Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/148600
8A Daily News – Tuesday, August 6, 2013 Vitality health & fitness Exercise no help against hot flashes By Andrew M. Seaman Reuters Getting regular exercise doesn't seem to reduce the amount or severity of hot flashes among women going through menopause, according to a new study. Researchers found that women who exercised had a small drop in the number of hot flashes they experienced per day, but the drop was no greater than what was seen in a group of women who didn't exercise. The study's senior author said the findings should not keep women from exercising, because those who worked out reported better sleep and less depression. "If the sole reason that you start exercising is to reduce hot flashes, you may be disappointed, but there are other reasons people should be exercising," Bette Caan, of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, said. Previous studies that looked at whether exercise helps reduce hot flashes when blood vessels near the skin enlarge and blood flow increases - have found mixed results. "Many (of the studies) show no effect, some show a small protective effect but the ones that have been well done have showed really no effect," Caan said. "We did this study because we wanted to do a really good controlled trial," she added. For the new study, published in the journal Menopause, the researchers randomly assigned 248 women from three U.S. medical centers to one of two groups. Women in one group exercised three times per week for 12 weeks on a treadmill, elliptical or stationary bicycle. Those in the second group stuck to their usual activity. All of the women were going through or had already gone through menopause and had frequent hot flashes at the start Energy drinks sales, controversy surge By Jennifer Napier-Pearce The Salt Lake Tribune of the study. Participants used daily diaries to track the number and intensity of their hot flashes. They also answered questionnaires about sleep quality and depression. Initially, women in both groups experienced an average of between seven and eight hot flashes per day. At the end of the 12 weeks, they saw that drop to between five and six, with no significant difference between the groups. There was also no difference in changes in hot flash intensity between the two groups from the beginning to the end of the study period. However, women who exercised were more likely to report that they slept better than women in the usual activity group. They also had a greater reduction in depression symptoms, but any differences were small. Dr. Alison Huang, who specializes in the management of menopause but wasn't involved in the new study, said that exercise alone may not be enough to reduce hot flashes. "There is no question that higher body mass index (a measurement of weight in relation to height) overall is associated with more frequent and more bothersome hot flashes," Huang, from the University of California, San Francisco, said. "This study may say it's not exercise alone that is responsible for improvements in hot flashes," she added, suggesting that changes in diet may help in addition to exercise. When they broke the results down by race, the researchers found white women who exercised reported a significant reduction in hot flash frequency, but African American women did not. "That's a little puzzling," Dr. Margery Gass, executive director of The North American Menopause Society and a consultant with the Cleveland Clinic Center for Specialized Women's Health, said. "I would say a trial to look at racial differences would be the next step," Caan said, but she added that it would be difficult to do another trial when most have shown no effect. Gass, who also wasn't involved in the new study, said the most effective treatment for the symptoms of menopause is hormone therapy. But that comes with side effects, including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. "But many women can obtain benefit from lifestyle and behavior changes," she added. For example, she said women can keep their environments cool, dress to accommodate the heat, keep air moving throughout rooms and avoid overhead lighting. "We certainly want to promote research, because the more options there are, the better," Gass said. "Clearly more research is needed in this area." Cyber-therapy scores better than traditional methods By Jason Bittel Slate A soothing voice, the offer of a tissue, a gentle hand on the back — can you imagine the experience of going to a therapist without these comforts? But we may be nearing the days when face-to-face human sessions are replaced by cyber-therapy. A new study out of the University of Zurich treated groups of patients suffering from moderate depression with two types of therapy — traditional, face-to-face counseling and a modified form of cognitive behavioral therapy administered through written tasks on the Internet. Patients underwent a series of eight sessions and were then evaluated for improvement. And guess what — the Internet sessions won. I mean, technically, patients from both groups "won" — the degree of depression fell significantly in both groups. However, according to the university's website, "At the end of the treatment, no more depression could be diagnosed in 53 percent of the patients who underwent online RANDAL S. ELLOWAY DDS therapy — compared to 50 percent for face-to-face therapy." Perhaps what's more interesting though is what happened after the sessions. Three months later, depression continued to decline in individuals of both groups, but 15 percent more of the cyber-therapy group saw improvement. It's easy to dismiss such findings outright because they show yet another example of humans distancing themselves from traditionally face-toface activities. But there might actually be some benefits to consider here. BACK TO SCHOOL PROJECT PRESENTS IMPLANT DENTISTRY 2426 SO. MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 530-527-6777 While many Americans still reach for a cup