Foods high in compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs) -- such as hamburgers, french fries and other fatty foods co

(HealthDay News) - Low-carbohydrate diets are rich in proteins (such as meats) and low in carbohydrates (such as breads and pastas).

Because of the limited food choices offered by these plans, some people on a low-carb diet may need to take a multivitamin and a fiber supplement to get needed nutrients, says the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Before starting any diet, the AAFP recommends talking to your doctor. A low-carb diet may not be a good idea for people with diabetes, kidney stones, high cholesterol, or women who are pregnant.

HRT: A Boost for Libido, But Not Memory

(HealthDay News) -- Giving hormone therapy to women in the first few years after menopause doesn't improve memory, although it does seem to increase sexual interest, a new study found.

The study looked specifically at combined hormone therapy, meaning estrogen plus progesterone, suggesting that progesterone could be the active factor.

"It's saying the progesterone is good for sexuality but probably not so good for cognition," said Pauline Maki, lead author of the study and associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "But that's not to say that other progestins wouldn't be good for cognition."

The study was funded by Wyeth, which makes the hormone formulation Prempro. The results are published in the Sept. 25 issue of the journal Neurology.

Experts have long suspected that the natural hormonal changes associated with menopause may contribute to memory problems.

Several trials have reported that estrogen therapy might help alleviate these problems in younger postmenopausal women. And trials in older women -- 65 and over -- found negative or neutral effects, but these trials looked at combined estrogen and progesterone therapy.

Only one study has looked at combined hormone therapy on women under the age of 65. It found a beneficial effect on memory, but in a small sample of women.

The landmark Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Memory Study, released in 2004, found that estrogen on its own did not protect women from normal declines in cognitive function.

"There are a number of studies suggesting that estrogen alone improves memory functioning in women who are surgically menopausal," Maki said. "The question is what does estrogen plus progesterone do for women who are not surgically menopausal?"

"I wanted to know the effect of estrogen plus progestin in younger women," she continued.

For this study, 180 healthy postmenopausal women aged 45 to 55 were randomly assigned to receive either estrogen plus progesterone or a placebo for four months.

Although the number of women involved may seem small, this was the largest study to look at the effects of hormone therapy on early postmenopausal women. The authors had originally intended to look at 275 women, but enrollment coincided with the release of the results of the original Women's Health Initiative, which found various negative health effects from hormone therapy. As a result, fewer women were willing to participate in this study.

The study authors found no significant differences in cognition between the two groups, although there was a non-statistically significant trend toward a decrease in memory among the women taking hormones.

This finding fits with previous research suggesting that hormone therapy has little effect on memory when taken many years after menopause. It is in contrast to smaller studies that showed an improvement in verbal memory among women taking only estrogen, but it could be that progesterone neutralizes this protective effect of estrogen, the study authors said.

The study did, however, find an increase in sexual interest and thoughts in women taking hormone therapy. Women taking hormones had a 44 percent increase in sexual interest and their number of sexual thoughts increased 32 percent, compared to the placebo group.

The combination of estrogen plus progesterone also relieved some of the hallmark symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats.

"Surprisingly little is known about sexuality and hormone therapy in menopausal women despite the fact that vaginal dryness and sexual-desire losses are symptomatic at that time," Maki said. "We found these pretty interesting effects, which says that this could be a benefit for women who are seeking hormone therapy and that maybe we ought to study sexuality and hormones a little bit more and not disregard sexuality."

At the same time, women considering hormone therapy should talk to their doctor about the risks and benefits.

"In the last year, we've had a number of publications showing that when you separate out younger postmenopausal women, they don't have the same health risks that women who are older have," Maki said. "In fact, the overall risk-benefit ratio in younger women is for a benefit.

I'm hoping that there's a growing appreciation for considering the age of the woman and how the health benefits and risks of hormone therapy need to be considered in light of that."

Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said, "It is an added bonus of hormone therapy that not only will it help menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, it can also help libido changes. "But in terms of purely treating libido, that has to be carefully considered. I think patients need to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of hormone therapy when they're considering it solely for the purpose of libido."

