Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!

Great news on the benefits of exercise for heart failure patients once again found in the some recent heart studies through the American Heart Association!

In addition to benefiting by the exercise I gain through a regular walking and hiking routine, adding an exercise workout at our local City Gym seems a good idea. City Gym offers what I consider to be the best deal locally - no membership fees or contract requirements, lots of excellent classes included with their month-by-month membership, a modern facility fully equipped with high-end equipment and a special, low-monthly rate for those age 55 and over.

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Medical news:

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In medical news today; some surprising findings are coming out of the American Heart Association's annual meeting. One study showed although exercise can do good for a lot of people, it isn't much help to those with moderate heart failure.

Researchers studied more than 2000 people with moderate failure and shortness of breath.

The results - less one fourth of the patients were able to continue exercising because of their conditions.

"His study simply showed those with heart failure may not benefit. Let's make this clear; exercise is good for most people. It can prevent heart disease if you're healthy or your doctor says you have a condition that it will benefit," Dr. Bruce Hensel reported.

More information: http://www.news-medical.net/?id=42783 - http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iCqJSGxCMwOzo8KJb1bv3HaCgnkQD94D1QC80. In other heart related news, a study shows many kids are not exercising, and their arteries are paying a life threatening price for it.

They may be kids on the outside, but take a closer look inside, and it's a much different picture.

The arteries of obese children often look more like those of a 45 year old. Doctor Kevin Niswender of Vanderbilt University has looked at the study.

"To see this degree of what is called atherosclerosis or blood vessel disease in what's essentially 13 year old kids is very surprising," Niswender said.

In the new study cardiologists used ultrasound to look at the neck arteries of 70 obese children with an average age of 13.

They found most already had the fatty buildup of plaque associated with heart attack or stroke.

The kids also had abnormal levels of one or more types of cholesterol; And an overall "vascular age" some 30 years older than they were, putting them at high risk for future heart disease.

So what can children and their parents do? Doctors can prescribe medications to help...but most think an old fashioned solution - a healthier diet and increased exercise- may be the best medicine of all "These two things can have a huge impact on the progression of these blood lipid problems and on the progression of this disease in the cholesterol wall," Niswender said.

The study's authors hope those steps can still reverse the threat...but they urge parents and kids...to take action before it's too late.

"That means get your kids cholesterol checked; if its high and there's a family history of heart problems, you may want to get this ultrasound test too. Its painless. If blockage is found there are many ways to reverse it; that may save your child's life," Dr. Hensel said.

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