Sports « Weekly Gravy

A brisk 11-minute daily walk can help you live longer, a new University of Cambridge study reports. Researchers found that 75 minutes a week — 11 minutes daily — of moderate-intensity physical activity is enough to lower a person’s risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. The investigators estimated that 1 in 10 early deaths could be prevented if everyone got that amount of exercise, which is half the level recommended by U.S. and British guidelines. “If you are someone who finds the idea of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week a bit daunting, then our findings should be good news,” co-researcher Dr. Soren Brage, of the Medical Research Council at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, said in a university news release. “Doing some physical activity is better than doing none,” he added. “This is also a good starting position — if you find that 75 minutes a week is manageable, then you could try stepping it up gradually to the full recommended amount.” Cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke) were the leading causes of death worldwide, responsible for nearly 18 million deaths in 2019. Cancers were responsible for 9.6 million deaths in 2017. To examine how much exercise could make a dent in those numbers, the researchers pooled and analyzed data from 94 large studies involving more than 30… read on > read on >

Causes of different kinds of dementia vary, but about 40% are affected by risk factors a person can influence through lifestyle choices. Two University of Michigan neurologists offer 10 tips for modifying those risks. Keep blood pressure in check. Dr. Judith Heidebrink, a neurologist who is co-leader of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Clinical Core, recommends aiming for a systolic blood pressure (the upper number) of 130 mm Hg or lower from around age 40. This helps reduce risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, heart attack and stroke. Guard your hearing. Wear ear protection around excessive noise to reduce the risk of hearing loss, center director Dr. Henry Paulson urged. Use hearing aids, if needed. A recent study found that older adults who got a hearing aid for their newly diagnosed hearing loss had a lower risk of dementia in the following three years, he pointed out. Support efforts to reduce air pollution. “There is growing evidence linking air pollution — such as the gases and small particles emitted by cars and factories — to cognitive decline and dementia,” Heidebrink said. “Encouragingly, sustained improvements in air quality appear to reduce the risk of dementia.” Prevent head injuries. Wear proper gear when playing contact sports, including a helmet while biking. Don’t forget to use a seat belt in cars. Head injury can disrupt normal brain function.… read on > read on >

If you’re over 40, regular exercise may not only keep you fit — it might keep you out of the hospital, too, a large new study suggests. Researchers found that among nearly 82,000 British adults, those who regularly exercised were less likely to be hospitalized for various health conditions in the coming years. The list included such common ills as pneumonia, stroke, diabetes complications and severe urinary tract infections. The findings suggest that if middle-aged and older people added just 20 minutes of exercise to their daily routine, they could cut the risk of those hospitalizations by anywhere from 4% to 23% over seven years. Experts said the study expands on what people typically see as the benefits of exercise — like a trimmer body, improved fitness and healthier heart. “It could also help keep you out of the hospital. And that matters to people,” said Peter Katzmarzyk, a professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. Katzmarzyk, who was not involved in the study, said it aligns with what’s generally recommended to Americans to improve their health: Get at least 150 minutes of moderate “cardio” exercise, or 75 minutes at a vigorous intensity, each week. That means exercise that gets the heart pumping and works up a sweat: Moderate-intensity includes things like brisk walking, biking on level ground or yard work. Running,… read on > read on >

Spring sports season will be here soon, so it’s time to get kids ready after a winter break. Sports can teach valuable lessons, including teamwork, good sportsmanship, good communication, preparing for success, handling a loss, time management and the importance of doing your best, according to Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. Pediatrician Dr. Stacy Leatherwood Cannon offers tips for parents to help kids get started safely. First, get a pre-season evaluation, regardless of requirements or your child’s age, she suggested. A doctor can detect any vision issues, joint problems, elevated blood pressure or other concerns that may affect the sports season. If your child was less active in winter, take it slow. Help them work up to increasing amounts of physical activity and teach them to stretch before and after practices and games, Leatherwood Cannon said. Make sure they’re using the right gear, which may include helmets or shin guards, cups, sports glasses for vision issues or sports goggles if there’s a risk of eye damage. Remember sunscreen, even if it’s cloudy outside, she said. Kids should apply it liberally about 30 minutes before play or swimming. Hats, long-sleeved cotton shirts and shade can also provide protection. Nutrition matters. Leatherwood Cannon recommends fueling up with fruits and vegetables to get essential vitamins and minerals. Lean protein helps build muscle, she noted, and both kids… read on > read on >

Running is a fantastic workout. It burns fat, improves heart function and strengthens bones. Yet, that first step out the door in a new pair of running shoes might seem intimidating. It can also cause injury if you’re not properly prepared. That’s why it’s helpful to know the basics about beginning this more intense exercise routine. “Too many people get injured running because they throw their sneakers on, walk to the end of the block and start running. The body must be primed and readied for exercise,” said Dr. Russell Camhi, who works in primary sports medicine at Northwell Health Orthopaedic Institute at East Meadow, in New York. The health benefits of running Running is credited with offering many positive health outcomes. Any amount of running was associated with a lower risk of early death, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which cited a study that pooled data from 14 other studies. “It’s a great cardiovascular exercise because it takes a lot of work for you to move through space with that quick repetitive kind of motion,” said Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Dominic King. “There’s a lot of work done by your quads, by your gluteal muscles and by your core to keep you upright. Running is kind of coordinated falling, so it’s actually a pretty complex mechanism for the body.” Health experts are divided on whether… read on > read on >

