The report by Coyle Y.M at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX says exercise lowers estrogen levels that if high would cause a higher risk of breast cancer.

Coyle suggests that estrogen induces breast cancer by increasing breast epithelial cell proliferation, the metabolism of estrogen to genotoxic metabolites and the silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSGS) that have been implicated in breast carcinogenesis.

According to the author, animal studies suggest that exercise slows breast tumor growth by promoting changes in cellular proliferation and apoptosis.

Human studies albeit limited also suggest that exercise produces favorable changes in estrogen metabolism which in turn reduces the risk of breast epithelial cell proliferation.

Coyle says that exercise reduces promoter hypermethylation of TSGS in breast carcinogenesis by lowering estrogen levels.

Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms that relate to exercise as a negative modulator of breast cancer risk, the author concludes.

Many studies have suggested that regular physical activity or exercise reduces risk of cancer.

One recent study involving 5,968 women led James McClain of the National Cancer Institute and colleagues confirmed previous studies that have shown people who did physical exercise regularly were at lower risk of developing cancer.

The study reported at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research also found among women who were in the upper half with regard to the amount of physical activity each week, those who slept less than seven hours per night were 47 percent more likely to develop cancer than those who slept longer.

One study led by Michael F Leitzmann and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute and published in the Oct. 2008 issue of Breast Cancer Research found that postmenopausal women with body mass index lower than 25 kg/m2 who engaged in vigorous exercise were 23 percent less likely to develop breast cancer.      But no such association was found in overweight and obese women.

The researchers followed up 32,000 women who enrolled in the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Follow-up Study to examine if there was an association between risk of breast cancer and physical exercise.

Another study led by Freedman DM and colleagues from National Cancer Institute and published in Oct 21, 2008 issue of Cancer Causes and Control found exercise such as walking and hiking for 10 or more hours per week re

Exercise cuts cancer risk – new study

Related posts

• No related posts.

But fighting that fat factor may be easier in the Amish community’s 19th century rural lifestyle. They don’t use cars or modern appliances. Many of the men are farmers and carpenters, and the women, who are homemakers, often care for several children.

The researchers found that Amish people with the genetic variant were no more likely to be overweight than those who had the regular version of the gene — as long as they got three to four hours of moderate activity every day. That included things like brisk walking, housecleaning and gardening.

And while physical activity is recommended for just about everyone, the study suggests that people with the gene variation need to be especially vigilant about getting exercise.

“These findings emphasize the important role of physical activity in public health efforts to combat obesity, particularly in genetically susceptible people,” the authors wrote in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine.

Study co-author Dr. Soren Snitker of the University of Maryland acknowledged that it’s unrealistic to expect most people to shun modern conveniences and return to a 19th century lifestyle for the sake of staying trim.

Every little bit helps
But he said every little bit helps, and that adding an extra few hours of activity daily might not be as hard as it seems.

Instead of watching TV for a few hours at night, take a brisk walk, he suggested. Or use stairs instead of elevators, walk instead of driving, or take up a structured exercise such as swimming.

Previous research based on self-reporting of physical activity has produced similar results. The new study used a more reliable measure — battery-operated monitoring devices worn round-the-clock for a week, said lead author Evadnie Rampersaud of the University of Miami.

Maybe you CAN blame being fat on your genes. But there’s a way to overcome that family history — just get three to four hours of moderate activity a day.

Sound pretty daunting?

Not for the Amish of Lancaster County, Pa., who were the focus of a new study on a common genetic variation that makes people more likely to gain weight. It turns out the variant’s effects can be blocked with physical activity — lots of it.

More research is needed to see if similar results would be found in other racial and ethnic groups, said Amy Zlot, a genetics researcher with Oregon’s Department of Human Services, who was not involved in the study.

The Amish study involved 704 people; blood samples determined which of those had a variation in the FTO gene linked to obesity. Among those with the variant, those who got about three or four hours of moderate physical activity a day weighed up to about 15 pounds less on average than the least active people.

Big trouble for couch potatoes
The least active group would be comparable to Americans who get little exercise beyond normal activities of daily living, Snitker said.

The authors said it is not clear how the FTO gene influences excess weight, but it is believed to be involved in the function of a protein that may affect how the body regulates food intake.

“It’s only if you’re not active that the gene hurts,” Snitker said. “If you are active, then either way, it doesn’t matter whether you have the gene or not.”

So far, blood tests identifying the gene variant are only available for research. Experts say there are likely many other genetic differences that also influence obesity, so it is too soon to recommend routine testing for the general public.

Dr. Joel Hirschhorn, a genetics and obesity researcher at Children’s Hospital Boston, said people should not interpret the study to mean, “I don’t have this gene variant so I don’t need to be physically active.”

He noted that other obesity gene variants might also be affected by physical activity, which has benefits beyond helping people stay trim.

Related posts

• Obesity Gene No Longer Wholly Responsible for Overweight People (0)
• Obesity Gene No Longer Wholly Responsible for Overweight People (0)
• Mexico pushes national campaign to lose weight (0)
• Gastric Bypass Surgery Less Helpful for Diabetics (0)
• Weight gain in adulthood increases risk of colon cancer in men (0)

Strokes are usually caused when the blood supply is either cut off or significantly reduced to the brain, cutting off the oxygen supply, which can leave those who survive paralyzed or significantly impaired and eventually lead to chronic disabilities. Physical rehabilitation and therapy is one aspect of treatment following a stroke.

