Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

Even short bouts of light exercise can help the millions of people with knee osteoarthritis reduce pain and improve their range of motion. Knee osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear form of the disease, occurs when the cartilage between your bones breaks down, causing pain, stiffness and swelling. Researchers in a new study compared high-dose and low-dose exercise in 189 people with knee osteoarthritis. Everyone exercised three times a week for 12 weeks. Exercises included indoor cycling and various lower body exercises such as de-loaded squats and knee extensions. De-loaded exercises use bands or pulleys to take weight off the knee joint and minimize pain. Folks in the high-dose group performed 11 exercises in 60- to 90-minute sessions. Folks in the low-dose exercise group performed five exercises during 20- to 30-minute sessions. The result? Everyone showed improvements on a standard scale measuring knee osteoarthrosis pain and function at three, six and 12 months. People in the high-dose group did show greater improvements in knee function during sports and recreation at six months, suggesting that a high-dose program may be better for athletes and weekend warriors. The study, led by Wilhelmus Johannes Andreas Grooten, a physiotherapist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, was published Jan. 24 online in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Outside experts are quick to point out that the best exercise plan for someone with knee… read on > read on >

Vitamin D is widely promoted for better health, but if you’re overweight, you might not reap the benefits. In a new study, researchers found a 30% to 40% reduction in cancer, cancer deaths and autoimmune diseases among people with a lower body mass index (BMI) who took vitamin D supplements, but only a small benefit among those with higher BMIs. “Patients with obesity, despite taking the same amount of supplement, had a lower response,” said lead researcher Deirdre Tobias, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. The cutoff was a BMI of less than 25, which is considered a healthy weight, the study authors noted. It’s not known why being overweight or obese affects levels of the so-called “sunshine vitamin,” but low absorption of vitamin D could be widespread, given that more than 40% of Americans are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It’s not clear whether it’s due to their body weight, per se, or maybe some other factor related to an individual’s body weight. It may be due to adiposity itself. Having a lower body weight may lead to a higher internal dose of vitamin D,” Tobias said. Adiposity is having too much fatty tissue in the body. The next step in the research is to try and… read on >

Getting a gel manicure may be less safe than many think. Researchers say the nail polish dryers that use ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the gel polish emit possibly dangerous rays. These rays might lead to cell death and cancer-causing mutations in human cells, they noted. Maria Zhivagui, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego, has sworn off gel manicures after seeing results in the lab. When she was doing her PhD, she was intrigued by gel manicures, which last longer than normal polish. “I started using gel manicures periodically for several years,” Zhivagui said in a university news release. However, “once I saw the effect of radiation emitted by the gel polish drying device on cell death and that it actually mutates cells even after just one 20-minute session, I was surprised. I found this to be very alarming, and decided to stop using it,” Zhivagui added. “To the best of our knowledge, no one has actually studied these devices and how they affect human cells at the molecular and cellular levels until now,” study co-author Ludmil Alexandrov said in the release. He’s a professor of bioengineering as well as cellular and molecular medicine. Alexandrov decided to conduct the study after reading about a young beauty pageant contestant with a rare form of skin cancer on her finger. “We began looking into… read on > read on >

When kids suffer a concussion, an extended period of rest at home is always the best course, right? Perhaps not. In fact, a new study suggests that — despite what many people may presume — getting kids back to school quickly is the best way to boost their chance for a rapid recovery and better outcomes. The finding stems from a look at post-concussion outcomes of more than 1,600 children between the ages of 5 and 18. “There has been minimal research to date that provides guidance to clinicians, parents and schools regarding an appropriate time for youth to return to school after a concussion,” said study leader Christopher Vaughan, a pediatric neuropsychologist at Children’s National Hospital in Rockville, Md. The current guidance, he said, is more general about activities and less specific to returning to schools. Usually, a rest period of 24 to 48 hours is encouraged, with a gradual return to activities, including school, based on symptom tolerance. “We found that [the] typical time away from school ranged from three to five days, but that an earlier return to school — defined as missing two or fewer days of school, excluding weekends — was associated with a lower symptom burden at two weeks post-injury,” Vaughan said. For the study, his team focused on the post-concussion experience of 1,630 children who were treated at… read on > read on >

When it comes to picking the best exercise to lose weight, there is no one right answer. That’s because the right answer is variety, mixing and matching types of exercise to keep the body guessing and improving. “The body adapts to the demands we put on it,” said Dr. Russell Camhi, who works in primary care sports medicine for Northwell Health’s Orthopaedic Institute in East Meadow, N.Y. “If we do the same exercise regimen over and over, results are bound to plateau,” he explained. “Now this doesn’t mean you have to change exercises every day or every week, but a little variety will help the body change and grow.” The key to weight loss is a blend of exercise and nutrition, with the latter responsible for about 80% of the heavy lifting, according to Camhi. It’s important to reduce calories while increasing physical activity, according to the Mayo Clinic, which recommends cutting about 500 to 750 calories a day to lose 1.5 pounds per week.` Though diet plays a bigger role than exercise, physical activity can help with weight maintenance, as well as counter loss of bone density and muscle mass, the Mayo Clinic noted. A high amount of physical activity would be necessary to lose weight unless also adjusting diet, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s not clear exactly… read on > read on >

