Treadmill exercise by stroke survivors can benefit their hearts and brains, a group of researchers found.
Most people know that regular exercise improves fitness, lowers blood pressure and burns calories. There is widespread agreement that physical activity is good for everyone, and that exercise is one of the best ways to stave off many miseries that accumulate with the passing years. And when people do have heart attacks or break bones, exercise is a key component in rehabilitation.
But maybe not for stroke. Most doctors believed that after several months people trying to regain function after a stroke had gone as far as they were going to. If people didn’t get better after half a year they simple weren’t going to.
Recent research demonstrated that although there may be plateaus in the course of recovery, exercise can improve function years after the stroke occurred.
Findings appeared in the March issue of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.
The research, led by Andreas Luft of Germany’s University of Tubingen and a group of Baltimore scientists, examined the effect of six months of treadmill exercise training in university labs in chronically disabled stroke survivors.
Treadmill exercise improves fitness and walking ability in patients when initiated 6 months or more following stroke, the research found. Rapid improvement, even with rehabilitation, is rare. Between 80 percent and 90 percent of stroke survivors have a motor deficit, with walking impairments the most common. Most stroke survivors also have diminished fitness capabilities.
The study looked at peak oxygen consumption during treadmill walking between stroke survivors and healthy, but sedentary volunteers. The stroke survivors had approximately 50 percent lower levels of peak fitness- using 75 percent of their functional capacity compared with 27 percent with the healthy volunteers. Stroke volunteers also showed a poorer gait and required greater oxygen consumption to sustain their walking speeds.
The clinical program the volunteers participated in lasted 6 months and involved moderate activity training, primarily on the treadmill. The program’s lower-limb workouts include using a treadmill modified with handrails and other safety devices, as well as stair-stepping, shifting weight from foot to foot, and other exercises tailored to the patient’s abilities. The upper extremity exercises include reaching, grasping, and other repetitive movements.
For the study, 32 chronically disabled stroke survivors took part in the research. The volunteers participated in the treadmill program three times a week.
Source: Luft et. al “Post-stroke exercise rehabilitation: What we know about retraining the motor system
and how it may apply to retraining the heart.” Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, Vol. 75, Supplement 2, March 2008, S83
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Diabetes Medication Can Help Heart Health
The type of medicine matters when it comes to heart health among diabetics.
A new study has found evidence that medications that lower blood sugar levels can slow the progression of a condition that can lead to heart attacks.
Known as the PERISCOPE trial, the study looked at 543 patients with coronary disease and type 2 diabetes to see how insulin producing drugs compared with insulin providing drugs in combating coronary atherosclerosis, a build up of fat deposits in the artery walls that can lead to stroke or heart attack.
Dr. Steven E. Nissen of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Foundation was the lead author of the study, which was published in the April 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The research demonstrates for the first time the ability of a blood sugar lowering medication to slow the artery buildup in patients with diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases are the cause of death in approximately 75 percent of patients with diabetes.
Patients with diabetes often take oral medications to lower their blood sugar levels. There are two main types of drugs that function quite differently. One type of drug simulates insulin secretion, known as secretagogues. The other type of drug reduces insulin resistance, known as insulin sensitizers.
The research compared the effects of pioglitazone, a type of insulin sensitizer, with that of glimepiride, an insulin secreting drug, on the progression of the artery wall fat buildup in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Treatment with the insulin sensitizer resulted in a lower rate of progression of coronary atherosclerosis compared with the insulin secreting drug in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease, the study authors conclude.
The 543 patients with coronary disease and type 2 diabetes, who participated in the double-blind, randomized trial at 97 hospitals in North and South America, received the insulin secreting drug for 18 months.
To be eligible, patients had to be age 35 to 85 with a HbA1c, measure of blood sugar, level between 6.0% and 9.0%, if taking a blood sugar lowering medication or a 6.5% to 10% if not on medication. Patients were excluded if they had uncontrolled high blood pressure or liver disease. Participants were tested beforehand to make sure less than half of their arteries were blocked.
In addition to slowing the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, participants registered cholesterol and blood pressure levels below the target guidelines for patients with diabetes.
Source: Nissen et al., “Comparison of Pioglitazone vs. Glimepiride on Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.” April 2, 2008 Journal of American Medical Association.
A new study has found evidence that medications that lower blood sugar levels can slow the progression of a condition that can lead to heart attacks.
Known as the PERISCOPE trial, the study looked at 543 patients with coronary disease and type 2 diabetes to see how insulin producing drugs compared with insulin providing drugs in combating coronary atherosclerosis, a build up of fat deposits in the artery walls that can lead to stroke or heart attack.
Dr. Steven E. Nissen of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Foundation was the lead author of the study, which was published in the April 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The research demonstrates for the first time the ability of a blood sugar lowering medication to slow the artery buildup in patients with diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases are the cause of death in approximately 75 percent of patients with diabetes.
Patients with diabetes often take oral medications to lower their blood sugar levels. There are two main types of drugs that function quite differently. One type of drug simulates insulin secretion, known as secretagogues. The other type of drug reduces insulin resistance, known as insulin sensitizers.
The research compared the effects of pioglitazone, a type of insulin sensitizer, with that of glimepiride, an insulin secreting drug, on the progression of the artery wall fat buildup in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Treatment with the insulin sensitizer resulted in a lower rate of progression of coronary atherosclerosis compared with the insulin secreting drug in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease, the study authors conclude.
The 543 patients with coronary disease and type 2 diabetes, who participated in the double-blind, randomized trial at 97 hospitals in North and South America, received the insulin secreting drug for 18 months.
To be eligible, patients had to be age 35 to 85 with a HbA1c, measure of blood sugar, level between 6.0% and 9.0%, if taking a blood sugar lowering medication or a 6.5% to 10% if not on medication. Patients were excluded if they had uncontrolled high blood pressure or liver disease. Participants were tested beforehand to make sure less than half of their arteries were blocked.
In addition to slowing the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, participants registered cholesterol and blood pressure levels below the target guidelines for patients with diabetes.
Source: Nissen et al., “Comparison of Pioglitazone vs. Glimepiride on Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.” April 2, 2008 Journal of American Medical Association.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Conversation with Howard Eichenbaum
Howard Eichenbaum describes himself as “cognitive neuroscientist.”
The Boston University researcher combines biology and psychology for his job, which is a cross between psychologist and neuroscientist.
As part of the Center for Memory and Brain, Eichenbaum studies rats’ brains to learn how memory functions in animals, including humans. Eichenbaum hopes that understanding psychology and biology can help researchers make strides in alleviating human memory loss.
Eichenbaum earned an undergraduate degree in biology before he switched to psychology in graduate school. He obtained both degrees from the University of Michigan, before doing his postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Eichenbaum works as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Boston University. The field of biopsychology began to emerge while Eichenbaum was in graduate school.
Biopsychology, sometimes referred to as psychobiology, arose from the identification of brain areas involved in certain behaviors and emotions three decades ago; from the discovery in the 1950s that some psychological problems can be treated chemically; and from identifying chemicals, called neurotransmitters, that pass messages from one brain cell to the next.
