Tag Archives: exercise

Exercise cuts death risk in colorectal cancer

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Boston: Exercise can substantially reduce the risk of death following a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, two new studies confirm, both published in this month’s Journal of Oncology.

In one study, Dr. Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, from Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and his team identified 573 women diagnosed with stage I, II, or III colorectal cancer. During a median follow-up of 9.6 years, 132 women died; 80 of these deaths were due to the cancer.

The investigators documented the level of physical activity the participants reported following their diagnosis, and translated that to “metabolic equivalent tasks” (MET-hours per week). For example, walking at a rate of 2.9 mph was assigned a score of 3 MET-hours, aerobic exercise was given a 6, and running faster than 10 min/mile was counted as 12 MET-hours.

After adjusting for multiple confounders, the authors observed that compared with patients who reported less than 3 total MET-hours per week of activity, those reporting 18 or more MET-hours per week were significantly less likely to die of their cancer or of any cause.

In another study, Meyerhardt’s team studied 832 patients with advanced colon cancer who underwent surgery and chemotherapy with “curative intent.” The subjects reported their recreational physical activities approximately 6 months after their treatment had ended.

During median follow-up of 2.7 years, 159 patients had cancer recurrence and 84 died.

Compared with patients exercising less than 3 MET-hours, those who exercised 18 to 26.9 MET-hours per week were less likely to die in adjusted analyses, similar to the other study.

In a related editorial, Dr. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, notes that these two studies report outcomes similar to those of a previous study in which activity after a diagnosis of breast cancer was also associated with survival.

But all three trials were observational, she points out. So before physicians can be absolutely sure that exercise prevents progression or recurrence of cancer, randomized, controlled trials will be required.

Furthermore, important questions remain unanswered, she added, such as the safety of exercise for patients who have been given therapy toxic to the heart, what exercises are most beneficial, and which patients are most likely to benefit.

Will you get dementia?

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Stockholm: Scientists have developed a two-minute test that can access the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

There are seven lifestyle questions on age, education, health and exercise yield a personal score out of the highest of 15, which is then translated into a personal risk level. The higher the score, the more likely dementia will develop within 20 years.
The aim of the test is to shock those at risk into making lifestyle changes necessary to reduce the danger.

Accuracy is estimated at around 70 per cent The test. Those who score highest are estimated to have a 16 per cent chance of developing the disease while those at the lower end have one per cent, according to a report in The Lancet Neurology.

The number of cases of Alzheimer’s is on the increase and presently there is no cure and no predictive testing other than a genetic test.

Though it is generally recognised that there are some risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, not taking exercise, poor diet and high levels of the substance homocysteine in the blood. These may combine years before the disease to create an environment for Alzheimer’s to develop.

The doctors looked at the health of more than 1,400 middle-aged people from Finland to device the scorecard. They looked at their health when they were around 50 and then 20 years later examined them for signs of dementia.

Those who are obese or have high blood pressure or high cholesterol are twice as likely to develop dementia. Scoring badly on all three fronts raises the risk sixfold.

Swedish neurologist Dr Miia Kivipelto, who developed the scorecard, said it could change the face of dementia treatment and gave doctors and patients a better chance in intervention.

A younger brain – fertilise it with nutrition, exercise and the mind gym

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Lawyers, scientists, doctors, investment bankers and those of us with challenging jobs are 22 per cent less likely to suffer age-related brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia in later life, according to a recent study.

Whilst this is good news, doctors now believe the onset of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s are the result of a combination of factors that can begin in our 30s – decades before the symptoms manifest themselves. Like heart and cardio-vascular disease many of us will already silently be developing symptoms. Stress and binge-drinking can accelerate the onset of memory loss and cognitive impairment leading to more serious problems later in life.

So what can we do now to prevent or reverse this process and help our brains function better for longer? According to international nutritionist Patrick Holford, author of “The Alzheimer’s Prevention Plan” (Piatkus Books) cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s are mostly preventable and we can reverse our risk by making simple changes to our lifestyle and diet.

According to Holford only 1 per cent of Alzheimer’s is caused by genetic factors. Roughly three in ten people over the age of 70 experience poor memory, concentration and confusion, with a further one in ten being diagnosed with dementia, the majority of which go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease. So we have a 50:50 chance of entering the last quarter of our lives with our mental faculties intact.

