Connect with us

Health

One type of sitting may pose greater dementia risk than another, study suggests

Published

on

One type of sitting may pose greater dementia risk than another, study suggests

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

For years, researchers have believed prolonged sitting could raise dementia risk — but new findings suggest the type of sitting may matter more than previously thought.

The research, which was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in March, found that replacing mentally passive sedentary behavior with mentally active sedentary behavior was associated with a significant reduction in dementia risk.

Mentally active sedentary behaviors could include reading, office work and other activities that keep the brain engaged while sitting, while mentally passive behaviors may include watching television or other low-engagement screen activities.

‘I’M A NEUROLOGIST — HERE’S WHY DEMENTIA IS RISING AND HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK’

Advertisement

To gather the findings, Swedish researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 adults between ages 35 and 64 who were tracked over a 19-year period, between 1997 and 2016, according to a press release.

Participants answered questions about their sitting habits, physical activity and other lifestyle behaviors, while dementia diagnoses were identified using Swedish health and death records.

Researchers emphasized that how people use their brains while sitting may matter more than previously understood. (iStock)

Mentally active sedentary behavior was associated with “a significant reduction in dementia risk” compared to more passive sitting activities.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Advertisement

Although the study was based in Sweden, the release said the findings “are likely generalizable to a wider global population” and could help “inform public health guidelines and preventive strategies to reduce dementia.”

In a statement, lead researcher Dr. Mats Hallgren of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute said the study highlighted major distinctions between passive and mentally engaging sedentary habits when it comes to brain health.

The research tracked more than 20,000 adults over nearly two decades to examine links between sitting habits and dementia. (iStock)

“While all sitting involves minimal energy expenditure, it may be differentiated by the level of brain activity,” said Hallgren.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Advertisement

“How we use our brains while we are sitting appears to be a crucial determinant of future cognitive functioning and, as we have shown, may predict dementia onset.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Sedentary behavior is a “ubiquitous but modifiable risk factor for many health conditions, including dementia,” according to the researcher.

“Our study adds the observation that not all sedentary behaviors are equivalent; some may increase the risk of dementia, while others may be protective,” he added. “It is important to remain physically active as we age, but also mentally active — especially when we are sitting.”

The findings suggest not all sitting behaviors are equal when it comes to protecting long-term brain health. (iStock)

Advertisement

The CDC projects that by 2060, nearly 14 million American adults will have Alzheimer’s disease.

One recent study published by the Alzheimer’s Association found that a person’s biological age may be tied to dementia risk.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Researchers also recently found that a higher intake of unprocessed meat may protect against dementia in older people who have a variant of a certain gene.

Advertisement

Health

Weekly weightlifting sweet spot may be linked to longer life, study finds

Published

on

Weekly weightlifting sweet spot may be linked to longer life, study finds

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Sticking to a resistance or strength training routine for a certain amount of time may extend your life, according to a new study.

Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed whether workouts involving weightlifting and weight machines are linked to a lower risk of death over time.

The study followed more than 147,000 U.S. adults who participated in three large health studies spanning up to 30 years. More than 35,000 died during the study period.

THIS EXERCISE HABIT MAY SLASH DEMENTIA RISK AND HELP YOU LIVE LONGER, STUDY FINDS

Advertisement

Participants reported their exercise habits, including the number of minutes per week spent on resistance training and on aerobic activity, like walking, biking or swimming.

Resistance training levels were then compared with later death from any cause, as well as from cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and neurological disease, according to a press release.

Doing a moderate amount of resistance training was linked with a lower risk of death in a recent study. (iStock)

Doing a moderate amount of resistance training was linked with a lower risk of death, according to study results. This outcome persisted even after researchers adjusted for other factors like age, smoking, diet quality, alcohol intake, family history and aerobic activity.

The clearest benefit was seen at around 90 to 119 minutes per week of resistance training.

