PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  WORK-RELATED STRESS MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF IRREGULAR HEART RHYTHM         Work-related stress caused by job strain and an imbalance between efforts applied vs. rewards received may increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, according to new research published today in the  Journal of the American Heart Association , an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. Also known as AFib or AF, atrial fibrillation is the most common form of arrhythmia -- an abnormal heart rhythm. It can lead to stroke, heart failure, and other cardiovascular complications. More than 12 million people are projected to have AFib in the United States by 2030, according to the American Heart Association's 2024 heart disease and stroke statistics. Previous research linked high job strain and effort-reward imbalance at work with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. This research is the first to examine the adverse effect of both psychosocial stressors at work on a

  BREAKS FROM RESISTANCE TRAINING DOES NOT DIMINISH LONGTERM RESULTS Maximum strength and muscle size are quickly regained. :         A study at the University of Jyväskylä's Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences investigated how a 10-week break from resistance training affected maximum strength and muscle size. The study found that a 10-week break halfway through 20 total weeks of strength training had little effect on development. During the break, maximal strength was better preserved than muscle size. The study compared the results of 20 weeks of resistance training in two groups, one with continuous training and one with a 10-week break midway. The study found that both groups had similar maximum strength and muscle size development results. According to the researchers, the equal progress in both groups was due to maximum strength, especially muscle size, quickly returning to pre-break levels when training was resumed. "During the first few weeks after the break, progress

  PHYSICAL HEALTH ASSOCIATED WITH BRAIN HEALTH         In middle-aged people, having risk factors like blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol that are not well-controlled, combined with not following certain healthy habits, including exercise, diet, and sleep, are linked to a higher risk of stroke, dementia, or depression later in life, according to a study published in the October 23, 2024, online issue of  Neurology ® , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. These results do not prove that not having healthy habits increases the risk of these conditions; they only show an association. The eight cardiovascular and brain health factors, known as the American Heart Association's Life Essential 8, are being active, eating better, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, maintaining healthy blood pressure, getting enough sleep, and controlling cholesterol and blood sugar levels. "Brain health is paramount for the optimal well-being of every person, enab

  THE USE OF WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS AND MUSCLE LOSS An editorial in The Lancet highlights the critical importance of muscle mass with weight loss medications. .         A recent commentary published in  The Lancet  journal highlights the critical importance of skeletal muscle mass in medically induced weight loss, particularly with the widespread use of GLP-1 receptor agonists. These medications, celebrated for their effectiveness in treating obesity, have raised concerns regarding the potential for substantial muscle loss as part of the weight loss process. Dr. Steven Heymsfield, professor of metabolism and body composition, and Dr. M. Cristina Gonzalez, adjunct and visiting professor of metabolism-body composition, both of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, joined colleagues Dr. Carla Prado of the University of Alberta and Dr. Stuart Phillips of McMaster University in authoring The Lancet commentary, "Muscle Matters: The Effects of Medically Induced Weight Loss on Skeletal Muscle

  INTENSE EXERCISE MAY SUPPRESS APPETITE Women may experience the effects more than men       A vigorous workout does more to suppress hunger levels in healthy adults than does moderate exercise, and females may be especially susceptible to this response, according to a small study published in the  Journal of the Endocrine Society. The study examines the effects of exercise intensity on ghrelin levels and appetite between men and women. Ghrelin is known as the "hunger hormone" and is associated with perceptions of hunger. "We found that high intensity exercise suppressed ghrelin levels more than moderate intensity exercise," said lead author Kara Anderson, Ph.D., of the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Va. "In addition, we found that individuals felt 'less hungry' after high intensity exercise compared to moderate intensity exercise." Ghrelin circulates in acylated (AG) and deacylated (DAG) fo

  SEMAGLUTIDE MAY REDUCE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RISKS         Researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine have found that, when compared to seven other anti-diabetic drugs, semaglutide, a popular diabetes and weight-loss drug, may lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. According to the Alzheimer's Association, nearly 7 million Americans 65 and older are living with the disease, and there are more deaths from Alzheimer's than breast and prostate cancer combined. The study, published today in the journal  Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association,  suggests T2D patients taking semaglutide had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. These results were consistent across different subgroups, including obesity status, gender, and age. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide rec