Regular nut intake linked to low inflammation

 

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

   

     

(Reuters Health) – Eating a handful of nuts five times per week may reduce inflammation, a condition that contributes to heart disease, diabetes and many other chronic illnesses, say the authors of a recent U.S. study.

This inflammation-dampening effect might be the secret to the health benefits of nuts, the study team writes in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Past research has linked eating nuts to lower rates of heart disease and diabetes, but the exact reason was unknown, senior study author Dr. Ying Bao, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, told Reuters Health.

“We hypothesized that nuts may exert these health benefits by reducing inflammation,” Bao said by email.

Nuts may lower inflammation because they contain fiber, magnesium, antioxidants and other health-boosting ingredients, the researchers write.

To explore the connection between nuts and inflammation, the researchers analyzed data from two different long-term studies of health professionals, the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS).

The participants filled out questionnaires every four years documenting what they ate between 1986 and 1990 in the NHS and between 1990 and 1994 in the HPFS. The 5,013 people included in the new analysis were free of heart disease and diabetes at the beginning of the study period.

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New strategies in sport nutrition to increase exercise performance.

 

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

Free Radic Biol Med. 2016 Sep;98:144-58. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2016.01.016. Epub 2016 Feb 5.

New strategies in sport nutrition to increase exercise performance.

Close GL1, Hamilton DL2, Philp A3, Burke LM4, Morton JP5.

Author information

1Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science (RISES), Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom. Electronic address: g.l.close@ljmu.ac.uk.
2Health and Exercise Sciences Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom.
3School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

4Sports Nutrition, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Mary Mackillop Institute for Health Research, Melbourne, Australia.

5Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science (RISES), Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Despite over 50 years of research, the field of sports nutrition continues to grow at a rapid rate. Whilst the traditional research focus was one that centred on strategies to maximise competition performance, emerging data in the last decade has demonstrated how both macronutrient and micronutrient availability can play a prominent role in regulating those cell signalling pathways that modulate skeletal muscle adaptations to endurance and resistance training. Nonetheless, in the context of exercise performance, it is clear that carbohydrate (but not fat) still remains king and that carefully chosen ergogenic aids (e.g. caffeine, creatine, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine, nitrates) can all promote performance in the correct exercise setting. In relation to exercise training, however, it is now thought that strategic periods of reduced carbohydrate and elevated dietary protein intake may enhance training adaptations whereas high carbohydrate availability and antioxidant supplementation may actually attenuate training adaptation. Emerging evidence also suggests that vitamin D may play a regulatory role in muscle regeneration and subsequent hypertrophy following damaging forms of exercise. Finally, novel compounds (albeit largely examined in rodent models) such as epicatechins, nicotinamide riboside, resveratrol, β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate, phosphatidic acid and ursolic acid may also promote or attenuate skeletal muscle adaptations to endurance and strength training. When taken together, it is clear that sports nutrition is very much at the heart of the Olympic motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius (faster, higher, stronger).

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The Effect of Regular Exercise on Insulin Sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

 

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

                    

 

Diabetes Metab J. 2016 Aug 2. [Epub ahead of print]
The Effect of Regular Exercise on Insulin Sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Way KL1,2,3, Hackett DA1, Baker MK4,5, Johnson NA1,2,6.

Author information

1University of Sydney Faculty of Health Sciences, Lidcombe, Australia.
2Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.
3Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, Sydney Medical School University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia. kway2744@uni.sydney.edu.au.
4Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, Sydney Medical School University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.

5Australian Catholic University School of Exercise Science, Strathfield, Australia.
6Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, Sydney Medical School University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia. nathan.johnson@sydney.edu.au.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of regular exercise training on insulin sensitivity in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using the pooled data available from randomised controlled trials. In addition, we sought to determine whether short-term periods of physical inactivity diminish the exercise-induced improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Eligible trials included exercise interventions that involved ≥3 exercise sessions, and reported a dynamic measurement of insulin sensitivity. There was a significant pooled effect size (ES) for the effect of exercise on insulin sensitivity (ES, -0.588; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.816 to -0.359; P<0.001). Of the 14 studies included for meta-analyses, nine studies reported the time of data collection from the last exercise bout. There was a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity in favour of exercise versus control between 48 and 72 hours after exercise (ES, -0.702; 95% CI, -1.392 to -0.012; P=0.046); and this persisted when insulin sensitivity was measured more than 72 hours after the last exercise session (ES, -0.890; 95% CI, -1.675 to -0.105; P=0.026).

Regular exercise has a significant benefit on insulin sensitivity in adults with T2DM and this may persist beyond 72 hours after the last exercise session.

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Diet and Back Pain: What’s the Link?

 

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

Newswise — Can a diet high in processed fat and sugar and Type 2 diabetes cause degeneration of intervertebral discs in the spine? If so, what is happening, and can it be prevented? As part of an ongoing collaboration between Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai – a partnership that draws upon the expertise of both schools to address significant health problems – researchers hope to answer those questions by investigating the link between diet, obesity-linked Type 2 diabetes, and intervertebral disc degeneration.

Researchers on the project suspect the diet associated with Type 2 diabetes – one high in processed fats and sugars – causes inflammation and modification of disc tissue, triggering a chain of responses, which leads to degeneration. To test this hypothesis, the researchers have set three goals: to establish whether mice fed a diet associated with Type 2 diabetes will develop intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), isolate the effect of diet causing changes in the tissue, and evaluate how the diet modifies proteins within the disc.

The project is supported by a $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and is led by Dr. James Iatridis, a professor and vice chair for research in the orthopaedics department at the Icahn School of Medicine.

“Back pain caused by spinal disc degeneration is the number one cause of global disability, so it’s a hugely important problem that needs to be addressed,” said Dr. Iatridis, who has long specialized in spinal disc degeneration.

Deepak Vashishth, a professor of biomedical engineering and the Rensselaer lead on the project, said the partnership makes it possible to tackle a project of this complexity.

“We’re trying to establish the mechanism whereby this diet, and Type 2 diabetes, leads to disc degeneration, and that’s not an easy thing to do because, within the body, various processes are linked and feedback loops are difficult to unravel,” said Vashishth, who is also the director of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies. “To investigate this question, you need the mix of experts from different disciplines with different skill sets that the partnership allows.”
At the core of the research project are the effects of advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) – proteins or lipids that have become coated in sugars, which damage their function. Research suggests that a diet high in heat-processed foods, including fried foods, plays a role in AGE formation. Research also indicates the accumulation of AGEs causes structural deterioration, increases inflammation that could lead to disc degeneration, and contributes to a host of degenerative diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer’s.

In the first part of the project, researchers at Mount Sinai will raise mice – both regular mice and so-called “knock-out” mice that have been genetically modified to reduce the ability of their cells to bind to AGEs – on a diet of foods high in AGEs, accelerating AGE accumulation in the mice, and observing whether the mice develop the various of health conditions associated with Type 2 diabetes, including disc degeneration. This part of the research helps establish the systemic effects of AGEs on the body.

 

To separate the systemic effects AGEs may have on the body from local effects in specific tissues, researchers will also look at spinal bone and disc tissue in vitro. In that research, bone and disc tissue from both normal and AGE “knock-out” mice fed on a regular diet will be bathed in a high AGE medium, accelerating the exposure of these specific tissues to AGEs. Selected tissue samples will be exposed to a drug that may be able to block AGEs in disc tissue, limiting exposure to bone and disc tissue. In all samples, the researchers will look at changes in indicators of disc and bone health such as the activity of proinflammatory cytokines and AGE formation over time. This research will separate the relative contribution of AGEs to tissue degeneration from systemic damage that may occur as a result of Type 2 diabetes-associated hyperglycemia.

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Men with More Muscle Do Not Need More Protein

 

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

                    

Newswise — Sports nutrition recommendations may undergo a significant shift after research from the University of Stirling has found individuals with more muscle mass do not need more protein after resistance exercise.

Health and exercise scientists from Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence found no difference in the muscle growth response to protein after a full body workout between larger and smaller participants.

Kevin Tipton, Professor of Sport, Health and Exercise Science in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, said: “There is a widely-held assumption that larger athletes need more protein, with nutrition recommendations often given in direct relation to body mass.

“In our study, participants completed a bout of whole-body resistance exercise, where earlier studies — on which protein recommendations are based — examined the response to leg-only exercise. This difference suggests the amount of muscle worked in a single session has a bigger impact on the amount of protein needed afterwards, than the amount of muscle in the body.”
Experts also found participants’ muscles were able to grow and recover from exercise better after a higher dose of protein.

Consuming 40 grams of protein after exercise was more effective at stimulating muscle growth than 20 grams. This increase occurred irrespective of the size of the participants.
Professor Tipton continued: “Until now the consensus among leading sports nutritionists, including the American College of Sports Medicine and the British Nutrition Foundation, is that weightlifters do not need more than around 25 grams of protein after exercise to maximally stimulate the muscle’s ability to grow.

“In order for nutritionists to recommend the correct amount of protein we first need to consider specific demands of the workout, regardless of athletes’ size. This throws commonly held recommendations into question and suggests the amount of protein our muscles need after exercise may be dependent on the type of workout performed. These results are limited to younger, trained men so we may see different results with other groups, such as older individuals or females digesting different amounts of protein.”

Young, resistance-trained males were recruited for the study and divided into two groups, one with lower lean body mass of less than 65 kilograms and one with higher lean body mass of more than 70 kilograms.

Each volunteer participated in two trials where they consumed protein after resistance exercise. In one trial participants consumed 20 grams of whey protein and in the second, they consumed 40 grams of whey protein after exercise. Scientists measured the muscle’s ability to grow at an increased rate with metabolic tracers and muscle biopsies.

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Swimming is an effective part of the treatment for fibromyalgia

 

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

                    

A study performed by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) shows swimming is as effective as walking to relieve pain and improve quality of life for patients with fibromyalgia.

“Physical exercise is an essential component of any treatment for fibromyalgia, and plenty of studies have demonstrated that low-impact aerobic exercise offers the most benefits. However, not everyone likes or is able to do the same kind of physical activity, so our group decided to test alternatives,” said Jamil Natour, a professor of rheumatology at UNIFESP.

In an article published in 2003, Natour’s team showed that walking was better than stretching not only to reduce pain but also to improve depression and other emotional aspects of patients with fibromyalgia, in addition to enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness, as expected. A study performed by the group in 2006 showed that deep-water running was also a good option for treatment of the disease.

“Swimming hadn’t been evaluated with proper scientific rigor. The results of this clinical trial showed swimming was as beneficial as walking, whose positive effects have clearly been demonstrated. Swimming can be a preferable option for a person who suffers from both fibromyalgia and knee arthrosis, for example,” Natour said.

The study involved 75 sedentary women aged between 18 and 60 years who had fibromyalgia. They were divided randomly into two groups: 39 practiced freestyle swimming and 36 undertook moderate open-air walking. Both groups underwent the training three times a week for 12 weeks. The 50-minute sessions were overseen by physical education professionals specializing in rheumatology.
The volunteers were evaluated according to several parameters both before and after the 12-week training period. Pain intensity, for example, was evaluated using a visual scale ranging from 0 cm (no pain) to 10 cm (unbearable pain). Individuals chose the appropriate number to classify the pain experienced at the time of the evaluation.

Pain intensity fell from 6.2 to 3.6 on average in the walking group and from 6.4 to 3.1 in the swimming group. According to Natour, a decrease of at least 2 on the pain scale is considered clinically significant.

Quality of life was assessed using two clinically validated questionnaires. One was specific to people with fibromyalgia (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire). The other was the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), suitable for the general public.

Statistically significant improvements were found for all SF-36 subscales in both groups. In social interaction, for example, the average rose from 56 to 80 in the swimming group and from 52 to 72 in the walking group. In mental health, the swimming group improved from 55.7 to 68, and the walking group from 51.1 to 66.8. These scales all range from 0 to 100, with rising scores pointing to improving quality of life.

Both groups improved an equivalent amount based on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and on a spiroergometric test measuring peak oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and anaerobic threshold.
Natour said patients with fibromyalgia experience chronic diffuse non-inflammatory pain in the musculoskeletal system deriving from malfunctioning of the system that transmits and modulates the transmission of nervous stimuli between the periphery of the body and the brain.

