FDA Approves Blood Test That Gauges Heart Attack Risk

The screen is meant for people without history of heart disease, agency says.

  

Patients with Lp-PLA2 activity greater than the level of 225 nanomoles per minute per milliliter are at increased risk for heart attacks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a new blood test that can help determine a person's future odds for heart attack and other heart troubles.
The test is designed for people with no history of heart disease, and it appears to be especially useful for women, and black women in particular, the agency said.
"A cardiac test that helps better predict future coronary heart disease risk in women, and especially black women, may help health care professionals identify these patients before they experience a serious [heart disease] event, like a heart attack," Alberto Gutierrez, director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an agency news release.

Read More

Yoga May Cut Heart Disease Risk Factors

Review found those who took yoga classes saw improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol, weight.

Yoga has long been believed to improve overall health, but a growing body of evidence shows the ancient practice may also help the heart, a new review finds.
In fact, the benefits were similar to those of conventional exercise such as brisk walking, said lead researcher Paula Chu, a doctoral candidate at Harvard University's Health Policy Program in Boston.
The review, of 37 clinical trials, found that people randomly assigned to take yoga classes saw improvements in their weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.
"This finding suggests that [people] who are physically limited in some way do not have to 'pound the pavement' in order to improve their cardiovascular risk profile," Chu said.
Still, studies so far have varied in quality and been relatively small and short-term, Chu's team reports in the Dec. 16 issue of the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Read More

Is BPA Bad for Your Heart?

Some evidence shows ill effects of the chemical, but the case is far from closed.

The container you use may expose you to the chemical known as BPA.

HIGHLIGHTS

Bisphenol-A (BPA) looks like estrogen to the body.

Early animal studies suggest BPA can affect heart function.

France will ban BPA from all products coming into direct contact with food as of 2015.

A new report, published in Hypertension in December 2014, links the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) from canned foods to spikes in blood pressure. The study has drawn attention to potential heart risks associated with the chemical.
You’ll find BPA in plastic bottles, food containers, the linings of cans, and even some cash register receipts. A 2005 study of the general U.S. population detected BPA in the urine of more than 95 percent of people tested.

Read More

Excess Weight May Help Heart Failure Patients

'Paradoxical' finding suggests fat is protective, but doctors add it's no excuse gain weight.

Obese heart-failure patients appear to live longer than people of normal weight who develop the disabling condition, a new study suggests.
Researchers tracked nearly 1,500 heart failure patients, most of whom were overweight or obese before their diagnosis. They found that 38 percent of obese and 45 percent of overweight patients died over 10 years, compared with 51 percent of normal-weight patients.
The difference held even if they also had other health issues such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Print a Coupon for Fortify™ Probiotics

Read More

What You Need to Know About Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell).

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (also called CLL) is a blood and bone marrow disease that usually gets worse slowly. CLL is the second most common type of leukemia in adults. It often occurs during or after middle age; it rarely occurs in children.
Normally, the body makes blood stem cells (immature cells) that become mature blood cells over time. A blood stem cell may become a myeloid stem cell or a lymphoid stem cell.
A myeloid stem cell becomes one of three types of mature blood cells:

Read More

All About Esophageal Cancer

Learn who is at risk for esophageal cancer and how to recognize the signs of this relatively uncommon cancer.

As you eat, you probably don't think much about how your food will get from your mouth to your stomach. But all the while, your body is at work in the fairly complex process that is digestion, and it all starts with your esophagus — the tube that carries the food into your stomach. And like many other parts of the body, the esophagus is susceptible to cancer.
There are two main types of esophageal cancer, squamous cell esophageal cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Squamous cell esophageal cancer, the most common type, affects the cells that form the interior lining of the esophagus. Esophageal adenocarcinoma develops in the tissues found in the base of the esophagus, nearest the stomach.
Risk Factors for Esophageal Cancer

Read More

What is Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer?

Oral, head, and neck cancer is a broad term that describes many different cancers that start in the head and neck. Learn about the different types and some common risk factors.

Most oral, head, and neck cancers begin in the cells that make up the moist tissues (mucosal surfaces) of the head and neck, including in the mouth, nose, and throat. Like other cancers, oral, head, and neck cancers occur when abnormal cells begin to grow and divide uncontrollably and form a mass, called a malignant tumor.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that 85 percent of oral, head, and neck cancers are linked to tobacco use. Men (age 50 or older) who use both tobacco and alcohol are at the highest risk.
Cancers of the brain, eye, thyroid, as well as the skin, bones, muscles and nerves of the head and neck are not included under the heading of "oral, head and neck" cancer.

Print a Coupon for Fortify™ Probiotics

Read More

What You Need to Know About Pancreatic Cancer

Cancer Cells

Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the pancreas and the other organs of the body.
Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When normal cells grow old or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.
Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body doesn’t need them, and old or damaged cells don’t die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

Print a Coupon for Fortify™ Probiotics

Read More

Learning About Different Types of Skin Cancer

Get an overview of common forms of skin cancer, including basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma as well as the potentially more deadly melanoma.