After studying biopsychology, Eichenbaum decided to pursue an approach that combines both biology and psychology in his own research. In his studies, Eichenbaum takes a molecular biology approach in learning the electrical activities of the neurons of the brain. He uses his biological background to understand the brain’s circuitry in order to identify what happens with the synapses and neurons, in essence how neurons communicate with one another.
From a psychologist standpoint, Eichenbaum concerns himself with human behavior. In particular, Eichenbaum wants to examine memory, known as conscious recollection. He studies how people remember the order of events and how the brain can code sequence of events and play it back again.
Understanding the brain could help address memory disorders, common in aging, as well as diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Eichenbaum says.
Biology could also play a role in creating cures for such conditions. Researchers believe that a protein called beta-amyloid that builds up into plaques in the brain and kills nerve cells, could be at the root of Alzheimer’s. Drug studies are being done to attempt to break up this process, which is known as “amyloid cascade.” One anti-inflammatory drug being tested for its potential as an Alzheimer’s drug would target the enzyme, called gamma secretase that is believed to play a role in the amyloid build-up. Several drugs originally approved for other diseases, such as diabetes and prostate cancer, attempt to modify the brain processes that cause Alzheimer’s even though the processes aren’t fully understood.
Scientists have identified proteins responsible for strengthening the gaps where information is exchanged between neurons.
Understanding cell interaction in the brain could lead to new strategies for memory preservation to combat disease or aging, Eichenbaum says.
The Boston University researcher combines biology and psychology for his job, which is a cross between psychologist and neuroscientist.
As part of the Center for Memory and Brain, Eichenbaum studies rats’ brains to learn how memory functions in animals, including humans. Eichenbaum hopes that understanding psychology and biology can help researchers make strides in alleviating human memory loss.
Eichenbaum earned an undergraduate degree in biology before he switched to psychology in graduate school. He obtained both degrees from the University of Michigan, before doing his postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Eichenbaum works as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Boston University. The field of biopsychology began to emerge while Eichenbaum was in graduate school.
Biopsychology, sometimes referred to as psychobiology, arose from the identification of brain areas involved in certain behaviors and emotions three decades ago; from the discovery in the 1950s that some psychological problems can be treated chemically; and from identifying chemicals, called neurotransmitters, that pass messages from one brain cell to the next.
After studying biopsychology, Eichenbaum decided to pursue an approach that combines both biology and psychology in his own research. In his studies, Eichenbaum takes a molecular biology approach in learning the electrical activities of the neurons of the brain. He uses his biological background to understand the brain’s circuitry in order to identify what happens with the synapses and neurons, in essence how neurons communicate with one another.
From a psychologist standpoint, Eichenbaum concerns himself with human behavior. In particular, Eichenbaum wants to examine memory, known as conscious recollection. He studies how people remember the order of events and how the brain can code sequence of events and play it back again.
Understanding the brain could help address memory disorders, common in aging, as well as diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Eichenbaum says.
Biology could also play a role in creating cures for such conditions. Researchers believe that a protein called beta-amyloid that builds up into plaques in the brain and kills nerve cells, could be at the root of Alzheimer’s. Drug studies are being done to attempt to break up this process, which is known as “amyloid cascade.” One anti-inflammatory drug being tested for its potential as an Alzheimer’s drug would target the enzyme, called gamma secretase that is believed to play a role in the amyloid build-up. Several drugs originally approved for other diseases, such as diabetes and prostate cancer, attempt to modify the brain processes that cause Alzheimer’s even though the processes aren’t fully understood.
Scientists have identified proteins responsible for strengthening the gaps where information is exchanged between neurons.
Understanding cell interaction in the brain could lead to new strategies for memory preservation to combat disease or aging, Eichenbaum says.
Conversation with Yu-Ling Shao
The Erickson Foundation, a Baltimore-based private foundation established in 1998, conducts aging research and wellness programs for older adults.
The Foundation wants to develop legitimate aging research, says Yu-Ling Shao, the foundation’s coordinator of research and new ventures.
Shao has been with the Foundation since 1999. He studied biology and chemistry as an undergraduate student and earned a graduate degree in hospital administration before moving to his current role.
Shao conducts research into aging issues, studying bone strength, balance and osteoporosis among other issues. The Foundation wants to be on the frontlines of creating a wellness program for older adults, Shao says.
The Foundation often partners with researchers from universities to develop new programs. For example, the group paired with aging researchers at California State University-Fullerton to develop a program designed to reduce physical frailty and the number of falls among older adults. Known as FallProof!, the structured balance and mobility training program, has been taught to employees at Erickson Communities, operator of retirement homes across the country. Balance and mobility disorders resulting in falls among the aging population pose a serious public health problem in the United States, Shao says.
While separate entities, The Erickson Foundation often uses Erickson Retirement communities as a test bed for their aging research initiatives, Shao says.
Many of the senior citizens have also taken to using the fitness equipment offered at the retirement centers and participating in health programs.
The Foundation also wants to study video games and virtual reality equipment.
“Gaming has true potential to become a legitimate tool in the toolbox of the health-medical professional,” Shao says.
Nintendo's Wii game console has been widely used at Erickson communities but primarily for socialization and fun, not rehabilitation.
The residents at Sedgebrook, an Erickson community located near Chicago, got a Wii system in December 2006.
“They are truly the ones that started the rage here,” says Erickson spokeswoman Kate Newton Schmelyun. “Their enthusiasm for the game is completely infectious.” The 17 other communities received systems in mid-2007.
While each community has at least one gaming system for residents to play, several have more than one system, and have organized leagues and regular events around the Wii.
“The vast majority of our residents live completely independently, but we also have assisted living and skilled nursing neighborhoods at each campus, and those residents play Wii, too,” Schmelyun says.
Shao says the Wii has the potential to help stroke patients regain some muscle function.
“There is a beauty to the Wii and other types of systems for folks who really through injjury or diseases have lost the ability to move their muscles,” Shao says.
While the Wii simulates full body movement without the regular effort levels, ultimately the Nintendo game console was designed for entertainment value. The Wii doesn't offer cardiovascular component for those who have the ability to regularly perform the tasks, such as bowling or tennis, Shao says.
Other companies are developing products to work along with video games. For example, Cateye Game Bike is a stationary bicycle that can connect to the four main video game systems to provide an interactive virtual reality experience.
The Game Bike has heart rate control programs that allow the user to track the maximum heart rate.
“This type of gaming system may not be for everyone, but one developing argument is that for older adults who are able or willing to engage in light to moderate physical activity in a gaming context, efforts should be made to include it,” Shao says.
The Foundation wants to develop legitimate aging research, says Yu-Ling Shao, the foundation’s coordinator of research and new ventures.
Shao has been with the Foundation since 1999. He studied biology and chemistry as an undergraduate student and earned a graduate degree in hospital administration before moving to his current role.
Shao conducts research into aging issues, studying bone strength, balance and osteoporosis among other issues. The Foundation wants to be on the frontlines of creating a wellness program for older adults, Shao says.
The Foundation often partners with researchers from universities to develop new programs. For example, the group paired with aging researchers at California State University-Fullerton to develop a program designed to reduce physical frailty and the number of falls among older adults. Known as FallProof!, the structured balance and mobility training program, has been taught to employees at Erickson Communities, operator of retirement homes across the country. Balance and mobility disorders resulting in falls among the aging population pose a serious public health problem in the United States, Shao says.