of coffee for a boost, more consumers — particularly the younger set — have developed a taste for energy drinks. Justin Alvey , a pediatrician and associate professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine, estimates 20 to 30 percent of the adolescents in his practice admit to consuming energy drinks regularly. Some say they drink the beverages to augment their athletic performance, but most say they chug just to get through the day. Either way, it's a concern. "A safe amount has not been established, but we would recommend not ever using energy drinks," Alvey said. "For everything kids are doing, water is the way to go." He said the biggest worry with energy drinks is they have been linked to heart problems in those with a predisposition, although such cases are rare. More common, he said, are weight gain, dental issues caused by the caffeine and sugar in the drinks, stomach aches, anxiety , shakiness and sleep problems. "There's a lot of this stuff that's marketed to kids, but really there is no substitute for good old-fashioned healthy food and lots of water," Alvey said. "Energy drinks really have no place for kids." What's in an energy drink? Read the labels on popular energy drinks and the ingredients vary : There's likely taurine (an amino acid) or ginseng, B-vitamins or sucrose and glucose (sugars). But the common denominator is a sizable dose of caffeine. A stimulant, the effects of caffeine on the body vary from person to person, but consuming too much can cause harm. According to the Mayo Clinic, adults who consume 500 to 600 milligrams a day could experience rapid heartbeat, muscle tremors and insomnia. And caffeine can have side effects with other medications such as antibiotics, said Barbara Crouch, clinical professor and director of the Utah Poison Control Center. She said the center's hot line has received some calls from parents worried about the caffeine-overdose of a child and adults experiencing increased heart rate after drinking an energy drink. Her primary concern is that the total amount of caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks remains unknown. She adds that while adults can handle 400 milligrams a day , most adolescents and children can't. "The real issue is knowing how much caffeine is in there," she said. "Parents need to understand that and make decisions about what's appropriate for their kid." Some have called for oversight of energy drinks by the Food and Drug Administration, but Crouch said she would "stop short" of regulation because that could lead to increased standards for a host of other beverages such as coffee and colas. Still, more information about caffeine content in energy drinks is needed. "You see kids drinking [energy drinks], you see parents buying them for young children," Crouch said. "That may not be the intended market, but the reality is, they are being used by adolescents." Targeting children? Health concerns surrounding energy drinks spurred a call from the American Medical Association last month to ban marketing energy drinks to consumers younger than 18. That rattled the industry. This week, members of three leading energy drink companies defended their products before a congressional committee, saying the products have the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. And they vigorously denied marketing to youth. "To be clear, [Red Bull] has never targeted our marketing to children and we will not do so in the future," Amy Tay lor, vice president and general manager of Red Bull North America (RBNA), told the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday. "RBNA believes that the underlying science and historical product use support the conclusion that Red Bull products may be safely consumed by teenagers in the same way as coffee, tea, or caffeinated soft drinks. However, because teenagers younger than 18 do not represent our target demographic, we do not focus our marketing activities on them." Those assertions are "laughable," said Cara Wilking, senior staff attorney at The Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University 's School of Law, which released the report "Energy Drink Self-Regulation" this week. "If you look at the self-regulatory guidelines set forth by the American Beverage Association [about energy drinks] and then you look at the way these products are marketed, there are major gaps." FACT SHEET ON DENTAL IMPLANTS SCHOOL PHYSICALS DENTAL IMPLANTS: * are the most advanced tooth replacement system ever devised *help preserve jawbone to prevent the appearance of premature aging *look and function like natural teeth *are placed/restored in the doctor's office with minimal discomfort *improves comfort, appearance, speech * have a 95% success rate * allow you to eat the foods you love and talk, laugh and smile with confidence * represent a conservative treatment option-adjacent teeth are left untouched * never develop decay * can provide great stability for lower denture * can completely eliminate the need for a denture * can help people of any age * give patients a third set of teeth that are natural looking and very long-lasting ARE YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNIZATIONS UP-TO-DATE? Lassen Medical Is Offering Saturday Walk In Clinics For School and/or Sport Physicals Saturday August 10th 9AM-1PM DON'T FORGET PHYSICAL FORMS AND IMMUNIZATION RECORD Ask yourself the following questions: Are you missing one or more of your natural teeth? Do you have a complete or partial denture that is no longer completely comfortable? Have you ever been embarrassed by a denture or a bridge? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, call us today at (530) 527-6777 to schedule an evaluation appointment. We would be pleased to evaluate your oral health and discuss treatment options with you. Accepting Most Insurances Including M-Cal & CHDP www.lassenmedical.com 2450 Sister Mary Columba Drive DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF This ad co-sponsored by TEHAMA COUNTY (530) 527-0414