More information
Learn more about hormone therapy at the Women's Health Initiative.

Health Tip: Understanding Glaucoma

(HealthDay News) -- Glaucoma occurs when pressure builds up in the eye from excess fluid. Early detection and treatment can preserve eyesight, but there is no cure for the disease once it has progressed.

Here is important information about glaucoma, courtesy of the American Foundation for the Blind:

• Glaucoma can trigger loss of peripheral vision, which impairs the ability to move about safely and independently.
• Among blacks, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness.
• Glaucoma can make reading difficult, by limiting vision so that only one word can be read at a time.
• If undiagnosed or untreated, glaucoma can cause permanent, irreversible damage to the eye.
• Regular eye exams are important for detection and early treatment. Testing should begin as early as age 35.

Glaucoma rarely triggers symptoms in its earliest and most treatable stages.

Aerobic, Weight Training Combo Best Against Diabetes

(HealthDay News) -- Most people know that exercise can help beat type 2 diabetes, but one type of fitness regimen might work best, a new study shows.

Specifically, workouts that combine aerobic and resistance training exercises appear better at controlling blood sugar than either type of activity alone, researchers say.

The finding is new, because "most other studies have looked at just one kind of exercise, either aerobic or resistance," noted lead researcher Dr. Ronald J. Sigal, an associate professor of medicine and cardiac sciences at the University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada.

The study is published in the Sept. 18 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

As part of their research, Sigal's team evaluated 251 adults, ages 39 to 70, all with type 2 diabetes and not regular exercisers at the start of the study.

The participants were assigned to one of four groups: those who did 45 minutes of aerobic training three times a week, those who did 45 minutes of resistance (i.e., weight) training three times a week, those who did 45 minutes each of both forms of exercise three times a week, and those who did no exercise at all.

The aerobic group worked out on a treadmill or a bike at the gym; memberships were provided. The resistance group also worked out at the gym, with memberships provided, doing seven different exercises on weight machines.

Sigal's team evaluated changes in A1c values -- a measurement reflecting blood sugar concentrations -- over the previous two to three months. A1c is expressed as a percentage.

A decline of 1.0 percent in A1c value would be linked to a 15 percent to 20 percent decrease in risk of heart attack or stroke, the researchers explained, and a 25 percent to 40 percent decline in risk of complications linked to diabetes, such as eye disease or kidney disease.

As expected, blood sugar control improved in all the exercise groups. In those who did either aerobic or resistance, the A1c value declined by about 0.5 percent compared to the non-exercisers. Those who did both kinds of exercise had double that level of success, with their A1c value dropping by 0.97 percent compared to the non-exercising group. Non-exercisers experienced no change in their A1c values over the 26-week study.

The bottom line: "There is additional value to doing both resistance and aerobic exercise," according to Sigal.

He said the decrease of nearly one percent of A1c seen in the study "translates to a 15 to 20 percent reduction in risk of heart attack or stroke and a 25 to 40 percent reduced risk of other complications, such as retinopathy," an eye problem related to diabetes.

How does physical activity fight type 2 diabetes, the most common and obesity-linked form of the disease? According to Sigal, "exercise decreases insulin resistance. It makes the transport of glucose [blood sugar] more efficient."

Another expert said the study adds gives new information for people hoping to beat back diabetes.

"Basically, aerobic and resistance training both do very well, and the combination does even better," said Cathy Nonas, director of physical activity and nutrition for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator.

But she said couch potatoes often need to ease into exercise to maintain a fitness regimen over time.

The study participants built up to their 45-minute fitness sessions, Nonas noted, and the combination group ended up doing about 4.5 hours of exercise a week -- an amount some might find daunting.

"I would never talk about 4.5 hours a week to someone who doesn't exercise at all," Nonas said. Rather, she encourages physical activity in any amount to start. "Anything you do is good," she said. Then, she encourages people to slowly build up their time.

"I think this is a very uplifting study," she added. "It says whatever you do will have an effect, and the more you do, the better the effect."

