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Cutting-edge prostate cancer drugs that help extend life in the toughest cases might also be useful in fighting less aggressive tumors, two new clinical trials suggest. Two drugs that interfere with cancer’s ability to use testosterone for fuel, apalutamide (Erleada) and enzalutamide (Xtandi), are already approved for use against more advanced prostate tumors that don’t respond to regular therapy. But these trials show that the drugs also can improve survival and slow progression in prostate cancers that do respond to regular therapy, which typically involves medication that halts production of testosterone. Both clinical trials involved patients with prostate cancer that had spread to other parts of their body but who still responded to androgen-deprivation therapy. “We’re slowly starting to see a migration of drugs traditionally saved for advanced stages of disease, where we’re incorporating them into earlier stages of disease,” said Dr. Bobby Liaw, medical director of the Blavatnik Family Chelsea Medical Center at Mount Sinai, in New York City. He was not involved in the trials. Apalutamide combined with androgen-deprivation therapy caused a 33% reduction in overall risk of death, compared against patients who received a placebo alongside their androgen-deprivation therapy, said the lead researcher of that clinical trial, Dr. Kim Chi. Apalutamide also delayed progression of the cancer by 52%, and the length of time before patients required chemotherapy by 61%, said Chi,… read on >

Adding a newer drug to standard hormone therapy lengthens the lives of younger women with advanced breast cancer, a new trial has found. The drug, called Kisqali (ribociclib), is already approved for treating such patients — based on earlier results showing it can delay the progression of their cancer. This is the first evidence it can also extend their lives, said senior researcher Dr. Debu Tripathy, chair of the breast medical oncology department at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. After 3.5 years, 70% of patients given hormone therapy plus Kisqali were still alive. That compared with 46% of those given hormone therapy alone. That proof of a survival advantage hits “a pretty big milestone,” Tripathy said. And, he added, it argues for giving the drug as a “first-line or second-line” treatment to these patients. The findings were to be presented Tuesday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, in Chicago, and they will also be published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Kisqali is one of three newer drugs on the market called CDK4/6 inhibitors; the others are Verzenio (abemaciclib) and Ibrance (palbociclib). They work by blocking two proteins that help cancer cells grow and divide. Kisqali, taken as a tablet, was originally approved as a first-line treatment for postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer that is hormone receptor-positive — which… read on >

Here’s a finding that should ease the minds of those who ride their bicycles to work: Bike lanes protect them as they pedal to their destination. Researchers found they act as a calming mechanism on traffic, slowing cars and reducing deaths. The researchers analyzed 13 years of data from 12 U.S. cities: Oklahoma City, Memphis, Kansas City, Mo., Dallas, Houston, Austin, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Portland, Ore. “Bicycling seems inherently dangerous on its own,” said study co-author Wesley Marshall, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering, Design and Computing at the University of Colorado Denver. “So it would seem that a city with a lot of bicycling is more dangerous, but the opposite is true. Building safe facilities for cyclists turned out to be one of the biggest factors in road safety for everyone,” Marshall said in a university news release. During the years included in the study, there was a 51% increase in the number of Americans bicycling to work, and the number of protected bike lanes have doubled each year since 2009. At the start of the study, the researchers believed that with more bike lanes and cyclists, drivers would be more likely to slow down and be aware of cyclists, a “safety-in-numbers” effect, so to speak. But they found that improvements in cycling safety aren’t due to a… read on >

The plank is one of the most popular exercises, surpassing sit-ups and crunches for effective core work. Planks are thought of as ergonomic, meaning they’re done without going against the natural curves of your body. Planks can be difficult at first, but once you’ve mastered the basic one, it’s time to challenge yourself with variations that target additional muscles. Popular Plank Variations Plank with leg raises Side plank Side plank with leg raises Planks with a stability ball Planks with knee tucks Here are two plank exercises, each with a variation, to get you started. For the plank with leg raises, start on forearms and knees. Your elbows are in line with your shoulders and your head is in line with your spine. Without jerking your hips, straighten and lift your right leg behind you. Hold for five seconds, then lower. Repeat with the left leg. Keep alternating legs, up to 10 times on each side. As a variation, repeat the entire exercise with extended arms and straight legs as the start position. For the side plank, lie on your right side, right forearm supporting your upper body, with your right elbow in line with your right shoulder. Knees are bent and stacked with calves and feet behind you. Place your left hand on your waist to help keep your hips aligned. Contract your abs… read on >

A new research review published in the BMJ has added to the debate over the merits of breakfast. It has long been regarded as “the most important meal of the day” — and probably still is for growing children — but what about adults who are trying to lose weight? The theory has been that eating breakfast headed off rebound eating later in the day and into the night. But the new review found that, for weight loss, eating breakfast tended to slow dieting results and could even lead to consuming more calories later in the day. Delaying the first meal seems to keep the body in the fat-burning mode set in motion once you stop eating the night before. Having a daily 16-hour food gap is what can speed weight loss. Contrast this with the findings of an earlier study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, comparing breakfast eaters to breakfast skippers. All were women between the ages of 18 and 45. That study found both diet and mood differences between the two groups. Though everyone ate the same number of calories, the breakfast eaters scored higher in diet quality, getting more whole grains, fruits and key nutrients like folate, calcium and potassium. The breakfast skippers ate more saturated fat and sugar, especially at night, and these empty calories… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A runny nose usually starts when your child’s cold is on the mend, says the American Academy of Family Physicians. Mucus from a runny nose helps wash the cold virus out of the nose and sinuses. After a few days, the mucus may change to a white or yellow color, then to green. A runny nose usually does not need to be treated. However, a cool mist vaporizer or over-the-counter decongestant medicine may help. The AAFP suggests checking with your child’s doctor to see which medicines are okay.