Many people know that skin cancer is something they should be concerned about, especially as it's becoming increasingly common. But while most have probably heard about the dangers of skin melanoma, they may not be as aware of the other skin cancer types, which can also be harmful and require prevention, screening, and treatment.
Skin Cancer Types
The most common forms of skin cancer are:

Read More

Should Men Drink More Alcohol and Less Coffee for Infertility Treatment?

Mild alcohol use by would-be fathers might help boost the odds of pregnancy through in vitro fertilization.

A recent study suggests male beverage consumption of coffee or alcohol may make a difference with infertility treatment.

Monday, October 20, 2014

A man's love of coffee could hamper the success of a couple's infertility treatment, a small new study suggests.
But mild alcohol use by would-be fathers might help boost the odds of pregnancy through in vitro fertilization, the findings indicate.
The Boston researchers aren't ready to encourage men enrolled in IVF to cut coffee consumption and have an extra beer with dinner. Still, these preliminary results were "definitely surprising," said study co-author Dr. Jorge Chavarro, an assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

"We'd like to follow up and see if it replicates in other populations, such as other couples who are trying to conceive naturally," he said.

Read More

Weight Gain Hits Women After Marriage, Men After Divorce

Researchers say married women may become more sedentary, while divorced men lose marriage's health benefits.

Monday, August 22, 2011 (HealthDay News) — Tying or untying the knot seems to affect men's and women's waistlines differently: A new study shows that women are more apt to pile on excess pounds after marriage, while men add the weight after a divorce.
"Clearly, the effect of marital transitions on weight changes differs by gender," lead author Dmitry Tumin, a doctoral student in sociology at Ohio State University, said in a university news release.
His team looked at weight gain in the two years following a marriage or divorce among more than 10,000 people in the United States surveyed from 1986 to 2008.

Print a Coupon for Fortify™ Probiotics

Read More

Burning Calories With Everyday Activities

Watch TV or mow the lawn? The difference in calories burned is staggering.

If the thought of working up a sweat on the treadmill at the gym to burn calories doesn't appeal to you, you'll be happy to know that you can burn plenty of calories just by doing everyday activities.
"Research shows that people who are physically active during the day can burn an extra 300 calories per day," says Pete McCall, MS, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. "Over 12 days, that can add up to an extra pound of weight loss," he says.
Burning Calories: The "NEAT" Way
McCall says that these extra 300 calories per day can come from what is called non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, which accounts for the energy that you expend when you are not sleeping, eating, or doing structured physical activities like jogging or sports.

Read More

Burning Calories at the Gym

"Calories burned" readings on gym equipment are only estimates, but they provide a pretty good measure, depending on how honest you are with your information.

You finish your workout on the treadmill and the machine reads 300 calories. But how do you know if that number is truly accurate? Experts say there's a good chance it's not.
Burning Calories at the Gym: Crunching the Numbers
At the end of your workout, most cardio machines provide you with the number of calories you burned. Keep in mind though that this reading is an estimate — and often an overestimate — and should not be taken as gospel. "If you see that you expended 300 calories for a workout, there is probably about a 10 percent margin of error," says Pete McCall, MS, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. "The number you see on the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, stair climber, etc., is just an estimate, but it is a relatively accurate estimate. It is based on what is called metabolic equivalents, or METs, which refers to how much oxygen your body uses."
McCall says that one MET is equal to 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of your body weight per minute. This is the amount of oxygen your body requires at rest. When you work harder (e.g., when you exercise), your body burns more METs. "Your body has to expend energy to use oxygen. If you're running, your body needs more oxygen and your body spends more energy," McCall says.

Print a Coupon for Fortify™ Probiotics

Read More

The Truth About Zero-Calorie Food

Are there foods so low in calories that it takes as many (or more) calories to digest them as they contain? That is the myth behind diets that claim weight loss through "zero-calorie" or "negative-calorie" foods.
It would certainly make dieting easier if we could munch on calorie-free foods all day. But other than water and diet beverages, there is unfortunately no such thing as a zero-calorie or negative-calorie food, according to Kimberly Lummus, MS, RD, Texas Dietetic Association media representative and public relations coordinator for the Austin Dietetic Association in Austin, Texas.

Read More

The 411 on Calories

Find out how many calories you need to keep your body fueled and fit.