Scientists already know that there is a correlation between the build-up of “amyloid plaques”, a protein that clogs up the brain, killing the cells and Alzheimer’s but this can only be detected after death through examination of the brain.

One of the key factors in determining whether a person is at risk is to test levels of an amino-acid called homocysteine in the blood. High levels – a healthy score is 7 – such as 15 or above are likely to indicate worsening mental alertness and the prospect of Alzheimer’s disease in later life. High homocysteine levels are also implicated in heart and cardio-vascular disease.

Holford’s recommendation’s to lower your “H” score by: eating less fatty meat, more fish and vegetables; even more green vegetables, a clove of garlic daily, don’t add salt to food, cut back on tea and coffee, limit alcohol, reduce stress, stop smoking and supplementing with homocysteine reducing nuritients each day (see Brain Boosters).

At the Brain Bio Centre in London (www.brainbiocentre.com) Holford has been pioneering this nutrition-based method for reversing the risk of both age-related memory decline and Alzheimer’s with some success.
At the recent London Anti-Ageing Conference he told medical experts that he had arrested the development of mental deterioration in men and women by changing their diet and some had also had the bonus of having their libido restored.

Since the brain is 60% fat, Holford argues, we should be eating a diet rich in oil soluble vitamins such as Vitamin E (liver and eggs), oily fish (sardines and salmon) and seeds (pumpkin and flax) which contain Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. One of the signs that you may not be getting enough of these vital brain nutrients is a dry skin.

His findings are confirmed by doctors at the Rush Institute for Healthy Ageing in Chicago who discovered that eating oily fish, containing DHA, a form of omega three fat, just once a week, reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 60 per cent.

We must also not forget the role of hormones in memory loss. One, pregnenolone, is known as the mother hormone because it converts to a variety of others – oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA – is also important in brain function. But blood testing is essential and anyone with cancer should not take pregnenolone.

Professor Ian Robertson, of the Institute of Neuroscience at Trinity College, Dublin, in his book, Stay Young with the Mind Doctor, (published by Vermillion) has conducted experiments with exercise and mental workouts which he says make it possible to make the brain younger by up to 14 years.

He prescribes a cardiovascular workout three times a week to raise the heart rate and improve mental function by increasing blood flow to the brain. It also produces a chemical fertiliser for new brain connections and cells (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and serotonin the enhancing mood chemical. Taking up new mental challenges such as learning new skills such as learning to play a musical instrument or learning a new language work the frontal lobes – the brain’s mind manager – which otherwise shrink with age; extreme stress decreases the hippocampus, the brain’s memory centre, so reduce it and finally keep your mind happy with an active social life and positive personal relationships. Next week: Staying Young – super anti-ageing supplements and foods

Avril O’Connor is Editor of www.elixirnews.com an independent source of anti-ageing health information. Email: editor@elixirnews.com

HOW SHARP IS YOUR MIND AND MEMORY?
TRY PATRICK HOLFORD’S TEST NOW
Yes No

Is your memory deteriorating?

Do you find it hard to concentrate and often get confused?
Do you sometimes meet someone you know quite well but can’t remember their name?

Do you often find you can remember things from the past but forget what you did yesterday?
Do you ever forget what day of the week it is?
Do you ever go looking for something and forget what you are looking for?
Do your friends and family think you’re getting more forgetful now than you used to be?
Do you find it hard to add up numbers without writing them down?
Do you often experience mental tiredness?
Do you find it heard to concentrate for more than an hour?
Do you often misplace your keys?
Do you frequently repeat yourself?
Do you sometimes forget the point you’re trying to make?
Does it take you longer to learn things than it used to?

Score 1 for each “yes” answer
If your score is:
Below 5: You don’t have a major problem with your memory – but you may find that simple diet changes and supplementing natural mind and memory boosters will sharpen you up even more.

5 to 10: Your memory definitely needs a boost. Certain diet changes and supplements can make a big difference.

More than 10: You are experiencing significant memory decline and need to do something about it. As well as following these diet and supplement recommendations we recommend you see a nutritionist.

