
The popular Atkins diet can increase cholesterol levels and heighten the risk of
heart disease, a recent study conducted over a period of 25 years has revealed.
Researchers from Sweden found that the introduction of the low-carbohydrate
regime led to a surge in saturated fat intake in 2004, with an increase in
cholesterol levels three years later.
"While low carbohydrate/high fat diets may help short-term weight loss, these
results of this Swedish study demonstrate that long-term weight loss is not
maintained and that this diet increases blood cholesterol, which has a major
impact on risk of cardiovascular disease," the Daily Mail quoted study leader
Professor Ingegerd Johansson, from the University of Umea, as saying.
In 2004 there was a sudden increase in the popularity of low carbohydrate/high
fat (LCHF) diets like Atkins in Sweden.
The diets focus on cutting out sugar and starch while increasing intake of fats,
including saturated fat.
Its proponents, such as Dr Annika Dahlqvist, who is credited with starting the
Swedish craze, argue that it helps maintain normal weight and blood sugar while
giving the people the freedom to eat their favourite foods.
A poll last year suggested that a quarter of Swedes had at least partly adopted
an LCHF diet. Around five percent had taken it up seriously, leading the
DietDoctor website to hail a "Swedish low carb revolution".
The latest study was launched in 1986 after concerns about the high incidence of
heart disease in northern Sweden.
Scientists analysed data on food and nutrient intake, body weight, height and
cholesterol levels compiled from more than 140,000 measurements and
questionnaires between 1986 and 2010.
The results showed an initial reduction in fat consumption and cholesterol levels
throughout the 1990s.
This coincided with the nationwide introduction of an education and food-labelling
programme aimed at improving diet and health.
After 2004, there was an unexpected change. Levels of total and saturated fat
intake began to increase until they were higher than they were in 1986.
Blood cholesterol levels remained roughly unchanged between 2002 and 2007,
but then showed a steep rise.
In 2010 the average cholesterol level for men was around 5.5 millimoles per litre
of blood, and for women it was slightly less. This was despite a significant
increase in the number of people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.
In earlier years, cholesterol levels had declined after reaching a high of more
than six millimoles in 1986.
Over the whole 25-year period there was no sign that dieting of any kind helped
people lose weight.
Average body mass index (BMI), a measurement relating weight and height,
showed a consistent rise in weight in both men as well as women.
In their paper, the researchers said the marked increase in cholesterol levels
after 2007 was 'a deep concern'.
"After 2004 fat intake increased, especially saturated fat and butter-based spread
for bread and butter for cooking," the researchers said.
"Supportive opinions in media for high-fat diets seem to have had an impact on
consumer behaviours. Initially beneficial and thereafter deleterious changes in
blood cholesterol paralleled these trends in food selection, whereas a claimed
weight reduction by high-fat diets was not seen in the most recent years.
"In contrast, BMI increased continuously over the 25-year period. These changes
in risk factors may have important effects on primary and secondary prevention
of CVD (cardiovascular disease)," they added.
The study was published in the Nutrition Journal. (ANI)
Changes in walking speed could signal dementia
Washington, June 12 (IANS) Changes in walking speed in late life could indicate
early stages of dementia known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), says a new
study.
"In our study, we used a new technique that included installing infrared sensors
in the ceilings of homes, a system designed to detect walking movement in
hallways," said study author Hiroko Dodge from Oregon Health and Science
University in Portland.
"By using this new monitoring method, we were able to get a better idea of how
even subtle changes in walking speed may correlate with the development of
MCI," said Dodge, the journal Neurology reports.
The study involved 93 people aged 70 or older who lived alone. Of those, 54
participants had no cognitive impairment, 31 had non-memory related MCI and
eight had memory-related MCI, according to an Oregon Health statement.
Participants were given memory and thinking tests and had their walking speed
monitored at their homes unobtrusively over a three-year period.
Participants were placed in groups of slow, moderate or fast based on their
average weekly walking speed and how much their walking speed fluctuated at
home.
The study found that people with non-memory related MCI were nine times more
likely to be slow walkers than moderate or fast walkers and the amount of the
fluctuation in walking speed was also associated with MCI.
