Standard cholesterol evaluations may help predict which women are at risk for heart problems while taking hormone replacement therapy, and which women are not.
Simply put, those with good cholesterol levels experience no increased risk for heart attacks while taking hormone therapy, while women with high levels do have a heightened risk, a new study suggests.
But this doesn't mean that all women whose cholesterol levels are within normal range should feel comfortable taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopausal symptoms.
"You have to look at the total health of the woman and not just the heart," said study author Dr. Paul Bray, director of hematology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. "Our study is confined to heart and coronary disease outcomes, which is important, because there was a substantial amount of bad press related to hormones and coronary outcomes, so that put women in the position of either feeling guilty for using hormones when they really had no other good therapy or denying themselves when they perhaps didn't need to."
Hormone replacement therapy can also affect the risk of cancer, blood clots, strokes and more, pointed out Bray, whose report is published in the June 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
"It's an individualized program," emphasized Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "It depends on the woman, and you have to weigh the risks and benefits. Clearly, you're not going to use hormones in a woman who has risk factors for heart disease."
Some studies, notably earlier results from the U.S. government-sponsored Women's Health Initiative (WHI) have shown an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes among women who use hormone therapy. HRT also carries with it an increased risk of breast cancer.
Many women abandoned HRT after the first WHI results were released in 2002.
This study aimed to see if standard biomarkers could predict which women would have heart problems while using HRT.
Researchers obtained cholesterol and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels related to 271 coronary heart disease "events" occurring in women during the first four years of the WHI, and compared them to a group of more than 700 controls.
As it turned out, the ratio of LDL ("bad") cholesterol to HDL ("good") cholesterol at the beginning of the trial did seem to predict which women were prone to problems while taking HRT.
"If the ratio was less than 2.5, then there was no increased risk of heart attacks when using hormones," Bray said. "If it was greater than 2.5, there was an increased risk. We did not find that CRP substantively helped us in this prediction." The findings were true both among women taking estrogen alone and among those taking estrogen plus progestin.
Women with high ratios of "bad" to "good" cholesterol have a higher risk of coronary heart disease anyway. Taking hormones just increased that risk, the researchers said.
The tests did not predict the risk of stroke.
"If a woman were to come in, after assessing all of her organs, if you decide her heart is one of the things you're worried about most, you would assess her blood cholesterol level, and if the ratio was greater than 2.5, I would discourage her from using HRT," Bray said. "If the ratio were less than 2.5, you could provide some reassurance that the risk of having a heart attack is not increased.
Listen to Your Child's Breathing
Asthma in children can have many different physical and behavioral symptoms. Paying close attention to your child can help you spot the early warning signs of asthma.
Here's a list of common symptoms, courtesy of the American Lung Association:
Coughing that is not related to an illness, especially at night.
Frequently clearing of the throat.
Irregular breathing.
Wheezing, even slightly.
Labored or very loud breathing.
In some children who are having an asthma attack, the notch just above the Adam's apple sinks in as they breathe.
Unusual paleness or sweating.
Here's a list of common symptoms, courtesy of the American Lung Association:
Coughing that is not related to an illness, especially at night.
Frequently clearing of the throat.
Irregular breathing.
Wheezing, even slightly.
Labored or very loud breathing.
In some children who are having an asthma attack, the notch just above the Adam's apple sinks in as they breathe.
Unusual paleness or sweating.
Keeping Off the Weight
Losing weight is a challenge, but keeping it off can even more difficult without a good plan and healthy habits.
Here are suggestions to help you keep the weight off that you've worked so hard to lose, courtesy of the American Heart Association:
Understand what works best for you -- such as what rewards best motivate you, what tempts you most, and what helps you resist those temptations.
Be realistic about how much weight you should lose.
Maintain a good balance of calories taken in versus calories burned.
Get enough exercise. Even a brisk daily walk can help you keep those pounds off.
Keep notes and records of your food intake and daily activity.
Plan your meals, and make healthy food choices at the grocery.
Don't weigh yourself more than once a week.
Plan ahead for holidays, special occasions, and other times when you may be likely to splurge and take in additional calories
Here are suggestions to help you keep the weight off that you've worked so hard to lose, courtesy of the American Heart Association:
Understand what works best for you -- such as what rewards best motivate you, what tempts you most, and what helps you resist those temptations.
Be realistic about how much weight you should lose.
Maintain a good balance of calories taken in versus calories burned.
Get enough exercise. Even a brisk daily walk can help you keep those pounds off.
