Go on, bend it like Beckham

When it comes to health benefits, soccer outscores jogging, study finds
By Janet Cromley, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer September 17, 2007
Keen observers of human anatomy have long suggested that, in the vaulted pantheon of sports figures, pound for pound, soccer players have the best bods. Now, researchers in Denmark are suggesting that soccer players get a better brand of exercise as well, at least compared to joggers. When a group of couch potatoes underwent three months of soccer training, they became leaner, fitter and healthier than a similar group that jogged, according to a study presented last week at the 2007 British Assn. of Sport and Exercise Sciences Annual Conference.Thus, soccer is not only good exercise for the David Beckhams of the world, it appears to be good for the Barney Fifes as well. Led by Peter Krustrup, an associate professor in exercise physiology at the University of Copenhagen and colleagues at the Copenhagen University Hospital and Bispebjerg Hospital, the study evaluated the effects of three hours per week of soccer, jogging or no exercise, among 37 randomly assigned sedentary males. Some of the participants, ranging in age from 20 to 40, had played soccer in the past.After 12 weeks, subjects in the soccer group had lost 7.3 pounds of fat as measured using specialized X-ray imaging, compared with 4 pounds among joggers (there was no change in the control group). The soccer group also gained 3.7 pounds in muscle, while the joggers did not gain measurably in muscle.Both groups logged significant improvements in insulin sensitivity, as measured by an oral glucose tolerance test, and in balance, as measured in several ways, including a one-legged balance test. Both groups also had significantly lowered heart rate during a treadmill test. The soccer group posted a significant reduction in so-called "bad" LDL cholesterol, while the jogging group's cholesterol was unchanged (HDL was not significantly changed in any of the groups). And finally, the soccer group's sprint time was significantly better, while the jogging group's scores were unchanged.The control group showed no changes in any of the measurements.Krustrup hypothesizes that the intense physical moves required by soccer -- quick stops and starts, sprinting and kicks, which are similar to interval training -- uses more muscle fibers, while working the heart at near-maximal capacity. Jogging, on the other hand, utilizes fewer muscle fibers while working the heart to a lesser degree. The researchers also found something else of interest. They had assumed that subjects who had played soccer before would reap superior benefits to those who'd never played, reasoning that former players would move more efficiently, while the newbies would be stumbling around adapting to the game. "What was surprising," Krustrup says, "was that the complete beginners achieved the same physical loading and health effects as the former soccer players. Soccer was beneficial to obese and untrained participants." The study may be open to criticism, though. The problem, says Timothy Church, an exercise researcher and director of preventive medicine research at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., "is that the two groups were not matched for intensity. The soccer players are going to have to stop and go, speed up, slow down," while the joggers are running at an even pace. Thus, the investigators were comparing apples and oranges, he believes. Beyond debating the merits of soccer versus jogging, the most important contribution of this type of study is that it gets people moving, says Jeffrey Edwards, acting chairman of physical education and interim chairman of athletic training at Indiana State University. "When you offer people other possibilities for increased activity, you've increased their chances to get some exercise and get the benefits. I would love to have people playing soccer into their 40s and 50s and 60s."But couch potatoes who envision themselves as the next Ronaldinho need to think twice before mixing it up on the field, cautions Church. "Middle-aged, sedentary men who suddenly take up a sport like soccer are every orthopedist's dream," he says.