“A prod or poke to a leg or arm may be interpreted as a painful stimulus by a patient with fibromyalgia,” he said. “In addition to magnified pain signals, the patient may experience spontaneous pain. Diffuse tenderness with no anatomical explanation lasting for at least three months is a defining feature of this disease.”

Fibromyalgia is about ten times more common in women than men, and it can be disabling. In addition to pain, people who suffer from the disease often also experience sleep disorders. Reduced levels of serotonin (a key neurotransmitter in mood regulation and pain sensitivity) are frequent, as well as alterations in the autonomic nervous system, which controls bodily functions such as heart rate, blood vessel contraction, sweating, salivary flow and intestinal movements. Taken together, all these symptoms strongly affect the quality of fibromyalgia patients’ lives.

“Many patients have no anatomic defects, not even arthrosis, but suffer from worse deterioration in the quality of their lives and functionality than people with joint disease,” Natour said. “Some studies have compared fibromyalgia with ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis, both of which are deforming joint disorders. Also, some 30% of people with fibromyalgia suffer from depression.”
Because it affects approximately 5% of women, fibromyalgia is a significant public health issue, according to Natour. “But, not being fatal, it isn’t very visible in government statistics,” he noted.
Specialists now agree that treatment should be multimodal, combining chronic pain medication and antidepressants with physical exercise and control of concomitant disorders that may also cause pain, such as arthrosis.

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Vitamin D deficiency changes the intestinal microbiome reducing B vitamin production in the gut. The resulting lack of pantothenic acid adversely affects the immune system, producing a “pro-inflammatory” state associated with atherosclerosis and autoimmunity

 

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

Med Hypotheses. 2016 Sep;94:103-7. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2016.07.007. Epub 2016 Jul 14.
Vitamin D deficiency changes the intestinal microbiome reducing B vitamin production in the gut. The resulting lack of pantothenic acid adversely affects the immune system, producing a “pro-inflammatory” state associated with atherosclerosis and autoimmunity.

Gominak SC1.

Author information

11635 NE Fremont St., Portland, OR 97212, United States. Electronic address: sgominak@yahoo.com.

  

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES:

Vitamin D blood levels of 60-80ng/ml promote normal sleep. The present study was undertaken to explore why this beneficial effect waned after 2years as arthritic pain increased. Pantothenic acid becomes coenzyme A, a cofactor necessary for cortisol and acetylcholine production. 1950s experiments suggested a connection between pantothenic acid deficiency, autoimmune arthritis and insomnia. The B vitamins have been shown to have an intestinal bacterial source and a food source, suggesting that the normal intestinal microbiome may have always been the primary source of B vitamins. Review of the scientific literature shows that pantothenic acid does not have a natural food source, it is supplied by the normal intestinal bacteria. In order to test the hypothesis that vitamin D replacement slowly induced a secondary pantothenic acid deficiency, B100 (100mg of all B vitamins except 100mcg of B12 and biotin and 400mcg of folate) was added to vitamin D supplementation.

METHODS:

Vitamin D and B100 were recommended to over 1000 neurology patients. Sleep characteristics, pain levels, neurologic symptoms, and bowel complaints were recorded by the author at routine appointments.

RESULTS:


Three months of vitamin D plus B100 resulted in improved sleep, reduced pain and unexpected resolution of bowel symptoms. These results suggest that the combination of vitamin D plus B100 creates an intestinal environment that favors the return of the four specific species, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria that make up the normal human microbiome.

HYPOTHESES:

1) Seasonal fluctuations in vitamin D levels have normally produced changes in the intestinal microbiome that promoted weight gain in winter. Years of vitamin D deficiency, however, results in a permanently altered intestinal environment that no longer favors the “healthy foursome”.

2) Humans have always had a commensal relationship with their intestinal microbiome. We supplied them vitamin D, they supplied us B vitamins.

3) The four species that make up the normal microbiome are also commensal, each         excretes at least one B vitamin that the other three need but cannot make.

4) Improved sleep and more cellular repairs eventually depletes body stores of pantothenic acid, causing reduced cortisol production, increased arthritic pain and widespread “pro-inflammatory” effects on the immune system.

5) Pantothenic acid deficiency also decreases available acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter used by the parasympathetic nervous system. Unopposed, increased sympathetic tone then produces hypertension, tachycardia, atrial arrhythmias and a “hyper-adrenergic” state known to predispose to heart disease and stroke.

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Former Abusers of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids Exhibit Decreased Testosterone Levels and Hypogonadal Symptoms Years after Cessation

 

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

PLoS One. 2016 Aug 17;11(8):e0161208. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161208. eCollection 2016.

Former Abusers of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids Exhibit Decreased Testosterone Levels and Hypogonadal Symptoms Years after Cessation: A Case-Control Study.

Rasmussen JJ1, Selmer C1, Østergren PB2, Pedersen KB3, Schou M4, Gustafsson F5, Faber J1, Juul A6, Kistorp C1.

Author information

1Department of Internal Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.

2Department of Urology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.
Department of Internal Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Slagelse, Denmark.
4Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Herlev and Gentofte, Denmark.
5Department of Cardiology, the Heart Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
6Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Abstract

AIMS:

Abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) is highly prevalent among male recreational athletes. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of AAS abuse on reproductive hormone levels and symptoms suggestive of hypogonadism in current and former AAS abusers.

METHODS:

This study had a cross-sectional case-control design and involved 37 current AAS abusers, 33 former AAS abusers (mean (95%CI) elapsed duration since AAS cessation: 2.5 (1.7; 3.7) years) and 30 healthy control participants. All participants were aged 18-50 years and were involved in recreational strength training. Reproductive hormones (FSH, LH, testosterone, inhibin B and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)) were measured using morning blood samples. Symptoms of hypogonadism (depressive symptoms, fatigue, decreased libido and erectile dysfunction) were recorded systematically.