"Further studies need to be done using larger groups of participants to determine
whether walking speed and its fluctuations could be a predictor of future memory
and thinking problems in the elderly," said Dodge.
IANS
Couples sharing bed 'happier and healthier'
Partners' snoring habits might have led some couples to sleep in separate
rooms.
But researchers have revealed that sharing a bed with a long-term partner, even
if your other half snores, could be good for your health.
It's even been suggested as a major reason why people in close relationships
tend to be in better health and live longer.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh in the U.S. believe sleeping next to
someone helps lower the stress hormone cortisol, perhaps because it
encourages feelings of safety and security.
Prolonged periods of elevated cortisol have been linked with an increase in
cytokines - proteins involved in inflammation that can trigger heart disease,
depression and autoimmune disorders.
Sleeping together has a protective effect by lowering the levels of these proteins.
"Sleep is a critically important health behaviour that we know is associated with
heart disease and psychiatric wellbeing," the Daily Mail quoted lead researcher
Wendy Troxel, assistant professor of psychiatry and psychology at the university,
as saying.
"There is extensive literature showing that married people - happily married
people, in particular - live longer, happier, and healthier lives than their unmarried
or unhappily married counterparts.
"We also know sleep is critically important for health and wellbeing, and it
happens to be a behaviour couples engage in together, so it stands to reason it
may be an important link with their health," Troxel added.
Sharing a bed is also thought to boost levels of the 'love hormone' oxytocin,
known to induce bonding feelings.
This is traditionally thought to be released during sex, but Dr David Hamilton, a
scientist who has examined the role of oxytocin in health in his book, Why
Kindness Is Good For You, says it's also associated with cuddling in bed and
'pillow talk'.
Recent studies have shown oxytocin's vital role in health. Scientists at Malmo
University Hospital in Sweden found it can affect digestion.
Those with lower levels had poorer gastric motility - the process by which food is
moved from the stomach to the intestines, therefore slowing down digestion.
Levels of the hormone have been found to be lower in patients with irritable
bowel syndrome, said Dr Hamilton.
Oxytocin has also been shown to reduce inflammation and a number of recent
studies have revealed how the hormone can affect the heart, said Dr Hamilton.
For example, a study from the University of North Carolina asked 59 women who
were married or had partners to keep a diary of the number of hugs they received
over a set time.
The scientists then analysed levels of oxytocin in the blood. The women who'd
received the most hugs had the highest levels of oxytocin - and the lowest blood
pressure and heart rates.
It may come as a surprise to the long-suffering partners of snorers, teeth grinders
and kickers, but sharing a bed may also improve your sleep.
In another of Dr Troxel's studies, published in 2009, women in long-term stable
relationships fell asleep more quickly and woke up less frequently during the
night than single women or women who lost or gained a partner during the six to
eight years of the study.
"Feelings of safety and security with a partner may lead to more restful sleep,"
she said. (ANI)
Less than 6 hours of sleep ups risk of stroke in normal-weight adults
Habitually sleeping less than six hours a night significantly increases the risk of
stroke symptoms among normal-weighing middle-age to older adults, a new
study has warned.
The study was conducted on 5,666 people followed for up to three years.
The participants had no history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, stroke
symptoms or high risk for OSA at the start of the research.
Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham recorded the first
stroke symptoms, along with demographic data, stroke risk factors, depression
symptoms and various health behaviors.
After adjusting for body-mass index (BMI), they discovered a strong association
with daily sleep periods of less than six hours and a greater incidence of stroke
symptoms for middle-age to older adults, even beyond other risk factors.
However, the study found no link between short sleep periods and stroke
symptoms among overweight and obese participants.
"In employed middle-aged to older adults, relatively free of major risk factors for
stroke such as obesity and sleep-disordered breathing, short sleep duration may
exact its own negative influence on stroke development," lead author Megan
Ruiter, PhD said.
"We speculate that short sleep duration is a precursor to other traditional stroke
risk factors, and once these traditional stroke risk factors are present, then
perhaps they become stronger risk factors than sleep duration," Ruiter said.
