Nov
01
2005

More Is Not Always Better In Exercise

By | Fitness, Health, Men's Health, Stress management, Women’s Diseases

Physical activity and good nutrition are the keys for a healthy immune system. Dr. David Nieman, PhD, from the Appalachian State University of Boone, N.C. has found that exercise and nutrition play a strong role in boosting immunity. His past research showed that women who walked briskly for 30 to 45 minutes five days for 12 to 15 weeks had colds half as often as inactive women. This is true even for the aging population, where immunity tends to decline; some research has shown that fit elderly people have better-preserved immune systems.
It is tempting to conclude, that more exercise would lead to even better benefits, but the research results are quite different. Exercising for too long (beyond 90 minutes) appears to cause a steep drop in immune function that can last up to 24 hours. In the 1987 Los Angeles Marathon, Dr. Nieman surveyed 2,311 runners and found those who raced were six times more likely to get sick afterward compared with those who dropped out of the race for non-medical reasons. Runners who trained more than 96 km per week during the two months before a race doubled their chances for sickness compared with those who trained less than 36 km per week.
In lab tests on marathon runners who ran on a treadmill for 90 minutes to 3 hours at 80% aerobic capacity, the level of immune cells had decreased (neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer cells, T cells and B cells). All these players in the immune system leave the blood and concentrate on the effort to do repairs and maintenance on the muscles. As a result the front line soldiers are unavailable for defense when viruses are present.

More Is Not Always Better In Exercise

More Is Not Always Better In Exercise

The best strategies for active as well as not-so-active individuals remain similar.
-Minimize life stresses-mental and emotional.
-Avoid over training and chronic fatigue.
-Curb exercise if you have a fever or systemic infection.
-Eat a well-balanced diet with adequate energy.

More about fitness: http://nethealthbook.com/health-nutrition-and-fitness/fitness/

Reference: The Medical Post, October 11, 2005, page 19

Last edited October 29, 2014

Oct
01
2005

Men Expected to Catch Up On Life Expectancy

By | Cancer, Health, Men's Health, Obesity, Stress management

Life expectancy between the sexes has always been different: females generally outlive males by several years, but close observation from the Office of Health Economics in Great Britain shows a shift in Life expectancy. Males have been catching up, and their life expectancy rates have been rising faster than those of females. There is still a difference for a boy born in 2002. He will have a life expectancy of 76 years, whereas his sister will live to age 81.

Researchers believe that the reason for the shift is lifestyle change in females. Many of them now face the same workplace stress that has been traditionally shouldered by males. Detrimental habits are also more common in females. Heavy drinking in young females has more than tripled in the last 17 years, and 10% of young females exceed the recommended drinking limit (compared to 12% males). Non-smoking campaigns are less successful in women. Males have cut their smoking habits. 51% smoked in 1974, and by 2002 only 28 % were smokers. Female smokers amounted to 41 % in 1974, but by 2002 there were still 26 % smokers. The results show most dramatically in cancer statistics. Since 1973 lung cancer rates in men have been reduced to half and the lung cancer survival rate has increased. In comparison lung cancer in females during the same time period has increased by 45%. As a result of sedentary lifestyles the body mass index has also shown an increase.

Men Expected to Catch Up On Life Expectancy

Men Expected to Catch Up On Life Expectancy

Estimates showed that by the year 2010, life expectancy will likely converge for both sexes at an age of 81.

Reference: BMJ 2005; 331:656 (24 September)

Last edited December 6, 2012

Sep
01
2005

Environmental Toxins Harmful For Generations To Come

By | Cancer, Health, Men's Health, Women’s Diseases

It is a known fact that exposure to toxic substances during pregnancy can cause birth defects.
Investigators at the Center For Reproductive Biology of the University of Washington in Seattle examined the consequences of environmental toxins, which are also known as endocrine disruptors in their research. Dr. Michael K. Skinner led the study. The research team worked with rats, and they noticed that it was not only the first generation that was affected, but the effect persisted for as many as four generations later The substance they used in the experiment was either vinclozolin, an antiandrogenic compound commonly used as a pesticide in vineyards or methoxychlor, an estrogenic DDT replacement. Both pesticides are endocrine disruptors, as they interfere with the normal functioning of reproductive hormones. It was no surprise that ninety percent of male offspring that had been born to the exposed females had low sperm counts and reduced fertility.
The unexpected result showed up in the next generation. If these offspring were mated to unexposed females, they still had low sperm counts and reduced fertility. The effect persisted-completely unexpectedly- through all generations tested without further pesticide exposure. The researchers concluded that the toxins affected inheritance by altering patterns of DNA in the germ line. Genetic changes that are passed on for generations to come might play a role in more frequently occurring diseases such as breast cancer and prostate disease, as they may not be caused by genetic mutations.