TOP MEMORY BOOSTING SUPPLEMENTS

Ashwagandha – a medicinal plant used in India that has been shown to repair damaged brain cells
Acetyl-L-Carnitine Arginate –stimulates the growth of neurites in the brain as well as stimulating production of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter
Alpa-Lipoic Acid
Choline – a substance needed by the brain to produce acetylcholine
Co Enyme Q10 – produced by the body but declines with age and energises the cells. Low levels are also associated with heart disease
DMAE – a natural substance also found in oily fish such as salmon and converts to choline and acetylcholine to build and repair brain cells.
Gingo Bilboa – a potent antioxidant supplement that strengthens capillaries, promoting healthy blood flow to the brain
Gluthione – a natural antioxidant that fights free radicals that damage cells in the body
Lecithin – a natural substance found in the body that helps maintain cell structure
N-acetyl cysteine – an amino acid that helps remove homocysteine from the blood
Omega 3 fats – found in fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) and seeds (pumpkin and flax)
Phosphatidylserine – a natural part of the healthy cell membrane but declines with age. Helps concentration and is available as a dietary supplement in the US but only available in the UK on prescription.
Pregnenolone – mother hormone that declines with age and vital to brain function

Cherry juice can improve exercise outcome

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London: Cherry juice can increase strength and reduce muscle pain brought about by exercise, according to a new study to be published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Fourteen volunteers were asked to either drink fresh cherry juice blended with apple juice twice a day for three days before exercise and for four days afterwards, or to drink a dummy mixture containing no cherry juice. The blend comprised 12 oz of liquid, equivalent to the juice from 50 to 60 cherries.

The volunteers were asked to hill walk or weight lift – two of the most strenuous exercises for muscles. Tenderness, motion, and strength were assessed on each of the days before and after exercise.

The research revealed that there was a significant difference in the degree of muscle strength between those drinking the cherry juice blend and those taking the dummy mixture.

Muscle strength improved almost after 96 hours in those drinking cherry juice, and the average pain score was significantly less in those drinking cherry juice.

The research also showed that the pain a person experiences after rigorous exercise can also be reduced significantly among people who drink the cherry juice.

Live-longer Secrets from around the world

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These are the countries in which women have the longest lifespan, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Health Data 2005:

Japan 85.3
Spain 83.7
France 82.9
Australia 82.9
Iceland 82.5
Canada 82.1
Finland 81.8
New Zealand 81.1
UK 80.7
USA 79.9

Finland

Finland had the highest rate of deaths from heart disease in the world in the 1970s. It has now reversed that trend by combining a healthier diet and outdoor exercise. Half of women walk or cycle to work and the populace defy sub-zero temperatures to hike and ski.

France

Although the French diet is higher in dairy fat, they have less heart disease, are slimmer and live longer than most Europeans. Garlic and red wine are thought to be responsible for some of the lower levels of cardiovascular disease.

Japan

A combination of beneficial foods including fish, rice, soya and vegetables mean the Japanese have lower rates of heart disease than Europeans. Soya improves bone health and prevents hot flushes and is thought to fight cancer. Antioxidant vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, are also popular. The Japanese also drink green tea which is full of antioxidants

India

There is less Alzheimer’s amongst elderly people in India than in most Western countries.

Circumin, the active ingredient in tumeric a speice used in curry, has been linked to these lower levels of disease. Scientists at the University of California believe it may slow down the progression of the disease. They discovered that there were half the number of amayloid plaques – the protein thought to be implicated in Alzheimer’s – in people who consumed circumin. It has also been shown to stop the spread of some cancers.

Exercise may help fight cancer

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New Jersey:A study of mice has shown that exercise helps fight cancer.

Researchers at Rutgers University found that female mice exposed to a form of ultraviolet light took longer to develop skin tumours if they had access to a running wheel.

However, experts warned the study, published in the journal Carcinogenesis, was not an excuse to go out in the sun unprotected.

In the first part of the study mice were exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) three times a week for 16 weeks. Then for the next 14 weeks, in the absence of further UVB treatment, half the mice had access to running wheels in their cages, while the other half did not.

In the second part mice were exposed to UVB light twice a week for 33 weeks, and, from the beginning, half had access to a running wheel and half did not.

All the mice in the high risk part of the study developed skin tumours. But exercising mice took an average of seven weeks to show signs of cancer, compared to an average of just 3.5 weeks in the mice which took no exercise.

The tumours in the exercising mice were also less numerous and smaller.

Non-malignant tumour size per mouse was decreased by 54% and malignant tumour size per mouse by 73%.

The second part of the study produced similar results. Again the exercising mice were slower to develop tumours, developed fewer tumours and those that they did develop were smaller.

