Exercise can improve colon cancer survival

 

An exercise programme for colon cancer patients can cut the risk of dying by a third.

The researchers said it was "not a large amount" of exercise and any type of workout from swimming to salsa classes counted.

In this trial, the three-year exercise programme started soon after chemotherapy. The aim was to get the survey participants doing at least double the amount of exercise set out in the guidelines for the general population.

That could be three-to-four sessions of brisk walking a week, lasting 45-60 minutes, Prof Vicky Coyle from Queen's University Belfast said. 

Exercising besides can reduce fatigue, lift people's mood and boost their physical strength, it was found that 80% of respondents exercising remained cancer-free, meaning a 28% reduction in the risk of the cancer coming back, or a new one forming, after five years.

While eight years after the initial cancer treatment, 10% of respondents on the exercise programme died, compared with 17% in the group given only health advice, marking a 37% lower risk of death.

Exactly why exercise has this beneficial effect is unknown, but ideas include the impact on growth hormones, inflammation levels in the body and how the immune system functions - which patrols the body for cancer.

Dr Joe Henson, from the University of Leicester, said the results were "exciting".

He added: "We know that physical activity regulates several key biological processes that could explain these results, and further research will help us uncover why exercise is having such a positive impact."

In fact, scientists are already investigating whether similar exercise regimes could improve survival for people with other diseases, such as breast cancer.

Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's and Dementia

 

Dementia is a general term describing a decline in cognitive abilities that affect a person's ability to think, remember and perform everyday tasks.

Alzheimer's is a specific type of dementia characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. It is a disease in the brain that causes cognitive decline, eventually leading to dementia. It is characterized by the build-up of abnormal proteins (amyloid plaques and tau tangles) in the brain.

Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia.

Early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's and Dementia include:

Memory loss that disrupts daily life

One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s disease, especially in the early stage, is forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events, asking the same questions over and over, and increasingly needing to rely on memory aids (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.

Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.

Challenges in planning or solving problems

Some people living with changes in their memory due to Alzheimer's or other dementia may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may also have difficulty in concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before.

Difficulty completing familiar tasks

Often, they find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes they may have trouble driving to a familiar location, organizing a grocery list or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

Confusion with time or place

They can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.

Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

They could experience vision changes. This may lead to difficulty with balance or trouble reading. They may also have problems judging distance and determining color or contrast, causing issues with driving. 

Problems in speaking or writing

They may have trouble following or joining a conversation, may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves.

As a result of experiencing changes in the ability to hold or follow a conversation, they may withdraw from hobbies, social activities or other engagements. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite team or activity.

Also, they may struggle with vocabulary, have trouble naming a familiar object or use the wrong name (e.g., calling a "watch" a "hand-clock").

Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

They may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. He or she may accuse others of stealing, especially as the disease progresses.

Decreased or poor judgment

May experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money or pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean.

Changes in mood and personality

May experience mood and personality changes. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, with friends or when out of their comfort zone.

Overall, if you notice one or more signs in yourself or another person, get checked. Early detection matters.

Your Face Wrinkles appear at the Age of 44

 

44 is the average age that people begin to notice the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Before the age of 44, the most common skin issues are spots and breakouts, dry skin and blackheads. Once we reach 44, wrinkles, fine lines and signs of ageing becoming the primary skin concerns.

According to the customer survey of over 300 women and men, the average age we start to notice fine lines, wrinkles and signs of ageing is 44. Our body ages most rapidly between 44 and 60

“We’re not just changing gradually over time. There are some really dramatic changes,” said Prof Michael Snyder, a geneticist and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University and senior author of the study.

“It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s – and that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at.”

Researchers assessed the changes of 135,000 different molecules (RNA, proteins and metabolites) and microbes (the bacteria, viruses and fungi living in the guts and on the skin of the participants).

The abundance of most molecules and microbes did not shift in a gradual, chronological fashion. The transformations tended to occur when people were in their mid-40s and early 60s in both women and men.

“This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes observed in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women,” said Dr Xiaotao Shen, a former postdoctoral scholar at Stanford medical school and first author of the study.

The first wave of changes included molecules linked to cardiovascular disease and the ability to metabolise caffeine, alcohol and lipids. The second wave of changes included molecules involved in immune regulation, carbohydrate metabolism and kidney function. Molecules linked to skin and muscle ageing changed at both time points.

The pattern fits with previous evidence that the risk of many age-related diseases does not increase incrementally, with Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease risk showing a steep uptick after 60. It is also possible that some of the changes could be linked to lifestyle or behavioural factors. For instance, the change in alcohol metabolism could result from an uptick in consumption in people’s mid-40s, which can be a stressful period of life.

The findings could help target interventions, such as increasing exercise during periods of more rapid muscle loss, the authors said. 

“I’m a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we’re still healthy,” Snyder said.

Boosting Potassium, Not Just Cutting Sodium - Best Way to Lower Blood Pressure

 

Adding more potassium to the diet could be an easier, more effective way to lower blood pressure than cutting salt alone. The study was published in the American Journal of Physiology–Renal Physiology.

“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less sodium,” study author Anita Layton, professor of applied mathematics, computer science, pharmacy and biology at the University of Waterloo in Canada, said.

The new research, however, “suggests that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium,” Layton said.

Ultimately, researchers found more dietary potassium helped lower blood pressure, even with “high” or “normal” levels of sodium intake—whenever potassium went up, regardless of sodium levels, blood pressure went down.

Men were more likely to have a greater reduction in blood pressure after increasing their potassium-to-sodium ratio than premenopausal women.

As a matter of fact, when you consume too much sodium, more water gets drawn into the blood vessels, swelling the blood volume. This makes your blood pressure increase, which can damage the vessels’ walls and lead to the buildup of plaque in your arteries. This stunts healthy blood flow and stresses your heart over time.

Potassium has the opposite effect: It relaxes the walls of the blood vessels, reducing the tension in your arteries so blood can circulate more easily, said Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian.

“One of the ways sodium and potassium work in tandem is through the kidneys,” Routhenstein said.

The kidneys have specialized proteins, called transporters, that use potassium to funnel sodium out of the body through your urine. Basically, the more potassium you eat, the less sodium you retain.

Thus potassium helps by relaxing blood vessels and assisting the kidneys in flushing out excess sodium. And boosting potassium lowers blood pressure more effectively than cutting sodium alone.

Good sources of potassium include apricots, bananas, lentils, potatoes, spinach, salmon and yogurt.

Bananas get all the glory, with one medium fruit serving up 422 milligrams of potassium.

The American Heart Association recommends a daily intake of 3,500 to 5,000 milligrams of potassium to treat high blood pressure.

Most adults do not get anywhere close to that amount, said Routhenstein. (At a minimum, men should aim for at least 3,400 milligrams of potassium per day, while women should shoot for at least 2,600 milligrams.)

Increase your potassium intake slowly as many potassium-rich foods are also high in fiber. Too much of that too quickly can cause GI distress like gas and bloating, and maybe even dramatic shifts in your blood pressure.

The American Heart Association, on the other hand, suggests limiting daily sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams, especially if you have high blood pressure. And also do your best to spread your intake throughout the day, rather than eating it all at once.

Although pairing that with 4,700 milligrams of potassium, the potassium to sodium ratio is 2:1, Routhenstein said there is no “golden” potassium-to-sodium ratio that is recommended for everyone. Your health history, lifestyle and dietary needs all play a role in how much of each mineral you should eat per day.