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Get Fit in Middle Age to Boost Your Aging Brain

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Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in middle age and beyond might help keep your brain healthy, a new study suggests. “Our study suggests that getting at least an hour and 15 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity a week or more during midlife may be important throughout your lifetime for promoting brain health and preserving the actual structure of your brain,” said study author Priya Palta, an epidemiologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. “In particular, engaging in more than 2.5 hours of physical activity per week in middle age was associated with fewer signs of brain disease,” she said. For the study, published online Jan. 6 in the journal Neurology, Palta’s team collected data on more than 1,600 people (average age: 53) who had five physical exams over 25 years and rated their weekly activity levels. Participants also had brain scans at the end of the study to measure their gray and white brain matter and areas of injury or disease in the brain. While the researchers only found a correlation, those participants who didn’t do moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity in midlife had 47% greater odds, on average, of developing small areas of brain damage compared to people who engaged in high levels of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. Higher activity levels were also associated with more intact white matter. White matter is tissue…  read on >  read on >

Mediterranean Diet Could Help Stop Prostate Cancer’s Spread

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Food as medicine: New research suggests that a healthy Mediterranean diet might lower the risk of prostate cancer progressing to a more advanced state. The relative lack of saturated fat in these diets might be a major reason why. The Mediterranean diet is “known for its lower consumption of saturated fats,” said Dr. Phillip Vigneri, a prostate cancer specialist unconnected to the new study. He heads the department of radiation medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City. For example, “it has been known for some time that while Japan has a similar incidence of prostate cancer, it has a lower metastatic rate and mortality,” Vigneri pointed out. And while it’s not possible to prove clear cause and effect, “this difference is usually attributed to a [Japanese] diet that is lower in fat,” he said. The new study involved 410 prostate cancer patients and was led by Dr. Justin Gregg, assistant professor of urology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston. Because most prostate cancer cases are low-risk and have favorable outcomes, many men do not need immediate treatment and opt for “active surveillance.” That was the case for the participants in this study. The Houston team found that those who stuck to meals rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals and fish — hallmarks of a Mediterranean diet —…  read on >  read on >

Certain Antibiotics Linked With Upped Risk for Deadly Aortic Aneurysms

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A widely used class of antibiotics has been linked to an increased risk of a potentially fatal blood vessel condition — even in younger, healthy people. In a study of millions of antibiotic prescriptions made in the United States, researchers found that one class was associated with a small increase in the risk of aortic aneurysm. The drugs — called fluoroquinolones — have been a mainstay of antibiotic therapy for decades. They include medications such as Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Factive (gemifloxacin). Several previous studies have linked fluoroquinolones to a heightened risk of aortic aneurysm — a weakened area in the wall of the body’s largest artery. If that weakened tissue ruptures, it can cause fatal bleeding. Based on those earlier findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in 2018, saying people at high risk of aortic aneurysm should avoid fluoroquinolones. “High risk” included the elderly and people with high blood pressure or a history of blockages or aneurysms in any arteries. The new study, published Jan. 6 in JAMA Surgery, suggests a much broader swath of the population might want to be cautious. It found a link between fluoroquinolones and aortic aneurysm in all adults age 35 and up — including those without high blood pressure, diabetes or elevated cholesterol. “I’d personally like to see the FDA broaden its warning,”…  read on >  read on >

Certain Antibiotics Linked With Upped Risk for Deadly Aortic Aneurysms

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A widely used class of antibiotics has been linked to an increased risk of a potentially fatal blood vessel condition — even in younger, healthy people. In a study of millions of antibiotic prescriptions made in the United States, researchers found that one class was associated with a small increase in the risk of aortic aneurysm. The drugs — called fluoroquinolones — have been a mainstay of antibiotic therapy for decades. They include medications such as Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Factive (gemifloxacin). Several previous studies have linked fluoroquinolones to a heightened risk of aortic aneurysm — a weakened area in the wall of the body’s largest artery. If that weakened tissue ruptures, it can cause fatal bleeding. Based on those earlier findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in 2018, saying people at high risk of aortic aneurysm should avoid fluoroquinolones. “High risk” included the elderly and people with high blood pressure or a history of blockages or aneurysms in any arteries. The new study, published Jan. 6 in JAMA Surgery, suggests a much broader swath of the population might want to be cautious. It found a link between fluoroquinolones and aortic aneurysm in all adults age 35 and up — including those without high blood pressure, diabetes or elevated cholesterol. “I’d personally like to see the FDA broaden its warning,”…  read on >  read on >

Certain Antibiotics Linked With Upped Risk for Deadly Aortic Aneurysms

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A widely used class of antibiotics has been linked to an increased risk of a potentially fatal blood vessel condition — even in younger, healthy people. In a study of millions of antibiotic prescriptions made in the United States, researchers found that one class was associated with a small increase in the risk of aortic aneurysm. The drugs — called fluoroquinolones — have been a mainstay of antibiotic therapy for decades. They include medications such as Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Factive (gemifloxacin). Several previous studies have linked fluoroquinolones to a heightened risk of aortic aneurysm — a weakened area in the wall of the body’s largest artery. If that weakened tissue ruptures, it can cause fatal bleeding. Based on those earlier findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in 2018, saying people at high risk of aortic aneurysm should avoid fluoroquinolones. “High risk” included the elderly and people with high blood pressure or a history of blockages or aneurysms in any arteries. The new study, published Jan. 6 in JAMA Surgery, suggests a much broader swath of the population might want to be cautious. It found a link between fluoroquinolones and aortic aneurysm in all adults age 35 and up — including those without high blood pressure, diabetes or elevated cholesterol. “I’d personally like to see the FDA broaden its warning,”…  read on >  read on >