While separate entities, The Erickson Foundation often uses Erickson Retirement communities as a test bed for their aging research initiatives, Shao says.
Many of the senior citizens have also taken to using the fitness equipment offered at the retirement centers and participating in health programs.
The Foundation also wants to study video games and virtual reality equipment.
“Gaming has true potential to become a legitimate tool in the toolbox of the health-medical professional,” Shao says.
Nintendo's Wii game console has been widely used at Erickson communities but primarily for socialization and fun, not rehabilitation.
The residents at Sedgebrook, an Erickson community located near Chicago, got a Wii system in December 2006.
“They are truly the ones that started the rage here,” says Erickson spokeswoman Kate Newton Schmelyun. “Their enthusiasm for the game is completely infectious.” The 17 other communities received systems in mid-2007.
While each community has at least one gaming system for residents to play, several have more than one system, and have organized leagues and regular events around the Wii.
“The vast majority of our residents live completely independently, but we also have assisted living and skilled nursing neighborhoods at each campus, and those residents play Wii, too,” Schmelyun says.
Shao says the Wii has the potential to help stroke patients regain some muscle function.
“There is a beauty to the Wii and other types of systems for folks who really through injjury or diseases have lost the ability to move their muscles,” Shao says.
While the Wii simulates full body movement without the regular effort levels, ultimately the Nintendo game console was designed for entertainment value. The Wii doesn't offer cardiovascular component for those who have the ability to regularly perform the tasks, such as bowling or tennis, Shao says.
Other companies are developing products to work along with video games. For example, Cateye Game Bike is a stationary bicycle that can connect to the four main video game systems to provide an interactive virtual reality experience.
The Game Bike has heart rate control programs that allow the user to track the maximum heart rate.
“This type of gaming system may not be for everyone, but one developing argument is that for older adults who are able or willing to engage in light to moderate physical activity in a gaming context, efforts should be made to include it,” Shao says.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Resistance Training Can Make You Younger
Older adults who lift weights are biologically younger, according to recent research published in the Public Library of Science One.
The work by lead author Simon Melov of the California-based Buck Institute for Age Research and his colleagues, “Resistance exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle,” explored whether resistance training, like lifting weights, can reverse aging.
Such exercise can lead to a younger physiological age, the study found.
Researchers looked at genes and muscle strength of some healthy older and younger adult men and women. Some of those had muscle samples taken before and after a six-month resistance exercise-training program.
Resistance exercise training was performed twice weekly on non-consecutive days for 26 weeks in 14 older individuals. Participants stretched and did 3 sets of 10 repetitions for leg press, chest press, leg extension, leg flexion, shoulder press, lat pull-down seated row, calf raise, abdominal crunch, and back extension and 10 repetitions for arm flexion and arm extension.
Before exercise training, older adults were 59% weaker than younger adults, but after six months of training in older adults, strength improved significantly such that they were only 38% lower than young adults, the research found.
Eesearchers examined 596 genes. After exercise, the gene signatures reverted to younger levels for genes affected by age and exercise.
Human aging is associated with muscle atrophy, known as sarcopenia, weakness and functional impairment, Approximately 7 percent of adults over 70, and up to 20 percent over age 80 years have debilitating conditions as a result of atrophy. The estimated annual cost of sarcopenia-related health issues to the US health care system is more than $18 billion annually.
Resistance exercise can increase muscle strength, function and mass in older adults even in their 90s.
Melov et al.’s research also found that exercise reverses a functional decline in the elderly, that gene expression changes associated with aging are reversed to youthful levels after 6 months of exercise training and that exercise is more likely to affect “aging” genes than genes not associated with age.
Citation: Melov S, Tarnopolsky MA, Beckman K, et al. Resistance exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle. PLOS ONE 2007; 2(5):e465 [www.plosone.org].
The work by lead author Simon Melov of the California-based Buck Institute for Age Research and his colleagues, “Resistance exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle,” explored whether resistance training, like lifting weights, can reverse aging.
Such exercise can lead to a younger physiological age, the study found.
Researchers looked at genes and muscle strength of some healthy older and younger adult men and women. Some of those had muscle samples taken before and after a six-month resistance exercise-training program.
Resistance exercise training was performed twice weekly on non-consecutive days for 26 weeks in 14 older individuals. Participants stretched and did 3 sets of 10 repetitions for leg press, chest press, leg extension, leg flexion, shoulder press, lat pull-down seated row, calf raise, abdominal crunch, and back extension and 10 repetitions for arm flexion and arm extension.
Before exercise training, older adults were 59% weaker than younger adults, but after six months of training in older adults, strength improved significantly such that they were only 38% lower than young adults, the research found.
Eesearchers examined 596 genes. After exercise, the gene signatures reverted to younger levels for genes affected by age and exercise.
Human aging is associated with muscle atrophy, known as sarcopenia, weakness and functional impairment, Approximately 7 percent of adults over 70, and up to 20 percent over age 80 years have debilitating conditions as a result of atrophy. The estimated annual cost of sarcopenia-related health issues to the US health care system is more than $18 billion annually.
Resistance exercise can increase muscle strength, function and mass in older adults even in their 90s.
Melov et al.’s research also found that exercise reverses a functional decline in the elderly, that gene expression changes associated with aging are reversed to youthful levels after 6 months of exercise training and that exercise is more likely to affect “aging” genes than genes not associated with age.
Citation: Melov S, Tarnopolsky MA, Beckman K, et al. Resistance exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle. PLOS ONE 2007; 2(5):e465 [www.plosone.org].
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Molecular Causes of Physical Inactivity Needs More Study, Scientists Say
Not being active can change your body for the worse. And while we already know much about what can happen, a pair of researchers at the University of Missouri want to know how and why the body adapts to physical inactivity.
Physical inactivity is a basic biological question that deserves more attention, write Frank W. Booth and Simon J. Lees in their 2007 article, "Fundamental questions about genes, inactivity, and chronic disease" published in the Physiological Genomics journal.
There is a biological basis for the current epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.
"In the case of chronic disease caused by physical inactivity, we need not complicate matters by producing separate drugs for each of the benefits afforded by physical activity when physical activity is already the answer," Booth and Lees write in the journal article.
The journal authors, both researchers in the department of biomedical sciences and at the Health Activity Center at the University of Missouri, argue that determining how and why physical activity causes the body to adapt to inactivity would be a better use of time spent.
There have been increased incidences of chronic disease triggered, at least in part, by physical inactivity. For example, the CDC has recognized that physical inactivity is an "actual cause" of diabetes. The molecules for the "actual cause" need to be identified, Booth and Lees argue.
For example, understanding how and why physical inactivity produces low insulin sensitivity could make clear a cause of type 2 diabetes, they say.Providing molecular evidence of chronic diseases would allow scientists and health officials to further promote physical activity as a means of preventing chronic disease, potentially allow early detection and provide society with the information needed to counter the increasing amounts of physical inactivity in our daily lives.
