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Buffalo Lifeline: May 12, 2005

Posted on: Thursday, 12 May 2005, 09:00 CDT

Trim, but in trouble

You may be able to fit into your high school hip-huggers, but if you don't exercise, your risk for a heart-threatening syndrome could be sky-high, suggests a surprising study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

When nutritionists checked the medical charts of 7,602 people, they discovered those at the upper end of normal weight or just above -- a body mass index of 25 to 27 -- were three to seven times more likely than thinner people to develop a newly established condition, metabolic syndrome.

It's defined by having at least three of the following: low "good" HDL cholesterol (less than 50 for women, 40 for men); triglycerides over 150; a waist over 35 inches for women, 38 for men; and high blood sugar or blood pressure (above 130/85).

The condition hampers cells' ability to absorb blood sugar, raising risk of heart attack, diabetes, even cancer. "A likely reason people have it is a lack of exercise," says lead researcher Marie-Pierre St-Onge. "Genetics and diet may also play a role."

Massage benefits for cancer

A treatment that can relieve cancer patients' nausea, pain, fatigue and depression sounds too good to be true. But the longest - - three years -- and largest -- including 1,290 patients -- study of its kind verifies that massage eases these and other cancer symptoms, at least in the short term.

Because 20 percent of all cancer patients in the United States seek massage therapy, researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City decided to put it to the test.

For three years, they asked patients who used the center's own massage therapy program to rate their symptoms before and both immediately and 48 hours after.

Up to two days later, patients reported their levels of anxiety dropped by 52 percent; pain, 40 percent; fatigue, 41 percent; depression, 31 percent; nausea, 21 percent. Compared with standard drug therapies for these symptoms, massage was as effective, cheaper, less invasive and more comforting, not to mention side- effect free.

Not all insurance plans cover massage, which can cost $40 to $80 per hour. But if your doctor writes a referral to a certified therapist, or if you get the therapy as a hospital inpatient, it's more likely to be covered.

To find a therapist, call the American Massage Therapy Association at (888) 843-2682 or visit www.amtamassage.org.

Curb that burger craving

Can't go by a burger joint without stopping? Try reminding yourself that each time you give in, you may increase your odds of developing type 2 diabetes.

In a 37,000-woman study at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, women who ate red meat at least five times a week had a 29 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate it less than once a week. And eating processed meats such as bacon and hot dogs at least five times a week raised diabetes risk by 43 percent compared with eating them less than once a week.

The culprits? The scientists suspect the cholesterol in red meat and the additives in processed meat.

Bad breath? Try yogurt

Yogurt can be good for you in lots of ways, including a category you might not have guessed: your breath. Researchers at Tsurumi University in Japan reported that people who ate sugarless yogurt had less plaque, less gingivitis and fewer bacteria that cause bad breath.

Dr. Kenichi Hojo, who led the study, told a meeting of International Association for Dental Research that more studies are needed, but that initial results were encouraging. He told Reuters, "Yogurt intake may improve oral hygiene, namely tongue-coating bacteria and halitosis."

Sibling signs

If your brother or sister had heart disease before age 55, tell your doctor. A Johns Hopkins study of 8,500 adults finds that your risk mirrors your siblings' more than your parents'.

Compiled from News and wire service reports.

Source: Buffalo News

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