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The Independent
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Breast cancer survivors may have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, experts say
Could breast cancer survivors have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease South Korean researchers say breast cancer survivors have an 8 percent lower risk of developing the condition compared to people without cancer, despite commonly-held concerns about cognitive decline following treatment. 'We found a slightly lower risk of [Alzheimer's] among breast cancer survivors, in line with several previous studies and a meta-analysis,' the authors wrote in a study published Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open, the open-access journal of the American Medical Association. 'This suggests that standard breast cancer treatments, including radiation therapy, may not increase and may even reduce Alzheimer's dementia risk in the short term,' Seoul National University Dr. Su-Min Jeong, who led the study, told AuntMinnie. 'Clinicians can use this evidence to reassure breast cancer patients concerned about their cognitive health.' The researchers also found no association between the risk for Alzheimer's and treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. 'An increased risk of dementia in patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy was noted. However, the risk of AD could differ, depending on the dose of radiation and site of exposure,' they explained. To reach these conclusions, they looked at the data from more than 70,000 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery between the first day of January 2010 and the last day of December 2016. The data was collected by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Participants were grouped with healthy age-matched controls at a one-to-three ratio. The women underwent an average follow-up of 7.3 years. Among the participants, 1,229 cases of Alzheimer's were detected. Breast cancer survivors showed a slightly lower risk of developing Alzheimer's compared with cancer-free women. The trend was especially applicable to women aged 65-and-up. 'However, landmark analyses found that this lower risk did not persist beyond five years of survival. Cancer treatment with radiation therapy was associated with reduced risk of [Alzheimer's] among survivors,' they wrote. They say that further research is needed to assess the long-term risk of Alzheimer's disease in breast cancer survivors. Previous research from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh also found that hormone modulating therapy used for the treatment of breast cancer was associated with a 7 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias later in life, and that some women may be at a higher risk than others. The South Korean researchers noted that cytotoxic chemotherapy has been recognized as a cause of cognitive decline called chemobrain in cancer survivors, referring to thinking and memory issues after treatment. Researchers added that their findings suggest that this treatment does not directly lead to Alzheimer's disease.
Medscape
10 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
Oseltamivir Decreases Hospital Mortality Risk of Influenza
Treating patients with severe influenza with oseltamivir in the first 2 days after hospital admission was associated with a lower in-hospital mortality risk, earlier discharge, and lower readmission rate compared with supportive care, new data indicated. The additional evidence supports current guideline recommendations to treat all people hospitalized with influenza with an antiviral agent, regardless of how long they have been ill. The study, led by Anthony D. Bai, MD, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, was published on June 10 in JAMA Network Open. Reduced Mortality Risk Each year, influenza causes 12,200 hospitalizations and 3500 deaths in Canada. It causes between 140,000 and 810,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 to 61,000 deaths in the United States. And despite guidelines in both countries that recommend treatment for all entering the hospital with influenza, clinical practice varies widely, Bai told Medscape Medical News . The researchers' study found that in Ontario, 30% of clinicians were not treating this population with oseltamivir. Researchers examined data from the General Medicine Inpatient Initiative database, which includes internal medicine and intensive care unit (ICU) patients admitted to participating hospitals in Ontario. Data included demographics, diagnoses, interventions, discharge, readmission, medication orders, and bloodwork results. The cohort study included 11,073 patients (average age, 72.6 years). Researchers found an adjusted risk reduction of 1.8% for in-hospital mortality when oseltamivir was given, compared with supportive care median length of stay was 4.4 days and 4.9 days in the oseltamivir and supportive care groups, respectively. After discharge, 645 patients (8.5%) in the oseltamivir group and 336 patients (9.8%) in the supportive care group were readmitted, with an adjusted risk difference of -1.5%. 'Some clinicians believe there won't be much benefit to treatment with oseltamivir,' said Bai, likely because of the dearth of evidence supporting the guidelines. 