(HealthDay News) -- A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids -- found in certain fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils -- may help lower blood pressure.
That's the conclusion of a study that examined data from 4,680 people in China, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Researchers looked at participants' blood pressure and dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids.
After compensating for a number of factors known to affect blood pressure (such as age, weight, exercise, salt intake, gender and alcohol consumption), the researchers concluded that high dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with:
0.6 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure (top number) and 0.6 mmHg lower diastolic blood pressure (bottom number), on average, for the entire study group.
About 1.0 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure and 1.0 lower diastolic blood pressure among the 2,238 people who were not on a special diet or taking supplements or medication to treat high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes.
About 0.9 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure and 0.9 mmHg lower diastolic blood pressure among the 2,038 people without high blood pressure.
The findings are published in the June issue of the journal Hypertension.
"Foods with omega-3 PFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) had more of an effect in people who were not already taking medication and had not yet developed high blood pressure," study lead author Dr. Hirotsugu Ueshima, professor and chairman of the department of health science at Shiga University of Medical Science in Japan, said in a prepared statement.
Previous studies found that a population-wide decrease of 2 mmHg of blood pressure could reduce deaths from stroke by about six percent and deaths from coronary heart disease by about four percent.
"With blood pressure, every millimeter counts. The effect of each nutrient is apparently small but independent, so together they can add up to a substantial impact on blood pressure," Ueshima said.
"If you can reduce blood pressure a few millimeters from eating less salt, losing a few pounds, avoiding heavy drinking, eating more vegetables, whole grains and fruits (for their fiber, minerals, vegetable protein and other nutrients) and getting more omega-3 fatty acids, then you've made a big difference," Ueshima said.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about lowering high blood pressure.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Repeat, High-Dose Chemo Can Cure Testicular Cancer
(HealthDay News) -- Intensifying the dose of anticancer drugs can cure a large majority of men with testicular cancer after first-line chemotherapy fails, Indiana University physicians report.
"This was a regimen established by our group over 10 years ago, and now we show that it is applicable to all testicular cancer patients," said study senior author Dr. Rafat Abonour, associate dean for clinical research at the university's school of medicine.
The new findings are published in the July 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
That report is "testimony to the dedication and leadership of Dr. Larry Einhorn," Abonour said.
Einhorn is lead author on the study and holds several titles at Indiana, most notably the Lance Armstrong Professor of Medicine -- a position that was established after the Tour de France bicycling champ was cured of his testicular cancer at the center.
According to Abonour, Einhorn led the way in establishing the value of drugs such as cisplatin in the treatment of testicular cancer decades ago and has worked steadily at expanding their use and value.
From 7,000 to 8,000 cases of the cancer are reported in the United States each year. The overall cure rate is 90 percent for the first round of treatment, but there is a subset of more deadly metastatic cases where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. About 30 percent of those patients suffer relapses and require further treatment.
The journal report describes the results of what it calls "salvage chemotherapy" in 184 such men. The researchers report that a course of treatment centering on high dosages of anticancer drugs led 116 of them to complete cancer remission over an average follow-up of four years. Even among a subset of 49 men for whom two or more previous rounds of treatment had failed, almost half (22 men) were found to be free of cancer four years later.
"The take-home message is that continuous effort to provide treatment is effective," Abonour said.
Cures are possible, because most testicular cancers are unusually sensitive to anticancer drugs, explained Dr. George Bosl, chairman of the department of medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
Most of those malignancies occur in "germ" cells, where sperm is produced. "The major point of this report is that if a young man with a germ cell tumor undergoes chemotherapy and if the disease remains afterward, very high doses of chemotherapy can cure a substantial fraction of those patients," Bosl said.
Unfortunately, the lessons learned from the treatment of testicular cancer may not extend to other malignancies, he said, "because germ cell tumors are different from other cancers, where curative chemotherapy in the first line of treatment is hard to come by." It is not yet clear why germ cells are so much more sensitive to anti-cancer drugs, Bosl said.
More information
You can learn more about testicular cancer from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
"This was a regimen established by our group over 10 years ago, and now we show that it is applicable to all testicular cancer patients," said study senior author Dr. Rafat Abonour, associate dean for clinical research at the university's school of medicine.
