The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Big rise in Americans with diabetes, especially in South Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:07 AM PST  A US study finds there is a dramatic increase in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes especially in the South and Appalachian states. — Reuters pic According to a study released yesterday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of diagnosed cases of diabetes grew by 50 per cent or more in 42 US states, and by 100 per cent or more in 18 states. In 2010, 18.8 million Americans had been diagnosed with diabetes and another 7 million had undetected diabetes, according to the CDC. States with the largest increases over the 16-year period were Oklahoma, up 226 per cent; Kentucky, up 158 per cent; Georgia, up 145 per cent; Alabama, up 140 per cent, Washington, up 135 per cent, and West Virginia, up 131 per cent, according to the study published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. "Regionally, we saw the largest increase in diagnosed diabetes prevalence in the South, followed by the West, Midwest, and Northeast," Linda Geiss, a statistician with CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation and lead author of the report, said in a statement. The findings reinforce data from other studies showing that southern and Appalachian states were experiencing the biggest regional gains in diabetes diagnoses, Geiss said. Although much of the increase in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes is likely due to more people developing the condition, the study also notes that diabetes treatments have improved, which may mean that more people are living longer with their disease. Type 2 diabetes, which can be prevented through lifestyle changes, accounts for 90 per cent to 95 per cent of all diabetes cases in the United States, according to the CDC. "These rates will continue to increase until effective interventions and policies are implemented to prevent both diabetes and obesity," Ann Albright, director of CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation, said in a statement. Globally, there are now 371 million people living with diabetes, up from 366 million a year ago, according to the latest report by the International Diabetes Federation, up from 366 million a year ago. Without significant lifestyle changes, the group projects as many as 552 million will have diabetes by 2030. — Reuters |
| Walking, cycling may ease cancer-related fatigue, says study Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:01 AM PST  A woman undergoes a free mammogram inside Peru's first mobile unit for breast cancer detection, in Lima March 8, 2012. — Reuters The long-lasting tiredness of cancer patients has been blamed both on the cancer itself, including cancer-related pain, and on the effects of treatments such as chemotherapy. Prior studies point to talk therapy, nutrition counselling and acupuncture as possible remedies. But light-to-moderate exercise has the advantage of being something people can do on their own time, for little or no cost, said the researchers, whose findings appeared in The Cochrane Library. "We're not expecting people to go out and be running a mile the next day," said Fiona Cramp, who worked on the analysis at the University of the West of England in Bristol. "Some people will be well enough that they're able to go for a jog or go for a bike ride, and if they can, that's great. But we would encourage people to start with a low level." Cramp and her colleague James Byron-Daniel pooled findings from 38 studies that directly compared more than 2,600 people with cancer-related fatigue who did or didn't go through an exercise program. The majority of that research looked at women with breast cancer and the type of exercise program varied, from walking or biking to weight training or yoga. More than half of the studies included multiple exercises or allowed participants to choose their own type of physical activity. The amount of prescribed exercise ranged from two times per week to daily workouts, lasting anywhere from ten minutes to two hours, depending on the study. When they combined the results, the researchers found physical activity both during and after cancer treatment was tied to improved energy. In particular, aerobic exercise such as walking and cycling tended to reduce fatigue more than resistance training. "What we do know is there will be an appreciable difference; the average patient will get a benefit from physical activity," Cramp said, though the actual benefit will vary. For example, there were exercise-related benefits for people with breast cancer and prostate cancer, although not for those with leukaemia and lymphoma. "Some of the hematologic patients may not have the reserves to always tolerate the aerobic exercise," said Carol Enderlin, who has studied fatigue and cancer at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. "They do not always have the oxygen carrying capacity, for instance," because the disease and treatment affect blood cell counts. For those people, non-aerobic exercise or exercise at a lower does may be a better option, added Enderlin, who was not part of the research team. — Reuters |
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