Study Finds Virtual Colonoscopy Spots More Than Colon Cancer
Virtual colonoscopy can spot cancers and growths beyond the colon because it takes a picture of the entire abdominal cavity and pelvis, a new study says.
Gene Mix May Contribute to Autism
Complex gene interactions may account for autism risk, according to the results of a study that found that a brain mechanism that normally halts or slows nerve impulses contributes to the disease.
Scientists pinpoint new breast cancer genes
Scientists said on Thursday they had pinpointed four new genes believed to be involved in the development of breast cancer.
Amphetamines may slow Parkinson's, study shows
Amphetamines, including the party drug Ecstasy, have reversed the effects of Parkinson's disease in mice, researchers said on Wednesday.
Study shows drug cuts overnight shift fatigue
A drug that treats the uncontrollable sleepiness of narcolepsy can also help the 300,000 to 600,000 Americans who face chronic fatigue and sleep problems from working overnight shifts, according to a study released on Wednesday.
Bush unswayed by Sen. Frist on stem cell research
President Bush in remarks published on Wednesday reiterated his threat to veto any legislation that would use federal funds to destroy human embryos for stem cell research after Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist broke with Bush on the subject.
West Nile Blood Screening Effective
Screening blood donations for the West Nile virus to prevent its spread has proved remarkably effective, though a few contaminated units have been missed, according to reports on the first two years of testing.
Plan to Combat Bird Flu Outbreak Theorized
Rapid quarantines, travel restrictions and plenty of medicine quickly distributed could prevent millions of deaths in a bird flu outbreak in Southeast Asia, public health scientists said in a pair of studies examining the threat.
Exercise Guidelines for Women Established
For the first time, researchers have established how much exercise women should be able to do for their age and found that their capacity is slightly lower than men's. It also declines a bit faster than men's as they grow older.
Women whose exercise capacity was less than 85 percent of what it should be were twice as likely to die within eight years, the researchers found.
Until now, the only guidelines available were based on men and it wasn't certain whether they applied to women as well. But as more women are being included in medical research, gender differences in some diseases and other health issues are emerging.
The researchers found that to be true for fitness levels. They used the results of 5,721 exercise stress tests on women over 35 to figure out what should be considered normal for them compared to the established fitness levels for men.
"In general, women's fitness levels seem to be lower regardless of her age than for men," said Dr. Martha Gulati, a Chicago cardiologist who led the study.
While fitness declines with age for everyone, the research showed the difference between men and women becomes more pronounced with age, she said. Women lose about 1 percent of their exercise capacity per year, their study found.
"Given that we live longer, it just emphasizes the importance of fitness for women," said Gulati, who along with a fellow researcher has a patent pending for the fitness guidelines.
Their findings are reported in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.
Treadmill stress tests are routinely used to diagnose heart disease, often after someone complains of symptoms such as chest pains or shortness of breath. The heart's activity is monitored while the person walks on the treadmill. The tests cost about $900 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where Gulati works.
The 5,721 Chicago area women who took the treadmill test in 1992, however, didn't have any symptoms or history of heart problems. They were given a standard stress test with the speed and incline of the treadmill increased every three minutes until they became tired or had other problems.
Their exercise capacity was estimated in metabolic equivalents (METs), based on the speed and grade of the treadmill. One MET is the amount of energy or oxygen used to sit quietly for a minute. Moderate walking burns 3 to 6 METs per minute; running consumes more than 6 METs.
Using data from the volunteers, the researchers came up with a formula to determine the normal fitness level for women. A 50-year-old woman, for example, should be able to reach 8.2 METs. For a 50-year-old man, the predicted exercise capacity is 9.2 METs, based on a different equation.
Although stress tests are relatively inexpensive, Gulati said it isn't necessary to have one to find out what MET level you are achieving. Exercise machines at health clubs do the calculation automatically.
"All of them spit out how many METs you're doing depending on how hard you're working," she said. "A lot of people don't know what it means."