This time non-malignant tumour size per mouse was decreased by 75% and malignant tumour size per mouse by 69%.

Analysis of samples found that exercise appeared to enhance programmed cell death (apoptosis) – a process that removes sun-damaged cells – both in the skin, and in tumours.

Lead researcher Dr Allan Conney said: “While UVB is triggering the development of tumours, exercise is counteracting the effect by stimulating the death of the developing cancer cells.”

Dr Conney said the results also showed that animals with less fat developed less tumours. He said this might be a significant factor – particularly as obesity rates were rising throughout the Western world.

Grandmother 51 with body of model

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London: Grandmother Donna McClure, pictured right, has a better figure than most women half her age. Her secret is a new exercise product from the US, the Nautilus Bowflex Homegym which the manufacturers claim is guaranteed to change your body in six weeks.

Donna is featured in the company’s promotional material after she wrote to them about how well the exercise regime worked for her. She now has her own web site www.fitgrandmother.com

Whether you want to lose weight, get in shape or just look better, the Bowflex home gym guarantees to change your body in just six weeks – or your money back.

Bowflex gets results because it not only provides an aerobic workout by circuit training, but also helps to build muscle. Regardless of age, muscle is important to everyone – especially people who want to lose weight – because body muscle helps to burn most of the calories we eat.

In a recent US studymen who exercised with the Bowflex home gym by following a ‘Fast Fat Loss’ programme lost an average of 28lbs of fat in just six weeks, while women lost almost 17lbs of fat in the same time-span.

Designed to provide a gym quality workout in the comfort of the home, Bowflex Sport offers over 60 different exercises – the equivalent of almost an entire range of gym equipment in a single, compact unit.

Bowflex’s unique Power RodÒ resistance provides you with a secret fitness weapon. This special Power Rod technology gives you resistance, or weight, that feels as good as, or better than free weights – but without the inertia, danger or joint pain usually associated with free weights.

And, because Power Rods are so strong, they can be flexed repeatedly without wearing out, and even come with a 30 year guarantee.

Two Bowflex home gym models are now available to UK consumers – the Bowflex SportÔ and the Bowflex XtremeÔ.

Both models come with a lat tower with angled lat bar to help build back and shoulder muscles quickly, a lower squat station for squats and to build glutes, hamstrings and quads, multiple cable positions to provide custom workouts. Both models also come with a complete step-by-step fitness guide, Dr Ellington Darden’s Fast Fat loss programme and a comprehensive owner’s manual.

And, for users who want the flexibility to move or store their home gym, the Bowflex Sport is fully portable, so it can be easily folded up and rolled out of the way.

Now the best-selling home gym in the US with over 1.5 million sales, Bowflex provides a better, quicker and more convenient workout system that’s ideal for anyone with a busy lifestyle and offers real results for real people. Instead of spending up to two hours driving to the gym, waiting for equipment, then exercising and driving home, Bowflex will always be available and ready for use – whatever the time of day or night.

Bowflex is also a great solution for anyone who is ‘turned off’ or intimidated by health and fitness clubs, as it offers a gym standard workout in the comfort of your home.

Alternatively, for real ‘fitness junkies’ the gym-quality workout and constant availability provides great results, and users can upgrade to 310lbs or 410lbs of Power Rod resistance as required.

Available immediately, the Bowflex Sport and Xtreme models retail at £799 and £999 respectively, or can be financed with affordable low monthly payments. The Bowflex home gym will be sold exclusively through television teleshopping via TV Warehouse, and can be ordered directly from its website, www.bowflex.co.uk”, or by calling Freephon from the UK: 0800 013 1606.

Exercise lowers cholesterol

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London: Exercise lowers LDL “bad cholesterol”, a new study has discovered.

The Brunel University study also found that both fat and thin people who did not exercise both had high levels of LDL.

Leader researcher, physiologist Dr Gary O’Donovan said that many people believed that the only benefit of exercise was weight loss but being thin was not enough to protect people from unhealthy levels of blood cholesterol. Slim people also needed to exercise, he said.

High levels of LDL is associated with coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.

Exercise can help prevent Alzheimer’s

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New York: Taking regular walks can help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease in older people, new research from the National Institute of Aging in Maryland has found.

Those who exercise three times a week during old age are a third less likely to develop dementia than the less active, research shows.

Walkers and cyclists are at lower risk of the disease, a study of more than 1,700 pensioners found. Aerobics and weight training are also beneficial.

