PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  BLACK MEN  EARLY-ONSET PROSTATE CANCER RISK FACTORS         A study involving Duke Health researchers found that a family history of cancer and genetic variants that might be inherited are significant risk factors for Black men diagnosed with early-onset prostate cancer. Kathleen Cooney, M.D., chair of the Duke Department of Medicine, is the senior author of the study appearing online in the journal  JCO Precision Oncology . Genetic studies usually recruit non-Hispanic white men despite data showing that Black men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer and more than twice as likely to die from the disease as their white counterparts. Researchers looked to address this health disparity by identifying genetic variants in Black patients diagnosed with early-onset prostate cancer. They sequenced the germline DNA of 743 Black men diagnosed with prostate cancer at 62 or younger. This is DNA found in the men's sperm cells, containing genetic cha...

  Exercise-induced hormone irisin may reduce Alzheimer's disease plaque and tangle pathology in the brain. New findings strongly support developing irisin as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease treatment and prevention.         Researchers who previously developed the first 3D human cell culture models of Alzheimer's disease (A.D.) that display two significant hallmarks of the condition -- the generation of amyloid beta deposits followed by tau tangles -- have now used their model to investigate whether the exercise-induced muscle hormone irisin affects amyloid beta pathology. As reported in the journal  Neuron , the Massachusetts General Hospital (M.G.H.)-led team has uncovered promising results suggesting that irisin-based therapies might help combat A.D. Physical exercise has been shown to reduce amyloid beta deposits in various mouse models of A.D., but the mechanisms involved have remained a mystery. Exercise increases circulating levels of th...

  MORE WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOWER RISK OF OBESITY-RELATED CANCERS IN WOMEN         Residing in a more walkable neighborhood protects against the risk of overall obesity-related cancers in women, specifically postmenopausal breast cancer, but also ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and multiple myeloma, according to a new study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Obesity has been linked to an increased risk for 13 types of cancer in women, and physical activity, independent of body size, lowers the chance of some of these cancers. Neighborhood walkability is a set of urban design features that promotes pedestrian activity, supports overall physical activity, and is associated with lower body mass index. However, until now, long-term studies of neighborhood walkability and risk for obesity-related cancer have been limited. The findings are published in the journal  Environmental Heal...

  QUORN MAY BE A HEALTHY PROTEIN REPLACEMENT FOR RED MEAT         People looking to reduce their cholesterol and trim fat from around their waist could try swapping meat for Quorn protein, according to the findings from a new study by Northumbria University, Newcastle, published in the  European Journal of Nutrition , which saw positive effects in both areas in just two weeks. Researchers from the University found that participants who ate Quorn products -- the popular mycoprotein-based meat substitute -- over just two weeks saw a significant 12% drop in 'bad' LDL cholesterol and a 7% fall in total cholesterol, compared to those who ate similar products made from red and processed meat. In addition, they also reduced their waist circumference by close to 1cm (0.95cm) on average over the 14 days. According to medical research, such a drop in total cholesterol levels could reduce a person's risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, such as a stroke or corona...

  EXPERIMENTAL DRUG  MIMICS EXERCISE AND MAY HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS A new kind of drug, tested in mice, shows promising new results that could lead to the development of a new weight-loss pill that mimics exercise. The new compound, developed and tested by a University of Florida professor of pharmacy and his colleagues, leads obese mice to lose weight by convincing the body's muscles that they are exercising more than they really are, boosting the animals' metabolism. It also increases endurance, helping mice run nearly 50% further than they could before, all without the mice lifting a paw. The drug belongs to a class known as "exercise mimetics," which provides some benefits of exercise without increasing physical activity. The new treatment is in the early stages of development but could one day be tested in people to treat diseases like obesity, diabetes, and age-related muscle loss. The research comes as drugs like Ozempic have provided a breakthrough in reducing ...

  MORE UNDERSTANDING OF BRAIN-BASED PAIN TREATMENTS         A new study in  JAMA Network Open  may provide critical answers to how to help people experiencing chronic back pain. The study, published today, examined the critical connection between the brain and pain for treating chronic pain. Specifically, they looked at the importance of pain attributions, which are people's beliefs about the underlying causes of their pain, to reduce chronic back pain severity. "Millions of people are experiencing chronic pain, and many haven't found ways to help with the pain, making it clear that something is missing in the way we're diagnosing and treating people," said the study's first author, Yoni Ashar, PhD, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Ashar and his team tested whether the reattribution of pain to mind or brain processes was associated with pain relief in pain reprocessing therapy (PRT), which ...

  CUT HEART DISEASE RISK WITH STAIR CLIMBING          According to a new study from Tulane University, taking at least 50 steps climbing stairs each day could significantly slash your risk of heart disease. The study, published in  Atherosclerosis , found that climbing more than five flights of stairs daily could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), coronary artery disease, and stroke are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. "Short bursts of high-intensity stair climbing are a time-efficient way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and lipid profile, especially among those unable to achieve the current physical activity recommendations," said co-corresponding author Dr. Lu Qi, HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. "These findings highlight the potential advantages of stair climbing as a primary...