Aspirin May Slow Brain Decline In Elderly Women With Heart Risk

An aspirin a day may slow brain decline in elderly women at high risk of cardiovascular disease, research finds.

Around 500 at risk women, between the ages of 70 to 92, were tracked for five years - their mental capacity was tested at the start and end of the study.

Those taking aspirin for the entire period saw their test scores fall much less than those who had not.
The Swedish study is reported in the journal BMJ Open.

Dr Silke Kern, one of paper's authors, said: "Unlike other countries - Sweden is unique, it is not routine to treat women at high risk of heart disease and stroke with aspirin. This meant we had a good group for comparison."

The women were tested using a mini mental state exam (MMSE) - this tests intellectual capacity and includes orientation questions like, "what is today's date?", "where are we today?" and visual-spatial tests like drawing two interlinking pentagons.

No self-medication 
 
But the report found that while aspirin may slow changes in cognitive ability in women at high risk of a heart attack or stroke, it made no difference to the rate at which the women developed dementia - which was also examined for by a neuropsychiatrist.

Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "The results provide interesting insight into the importance of cardiovascular health on cognition, but we would urge people not to self-medicate with aspirin to try to stave off dementia.

"The study reports no benefit from aspirin on overall dementia rates in the group, and previous trials investigating the potential of drugs like aspirin for dementia have been negative."

Dr Kern added: "We don't know the long term risks of taking routine aspirin. For examples ulcers and serious bleeds may outweigh the benefits we have seen. More work is needed. We will be following up the women in this study again in five years."

Stressed at work? Look out for your heart

(LONDON) People who have highly demanding jobs and little freedom to make decisions are 23 per cent more likely to have a heart attack compared with their less stressed out colleagues, according to research published on Friday.

But lighting up a cigarette or remaining chained to your desk rather than getting out to do some exercise is far more damaging for your heart health, researchers said.

A study of nearly 200,000 people from seven European countries found around 3.4 per cent of heart attacks can be attributed to job strain - a significant proportion, but far less than the 36 per cent attributable to smoking and 12 per cent put down to lack of exercise.

For the study, which was published online in The Lancet medical journal, researchers analysed job strain in employees who had no previous coronary heart disease (CHD).

Participants completed questionnaires about their job demands, workload, the level of time-pressure demands, and their freedom to make decisions.

"Our findings indicate that job strain is associated with a small, but consistent, increased risk of experiencing a first CHD event such as a heart attack," said Mika Kivimaki from University College London, who led the research.

Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said the findings confirmed that being under stress at work and being unable to change the situation could increase the risk of developing heart disease.

But he noted they also showed the negative effects of workplace strain are much smaller than the damage caused by smoking or lack of exercise.

"Though stresses at work may be unavoidable, how you deal with these pressures is important, and lighting up a cigarette is bad news for your heart," he said in an emailed comment.

"Eating a balanced diet, taking regular exercise and quitting smoking will more than offset any risk associated with your job."

Questions remain on value of robot prostate surgery

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who get robot surgery for prostate cancer have fewer short-term complications than men whose procedure is done the old-fashioned way - but the newer treatment is pricier, according to a new analysis of close to 30,000 patients.

Although the findings may help inform decisions about cancer surgery, a gold-standard trial comparing the two methods of prostate removal head-to-head is still lacking, researchers said.

"We don't really have that high-level evidence... that can tell us that one is better than the other, or how one is different than the other," said Dr. Paul Nguyen, who treats prostate cancer at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

For example, even if some complications such as bleeding happen less frequently with robotic surgery, it's possible men who get that procedure may have more sexual or urinary problems further down the road.

Even without rigorous comparison data, the da Vinci Surgical System, sold by Intuitive Surgical, has become especially popular for prostate and gynecological surgeries in recent years and is heavily advertised by hospitals that use it.

The new study "makes us need to sit back and evaluate what we're getting for the extra cost," Nguyen, who wasn't involved in the research, told Reuters Health.

"If it's not better, or not better enough, it may not be worth it."

The robots run for an average of just under $1.5 million, not including the cost of long-term maintenance and extra parts.

Dr. Simon Kim of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and his colleagues found the average prostate surgery done using a robot was billed at about $10,400, including all hospital fees. That compared to an average cost of just under $8,900 for standard so-called radical prostatectomy.
Data came from two large hospital and patient surveys conducted in the United States. In 2006 to 2008, about 20,400 men in those studies had their prostates removed using robotic surgery and 9,400 had "open" robot-free procedures.

Men typically stayed in the hospital for one day after robotic surgery compared to two days after a standard procedure. And post-op complication rates were eight percent in the robotic group versus 11 percent in the standard surgery group, according to findings published in the journal European Urology.
Dr. Yair Lotan, a urologist from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said the findings are consistent with past results that suggest small reductions in some prostate complications with robotic surgery.

But, he told Reuters Health, "There haven't been well-demonstrated advantages in terms of cancer outcomes or even quality of life measures."

Studies have also found costs add up faster for various types of robotic surgery than with standard surgery (see Reuters Health story of August 22, 2012).

Angela Wonson, a representative for Intuitive Surgical, pointed out some limitations to the information included in the new research.

"Clinical benefit to the patient must be at the center of any discussion of cost," she told Reuters Health in an email. "Fewer complications and lower readmission rates will decrease the overall cost burden to both patients and the healthcare system. The costs of post-operative complications and readmissions, which these data do not capture, are significant."

Nguyen said that at this point, surgical method typically comes down to patient preference. And it may not even be the most important decision men make, he added.

"If a patient does need surgery, I wouldn't choose just on the basis of the robot versus the open, but a lot more on the surgeon, and the experience of the surgeon," Nguyen said.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/Qe7IEr European Urology, online August 20, 2012.

Better Than A Sports Drink

Bananas

Bananas have always been a popular food with athletes, thanks to their calorie-dense, portable nature and abundance of potassium -- an electrolyte lost during intensive sweating sessions.

But researchers from the Appalachian State University's Human Performance Lab recently found that endurance cyclists performed just as well when they consumed bananas as they did when they drank a sports drink. 

What's more, the banana offered other, long-term benefits not available from a sugary sports drink: antioxidants, fiber and vitamin B.

The study was funded by Dole, a fruit company that sells bananas, but it was also published in the peer-reviewed journal, PLoS ONE. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Milk

Sports drinks are meant to give you a mid-workout boost, and they're also intended to help with recovery. But recent research found that low fat chocolate milk -- yes, the plain old, dessert-like dairy drink -- works better than the neon stuff.

According to a Mayo Clinic review of several high-quality studies, that's because low fat milk has all three components required for proper sports recovery: carbohydrates, in the form of lactose; the electrolytes potassium and sodium; and protein, from casein and whey. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coconut Water

Coconut water is sometimes touted as "nature's sports drink" -- and while it's true that the drink is full of the electrolyte potassium and is lower in calories than most sports drinks, that moniker is a bit of hyperbole.

Athletes need potassium, but they also need sodium, which isn't in sufficient enough quantities in commercial coconut water. Explains Anahad O'Connor at the New York Times' Well Blog: 

But for moderate activity or gym sessions under an hour, where replacing water is the primary concern over replacing electrolytes and sugars, the low-cal, all natural beverage is a better bet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raisins

In addition to sports drinks, many companies now offer sports gels or "chews" -- a solid, no less colorful gelatin confection that delivers sugars, electrolytes and calories.

But in a study of trained cyclists, raisins -- an all-natural and far cheaper option -- performed just as well to help athletes sustain their energy and performance when eaten as a pre-training snack.

Elizabeth Applegate recommends trying out other kinds of dried fruit too -- figs and pears are particularly great because of their high carbohydrate content, she said. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Drink

"Liquid really makes the most sense during the workout. Blood flow goes to the muscles, so digestion is slower. The easiest thing to digest is a liquid," says Barbara Lewin, RD, LD, a sports nutritionist who works with professional and Olympic athletes, as well as "regular" gym-goers. 

Lewin shared her go-to mix for a healthful, natural alternative sports drink. 

Natural Sports Drink Recipe:
3.5 cups water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
An eight-ounce serving provides 50 calories and 110 mg sodium, according to Lewin. 

 

 

Rice

It might seem surprising -- and certainly messy! -- but UC Davis' Elizabeth Applegate explains that cooked rice, especially squirted with a bit of honey, makes a good energy-delivering, restorative snack for endurance athletes.

"Of course, this isn't appropriate for runners," she told The Huffington Post, recommending the mix for cyclers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caffeine

While endurance athletes need the electrolytes and carbohydrates that come from a sports drink, most often, regular gym goers do not. That's because under an hour of moderate-to-intense exercise doesn't warrant concerted replacement efforts.

Most often, when your average gym warrior goes for a sports drink, they really just need a pick-me-up. And for that, suggests Elizabeth Applegate, a low-cal drink with 100 milligrams of caffeine -- like a black iced coffee or strong tea, will work just fine.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this slide stated that caffeine should contain 100 grams, rather than milligrams. That would be a dangerous amount of caffeine. We regret the error. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise Does A Brain Good

It Sharpens Thinking

Earlier this year, Dartmouth researchers added support to mounting evidence about the way that exercise affects learning and mental acuity: it boosts the production of “brain derived neurotrophic factor" -- or BDNF – a protein that is thought to help with mental acuity, learning and memory.

 

 

It May Alleviate Childhood ADHD Symptoms

In the same Dartmouth study, the researchers discovered that, thanks to the BDNF boost, exercise also helped to alleviate ADHD-like symptoms in juvenile rats. Since BDNF is involved in the brain's development and growth of new cells, the effect was more profound on the younger rats, with their still-developing brains and more rapid cell turnover, compared to adult rats. 

 

 

It Helps You Learn New Tricks

Even one exercise session can help you retain physical skills by enhancing what's commonly known as "muscle memory" or "motor memory," according to new research published in PlosOne.

As the New York Times reported, men who were taught to follow a complicated pattern on a computer and subsequently exercised were better able to remember the pattern in subsequent days than the men who didn't exercise after the initial squiggle test. 

 

It Supports Problem-Solving

In one study, mice that exercised by running not only generated new neurons, but those neurons lit up when the mice performed unfamiliar tasks like navigating a new environment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It Helps Alleviate Symptoms Of Depression

When you exercise, your pituitary gland releases endorphins to help mitigate the physical stress and pain you are experiencing. But those endorphins may play a more important and longer-lasting role: they could help alleviate symptoms of depression, according to a Mayo Clinic report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It Reduces Stress

Although exercising raises our levels of cortisol -- the hormone that causes physical stress and is even associated with long-term memory impairment -- its overall effect is one of a stress reducer. That's because exercise increases the body's threshold for cortisol, making you more inured to stressors. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It Helps Delay Age-Associated Memory Loss

As we get older, an area of the brain called the hippocampus shrinks. That's why age is associated with memory loss across the board. However, profound memory loss -- such as in dementia and Alzheimer's disease patients -- is also contributed to by accelerated hippocampus shrinking. Luckily, the hippocampus is also an area of the brain that generate new neurons throughout a lifespan. And, the research shows, exercise promotes new neural growth in this area. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Exercise Mental Benefits: How Workouts Boost Brain Power

We all know that regular exercise is a major player in our ability to achieve a healthy weight, a longer life expectancy and a reduced risk of chronic diseases -- from cancers to heart disease to diabetes. And, as you've likely discovered, it makes you look good too. But when you hit the gym, your biceps and lats aren't the only muscles you're working. Mounting research shows that aerobic activity may be one of the most important factors in maintaining a sharp brain.

 Just last week, a study revealed that exercise helped a group of men learn a new skill through enhanced "motor memory." But that's not the first or last word in the brawn-brain connection. Here are seven ways that getting your blood pumping is the best chance for gaining mental power too:

Foods With More Vitamin C Than An Orange

Papaya

One small papaya (about 157 grams) has 95.6 milligrams of vitamin C. A cup of mashed papaya has a whopping 140 milligrams.
More bang for your buck? Papaya is also high in vitamin A, folate and dietary fiber, according to Self Nutrition Data.

 

 

 

 

 

Red Bell Peppers

One cup of raw, chopped red bell pepper packs an impressive 190.3 milligrams of vitamin C. The same amount of a green pepper has 119.8 milligrams.

Broccoli

Need yet another healthy reason to eat your broccoli? Try this: One serving (148 grams) of chopped broccoli adds up to 132 milligrams of vitamin C.
 

Kale

Hungry for a salad? Try kale. Just two cups of this veggie, chopped, offers 160.8 milligrams of vitamin C. This superfood is also rich in vitamins A, C and K, as well as phytonutrients and fiber, according to WebMD.

Strawberries

Here's sweet news: one serving (147 grams) of strawberries has 86.5 milligrams of vitamin C. (And just this week, a study linked two servings of the red fruit a week to slowed cognitive degeneration.)

Kiwi

One serving of kiwi offers 137.2 milligrams of vitamin C.

 

 

Cauliflower

One small head of cauliflower (with a four-inch diameter) has 127.7 milligrams of vitamin C (and just 66 calories). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honorable Mention: Brussels Sprouts

They may not beat an orange, but a cup of Brussels sprouts still has a solid 48.4 milligrams of vitamin C. And the veggie is also rich in riboflavin, iron, magnesium, dietary fiber and vitamin A, among others.

 

 

Honorable Mention: Sweet Potatoes

Another orange food to add to the list (even though it doesn't have more C than an actual orange) are sweet potatoes. One large sweet potato has 35.3 milligrams.

 

 

Honorable Mention: Cantaloupe

Again, this one doesn't have quite as much vitamin C as an orange, but one serving does offer 49.2 milligrams.