RESULTS:

Former AAS abusers exhibited significantly lower median (25th -75th percentiles) total and free testosterone levels than control participants (total testosterone: 14.4 (11.9-17.7) nmol/l vs. 18.8 (16.6-22.0) nmol/l) (P < 0.01). Overall, 27.2% (13.3; 45.5) of former AAS abusers exhibited plasma total testosterone levels below the lower reference limit (12.1 nmol/l) whereas no control participants exhibited testosterone below this limit (P < 0.01). Gonadotropins were significantly suppressed, and inhibin B and AMH were significantly decreased in current AAS abusers compared with former AAS abusers and control participants (P < 0.01). The group of former AAS abusers had higher proportions of participants with depressive symptoms ((24.2%) (11.1; 42.2)), erectile dysfunction ((27.3%) (13.3; 45.6)) and decreased libido ((40.1%) (23.2; 57.0)) than the other two groups (trend analyses: P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:

Former AAS abusers exhibited significantly lower plasma testosterone levels and higher frequencies of symptoms suggestive of hypogonadism than healthy control participants years after AAS cessation. Current AAS abusers exhibited severely decreased AMH and inhibin B indicative of impaired spermatogenesis.

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Low Physical Activity in Spain and Its Association with Diabetes and Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors

 

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

PLoS One. 2016 Aug 17;11(8):e0160959. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160959. eCollection 2016.

Low Physical Activity and Its Association with Diabetes and Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Nationwide, Population-Based Study.

Brugnara L1,2, Murillo S1,2, Novials A1,2, Rojo-Martínez G1,3, Soriguer F1,3, Goday A4, Calle-Pascual A5, Castaño L1,6, Gaztambide S1,6, Valdés S1,3, Franch J7, Castell C8, Vendrell J1,9, Casamitjana R1,2, Bosch-Comas A1,2, Bordiú E5, Carmena R1,10, Catalá M1,10, Delgado E11, Girbés J12, López-Alba A13, Martínez-Larrad MT1,14, Menéndez E11, Mora-Peces I15, Pascual-Manich G1,2, Serrano-Ríos M1,16, Gomis R1,2, Ortega E14,17.

Author information

1CIBERDEM-Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders, Madrid, Spain.
2IDIBAPS-August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute / Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
3Hospital Universitario Carlos Haya, Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Málaga, Spain.
4Hospital del Mar, Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Barcelona, Spain.
5Hospital Universitario San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
6Hospital Universitario de Cruces, UPV-EHU, Diabetes Research Group, Baracaldo, Spain.
7EAP Raval Sud, Institut Català de la Salut, Red GEDAPS, IDIAP, Barcelona, Spain.
8Public Health Division, Autonomous Government of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
9Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Universitario Joan XXIII, Tarragona, Spain.
10Department of Medicine and Endocrinology, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
11Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
12Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, Valencia, Spain.
13Fundación Hospital de Jove, Gijón, Spain.
14CIBEROBN-Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Physiopathology of Obesity.
15Canarian Health Service, San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
16Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain.
17Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, ICMDM, Hospital Clinic Barcelona.

Abstract

Low physical activity (PA), or sedentary lifestyle, is associated with the development of several chronic diseases.

We aimed to investigate current prevalence of sedentariness and its association with diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors.

PA was evaluated in a population-based, cross-sectional, randomly sampled study conducted in 2009-2010 in Spain.

International Physical Activity Questionnaire (SF-IPAQ) was used to assess PA. 4991 individuals (median age 50 years, 57% women) were studied.

Prevalence of sedentariness was 32.3% for men and 39% for women (p < 0.0001).
Sex differences were particularly notable (age*sex interaction, p = 0.0024) at early and older ages. Sedentary individuals had higher BMI (28 vs. 27 kg/m2) and obesity prevalence (37 vs. 26%).
Low PA was present in 44, 43, and 38% of individuals with known diabetes (KDM), prediabetes/unknown-diabetes (PREDM/UKDM), and normal glucose regulation (p = 0.0014), respectively.

No difference between KDM and PREDM/UKDM (p = 0.72) was found.

Variables independently associated (p < 0.05) with sedentariness were age, sex, BMI, central obesity, Mediterranean diet adherence, smoking habit, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and dyslipidemia.
Low PA is on the rise in Spain, especially among women.

Sedentariness is associated with several cardiovascular risk factors and may be responsible for the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes in this country.

Source

The effectiveness of isometric vs dynamic core training methods

 

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Mar 23. [Epub ahead of print]

The Effect of Long Term Isometric Training on Core/Torso Stiffness.

Lee B1, McGill S.

Author information

1Spine Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Kinesiology; University of Waterloo.

Abstract

While core stiffness enhances athletic performance traits controversy exists regarding the effectiveness of isometric vs dynamic core training methods. This study aimed to determine if long term changes in stiffness can be trained, and if so, what is the most effective method. Twenty four healthy male subjects (23 ± 3 years, 1.8 ± 0.06 m, 77.5 ± 10.8 kg) were recruited for passive and active stiffness measurements before and after a six week core training intervention. Twelve subjects (22 ± 2 years, 1.8 ± 0.08 m, 78.3 ± 12.3 kg) were considered naïve to physical and core exercise. The other twelve subjects (24 ± 3 years, 1.8 ± 0.05 m, 76.8 ± 9.7 kg) were Muay Thai athletes (savvy). A repeated measures design compared core training methods (Isometric vs. Dynamic, with a Control group) and subject training experience (naïve vs. savvy) before and after a six week training period. Passive stiffness was assessed on a ‘frictionless’ bending apparatus and active stiffness assessed via a quick release mechanism. Passive stiffness increased following the isometric training protocol. Dynamic training produced a smaller effect and as expected there was no change in the Control group. Active stiffness did not change in any group. Comparisons between subject and training groups did not reveal any interactions. Thus, an isometric training approach was superior in terms of enhancing core stiffness. This is important since increased core stiffness enhances load bearing ability, arrests painful vertebral micromovements and enhances ballistic distal limb movement. This may explain the efficacy reported for back and knee injury reduction.
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Core Stability in Athletes: A Critical Analysis of Current Guidelines

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

Sports Med. 2016 Jul 30. [Epub ahead of print] Core Stability in Athletes: A Critical Analysis of Current Guidelines. Wirth K1, Hartmann H2, Mickel C3, Szilvas E3, Keiner M4, Sander A5. Author information 1University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, Wiener … Continue reading →

Citrus fruits could help prevent obesity-related heart disease, liver disease, diabetes

 

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 21, 2016 — Oranges and other citrus fruits are good for you — they contain plenty of vitamins and substances, such as antioxidants, that can help keep you healthy. Now a group of researchers reports that these fruits also help prevent harmful effects of obesity in mice fed a Western-style, high-fat diet.