She claimed that further research may support the results, providing a strong
argument for increasing physician and public awareness of the impact of sleep
as a risk factor for stroke symptoms, especially among persons who appear to
have few or no traditional risk factors for stroke.
"Sleep and sleep-related behaviors are highly modifiable with cognitivebehavioral therapy approaches and/or pharmaceutical interventions," she said.
"These results may serve as a preliminary basis for using sleep treatments to
prevent the development of stroke," she added. (ANI)
Cutting calories 'may help keep your heart young'
People who restrict their calorie intake in an effort to live longer have hearts that
function more like those in people who are 20 years younger, a new study has
revealed.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have
found that a key measure of the heart's ability to adapt to physical activity, stress,
sleep and other factors that influence the rate at which the heart pumps blood,
doesn't decline nearly as rapidly in people who have significantly restricted their
caloric intake for an average of seven years.
"This is really striking because in studying changes in heart rate variability, we
are looking at a measurement that tells us a lot about the way the autonomic
nervous system affects the heart," Luigi Fontana, senior author of the study, said.
"And that system is involved not only in heart function, but in digestion, breathing
rate and many other involuntary actions. We would hypothesize that better heart
rate variability may be a sign that all these other functions are working better,
too," Fontana said.
The researchers hooked portable heart monitors to 22 practitioners of calorie
restriction (CR) who ate healthy diets but consumed 30 percent fewer calories
than normal.
Their average age was just over 51. For comparison purposes, researchers also
studied 20 other people of about the same age who ate standard Western diets.
Heart rates were significantly lower in the CR group, and their heart rate
variability was significantly higher.
"Higher heart rate variability means the heart can adjust to changing needs more
readily," Phyllis K. Stein, lead author of the study, said.
"Heart rate variability declines with age as our cardiovascular systems become
less flexible, and poor heart rate variability is associated with a higher risk of
cardiovascular death," Stein said.
This was the first study for Stein, a research associate professor of medicine in
the Division of Cardiology, in which she evaluated heart rate variability in the
group often referred to as CRONies (Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition),
but members of that group have been studied extensively by Fontana, a research
associate professor of medicine at Washington University and investigator at the
Istituto Superiore di Sanita in Rome, Italy.
"The idea was to learn, first of all, whether humans on CR, like the calorierestricted animals that have been studied, have a similar adaptation in heart rate
variability," Fontana said.
"The answer is yes. We also looked at normal levels of heart rate variability
among people at different ages, and we found that those who practice CR have
hearts that look and function like they are years younger," Fontana said.
Laboratory animals with a restricted calorie intake tend to live 30 percent to 40
percent longer than those that eat standard diets.
Many humans who practice calorie restriction believe they also will live
significantly longer, but that won't be known for several more years.
Still, Fontana said much of his research suggests calorie restriction with optimal
nutrition contributes to significant changes in people that are similar to changes
seen in animals.
"In many of our studies, we have found that a number of metabolic and
physiologic changes that occur in calorie-restricted animals also occur in people
who practice CR," Fontana said.
And he says the finding that heart rate variability is better in people who practice
CR means more than just that their cardiovascular systems are flexible. He says
the better ratio suggests improved health in general.
"But we can't be absolutely positive that the practice of CR is solely responsible
for the flexibility of the cardiovascular system," Stein said.
"People who practice CR tend to be very healthy in other areas of life, too, so I'm
pretty sure they don't say to themselves, 'Okay, I'll restrict my calorie intake to
lengthen my life, but I'm still going to smoke two packs a day.' These people are
very motivated, and they tend to engage in a large number of very healthy
behaviours," she added.
The study has been published online in the journal Aging Cell. (ANI)
Meditating 15 mins twice daily may cut cardiovascular disease risk in teens
Regular meditation could decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
in teens who are most at risk, say researchers.
In a study of 62 black teens with high blood pressure, those who meditated twice
a day for 15 minutes had lower left ventricular mass, an indicator of future
cardiovascular disease, than a control group, said Dr. Vernon Barnes, a
physiologist in the Medical College of Georgia and the Georgia Health Sciences
University Institute of Public and Preventive Health.