Environmental Toxins Harmful For Generations To Come

Environmental Toxins Harmful For Generations To Come

This is also the first report that shows the menacing ability of an environmental factor to reprogram the germ line and promote a transgenerational disease pattern.

More information on environmental toxins: https://www.askdrray.com/protecting-yourself-from-environmental-toxins/

Reference: Parkhurst Exchange Volume 13,Number 6, August 2005, page 33

Last edited October 29, 2014

Jun
01
2005

Lose Fat With Omega-3 Fish Oil And Exercise

By | Health, Men's Health, Nutrition, Prevention, Weight loss, Women’s Diseases

Omega-3 fish oil has been recognized to have significant benefits for healthy blood vessels and heart health. Ideally fish, which is rich in omega-3 fats, should be eaten several times per week, and salmon, mackerel or sardines are excellent choices. Some individuals are not fond of these choices and do not get enough of omega-3 fats. There is still the alternative to take fish oil. Most people would cringe at the idea of swallowing a spoonful of cod liver oil, but fish oil, which can be taken encased in a gelatin capsule is no longer a “yuck” experience.
It is certainly worthwhile to take a closer look at omega-3 fish oil, as new research from Adelaide, Australia has come into the forefront, associating fish oil with health benefits. Dr. Peter Howe, PhD from the South Australian University’s School of Health Sciences supervised research on patients with metabolic syndrome. They were overweight, had high blood pressure, a high insulin level and high blood fat or triglyceride levels. The patients participated in a 12-week program, which not only included moderate aerobic exercise three times per week, but also the intake of fish oil or sunflower oil. A control group received sunflower oil combined with exercise. The difference was quite significant: those on a regimen of exercise and fish oil supplementation lost more body fat mass than those who were using sunflower oil and adhered to an exercise program.
Exercise alone and fish oil alone did not produce these effects. It was the combination that made the difference! The researchers state that omega-3 fatty acids cause a switch to enzymes that burn fat, but exercise is the driver, which increases the metabolic rate, so fat loss becomes possible. It was also found that the winning combination of fish oil and exercise promoted a decrease in blood pressure and triglyceride levels.

Lose Fat With Omega-3 Fish Oil And Exercise

Lose Fat With Omega-3 Fish Oil And Exercise

Dr. Howe noted that not only did it reduce body fat (weight loss mostly noticeable in the abdominal area), but also it was beneficial to the patients’ general health. It is the protective effect of omega-3 fish oil on blood vessels, which is making them more elastic and more efficient in transporting nutrients to the muscles.

More information of good and bad fatty acids: http://nethealthbook.com/health-nutrition-and-fitness/nutrition/fat-good-bad-fatty-acids/

Reference: The Medical Post, May 3, 2005, page 15

Last edited October 28, 2014

Apr
01
2005

Rapid HIV Tests – Not At Home

By | Infectious Disease, Men's Health, Women’s Diseases

Consumers beware: a company from Montreal is advertising do-it-yourself home diagnostic tests, and the US regulatory body (FDA 2005 safety alerts) has issued a warning, after consumers complained about the accuracy of the tests. The tests are not approved for sale in Canada, and a company that specializes in marketing and web design is marketing them. Even though some people feel more comfortable doing an HIV home test anonymously in the privacy of their home, they do well checking first, which tests are reliable, by looking up approved test kits on sites like Health Canada’s web page.The test kits in question are as follows:
-Rapid HIV test kit
-Rapid syphilis test kit
-One step cassette-style cocaine test
-One step cassette-style marijuana (THC) test
-One step cassette-style amphetamine test
-Rapid Dengue fever test
-One step midstream style HCG urine test
-Home pregnancy test.

Rapid HIV Tests - Not At Home

Rapid HIV Tests – Not At Home

Globus Media website has been down since the FDA advisory, and no one from the company has been available for comment.

More information about AIDS and HIV: http://nethealthbook.com/infectious-disease/sexually-transmitted-disease/aids-introduction/

Reference: National Review of Medicine, Canada, March 15, 2005, page 5

Last edited October 28, 2014

Feb
01
2005

Stress Incontinence Stopped with Stem Cells

By | Men's Health

About 30% of people over 60 suffer from urinary stress incontinence, a frustrating and embarrassing condition. It tends to occur, when the sphincter muscles that open and close the urethra become weak and diminished or when the urethra becomes narrowed. Urine leakage will occur, if a person coughs, sneezes, lifts heavy objects, exercises or laughs. For the patient it is no laughing matter, and neither surgery nor incontinence pads have proven to be the solution to the problem. Medication has been available, however with any medication, side effects remain a reality.

