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Study uses cardiac CT to detect presence of blocked arteries in older marathoners

A study of marathon participants older than 50 years of age has found similar temporary effects as those found in runners between 18 and 40 years of age. Any cardiac abnormalities during a marathon disappear within a week after completing a race.

22 Aug 2012

Efforts to tackle excess weight among disadvantaged groups are urgently needed

The authors say further efforts to tackle these risk factors, particularly excess weight, among disadvantaged groups are urgently needed.

22 Aug 2012

Study analyzes association between antibiotic use and body mass starting in infancy

Treating very young infants with antibiotics may predispose them to being overweight in childhood, according to a study of more than 10,000 children by researchers at the NYU School of Medicine and the NYU Wagner School of Public Service and published in the online August 21, 2012, issue of the International Journal of Obesity.

22 Aug 2012

Tips to help alleviate confusion about when to choose water and sports drinks

With all the different sports drinks on the market, it can be hard to decide whether to reach for a sports drink or water to quench your thirst. In most cases, water will meet your hydration needs, according to Brooke Schantz, a Loyola University Health System registered dietitian and certified specialist in sports dietetics.

21 Aug 2012

Researchers examine link between zoning code reforms and physical-activity among U.S. adults

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have received a $1.5 million federal grant to examine the relationship between zoning code reforms, the physical environment, and physical-activity behavior in communities throughout the U.S.

21 Aug 2012

People with no dementia symptoms and high protein levels more likely to avoid the disease

People who are free of dementia and have high levels of a protein that indicates the presence of inflammation have relatives who are more likely to avoid the disease as well, according to a new study published in the August 15, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Aug 2012

Study tracks effects of heavy PAE on growth and body composition throughout childhood

Although studies of alcohol's effects on fetal growth have consistently demonstrated deficits that persist through infancy, the data on long-term postnatal growth from human studies have been inconsistent. A new study of the effects of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on growth and body composition throughout childhood has found growth restrictions that persist through to nine years of age, as well as a delay in weight gain during infancy, both of which were exacerbated by iron deficiency.

16 Aug 2012

Physical activity effective in reducing sclerostin in premenopausal women

A study to be published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) suggests that physical activity for premenopausal women is very effective in reducing sclerostin-a known inhibitor of bone formation. In addition, physical training enhances IGF-1levels, which have a very positive effect on bone formation.

16 Aug 2012

Calorie Calculator can help assess impact of health policy choices on childhood obesity

Dieters often use online calorie calculators to stay true to their weight-loss plan. Translating the concept to the population health arena, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health created the Caloric Calculator to help policymakers, school district administrators, and others assess the potential impact of health policy choices on childhood obesity.

16 Aug 2012

Yo-yo dieting does not negatively affect metabolism or ability to lose weight long term

Yo-yo dieting - the repetitive loss and regain of body weight, also called weight cycling - is prevalent in the Western world, affecting an estimated 10 percent to 40 percent of the population. The degree to which weight cycling may impact metabolism or thwart a person's ability to lose weight in the long run has been unclear - until now.

16 Aug 2012

Healthy lifestyle provides stroke prevention across hypertensive states

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle significantly decreases the risk for stroke in both men and women who differ in their hypertension status and use of antihypertensive drug treatments, a study shows.

15 Aug 2012

Cardiac benefit of exercise proves better late than never

Even individuals who start exercising for 2.5 hours per week in their late 40s and 50s have better cardiovascular health than those who do not adhere to an exercise regimen, say researchers.

15 Aug 2012

Poorer motor coordination found in children with sedentary lifestyles

Children who spend more than three-quarters of their time engaging in sedentary behaviour, such as watching TV and sitting at computers, have up to nine times poorer motor coordination than their more active peers, reveals a study published in the American Journal of Human Biology.

15 Aug 2012

NICE guidelines for diabetes prevention welcomed by EKF Diagnostics

EKF Diagnostics welcomes the recent release of a public health guidance document1 to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in high risk individuals.

From EKF Diagnostics 15 Aug 2012

Depressed cardiac patients at added risk

Coronary artery disease patients may have an increased risk for peripheral arterial disease if they are depressed, study findings show.

14 Aug 2012

State roundup: Fla. groups ask Gov. for essential benefits hearings

In a reversal of a law passed 4 years ago, physicians in Massachusetts will now be allowed to accept "modest" meals and refreshments provided by pharmaceutical or medical device companies.

13 Aug 2012

Twelve states currently have adult obesity rate above 30%

Twelve states currently have an adult obesity rate above 30 percent, according to a new analysis released today by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

13 Aug 2012

Researchers discover gene mutations linked to spinocerebellar ataxia

A global hunt for the cause of a crippling inherited nerve disorder has found its target. The discovery opens the door for better diagnosis and treatment of this particular disease - but also for better understanding of why nerves in the brain's movement-controlling center die, and how new DNA-mapping techniques can find the causes of other diseases that run in families.

13 Aug 2012

Maternal obesity and neonatal death: an interview with Dr. Jenny Cresswell

It is important to say that levels of maternal obesity in sub-Saharan Africa are low by global standards, but obesity is projected to increase over the next two decades.

13 Aug 2012

Smartphone app can combat ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity

To combat the ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity, two Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing students, Janna Stephens, RN, BSN, and Michelle Brei, APRN, CPNP, are using smartphones and websites to engage and invite young audiences.

12 Aug 2012