More information
To learn more about the benefits of exercise for diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association.

Health Tip: Do's and Don'ts While Breastfeeding

(HealthDay News) -- Since a new mother's diet can affect her breast milk, what a breast-feeding mother eats can be as important as when she was pregnant.
Here are dietary suggestions for breast-feeding women, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

• Do eat a well balanced diet of plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans or meats, and whole grains.
• Do get plenty of calcium via dairy foods like milk and cheese. Talk to your doctor about calcium supplements and other ways to get more calcium.
• Do eat more calories than normal -- about 500 more per day -- and increase your fluid intake.
• Don't take any medications without talking to your doctor.
• Don't smoke.
• Don't use alcohol or caffeine.
• Don't eat foods that seem to bother your baby.

Jogging in Traffic Cuts Blood Flow to Heart

(HealthDay News) -- Here's a good reason not to take your daily jog during rush hour.

Men with stable heart disease who were exposed, even briefly, to diesel exhaust fumes showed reduced blood flow to their hearts, which can increase the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks and arrhythmias.

The levels of pollution simulated in the Scottish study were similar to those found in regular city traffic.

But don't stop running, just do it away from traffic whenever possible, advised an editorial that accompanied the study. Both articles are published in the Sept. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"There is substantial evidence that exercise reduces a person's lifetime risk of developing coronary heart disease, and we would encourage patients with heart disease to undertake regular exercise," said study co-author Dr. Nicholas Mills, a specialist registrar in cardiology in the Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. "We would suggest, however, that wherever possible, patients avoid exercising in heavy traffic."

"This makes it clear that there's almost a switch that can turn on and off when a person is exposed to diesel fuel," said Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Don't jog behind a bus. Don't jog in heavy traffic. If you're exercising outdoors, try to do it at a time when pollution and traffic are at their lowest level, so that would be very early in the morning or significantly into the evening when rush hour has passed."

According to background information in the study, the World Health Organization attributes some 800,000 premature deaths around the world to air pollution.

Previous research has associated short-term exposure to air pollution to cardiovascular disease and death. One study found that long-term exposure to air pollution increased the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 76 percent. The dangers appear to be greatest with fine particulate air pollutants.

One recent study concluded that an interaction between the fine particles found in diesel exhaust and the fatty acids in LDL ("bad") cholesterol activates the genes that can cause inflammation in blood vessels, speeding up the process of atherosclerosis. Left unchecked, atherosclerosis can lead to blockage of the blood vessels.

The current study looked at 20 men, all of whom had suffered a heart attack in the past but whose heart disease was stable. All participants were exposed to diluted diesel exhaust or filtered air for one hour both while resting and while riding an exercise bike.

Heart rates increased similarly in both the filtered air and diesel exhaust sessions. But those in the diesel exhaust group had lowered blood flow to the heart. The diesel exhaust also reduced the release of endothelial tissue plasminogen activator, a "clot buster."

"We have for the first time identified ischaemic and thrombotic mechanisms to explain why there are more admissions to hospitals with angina and heart attacks on days in which the levels of air pollution are increased. No previous studies have assessed the direct effect of air pollution on blood vessel and heart function in patients with coronary heart disease," Mills said.
In the real world, the effects may even be worse.

"In real life, you have diesel fuel exposure with a background of regular air pollution, the complicating ambient air pollution," Horovitz said.

Exactly how diesel exhaust creates this change in blood flow is unclear. It's also unclear which component of diesel fuel is responsible.

"It will be important to determine the components of diesel exhaust responsible for the adverse effects on the heart and blood vessels in future work," Mills said. "We believe these effects are mediated by fine particle emissions from automobile engines. If we were able to demonstrate this, then the introduction of exhaust after-treatments to reduce particle exposure would have major benefits on public health."

More information
There's more on air pollution at Environmental Defense.

Get Your Fruits & Veggies: CDC

(HealthDay News) -- A new school year, a new chance to eat healthier every day: That's the idea behind the first National Fruits & Veggies More Matters Month, sponsored by a number of leading medical and cooking organizations.