Fatty Liver

Fatty Liver
Explore this section to learn more about fatty liver disease, including a description of fatty liver and how it's diagnosed.
What is fatty liver?
Fatty liver is just what its name suggests: the build-up of excess fat in the liver cells. It is normal for your liver to contain some fat. But if fat accounts for more than 10% of your liver’s weight, then you have fatty liver and you may develop more serious complications.Fatty liver may cause no damage, but sometimes the excess fat leads to inflammation of the liver. This condition, called steatohepatitis, does cause liver damage. Sometimes, inflammation from a fatty liver is linked to alcohol abuse; this is known as alcoholic steatohepatitis. Otherwise the condition is called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. An inflamed liver may become scarred and hardened over time. This condition, called cirrhosis, is serious and often leads to liver failure.
NASH is one of the top three leading causes of cirrhosis.
What are the symptoms of fatty liver?
A fatty liver produces no symptoms on its own, so people often learn about their fatty liver when they have medical tests for other reasons. NASH can damage your liver for years or even decades without causing any symptoms. If the disease gets worse, you may experience fatigue, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, weakness and confusion.
What causes fatty liver?
Eating excess calories causes fat to build up in the liver. When the liver does not process and break down fats as it normally should, too much fat will accumulate. People tend to develop fatty liver if they have certain other conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, or high triglycerides. Alcohol abuse, rapid weight loss and malnutrition may also lead to fatty liver. However, some people develop fatty liver even if they have none of these conditions – so everyone should know about it.
How is fatty liver diagnosed?
Your doctor may see something unusual in your blood test or notice that your liver is slightly enlarged during a routine checkup. These could be signs of a fatty liver. To make sure you don’t have another liver disease, your doctor may ask for more blood tests, an ultrasound, a CT scan or an MRI. If other diseases are ruled out, you may be diagnosed with NASH. The only way to know for sure is to get a liver biopsy. Your doctor will remove a sample of liver tissue with a needle and check it under a microscope.
What new treatments for fatty liver are being studied?
Fatty liver is currently the focus of intense research to provide us with better tools for treatment in the future. Scientists are studying whether various medications can help reduce the inflammation on your liver, including new diabetes medications that may help you even if you don’t have diabetes.
How is fatty liver treated?
There are no medical or surgical treatments for fatty liver, but there are some steps you can take that may help prevent or reverse some of the damage. In general, if you have fatty liver, and in particular if you have NASH, you should:
Lose weight – safely! That usually means losing no more than one or two pounds a week.
Lower your triglycerides through diet, medication or both
Avoid alcohol
Control your diabetes, if you have it
Eat a balanced, healthy diet
Increase your physical activity
Get regular checkups from a doctor who specializes in liver care
If I’ve been diagnosed with fatty liver, what questions should I ask my doctor?
“What is the likely cause of my fatty liver?”
“Do I have NASH? If not, how likely am I to develop NASH?”
“Do I have cirrhosis? If not, how likely am I to develop cirrhosis?”
“Do I need to lose weight? How can I do so safely?”
“Should I be taking any medication to control my triglyceride levels?”
“What medications or other substances should I avoid to protect my liver?”
Who is at risk for fatty liver?
Most (but not all) fatty liver patients are middle-aged and overweight. The risk factors most commonly linked to fatty liver disease are:
Overweight (body mass index of 25-30)
Obesity (body mass index above 30)
Diabetes
Elevated triglyceride levels
What is the best way to prevent fatty liver?
The best way to reduce your risk of developing fatty liver is to maintain a healthy weight and normal triglyceride levels. You should also avoid excess alcohol and other substances that could harm your liver.