A common type of skin bacteria may put young children with severe eczema at increased risk for food allergies, British researchers report. This type of bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, is found in the nose and skin of healthy people, but it’s more common in people with the skin condition eczema, especially those with severe cases. This study found that young children with severe eczema who are infected with staph make more of an antibody called IgE against peanut, egg and milk. That indicates they are allergic to each of those foods. These children were also more likely to have an egg allergy at 5 or 6 years of age than children without staph, according to the team from King’s College London. The finding is “significant as most children with egg allergy usually outgrow this at an earlier age,” said lead author Dr. Olympia Tsilochristou, a clinical research fellow and allergy specialist. “We do not know yet the exact mechanisms that lead from eczema to food allergy; however, our results suggest that the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus could be an important factor contributing to this outcome,” Tsilochristou added in a college news release. The study did not prove cause and effect and only found an association. The findings add to those from a previous study, of infants at high risk for peanut allergy. In that study, children fed… read on >

When a heart attack occurs, delaying treatment by even a few minutes could be deadly. But many people wait hours after symptoms set in to get care — either because they feel mentally “frozen” and unable to act, or because they’re slow to recognize the seriousness of the situation, a new survey reveals. The finding stems from a look at how 300 Swedish patients reacted while having a heart attack. “The patients who waited more than 12 hours seeking medical care when having symptoms perceived an inability to act,” said study lead author Carolin Nymark. These patients often described feeling as if they had “lost control over themselves.” Others said they felt unable to take any action because they didn’t know how to react or what to do. Nymark works in the department of neurobiology at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. She and her colleagues reported their findings online May 27 in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. The researchers said that heart attack symptoms can show up as several forms of moderate-to-severe discomfort, including chest pain, or pain affecting the throat, neck, back, stomach and/or shoulders for 15 minutes or more. Nausea, cold sweat, weakness and shortness of breath may also set in, along with a sense of foreboding, fear or powerlessness. “Another red flag is feeling you have no power to act on… read on >

Heart failure is a common ailment afflicting older Americans, and many take drugs called diuretics to rid the body of excess fluid buildup that can impede breathing. Now, a team of Brazilian researchers say that, in some cases, it’s safe for patients with stable heart failure to stop taking diuretic drugs. “Patients don’t like using diuretics because they feel they have to stay at home to use the bathroom and they get cramps,” noted study principal investigator Dr. Luis Rohde, of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil. “Patients would welcome being able to stop this medication,” he said, and the new study suggests it can often be done safely. One U.S. expert who reviewed the new findings stressed that diuretics are key to heart failure care. “Congestive heart failure is one of the most common chronic ailments in the United States, characterized primarily by volume (fluid) overload,” explained Dr. Mohammed Imam. In heart failure, a damaged or weakened heart fails to pump blood as efficiently as it should. “The mainstay of treatment for decades have been diuretics,” said Imam, who directs cardiothoracic surgery at The Heart Institute at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City. Diuretics help patients with heart failure reduce excess fluids that can cause shortness of breath, swollen legs, coughing and weight gain. However, the… read on >

From cappuccinos to cold brew, coffee is a morning must for many Americans, but is it healthy and how much is too much? A University of South Australia study suggests a couple of cups to start your day probably won’t hurt — and may even be good for you. But drinking six or more cups of coffee a day can increase your risk of heart disease by up to 22%, the researchers found. About one in four deaths in the United States is due to heart disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. That’s why Elina Hypponen and Ang Zhou of the Australian Center for Precision Health in Adelaide set out to discover the point when too much caffeine causes high blood pressure, a key heart disease risk factor. The tipping point: Six 8-ounce cups — each containing 75 milligrams (mg) of caffeine. “Knowing the limits of what’s good for you and what’s not is imperative,” Hypponen said in a university news release. “Overindulge and your health will pay for it,” she added. For the study, the researchers used a U.K. database of more than 300,000 adults, aged 37 to 73, to explore how the caffeine-metabolizing gene (CYP1A2) affected people’s ability to process caffeine and their risk for heart disease. The investigators… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Could 2 Prostate Cancer Drugs Fight Disease in Earlier Stages?

Newer Drug Extends Lives of Young Breast Cancer Patients

Bike Lanes Do Help Keep Cyclists Safe

Variations on the Plank: Popular Exercise for Your Core

What’s the Deal With Breakfast?

Health Tip: Your Child’s Runny Nose

Why Some Kids With Eczema Are at Higher Allergy Risk

Many Feel ‘Frozen’ When Heart Attack Strikes

Many Heart Failure Patients Might Safely Reduce Use of Diuretics

How Much Coffee Is Too Much?