Parents hungry for ideas on using fruits and vegetables in their family's diets can get tips from a newly launched Web tool titled Explore the World With Fruits and Vegetables, a resource guide from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, 90 percent of Americans do not meet the daily recommendation for fruit and vegetable consumption, even though the data shows people are aware of the health benefits of eating their greens. Most people need to double the amount they eat now to meet the latest dietary guidelines.

The Produce for Better Health Foundation and the CDC are teaming up during the back-to-school season to increase awareness of the importance of eating produce. The effort is part of the Fruit & Veggies More Matters campaign. That effort was launched in March in partnership with The Culinary Institute of America, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and others.

The goal of the campaign is to encourage Americans to consume more fruits and vegetables in all forms -- cooked, fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and juiced. More than 23,000 supermarkets support the campaign, which is also mentioned on the produce packaging of more than 170 companies.

"Reaching children and their parents is critical if we are going to change the way people think about what they eat," Dr. William Dietz, director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, said in a prepared statement. "With obesity becoming a growing problem for children and adults alike, we need to instill healthy eating habits early on."

The CDC has developed a kit titled Explore the World With Fruits & Vegetables, aimed at helping teachers and others working with families move fruits and vegetables out of the produce aisle and onto the dinner table.

"Many people know the facts, but actually changing behavior is not easy," Dietz said. "Success will involve combining education with a number of initiatives including improved access to healthy food in neighborhoods; food industry efforts to provide healthy options; increased availability of fruits and vegetables in work sites, hospitals, and other community organizations; and media messages and marketing to counter-balance the focus on less nutritious options. All this together should lead to sweeping changes in healthy eating habits."

More information
For tips on fruit and vegetable presentation, visit Fruits and Vegetables Matter.

Parents' PTSD May Boost Stress in Offspring

(HealthDay News) -- Adults whose mother or father suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience the biological signs of PTSD themselves, such as below-average levels of the stress hormone cortisol, researchers report.

The research involved the adult offspring of Holocaust survivors with PTSD.

A team of researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New York City, studied 33 people whose parents had survived the Holocaust.

The study participants were subdivided into groups based on whether at least one parent met the criteria for PTSD. Twenty-three of the participants had at least one parent with PTSD, and 10 had parents without PTSD.

The researchers measured blood cortisol levels every 30 minutes for a 24-hour period and then compared those levels with those of people whose parents were not Holocaust survivors. None of the participants had PTSD at the time of the study.

People who had at least one parent with PTSD had lower than average levels of cortisol over the test period compared to those whose parents did not have PTSD or had not been in the Holocaust. According to the researchers, the effect was strongest among people whose mother had PTSD.

Writing in the September issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, the authors said the research might lead to better prevention and treatment of PTSD, including addressing PTSD and stressful events experienced by parents during pregnancy and childhood.

More information
To learn more about PTSD, visit the PTSD Information Center.

Nasal Anthrax Vaccine Proves Effective in Animal Study

(HealthDay News) -- An experimental nasal anthrax vaccine proved highly effective in tests in mice and guinea pigs, a University of Michigan Medical School study shows.

After it was placed inside the animals' noses, the vaccine triggered a strong immune response. All immunized guinea pigs survived after they received injections of 1,000 times the lethal dose of anthrax spores. All unprotected guinea pigs died.

From 40 percent to 70 percent of immunized animals survived after large doses of anthrax spores were placed directly in their nasal tissue.

In these animal experiments, there have been no significant side effects, and the vaccine has produced effective immunity for at least six months, the study said.

The nasal vaccine features tiny soybean oil droplets that are small enough to carry an anthrax protein inside the nasal membrane. Immune system cells then react to the anthrax protein and prime the entire immune system to attack anthrax.

This nasal vaccine is easier and more effective than the current injectable vaccine, according to the researchers. The nasal vaccine is also easier to store and use in locations where there is no available refrigeration.

The next step is to test whether the vaccine produces immunity in primates. The researchers are also preparing plans for safety studies in humans.

The study was published in the August issue of Infection and Immunity.

More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about anthrax.