This simple fitness test might predict how long you'll live
A simple test of your balance, strength and flexibility, known as the sitting-rising test, could be an early indicator of how long you'll live, according to a large-scale new study of mobility and mortality.
The study, published Wednesday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, looked at how well 4,282 men and women aged between 46 and 75 could lower themselves from a standing position to the floor and then stand back up again with as little assistance as possible from their hands, knees, furniture or human helpers.
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alcohol linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer: Study
Alcoholic beverages, particularly beer and spirits, may increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a new study led by the UN World Health Organization. The research, which pooled data from nearly 2.5 million people across Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, revealed a 'modest but significant' link between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer risk, regardless of sex or smoking status. 'Alcohol consumption is a known carcinogen, but until now, the evidence linking it specifically to pancreatic cancer has been considered inconclusive,' said Pietro Ferrari, senior author of the study and head of the nutrition and metabolism branch at the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer. The study revealed that each additional 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day was associated with a three percent increase in pancreatic cancer risk. Additionally, women consuming 15-30 grams of alcohol daily, which equates to about one to two drinks, had a 12 percent higher risk. Men drinking 30-60 grams daily had a 15 percent increased risk, increasing to 36 percent for those consuming more than 60 grams. The study confirmed alcohol as an 'independent risk factor,' even after accounting for smoking. Ferrari emphasized that 'alcohol is often consumed in combination with tobacco,' but the elevated risk persists among non-smokers. Pancreatic cancer, a disease that impacts digestive enzyme production and blood sugar regulation, remains one of the deadliest cancers due to late-stage diagnoses. Although it ranks 12th in global cancer incidence, it accounts for 5 percent of all cancer-related deaths, according to the WHO. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alcohol should have labels warning drinkers of cancer risks, charities say
Cans and bottles of beer, wine and spirits should explicitly warn drinkers that alcohol causes cancer, an unprecedented alliance of doctors, charities and public experts have said. Warning labels would tackle 'shockingly low' public awareness in the UK that alcohol is proven to cause seven forms of cancer and 17,000 cases a year of the disease, they claim. Dozens of medical and health organisations have written to Keir Starmer urging him to take the radical step of compelling alcohol producers to include such warnings in order to improve public health. The labels must be 'bold and unambiguous', said the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), which coordinated the letter. 'The evidence is clear: health labelling on alcoholic drinks is urgently needed in the UK to help save lives,' it said. 'They should carry strong, clear messages about the health risks, which include the risk of cancer, far beyond vague advice like 'consume in moderation'.' Kate Oldridge-Turner, the WCRF's head of policy and public affairs, said: 'Providing alcohol warning labels would empower millions to make informed choices by clearly understanding the risks.' Evidence cited by charities such as the WCRF and Cancer Research UK shows that alcohol increases the risk of breast, bowel, stomach, head, neck, liver and mouth cancer. Ireland is to become the first country in the world to include cancer warning labels on alcoholic products. From next May, alcohol sold in the republic will have to carry a warning that 'there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers'. The labels will also warn that drinking can cause liver disease and affect foetuses. Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, the chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, urged the UK to follow suit. He said: 'We must look to the fearless work of our neighbours in Ireland whose new labelling policy provides a level playing field for all producers, leaving no room for loopholes or hiding information behind QR codes or tiny print. 'Improved alcohol labelling, including clear health warnings about the link to cancer, is not just a public health measure, it's a fundamental consumer right. People deserve to know the risks so they can make informed choices about their health. But current labels and weak regulations are keeping drinkers in the dark.' The drinks industry dismissed the call and said warnings would make drinkers anxious. A spokesperson for the Portman Group, a drinks industry-funded body that oversees alcohol labelling in the UK, said: 'Whilst we do not dispute the link between alcohol and certain cancers, and that drinking at harmful levels is dangerous and increases risks, blanket cancer warning labels are not a proportionate policy measure and do not put the risks into an appropriate context. 'This can create unnecessary anxiety, eroding trust in health advice and alienating the very people who require support.' The spokesperson said most alcohol products already included advice from the chief medical officers of the UK's four home nations to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. 'Most people already drink within this guidance, which means their risks for associated diseases are low', they said. In February, the World Health Organization's European office declared: 'Clear and prominent health warning labels on alcohol, which include a specific cancer warning, are a cornerstone of the right to health.' In a report, it urged governments to introduce them to help reduce alcohol-related harm and raise awareness of the link between drinking and cancer. Dr Gauden Galea, a WHO adviser, said in the report that policymakers should 'resist all the pressure that will inevitably come from commercial actors' who claim such warnings do not work. In January, Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general under the then president, Joe Biden, said cancer warning labels were needed because drinking led to about 100,000 cancer diagnoses a year in the US. It was the third most common preventable cause of cancer after tobacco and obesity, he added. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'Drinking alcohol increases the risk of a range of health issues, including several cancers. That is why we recommend people drink within the UK chief medical officer's alcohol guidelines of fewer than 14 units a week, and strongly recommend these are displayed clearly on all alcohol products. 'We recognise the need for more action on the impact of alcohol on health; for too long there has been an unwillingness to lead on this issue. Our plan for change will shift healthcare towards prevention, including through early intervention, to support people to live longer, healthier lives across the UK.'
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Macron says Europe must become 'space power' again
President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that Europe must again become a global space power, warning that France risked being squeezed out of the global low-orbit satellite constellation market. Macron spoke at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget outside the French capital a day after France more than doubled its stake in satellite operator Eutelsat, the EU rival to Elon Musk's Starlink. Macron called for more investment as the European space industry struggles to remain competitive in the face of US and Chinese rivals. "SpaceX has disrupted the market, Amazon is also getting involved. China is not far behind, and I think we all need to be very clear-headed," Macron said. Europe must become "a space power once again, with France at its heart", he said. He warned that Europeans were "on the verge of being completely" squeezed out of the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation market. Orbiting just a few hundred kilometres above the Earth, low Earth orbit satellite networks can play a crucial role in various fields including telecommunications, emergency response, space exploration, and defence. Growing geopolitical tensions have forced countries to focus on the independence of their satellite infrastructure. Macron said France and its partners should not be reliant on non-European constellations in low orbit, calling it "madness". He called non-European players to team up with France. "This must be the solution for our major strategic partners in the Gulf, India, Canada and Brazil," he said. "We really need to succeed in increasing our collective investment effort," Macron added, noting the importance of private investors and public-private collaboration. He also said France planned to organise a space summit in early 2026 to "mobilise our public and private partners across the globe." As part of the overall deal with other investors worth 1.35 billion euros ($1.5 billion), the French state is set to become Eutelsat's largest shareholder. The European satellite operator is vying to be seen as an alternative to Starlink, as companies in Europe and elsewhere look askance at Musk's manoeuvrings and seek to secure sovereign solutions. Boasting more than 600 satellites since merging with British firm OneWeb in 2023, Eutelsat is the world's second-largest operator of low Earth orbit satellites, behind Starlink. fff-tq-as/ekf/js