Keep notes and records of your food intake and daily activity.
Plan your meals, and make healthy food choices at the grocery.
Don't weigh yourself more than once a week.
Plan ahead for holidays, special occasions, and other times when you may be likely to splurge and take in additional calories
Lowering Cholesterol May Also Lower Prostate Cancer Risk
Men who keep their cholesterol down might also help lower their levels of prostate specific antigen, a protein that can warn of prostate cancer, a new study says.
"Prostate cancer is controlled by the male hormone testosterone. The main molecule that forms testosterone is cholesterol," said Dr. Murugesan Manoharan, an associate professor of urology at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, who was not involved in the study. "So it is known that prostate cancer is related to testosterone, and testosterone is related to cholesterol."
The study's inference is that by lowering cholesterol, you also lower PSA, which in turn may reduce the risk of prostate cancer, Manoharan said. "Obviously this is a very small study and does not confirm anything, but it is a very good start that could lead to something more at a later point," he said.
The results of the study were expected to be presented Wednesday at the American Urological Association annual meeting, in Orlando, Fla.
For the study, researchers collected data on 1,214 men taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. The researchers found that PSA levels were lower after starting the statins, and the drop in PSA was proportional to the drop in cholesterol.
The results of the study confirm those of a previous study that also found that lowering cholesterol lowered PSA, the researchers noted. If confirmed, the results of the new study would provide more evidence that cholesterol plays a role in the biology of the prostate, the researchers said.
It's still not clear, however, whether lowering PSA with cholesterol-lowering drugs may actually hide developing prostate cancer, Manoharan said.
"Bringing down the PSA levels artificially does not mean necessarily decreasing the chance of developing prostate cancer," he said. "It might just bring the blood test reading down without reducing the risk of prostate cancer. In fact, we could miss the prostate cancer, because the PSA readings are on the lower side."
Manoharan said the new findings need to be studied further. "If statins do, in fact, reduce the incidence of prostate cancer that would be a very good thing," he said.
Two other studies presented Wednesday confirmed that so-called "watchful waiting" of men with a low risk of prostate cancer is a viable option. Watchful waiting is a strategy in which no treatment is given, but the patient is monitored to check the progress of the cancer.
But, the researchers of one of the studies noted that PSA exams and digital rectal exams aren't good predictors of the progress of prostate cancer. They suggest that better monitors of the disease need to be developed.
In another study presented Wednesday, researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that men 75 to 80 years of age with low PSA levels -- less than 3 nanograms per milliliter of blood -- may be able to stop regular prostate cancer screenings.
The researchers found that these older men who have PSA levels below 3 nanograms per milliliter have a low probability of dying from prostate cancer, while men with PSA levels of 3 nanograms or more have an increased risk of dying from the disease.
"Prostate cancer is controlled by the male hormone testosterone. The main molecule that forms testosterone is cholesterol," said Dr. Murugesan Manoharan, an associate professor of urology at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, who was not involved in the study. "So it is known that prostate cancer is related to testosterone, and testosterone is related to cholesterol."
The study's inference is that by lowering cholesterol, you also lower PSA, which in turn may reduce the risk of prostate cancer, Manoharan said. "Obviously this is a very small study and does not confirm anything, but it is a very good start that could lead to something more at a later point," he said.
The results of the study were expected to be presented Wednesday at the American Urological Association annual meeting, in Orlando, Fla.
For the study, researchers collected data on 1,214 men taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. The researchers found that PSA levels were lower after starting the statins, and the drop in PSA was proportional to the drop in cholesterol.
The results of the study confirm those of a previous study that also found that lowering cholesterol lowered PSA, the researchers noted. If confirmed, the results of the new study would provide more evidence that cholesterol plays a role in the biology of the prostate, the researchers said.
It's still not clear, however, whether lowering PSA with cholesterol-lowering drugs may actually hide developing prostate cancer, Manoharan said.
"Bringing down the PSA levels artificially does not mean necessarily decreasing the chance of developing prostate cancer," he said. "It might just bring the blood test reading down without reducing the risk of prostate cancer. In fact, we could miss the prostate cancer, because the PSA readings are on the lower side."
Manoharan said the new findings need to be studied further. "If statins do, in fact, reduce the incidence of prostate cancer that would be a very good thing," he said.
Two other studies presented Wednesday confirmed that so-called "watchful waiting" of men with a low risk of prostate cancer is a viable option. Watchful waiting is a strategy in which no treatment is given, but the patient is monitored to check the progress of the cancer.