More than 50 percent of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits and 25 percent of adults are not active during their leisure time. Furthermore, two-thirds of children in grades 9th through 12th do not meet minimum physical activity requirements.
Researchers have documented all the negative risks associated from physical inactivity. Physical inactivity increases the risk of coronary artery disease by 45 percent, stroke by 60 percent, hypertension by 30 percent and osteoporosis by 50 percent. Physical inactivity can lead to obesity, falls in the frail and elderly, depression and anxiety disorders. There is also some evidence that physical inactivity increases dementia and harms school academic performance. In an extreme state, such as constant bed-rest, bones lose density and muscles can shrink.
Scientists are only recently starting to document evidence of the gene interactions that result from physical inactivity.There are some documented epidemiological examples of physical inactivity-gene interaction leading to a chronic disease.
For example, there is a known hereditary risk involved with Type 2 diabetes. The Harvard Nurse's study reported that women with parents with Type 2 diabetes had a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes than did women whose parents did not have Type 2 diabetes. Among those women whose parents had diabetes, the 20 percent most inactive had a 65 percent greater risk of diabetes than the women who were most active.
Evidence exists that lifestyle change among diabetics can improve their health more than drugs.In the U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program, the lifestyle intervention group (weight loss, diet and physical activity) was about twice effective as the drug. The incidence of Type 2 diabetes was reduced by 58 percent with the lifestyle intervention and by 31 percent with metformin, a diabetes drug used to control blood sugar levels.
In the past, humans had to be physically active in order to survive. With technological advances, automation has eliminated the need for humans to "hunt" and "gather.
"The challenge for researchers, according to Booth and Lees, is to see whether "stone age" genes can be made modern, or to see if "stone age" genes work in the "space age."
Citation:Frank W. Booth and Simon J. Lees
Fundamental questions about genes, inactivity, and chronic disease
Physiological Genomics 28: 146-157, 2007
Physical inactivity is a basic biological question that deserves more attention, write Frank W. Booth and Simon J. Lees in their 2007 article, "Fundamental questions about genes, inactivity, and chronic disease" published in the Physiological Genomics journal.
There is a biological basis for the current epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.
"In the case of chronic disease caused by physical inactivity, we need not complicate matters by producing separate drugs for each of the benefits afforded by physical activity when physical activity is already the answer," Booth and Lees write in the journal article.
The journal authors, both researchers in the department of biomedical sciences and at the Health Activity Center at the University of Missouri, argue that determining how and why physical activity causes the body to adapt to inactivity would be a better use of time spent.
There have been increased incidences of chronic disease triggered, at least in part, by physical inactivity. For example, the CDC has recognized that physical inactivity is an "actual cause" of diabetes. The molecules for the "actual cause" need to be identified, Booth and Lees argue.
For example, understanding how and why physical inactivity produces low insulin sensitivity could make clear a cause of type 2 diabetes, they say.Providing molecular evidence of chronic diseases would allow scientists and health officials to further promote physical activity as a means of preventing chronic disease, potentially allow early detection and provide society with the information needed to counter the increasing amounts of physical inactivity in our daily lives.
More than 50 percent of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits and 25 percent of adults are not active during their leisure time. Furthermore, two-thirds of children in grades 9th through 12th do not meet minimum physical activity requirements.
Researchers have documented all the negative risks associated from physical inactivity. Physical inactivity increases the risk of coronary artery disease by 45 percent, stroke by 60 percent, hypertension by 30 percent and osteoporosis by 50 percent. Physical inactivity can lead to obesity, falls in the frail and elderly, depression and anxiety disorders. There is also some evidence that physical inactivity increases dementia and harms school academic performance. In an extreme state, such as constant bed-rest, bones lose density and muscles can shrink.
Scientists are only recently starting to document evidence of the gene interactions that result from physical inactivity.There are some documented epidemiological examples of physical inactivity-gene interaction leading to a chronic disease.
For example, there is a known hereditary risk involved with Type 2 diabetes. The Harvard Nurse's study reported that women with parents with Type 2 diabetes had a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes than did women whose parents did not have Type 2 diabetes. Among those women whose parents had diabetes, the 20 percent most inactive had a 65 percent greater risk of diabetes than the women who were most active.
Evidence exists that lifestyle change among diabetics can improve their health more than drugs.In the U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program, the lifestyle intervention group (weight loss, diet and physical activity) was about twice effective as the drug. The incidence of Type 2 diabetes was reduced by 58 percent with the lifestyle intervention and by 31 percent with metformin, a diabetes drug used to control blood sugar levels.
In the past, humans had to be physically active in order to survive. With technological advances, automation has eliminated the need for humans to "hunt" and "gather.
"The challenge for researchers, according to Booth and Lees, is to see whether "stone age" genes can be made modern, or to see if "stone age" genes work in the "space age."
Citation:Frank W. Booth and Simon J. Lees
Fundamental questions about genes, inactivity, and chronic disease
Physiological Genomics 28: 146-157, 2007
Diet and Activity Can Help Diabetics In A Short Amount of Time
If you have a chronic disease such as diabetes, you can improve your health without losing weight and do so in a matter of weeks, according to recent medical findings.
An article in the May 2006 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology, "Physical activity and dietary intervention for chronic diseases: a quick fix after all?" by Frank W. Booth and Manu V. Chakravarthy discussses how high fiber diets have been shown to lower insulin levels.
Also, an intense change in diet and physical activity can cut the chance of developing diabetes in half.
The journal authors discuss a study by Roberts et. al's in the same journal that shows how a 3- week treatment program showed a 50 percent decrease in metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
At the start of the study, 42 percent of the 31 subjects had Type 2 diabetes. This number dropped to 23 percent after the three week trial. An intense change in diet and increased physical activity contributed to the solution.
Participants' diet was light on fat, medium on protein, high on unrefined carbohydrates and fiber. The physical activity regiment, on the other hand, consisted of 45-60 minutes per day of walking on a treadmill at a heart rate of 70-85 percent of maximium. All the activities took place in a 21-day program at the Pritikin Longevity Center.
The change in lifestyle resulting from the high-fiber, low-fat diet and physical activity reduced stress levels and inflammation associated with Type 2 diabetes in obese men. All this improvement took place despite a 3.6 and 2.8 percent decrease in body weight and body mass index.
The journal authors conclude that the 3-week intense lifestyle change can result in a marked improvement in health without a major change in body mass. Much of the analysis, however, focuses on the study which featured 31 male subjects tested in 2001.
For long-term health benefits the focus should be on improving fitness by increasing physical activity, rather than relying on diet or weight control, Booth and Chakravarthy argue.
"These comments are important because the role of physical activity in health seems to be emphasized less than diet and obesity by the popular media."
An article in the May 2006 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology, "Physical activity and dietary intervention for chronic diseases: a quick fix after all?" by Frank W. Booth and Manu V. Chakravarthy discussses how high fiber diets have been shown to lower insulin levels.
Also, an intense change in diet and physical activity can cut the chance of developing diabetes in half.
The journal authors discuss a study by Roberts et. al's in the same journal that shows how a 3- week treatment program showed a 50 percent decrease in metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
At the start of the study, 42 percent of the 31 subjects had Type 2 diabetes. This number dropped to 23 percent after the three week trial. An intense change in diet and increased physical activity contributed to the solution.
