YOUR POOL AS FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
The fountain of youth may be found in a pool near you, says an exercise physiologist. Joel Stager, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University, Bloomington, says his study shows regular, intensive swimming can delay the decline of such age markers as blood pressure, muscle mass, blood chemistry and pulmonary function. "We're starting to find out that a lot of the decline is probably related to a decline in activity rather than aging per se," Stager says. "The hypothesis is that activity preserves physiological function." The researchers found swimmers who swam 3,500 yards to 5,000 yards (some 2 miles to 3 miles) three to five times a week postponed the aging process for decades, many until the age of 70. For recreational swimmers, any amount of swimming is beneficial, Stager says.
SLEEP DEFICIT CAN CAUSE LEARNING, BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
A study finds most fifth graders fail to get enough sleep, a deficit that can lead to learning and behavior problems. The survey of 199 students, conducted by researchers at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and published in the Journal of School Health, shows most experience sleep loss and feel sleepy during the day at least two to four times a week. Nearly half have trouble waking up on school days. "Sleep affects the health and well-being of children and plays a key role in preventing disease and injury, stability of mood and the ability to learn," says Denise Amschler, professor of physiology and health science. She says elementary school children require an average of 10 hours to 11 hours of sleep a night, and few get it. "Parents need to monitor their children's sleep behaviors, including talking with their youngsters about their sleep attitude and experiences," Amschler advises.
APPLE A DAY TO KEEP CANCER AWAY?
An apple a day may help keep breast cancer away, say Cornell University food scientists. "We found that tumor incidence was reduced by 17 percent, 39 percent and 44 percent in rats fed the human equivalent of one, three or six apples a day, respectively, over 24 weeks," says lead study author Rui Hai Liu. These rats also had the number of tumors reduced by 25 percent, 25 percent and 61 percent, respectively, the researchers report the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
SLEEP LOSS MAY HARM ALCOHOLICS' HEART HEALTH
A study suggests lack of adequate sleep may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in alcoholics. The authors say alcohol dependence is linked with high blood pressure and heart arrhythmia. Sleep loss can increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, they say. In the study, they found sleep loss increased the heart rate and sympathetic catecholamine levels in alcoholics, compared with non-alcoholics, disrupting cardiovascular health. The findings suggest habitual sleep loss may play a role in tremor, anxiety, high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat in alcoholics. Behavioral, relaxation or biofeedback treatments used for chronic insomnia may help in these cases as well, says Dr. Michael Irwin, director of the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute.
(Editors: For more information about. POOL, contact Susan Williams at (812) 855-8773 or [email protected]. For SLEEP, Denise Amschler at (765) 285-8351 or [email protected]. For APPLE, Simeon Moss at (607) 255-2281 or [email protected]. HEART, Dan Page at (310) 794-2265 or [email protected].)