The new findings are published in the July 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
That report is "testimony to the dedication and leadership of Dr. Larry Einhorn," Abonour said.
Einhorn is lead author on the study and holds several titles at Indiana, most notably the Lance Armstrong Professor of Medicine -- a position that was established after the Tour de France bicycling champ was cured of his testicular cancer at the center.
According to Abonour, Einhorn led the way in establishing the value of drugs such as cisplatin in the treatment of testicular cancer decades ago and has worked steadily at expanding their use and value.
From 7,000 to 8,000 cases of the cancer are reported in the United States each year. The overall cure rate is 90 percent for the first round of treatment, but there is a subset of more deadly metastatic cases where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. About 30 percent of those patients suffer relapses and require further treatment.
The journal report describes the results of what it calls "salvage chemotherapy" in 184 such men. The researchers report that a course of treatment centering on high dosages of anticancer drugs led 116 of them to complete cancer remission over an average follow-up of four years. Even among a subset of 49 men for whom two or more previous rounds of treatment had failed, almost half (22 men) were found to be free of cancer four years later.
"The take-home message is that continuous effort to provide treatment is effective," Abonour said.
Cures are possible, because most testicular cancers are unusually sensitive to anticancer drugs, explained Dr. George Bosl, chairman of the department of medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
Most of those malignancies occur in "germ" cells, where sperm is produced. "The major point of this report is that if a young man with a germ cell tumor undergoes chemotherapy and if the disease remains afterward, very high doses of chemotherapy can cure a substantial fraction of those patients," Bosl said.
Unfortunately, the lessons learned from the treatment of testicular cancer may not extend to other malignancies, he said, "because germ cell tumors are different from other cancers, where curative chemotherapy in the first line of treatment is hard to come by." It is not yet clear why germ cells are so much more sensitive to anti-cancer drugs, Bosl said.
More information
You can learn more about testicular cancer from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Reduces Cortisol and Other Markers of Stress
One of the measurements used in the UCSD study was the salivary cortisol level. Cortisol is a hormone related to stress, and high cortisol levels show high stress. In the patients who took Worry Free for three months, the mean salivary cortisol levels went down 2.77 nmol/l.
Again, The Council provides an explanation from Maharishi Ayurveda. There are three subdoshas that govern the mind, he says. Prana Vata is the subdosha of Vata that governs the brain, sensory perception and the mind. Tarpaka Kapha is the subdosha of Kapha that governs the cerebral-spinal fluid. And because acquisition, retention and recall originate in the heart, Sadhaka Pitta (the subdosha of Pitta that governs the emotions and their effect on the heart) is also involved.
"When people overuse or misuse their minds, the subdoshas governing the mind counteract that overuse by producing more fluid," says The Council. "It's similar to the extra saliva that is produced by the taste buds when you're about to eat chilies or other hot foods. The extra saliva protects the whole digestive system, and prevents the chilies from creating an abrasive effect."
When your mind is strained by engaging in excessive mental work, the subdoshas go out of balance. Sadhaka Pitta begins to create a burning effect and Prana Vata creates a drying effect. Then Tarpaka Kapha generates extra fluid to counteract this effect and protect the brain.
But if you overuse your mind over and over and over again, the lubricating value of Tarpaka Kapha becomes excessive, and begins to diminish the metabolizing fire (medhya agni) in the gaps between dhi, dhriti and smriti. t's similar to the effect of too much moisture in the digestion -- it can put out the digestive fire (agni).
When this happens, ama (toxins) start to be created. Ama accumulates in the gaps and channels of the brain, and mixes with the fluids created by Tarpaka Kapha, creating a harmful type of cortisol, the indicator of stress.
"Cortisol in itself is not bad, in fact it's created by the body to protect the brain," says an ayurvedic expert from The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians. "But when Tarpaka Kapha becomes excessive and there is ama in the physiology, it does more harm than good. That's when anxiety attacks and other signs of too much stress take over."
The reason that the subjects' cortisol levels when down after using Worry Free is because the Muskroot and Greater Galangal enhance the medhya agni, says The Council. "Medhya agni began to burn brightly again, ama was no longer produced and no ama was no longer mixing with Tarpaka Kapha. Thus only a good quality of cortisol was released, which actually protected the brain from stress. That's why the salivary cortisol levels went down."