According to new research from The University of Innsbruck, Austria, a revolutionary treatment for stress incontinence has been developed. Dr. Ferdinand Frauscher presented findings at a meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago, which look very promising. The treatment involves the removal of stem cells from a patient’s arm, which are cultured for six weeks and then injected into the sphincter muscle and the wall of the urethra. To achieve this stem cell therapy a special three-dimensional transurethral ultrasound had to be developed, so researchers could see exactly where the new cells had to be placed. The therapy is minimally invasive and can be done under local anesthesia. The initial study involved 20 women with minor to severe stress incontinence. Many reported an improvement after only one day, and 18 remained continent one year after injection. Ultrasound findings showed a significant increase in the thickness of the urethra and the sphincter muscle.

Stress Incontinence Stopped with Stem Cells

Stress Incontinence Stopped with Stem Cells

The muscle also showed an improvement in contractibility. The cost of the procedure was comparable to other popular incontinence treatments, such as collagen injections and the long-term purchase of adult diapers.

At this point it is not known, when this treatment will become widely available in North America.

References: The Medical Post, January 4,2005, page 18

Last edited December 7, 2012

Jan
01
2005

PSA Screening For Prostate Cancer Not Obsolete

By | Cancer, Men's Health, Prevention

Like with any test there are false positive results, and the blood test called PSA (short for Prostate Specific Antigen) has received some criticism as a result. Negative comments likening it to “Shooting flies with a bazooka” have been voiced, and yet, statistics on the mortality due to prostate cancer tell a different story.

In recent years the mortality rate in North America is down by 25%, and part of it is due to PSA. Currently there is no more effective testing in place, so the alternative is not attractive. It is like going back to the bad old times, where men where diagnosed only, once the prostate cancer was advanced, had formed metastases, and hopes for a cure were remote. There are promising new tests under development which at one point in time will replace the PSA, but for now it’s still the best test available. The only other way to find prostate cancer is by doing a biopsy.

PSA Screening For Prostate Cancer Not Obsolete

PSA Screening For Prostate Cancer Not Obsolete

More info on prostate cancer prevention: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/prostate-cancer/prostate-cancer-prevention/

Reference: National Review Of Medicine, December 15, 2004, page 22

Last edited October 27, 2014

Nov
01
2004

Flax Seed A Source Of Omega 3

By | Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Men's Health, Nutrition, Vitamins and supplements, Women’s Diseases

Prevention has been gaining more momentum for public health as well as for the health conscious individual. Instead of looking at salvation from a slew of diseases like arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, and the complications from diabetes in the form of super pills, prevention looks a lot more promising.
Flax seed has been around for several thousand years, but it has been making a name for itself as part of healthy eating.

Its most important components are its fiber content, the alpha-linoleic acid, and the lignans. Eating flax seed helps to mop up cholesterol in the bowel, and studies have shown a drop in the “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. Duke University is publishing results that show flax seed to be helpful in blocking prostate cancer. A publication going back to August 2001 in the Archives of Ophthalmology point out the fact, that the omega-3 fatty acids, which are contained in flax seed, reduce the risk of macular degeneration. The same omega-3 fatty acids also have a favorable influence in the glucose response after a meal, a fact that is important for the prevention of diabetes.

It has to be mentioned at this point, that flax seed oil does not have all the benefits, as the fiber has been removed, and some of the benefits get lost as a result of the temperature used with processing. Also, just eating a spoon full of flax seeds will not be the answer, as flax seed is not fully used during digestion (the seeds are simply excreted in a bowel movement). To unlock the benefits it is best, to grind the seed.

Flax Seed A Source Of Omega 3

Flax Seed A Source Of Omega 3

A coffee mill does the job well enough, and freshly ground seeds are better than the pre-ground variety that has been sitting around in the bin of a store for some time. Two teaspoons of ground flax seed mixed with some yogurt and fruit makes for a good starter in the morning or an easy evening snack. A slice of flax seed bread does not give you the benefits; remember that heat during cooking or baking destroys the key components.
The nice part about flax seed is the fact, that it is inexpensive, plentiful, has no adverse side effects*, and it is the ounce of prevention which is readily available to you.

More info on Omega-3: http://nethealthbook.com/news/inflammation-extinguished-omega-3/

Reference: The Medical Post, October 12, 2004, page 13

* Comments (added Aug.28, 2005): Despite the Duke University study cited above there are disturbing news from a 14 year follow-up prospective study that has been confirmed by other studies showing that there are side-effects. This study showed that in males there is a 2-fold risk of developing invasive prostate cancer when flax seed was the supplement used. As flax seed contains alpha-linolenic acid (=ALA) and fish oil contains eicosapentaenoic acid (=EPA), there are striking differences of action that have not yet been defined in more detail. The same study showed that over 14 years EPA (when mixed with DHA) lowered the risk of getting invasive prostate cancer by 26%. Until it is known more how flax seed works, it likely is wiser to to take a molecularly distilled EPA/DHA supplement daily as this also reduces the cardiovascular risk, but at the same time prevents cancer.

