Better Health 34 ENG

+++++ Health Briefs
Obesity and
type 2 diabetes harm bones
Until recently, the medical community
believed that body mass protects bones,
but new data reveals that overweight
people, including patients with type-2
diabetes, are actually at a higher risk
of bone fractures than people of
normal weight.
Researchers at the University of
Missouri had come to this conclusion
based on a study of three groups of rats.
The first consisted of obese, insulinresistant
rats that exercised on running
wheels; the second consisted of obese
rats that took no exercise; the third
consisted of a group of normal-weight
rats that remained sedentary. As the
study progressed, the bone mass of all
rats did continue to grow, however,
the sedentary rats did not accumulate
as much bone mass relative to their
accumulated body weight, such that
their bone formation declined and they
lost bone mass. Most importantly, the
obese exercising rats had stronger
bone health than those with normal
weight, but which did not exercise.
This research indicates that obesity
and type-2 diabetes have an effect on
bone quality, and that exercise can
strengthen bones, even in overweight
and diabetic people.
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Air pollution increases
the risk of heart disease
Air pollution damages lungs, but it
also affects the heart and circulatory
system.
Harvard University researchers
had conducted a 20-year study on air
quality effects and found that terrible
air quality conditions can increase
the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and
irregular heart rhythms, particularly
in people who have or are at risk for
heart disease.
The most hazardous pollutants
appear to be the tiny particles from
vehicle exhausts, industrial factories,
and wildfires. The diameter of the
particles measure less than 2.5 micrometers.
These particles irritate lung
tissue, resulting in infections that
spread to the bloodstream and damage
the heart and blood vessels.
The study’s conclusion recommends
that heart disease patients avoid
outdoor exercise near heavy traffic
settings or industrial areas to limit
exposure to these small but highly
detrimental particles.
Osteoporosis
is preventable
Many postmenopausal women suffer
from the silent threat of osteoporosis,
which shows no signs in the early
stages and is often discovered when it’s
already too late for effective treatment.
According to research conducted
at University of Castilla-La Mancha,
Spain, published in the Journal of
Sports Sciences, effective prevention of
osteoporosis must start at an early age.
The study gathered bone density
data from 200 girls aged 9 to 13 years,
separated into groups on the basis of
age range and sports type. The objective
was to find out which sport disciplines
promote the greatest bone acquisition
in developing girls. The results showed
that adolescents who chose sports
with a high osteogenic effect, such as
basketball, handball or football, had
stronger bones in comparison to those
who chose sports with a low osteogenic
effect, such as swimming.
This finding should help parents to
plan for their children’s bone health.