'There's been a lot of controversy about the benefit of oseltamivir in the outpatient population, where a recent meta-analysis showed it didn't really prevent hospitalizations. But there is a signal that it decreased in-hospital mortality. If a similar benefit is proven in a future randomized, controlled trial, it would add a lot of convincing evidence that there's a significant benefit to oseltamivir treatment.' The expanded version of the large RECOVERY randomized, controlled trial in the United Kingdom looks at that question, he noted. But until results are available, 'we should go by the current guideline recommendations.' Remaining Questions Wendy Sligl, MD, professor of critical care medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, told Medscape Medical News that the 1.8% in-hospital mortality reduction may seem small. 'Keep in mind, this is in all hospitalized patients, which includes a spectrum of disease severity from those not needing supplemental oxygen to those on a ventilator.' She pointed out that less than 10% of the patients in this study were admitted to the ICU. The number needed to treat is an important consideration with these results, she pointed out. 'Given this mortality reduction, you would need to treat approximately 55 patients to prevent one death. When the outcome is as devastating as death, and the drug is relatively safe and inexpensive, treatment seems reasonable, given even a small reduction in mortality.' Sligl also noted the need for high-quality evidence from randomized, controlled trials, including RECOVERY, in hospitalized patients with influenza. 'In addition, the most severe patients, those in the ICU with respiratory failure requiring high-flow oxygen or mechanical ventilation, should be specifically studied.' Beyond whether antiviral therapy is beneficial, she said, other questions remain, such as which antiviral is best and at what dose and duration. Other questions include whether an antiviral therapy should be used alone or in combination with another antiviral therapy and at what time in which patients. 'The best quality data we have for the treatment of influenza are in healthy outpatients, where treatment has been shown to reduce symptom severity and duration. Data for antiviral use in hospitalized patients with influenza are largely observational, suggesting a small mortality benefit with treatment,' Sligl explained. In the current study, she noted, 'target trial emulation with propensity scoring helped to minimize bias, which is a methodologic strength.' No funding source for this study was reported. Bai and Sligl reported having no relevant financial relationships.
Medical News Today
a day ago
- Health
- Medical News Today
Dementia: Could cycling help reduce risk of Alzheimer's?
Scientists have found that bicycling may help lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's. Rene de Haan/Stocksy Bicycling is a popular mode of transportation and exercise for millions of people. Past studies show that bicycling may provide a number of health benefits, including lowering a person's risk for certain diseases. A new study has recently found that those who use bicycling as their main mode of transportation may also be lowering their risk for dementia. Since the development of the first bicycle in 1817, bicycling has become a popular mode of transportation and exercise activity for millions of people. Now, a new study recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open has found that those who use bicycling as their main mode of transportation may also be lowering their risk for dementia. For this study, researchers analyzed data from the U.K. Biobank of almost 480,000 people with an average age of about 57 who had shown no sign of dementia. Information included main modes of travel, as well as sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. They tracked participants for a median of 13 years. Participants were divided into four categories based on their modes of transportation. The nonactive group included participants who used a car, motor vehicle, or public transport, such as a bus. Groups two and three were those who only walked and those who followed mixed walking with a combination of using nonactive and walking transportation methods. Group four were participants who either only used a bicycle or who used a bicycle in conjunction with other transportation types. 'Active travel (e.g., walking/cycling) is a feasible, sustainable form of exercise widely adopted by the public,' Liangkai Chen, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, and lead author of this study, told Medical News Today . 'We examined whether specific modes confer distinct neuroprotective benefits, as prior studies rarely addressed this nuance.' At the study's conclusion, researchers found that participants who regularly rode a bicycle for transportation had a lower dementia risk compared to participants who walked, drove, or took the bus. 'Our key finding: Participants using cycling/mixed-cycling modes had a 19% lower all-cause dementia risk and 22% lower Alzheimer's disease risk vs. nonactive modes,' Chen explained. 'This likely stems from cycling's higher aerobic intensity and cognitive engagement (e.g., navigation, coordination), which may enhance neuroplasticity more than walking alone.' Additionally, Chen and his team discovered that participants who regularly rode a bicycle for transportation, or mixed in bicycle riding with other modes of transport, were able to retain more volume in the hippocampus of the brain. 'Cycling/mixed-cycling was significantly associated with greater hippocampal volume. This matters because the hippocampus is central to memory formation and is among the first regions damaged in dementia. Retaining its structure may delay cognitive decline.' — Liangkai Chen, PhD 'Promoting cycling as daily transport — even mixed with other modes — could be a practical strategy to reduce dementia risk and preserve brain structure,' he continued. 