Participants' diet was light on fat, medium on protein, high on unrefined carbohydrates and fiber. The physical activity regiment, on the other hand, consisted of 45-60 minutes per day of walking on a treadmill at a heart rate of 70-85 percent of maximium. All the activities took place in a 21-day program at the Pritikin Longevity Center.
The change in lifestyle resulting from the high-fiber, low-fat diet and physical activity reduced stress levels and inflammation associated with Type 2 diabetes in obese men. All this improvement took place despite a 3.6 and 2.8 percent decrease in body weight and body mass index.
The journal authors conclude that the 3-week intense lifestyle change can result in a marked improvement in health without a major change in body mass. Much of the analysis, however, focuses on the study which featured 31 male subjects tested in 2001.
For long-term health benefits the focus should be on improving fitness by increasing physical activity, rather than relying on diet or weight control, Booth and Chakravarthy argue.
"These comments are important because the role of physical activity in health seems to be emphasized less than diet and obesity by the popular media."
Friday, March 7, 2008
Conversation with Dr. Richard Macko
Dr. Richard Macko works as an associate researcher for the Baltimore Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) where he studies the effects of aerobic exercise on patients who have had strokes.
A neurologist by training, Macko found his way from California to the East Coast 14 years ago after residency and fellowship stints, at the University of California-Los Angeles and University of Southern California, respectively.
Once in Baltimore, Macko applied the GRECC’s focus on exercise, lifestyle and aging issues to stroke.
Exercise can improves fitness, metabolism, insulin and blood sugar levels, and even walking ability in stroke survivors, even years after the stroke occurred.
Macko’s work on the Adaptive Physical Activity program has been put into a pilot test in an Italian community. The researchers believe that chronic stroke patients who participate in the program for six months will show improved balance, walking and ADL functions compared to those participating in the usual physical activities.
Macko’s research in the clinic has demonstrated a link between improved brain plasticity in chronic stroke patients and those participating in a walking program. The brain never stops changing. This is possible because of neural pathways that can reorganize to perform new tasks, the process known as brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity. The brain can rewire itself many years after an injury, such as a stroke. The brain works as a team- a healthy section can take over for an injured section to continue to function. This is much like the way a shooting guard on a basketball team might switch positions when the point guard is injured in order to move the ball up the court. Like the basketball player, the brain can improve through practice. Performing task-repetititive activities, known as massed practice, can help improve motor learning and motor performance in those who injured their brain. For example, stroke patients who trained on the treadmill for six months in Macko’s clinical program have shown improved balance and increased mental functions.
There is evidence that a plateau of recovery in stroke patients simply does not exist as previously thought. Stroke patients can improve longer than the short window of recovery time.
The clinical program lasts 6 months and involves moderate activity training, primarily on the treadmill. The program’s lower-limb workouts include using a treadmill modified with handrails and other safety devices, as well as stair-stepping, shifting weight from foot to foot, and other exercises tailored to the patient’s abilities. The upperextremity exercises include reaching, grasping, and other repetitive movements.
In the clinic, patients have shown improvements beyond the brain. Insulin sensitivity, for example, has improved. The clinical trials found that 58 percent of the participants were able to improve their diabetes classification. If a person was diabetic, the patient’s blood sugar improved to normal levels.
In 2006 and 2007, Macko published research that shows that more than 3 out of 4 stroke survivors are either pre-diabetic or have type two diabetes. As muscles shrink in partially paralyzed parts of the body, insulin resistance can increase, which can lead to diabetes.
If a stroke survivor has type two diabetes, he has triple the chance of sustaining another stroke as well as a greater chance of suffering a heart attack.
Macko hopes the research can not only prevent diabetes but reverse metabolic conditions. His research team has applied for grant money that would move the program into the community for testing.
A neurologist by training, Macko found his way from California to the East Coast 14 years ago after residency and fellowship stints, at the University of California-Los Angeles and University of Southern California, respectively.
Once in Baltimore, Macko applied the GRECC’s focus on exercise, lifestyle and aging issues to stroke.
Exercise can improves fitness, metabolism, insulin and blood sugar levels, and even walking ability in stroke survivors, even years after the stroke occurred.
Macko’s work on the Adaptive Physical Activity program has been put into a pilot test in an Italian community. The researchers believe that chronic stroke patients who participate in the program for six months will show improved balance, walking and ADL functions compared to those participating in the usual physical activities.
Macko’s research in the clinic has demonstrated a link between improved brain plasticity in chronic stroke patients and those participating in a walking program. The brain never stops changing. This is possible because of neural pathways that can reorganize to perform new tasks, the process known as brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity. The brain can rewire itself many years after an injury, such as a stroke. The brain works as a team- a healthy section can take over for an injured section to continue to function. This is much like the way a shooting guard on a basketball team might switch positions when the point guard is injured in order to move the ball up the court. Like the basketball player, the brain can improve through practice. Performing task-repetititive activities, known as massed practice, can help improve motor learning and motor performance in those who injured their brain. For example, stroke patients who trained on the treadmill for six months in Macko’s clinical program have shown improved balance and increased mental functions.
There is evidence that a plateau of recovery in stroke patients simply does not exist as previously thought. Stroke patients can improve longer than the short window of recovery time.
The clinical program lasts 6 months and involves moderate activity training, primarily on the treadmill. The program’s lower-limb workouts include using a treadmill modified with handrails and other safety devices, as well as stair-stepping, shifting weight from foot to foot, and other exercises tailored to the patient’s abilities. The upperextremity exercises include reaching, grasping, and other repetitive movements.
In the clinic, patients have shown improvements beyond the brain. Insulin sensitivity, for example, has improved. The clinical trials found that 58 percent of the participants were able to improve their diabetes classification. If a person was diabetic, the patient’s blood sugar improved to normal levels.
In 2006 and 2007, Macko published research that shows that more than 3 out of 4 stroke survivors are either pre-diabetic or have type two diabetes. As muscles shrink in partially paralyzed parts of the body, insulin resistance can increase, which can lead to diabetes.
If a stroke survivor has type two diabetes, he has triple the chance of sustaining another stroke as well as a greater chance of suffering a heart attack.
Macko hopes the research can not only prevent diabetes but reverse metabolic conditions. His research team has applied for grant money that would move the program into the community for testing.
More on Diabetes
If you're diabetic, exercise can reduce your blood sugar levels. It's as simple as that.
Exercise remains one of three cornerstones to fighting diabetes. The other two are diet and medication.
The authors of a 2001 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article, "Effects of exercise on glycemic control and body mass in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials," used statistical tools to examine previous studies on diabetes to reach the "cornerstone" conclusion.
Led by Normand G. Boule, the authors reviewed 2,700 articles sorted through a variety of medical databases looking to quantify the effects of exercise on hemoglobin levels, a measure of blood sugar, in persons with type two diabetes.
Exercise, however, does not need to reduce a person's weight in order for him or her to acheive the benefits of glycemic control, maintaining blood sugar at healthy levels.