Half of the group was trained in transcendental meditation and asked to meditate
for 15 minutes with a class and 15 minutes at home for a four-month period. The
other half was exposed to health education on how to lower blood pressure and
risk for cardiovascular disease, but no meditation.
Left ventricular mass was measured with two-dimensional echocardiograms
before and after the study and the group that meditated showed a significant
decrease.
"Increased mass of the heart muscle's left ventricle is caused by the extra
workload on the heart with higher blood pressure. Some of these teens already
had higher measures of left ventricular mass because of their elevated blood
pressure, which they are likely to maintain into adulthood," Barnes explained.
During meditation, which Barnes likens to a period of deep rest, the activity of the
sympathetic nervous system decreases and the body releases fewer-thannormal stress hormones.
"As a result, the vasculature relaxes, blood pressure drops and the heart works
less," he said.
School records also showed behavioral improvements.
"Transcendental meditation results in a rest for the body that is often deeper than
sleep," Barnes said.
"Statistics indicate that one in every 10 black youths have high blood pressure. If
practiced over time, the meditation may reduce the risk of these teens developing
cardiovascular disease, in addition to other added health benefits," he added.
The study was published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative
Medicine. (ANI)
Eat home-cooked food for longer life!
Sydney, June 8 (IANS) Tucking into a home-cooked meal can make you live
longer, new research says.
Researchers from Monash University, the National Defence Medical Centre and
the National Health Research Institute, Taiwan, found that people who cooked at
home at least five times a week were 47 percent more likely to still be alive after
10 years.
The study looked at the cooking habits of Taiwanese living independently aged
over 65 years. When researchers followed up 10 years later, they found of the
surviving participants that frequent cooking was a significant factor in their health
and long life, the journal Public Health Nutrition reported.
Of the participants, 31 percent reportedly prepared meals at home at least five
times per week, 17 percent cooked no more than twice a week, nine percent
cooked at home three to five times per week, while the remainder (43 percent)
reported that they never cooked at home, according to a university statement.
Mark Wahlqvist, emeritus professor from Monash University's Asia Pacific Health
and Nutrition Centre at the Monash Asia Institute, who led the study, said those
who cooked more often had a better diet.
"We found those that cooked more frequently had a better sense of nutritional
knowledge than those who didn't. Cooking is an activity that requires both good
mental and physical health," Wahlqvist said.
"We found that those who cooked more frequently had a better diet and more
favourable nutrient densities," he said.
"It is therefore possible that cooking is related to longevity through food choice
and quality," added Wahlqvist.
Why we should all be walking backwards for our health (The Funny Side - IANS has
introduced a weekly column by Hong Kong-based humour writer Nury Vittachi)
Want to get ahead? Just back up. The ancient Chinese tradition of walking
backwards for health is spreading like wildfire around the world. More than 20
countries have set up 'retro-stepping' organisations, including India, Malaysia,
Argentina, France, The Netherlands, etc.
I heard this from a reader who went to a walking backwards event in South Africa
and had a brilliant time except for when he fell over a small Mexican and broke
his skull. 'A bit of brain fell out, but not much,' he told me. 'I still have plenty.'
I walk backwards myself from time to time, and it DOES make your muscles feel
pleasantly loose and flexible. Here are the questions we backward walkers are
always asked.
Q: When you walk backwards, how do you see where you are going?
A: You don't! That's the fun part.
Q: Don't you crash into stuff like lampposts?
A: No, because you choose a path clear of those things. But you frequently hit
phone-starers.
Q: Don't they see you coming?
A: No. Phone-starers are primitive small-brained beasts who meander through
urban areas, their gaze locked on to the phones they hold.
Q: Does it hurt when you crash into them?
A: No. The back parts of your body and your head are tough, while the front parts
of the body and the head are very tender. Hee hee hee.
Q: Do you apologize to people you bump into?
A: Yes, but I don't mean it. Sometimes, I even manage not to laugh as I pick
them up.
Q: Do you ever get hurt yourself?