Women failing to heed heart disease warnings

Women failing to heed heart disease warnings
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Habit changes don't tend to occur, a study finds, perhaps because heart problems are perceived as a guy thing.
By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer September 17, 2007
When a man suffers a heart attack at a young age, klaxons sound and red flags flutter for his son. Pointing to a son's inherited risk of going down the same road, physicians will probably urge him to stay away from cigarettes, watch his weight and exercise regularly. And there's growing evidence that that advice prompts many of these men to take heed -- especially the recommendation to exercise.But do alarm bells sound for the female child of a premature heart attack victim -- and does she hear them? A study in the September issue of the American Heart Journal suggests the answers are no and no. The study establishes that although the daughters of families with premature heart disease are indeed at higher risk of developing heart disease themselves, they are either failing to get that message or not bothering to heed it.Between the ages of 30 and 50, these women are more likely to be overweight and to smoke than are their female peers without a family history of heart disease. Further, they are only slightly more likely to exercise and, overall, appear less inclined than are men to shape up when an immediate blood relative is stricken with heart problems."Women seem to feel they have a get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to heart disease," says Dr. Alexis Anvekar, a Pasadena-based internist and American Heart Assn. spokeswoman. "They seem to feel that it's a man's disease."The American Heart Journal study looked at data collected on 2,400 people as part of the Dallas Heart Study, which surveyed and examined some 6,000 Texas residents to track the incidence and development of heart disease. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center internal medicine specialist Dr. Amit Khera and colleagues looked at how men and women, with and without histories of heart disease, compared on measures of cardiovascular risk factors (such as high blood pressure or cholesterol), arterial blockage as detected on scans, and their own reports of exercise activity and tobacco use.The data supported the long-held belief that women generally have lower levels of plaque and fatty buildup in their arteries than do men. But closer inspection showed that among those women with a family history of premature heart disease, the concentration of arterial plaque and fatty deposits was twice that of women with no such family history. And these women's atherosclerosis was on par with that of men with no family history of heart disease. A family history of heart disease, in effect, wiped out the biological protection against heart disease most females enjoy."Having a family history kind of turned a woman into a man biologically," said Khera, senior author of the study.Along with vulnerable genes, parents with heart disease tend to pass down to their children unhealthful habits such as smoking, overeating and failing to exercise. As a result, both men and women with a family history of heart disease were more likely than their same-sex peers without such a history to smoke, weigh too much and (for women but not men) to be sedentary. But for men, the differences were typically narrow, suggesting that many men with family histories of heart disease had rejected unhealthful family habits in an effort to reduce their risk. Men with a family heart disease history, for instance, were almost twice as likely to exercise than men without heart disease in the family.There was little evidence that women in the same situation had made such changes. Of all the groups looked at, the women with a family history of early heart disease had the highest rates of tobacco use (40% compared with 25.2% of females without family heart disease histories) and were most likely to be overweight or obese (51% compared with 44.4% for females without histories). They were just a little less likely than women without a family history of heart disease to be sedentary (40.1% compared with 43.9%).Khera suggests that, with major public campaigns to educate women to heart disease risks, things may be a little different now than three to five years ago, when the Dallas snapshot was taken. But he said women with family heart disease history -- as well as their doctors -- still have far to go."People are finally getting the message, and women are often more compliant" when told they must change their ways, Khera says. But if a woman is to be saved from her father's disease, he adds, she needs to get the message, get the treatment and make the changes that could make the difference.

Merck abandons HIV vaccine trials

Merck abandons HIV vaccine trials

The vaccine was loaded with copies of three HIV genesInternational drug company Merck has halted trials on an HIV vaccine that was regarded as one of the most promising in the fight against Aids.
Merck stopped testing the vaccine after it was judged to be ineffective.
In trials, the vaccine failed to prevent HIV infections among volunteers who were at risk of catching the virus, including gay men and sex workers.
Merck had previously expressed high hopes for the drug, which it spent 10 years developing.
'Headed for failure'
Merck's international trial, called Step, began in 2004 and involved 3,000 HIV-negative volunteers from diverse backgrounds, between the ages of 18 and 45.
Merck said that 24 of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine became infected with HIV, the virus that causes Aids.
Out of a group of 762 volunteers who were given a dummy version of the jab, 21 became infected with HIV.
An independent monitoring panel recommended discontinuing the vaccination of volunteers, saying the trial was headed for failure.
Most of the volunteers were at high risk of HIV infection.
They were repeatedly given advice about how to practise safe sex, according to Merck.
The vaccine contained a common cold virus loaded with copies of three HIV genes.
The hope was that exposure to the genes would prompt an immune response in the body so that cells containing HIV virus would be recognised and destroyed.
"Today is a very sad day for the industry because Merck's vaccine had shown an ability to turn on the immune system, which gave many people optimism it would work," said Sarah Alexander, from the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.
Doctors have said a preventative vaccine would be the best way to control the spread of HIV.