Often, patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are advised to lose weight, but that can be hard to do and takes precious time. Now, researchers report they have found another strategy can help lower liver fat in people with this condition, which affects nearly 30% of the global population. Exercise of about 150 minutes each week at a moderate intensity — the exact recommendation from public health experts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — significantly reduced liver fat in patients, the new meta-analysis showed. “I spend a lot of my time trying to help improve the lives of our patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD],” said Dr. Jonathan Stine. He is an associate professor of medicine and public health sciences and a hepatologist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in Hershey, Pa. “At this point in time, we still don’t have a regulatory agency-approved drug therapy or even a cure for this condition. And there are roughly a hundred million adults in this country that have this,” Stine noted. While research had shown that exercise can improve liver fat, physical fitness, body composition and quality of life, there was no known specific amount of exercise that would do this. For this study, the researchers considered a 30% relative reduction in liver fat — measured by MRI scans… read on > read on >

Many football fans fondly remember Rick Arrington as the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback from 1970 to 1973, but his daughter’s memories are tainted by years spent watching her dad suffer from late-stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A degenerative brain disease found in athletes, military veterans and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma, CTE causes depression, suicidal thoughts, aggression and mood swings. Eventually, folks have problems with thinking and memory, and may ultimately develop dementia. Repeated blows to the head — even if they don’t cause concussions — are considered the main risk factor for CTE. Speaking about her father’s illness for the first time at a recent benefit for the Concussion Legacy Foundation, sportscaster Jill Arrington said she no longer enjoys watching football. “When I see players’ heads collide on the field, I see my dad’s face begging me through tears to end his misery. I see the strongest man I have ever known struggle to sleep for months on end … and unable to make a simple cellphone call,” she told the crowd. Though he had no history of concussions, Arrington said her dad suffered with CTE for more than 35 years. “His life was cut short by the sport he loved,” she lamented. Researchers at the Boston University CTE Center recently announced that they have now diagnosed CTE in the brains of… read on > read on >

Add high blood pressure to the list of problems associated with concussions among former pro football players. Researchers at Harvard University’s Football Players Health Study linked a history of concussions to elevated risk for high blood pressure among ex-NFL players. The results suggest that treating former athletes who have both high blood pressure and a history of concussions could help protect them against heart, blood vessel and mental (cognitive) decline. “If players, families, and physicians are aware of the cardiovascular effects of head injury, we have a better chance of protecting both their cardiovascular health and long-term cognitive health,” study author Rachel Grashow said in a Harvard news release. She is director of epidemiological research initiatives for the Football Players Health Study. Grashow headed up the new study with Dr. Aaron Baggish, professor of medicine at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and senior faculty member at the Football Players Health Study. The findings are based on a survey of more than 4,000 former National Football League players looking at various aspects of players’ health across their life span. Most research on mental decline in former pro football players has focused on neurodegeneration caused directly by repeated concussions, Grashow said. But heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability among former football players and Americans in general. And high blood pressure is the… read on > read on >

Want to stay healthy well into your golden years? Grab a bag of clubs and hit the green, new research suggests. Golfing beat walking or even Nordic walking (a full-body workout that consists of walking using specialized poles) when it came to improving several key measures of heart health in the small study. “The results of this study are meant to encourage older adults to spend more time on the golf course and play by walking,” said study author Julia Kettinen, a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Biomedicine/Sports and Exercise Medicine at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. “Golf is a great way to exercise, as it motivates individuals to move, often without even realizing the distance they’ve walked during the game.” For the study, investigators compared the heart health effects of an 18-hole round of golf to about 3.7 miles of Nordic walking or walking among 25 healthy golfers aged 65 or older. The researchers measured blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. Participants also wore heart monitors and fitness devices to track distance, duration, pace, steps and calories burned. All three types of aerobic exercise improved heart health after a single session, but golf took the top prize, the study showed. Golf is a lower-intensity exercise than Nordic walking and walking, but an 18-hole golf game lasts around four hours, and players… read on > read on >

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is issuing a CPR challenge to promote use of the emergency procedure that saved his life on national television. Hamlin, 24, suffered cardiac arrest during a Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, moments after being tackled hard in the chest. A month later, Hamlin is teaming up with the American Heart Association (AHA) for his “3 For Heart CPR Challenge,” asking people to learn hands-only CPR and then spread the word to others. “It’s going to be an amazing opportunity to impact and educate millions of people on the importance of CPR. It literally saved my life,” Hamlin said in an AHA news release. The challenge has three steps: Learn – Go to heart.org/3 to watch a minute-long video and learn hands-only CPR. Give – Donate to the AHA to fund CPR education and training. Share – Use #3forHeart to challenge three friends to do the same on social media. To kick off the challenge, Hamlin tagged three prominent figures he called the “G.O.A.T.s” (Greatest of All Time) — LeBron James, Tom Brady and Michelle Obama. “You’ve all been challenged. And, one more thing, make sure you share your videos on all socials and tag me and have your hearts up,” Hamlin said in a video shared on Twitter. Hamlin has not gone into detail about his medical condition… read on > read on >