As mentioned earlier, Muskroot and Greater Galangal also help clear the channels of ama, as does Winter Cherry. "Winter Cherry is such a sharp, cleansing herb that it in itself self-sufficient, but when combined with Muskroot and Greater Galangal, it becomes an extremely effective agent for clearing the channels, enhancing medhya agni and reducing ama," says The Council.
Again, The Council provides an explanation from Maharishi Ayurveda. There are three subdoshas that govern the mind, he says. Prana Vata is the subdosha of Vata that governs the brain, sensory perception and the mind. Tarpaka Kapha is the subdosha of Kapha that governs the cerebral-spinal fluid. And because acquisition, retention and recall originate in the heart, Sadhaka Pitta (the subdosha of Pitta that governs the emotions and their effect on the heart) is also involved.
"When people overuse or misuse their minds, the subdoshas governing the mind counteract that overuse by producing more fluid," says The Council. "It's similar to the extra saliva that is produced by the taste buds when you're about to eat chilies or other hot foods. The extra saliva protects the whole digestive system, and prevents the chilies from creating an abrasive effect."
When your mind is strained by engaging in excessive mental work, the subdoshas go out of balance. Sadhaka Pitta begins to create a burning effect and Prana Vata creates a drying effect. Then Tarpaka Kapha generates extra fluid to counteract this effect and protect the brain.
But if you overuse your mind over and over and over again, the lubricating value of Tarpaka Kapha becomes excessive, and begins to diminish the metabolizing fire (medhya agni) in the gaps between dhi, dhriti and smriti. t's similar to the effect of too much moisture in the digestion -- it can put out the digestive fire (agni).
When this happens, ama (toxins) start to be created. Ama accumulates in the gaps and channels of the brain, and mixes with the fluids created by Tarpaka Kapha, creating a harmful type of cortisol, the indicator of stress.
"Cortisol in itself is not bad, in fact it's created by the body to protect the brain," says an ayurvedic expert from The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians. "But when Tarpaka Kapha becomes excessive and there is ama in the physiology, it does more harm than good. That's when anxiety attacks and other signs of too much stress take over."
The reason that the subjects' cortisol levels when down after using Worry Free is because the Muskroot and Greater Galangal enhance the medhya agni, says The Council. "Medhya agni began to burn brightly again, ama was no longer produced and no ama was no longer mixing with Tarpaka Kapha. Thus only a good quality of cortisol was released, which actually protected the brain from stress. That's why the salivary cortisol levels went down."
As mentioned earlier, Muskroot and Greater Galangal also help clear the channels of ama, as does Winter Cherry. "Winter Cherry is such a sharp, cleansing herb that it in itself self-sufficient, but when combined with Muskroot and Greater Galangal, it becomes an extremely effective agent for clearing the channels, enhancing medhya agni and reducing ama," says The Council.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Gene Linked to Restless Leg Syndrome Found
(HealthDay News) -- Icelandic researchers have discovered a gene that's linked to restless legs syndrome (RLS).
The research, which is in the July 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, found a gene variant that increases the odds of having RLS with periodic limb movements during sleep by 50 percent. The researchers also found that those with the gene variant were more likely to have low iron levels.
"There is a strong familial and genetic basis to restless legs syndrome," said the author of an accompanying editorial, Dr. John Winkelman, medical director of the Sleep Health Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Winkelman's editorial also pointed out that two other soon-to-be-published studies confirmed the link to this gene variant and RLS in a different population, and found two other genetic variants linked to RLS.
"Finding these genes may allow us to get more detail in the RLS story and eventually may allow us to predict who will respond to medications, who will have complications and which family members are likely to develop RLS. But it's early on; we need to see which of the next steps pan out, but this opens up many new avenues for research," Winkelman said.
Restless legs syndrome is a common neurological disorder, affecting as many as 3 percent of American adults, according to Winkelman. Those with RLS experience a compelling need to move their legs.