The US research followed the progress of volunteers for six years. All were over 65 and in good health.

At the end of the study there were more cases of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, in those who took little or no exercise.

Those who exercised at least three times a week for at least 15 minutes at a time were 32 per cent less likely to develop the condition.

Researcher Dr Eric Larson, from the National Institute of Ageing in Maryland, said: ‘Even those elderly people who did modest amounts of gentle exercise, such as walking for 15 minutes three times a week, appeared to benefit. Even if you’re 75 and have never exercised before, you can still benefit by starting to exercise now.’

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia with more cases being diagnosed each year. For some, drugs can delay the progress of symptoms such as memory loss and the erosion of ability to do everyday tasks, but there is no cure.

However, exercising boosts blood flow to the parts of the brain used for memory, Dr Larson said.

‘Earlier research has shown that poor blood flow can damage these parts of the brain,’ he said. ‘So one theory is that exercise may prevent damage and might even help repair these areas by increasing blood flow.’

Writing in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers said the social aspect of exercising may help keep men and women alert.

Previous findings have shown that exercise may keep Alzheimer’s at bay by reducing levels of amyloid, a sticky protein that clogs the brains of those with the disease, leading to nerve damage and memory loss.

Regular activity also helps prevent diabetes and high blood pressure – both of which increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.

It is also possible those who exercise regularly as pensioners will have led healthier lifestyles over the years.

Researchers will investigate whether some types of exercise are better than others at warding off dementia.

Mild exercise helps lift depression say experts

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New York: Depression and anxiety can be worked off by mild exercise, say experts at the Harvard Medical School in Boston.

In the latest issue of the Harvard Medical Letter they say:”Although it is no magic remedy, there is little to lose and everything to gain by trying to work off depression and anxiety.”

Dr. Michael Craig Miller, editor-in-chief of the letter, comments”It’s clear that exercise is beneficial for mental health. What’s not clear is how it works.”

For example, in one of the studies cited in the letter, researchers found that adults who participated in a three-month rigorous exercise program experienced a decline in depressive symptoms about as great as they would have experienced had they received standard depression treatment, such as antidepressant medication.

Even among middle-school children, higher levels of physical activity have been found to be associated with fewer depressive symptoms, according to a another recent report. Other studies have found exercise to be similarly associated with improvements in panic disorder, post-traumatic stress and other anxiety disorders.

Researchers speculate that vigorous exercise may be associated with increased levels of “helpful chemicals in the brain,” such as endorphins, which are responsible for the euphoric feelings associated with exercise, said Miller, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Also, the support group provided by other exercisers, as well as the heightened sense of alertness and improved self-esteem often associated with regular physical activity, all contribute to an enhanced sense of well being, he said.

Still, an increased level of physical activity will affect different people in different ways, and it is not a proven cure for any mental illness, according to the health letter.

What’s more, some depressed individuals may simply not have the desire to exercise.

Citing the popular NIKE slogan, Miller said, “Most people cannot ‘just do it,’ particularly if they are depressed.”

He advises that people who fall in this category do as much as they can, even if it means exercising for a few minutes at a time. Continued …

“The advantage of doing a little bit is that sometimes a little bit leads to a little bit more,” he said.

“You don’t have to have a program that includes 45 minutes of sweating and grunting and moaning,” he added. “A 10-minute walk is as good a place to start as anything else.”

Exercise boosts brainpower in rats

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Gothenburg: Moderate exercise stimulates the brain, according to new research from Sweden.

The key to being quick-witted lies in working out little and often, but taking too much exercise can have the opposite effect.

Biologist Andrew Naylor who led the research at Gothenburg University said that they had looked at how exercise affected the brains of rats. Half were given access to treadmills. After nine days the rats taking exercise had five times as many new brain cells in the hippocampus, the area responsible for memory, than those who did not.

Another experiment showed who took lots of exercise were no better than those who took none.

Dr Naylor believes the results can be explained by the actions of hormones – ‘ feelgood’ endorphins and glucocorticoids, which are produced during stress.
The former are produced during exercise and stimulate the production of new brain cells. But if the body becomes stressed from over- exercise, their effects are cancelled out by the latter, which slows the production of new brain cells.

Exercise helps longevity

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Rotterdam: Regular exercise that keeps you fit can prolong life by up to four years, according to new research from the University of Erasmus.