But, the researchers of one of the studies noted that PSA exams and digital rectal exams aren't good predictors of the progress of prostate cancer. They suggest that better monitors of the disease need to be developed.
In another study presented Wednesday, researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that men 75 to 80 years of age with low PSA levels -- less than 3 nanograms per milliliter of blood -- may be able to stop regular prostate cancer screenings.
The researchers found that these older men who have PSA levels below 3 nanograms per milliliter have a low probability of dying from prostate cancer, while men with PSA levels of 3 nanograms or more have an increased risk of dying from the disease.
New way to beat jet lag - Scientists think they know how to keep away jet lag.
Skip the pretzels: starving may fend off jet lag
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Starving yourself before a long flight may help prevent jet lag, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.
Normally, the body's natural circadian clock in the brain dictates when to wake, eat and sleep, all in response to light. But it seems a second clock takes over when food is scarce, and manipulating this clock might help travelers adjust to new time zones, they said.
"A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock," said Dr. Clifford Saper of Harvard Medical School, whose study appears in the journal Science.
He said a person from the United States traveling to Japan must adjust to a 11-hour time change.
"Because the body's clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone. And, by then, it's often time to come home," Saper said in a statement.
Saper and colleagues knew that when food is scarce, animals are able to override their normal biological clock to improve their chances of finding food.
Studies have shown that mice fed only during the time when they normally sleep shift their body clocks to this new schedule. "They would be awake and alert and ready to go an hour or two before a meal was due to appear to have maximal chance of getting the food," Saper said in a telephone interview.
"This is built into the brain. The problem is, nobody knew how it worked," he said.
He and colleagues set out to find this mechanism. They used a group of mice that had been genetically engineered to lack a master gene called BMAL1 that regulates the body's clock. They put this gene into the shell of a hollowed-out virus that acted as a vector to deliver the gene only to brain cells they were interested in studying.
When they put it into a small region of the hypothalamus known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which serves as the body's primary clock, the mice adjusted to a light-based schedule for waking and sleeping, but not eating.
"If you don't wake them up they will starve to death," Saper said.
However, when they restored the gene only in a section of the hypothalamus called the dorsomedial nucleus, which helps organize waking and feeding schedules, the mice adjusted to the eating schedule, but not daylight.
Saper said when food is scarce, this second clock can override the body's primary clock. He said these same clock genes are known to be in all mammals, including humans.
While skipping meals ahead of a long flight or night shift has not been proven to work in humans, it may be worth a try.
"I'm certainly going to do it the next time I go to Japan," he said.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Starving yourself before a long flight may help prevent jet lag, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.
Normally, the body's natural circadian clock in the brain dictates when to wake, eat and sleep, all in response to light. But it seems a second clock takes over when food is scarce, and manipulating this clock might help travelers adjust to new time zones, they said.
"A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock," said Dr. Clifford Saper of Harvard Medical School, whose study appears in the journal Science.
He said a person from the United States traveling to Japan must adjust to a 11-hour time change.
"Because the body's clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone. And, by then, it's often time to come home," Saper said in a statement.
Saper and colleagues knew that when food is scarce, animals are able to override their normal biological clock to improve their chances of finding food.
Studies have shown that mice fed only during the time when they normally sleep shift their body clocks to this new schedule. "They would be awake and alert and ready to go an hour or two before a meal was due to appear to have maximal chance of getting the food," Saper said in a telephone interview.
"This is built into the brain. The problem is, nobody knew how it worked," he said.
He and colleagues set out to find this mechanism. They used a group of mice that had been genetically engineered to lack a master gene called BMAL1 that regulates the body's clock. They put this gene into the shell of a hollowed-out virus that acted as a vector to deliver the gene only to brain cells they were interested in studying.
When they put it into a small region of the hypothalamus known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which serves as the body's primary clock, the mice adjusted to a light-based schedule for waking and sleeping, but not eating.
"If you don't wake them up they will starve to death," Saper said.
However, when they restored the gene only in a section of the hypothalamus called the dorsomedial nucleus, which helps organize waking and feeding schedules, the mice adjusted to the eating schedule, but not daylight.
Saper said when food is scarce, this second clock can override the body's primary clock. He said these same clock genes are known to be in all mammals, including humans.
While skipping meals ahead of a long flight or night shift has not been proven to work in humans, it may be worth a try.
"I'm certainly going to do it the next time I go to Japan," he said.
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