In many of the studies the authors examined, there was no significant differences in HbA1c levels in those who exercised and those who didn't. But by combining the studies and running statistical tests the authors of the JAMA piece found different results. Those who participated in an exercise program showed lower HbA1c, blood sugar levels over time, than those who did not.
Their meta-analysis suggests that exercise training reduces HbA1c by about 0.66 percent, an amount that would be expected to greatly reduce the risk of diabetic complications.
The analysis also found that the effects on HbA1c of diet and exercise was similar to to the effects of exercise alone.
While exercise can lower blood sugar levels it doesn't necessarily lead to weight loss.
The reserach found that those who exercised and controlled their diet did not show greater weight loss than those who did not exercise or control their diet.
Thus, exercise should be viewed as beneficial on its own, not as an avenue to weight loss, the authors conclude. They also argue that exercise is a cornerstone to diabetes therapy. But not all exercise may be created equal. Much of the research to date has focused on cardiovascular programs. There has been little research conducted on the effects of resistance training, such as weight lifting, on diabetes.
Citation: Boule, N. G., Haddad, E., Kenny, G. P., Wells, G. A., & Sigal, R. J. (2001). Effects of exercise on glycemic control and body mass in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Jama, 286(10), 1218-1227.
Exercise remains one of three cornerstones to fighting diabetes. The other two are diet and medication.
The authors of a 2001 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article, "Effects of exercise on glycemic control and body mass in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials," used statistical tools to examine previous studies on diabetes to reach the "cornerstone" conclusion.
Led by Normand G. Boule, the authors reviewed 2,700 articles sorted through a variety of medical databases looking to quantify the effects of exercise on hemoglobin levels, a measure of blood sugar, in persons with type two diabetes.
Exercise, however, does not need to reduce a person's weight in order for him or her to acheive the benefits of glycemic control, maintaining blood sugar at healthy levels.
In many of the studies the authors examined, there was no significant differences in HbA1c levels in those who exercised and those who didn't. But by combining the studies and running statistical tests the authors of the JAMA piece found different results. Those who participated in an exercise program showed lower HbA1c, blood sugar levels over time, than those who did not.
Their meta-analysis suggests that exercise training reduces HbA1c by about 0.66 percent, an amount that would be expected to greatly reduce the risk of diabetic complications.
The analysis also found that the effects on HbA1c of diet and exercise was similar to to the effects of exercise alone.
While exercise can lower blood sugar levels it doesn't necessarily lead to weight loss.
The reserach found that those who exercised and controlled their diet did not show greater weight loss than those who did not exercise or control their diet.
Thus, exercise should be viewed as beneficial on its own, not as an avenue to weight loss, the authors conclude. They also argue that exercise is a cornerstone to diabetes therapy. But not all exercise may be created equal. Much of the research to date has focused on cardiovascular programs. There has been little research conducted on the effects of resistance training, such as weight lifting, on diabetes.
Citation: Boule, N. G., Haddad, E., Kenny, G. P., Wells, G. A., & Sigal, R. J. (2001). Effects of exercise on glycemic control and body mass in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Jama, 286(10), 1218-1227.
Diabetes Can Be Prevented
By now the mantra has become common: Eat less. Exercise more. Prevent diabetes.
Doctors have told us that a change in lifestyle can either prevent or reverse the effects of type 2 diabetes. I decided to take a look back at seminal literature on this subject.
The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study was conducted to determine whether a program promoting lifestyle change could prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in subjects with "impaired glucose tolerance," evident in abnormal blood sugar levels.They found that it can.
"Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by changes in the lifestyles of high-risk subjects" was the conclusion of the authors of a 2001 article in the New England Journal of Medicine titled "Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changes in lifestyle among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance."
The researchers, led by Jaakko Tuomilehto, designed the study on the assumption that there would be a 35 percent drop in the incidences of diabetes among the group studied over the six-year period. The researchers studied 522 randomly chosen middle-aged, overweight persons (172 men and 350 women) with impaired glucose tolerance. Overweight persons with a body-mass index of 25 or higher who were 40 to 65 years old and had impaired glucose tolerance were eligible for the study.
Some participants received personal counseling aimed at helping the person lose weight, reduce the amount of fat consumed and increasing his or her levels of fiber and physical activity. They were tested for diabetes annually.During the trial, the risk of diabetes was reduced by 58 percent among the group of people receiving the personal counseling. The reduction in the incidence of diabetes was directly associated with the change in lifestyle.
Impaired glucose tolerance is an intermediate category between a person having normal blood sugar levels and being a diabetic.The participants who received the intervention, in the form of the personal counseling, exercised more and ate more fiber. More people from that group also lost weight than those who did not receive the counseling.
The cumulative incidence of diabetes was also lower in the intervention group than in the control group. Diabetes was diagnosed in a total of 86 subjects. The average proportion of subjects in whom impaired glucose tolerance progressed to diabetes was 3 percent per year in the intervention group and 6 percent per year in the control group.
Doctors have told us that a change in lifestyle can either prevent or reverse the effects of type 2 diabetes. I decided to take a look back at seminal literature on this subject.
The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study was conducted to determine whether a program promoting lifestyle change could prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in subjects with "impaired glucose tolerance," evident in abnormal blood sugar levels.They found that it can.
"Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by changes in the lifestyles of high-risk subjects" was the conclusion of the authors of a 2001 article in the New England Journal of Medicine titled "Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changes in lifestyle among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance."
The researchers, led by Jaakko Tuomilehto, designed the study on the assumption that there would be a 35 percent drop in the incidences of diabetes among the group studied over the six-year period. The researchers studied 522 randomly chosen middle-aged, overweight persons (172 men and 350 women) with impaired glucose tolerance. Overweight persons with a body-mass index of 25 or higher who were 40 to 65 years old and had impaired glucose tolerance were eligible for the study.
Some participants received personal counseling aimed at helping the person lose weight, reduce the amount of fat consumed and increasing his or her levels of fiber and physical activity. They were tested for diabetes annually.During the trial, the risk of diabetes was reduced by 58 percent among the group of people receiving the personal counseling. The reduction in the incidence of diabetes was directly associated with the change in lifestyle.
Impaired glucose tolerance is an intermediate category between a person having normal blood sugar levels and being a diabetic.The participants who received the intervention, in the form of the personal counseling, exercised more and ate more fiber. More people from that group also lost weight than those who did not receive the counseling.
The cumulative incidence of diabetes was also lower in the intervention group than in the control group. Diabetes was diagnosed in a total of 86 subjects. The average proportion of subjects in whom impaired glucose tolerance progressed to diabetes was 3 percent per year in the intervention group and 6 percent per year in the control group.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Fun Topics on Health in the News
There's been quite a few health and medical topics in the news of late that has caught my attention. I figured I'd share them with you, dear heAlTH reader:
*The AP wrote an excellent piece on so-called "Wiihabilitation." I think the Wii and other gaming technology has huge potential for rehabbing injurieis and such. If you search for "Wii" and "rehab" on Google News you'll find lots of local stories about Wii and rehabilitation. That is the power of the AP. Once the AP writes about it, it becomes news everywhere. There's lots of neat stories on this subject. This, of course, raises the question about Athens. I wonder if either of the two hospitals or the university are incorporating the Wii in their therapy programs??