Last edited October 27, 2014

Sep
01
2004

Second Hand Cigarette Smoke Kills

By | Cancer, Heart Disease, Men's Health, Women’s Diseases

A recent publication in the British Medical Journal was reviewed in the Aug.10 issue of The Medical Post. The study was concerning detailed census data from New Zealand where two cohorts of the population were compared in 1981 and 1996.

The 1981 study involved 286,796 people, the 1996 study involved 382,462 people. Both cohorts were further classified into exposure to second hand smoke and non-exposure meaning that they lived in a smoke-free home (controls). I have elected to show the results in a graph below for ease of reference. The authors Dr. Tony Blakely and others from the University of Otago had followed each cohort for 3 years and recorded death rates (mortality rates) for each of the subgroups.

They pointed out that there was a 15% increase in premature death for those exposed to second hand smoke when compared to the controls who were not exposed.

Comments: 1. The mortality in the 1996 study (in blue bars in the graph below) for males is what the authors quoted (15.1%). However, for females, the death rate was even higher with regard to exposure to second hand smoke: mortality was 26.7% higher when the exposed group is compared to the controls.

Second Hand Cigarette Smoke Kills

Second Hand Cigarette Smoke Kills

2. The 1981 study (green bars in the graph below) had a much higher overall mortality than the overall mortality in the 1996 study (blue bars). This likely is due to the 15 year interval between the two study groups and the fact that during that time in New Zealand as in many other industrialized countries the death rate from cigarette smoke exposure has declined significantly.

One such study indicates a reduction between 1981 and 1997 of 38% in all preventable deaths, which includes death as a result of exposure to cigarette smoke. The average death rate reduction in the New Zealand study over the 15 years was 31.7% for men and 29.35% for women when the exposed groups and control groups were pooled.

3. The controls and the relationship of the subgroups within the 1996 study (the blue bars in the graph below) were very consistent , but were not consistent within the 1981 study (green bars).

For instance, the controls of death rates should always be smaller in both males and females when compared to the groups that were exposed to second hand cigarette smoke. In the 1996 study this was the case, but in the 1981 study this was not the case. This may indicate that there were other negative factors included in the 1981 study leading to premature death or that the controls were simply also exposed to cigarette smoke in the past.

Mortalitiy Rates (%) Resulting From Exposure to Second Hand Smoke in New Zealand Study
 Second Hand Cigarette Smoke Kills1

Conclusion: This is an important study as it is based on large numbers and it shows that even relatively small concentrations of cigarette smoke in the environment make a measurable difference in terms of death rates among the population. It also confirms the fact that the death toll has been reduced by about 30% in the population within 15 years (between 1981 and 1996), because many people have quit smoking during that time period and this is measurable as indicated above (green bars higher on average than blue bars).

More info on:

Heart attacks: http://nethealthbook.com/cardiovascular-disease/heart-disease/heart-attack-myocardial-infarction-or-mi/

Lung cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/lung-cancer/

Reference: The Medical Post, Aug. 10, 2004, page 48

Last edited October 27, 2014

Jul
01
2004

Insomnia Sufferers Will Get Help

By | Health, Men's Health, Women’s Diseases

People with chronic insomnia not only have difficulties to get a good rest at night. If they reach for the currently available sleeping medications, their days start with a drug-induced mild “hangover”: they feel drowsy for a few hours, and once they discontinue the medication, withdrawal can be a problem.

A new medication by the name of indiplon to treat chronic insomnia will be a safer, more effective form of medicine for patients with sleep disorders, reports Dr. James Walsh (PhD). He is an executive director and senior scientist at St. Luke’s Hospital and the Unity Sleep Medicine Center in St. Louis. Dr. Walsh reports that the new medication has a very short half-life, meaning, that it is out of the body, by the time the patient wakes up in the morning. A 35-day trial showed that it is not only safe and effective, but also suitable to treat patients who have trouble falling asleep and those who have trouble sleeping through the night.
More studies are needed, before the medication will be available in the U.S. (conditional approved in 2007 in the US, see link above) and in Canada. Here is a more extensive review regarding this complex new sleeping pill.

Reference: The Medical Post, May 25, 2004, pg. 16

Insomnia Sufferers Will Get Help

Insomnia Sufferers Will Get Help

Comment on Nov. 5, 2012: It appears that there are problems with long-term safety studies that were never completed. I would suggest to stick to over-the-counter melatonine proparations in the 1 mg to 3 mg range. Melatonine is safe as it is a body hormone. Prescription hypnotics (as sleeping pills are called) are problematic as they do not fit into the body chemistry receptor-wise. No problems there with melatonine.

Last edited December 8, 2012