First UK case of bluetongue virus

First UK case of bluetongue virus

Bluetongue is transmitted by the Culicoides imicola midge
Deputy chief vet Bluetongue disease, a virus that has killed livestock across Europe, has been found in the UK for the first time - in a cow at a farm in Suffolk.
There have been nearly 3,000 cases in Northern Europe since July, which had fuelled fears of its UK arrival.
Cattle, sheep, goats and deer can be infected, but the insect-borne virus is not thought to pose a risk to humans.
The discovery near Ipswich came as Surrey's foot-and-mouth protection zone was extended after a new case.
The farming industry is already struggling with movement and export restrictions imposed because of the outbreaks in Surrey.
On Saturday cattle on another farm - the sixth premises to test positive since the disease was first discovered in August and the fourth in the past 11 days - were slaughtered and the protection zone was extended.
Difficulty eating
Bluetongue disease is transmitted by the Culicoides imicola midge. It is passed from animal to midge, and from midge to animal, but is not transmitted from animal to animal.
The virus has long blighted Africa, but in recent years has begun to spread northwards into Europe.
Some scientists believe that climate change could be behind its spread, as warmer temperatures have seen the biting insects gradually move north.
Officials warned last month that the UK was at risk from bluetongue after outbreaks in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.
This is absolutely devastating news. The industry has been fearful that this would happen
James MulleneuxNational Farmers Union
Q&A: Bluetongue disease
Animals with the disease experience discomfort, with flu-like symptoms, and swelling and haemorrhaging in and around the mouth and nose.
They can also go lame and have difficulty eating properly.
"In Europe, where this virus has been circulating in quite an extensive outbreak this season, there has been significant illness in sheep and cattle and loss of production," said the government's deputy chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg.
The infected animal was on a small cattle and sheep farm outside Ipswich, he said.
The cow would be killed and tests conducted overnight to determine whether bluetongue had spread to other animals. It would not be classed as an outbreak unless other cases were confirmed, he said.
No vaccine
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that bluetongue was different from foot-and-mouth, but many precautions already in place could help to control its spread.
"This is absolutely devastating news," said James Mulleneux, of the National Farmers Union.
"The industry has been fearful that this would happen in England."
No vaccine is available currently for the strain of the disease that has hit Northern Europe, where export and animal movement bans have been imposed following outbreaks.

There is no treatment once infected
Once infected, up to 70% of a flock of sheep can die from the virus. While infected animals can recover - and become immune - productivity is reduced with milk yields in dairy herds dropping by about 40%.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown was briefed after arriving in Bournemouth for the Labour Party conference, and the BBC's Carole Walker said he was prepared to chair a meeting of the emergency committee Cobra on Sunday if an outbreak was confirmed.
Professor Hugh Pennington, a microbiologist, said wide-ranging zones restricting animal movements would have a severe economic impact on the farming industry.
"It would be very bad news if this virus got established here," he said.
In Scotland, where in July scientists began researching the midge population in response to the spread of the virus, the government urged farmers to watch for signs of the disease in their livestock.
"Bluetongue can have a significant effect on the livestock sector and our best defence is good biosecurity and vigilance for signs of disease," a spokesman said.

Win for beer drunk

Over the 16 days of the event, an estimated six million litres (10.5m pints) of beer are expected to be drunk.

Sex-change News

Sex-change patients' op success

The rate of complications was highMost male patients undergoing sex-change surgery say they are happy with the results - despite significant complication rates, a survey has found.
University Hospitals of Leicester surveyed 220 people and found 88% were content, and only 7% were unhappy.
An expert said the findings reported in BJU International reflected patients' determination to undergo the op.
However, of 70 people interviewed a few years after surgery, 29% had suffered complications.
Success like this is due not only to the skill of the surgeon, but also the amount of preparation that patients undergo to make sure they are psychologically ready
Dr Christopher Williams, Exeter University
Male to female sex-change surgery is a major operation, which not only means the removal of the male sex organs, but uses their tissues to help build functioning female organs.
Guidelines suggest that patients should receive extensive psychological support to make sure they are genuinely suitable for surgery, and even live for an extended period "as a woman" to aid adjustment.
Further operations
The Leicester team followed 220 patients to gauge their reactions shortly after the operation, then interviewed 70 in more depth about their experiences a few years after their surgery.
Complications reported among the 70 included unwanted hair growth, a prolapse of the newly constructed female sex organ, and even some cases of necrosis, in which some of the repositioned tissue starts to die.
This may mean further surgery for the patients.
However, some three-quarters of the 70 said they remained happy with the way their surgery had gone.
"The outcome of this complex surgery depends on a number of factors" says the report's lead author, urology registrar Jonathan Goddard.
"These include the technical experience of the surgeon, the amount and quality of tissue that each patient has available for reconstruction and, most importantly, the realistic expectations of the patients themselves."
Almost a quarter of the patients said that they had been able to have full sex with their partner following the operation, and almost half said they were able to achieve orgasm.
Dr Christopher Williams, a clinical psychologist specialising in transgender issues, said that many patients having surgery had overcome significant obstacles already to get that far.
He said: "Success like this is due not only to the skill of the surgeon, but also the amount of preparation that patients undergo to make sure they are psychologically ready, with good briefing about the possible complications.
"It's a very complex operation, and these individuals have been on a demanding journey and experienced extreme difficulties already.
"They have often shown great determination - which may be another factor in these levels of satisfaction."