Advertisement

EXERCISE PROGRAM REDUCES COMMON CANCER RECURRENCE AND BOOSTS SURVIVAL

People who stuck to this interval of training per week had a 13% lower risk of all-cause death, 19% lower risk of death from heart disease and 27% lower risk of death from neurological disease.

More than 120 minutes of resistance training per week did not appear to add extra benefit to the overall death risk, according to the findings.

The clearest benefit was seen at around 90 to 119 minutes per week of resistance training. (iStock)

A lower risk of cancer death was seen at even small amounts of resistance training — 30 to 59 minutes per week was associated with a 12% decreased risk.

Advertisement

The lowest overall death risk was found in people who did both higher aerobic activity and moderate to high resistance training.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

The study shows only an association between resistance training and lower death risk, not a direct cause, the researchers noted.

Other limitations were that participants reported their own exercise habits, which may not have been completely accurate, and the study did not measure how intensely they exercised.

30 to 59 minutes per week of strength training was associated with a 12% decreased risk of cancer death.

Advertisement

The authors reflected in the study that engaging in “sufficient aerobic or resistance training alone is linked to lower mortality, with a stronger effect from aerobic activity.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

The lowest risk was seen among people who did high levels of both aerobic exercise and resistance training. However, for people already doing a very high amount of aerobic exercise (roughly five to six hours of jogging or 11 hours of brisk walking per week), adding resistance training did not appear to lower the risk any further, they noted.

The lowest overall death risk was found in people who did both higher aerobic activity and moderate to high resistance training. (iStock)

In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Kenny Santucci, fitness trainer, gym owner and host of the “Strong New York” podcast, shared the importance of pairing general movement with a focus on muscle building.

Advertisement

For a better fitness outcome, Santucci encourages gym-goers to add more strength training to their routines and to lift “a little bit heavier.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Strength training should be the basis of what you do,” he said. “I don’t have anything against cycling … but if you’re telling me that’s the basis of your training, and your goal is aesthetics, then you are not really helping yourself get to that point any easier.”

“Hard doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better workout.”

Santucci recommends working at about 60% to 80% of capacity, pushing to a point of fatigue with moderate intensity.

Advertisement

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“There’s a science behind muscle growth, and if there’s no external force pushing against the muscle tissue, and you’re not fueling yourself with protein, then you’re probably not going to build muscle,” he said.

“Hard doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better workout … If you’re training at levels of intensity, then you’re reproducing good outcomes.”

Continue Reading

Health

AI-designed ‘universal vaccine’ passes first human clinical trial, could prevent future pandemics

Published

on

AI-designed ‘universal vaccine’ passes first human clinical trial, could prevent future pandemics

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A vaccine created using artificial intelligence that could potentially provide broader protection against multiple coronaviruses and help prepare for future outbreaks has passed its first human clinical trial.

Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Southampton developed a “universal vaccine” designed to protect against multiple Sarbeco coronaviruses, which the university explained in a news release is “the large group of viruses that occur in nature, including SARS-CoV-2, which caused the COVID pandemic.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

Traditional vaccines must constantly be updated as viruses mutate, and the process is “like a dog chasing its tail,” said University of Southampton professor Saul Faust, the trial’s chief investigator.

Advertisement

“Viruses like Influenza, coronaviruses and the Ebola group are evolving continuously, and by the time vaccines are rolled out, they may be poorly matched — the current ‘reactive’ vaccine system struggles to keep pace,” Faust said.

Researchers have developed a vaccine using AI that has proven to be promising in “future-proofing” people against mutating infections. (iStock)

An antigen is the active ingredient in a vaccine meant to trigger an immune-system response and fight off infection. According to the release, the university scientists logged all the available genetic sequence data for Sarbeco coronaviruses and used AI used to design a “super-antigen” that contains the antigen features “common to this whole group of viruses – including ones that haven’t emerged yet.”

The trial of the vaccine proved safe and triggered an immune response in 39 healthy volunteers, marking “the first time that a vaccine whose active component was designed entirely by computer simulations has been tested in humans,” the release said.