Researchers examined the medical records of 5,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans to discover that those who took moderate exercise on a regular basis lived 1.3 to 3.7 years longer than those who didn’t take any. Those who took part in strenuous daily exercise such as jogging increased their lifespan still further from 3.5 years to 3.7 years. The findings are published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Oscar Franco, one of the researchers said: “This shows that physical activity really does make a difference – not only for how long you live but for how long you live a healthy life.”

The effects of how low, moderate or high levels of physical activity, affected lifespan were calculated, taking into account age, sex, whether people smoked or had health problems.

Regular exercise fights arthritis

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Malmo: New research from Sweden has found that regular exercise maybe helpful in strengthening knee cartilage in people at high risk of developing knee osteoarthritis, one of the leading causes of disability

Previously doctors believed that osteoarthritis, a wear and tear disease, is made worse by exercise. But the new findings may suggest that exercise may actually protect against cartilage breakdown. Additionally researchers assessed the cartilage outcomes in 45 patients with early joint disease who were asked to perform moderate exercise. This included trainin sessions three times weekly over four months to improve muscle strength and aerobic capacity.In addition, moderate exercise seemed to improve joint symptoms and function.

The research from Malmo and Lund Universities is published in this month’s issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

Exercise cuts male risk of dying from heart disease

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Dallas: A study, published in the Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, shows that, regardless of cholesterol levels, men can cut by half their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease if they are physically fit.

The study has been carried out by researchers from Queen’s University School of Physical in Kingston and Health Education and Cooper Institute Centres for Integrated Health Research in Dallas.

The primary aim of the study was to analyze the effectiveness of last year’s modifications to the guidelines from the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III ( NCEP ATP III ) for lowering LDL cholesterol to predict death from cardiovascular diseases.

“ We wanted to find out if the new guidelines could identify men at risk for cardiovascular disease,” says Katzmarzyk at Queen’s. “ We confirmed that the guidelines do accurately identify men at risk not only of disease, but also at risk of cardiovascular death. We also discovered that fitness is important across the board – at every level of cholesterol.”

Results also suggest that within a given risk category, physical fitness is associated with a greater than 50-per-cent lower risk of mortality. In this study, physical fitness was four to five, 30-minute segments of activity per week: equivalent to walking 130 to 138 minutes per week.

Researchers analyzed the cardiovascular risk factors and cardio-respiratory fitness of 19,125 men ages 20 to 79, who were treated at a preventive medicine clinic from 1979 -1995, prior to the revised treatment guidelines.

Using the new ATP III classifications:

· 58 per cent of the men would have met the criteria for being “at or below LDL cholesterol goal”;

· 18 per cent would have met the criteria for “ therapeutic lifestyle change ” – meaning diet, physical activity and weight management could lower LDL; and

· 24 per cent would have met the criteria for “drug consideration” for lowering LDL.

There were 179 deaths from cardiovascular disease over more than 10 years of follow-up.

Overall, compared to men who met the acceptable LDL level under the revised guidelines:

· Men who met the criteria for therapeutic lifestyle intervention had twice the risk of cardiovascular disease death; and

· Men eligible for aggressive cholesterol-lowering therapy had almost seven-times the risk.

The research was partly funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health ( NIH ).

Diet and exercise balance key to bikini body

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New York: A survey of 1,149 adults reveals that 65 percent of women will deprive themselves of sweets to slim for the swimsuit season. However, the key to success in slimming down is changing your routine and creating a balance between diet and exercise, says celebrity trainer Kathy Kaehler.

Kaehler, who has shaped diet and fitness regimens for such celebrities as Julia Roberts and Cindy Crawford, offers this advice to stay on track.

* Listen to Your Body. Most diets go off course when you deprive yourself of essential fats and carbohydrates. This can lead you to compensate by overeating. To avoid this trap, allow yourself a delicious, lower fat treat in moderation. “I often recommend bite-sized 3 Musketeers Miniatures to my clients because they have 45 percent less fat than the leading chocolate brands,” said Kaehler. “This fulfills a yearning without sacrificing long-term diet and fitness goals.”

* Mix It Up. Shake up your routine by changing the amount of repetition or type of exercise — increase the incline and speed, or take a different and more challenging class. Try hiking or running at the park once a week instead of going to the gym.