The researchers are presenting their work today at the 252nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world’s largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 9,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

“Our results indicate that in the future we can use citrus flavanones, a class of antioxidants, to prevent or delay chronic diseases caused by obesity in humans,” says Paula S. Ferreira, a graduate student with the research team.

More than one-third of all adults in the U.S. are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Being obese increases the risk of developing heart disease, liver disease and diabetes, most likely because of oxidative stress and inflammation, Ferreira says. When humans consume a high-fat diet, they accumulate fat in their bodies. Fat cells produce excessive reactive oxygen species, which can damage cells in a process called oxidative stress. The body can usually fight off the molecules with antioxidants. But obese patients have very enlarged fat cells, which can lead to even higher levels of reactive oxygen species that overwhelm the body’s ability to counteract them.

Citrus fruits contain large amounts of antioxidants, a class of which are called flavanones. Previous studies linked citrus flavanones to lowering oxidative stress in vitro and in animal models. These researchers wanted to observe the effects of citrus flavanones for the first time on mice with no genetic modifications and that were fed a high-fat diet.

The team, at Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Brazil, conducted an experiment with 50 mice, treating them with flavanones found in oranges, limes and lemons. The flavanones they focused on were hesperidin, eriocitrin and eriodictyol. For one month, researchers gave groups either a standard diet, a high-fat diet, a high-fat diet plus hesperidin, a high-fat diet plus eriocitrin or a high-fat diet plus eriodictyol.

The high-fat diet without the flavanones increased the levels of cell-damage markers called thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) by 80 percent in the blood and 57 percent in the liver compared to mice on a standard diet. But hesperidin, eriocitrin and eriodictyol decreased the TBARS levels in the liver by 50 percent, 57 percent and 64 percent, respectively, compared with mice fed a high-fat diet but not given flavanones. Eriocitrin and eriodictyol also reduced TBARS levels in the blood by 48 percent and 47 percent, respectively, in these mice. In addition, mice treated with hesperidin and eriodictyol had reduced fat accumulation and damage in the liver.

“Our studies did not show any weight loss due to the citrus flavanones,” says Thais B. Cesar, Ph.D., who leads the team. “However, even without helping the mice lose weight, they made them healthier with lower oxidative stress, less liver damage, lower blood lipids and lower blood glucose.”

Ferreira adds, “This study also suggests that consuming citrus fruits probably could have beneficial effects for people who are not obese, but have diets rich in fats, putting them at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity.”

Next, the team will explore how best to administer these flavanones, whether in citrus juice, by consuming the fruit or developing a pill with these antioxidants. In addition, the team plans to conduct studies involving humans, Cesar says.

Cesar acknowledges funding from the Support Program for Scientific Development of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UNESP and by Citrosuco, an orange juice production company in Matão, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Source

“Person-centered” progressive resistance exercise boosted multiple aspects of fatigue in women with fibromyalgia

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

 

“Person-centered” progressive resistance exercise boosted multiple aspects of fatigue in women with fibromyalgia, Swedish researcher reported.

 

In the substudy in a randomized controlled trial of muscle strength, health status, and pain intensity in 130 fibromyalgia patients (ages 22-64), the mean Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20) improvements in the resistance group from baseline to post-treatment evaluation was 7.5% in general fatigue, 10.6% in physical fatigue, and 10.7% in mental fatigue, reported reported Anna Ericsson, PhD, of the University of Gothenburg in Goteborg, Sweden, and colleagues.

 

Working fewer hours and getting better sleep also improved fatigue in the 15-week multicenter study, they reported in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

 

“Significant improvements were found for change in the MFI-20 subscales for general fatigue, physical fatigue, and mental fatigue in the resistance exercise group in comparison with the active control group,” they noted.

 

The person-centered approach emphasizes active patient involvement in planning the treatment to enhance the patient’s ability to manage health problems, the authors explained.

 

Fibromyalgia affects approximately 1% to 3% of the general population, limiting work capacity and social life. While some research has suggested that physical exercise can lower fatigue levels, little is known about the specific effects of resistance exercise and in particular on fatigue.

 

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Higher weekly activity levels linked to lower risk of 5 chronic diseases

 

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

Daily activity levels need to be several times higher than recommended minimum

Higher levels of total physical activity are strongly associated with lower risk of five common chronic diseases – breast and bowel cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, finds a study in The BMJ today.

Many studies have shown the health benefits of physical activity. This has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend a minimum total physical activity level of 600 metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes a week across different ‘domains’ of daily life.
This can include being more physically active at work, engaging more in domestic activities such as housework and gardening, and/or engaging in active transportation such as walking and cycling.

But we still do not definitively know how much the type and quantity of physical activity reduces the risk of common conditions.

So a team of researchers based in the US and Australia analysed the results of 174 studies published between 1980 and 2016 examining the associations between total physical activity and at least one of five chronic diseases – breast cancer, bowel (colon) cancer, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and ischemic stroke.

They found that a higher level of total weekly physical activity was associated with a lower risk of all five conditions.

Most health gains occurred at a total activity level of 3000-4000 MET minutes a week, with diminishing returns at higher activity levels.

A person can achieve 3000 MET minutes a week by incorporating different types of physical activity into their daily routine – for example, climbing stairs for 10 minutes, vacuuming for 15 minutes, gardening for 20 minutes, running for 20 minutes, and walking or cycling for 25 minutes.

The results suggest that total physical activity needs to be several times higher than the current recommended minimum level of 600 MET minutes a week to potentially achieve larger reductions in risks of these diseases, say the authors.

Although they cannot tell us about cause and effect, meta-analyses involving observational research are useful for pulling evidence together. And the authors say their findings have several important implications.

“With population ageing, and an increasing number of cardiovascular and diabetes deaths since 1990, greater attention and investments in interventions to promote physical activity in the general public is required,” they write.

“More studies using the detailed quantification of total physical activity will help to find a more precise estimate for different levels of physical activity,” they conclude.