Dr. Gerald Fletcher, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and a spokesman for the American Heart Association, said the guidelines for women will help doctors encourage patients with poor fitness levels to get more exercise to reach their expected MET level.
"Overall, I think this is a very good guideline to be done carefully in people who are not at high risk," he said.
Gulati and her colleagues also tested their fitness equation to see how well it predicted survival during the eight years the volunteers were followed and in another group of 4,471 women with heart-disease symptoms who were followed for five years.
In both groups, women who did under 85 percent of their MET level had twice the risk of death compared to those who did more than 85 percent.
In an accompanying editorial, Drs. William E. Kraus and Pamela S. Douglas suggest that doctors should ask their patients about their exercise habits during each office visit and pay more attention to the fitness levels of those who have stress tests.
"We hope that this report will provide a stimulus to reintroduce fitness assessments into the routine clinical environment for both women and men," they wrote.
Calculating Your MET Fitness Level
To get your MET level, use these equations:
For women: 14.7 minus (0.13 x age)
For example, the MET level for a 50-year-old woman is 8.2 METs
For men: 14.7 minus (0.11 x age)
For example, the MET level for a 50-year-old man is 9.2 METs
UK's Acambis says developing universal flu vaccine
Britain's Acambis Plc said Thursday it was developing a potentially breakthrough new shot that could offer permanent protection against all types of flu.
Brain-Dead Woman Dies After Giving Birth
A brain-dead woman who was kept alive for three months so she could deliver the child she was carrying was removed from life support Wednesday and died, a day after giving birth.
Humans Dying of Pig Disease a Concern
Experts on a strep germ that's sickening people and pigs in China are baffled by reports of 37 farmers suddenly falling ill, bleeding under the skin and dying -— all previously unheard of with the disease.
Got breast milk? Calif. firm seeks milk therapies
Breast has long been best when it comes to feeding babies but a California company this week launched the first known venture to commercialize human donor breast milk and develop its use for sick children.
Alzheimer's toxin may be key to slowing disease
Australian scientists say they have identified a toxin which plays a key role in the onset of Alzheimer's, raising hope that a drug targeting the toxin could be developed to slow the degenerative brain disease.
The toxin, called quinolinic acid, kills nerve cells in the brain, leading to dysfunction and death, the scientists said.
"Quinolinic acid may not be the cause of Alzheimer's disease, but it plays a key role in its progression," Alzheimer's researcher Dr Karen Cullen from the University of Sydney said in a statement. "It's the smoking gun, if you like."
"While we won't be able to prevent people from getting Alzheimer's disease, we may eventually, with the use of drugs, be able to slow down the progression."
Food Fact:
Some like it hot.
With good reason -- chiles' heat may bring you significant health protection. Capsaicin, the compound that gives chile peppers their firey heat, contains an anticoagulant that might help prevent heart attacks and strokes caused by blood clots. Chile peppers also contain a mixture of cancer-fighting antioxidants. Remember, don't touch your eyes as you're working with chile peppers, and wash your hands thoroughly afterward. As a general rule, the larger the pepper, the milder it is. To reduce a pepper's intensity, remove the core and seeds.
Fitness Tip of the day:
Stretch it, baby!
Nothing stops a workout quicker than a pulled muscle; follow a simple routine to stay flexible. Stretching will improve your range of motion, enhance performance, and help reduce the severity and frequency of injury. Be sure to give your muscles a quick warmup before you start to stretch.
FAQ of the day:
Does cranberry juice cure urinary tract infections?
Cure is too strong a word, but cranberry juice has been shown in carefully controlled experiments to help prevent recurrent urinary tract infections, or UTIs. Research in the late 1980s reported that cranberry juice (as well as blueberry juice) prevented common bacteria from adhering to cells that line the urinary tract. Studies in the '90s found that women who drank about 10 oz. of cranberry juice a day had lower levels of bacteria in their urine, and were 75% less likely to develop urinary tract infection in the next month.
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