Physical Activity News and Research

RSS

Healthways, BCBSNC to offer SilverSneakers to Blue Medicare HMO and PPO members

In a continuing effort to promote well-being and prevention to its older-adult members, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and Healthways, the leading well-being improvement company, have agreed to offer the award-winning SilverSneakers Fitness Program to BCBSNC's eligible Blue Medicare Supplement members beginning June 1, 2011.

23 May 2011

Cross-disciplinary fall prevention programs for visually impaired older adults

For older adults, a fall can pose a serious health risk. Add in blindness or visual impairment, and the possibility of a fall increases. The approach of "it takes a village" can be applied to reducing the risk of a fall. Cross-disciplinary fall prevention programs that address multiple risk factors have been shown to be effective.

21 May 2011

Coordinated efforts required to close gaps in preventive behavior: American Cancer Society

A new report from the American Cancer Society details cancer control efforts and outlines improvements as well as gaps in preventive behavior that contribute to cancer mortality.

21 May 2011

Osteoarthritis directly linked to low-fat, high-carb food

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease and the most common cause of disability today. It was once considered a problem of the old but it is now commonly diagnosed in those as young as the mid-twenties and early thirties. According to the Arthritis Foundation, about four million, quality-adjusted life years are lost due to knee osteoarthritis alone.

20 May 2011

Consumption of dairy products does not increase heart attack risk

Dairy products can be high in harmful saturated fat but not necessarily in risk to the heart. A newly published analysis of thousands of adults in Costa Rica found that their levels of dairy consumption had nothing to do statistically with their risk of a heart attack.

19 May 2011

Pregnant women warned not to eat for two: Study

According to health experts, there is a “life-long obesity risk of 'eating for two' in pregnancy”. The common advice is reinforced by the results of a study that followed women for a number of years.

19 May 2011

High weight gain during pregnancy can put women at increased risk of becoming obese later in life

Gaining more than the recommended weight during pregnancy can put women at increased risk of becoming obese and developing related health problems, including high blood pressure, later in life.

19 May 2011

Study links video game playing with increased food intake in kids

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that almost 18% of US teens are obese. Although most experts agree that our growing obesity "epidemic" is driven by both inadequate physical activity and excessive caloric intake, implementing solutions is extraordinarily difficult.

18 May 2011

American Heart Association recognizes NIC as Platinum-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company

NIC, a leading provider of online government services, is one of only two Kansas City metro companies to be recognized as a Platinum-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company by the American Heart Association's Start! initiative for helping employees eat better and move more.

17 May 2011

High IGF-I hormone levels linked with better long-term recovery after stroke

Insulin-like growth factor I, IGF-I, is a hormone that is found in the blood and contributes to, among other things, growth and bone mass. The levels of this hormone are higher in people who exercise regularly and those with good health. Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy have shown for the first time that high levels of this hormone are associated with better long-term recovery after a stroke.

17 May 2011

HealthPartners prescribes walking or exercise for patients with depression

Giving pedometers to patients screened for depression, HealthPartners Medical Group (HPMG) is prescribing walking or exercise in addition to medication and/or therapy as an effective tool in helping patients with depression.

17 May 2011

Six-minute walking distance test effectively determines disease severity in COPD

The six-minute walking distance test, a test that measures a patient's ability to tolerate exercise and physical activity, is an effective tool for understanding disease severity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a three-year global study of patients with COPD sponsored by drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline.

16 May 2011

Vitamin D may improve exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength in COPD patients

Vitamin D supplements may help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) get more from their pulmonary rehabilitation programs, according to a study conducted by researchers from Belgium.

16 May 2011

Study links physical inactivity with high risk of cardiovascular disease in young children

Even healthy children as young as nine-years-old can start to show an increased risk of future heart problems if they are physically inactive, according to a study in the May issue of Acta Paediatrica.

12 May 2011

Being mildly overweight benefits ALS patients

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, may be an exception to the rule that being overweight is a health hazard. In a retrospective study of over 400 ALS patients, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers found that those who were mildly obese survived longer than patients who were normal weight, underweight or even overweight.

12 May 2011

New risk factors that may trigger stroke: Sex, coffee and anger

According to a new study people who have a Brain Aneurysm may be at a higher risk of stroke while drinking coffee, having sex or even getting angry. Although the risk is extremely small, people who have aneurysms should be careful, said Dr Sahil Parikh, assistant professor of medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Centre in Cleveland. “For those patients who do have aneurysms, it would be advisable to avoid those behaviours,” said Parikh, who’s familiar with the study findings.

11 May 2011

Breast cancer linked to lifestyle & three new genes

According to the latest research as many as 20,000 British women could avoid developing breast cancer if they took more exercise, drank less and ate better. The World Cancer Research Fund recommends taking half an hour of physical exercise a day, limiting alcohol consumption to just one drink daily and losing weight.

8 May 2011

Researchers identify eight main triggers that appear to increase risk of brain aneurysm

From drinking coffee to having sex to blowing your nose, you could temporarily raise your risk of rupturing a brain aneurysm — and suffering a stroke, according to a study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

6 May 2011

Viewpoints: Gov. Daniels's reversal?; IPAB's Medicare fix; Texas Medicaid cuts

Centrist Republicans loved it when began urging the party to keep its eye on the deficit-reduction prize and stop obsessing about social issues. ... He then went home and announced that he would sign a bill to strip Planned Parenthood of Medicaid financing. ... Daniels's moderate fans thought abortion was precisely the issue he was calling on Republicans to set aside. Right now, the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives can barely talk about anything else.

6 May 2011

Staying up late and sleeping in can increase risk for gaining weight

Staying up late every night and sleeping in is a habit that could put you at risk for gaining weight. People who go to bed late and sleep late eat more calories in the evening, more fast food, fewer fruits and vegetables and weigh more than people who go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

5 May 2011