"It's quite a creepy, uncomfortable feeling. It's kind of a jittery feeling that they have to move their legs," explained Susan Zafarlotfi, clinical director of the Institute for Sleep-Wake Disorders and the Breath and Lung Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
About four out of five people with RLS also experience periodic limb movements during sleep, according to Winkelman. Periodic limb movements -- jerking or twitching of the legs or feet -- occur in a fairly set pattern, with a still period in between. "It almost looks as if they're guided by a metronome," said Winkelman. With each movement, blood pressure rises, and the person may be briefly aroused from sleep, though they're often not aware of this. Winkelman said many people with RLS have poor quality sleep and report daytime fatigue.
Many people with RLS also have family members with the disorder, suggesting a genetic component to the disease.
To locate any genetic variants that could be responsible for RLS, the researchers recruited 451 people who had symptoms of RLS, as well as 514 of their first-degree relatives.
The study volunteers filled out RLS questionnaires, had their periodic limb movements measured during sleep and gave blood samples.
The researchers found one genetic variant was strongly associated with RLS with periodic limb movements. To validate these findings, the researchers then compared a second sample of 123 Icelandic study participants to 1,233 controls.
Overall, people with that particular genetic variant were 50 percent more likely to have RLS with periodic limb movements. Because the association was stronger in people with RLS and periodic limb movements than in those with just RLS, the researchers and Winkelman believe this genetic variant is likely one associated with periodic limb movements.
The researchers also found that iron levels were significantly decreased -- by as much as 26 percent -- in those with the genetic variant.
"Iron is important in the brain in the regulation of dopamine function. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that's at least partially responsible for regulating sensation and movement," said Winkelman, who added that medications that increase dopamine activity in the brain, such as ropinirole (Requip) or pramipexole (Mirapex), are effective in treating RLS.
Both Winkelman and Zafarlotfi said that there's an increasing awareness in the medical community of RLS as a disorder, and that people should definitely bring it up with their physician if they're having symptoms.
"Even if you were rebuffed originally when describing your symptoms, try again," advised Winkelman. He said an appropriate assessment includes checking blood levels of iron and reviewing what medications you're taking.
Zafarlotfi pointed out that some common medications, such as antidepressants, may increase RLS symptoms.
More information
To learn more about restless leg syndrome, visit the RLS Foundation.
The research, which is in the July 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, found a gene variant that increases the odds of having RLS with periodic limb movements during sleep by 50 percent. The researchers also found that those with the gene variant were more likely to have low iron levels.
"There is a strong familial and genetic basis to restless legs syndrome," said the author of an accompanying editorial, Dr. John Winkelman, medical director of the Sleep Health Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Winkelman's editorial also pointed out that two other soon-to-be-published studies confirmed the link to this gene variant and RLS in a different population, and found two other genetic variants linked to RLS.
"Finding these genes may allow us to get more detail in the RLS story and eventually may allow us to predict who will respond to medications, who will have complications and which family members are likely to develop RLS. But it's early on; we need to see which of the next steps pan out, but this opens up many new avenues for research," Winkelman said.
Restless legs syndrome is a common neurological disorder, affecting as many as 3 percent of American adults, according to Winkelman. Those with RLS experience a compelling need to move their legs.
"It's quite a creepy, uncomfortable feeling. It's kind of a jittery feeling that they have to move their legs," explained Susan Zafarlotfi, clinical director of the Institute for Sleep-Wake Disorders and the Breath and Lung Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
About four out of five people with RLS also experience periodic limb movements during sleep, according to Winkelman. Periodic limb movements -- jerking or twitching of the legs or feet -- occur in a fairly set pattern, with a still period in between. "It almost looks as if they're guided by a metronome," said Winkelman. With each movement, blood pressure rises, and the person may be briefly aroused from sleep, though they're often not aware of this. Winkelman said many people with RLS have poor quality sleep and report daytime fatigue.
Many people with RLS also have family members with the disorder, suggesting a genetic component to the disease.
To locate any genetic variants that could be responsible for RLS, the researchers recruited 451 people who had symptoms of RLS, as well as 514 of their first-degree relatives.
The study volunteers filled out RLS questionnaires, had their periodic limb movements measured during sleep and gave blood samples.
The researchers found one genetic variant was strongly associated with RLS with periodic limb movements. To validate these findings, the researchers then compared a second sample of 123 Icelandic study participants to 1,233 controls.
Overall, people with that particular genetic variant were 50 percent more likely to have RLS with periodic limb movements. Because the association was stronger in people with RLS and periodic limb movements than in those with just RLS, the researchers and Winkelman believe this genetic variant is likely one associated with periodic limb movements.
The researchers also found that iron levels were significantly decreased -- by as much as 26 percent -- in those with the genetic variant.
"Iron is important in the brain in the regulation of dopamine function. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that's at least partially responsible for regulating sensation and movement," said Winkelman, who added that medications that increase dopamine activity in the brain, such as ropinirole (Requip) or pramipexole (Mirapex), are effective in treating RLS.
Both Winkelman and Zafarlotfi said that there's an increasing awareness in the medical community of RLS as a disorder, and that people should definitely bring it up with their physician if they're having symptoms.
"Even if you were rebuffed originally when describing your symptoms, try again," advised Winkelman. He said an appropriate assessment includes checking blood levels of iron and reviewing what medications you're taking.
Zafarlotfi pointed out that some common medications, such as antidepressants, may increase RLS symptoms.
More information
To learn more about restless leg syndrome, visit the RLS Foundation.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Kids Living Near School Rarely Walk There: Study
(HealthDay News) -- Even though one out of three American children live within a mile of their school, barely half of those students regularly bike or walk to class, researchers report.
Children who live in the South, in rural areas or who have college-educated parents are among those least likely to bike or walk to school, notes the report, which is published in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Sarah Martin and colleagues at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studied data from more than 7,000 children between 9 and 15 years of age.
They found that almost 35 percent of the children lived within one mile of their schools. Children between 11 and 13 years old were more likely to walk or bike than 9-year-olds. Children whose parents had a high school education were more likely to bike or walk than children with college-educated parents.
"The majority of young people are missing an opportunity to increase daily physical activity by being active travelers," Martin said in a prepared statement.
According to the CDC, nearly one in five (18.8 percent) young people between 6 and 11 years old are overweight. Increased daily physical activity is one of the methods the CDC recommends to help manage weight in young people.
Martin and colleagues said that the reasons why children in urban areas might be more likely to bike or walk are complex. They cited the fact that schools may be in mixed-use neighborhoods where it is more possible to bike or walk, in contrast to suburbs where there may be fewer safe sidewalks.
More information
To learn more about overweight youth, visit Healthy Youth.
Children who live in the South, in rural areas or who have college-educated parents are among those least likely to bike or walk to school, notes the report, which is published in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Sarah Martin and colleagues at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studied data from more than 7,000 children between 9 and 15 years of age.
They found that almost 35 percent of the children lived within one mile of their schools. Children between 11 and 13 years old were more likely to walk or bike than 9-year-olds. Children whose parents had a high school education were more likely to bike or walk than children with college-educated parents.
"The majority of young people are missing an opportunity to increase daily physical activity by being active travelers," Martin said in a prepared statement.
According to the CDC, nearly one in five (18.8 percent) young people between 6 and 11 years old are overweight. Increased daily physical activity is one of the methods the CDC recommends to help manage weight in young people.
Martin and colleagues said that the reasons why children in urban areas might be more likely to bike or walk are complex. They cited the fact that schools may be in mixed-use neighborhoods where it is more possible to bike or walk, in contrast to suburbs where there may be fewer safe sidewalks.
More information
To learn more about overweight youth, visit Healthy Youth.
Friday, July 13, 2007
For Better Sleep
Enhance the benefits of the ayurvedic daily massage with our specially blended Rejuvenation Massage Oils. More easily absorbed by the skin than most regular massage oils, these precise blends of ayurvedic herbs and aromas deliver results more quickly—improved circulation, especially to nerve endings; balanced mind and emotions and enhanced resistance to stress; greater stamina through the day and deeper, better quality sleep.
Apply Rejuvenation Massage Oil to your lower arms, hands, lower legs and feet before bed to improve the quality of your sleep. Pay special attention to the nail-beds of your hands and feet. These oils can also be used for the morning self-massage; we recommend diluting them 50-50 with a base oil such as our Organic Sesame Oil or with organic almond oil.
Apply Rejuvenation Massage Oil to your lower arms, hands, lower legs and feet before bed to improve the quality of your sleep. Pay special attention to the nail-beds of your hands and feet. These oils can also be used for the morning self-massage; we recommend diluting them 50-50 with a base oil such as our Organic Sesame Oil or with organic almond oil.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Many Men Getting Unnecessary Prostate Cancer Blood Tests
(HealthDay News) -- Too many American men are receiving inappropriate PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests for prostate cancer, researchers say.
In many cases, these screenings are being done in populations of either young or elderly men where the test has not proven beneficial, the experts report in the July 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"PSA screening is performed inappropriately in a great proportion in many cases," said lead author Dr. B. Price Kerfoot, from the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School.
For example, most current guidelines do not recommend PSA screening for men younger than 40 years of age, older than 75, or for men who are expected to live less than another 10 years, Kerfoot said. But many men in these groups are nonetheless getting the tests, the study found.
The American Cancer Society notes that, outside of skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed among American men. This year nearly 220,000 new cases of the disease are expected to be diagnosed, and about 27,000 men will die of the disease.
The organization currently recommends that men at high risk for prostate cancer, which includes blacks and men with a family or personal history of the disease, should begin undergoing yearly digital rectal exams and PSA blood tests between the ages of 40 and 45.
Otherwise, men with average risk should begin screening at age 50, the society suggests.
In the study, Kerfoot's team collected data on almost 106,000 men treated at Veterans Health Affairs facilities across New England from 1997 to 2004.
Of the more than 232,000 PSA tests given, 16.1 percent were found to be unnecessary, the researchers found. Among this group, 15.3 percent were given to men older than 75, and 0.8 percent were given to patients younger than 40.
Profiling the doctors who ordered these tests, the team found that 51.3 percent were men, 79.4 percent were general practitioners, 53.4 percent were trainee physicians and 8.2 percent were urologists.
In addition, older male doctors were more likely to order inappropriate PSA tests, Kerfoot said. Female doctors fared better. "As female practitioners age, the appropriateness of their screening increases," he said.
Kerfoot believes the new data may help cut down on unnecessary PSA tests. "The goal is to design educational programs that will teach the practitioners how to use PSA screening more consistently in an age-appropriate manner," he said.
The diagnostic value of PSA remains controversial, Kerfoot noted. There are several trials ongoing that over the next 10 years may help to determine whether the current guidelines need to be changed, he said.
One expert agreed that the PSA test is often misunderstood.
"I am not sure that we use PSA correctly," said Dr. Anthony D'Amico, the chief of radiation oncology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston.
PSA level is affected by many other factors besides cancer, including an enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This means that PSA results can lead to an overdiagnosis of prostate cancer, D'Amico said. "It can also lead to missing cancer in younger men," he said.
According to D'Amico, changes in PSA levels over time -- rather than a snapshot look from just one test -- are the key to using the screen correctly. He expects guidelines to change this year to reflect this new method. "When you look at change in PSA level, you can easily distinguish benign versus malignant tissue," he said.
For men in their 40s, a steady rise of PSA of more than half-a-point a year is a probable indication of prostate cancer, D'Amico said. In men in their 60s or 70s, a rise of one point or more may be an indication of prostate cancer, he said. "But once BPH starts, PSA readings become less predictive, especially for older men," he added.
One expert believes that PSA should only be used alongside other factors in diagnosing prostate cancer -- regardless of the man's age.
"It isn't fair that a healthy 75 year-old should be denied a PSA exam" based on his life expectancy, said Dr. Ian M. Thompson, from the department of urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. "Many older men have more than a 10-year life expectancy," he added.
Thompson believes that PSA testing should be a part of a total patient evaluation that includes age, a family history of prostate cancer, and whether or not the patient has had a previous biopsy for prostate cancer.
"Men need to read up on the advantages and disadvantages of PSA screening," Thompson said. "Guidelines are only guidelines," he said. Thompson noted that half the men who die from prostate cancer are in their 80s.
"To just say that after 75 you can't have a PSA test doesn't fit with what we know about the biology of the disease, the frequency of the disease, and the risk of the disease," Thompson said.
More information
For more information on the risk for prostate cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
In many cases, these screenings are being done in populations of either young or elderly men where the test has not proven beneficial, the experts report in the July 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"PSA screening is performed inappropriately in a great proportion in many cases," said lead author Dr. B. Price Kerfoot, from the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School.
For example, most current guidelines do not recommend PSA screening for men younger than 40 years of age, older than 75, or for men who are expected to live less than another 10 years, Kerfoot said. But many men in these groups are nonetheless getting the tests, the study found.
The American Cancer Society notes that, outside of skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed among American men. This year nearly 220,000 new cases of the disease are expected to be diagnosed, and about 27,000 men will die of the disease.
The organization currently recommends that men at high risk for prostate cancer, which includes blacks and men with a family or personal history of the disease, should begin undergoing yearly digital rectal exams and PSA blood tests between the ages of 40 and 45.
Otherwise, men with average risk should begin screening at age 50, the society suggests.
In the study, Kerfoot's team collected data on almost 106,000 men treated at Veterans Health Affairs facilities across New England from 1997 to 2004.
Of the more than 232,000 PSA tests given, 16.1 percent were found to be unnecessary, the researchers found. Among this group, 15.3 percent were given to men older than 75, and 0.8 percent were given to patients younger than 40.
Profiling the doctors who ordered these tests, the team found that 51.3 percent were men, 79.4 percent were general practitioners, 53.4 percent were trainee physicians and 8.2 percent were urologists.
In addition, older male doctors were more likely to order inappropriate PSA tests, Kerfoot said. Female doctors fared better. "As female practitioners age, the appropriateness of their screening increases," he said.
Kerfoot believes the new data may help cut down on unnecessary PSA tests. "The goal is to design educational programs that will teach the practitioners how to use PSA screening more consistently in an age-appropriate manner," he said.
The diagnostic value of PSA remains controversial, Kerfoot noted. There are several trials ongoing that over the next 10 years may help to determine whether the current guidelines need to be changed, he said.
One expert agreed that the PSA test is often misunderstood.
"I am not sure that we use PSA correctly," said Dr. Anthony D'Amico, the chief of radiation oncology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston.
PSA level is affected by many other factors besides cancer, including an enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This means that PSA results can lead to an overdiagnosis of prostate cancer, D'Amico said. "It can also lead to missing cancer in younger men," he said.
According to D'Amico, changes in PSA levels over time -- rather than a snapshot look from just one test -- are the key to using the screen correctly. He expects guidelines to change this year to reflect this new method. "When you look at change in PSA level, you can easily distinguish benign versus malignant tissue," he said.
For men in their 40s, a steady rise of PSA of more than half-a-point a year is a probable indication of prostate cancer, D'Amico said. In men in their 60s or 70s, a rise of one point or more may be an indication of prostate cancer, he said. "But once BPH starts, PSA readings become less predictive, especially for older men," he added.
One expert believes that PSA should only be used alongside other factors in diagnosing prostate cancer -- regardless of the man's age.
"It isn't fair that a healthy 75 year-old should be denied a PSA exam" based on his life expectancy, said Dr. Ian M. Thompson, from the department of urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. "Many older men have more than a 10-year life expectancy," he added.
Thompson believes that PSA testing should be a part of a total patient evaluation that includes age, a family history of prostate cancer, and whether or not the patient has had a previous biopsy for prostate cancer.
"Men need to read up on the advantages and disadvantages of PSA screening," Thompson said. "Guidelines are only guidelines," he said. Thompson noted that half the men who die from prostate cancer are in their 80s.
"To just say that after 75 you can't have a PSA test doesn't fit with what we know about the biology of the disease, the frequency of the disease, and the risk of the disease," Thompson said.
More information
For more information on the risk for prostate cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Video Games Cut Into Teens' Reading, Studying
(HealthDay News) -- Teens who play video games on school days read and study less than their non-gaming peers, a new study finds.
Teen video gamers spent 30 percent less time reading and 40 percent less time doing homework, according to the study, which is published in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
And another study found that most 7th- and 8th-graders regularly play violent video games, often as a way to release anger.
The findings come on the heels of an American Medical Association decision last week that more research is needed into the impact of video games on adolescents' social and mental development. The group also called for parents to monitor their children's video gaming habits.
In the first study, researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and the University of Texas at Austin collected diaries of weekend and weekday activities from almost 1,500 10- to 19-year-olds between 2003 and 2003. Just over one-third of the teens reported playing video games.
Four out of five of the gamers were boys. Gamers reported spending an average of 58 minutes playing video games on weekdays and one hour and 37 minutes playing video games on weekends. Girls reported playing for an average of 44 minutes on weekdays and one hour and four minutes on weekends.
Boys who played video games were less likely to spend time reading than their peers, while gaming girls spent less time on homework.
Despite the impact on reading and homework time, the data did not show that teens who played video games spent less time overall than their peers in activities with friends and family.
Girls who played video games with their parents actually spent more time with them in other activities, the study found. Both boys and girls who played video games with their friends were also likely to spend time with friends engaged in other activities.
But the findings were different when it came to teens who tended to play video games on their own. The researchers found that teens who played video games alone were less likely to spend time in other activities with friends. Boys who spent time playing video games alone on weekends were also less likely to spend time doing other things with their parents, the group found.
The researchers believe that further study is needed to understand the ways in which video games affect teens and their social development.
A second study, this time by a team at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, sampled 1,254 U.S. children ages 12 to 14.
Reporting in the July issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, they discovered that a third of boys and about one in 10 girls played video games daily. Two-thirds of boys and about one in four girls said they had played a violent or Mature-rated video game "a lot in the past six months," the study found. Grand Theft Auto -- a Mature-rated game which is filled with scenes of gore, sexual content and drug use -- was the most popular game series among boys.
According to the researchers, many of these young gamers said they played video games to relieve feelings of anger or stress.
It doesn't necessarily follow that playing video games increases violent behavior, said lead researcher Cheryl Olson.
"Violent play is so common, and youth crime has actually declined, so most kids who play these games are probably doing fine," she said in a prepared statement. "We hope that this study is a first step toward reframing the debate from 'violent video games are terrible and destroying society' to 'what types of game content might be harmful to what types of kids, in what situations'?"
More information
For tips on helping children balance video games with other activities, visit the National Institute on Media and the Family.
Teen video gamers spent 30 percent less time reading and 40 percent less time doing homework, according to the study, which is published in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
And another study found that most 7th- and 8th-graders regularly play violent video games, often as a way to release anger.
The findings come on the heels of an American Medical Association decision last week that more research is needed into the impact of video games on adolescents' social and mental development. The group also called for parents to monitor their children's video gaming habits.
In the first study, researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and the University of Texas at Austin collected diaries of weekend and weekday activities from almost 1,500 10- to 19-year-olds between 2003 and 2003. Just over one-third of the teens reported playing video games.
Four out of five of the gamers were boys. Gamers reported spending an average of 58 minutes playing video games on weekdays and one hour and 37 minutes playing video games on weekends. Girls reported playing for an average of 44 minutes on weekdays and one hour and four minutes on weekends.
Boys who played video games were less likely to spend time reading than their peers, while gaming girls spent less time on homework.
Despite the impact on reading and homework time, the data did not show that teens who played video games spent less time overall than their peers in activities with friends and family.
Girls who played video games with their parents actually spent more time with them in other activities, the study found. Both boys and girls who played video games with their friends were also likely to spend time with friends engaged in other activities.
But the findings were different when it came to teens who tended to play video games on their own. The researchers found that teens who played video games alone were less likely to spend time in other activities with friends. Boys who spent time playing video games alone on weekends were also less likely to spend time doing other things with their parents, the group found.
The researchers believe that further study is needed to understand the ways in which video games affect teens and their social development.
A second study, this time by a team at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, sampled 1,254 U.S. children ages 12 to 14.
Reporting in the July issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, they discovered that a third of boys and about one in 10 girls played video games daily. Two-thirds of boys and about one in four girls said they had played a violent or Mature-rated video game "a lot in the past six months," the study found. Grand Theft Auto -- a Mature-rated game which is filled with scenes of gore, sexual content and drug use -- was the most popular game series among boys.
According to the researchers, many of these young gamers said they played video games to relieve feelings of anger or stress.
It doesn't necessarily follow that playing video games increases violent behavior, said lead researcher Cheryl Olson.
"Violent play is so common, and youth crime has actually declined, so most kids who play these games are probably doing fine," she said in a prepared statement. "We hope that this study is a first step toward reframing the debate from 'violent video games are terrible and destroying society' to 'what types of game content might be harmful to what types of kids, in what situations'?"
More information
For tips on helping children balance video games with other activities, visit the National Institute on Media and the Family.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Kamaraja