If you're interested in nutrition or weight loss, you no doubt pay a lot of attention to calories. But do you know what exactly calories are, and how many you really need?
Calories: The Good, the Bad, and the Empty
There is really no such thing as "good" or "bad" calories. "Your body processes each calorie the same," says Kimberly Lummus, MS, RD, Texas Dietetic Association media representative and public relations coordinator for the Austin Dietetic Association in Austin, Texas. But Lummus adds that some foods are far more nutritious than others. "We strive to make our calories the most nutrient-dense that we can, meaning that we are packing in a lot of nutrition for a very small amount of calories. You are optimizing your calorie budget, so to speak."
While calories get a negative rap when it comes to weight control, calories are actually an important source of fuel you cannot live without. "Your body needs calories for energy," says Lummus. Calories are the force behind everything we do, including eating, sleeping, and breathing.

Print a Coupon for Fortify™ Probiotics

Read More

Immunity to many types of flu viruses boosted by seasonal flu vaccines

Seasonal flu vaccines may protect individuals not only against the strains of flu they contain but also against many additional types, according to a study published this week in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The work, directed by researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., found that some study participants who reported receiving flu vaccines had a strong immune response not only against the seasonal H3N2 flu strain from 2010, when blood samples were collected for analysis, but also against flu subtypes never included in any vaccine formulation.

The finding is exciting "because it suggests that the seasonal flu vaccine boosts antibody responses and may provide some measure of protection against a new pandemic strain that could emerge from the avian population," said senior study author Paul G. Thomas, PhD, an Associate Member in the Department of Immunology at St. Jude. "There might be a broader extent of reactions than we expected in the normal human population to some of these rare viral variants."

Read More

Could a hug a day keep infection at bay?

When feeling down, a hug from a friend or a loved one can really lift those spirits. But a new study finds hugging may do more than make us feel better emotionally; it could help protect against viruses, such as the common cold.

Hugging was found to play a role in protecting study participants against a common cold virus, while more frequent hugging was linked to lower severity of symptoms.

Lead author Sheldon Cohen and colleagues, of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, found that frequent hugging - alongside good social support - may lower stress-induced susceptibility to infection, preventing or reducing the risk of illness.

The study - published in the journal Psychological Science - stemmed from the idea that hugging provides social support, as it represents having a close relationship with another person.

Read More

Physical activity linked to lower death risk in men with localized prostate cancer

A Round 1 in 7 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. But a new study suggests men with localized prostate cancer could reduce their risk of all-cause and prostate cancer-specific mortality simply by exercising more.

Walking or cycling for 20 minutes a day or more was found to lower the risk of death for men with localized prostate cancer.

The researchers - including Stephanie Bonn of the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden - publish their findings in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 233,000 new cases of prostate cancer will have been diagnosed this year, and almost 30,000 men will have died from the disease.

Past studies have suggested that physical activity may reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. But Bonn and colleagues say very few studies have investigated the effects of exercise following a prostate cancer diagnosis.

"The aim of this study," the researchers explain, "was to investigate the effect of physical activity after a prostate cancer diagnosis on both overall and prostate cancer-specific mortality in a large cohort."

Read More

Scientists map out how medulloblastoma relapse

Researchers have discovered the unique genetic paths that the childhood brain tumour medulloblastoma follows when the disease comes back, according to research* published in Cancer Cell.

The study - funded by Cancer Research UK, Action Medical Research and others** - shows that taking an extra tumour sample at recurrence, when there are no effective therapies, could identify subsets of patients that might be treatable with existing drugs that target the genetic faults.

The scientists, based at Newcastle University and The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), looked at biopsies from the relapsed tumours of 29 patients. They found a range of changes that only appeared when the disease returned and were responsible for the cancer becoming more aggressive.

One particular combination of two genetic faults was common among a number of different subtypes, accounting for a very aggressive form of the disease.

The researchers then looked for ways to treat relapsed medulloblastomas in mice and were able to slow the growth of the tumour with an experimental drug that targets one of the faults.

Professor Steve Clifford, joint lead researcher based at Newcastle University, said: "Our study shows that we need to understand and treat relapsed medulloblastoma in a completely new way. It's clear that new biopsies need to be taken when the disease returns to give doctors a clearer picture of the best and most appropriate treatment."

Read More

New cancer report shows need to reduce disparities and address growth in patient numbers

A new report on cancer incidence and mortality in Australia highlights the urgent need to address disparities in treatment outcomes and prepare for an increasing number of cancer patients, Cancer Council has said.

Cancer Council Australia CEO, Professor Ian Olver, said Cancer in Australia 2014, released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, showed a continuation of recent trends, with improved overall survival mixed with barriers for specific groups.

"The report shows that around 67% of Australians diagnosed with cancer can expect to be alive in five years, which reflects improvements in prevention, early detection and treatment," Professor Olver said.

"While this is good news, the report also highlights the relatively slow progress in improving outcomes for specific population groups. For example, Indigenous Australians are far more likely to be diagnosed with cancers of the cervix, liver and lung than non-Indigenous Australians.

"To close that gap in the cancer burden, we need to reduce the impact of hepatitis infection on liver cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, help to ensure Indigenous women benefit more from the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer and do a lot more to cut smoking rates in Indigenous communities."

Read More