Advertisement

The trial vaccine was administered through a micro-fluid jet that delivers the immunization through the skin using a tiny, high-pressure stream of liquid and does not require a needle. The researchers said this method could make it “faster and easier to carry out in large numbers of people.”

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“This new class of universal vaccines are future-proofed,” Faust said. “They not only protect against many variants simultaneously, but potentially against related viruses that haven’t yet emerged and spilt over to humans. If we can develop and clinically advance this new class of vaccines before a virus outbreak begins, millions of lives could be saved, lockdowns avoided and the economy preserved.”

A new vaccine has been proven safe and capable of triggering immune responses against coronavirus in a limited human trial. (iStock)

Some experts have raised broad concerns about using AI in medicine, primarily when it comes to making clinical decisions, not developing vaccines. Certain groups of people may be underrepresented in the data AI relies on, resulting in biased outcomes, some said.

Advertisement

AI also sometimes produces erroneous information, called “hallucinations,” and determining who is liable for medical failings in such situations is a complex matter.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Others have expressed concern over patient privacy, as well as the need for human judgment that takes into account the scope of a patient’s health history, rather than a single dataset.

While traditional vaccines are reactive, a new AI-designed vaccine aims to protect against future coronavirus threats. (iStock)

The universal-vaccine researchers said that a larger trial involving “a wider and more diverse population” is needed. They published their findings in Journal of Infection.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Health

Former wrestler, actor reveals breast cancer diagnosis: ‘One in 750 men’

Published

on

Former wrestler, actor reveals breast cancer diagnosis: ‘One in 750 men’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Former professional wrestler and actor Tyler Mane announced he has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Known for his roles in “X-Men” and “Halloween,” Mane shared the news publicly to help raise awareness about a condition that is frequently overlooked in men.

“I have some bad news. I start chemo today,” Mane stated in a video posted to his social media channels. “One in 750 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and I’m one of them.”

CANCER SURVIVORS SAW MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEEP AND WELL-BEING WITH ONE WEEKLY PRACTICE

Advertisement

Because breast cancer is predominantly associated with women, many men are unaware that they are also at risk. However, according to Mayo Clinic, everyone is born with a small amount of breast tissue.

While women go on to develop more of this tissue during puberty, the biological foundation for the disease exists in everyone.

Known for his roles in X-Men and Halloween, Mane shared the news publicly to help raise awareness about a condition that is frequently overlooked in men. (Bobby Bank/Getty Images)

The most common symptom of male breast cancer is a hard, painless lump located directly behind or near the nipple, according to experts. Other signs can include skin dimpling, nipple retraction or discharge.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Advertisement

Male breast cancer is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all cases globally. Because routine screenings like mammograms are not standard practice for men, the disease is often caught much later than it is in women.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Mane highlighted this issue as a primary motivation for speaking out. “Because it’s rarely talked about, it’s usually found at later stages and has worse outcomes,” he said. “I want to change that.”

Experts say the most common symptom of male breast cancer is a hard, painless lump located directly behind or near the nipple. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Medical data supports Mane’s concerns regarding late-stage detection. While male breast cancer can occur at any age, it is most frequently diagnosed in older men, according to Mayo Clinic.

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Men’s treatment plans generally mirror those for women, typically involving surgery to remove the breast tissue, followed by chemotherapy, radiation or hormone therapy depending on how far the cancer has progressed.

Treatment plans generally mirror those for women, typically involving surgery to remove the breast tissue, followed by chemotherapy, radiation or hormone therapy depending on how far the cancer has progressed. (Rune Hellestad/Corbis via Getty Images)

Mane said he is utilizing his platform to normalize conversations about male health and encourage early detection. He concluded his video by asking his followers to spread the word and help educate others.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

“Follow, like and share, and come along for my journey to kick this thing in the ass,” Mane said. “Send this to 10 of your friends and have them follow me, because people need to hear this.”

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending