PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  HEART ATTACK WARNINGS IN MEN AND WOMEN Smidt Heart Institute investigators found that 50% of individuals experienced warning signs before cardiac arrest.         Investigators from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai are one step closer to helping individuals catch a sudden cardiac arrest before it happens, thanks to a study published today in the peer-reviewed journal  Lancet Digital Health . The study, led by sudden cardiac arrest expert Sumeet Chugh, MD, found that 50% of individuals who experienced a sudden cardiac arrest also experienced a telling symptom 24 hours before losing heart function. Smidt Heart Institute investigators also learned that this warning symptom differed for women than men. For women, the most prominent sign of an impending sudden cardiac arrest was shortness of breath, whereas men experienced chest pain. Smaller subgroups of both genders experienced palpitations, seizure-like activity, and flu-like symptoms. Out-of-hospit...

  HEART DAMAGE IN YOUNG ADULTS LINKED TO SEDENTARY CHILDHOOD         Hours of inactivity during childhood could set the stage for heart attacks and strokes later in life, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2023. The study found that sedentary time accumulated from childhood to young adulthood was associated with heart damage -- even in those with average weight and blood pressure. "All those hours of screen time in young people add up to a heavier heart, which we know from studies in adults raises the likelihood of heart attack and stroke," said study author Dr. Andrew Agbaje of the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. "Children and teenagers need to move more to protect their long-term health." This was the first study to investigate the cumulative effect of smartwatch-assessed sedentary time in young people and cardiac damage later in life. It was conducted as part of the Children of the 90s study, which began in 1990/1991 and is o...

  HIGH-FAT DIETS MAY INCREASE RISK OF COLORECTAL CANCER Scientists pinpointed specific microbes and bile acids that become more prevalent in the guts of mice fed high-fat diets.         The prevalence of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50 has risen in recent decades. One suspected reason is the increasing rate of obesity and high-fat diets. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute and UC San Diego have discovered how high-fat diets can change gut bacteria and alter digestive molecules called bile acids modified by those bacteria, predisposing mice to colorectal cancer. In the study published in  Cell Reports , the team found increased levels of specific gut bacteria in mice fed high-fat diets. Those gut bacteria, they showed, alter the composition of the bile acid pool in ways that cause inflammation and affect how quickly intestinal stem cells replenish. Bile acids are molecules produced by the liver and used by the gut to help digest food and a...

  A FOCUS ON FITNESS MAY BE A BETTER APPROACH TO BETTER HEALTH THAN WEIGHT LOSS, ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS The prevalence of obesity around the world has tripled over the past 40 years, and, along with that rise, dieting and attempts to lose weight also have soared. But, according to a review article published in the journal  iScience , when it comes to getting healthy and reducing mortality risk, increasing physical activity and improving fitness appears superior to weight loss. The authors say that a weight-neutral approach to treating obesity-related health conditions minimizes the health risks associated with yo-yo dieting. "We would like people to know that fat can be fit, and that fit and healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes," says co-author Glenn Gaesser of the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. "We realize that in a weight-obsessed culture, it may be challenging for programs that are not focused on weight loss to gain traction. We'...

  PEDAL YOUR WORK STRESS AWAY Study shows how a pedal-powered commute can set you up for the whole day.         New research from Concordia's John Molson School of Business (JMSB) found that cycling can help reduce stress and improve work performance. Researchers Stéphane Brutus, Roshan Javadian, and Alexandra Panaccio compared how different modes of commuting -- cycling, driving a car, and taking public transport -- affected stress and mood at work. The study was published in the  International Journal of Workplace Health Management . According to the lead author, Brutus's results indicate that cycling to work is an excellent way to have a good day. "Employees who cycled to work showed significantly lower levels of stress within the first 45 minutes of work than those who travelled by car," he says. The study did not, however, find any difference in the effect on mood. Using a web-based survey, the research team collected data from 123 employees at Autodes...

  POTASSIUM-RICH FOODS RECOMMENDED FOR WOMEN TO SUPPORT HEART HEALTH         According to a study published in the  European Heart Journal,  a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), women who eat bananas, avocados, and salmon could reduce the adverse effects of salt in their diet. 1  The study found that potassium-rich diets were associated with lower blood pressure, particularly in women with high salt intake. "It is well known that high salt consumption is associated with elevated blood pressure and a raised risk of heart attacks and strokes," said study author Professor Liffert Vogt of Amsterdam University Medical Centers, the Netherlands. "Health advice has focused on limiting salt intake but this is difficult to achieve when our diets include processed foods. Potassium helps the body excrete more sodium in the urine. In our study, dietary potassium was linked with the greatest health gains in women." The study included 24,9...

 DATA ON BACK PAIN NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENTS :         It's a pain. About 80 percent of adults in the United States will experience lower back pain at some point. Back pain typically involves medication, including opioids, surgery, therapy, and self-care options. Efforts to reduce opioid use and increase physically based therapies to reduce pain and increase physical function and safety are crucial. Patients are often advised to use non-pharmacological treatments such as exercise and mind-body interventions to manage lower back pain. But do they really help? In a review published in the journal  Holistic Nursing Practice , researchers from Florida Atlantic University's College for Design and Social Inquiry and Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing evaluated the evidence of the effects of three movement-based mind-body interventions on chronic low back pain. They examined yoga, tai chi, which combines gentle physical exercise and stretching with mindfuln...