'We plan to investigate dose-response relationships (e.g., cycling frequency/duration); examine how changes in active travel behavior over time impact brain health trajectories; and expand studies to diverse populations to address our cohort's limitations.' MNT spoke with Peter Gliebus, MD, director of cognitive and behavioral neurology at Marcus Neuroscience Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, about the study. 'This study provides compelling evidence that active travel modes, particularly cycling, can significantly reduce the risk of dementia and improve brain health,' Gliebus said. 'It highlights the potential of simple, accessible lifestyle changes to make a meaningful impact on cognitive health, which is especially important for older adults.' 'It's fascinating that cycling seems to offer a cognitive edge over walking, even though both are beneficial,' Kamal Wagle, MD, geriatric specialist with Hackensack University Medical Center's Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health in New Jersey — who was not involved with this study — told MNT. 'While the exact mechanisms aren't fully understood, there are some plausible explanations supported by already existing research. Numerous studies have linked aerobic exercise to improved cognitive function and reduced dementia risk. This new study adds to that body of evidence and suggests that the type of aerobic exercise might matter.' — Kamal Wagle, MD MNT also spoke with Clifford Segil, DO, an adult neurologist in private practice in Santa Monica, CA, who is also on staff at Providence St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, about this research. 'An ounce of prevention is often worth more than a pound of treatment and we are still looking for any proven modification in middle age life which can decrease our risks of getting dementia or memory loss as we age,' Segil explained. 'Nothing has been proven to be clearly neuroprotective and we are still looking for lifestyle modifications which improve our brain health as we age.' We asked our experts for their top tips on the best way to start bicycling if they're not already: Start Small: Begin with short, flat rides to build confidence and stamina. Focus on building endurance and getting comfortable on the bike before increasing distance or intensity. Listen to your body and rest when needed. Begin with short, flat rides to build confidence and stamina. Focus on building endurance and getting comfortable on the bike before increasing distance or intensity. Listen to your body and rest when needed. Safety First: Use a properly fitted helmet and bright-colored clothing, and ensure the bicycle is adjusted for comfort and stability. Use lights and reflectors, especially when riding in low-light conditions. Be aware of traffic laws and practice safe riding habits. Consider taking a cycling safety course. Use a properly fitted helmet and bright-colored clothing, and ensure the bicycle is adjusted for comfort and stability. Use lights and reflectors, especially when riding in low-light conditions. Be aware of traffic laws and practice safe riding habits. Consider taking a cycling safety course. Choose the Right Bike: Consider a bike with a step-through frame or a comfortable, upright bike like a hybrid, cruiser, or electric bike (e-bike). A professional bike fitting is highly recommended. Consider a bike with a step-through frame or a comfortable, upright bike like a hybrid, cruiser, or electric bike (e-bike). A professional bike fitting is highly recommended. Ride in Safe Areas: Opt for bike paths or quiet streets to minimize traffic stress. Opt for bike paths or quiet streets to minimize traffic stress. Gradual Progression: Increase distance and intensity gradually to avoid overexertion. Start by practicing in a park, on a dedicated bike path, or in a quiet neighborhood with minimal traffic. Pay attention to any pain or discomfort and stop riding if necessary. Don't push yourself too hard, especially in the beginning. Increase distance and intensity gradually to avoid overexertion. Start by practicing in a park, on a dedicated bike path, or in a quiet neighborhood with minimal traffic. Pay attention to any pain or discomfort and stop riding if necessary. Don't push yourself too hard, especially in the beginning. Warm-Up and Cool-Down Properly: Before each ride, do some light stretching or warm-up exercises. After each ride, cool down with gentle stretching to improve flexibility and prevent muscle soreness. Before each ride, do some light stretching or warm-up exercises. After each ride, cool down with gentle stretching to improve flexibility and prevent muscle soreness. Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water before, during, and after cycling, especially in warmer weather. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after cycling, especially in warmer weather. Socialize: Join a local cycling group or ride with friends to make it enjoyable and motivating. Join a local cycling group or ride with friends to make it enjoyable and motivating. Gentler Alternative to Joint Pain: Cycling is a low-impact exercise, minimizing stress on joints compared to walking, especially for older adults. This could allow for longer duration and higher intensity workouts, further amplifying the cardiovascular and cognitive benefits. 'Starting cycling later in life can be incredibly rewarding, but it's important to prioritize safety and build up gradually,' Wagle said. 'Before starting any new exercise program, especially if there are pre-existing health conditions, it's crucial to consult a doctor. They can assess any potential risks and provide personalized advice.' Who shouldn't be cycling 'Bicycling requires a lot of balance and dexterity and I would strongly discourage anyone in their 60s or older from starting to ride bicycles on the street even though we are supposed to remember how to do this for life. Patients with memory loss may have forgotten how to ride a bicycle. I would recommend a stationary bicycle at a gym to re-start this process.' — Clifford Segil, DO
