Frequent exercise needed to control Diabetes

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Frequent Excercise Needed to Control Diabetes

 

People over age 40 need regular and frequent exercise to control

diabetes, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. " As people age, they

typically experience a decline in insulin sensitivity, a key

underlying factor that makes them more prone to becoming diabetic, "

researchers said. The study found middle-aged and older people do not

sustain the increased insulin sensitivity that aerobic exercise

produces, while younger people can maintain higher insulin sensitivity

even four days after their last workout. With a decrease in insulin

sensitivity, blood glucose levels increase. High blood glucose levels,

typical in diabetes, can damage virtually every organ in the body.

Increased insulin sensitivity helps regulate blood glucose, and

prevent or reduce its potentially harmful effects. Therefore, the best

medicine for people over 40 with Type 2 diabetes is exercise on a

near-daily basis.

 

Dealing with Kids' Food Allergies at School

 

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network recommends parents of children

with food allergies take a more active role in helping school

officials in develop written emergency treatment plans. Approximately

3 million American teens and children under the age of 18 suffer from

food allergies, FAAN reports. Each year, food-allergy-induced

reactions account for nearly 200 deaths and 30,000 emergency room

visits. Childhood allergies to common foods such as peanuts, milk and

eggs require parents to involve school communities to keep children

safe. The organization advises meeting with school staff to discuss a

child's food allergy and bring all medications the child needs, along

with completed medical forms and a food allergy action plan. Highlight

food allergy information on all forms and demonstrate the use of an

epinephrine auto-injector if the child's doctor has prescribed one.

Also, work with staff to create emergency response plans should an

allergic reaction occur. " Parents must be guides and coaches for

teachers, cafeteria staff and others, " said Anne Munoz-Furlong,

founder and CEO of FAAN. " Clear communication and a cooperative spirit

are the most important tools for working with school staff. "

 

Focused Radiation Best for Breast Cancer?

 

A five-year study on breast cancer treatments suggests a therapy

called limited-field radiation might be as effective as whole-breast

radiation to prevent the cancer's recurrence in women treated with

breast-conserving surgery. WBRT is part of standard treatment for

women with early-stage breast cancer who have undergone the surgical

procedure. But it had remained undetermined how much tissue

surrounding the tumor bed needed to be irradiated. Researchers from

the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., compared rates of

recurrence in two groups of women who had been treated with

limited-field radiation and whole-breast radiation. After five years

of follow-up, they found no difference in recurrence or survival rates

between the two groups. So researchers now are looking to see whether

limited-field therapy could be a better option for patients at low

risk for recurrence.

 

Sense of Humor Changes with Age

 

A Canadian study of humor in older adults has found although they

still enjoy a good laugh, their ability to comprehend more complex

forms of humor diminishes in later years. The findings represent a

continuation of an earlier study that showed how the brain's right

frontal lobe plays a strong role in the ability to appreciate humor.

Subjects with right frontal damage -- from stroke, tumor or head

trauma -- not only had difficulty " getting " punch lines, but preferred

slapstick humor. In the new study, the researchers explored the

effects of normal aging on humor comprehension and appreciation. They

found the cognitive abilities required for humor comprehension include

abstract reasoning, mental flexibility and working memory. All are

complex, higher mental functions thought to be associated with the

frontal lobes and evidence suggests the brain's frontal functions are

the first to deteriorate with aging. Although scientists continue to

debate this evidence, it may explain why older adults can have

difficulty understanding more complex forms of humor.

 

© Copyright 2003 by United Press International.

All rights reserved.

 

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