* Select a Training Partner. Choose a professional trainer who can provide the guidance and motivation to keep your fitness routine on track and help you focus on problem areas. If you can’t afford a trainer, ask a friend to become a workout buddy. It will help you enjoy your workout rather than view it as a chore.

* Get More Sleep. Sleep fuels the body and mind and allows you to recharge. If you don’t get enough sleep, you may feel sluggish or agitated, making it harder to focus and jeopardize your chances of staying on track.

* Set Realistic Goals. Keep your perspective — don’t unfairly compar yourself to Hollywood figures who have the money and time to spend all day shaping their bodies. Don’t expect results after only a few weeks in the gym. If you start with realistic goals, such as eating a healthier diet and doing 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three times a week, it will be easier to stay motivated and see results over the long-term.

Exercise helps cancer survival

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Boston: Women with breast cancer who walk at least an hour a week have a better chance of beating the disease than those who don’t exercise at all, researchers said this week.

But the study said many women hurt their chances of survival by cutting back on exercise after they were diagnosed.

“We found that women who are physically active after breast cancer diagnosis may lower their risk of death from breast cancer and cancer recurrence,” said lead researcher Michelle Holmes of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Regular exercise is believed to lift survival rates by diminishing production of the hormone estrogen, which promotes tumour growth in the most common type of breast cancer, the report in the Journal of the American Medical Association said.

Based on up to 18 years’ worth of data from 3000 breast cancer participants in the hospital’s study of female nurses, walking three to five hours a week cut in half the risk of dying from the disease compared to women who exercised less than an hour a week or not at all.

Even walking an hour a week lifted survival rates but exercising more than five hours a week did not confer any added survival benefit.

The study noted discouraging estimates that women with breast cancer tend to decrease their levels of physical activity by two hours a week and those who are obese reduce activity even more.

Exercise beats depression

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Cycling or swimming three times a week can be as effective as drugs for treating depression, new research has discovered.

In study by the University of Texas to investigate how exercise alone can be used to treat mild to moderate depression, researchers found that symptoms were cut by a half in men and women aged 20 to 45 who took part in three to five 30-minute aerobic exercise sessions a week for 12 weeks. Researchers from the University of Texas say the results are comparable to those achieved with anti-depressant drugs.

Reasons to exercise

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Regular workouts help you resist and recover from ageing diseases.

Research shows that regular workouts not only keep you fit but also the body recover from life-threatening diseases. But workouts need to be geared to your body type and fitness level. If you’re overweight or have high blood pressure you should check with your GP that the exercise you plan is the right one. You may want to start off with a vigorous walk. Keeping fit can also help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol, take off excess pounds and help with stress. Exercise also encourages the production of the human growth hormone, the decline of which contributes to ageing.

Most sports involve an element of risk especially if you are not fit at the start. These include sprains and strains (Achilles tendons are particularly vulnerable, in sports such as running or tennis), eye injuries (in fast ball games such as squash) to heart attacks and strokes. The ideal exercise programme is one that boosts cardiovascular (heart/ lung) fitness, improves flexibility and strength, relaxes you, burns fat and maintains bone mass – and that means a mixed fitness programme of an aerobic exercise with stretching such as Pilates or yoga. On sunny days you should use a UVA sunscreen.

10 Reasons to Exercise

1. Improves quality of life
2. Slows down the ageing process
3. Reduces the risk of heart disease
4. Reduces stress
5. Relieves depression
6. Good self-image
7. Improves quality of sleep
8. Assists mental altertness
9. Reduces risks of certain cancers
10. Increases good cholesterol
3. Relieves depression

Udai vilas, Udaipur, Rajasthan

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T:+91 294 243 3300; www.oberoihotels.com

The resort has two large swimming pools which are heated in winter, a gymnasium, boutique and a library with a selection of music and DVDs. Private excursions and cruises on the lake can be organised by the hotel. The spa, managed by Banyan Tree, offers holistic treatments and therapies to pamper and revitalise mind and body using holistic therapies and massages combining the best of East and West. Massages, facials and body beautification methods use ancient Ayurveda and aromatherapy as well as Thai and western techniques designed to relieve stress as well as create a sense of wellbeing. The spa has a private pool and individual therapy suites with views of Lake Pichola, the Aravali mountains and City Palace. Each of the eight suites has its own steam sauna and Victorian style bathtub. The gym and hair salon are located around a central domed foyer with a marble fountain.