The key to keeping those New Year’s resolutions from fading out by February: Make sure you’ve set achievable goals. Resolutions are often lifestyle changes and those are best managed when the goal is something attainable, according to an expert at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “Resolutions and lifestyle changes are very similar. When we think about lifestyle changes, it’s normally positive, but when people have unrealistic expectations, they often fail,” Dr. Asim Shah said in a college news release. He is executive vice chair in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor. Common resolutions include weight loss, exercise routines, diet changes, managing finances and quitting smoking. Understand the pros and cons, Shah suggested. This might involve making a list of the advantages and disadvantages to keep yourself motivated. Lifestyle changes aren’t dictated by the calendar or required to start on Jan. 1. Make a plan and track your progress, Shah suggested. Take baby steps. Don’t give up too quickly because it takes time to build a habit. Link your resolution to the end result to help you achieve your goals. “It’s time for people to think about why they fail and why they continue to make resolutions that don’t succeed. Make achievable resolutions to be proud of yourself,” Shah said. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has… read on > read on >

Winter is no friend to the body’s delicate skin, but an expert offers three key tips: moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. “It’s pretty intuitive, but it bears repeating,” said dermatologist Dr. David Pearson, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, in Minneapolis. “The environment treats our skin differently in the winter, and that means we may have to change our behaviors to acclimate.” As temperatures and humidity levels drop, your skin loses moisture, Pearson explained in a university news release. This is especially true in a cold, dry state like Minnesota. To help hydrate winter skin, Pearson recommends a thick moisturizing cream that has to be scooped out of a jar or squeezed out of a tube, rather than something thin that comes through a pump. “I don’t like a lot of additives, perfumes, scents, etc. — keep it simple,” Pearson said. When skin dries out, its ability to protect you from external allergens and infections is compromised. “Ceramides may be helpful in restoring the skin barrier, so those can be a good ingredient to look for,” he added. Pearson said some data suggests that humidifiers may also help, but likely less so than moisturizer. When washing, use a gentle soap and keep up your summer sunscreen routine. Even if you’re bundled up, a fair amount of UV light is reflected from the snow,… read on > read on >

Wastewater research isn’t for the squeamish, but it can get to the bottom of questions about such things as the effectiveness of COVID-19 air travel restrictions. Tests of toilet tank water from flights entering the United Kingdom helped Welsh scientists determine that steps meant to keep the virus from traveling among countries appear to have failed. “Despite all the intervention measures that the U.K. had in place to try to stop people with the illness getting on flights to the U.K., almost every single plane we tested contained the virus, and most of the terminal sewers, too,” said researcher Davey Jones, a professor in the School of Natural Sciences at Bangor University in Wales. “That might have been because people developed symptoms after testing negative; or were evading the system, or for some other reason,” Jones said in a university news release. “But it showed that there was essentially a failure of border control in terms of COVID surveillance.” For their study, the researchers tested the toilet tank water taken from long- and short-haul flights entering Britain at three airports — Heathrow, Edinburgh and Bristol — between March 8 and March 31, 2022. They also collected samples from sewers connected to arrival halls in the airport terminals and from a nearby wastewater treatment plant. During those three weeks, almost all planes had SARS-CoV-2 in their… read on > read on >

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be an even bigger predictor of depression and anxiety in adulthood than autism is, a new study finds — highlighting the mental health side of the disorder. It’s known that kids and adults with ADHD often have co-existing conditions, including depression and anxiety. Research suggests that about 14% of children with ADHD have depression, while up to 30% have an anxiety disorder, according to the National Resource Center on ADHD. Adults with ADHD, meanwhile, are even harder-hit — with each of those conditions affecting up to half. The new study, researchers said, adds to what’s known by showing that ADHD is even more strongly linked to anxiety and depression than “autistic traits” are. Autism, which impairs communication and social skills, is itself tied to higher-than-normal rates of those mental health conditions. The findings spotlight the mental health component of ADHD, according to Richard Gallagher, an associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU Langone Health in New York City, who reviewed the findings. “There’s a notion that people with ADHD have a ‘simple’ problem with paying attention,” he said. “They just need to learn to sit down and focus.” But like autism, ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, and it can cause significant problems at school, work, home and in relationships, Gallagher said. “Over time, it can impact quality of life,”… read on > read on >

B vitamins. These powerhouse nutrients help your cells function at their best, protect your brain and heart, support your immune system and can even improve your mood and energy levels. This critical class of vitamins needs to be part of a healthy diet. According to Harvard Health, B vitamins help enzymes do their jobs, including releasing energy from carbohydrates and fat to breaking down amino acids and carrying oxygen and nutrients around the body. Two of the most essential ones are B6 and B12. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is found in many foods, but it is also added to foods and supplements. B6 is a coenzyme that helps more than 100 enzymes perform various functions, including the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, according to Harvard Health. Meanwhile, vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is found in meats and fish. It can also be added to foods or supplements. It’s needed to make red blood cells and DNA, and it also has a role in the function and development of brain and nerve cells. What is vitamin B6 good for B6 helps maintain normal levels of the amino acid homocysteine, high levels of which can cause heart problems. B6 also supports the immune system and keeps the brain healthy. A recent study published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental found that taking vitamin B6 supplements may even… read on > read on >