*I love bananas. When I lost a bunch of weight (before gaining much of it back again. d'oh!), it was (and still is) a big part of my daily diet. Typical breakfast for me: cereal (usually cheerios), skim (or soy) milk and a banana. I have friends who share my affinity for bananas. One is even nicknamed "Banana Guy" (seriously!). So, when I was driving in my car turning the dial, this interview on NPR's Fresh Air certainly caught my attention. I really want to read Dan Koeppel's new book. I think it's an awesome example of taking a small topic and becoming an expert on it. I really want to read it. Maybe it'll be submitted to the NBCC. I sure hope so.
*When I was back home visiting my parents in North Carolina I read a blurb in the local paper about a device from diet.com that allows you to get health and nutrition information on foods from thousands of popular restaurants. So, for example, if I went to Chilis and wanted a salad I could send a text message on my cell phone to the diet.com program and get back the nutritional information. I'm kind of afraid to know what I might find out. I guess for those who truly want to get (or stay) healthy, knowing what you eat is certainly important. Like the GI Joe cartoons imparted on me when I was a child: "Knowing is Half the Battle."
That is all for now. Hope you guys and gals find these news tidbits helpful.
*The AP wrote an excellent piece on so-called "Wiihabilitation." I think the Wii and other gaming technology has huge potential for rehabbing injurieis and such. If you search for "Wii" and "rehab" on Google News you'll find lots of local stories about Wii and rehabilitation. That is the power of the AP. Once the AP writes about it, it becomes news everywhere. There's lots of neat stories on this subject. This, of course, raises the question about Athens. I wonder if either of the two hospitals or the university are incorporating the Wii in their therapy programs??
*I love bananas. When I lost a bunch of weight (before gaining much of it back again. d'oh!), it was (and still is) a big part of my daily diet. Typical breakfast for me: cereal (usually cheerios), skim (or soy) milk and a banana. I have friends who share my affinity for bananas. One is even nicknamed "Banana Guy" (seriously!). So, when I was driving in my car turning the dial, this interview on NPR's Fresh Air certainly caught my attention. I really want to read Dan Koeppel's new book. I think it's an awesome example of taking a small topic and becoming an expert on it. I really want to read it. Maybe it'll be submitted to the NBCC. I sure hope so.
*When I was back home visiting my parents in North Carolina I read a blurb in the local paper about a device from diet.com that allows you to get health and nutrition information on foods from thousands of popular restaurants. So, for example, if I went to Chilis and wanted a salad I could send a text message on my cell phone to the diet.com program and get back the nutritional information. I'm kind of afraid to know what I might find out. I guess for those who truly want to get (or stay) healthy, knowing what you eat is certainly important. Like the GI Joe cartoons imparted on me when I was a child: "Knowing is Half the Battle."
That is all for now. Hope you guys and gals find these news tidbits helpful.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Does Inactivity Make Your Body Older?
Sitting still could kill you faster.
No scientist would likely make such a broad claim. But new research provides evidence that a sedentary lifestyle, coupled with other factors such as smoking and income, may accelerate the aging process.
That was the conclusion of a group of British and American scientists, whose study was published last month in the Archives for Internal Medicine journal. Led by Dr. Lynn Cherkas of the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, King's College London, the research examined volunteers' physical activity levels in leisure for a year and their leukocyte telomere length, a DNA component that is a biological indicator of aging.
LTL tends to be short in persons with diseases, such as diabetes or heart failure. Researchers found that on average the most active subjects had telomeres the same length as sedentary persons up to 10 years younger.
Subjects who are physically inactive may be biologically older by 10 years compared to more active subjects, the authors argue.
"Adults who partake in regulary physical activity are biologically younger than sedentary individuals," the authors write in the journal article, titled "The Association Between Physical Activity in Leisure Time and Leukocyte Telomere Length." "This conclusion provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potential antiaging effect of regular exercise."
The findings help underscore the importance of regular exercise to slow the effects of aging and age-related illnesses. U.S. health guidelines recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity at least 5 days a week in order to achieve health benefits.
The study examined 2,401 white twin volunteers, comprised of 2,152 women and 249 men. Participants completed a questionnaire that asked about physical activity, smoking and socioeconomic status. Participants also made a clinic visit and had blood samples taken.
To better understand benefits of exercise throughout life, a long-term study that monitors intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise of participants from different stages of life would be useful, the journal authors suggest.
The research received funding from the Welcome Trust, National Institutes of Health and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.
No scientist would likely make such a broad claim. But new research provides evidence that a sedentary lifestyle, coupled with other factors such as smoking and income, may accelerate the aging process.
That was the conclusion of a group of British and American scientists, whose study was published last month in the Archives for Internal Medicine journal. Led by Dr. Lynn Cherkas of the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, King's College London, the research examined volunteers' physical activity levels in leisure for a year and their leukocyte telomere length, a DNA component that is a biological indicator of aging.
LTL tends to be short in persons with diseases, such as diabetes or heart failure. Researchers found that on average the most active subjects had telomeres the same length as sedentary persons up to 10 years younger.
Subjects who are physically inactive may be biologically older by 10 years compared to more active subjects, the authors argue.
"Adults who partake in regulary physical activity are biologically younger than sedentary individuals," the authors write in the journal article, titled "The Association Between Physical Activity in Leisure Time and Leukocyte Telomere Length." "This conclusion provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potential antiaging effect of regular exercise."
The findings help underscore the importance of regular exercise to slow the effects of aging and age-related illnesses. U.S. health guidelines recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity at least 5 days a week in order to achieve health benefits.
The study examined 2,401 white twin volunteers, comprised of 2,152 women and 249 men. Participants completed a questionnaire that asked about physical activity, smoking and socioeconomic status. Participants also made a clinic visit and had blood samples taken.
To better understand benefits of exercise throughout life, a long-term study that monitors intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise of participants from different stages of life would be useful, the journal authors suggest.
The research received funding from the Welcome Trust, National Institutes of Health and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Conversation with Gene Wright
Gene Wright was watching an episode of “Law & Order” when an object caught his eye. The detectives on the television crime drama were investigating a veterinarian. In the background on the possible suspect’s office wall hung an illustration. Wright instantly recognized the picture. He and his wife, Allison, had created the drawing.
“They totally scammed it,” said Wright, a professor of scientific illustration at the University of Georgia. “We didn’t get any credit for it.”
Gene and Allison Lucas Wright are both scientific illustrators. They own Biomedical Visual Concepts, a company that contracts with veterinarians, drug companies and academics, among others, to create diagrams, patient brochures and textbook illustrations.
Wright also teaches in the same department at the same university where he earned his undergraduate degree. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1987 with a bachelor’s of fine arts in interdisciplinary studies, scientific illustration, he went onto the Medical College of Georgia, where he earned a master’s of science in medical illustration. In 1992, he returned to UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art, this time as faculty, where he has remained ever since.
Wright teaches courses on techniques, design, and color, all in scientific illustration. Scientific illustration consists of two primary areas--- natural science illustration and medical illustration. Natural science illustrators draw images of insects, plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans and shells. The Smithsonian, for example, has a large collection of natural science illustrators.