In a linked editorial, researchers at the University of Strathclyde and the International Prevention Research Institute in Lyon, France say this study “represents an advance in the handling of disparate data on a lifestyle factor that has considerable importance for the prevention of chronic diseases.”
But they point out that “it cannot tell us whether risk reductions would be different with short duration intense physical activity or longer duration light physical activity.”

They conclude: “Future studies must streamline their measurement and reporting for real gains in knowledge.”

Source

Cupping: more recent science

 

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2016 Jan;20(1):173-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2015.11.009. Epub 2015 Dec 1.

New is the well-forgotten old: The use of dry cupping in musculoskeletal medicine.

Rozenfeld E1, Kalichman L2.

Author information

1Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Department of Physical Therapy, Medical Corps, IDF, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
2Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Electronic address: kalichman@hotmail.com.

Abstract

Cupping is an ancient technique used in treating pain and various disorders. Different techniques have been developed over time, however, applying a cup to create suction over a painful area, is common to all. Dry or fire cupping, used on the intact skin, leaves bluish circular hematomas. Recently, interest in cupping has re-emerged and subsequently, several studies have begun to investigate the mechanisms of cupping therapy. Mechanically, cupping increases blood circulation, whereas physiologically it activates the immune system and stimulates the mechanosensitive fibers, thus leading to a reduction in pain. There is initial scientific evidence that dry cupping is able to reduce musculoskeletal pain. Since cupping is an inexpensive, noninvasive and low-risk (if performed by a trained practitioner) therapeutic modality, we believe that it should be included in the arsenal of musculoskeletal medicine. It is essential to perform additional studies clarifying the biological mechanism and clinical effects of cupping.

Source

Energy balance is NOT a simple algebraic sum of energy expenditure and energy intake

 

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

Clin Sci (Lond). 2016 Sep 1;130(18):1615-28. doi: 10.1042/CS20160006.

Energy balance, body composition, sedentariness and appetite regulation: pathways to obesity.

Hopkins M1, Blundell JE2.

Author information

1Academy of Sport and Physical Activity, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield S10 2BP, U.K. Faculty of Medicine and Health, Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. M.Hopkins@shu.ac.uk.

2Faculty of Medicine and Health, Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.

Abstract

Energy balance is not a simple algebraic sum of energy expenditure and energy intake as often depicted in communications. Energy balance is a dynamic process and there exist reciprocal effects between food intake and energy expenditure. An important distinction is that of metabolic and behavioural components of energy expenditure. These components not only contribute to the energy budget directly, but also by influencing the energy intake side of the equation. It has recently been demonstrated that resting metabolic rate (RMR) is a potential driver of energy intake, and evidence is accumulating on the influence of physical activity (behavioural energy expenditure) on mechanisms of satiety and appetite control. These effects are associated with changes in leptin and insulin sensitivity, and in the plasma levels of gastrointestinal (GI) peptides such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), ghrelin and cholecystokinin (CCK). The influence of fat-free mass on energy expenditure and as a driver of energy intake directs attention to molecules emanating from skeletal tissue as potential appetite signals. Sedentariness (physical inactivity) is positively associated with adiposity and is proposed to be a source of overconsumption and appetite dysregulation. The molecular signals underlying these effects are not known but represent a target for research.

Source

Yoga as therapy

 

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2016 Aug;24:145-61. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.06.005. Epub 2016 Jun 16.

Yoga research review.

Field T1.

Author information

1Touch Research Institute, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, United States; Fielding Graduate University, United States. Electronic address: tfield@med.miami.edu.

Abstract

This paper is a review of empirical studies, review and meta-analysis publications on yoga from the last few years.

The review includes demographics/prevalence of yoga as a practice, bibliometric analyses of the yoga publications and the use of yoga for physical fitness and cognitive function.

Most of the studies reviewed here involve yoga effects on psychiatric and medical conditions.
These include pregnancy, prenatal and postpartum depression; stress, PTSD, anxiety, and obesity; cardiovascular conditions including hypertension; pain syndromes including arthritis, headaches and low back pain; autoimmune conditions including asthma, type II diabetes and multiple sclerosis; immune conditions including HIV and breast cancer; and aging problems including balance, osteoporosis and Parkinson’s.

The methods and results of those studies are briefly summarized along with their limitations and suggestions for future research.

Basically yoga has been more effective than control and waitlist control conditions, although not always more effective than treatment comparison groups such as other forms of exercise.
More randomized controlled studies are needed in which yoga is compared to active exercise groups.
Having established the physical and mental health benefits of yoga makes it ethically questionable to assign participants to inactive control groups.

Shorter sessions should be investigated for cost-effectiveness and for daily practice.
Multiple physical and physiological measures need to be added to the self-report research protocols and potential underlying mechanisms need to be further explored.

In the interim, the studies reviewed here highlight the therapeutic effects of yoga, a practice that could come to be called yoga therapy.

Source

The rotator cuff muscles have a direction specific recruitment pattern during shoulder flexion and extension exercises

 

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

                    

J Sci Med Sport. 2011 Sep;14(5):376-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2011.01.001. Epub 2011 Feb 17.
The rotator cuff muscles have a direction specific recruitment pattern during shoulder flexion and extension exercises.

Wattanaprakornkul D1, Cathers I, Halaki M, Ginn KA.

Author information

1Discipline of Biomedical Science, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Australia.

Abstract

A recent study has shown that posterior rotator cuff (RC) muscles are recruited at significantly higher levels than the anterior RC during shoulder flexion.

It was proposed that the mechanism whereby the posterior RC muscles were providing shoulder stability during flexion was to counterbalance potential anterior humeral head translation caused by flexion torque producing muscles.

This hypothesis implies that anterior RC activity should be higher than posterior RC activity during extension to prevent posterior humeral head translation.

As the normal recruitment pattern of the RC during extension has not been established, the purpose of this study was to examine this hypothesis by comparing shoulder muscle activation levels and recruitment patterns during flexion and extension exercises.

Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from 9 shoulder muscles in 15 volunteers.
Flexion and extension exercises were performed in prone at 20%, 50%, and 70% of each participant’s maximal load.

A repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine differences between exercises, muscles and loads, while Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to relate mean EMG patterns.

During extension subscapularis and latissimus dorsi were activated at higher levels than during flexion; during flexion, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, deltoid, trapezius, and serratus anterior were more highly activated than during extension.

In addition, the pattern of activity in each muscle did not vary with load.

These results support the hypothesis that during flexion and extension the RC muscles are recruited in a direction specific manner to prevent potential antero-posterior humeral head translation caused by torque producing muscles.

Source

Acupuncture for the relief of chronic shoulder pain

 

Posted on August 6, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

Acupunct Med. 2016 Jun;34(3):164-70. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2015-010947. Epub 2016 Jan 21.

Randomised controlled trial of contralateral manual acupuncture for the relief of chronic shoulder pain.

Zhang H1, Sun J2, Wang C2, Yu C2, Wang W2, Zhang M3, Lao L4, Yi M3, Wan Y3.

Author information

1Center for Reproductive Medicine and Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China Department of Neurobiology, and Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.
2Department of Pain Medicine, Sichuan Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Chengdu, China.

3Department of Neurobiology, and Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.

4Center for Integrative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To explore the effects of contralateral manual acupuncture (MA) on patients with chronic shoulder pain.

METHODS:

Eighty patients with chronic shoulder pain were randomly allocated to receive contralateral MA (n=38) for 4 weeks or to remain on a waiting list while receiving conventional orthopaedic therapy (n=42). Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were taken as the primary outcome measure and used for a priori power calculation. Secondary outcome measures for the assessment of shoulder mobility and quality of life included the Jobe test, the Constant-Murley (CM) score, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, and the 36 item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

RESULTS:

Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis demonstrated significant pain relief with contralateral acupuncture, with mean differences in VAS scores compared to the waiting list group of -19.4 (-28.0 to -10.8) at 2 weeks, -40.4 (-49.0 to -31.8) at 4 weeks, -41.1 (-49.7 to -32.5) at 8 weeks, and -40.9 (-49.5 to -32.3) at 16 weeks. CM and DASH scores were also improved at all time points (p<0.01). Shoulder mobility, physical functioning, social functioning and mental health components of the SF-36 were also improved by contralateral acupuncture at 8 weeks. No significant adverse effects were observed.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results demonstrate beneficial effects of contralateral acupuncture in the treatment of chronic shoulder pain, both in terms of pain and function. Future research is required to compare directly the effects of local and contralateral acupuncture and to quantify the specific and non-specific effects.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:

NCT01733914.

Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Source

The Love of a Long Walk

Posted on August 6, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

  

zen habits : breathe

By Leo Babauta

Yesterday afternoon, I set off on a long walk.
I’d been having an off day, tired from lots of activities and unmotivated and my mind fixated on one thing … so I decided to walk.
I put some snacks, a book, and some water in a backpack, put on some running shorts, a long-sleeve running shirt, some good shoes and a hat. The weather was hot but not at peak intensity, at 5 p.m.

The start was really nice — it felt so good to be moving, to be outdoors, that I couldn’t help but feel liberated from the funk I’d been in. I passed other walkers, cyclists, kids playing in playgrounds, and loved seeing fellow human beings enjoying being outside.

I walked for about an hour before taking a snack and water break, and reading my book. By then, my left foot had developed a hot spot in the forefoot, but I ignored it, probably foolishly. The sun was going down a bit and the shadows were lengthening, but it was still warm.
After a break, I headed out again. My mind was calmed from all the walking, and my legs were getting a little tired, but not too bad.

After a couple hours, I started to feel some discomfort — I hadn’t walked like this in awhile, and my mind started to push back against my body’s discomfort. It was good for me to feel uncomfortable, though, so I just kept walking. Let my mind complain. It can handle it.

The sun became a bright pink, a dazzling neon red that reminded me of the 80s for some reason. It was breath-taking, and I stopped for a photo, though my phone’s camera couldn’t capture the beauty. Oh well, I’d just have to enjoy it without documentary evidence or the ability to share it with others.
I stopped for another break in a small batch of redwoods, and read. I had a few cookies, well-earned.
I kept walking, marveling at the purple and orange sky, and the ridiculously pink sun. No one else around seemed wowed by this sun, but I felt awe and joy.

My legs were tired now, but I was still about four miles from home, so I kept walking.
The light faded to twilight, then night, and I was walking in the dark. It was quiet, and I was alone, and I wanted company but couldn’t have any.

I finished the walk, 12 miles and about four hours later (including reading and snack breaks), and had a well-deserved beer. And slept as well as I’ve slept in a month.
A good walk can clear your head, push you into discomfort, and help you appreciate the majesty of life in a way that you rarely do while at home. I can’t wait to go on another today.

Posted: Thursday, August 4, 2016

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Effective Chiropractic Care for the Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of Pragmatic Studies

 

Posted on August 6, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

                    

PLoS One. 2016 Aug 3;11(8):e0160037. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160037. eCollection 2016.

Effectiveness and Economic Evaluation of Chiropractic Care for the Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of Pragmatic Studies.

Blanchette MA1, Stochkendahl MJ2, Borges Da Silva R3, Boruff J4, Harrison P4, Bussières A4,5,6.

Author information

1Public Health PhD Program, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.

2Nordic Institute of Chiropractic and Clinical Biomechanics, Odense, Denmark.
3Faculty of Nursing, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.

4School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.

5Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Réadaptation de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
6Département chiropratique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada.

Abstract

BACKGROUND CONTEXT:

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and among the most common reasons for seeking primary sector care. Chiropractors, physical therapists and general practitioners are among those providers that treat LBP patients, but there is only limited evidence regarding the effectiveness and economic evaluation of care offered by these provider groups.

PURPOSE:

To estimate the clinical effectiveness and to systematically review the literature of full economic evaluation of chiropractic care compared to other commonly used care approaches among adult patients with non-specific LBP.

STUDY DESIGN:

Systematic reviews of interventions and economic evaluations.

METHODS:

A comprehensive search strategy was conducted to identify 1) pragmatic randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and/or 2) full economic evaluations of chiropractic care for low back pain compared to standard care delivered by other healthcare providers. Studies published between 1990 and 4th June 2015 were considered. Primary outcomes included pain, functional status and global improvement. Study selection, critical quality appraisal and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers. Data from RCTs with low risk of bias were included in a meta-analysis to determine effect estimates. Cost estimates of full economic evaluations were converted to 2015 USD and results summarized using Slavin’s qualitative best-evidence synthesis.