Medscape
2 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Social Determinants of Child Health Up Odds of Injury
Several social determinants of child health (SDoCH) were associated with an increased risk for pediatric injury in Manitoba and can be used to inform prevention efforts, new research suggested. The indicators include living in a rural area, being in protective care, being born to a teen mother, having a parent involved in the justice system, and family receipt of income assistance, according to a retrospective case-control study. Trauma-informed care training that includes these SDoCH 'is essential in understanding the context behind pediatric injuries and delivering comprehensive, compassionate support to children and their caregivers' in hospital and outpatient settings, study author Rae Spiwak, PhD, assistant professor and research scientist in the department of surgery at the University of Manitoba's Max Rady College of Medicine in Winnipeg, told Medscape Medical News . The data were published on June 4 in JAMA Network Open. Rurality and Risk Researchers analyzed social and clinical administrative datasets from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy Population Data Repository to examine the association between SDoCH and traumatic injury among children aged 17 years or younger who were hospitalized with physical injuries between 2002 and 2019. A total of 9853 cases were matched with 49,442 uninjured control cases for a total sample of 59,295. Among cases, the mean age at the time of injury was 9.8 years, 64.5% of those injured were male, 47.6% lived in a rural area, and 36.9% lived in a low-income neighborhood. Fourteen SDoCH were measured during the child's lifespan, from birth to the date of injury, including low income, rural status, receipt of income assistance, parent justice system involvement, parent with less than a high school education, immigrant parent, high residential mobility, being born to a teen mother, child in protective care, child mental health disorder, maternal axis I or axis II mental disorder, and maternal physical disorder. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that living in a rural area was associated with the highest odds of traumatic physical injury (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 6.62), followed by living in protective care (aOR, 1.43), being born to a teen mother (aOR, 1.34), and having a parent involved in the criminal justice system (aOR, 1.27) or receiving income assistance (aOR, 1.13). The researchers used a Haddon matrix to plot the SDoCH that placed children at the greatest odds of sustaining a physical traumatic injury on a timeline of preinjury, injury, and post-injury and to identify potential points for interventions and prevention. The Haddon matrix 'is based on the premise that injuries result from harmful interactions between the individual, the agent, and the physical and socioeconomic environments,' the authors explained. They used the matrix in previous work to organize strategies for pediatric burn injury interventions, and based on the current study results, they will expand the framework for all-cause pediatric injury. Team Approach 'Healthcare is a team sport, and to provide the best care, there needs to be interplay between all involved,' said Spiwak. The study's findings can help pediatricians and primary care providers incorporate risk screening into routine checkups, she suggested. 'Knowing that factors such as rural living can help clinicians identify children and families who may benefit from early intervention and support, providers can ensure that parents and families are provided with education, such as safe practices around large farm equipment and all-terrain vehicle use. 'Emergency medicine providers can integrate these findings into injury prevention strategies when managing pediatric trauma cases,' she continued. 'If certain social determinants are known risk factors, clinicians could refer social workers to engage with families during or after ED [emergency department] visits — not just treating the immediate injury, but also helping address root causes and prevent future injury.' An example is Manitoba's ED violence intervention program for youth, which has been shown to reduce traumatic injury recidivism, Spiwak noted. 'A similar program focused on nonviolent injury could be a useful application of this work.' Commenting on the findings, Pramod Puligandla, MD, told Medscape Medical News that the key messages 'should resonate with all pediatric caregivers.' Puligandla, who was not involved in the study, is a professor and director of Pediatric Surgery at McGill University Medical School and director of the Extracorporeal Life Support Program at Montreal Children's Hospital in Montreal. 'With injury being the most frequent cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality, identifying populations at risk for injury through an analysis of SDoCH is important to institute intervention and prevent injury,' he said. 'Indeed, SDoCH are important upstream targets to reduce morbidity and mortality, as well as narrow or close gaps in equity.' 'These efforts not only need to be initiated in the in-hospital setting but likely most importantly, in the prehospital setting, where injury may be prevented,' he said. 'The Haddon Matrix analysis used by the authors identifies potential interventions through the life cycle of these vulnerable populations in both settings. Targeted interventions should also address structural racism, as well as explicit and implicit bias.' How translatable the findings are to other populations or geographic regions is unclear, Puligandla noted. 'The study focuses on children in Manitoba. The authors highlight the overrepresentation of Indigenous populations within many of the SDoCH they evaluated.' For example, the estimated Indigenous population in Manitoba is 18%, and in Saskatchewan, 17%. These are much higher percentages than in Ontario and Quebec (< 3%) or British Columbia and Alberta (< 6%). 'Each province or territory likely needs to do its own assessment to target the at-risk populations within their respective regions,' said Puligandla. This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Spiwak and Puligandla reported having no relevant financial relationships.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Your push-up count might reveal how healthy your heart is, according to science
