Smoking and immobility leads to cancer

Posted: 02 March 2011

PARIS: Two studies released on Wednesday highlighted the risks and benefits of lifestyle choices in combating cancer, showing the dangers of smoking for post-menopausal women and exercise's protective effect on the bowel.

Post-menopausal women who smoke, or who used to smoke, face an up to 16-percent higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who have never smoked, according to a paper published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Women who have been extensively exposed to passive smoking, either as children or in adulthood, could also be at greater risk of breast cancer, it added.

However, this apparent risk does not apply to women who were only moderately exposed to second-hand smoke.

The study covered almost 80,000 US women aged between 50 and 79 who were followed for 10 years.

In a separate investigation published in the British Journal of Cancer, people with an active lifestyle were found to be up to three times less likely to develop large bowel growths, known as polyps, which are often a precursor for cancer.

The conclusion is based on an overview of 20 published studies.

"We've long known that an active lifestyle can protect against bowel cancer, but this study is the first to look at all the available evidence and show that a reduction in bowel polyps is the most likely explanation for this," said lead author Kathleen Wolin of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

"Exercise has many benefits, including boosting the immune system, decreasing inflammation in the bowel and helping to reduce insulin levels - all factors which we know are likely to have an effect on bowel polyp risk."

Half an hour's "moderate" exercise per day - anything that leads to a slight shortage of breath - and maintaining a reasonable weight are keys to reducing the risk of bowel cancer, said Cancer Research UK, which publishes the journal.

- AFP/de


Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:Smoking, couch-potato lifestyles boost cancer risks

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Deadly pair: Diet soda, salt boost stroke risk

Posted: 10 February 2011

WASHINGTON: A pair of studies released on Wednesday suggest that diet soda drinkers face a higher risk of heart attack and stroke than people who do not drink any soda, and that salty food boosts stroke risks, too.

The soda study examined 2,564 people in Manhattan and found that those who reported consuming diet fizzy drinks daily had a 61 percent higher risk of vascular events than people who said they did not drink any soda at all.

When researchers factored in allowances for metabolic syndrome, peripheral vascular disease and heart disease history, the risk was 48 percent higher, said the research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference.

"If our results are confirmed with future studies, then it would suggest that diet soda may not be the optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages," said lead study author Hannah Gardener at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

A second study looked at 2,657 participants in the same area and found that high salt intake was linked to a dramatically increased risk of ischemic strokes, in which a blockage cuts blood flow to the brain.

People who reported eating more than 4,000 milligrams of sodium daily - the amount contained in four large orders of french fries in the United States - faced twice the risk of stroke as people who consumed less than 1,500 milligrams per day.

The average American consumes about 3,000 milligrams of salt per day, according to the study, though previous research has said it could be as high as 4,000 milligrams per day.

"Stroke risk, independent of hypertension, increased 16 percent for every 500 milligrams of sodium consumed a day," allowing for adjustments for age, sex, ethnicity, education, alcohol use, exercise, daily caloric intake, smoking status, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and previous heart disease, it said.

Current dietary guidelines in the United States urge people to consume less that 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, or about a teaspoon of salt. The American Heart Association recommends less than 1,500 milligrams per day.

- AFP/de


Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:Diet soda, salt boost stroke risk

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Traffic noise and stroke risk

Is our technology and modernization really having a toll on us, our health, our being?
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Traffic noise boosts risk of stroke, says study
Posted: 26 January 2011

PARIS: Exposure to road traffic noise boosts the risk of stroke for those 65 or older, according to research published online on Wednesday in the European Heart Journal.

In a survey of more than 50,000 people, every 10 additional decibels of road noise led to an increase of 14 percent in the probability of a stroke when averaged for all age groups.

For those under 65, the risk was not statistically significant. But the risk was weighted hugely in the over-65 group, where it rose 27 percent for each 10 decibel increment.

Above 60 decibels or so, the danger of stroke increased even more, the researchers found.

A busy street can easily generate noise levels of 70 or 80 decibels. By comparison, a lawnmower or a chainsaw gives off 90 or 100 decibels, while a nearby jet plane taking off typically measures 120 decibels.

"Previous studies have linked traffic noise with raised blood pressure and heart attacks," said lead researcher Mette Sorensena of the Danish Cancer Society.

"Our study shows that exposure to road traffic noise seems to increase the risk of stroke."

The study reviewed the medical and residency histories of 51,485 people who had participated in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health survey, conducted in and around Copenhagen between 1993 and 1997.

A total of 1,881 people suffered a stroke during this period.

Eight percent of all stroke cases, and 19 percent of cases in those aged over 65, could be attributed to road traffic noise, according to the paper.

The researchers suggest noise acts as a stressor and disturbs sleep, which results in increased blood pressure and heart rate, as well as increased level of stress hormones.

The study factored in the effect of air pollution, exposure to railway and aircraft noise, and a range of potentially confounding lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet and alcohol consumption.

The survey cohort lived mainly in urban areas and was thus not representative of the whole population in terms of exposure to road traffic noise.

Proximity to road noise is also related to social class, as wealthier people can afford to live in quieter areas.

- AFP/de


Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:Traffic noise boosts risk of stroke, says study

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Quit smoking - else no use eating fruits

Image via WikipediaThis is a bomber. And it spells out the necessity of the smoker to stop from the root cause rather than employing remedies.

Now isn't that something?
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You're better off quitting smoking than eating tonnes of fruit: Study

by The Daily Telegraph

Eating fresh fruit and vegetables will not protect you from cancer as they have little effect compared to the negative impact of alcohol and obesity, according to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Consuming even large quantities of fruit and vegetables will only reduce the risk of cancer by a maximum of 10 per cent.

However, smoking - the single biggest cause of cancer - increases the risk of getting the disease by as much as 50-fold.

Being overweight can increase the risk of common cancers and hard-to-treat forms of the disease such as pancreatic, oesophageal and kidney cancer.

Those who drink more alcohol than the recommended daily limit face an increased risk of mouth, throat, breast, bowel and liver cancers, the study said.


Taken from TODAYOnline.com; source article is below:
You're better off quitting smoking than eating tonnes of fruit: Study

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