20 May 2020
WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged men and women who develop high blood pressure while performing even moderate exercise may be at higher risk for heart disease, a new study suggests.
"The way our blood pressure changes during and after exercise provides important information on whether we will develop disease in the future," researcher Vanessa Xanthakis, assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a university news release.
In the study, Xanthakis and her colleagues looked at the link between blood pressure levels, as well as the time needed for high blood pressure to recede back to normal, for nearly 2,000 people enrolled in a major ongoing U.S. heart health study.
Participants averaged 58 years of age, about a quarter were...
15 May 2020
FRIDAY, May 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Want to give your brain a boost? Go for a swim, take a walk, or spin your partner on the living room floor.
A new study finds that aerobic exercise can improve older adults' thinking and memory, even if they're longtime couch potatoes.
This type of exercise increases blood flow to the brain and counters the effects of normal aging, according to the study published online May 13 in the journal Neurology.
"As we all find out eventually, we lose a bit mentally and physically as we age. But even if you start an exercise program later in life, the benefit to your brain may be immense," said study author Marc Poulin, of the University of Calgary School of Medicine in Canada.
"Sure, aerobic exercise gets blood moving through your body. As our study...
12 May 2020
TUESDAY, May 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- People at high risk for knee arthritis don't need to avoid jogging and other types of vigorous exercise, a new study suggests.
Some folks hold back on physical activity because they fear it will increase their chances of developing knee arthritis, so researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago took a closer look.
"Our study findings convey a reassuring message that adults at high risk for knee [arthritis] may safely engage in long-term strenuous physical activity at a moderate level to improve their general health and well-being," said study author Alison Chang, associate professor of physical therapy and human movement sciences.
The study included nearly 1,200 people from several U.S. cities, ages...
12 May 2020
TUESDAY, May 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Screening to detect potentially deadly heart problems in U.S. college athletes saves lives, researchers say.
And it's also cost-effective. "It can be implemented for much less than the cost of a pair of athletic shoes," said study leader Dr. Kimberly Harmon, of the University of Washington School of Medicine, in Seattle.
Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death among U.S. college athletes, so checking these athletes for undiagnosed heart problems as part of a general health screening has increased over recent decades.
An electrocardiogram (EKG) is used to measure the electrical output of a person's heartbeat. EKGs can detect potentially serious heart problems, but critics say they result in too many false-positive findings, leading...