Genes Help Explain Role of Race in Prostate Cancer Risk

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If you’re a Black man, your risk of getting prostate cancer is 75% higher than it is for a white man, and it’s more than twice as deadly. Now, research is helping to bring genetic risks for people of various racial and ethnic groups into focus. In doing so, dozens more risk factors that could better help pinpoint the odds of developing prostate cancer have been uncovered. And that could potentially lead to better screening protocols and earlier detection for men of all races, experts said. “The potential utility of this is that it can be used to define men who are at elevated risk of developing prostate cancer,” said lead author Christopher Haiman, professor of preventive medicine at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. “This is knowledge that men could find out, I hate to say it, but at birth,” he added. More likely, men would get this information later in life, Haiman said, but clinicians could use it to determine when blood tests to screen for prostate cancer should begin and how often screening should occur. Researchers from the USC Center for Genetic Epidemiology in Los Angeles and the Institute of Cancer Research in London led the study. They noted that past prostate cancer studies included an overrepresentation of white men, making it more difficult…  read on >  read on >

Certain Antibiotics Linked With Upped Risk for Deadly Aortic Aneurysms

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A widely used class of antibiotics has been linked to an increased risk of a potentially fatal blood vessel condition — even in younger, healthy people. In a study of millions of antibiotic prescriptions made in the United States, researchers found that one class was associated with a small increase in the risk of aortic aneurysm. The drugs — called fluoroquinolones — have been a mainstay of antibiotic therapy for decades. They include medications such as Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Factive (gemifloxacin). Several previous studies have linked fluoroquinolones to a heightened risk of aortic aneurysm — a weakened area in the wall of the body’s largest artery. If that weakened tissue ruptures, it can cause fatal bleeding. Based on those earlier findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in 2018, saying people at high risk of aortic aneurysm should avoid fluoroquinolones. “High risk” included the elderly and people with high blood pressure or a history of blockages or aneurysms in any arteries. The new study, published Jan. 6 in JAMA Surgery, suggests a much broader swath of the population might want to be cautious. It found a link between fluoroquinolones and aortic aneurysm in all adults age 35 and up — including those without high blood pressure, diabetes or elevated cholesterol. “I’d personally like to see the FDA broaden its warning,”…  read on >  read on >

Genes Help Explain Role of Race in Prostate Cancer Risk

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If you’re a Black man, your risk of getting prostate cancer is 75% higher than it is for a white man, and it’s more than twice as deadly. Now, research is helping to bring genetic risks for people of various racial and ethnic groups into focus. In doing so, dozens more risk factors that could better help pinpoint the odds of developing prostate cancer have been uncovered. And that could potentially lead to better screening protocols and earlier detection for men of all races, experts said. “The potential utility of this is that it can be used to define men who are at elevated risk of developing prostate cancer,” said lead author Christopher Haiman, professor of preventive medicine at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. “This is knowledge that men could find out, I hate to say it, but at birth,” he added. More likely, men would get this information later in life, Haiman said, but clinicians could use it to determine when blood tests to screen for prostate cancer should begin and how often screening should occur. Researchers from the USC Center for Genetic Epidemiology in Los Angeles and the Institute of Cancer Research in London led the study. They noted that past prostate cancer studies included an overrepresentation of white men, making it more difficult…  read on >  read on >

Is Self-Control the Key to a Long, Healthy Life?

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If your children are well-behaved, do they stand a greater chance of having healthy, happy lives as adults? A new study says yes. After tracking just over 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to the age of 45, investigators found that kids who were goal-oriented and better able to restrain their thoughts, behavior and emotions turned out to have healthier bodies and brains by the time they hit middle age. “We found that as adults, at age 45, children with better self-control aged more slowly,” said study author Leah Richmond-Rakerd, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. “Their bodies and brains were healthier and biologically younger. We also found that they had developed more health, financial and social reserves for old age.” Why? Richmond-Rakerd said her team thinks it has to do with having “better emotional regulation to deal with life. They plan better so that they experience fewer crises and challenges. And their response to challenges is more measured and thoughtful when crises do arise.” James Maddux is a senior scholar with the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University in Virginia. Though not a part of the study team, he suggested that the findings might stem from a youthful ability to delay gratification. “So many behaviors that contribute to poor health are the result of…  read on >  read on >

Genes Help Explain Role of Race in Prostate Cancer Risk

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If you’re a Black man, your risk of getting prostate cancer is 75% higher than it is for a white man, and it’s more than twice as deadly. Now, research is helping to bring genetic risks for people of various racial and ethnic groups into focus. In doing so, dozens more risk factors that could better help pinpoint the odds of developing prostate cancer have been uncovered. And that could potentially lead to better screening protocols and earlier detection for men of all races, experts said. “The potential utility of this is that it can be used to define men who are at elevated risk of developing prostate cancer,” said lead author Christopher Haiman, professor of preventive medicine at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. “This is knowledge that men could find out, I hate to say it, but at birth,” he added. More likely, men would get this information later in life, Haiman said, but clinicians could use it to determine when blood tests to screen for prostate cancer should begin and how often screening should occur. Researchers from the USC Center for Genetic Epidemiology in Los Angeles and the Institute of Cancer Research in London led the study. They noted that past prostate cancer studies included an overrepresentation of white men, making it more difficult…  read on >  read on >