So, how many push-ups can you do in one go? Ten? Twenty? Forty? More? It turns out that the number might say more about your heart health than you think. In the age of smartwatches, fitness apps, and endless health trackers, it's almost funny to think that something as simple as an old-school push-up could act as a low-tech predictor of your heart's well-being. But science says it can—and the results are kind of wild. Let's rewind to a 2019 study published in JAMA Network Open, which made some serious waves in the fitness and medical world. Researchers at Harvard University followed over 1,100 male firefighters for 10 years to see whether a person's ability to perform push-ups had anything to do with their risk of heart disease. And surprise—it did. Here's the punchline: Men who could do 40 or more push-ups had a 96% lower risk of cardiovascular events (like heart attacks or heart failure) compared to those who could do fewer than 10. Yep, you read that right. Forty push-ups may just be your free, no-equipment-required ticket to checking up on your ticker. So, what's the connection? First of all, push-ups aren't just about chest strength. They require upper body, core, and even lower body engagement. If you can do a decent number of push-ups with good form, you likely have decent muscular endurance, healthy weight, and decent cardiovascular fitness. All of these are known to be protective factors against heart disease. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Find Incredible Offers & Incentives On New Or Used Cars In Your Area! Car Deals Near You Learn More Undo In simpler terms: Push-ups are a fast and dirty way to measure your overall physical health, which tends to go hand-in-hand with heart health. According to Dr. Justin Yang, the study's lead author and occupational medicine specialist at Harvard, push-up capacity was a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than even traditional treadmill tests in their research group. Wild, right? But don't panic if you can't do 40 (yet) Look—we're not saying that doing fewer than 40 push-ups means you're doomed. That would be dramatic (and wrong). What the research suggests is a correlation, not a cause-and-effect situation. It simply means that if you have the endurance and muscle strength to crank out 40 push-ups, your heart is likely in pretty good shape. If not, it's just a nudge—a clue that maybe it's time to build up your strength, improve your fitness, and pay a little more attention to your overall health habits. Push-ups aren't a replacement for blood tests, blood pressure monitoring, or a proper check-up. But hey, if you're looking for a quick self-test at home, this is a pretty solid place to start. Why push-ups work as a fitness marker Here's what makes push-ups unique: They're compound movements, which means multiple joints and muscle groups are involved. They test both strength and endurance. They require core control and body awareness. You can't fake them. No shortcuts, no fancy machines. In fact, they're often used in military and law enforcement fitness assessments for a reason—they're accessible, fast, and effective. And unlike running a mile or climbing stairs, push-ups aren't heavily affected by joint issues or weather. You can do them on your bedroom floor at 6 a.m. or at the gym after work. The silent warning Heart disease often doesn't show early symptoms. Many people walk around with high blood pressure, clogged arteries, or early heart damage without having a clue. That's what makes functional tests like the push-up challenge interesting—they may act as an early warning system. If you're struggling to get to 10 push-ups without your arms shaking like jelly, it doesn't mean you're unhealthy—it just means it's time to get curious and check in. Maybe your blood pressure's a little high. Maybe your weight crept up over the years. Maybe your lifestyle needs a little reset. Knowledge is power, and a couple of push-ups might just give you the spark to investigate further. Start where you are—and build up If you're nowhere near 40 push-ups, that's totally fine. Fitness isn't about perfection—it's about progress. Here's a quick ladder to get stronger: Start with incline push-ups (hands on a bench or wall). Move to knee push-ups as you build strength. Then work up to full push-ups, even if it's just one or two a day. Aim to add a few reps each week. You'd be amazed at how fast the body adapts. Mix in cardio, stretch regularly, and clean up your diet—and suddenly your heart's got a lot more support. Push-ups don't require a gym. They don't need a fancy outfit. They don't even demand much time. But according to research, they might give you more insight into your heart than you'd expect. The content in this article is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before starting any diet, supplement, fitness, or health program. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