Medical illustrators tend to depict human and animal anatomy, and interactions on the body, such as surgeries. The purpose of scientific education is purely for education, Wright says. Medical illustrations can inform doctors and patients alike.
“Somewhere along somebody drew it, it’s in a book somewhere and a doctor read it,” Wright says.
Students who study scientific illustration are required to take an introductory biology course, an introductory chemistry course and courses in vertebrate anatomy and human physiology.
“Since illustrations are used purely for education, if you’ve never had those subjects and you try to draw those things chances are you’re going to get it wrong, which makes the illustration pretty much useless,” Wright says.
“Having a well-rounded understanding of science is the beginning stages of being able to develop an accurate scientific illustration.”
Many of Wright’s students go onto one of the handful of graduate schools focusing on medical illustration to gain more specialized knowledge of a subject area and take more in-depth scientific courses.
At UGA, students learn mostly from insects, plants and animal bones because subjects can be found in the nearby natural history museum.
Biomedical Visual Concepts’ primary clients are veterinarians. Pfizer, the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company, is another big client for Wright’s company. Wright produced illustrations for a drug atlas Pfizer distributed to veterinarians along with the drugs they ordered to treat animal diseases. Wright enjoys drawing cats and dogs. He takes a picture of an animal he likes, draws the animal and then works on drawing the skeleton and anatomy that needs to be depicted. He relies on knowledge of muscular development and physiological issues to be able to illustrate what happens physiologically. He has illustrated how drugs interact in the body and what happens during an allergic reaction, for example.
Wright says he always liked to draw and create things and recalls doodling as a child. Despite growing up with artistic abilities, Wright planned to major in business at UGA. A macroeconomics course changed his course and sent him to the art school, he says.
Owning a company has enabled Wright to blend his interests in business with his love of scientific illustration.
Before computers, Wright would create his drawings with pencil, water colors, air brush, pen and ink, but now he uses his laptop to do most of the work, relying on software like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator to serve as his canvass and tools. He prefers scientific illustration to other areas of art.
“It’s all draw what you see and I’m more of a draw what you see than draw what you think or feel,” he says.
He also likes the acceptance that comes from two distinct audiences.
“(Artists) love [scientific illustration],” he says. “They just like the thought of art being used to educate, especially when it’s a subject matter most people are familiar with, but know nothing about. Scientists really like it because they read it. They use it.”
His favorite illustration was a collage he created for the cover for an animal physiology textbook. There were illustrations of sight as represented by the cellular level of the retina, the digestive system shown through the cellular level of the microvillo of the intestine, the cell transfer process, the anatomy of a goat, and depictions of a dog.
Wright says having his work published in National Geographic would be the ultimate reward.
For now, he enjoys seeing his work in patient education brochures, in doctor’s offices, in biology textbooks and even on “Law & Order.”
“They totally scammed it,” said Wright, a professor of scientific illustration at the University of Georgia. “We didn’t get any credit for it.”
Gene and Allison Lucas Wright are both scientific illustrators. They own Biomedical Visual Concepts, a company that contracts with veterinarians, drug companies and academics, among others, to create diagrams, patient brochures and textbook illustrations.
Wright also teaches in the same department at the same university where he earned his undergraduate degree. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1987 with a bachelor’s of fine arts in interdisciplinary studies, scientific illustration, he went onto the Medical College of Georgia, where he earned a master’s of science in medical illustration. In 1992, he returned to UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art, this time as faculty, where he has remained ever since.
Wright teaches courses on techniques, design, and color, all in scientific illustration. Scientific illustration consists of two primary areas--- natural science illustration and medical illustration. Natural science illustrators draw images of insects, plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans and shells. The Smithsonian, for example, has a large collection of natural science illustrators.
Medical illustrators tend to depict human and animal anatomy, and interactions on the body, such as surgeries. The purpose of scientific education is purely for education, Wright says. Medical illustrations can inform doctors and patients alike.
“Somewhere along somebody drew it, it’s in a book somewhere and a doctor read it,” Wright says.
Students who study scientific illustration are required to take an introductory biology course, an introductory chemistry course and courses in vertebrate anatomy and human physiology.
“Since illustrations are used purely for education, if you’ve never had those subjects and you try to draw those things chances are you’re going to get it wrong, which makes the illustration pretty much useless,” Wright says.
“Having a well-rounded understanding of science is the beginning stages of being able to develop an accurate scientific illustration.”
Many of Wright’s students go onto one of the handful of graduate schools focusing on medical illustration to gain more specialized knowledge of a subject area and take more in-depth scientific courses.
At UGA, students learn mostly from insects, plants and animal bones because subjects can be found in the nearby natural history museum.
Biomedical Visual Concepts’ primary clients are veterinarians. Pfizer, the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company, is another big client for Wright’s company. Wright produced illustrations for a drug atlas Pfizer distributed to veterinarians along with the drugs they ordered to treat animal diseases. Wright enjoys drawing cats and dogs. He takes a picture of an animal he likes, draws the animal and then works on drawing the skeleton and anatomy that needs to be depicted. He relies on knowledge of muscular development and physiological issues to be able to illustrate what happens physiologically. He has illustrated how drugs interact in the body and what happens during an allergic reaction, for example.
Wright says he always liked to draw and create things and recalls doodling as a child. Despite growing up with artistic abilities, Wright planned to major in business at UGA. A macroeconomics course changed his course and sent him to the art school, he says.
Owning a company has enabled Wright to blend his interests in business with his love of scientific illustration.
Before computers, Wright would create his drawings with pencil, water colors, air brush, pen and ink, but now he uses his laptop to do most of the work, relying on software like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator to serve as his canvass and tools. He prefers scientific illustration to other areas of art.
“It’s all draw what you see and I’m more of a draw what you see than draw what you think or feel,” he says.
He also likes the acceptance that comes from two distinct audiences.
“(Artists) love [scientific illustration],” he says. “They just like the thought of art being used to educate, especially when it’s a subject matter most people are familiar with, but know nothing about. Scientists really like it because they read it. They use it.”
His favorite illustration was a collage he created for the cover for an animal physiology textbook. There were illustrations of sight as represented by the cellular level of the retina, the digestive system shown through the cellular level of the microvillo of the intestine, the cell transfer process, the anatomy of a goat, and depictions of a dog.
Wright says having his work published in National Geographic would be the ultimate reward.
For now, he enjoys seeing his work in patient education brochures, in doctor’s offices, in biology textbooks and even on “Law & Order.”
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
About HeAlTH
You're probably wondering why the ATH letters are capitalized in HeAlTH?!?! That's because this blog originates from Athens, Georgia. The three letter abbreviation for Athens? You guessed it- ATH. This blog is being kept as an assignment for Pat Thomas' Advanced Health and Medical Journalism course at the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia.
You can look forward to conversational pieces from interviews with scientists (at Georgia and across the country, maybe even the world?) as well as some news briefs based on new studies in the latest medical journals. Feel free to join in on the discussion of health and medical topics.
You can look forward to conversational pieces from interviews with scientists (at Georgia and across the country, maybe even the world?) as well as some news briefs based on new studies in the latest medical journals. Feel free to join in on the discussion of health and medical topics.
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