A: Sure! From time to time we backward-walkers stroll off cliffs and die. This can
really spoil your day. A guy walking backwards in mainland China fell into a lake
and drowned. He gave up the sport entirely after that.
Q: Isn't walking backwards really slow?
A: No. A guy called Garret Doherty in the UK ran a mile backwards in less than
seven minutes last month. Most people couldn't run a mile forwards in seven
minutes, or in the case of my completely spherical former boss, seven years.
Q: Is there anything bad about walking backwards?
A: Three things. First, you look silly. Second, observers always make the same
joke, shouting: 'You're going the wrong way.' And third, if you see an incredibly
cute person of the opposite sex, it's REALLY hard to stalk them.
Q: Do you miss stalking people?
A: Yeah, but a guy's gotta make some sacrifices to keep in shape.
Q: What advice would you give to a beginner who has never done it before?
A: Avoid piers, cliff edges, ships, hospital surgical theatres, chainsaw factories
and bungee jump decks. Most importantly, watch out for small Mexicans.
Why hot, humid air triggers breathing difficulty in patients with mild asthma
A new study has shed light on why patients with mild asthma have such difficulty
breathing during hot, humid weather.
The study found that patients who inhaled an asthma drug before breathing in
hot, humid air were able to prevent airway constriction that volunteers without
asthma did not experience in the same environment.
Ipratropium, a drug occasionally used for asthma, prevents airway muscle
contraction and increases airflow to the lungs. Its success in combating the air
temperature response suggests that hot, humid air triggers asthma symptoms by
activating airway sensory nerves that are sensitive to an increase in temperature.
"We know that breathing cold, dry air induces airway constriction in asthmatics.
But the effects that temperature increases have on airway function in these
patients are generally overlooked. We know very little about the mechanisms that
cause symptoms when asthmatic patients are exposed to hot, humid air," said
Don Hayes, MD, medical director of the Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant
Program at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Dr. Hayes and his colleagues at the University of Kentucky Medical Center
(where Dr. Hayes was on staff prior to joining Nationwide Children's late last
year) enrolled patients with mild asthma and healthy controls in a study to assess
their pulmonary reaction to hot, humid air.
Six asthmatic patients (ranging from 21 years of age to 26) and six healthy
subjects (between 19 and 46) were asked to breathe into a device designed to
deliver air at certain desired temperatures and humidity levels. The device
produced a humidified gas mixture of air either hot or room temperature.
Subjects breathed via a mouthpiece into this free stream of air for four minutes
and were asked to pant. Investigators measured participants' airway resistance
before and for 16 minutes immediately following the challenge. They also
measured body temperature, heart rate, arterial blood pressure and oxygen
saturation before and afterward.
Results showed that breathing of hot, humid air triggered an immediate increase
in airway resistance in patients with mild asthma, but caused either only a very
small or no response in healthy subjects.
Breathing hot, humid air also triggered consistent coughs in those with asthma.
When the asthmatic participants used an ipratropium aerosol before the
challenge, they did not experience airway constriction.
"We don't fully understand the mechanisms underlying these responses," said
Dr. Hayes, who is the study's primary author.
A recent study by the same research group found that airway sensory nerves
called C-fiber nerves were activated with the temperature within the chest was
elevated to about 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
These data were developed in Lu-Yuan Lee's, MD, laboratory at the University of
Kentucky using animal models. Dr. Lee's laboratory has a 20-year history of
National Institutes of Health funding to study C-fiber sensory nerves in the lung.
"When C-fiber sensory nerves are stimulated, a number of pulmonary defense
reflex responses can occur, including cough and bronchoconstriction," said Dr.
Hayes, also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
"This study is a good example of how we can translate findings from a research
laboratory into a better understanding and more in-depth knowledge about how
to prevent and treat diseases in patients," said Dr. Lee.
Dr. Hayes said further research is needed to completely understand how
patients' bodies react to hot and humid air and is planning such studies at
Nationwide Children's.
Overall, he stated that this data provides evidence to support that ambient air
temperatures and humidity levels are very important in asthma and this research
introduces potential new drug targets for the treatment of asthma.
The study appeared in the June print issue of the American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (ANI)