RESULTS:

Six RCTs and three full economic evaluations were scientifically admissible. Five RCTs with low risk of bias compared chiropractic care to exercise therapy (n = 1), physical therapy (n = 3) and medical care (n = 1). Overall, we found similar effects for chiropractic care and the other types of care and no reports of serious adverse events. Three low to high quality full economic evaluations studies (one cost-effectiveness, one cost-minimization and one cost-benefit) compared chiropractic to medical care. Given the divergent conclusions (favours chiropractic, favours medical care, equivalent options), mixed-evidence was found for economic evaluations of chiropractic care compared to medical care.

CONCLUSION:

Moderate evidence suggests that chiropractic care for LBP appears to be equally effective as physical therapy. Limited evidence suggests the same conclusion when chiropractic care is compared to exercise therapy and medical care although no firm conclusion can be reached at this time. No serious adverse events were reported for any type of care. Our review was also unable to clarify whether chiropractic or medical care is more cost-effective. Given the limited available evidence, the decision to seek or to refer patients for chiropractic care should be based on patient preference and values. Future studies are likely to have an important impact on our estimates as these were based on only a few admissible studies.

Source

How Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT) healed my Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and the struggle to deliver this remedy to those with Alzheimer’s

 

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

                    

The US Army and DOD spent over $800 million over ten years searching for a therapy for traumatic brain injury (TBI), and discovered that low level light therapy (LLLT), using either light emitting diodes (LED) or laser, helped those with TBI. Yet, the solution has not been offered by any major medical device manufacturer, whom the public and the government relies on to get it to market. Neurofeedback also helps with TBI.

When I started to lose my memory from a concussion suffered as a teenager, I sought the technology and it recovered my memory in six weeks, and it has been stabilized for 1.5 years. I have the brain scans to prove it. A double blind, placebo controlled study of 11 people with Alzheimer’s was conducted by the Quietmind Foundation, and presented at a major Alzheimer’s Conference.

Instead of being viewed a promising clue, it was dismissed as not enough people to make a difference. Yet, over 200 drug trials have failed. I have learned a great deal about this disease, the lack of urgency in science, and the lack of initiative in industry. One of the drawbacks of this solution is that it is non-invasive. Meaning no drilling, scalpels, hospitalization, drugs,contraindications. While an MD would have to prescribe it, it could be administered at home, or in an assisted living center, or hospital, by a medical technician, nurse or caregiver. While this means a great reduction in cost versus an expensive drug or surgical implant, that benefits patients, not necessarily manufacturers.

The purpose in publishing this book is to get the facts out to the public, the industry and the government, so action is demanded, and failure to act can be noted. We are talking here about soldiers and those with head injuries, on the one hand, but our fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, who suffer a terrible end of life tragedy from Alzheimer’s and dementia. In fact, more people suffer from Alzheimer’s than cancer, heart disease or diabetes! So lack of action is unacceptable.

There are no bad people involved, just too many who are unambitious, uncaring, and afraid to rock the boat. In such situations, nothing helps more than getting the information out, and removing the complexity that gives healthcare professionals an unfair advantage over the public. Particularly when the notion of “do no harm,” has been swept under the rug. The industry movement to giving Alzheimer’s patients an implantable deep brain magnetic stimulator (DBMS), at perhaps $100,000 per patient, is great for the supply side, but unnecessary for the patients. A safe, lower cost, low level light therapy will do. Industry is rated by P&L, and not outcomes. Worse, there are 5 million Alzheimer’s sufferers in the U.S., and 40 million, worldwide. The difference in cost will make some large companies richer, and bankrupt much of society.

This is information that can help everyone, public policy planners, hospital administrators, neurologists, psychiatrists, surgeons, caregivers, nurses, and patients, aware of the potential. There are new biomarkers what work with PET scan equipment that can detect Alzheimer’s in advance of the first memory loss. The light technology can stabilize degeneration. That means we can stop the pandemic. But scientists and physicians demand proof. The fact is, evidence based medicine is not a good indicator when the funders only fund what they believe in. Dentists have gotten FDA approval on using light therapy to regenerate gum tissue. Scientists in Israel are regenerating heart tissue in humans, in situ. This can revolutionize heart disease, CHF, and reduce healthcare costs.

But as in many classic industries, the incumbents do not always with to change. For this reason I have written this book. We can stop this pandemic with this knowledge.

“Non-invasive technology is the next revolution in medicine,” stated Richard Satava, MD, former DARPA program manager.

Help get the facts out, and stop Alzheimer’s and TBI.

 

Source: Amazon

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Elderly fall risk may be mitigated by explosive strength training

 

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2008 Dec;18(6):773-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2007.00732.x. Epub 2008 Jan 30.

Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and very old adults: changes in rapid muscle force, strength and power.

Caserotti P1, Aagaard P, Larsen JB, Puggaard L.


Author information

1Centre of Applied and Clinical Exercise Sciences (ACES), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. pcaserotti@health.sdu.dk

Abstract

Age-related decline in muscle power predicts falls, motor impairments and disability. Recent guidelines suggested that training programs should be tailored to maximize muscle power.
This study investigated the effects of 12 weeks of explosive-type heavy-resistance training (75-80% of 1 repetition maximum) in old (60-65 years, TG60) and very old (80-89 years, TG80) community-dwelling women.

Training was performed with maximal intentional acceleration of the training load during the concentric movement phase. Maximal isometric voluntary muscle strength (MVC), rapid force capacity, assessed as rate of force development (RFD), and impulse, maximal muscle power during a countermovement jump (CMJ) and during unilateral leg extension task (LEP) were evaluated.
RFD, impulse and MVC increased by 51%, 42% and 28% in TG80, and by 21%, 18% and 18% in TG60, respectively. CMJ jump height increased by 18% and 10% in TG80 and TG60, respectively, while jump peak power increased in TG60 (5%). Finally, LEP increased 28% in TG80 and 12% in TG60.

These findings demonstrate that explosive-type heavy-resistance training seems to be safe and well tolerated in healthy women even in the eighth decade of life and elicits adaptive neuromuscular changes in selected physiological variables that are commonly associated with the risk of falls and disability in aged individuals.

Source