In the August 29 issue of Stroke, the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers reported on their study, which showed walking on the treadmill can help stroke survivors walk again by rewiring the parts of the brain that control balance and motor skills. Seventy-one stroke victims, with an average age of 63, who had suffered strokes on average four years prior, were divided into two groups. Half of the patients walked on a treadmill at least three times a week for 40 minutes, over a six-month period, and the other half took on a stretching regime for the same amount of time. Some of those who participated in the treadmill regime had to be assisted by slings or tethers to be able to complete their exercise, due to stroke induced physical disabilities. The researchers with the University of Maryland and Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center measured their results in three categories: brain activity by MRIs, walking ability, and overall fitness. The treadmill group scored higher in all three categories.

The group that walked on the treadmill for the six months improved greatly even though half of the participants couldn’t walk unassisted when starting the study. The researchers said brain scans showed great improvement in the treadmill group, their walking velocity went up by 51 percent and cardiovascular performance also increased; walking velocity only increased 11 percent in the group who did traditional stretching and their cardio decreased. MRIs showed that blood flow to the brainstem also increased in those who walked on the treadmill.

Don’t believe that because you have paralysis after a stroke it is there to stay. The new study, performed by physicians at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center definitely proved otherwise. Currently, rehab only lasts for a short period of time post-stroke and the new study shows after regular rehab walking needs to be implemented as part of a regular exercise program for the stroke victims. Dr. Daniel Hanley, professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins, stated "The most important clinical aspect of the study is that it is saying recovery can occur long after a stroke and can occur even after all the routine therapies have been tried." He also stated "This is great news for stroke survivors because results clearly demonstrate that long-term stroke damage is not immutable and that with exercise it’s never too late for the brain and body to recover."

Related posts

• Octuplets doctor has another patient expecting quadruplets (0)
• Minor Heart Defect Can Cause Stroke After Sex (0)
• The undead (0)
• The Stink in Farts Controls Blood Pressure (0)
• The Science of Aphrodisiacs (0)

Exercise has the obvious benefits of helping you look and feel better. Make a habit of it, though, and you also could be doing something to improve your financial future.

In its most recent retirement confidence survey, the non-profit Employee Benefit Research Institute found that concerns about health-care costs outweighed worries over mortgage payments, debt and energy prices among both workers and retirees. It’s understandable:

– Health care’s growing expense Today, roughly 16 percent of the national gross domestic product is spent on health care, up from less than 14 percent a decade ago and 9 percent in 1980. Health insurance helps defray the expense, but insurers have been passing along costs too.

In 2007, for example, medical insurance premiums rose an average 6.1 percent, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit organization that researches health-care issues. Meanwhile, wages climbed an average of 3.7 percent.

And then, of course, there are the millions of people who lack coverage.

You can get a glimpse of just how much medical costs can be, with or without insurance, by going online to sites such as HealthGrades.com, which offers cost reports (for a fee) for 88 procedures and treatments.

Take gastric bypass surgery, which combats obesity by reducing the size of the stomach. The average list price at hospitals near San Diego was $34,379 in 2006.

Insurance companies, which are able to negotiate reduced prices, would have paid just under $15,000. But patients didn’t get off scot-free. The average co-pay: $3,728.

Exact costs will vary. Check if your insurer will provide an estimate. Today, some companies list prices for procedures online or provide detailed invoices of your claims history when you log in. — Preventive care

Even with insurance, many treatments don’t come cheap. So doing whatever you can to minimize the need for care could make a big difference to not only your health but also your savings.

There are a variety of preventive strategies for staying healthy: eating right, exercising, doing appropriate screenings, flossing your teeth and getting enough shut-eye, among others. The merits of each are endlessly debated, and their effectiveness subject to genetic makeup and luck.

"There is no guarantee of cost savings for an individual. The cost savings are really for a population," said Daniel Blumenthal, chairman of the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. "You could be obese and live to be 90 years old."

Broadly speaking, though, there is more to gain from preventive care than to lose.

In an article this year in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers wrote, "Preventable causes of death, such as tobacco smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity, and misuse of alcohol have been estimated to be responsible for 900,000 deaths annually, nearly 40 percent of total yearly mortality in the United States."

You can search for diets and fitness regimens online or in bookstores.

For advice on which screenings you should have, consult your physician or go to www.ahrq.gov/clinic/pocketgd.htm, a guide on preventive care from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Not all of the advice requires sacrifice or an upfront cost.

Linda Van Horn, acting chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said: "I have also heard that laughing is a good thing. It costs nothing but makes everything seem more tolerable."

Original Article:

Related posts

• Mexico pushes national campaign to lose weight (0)
• Vicks VapoRub Linked to Infant Breathing Problems (0)
• U.S. Chlamydia Infections Hit All-Time High (0)
• Two asthma drugs risky but Advair OK (0)
• Sports Drinks May Give Brain a Workout (0)