Exercise for longer life

Fitness could be the key to long life. A study published online in the American Heart Association journal Circulation finds that the fitter a man is, the longer he was likely to live. The study looked at nearly 16,000 male veterans, age 60 on average, at facilities in Washington, D.C. and California. Veterans Affairs researchers used a treadmill test to assess the men's fitness levels, and placed them into four categories ranging from "low fit" to "very highly fit." As the men's fitness levels rose, their risk of death dropped, the researchers found. About 44% of the least fit men died during eight years of follow-up, compared to 30% of moderately fit men, 15% of highly fit men, and 8% of very highly fit men. The findings held true for both white and black men, who made up about 43% of the study subjects. The researchers say their findings show that a little bit of exercise can go a long way -- even 30 minutes a day of brisk walking, five days a week, could cut mortality risk by 50%, The Associated Press reports.

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Obesity Surgery Cures Type 2 Diabetes: Obesity surgery can cure type 2 diabetes, according to a new Australian study. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that obese people who had stomach band surgery to reduce the size of their stomachs were five times more likely to have their diabetes disappear over the next two years than people who got standard diabetes care. The study involved 55 obese patients, age 47 on average, who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the past two years. Half the patients underwent laparoscopic gastric banding surgery, while the others received standard care. Both groups were taught about low-fat, high-fiber diets and encouraged to exercise, and all the study participants could meet with a health professional every six weeks. Over the two-year study period, the surgery patients lost an average of 46 pounds and standard-care patients lost an average of 3 pounds. Blood tests showed diabetes remission in 22 of the 29 surgery patients, compared to only four of the 26 patients in the non-surgery group. Those who lost the most weight were most likely to see remission. The Associated Press quotes other experts who say that while weight-loss surgery should be considered for some obese patients, more research is needed to determine how long results last and which patients will see most benefit. The risks of surgery also have to be weighed against the side effects of diabetes drugs and the long-term risks of the disease, they say.

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Bypass Beats Stents for Multiple Blockages: Bypass surgery is better than drug-coated stents for people with more than one clogged artery. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that patients with multiple clogged arteries had a lower risk of heart attack and death if they had bypasses compared to those who had balloon angioplasties and stents. Researchers looked at data on 17,400 New Yorkers treated for multiple blockages in 2003 and 2004. Although survival rates were good with both treatments, the researchers found a significant advantage for bypass patients when they looked at deaths and complications 18 months later. People with three clogged arteries who had arterial bypass had a 20% lower risk of death compared to those who got drug-coated stent placement. For people with two blockages, the risk of death was 30% lower for bypass patients. Those who had bypass surgery also were less likely to require repeat procedures and suffered fewer heart attacks after treatment than stent patients. The researchers added that stents may still be a better option for patients at high risk from surgery, The Associated Press reports.

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New Warning for Ortho Evra: The birth control patch Ortho Evra will wear a new label warning of the increased risk of blood clots for women using it. The Food and Drug Administration this week approved the new warning, saying a study of women ages 15 to 44 showed a higher risk of blood clots with the patch than with oral contraceptives. The increased risk comes because the body processes hormones absorbed through the skin differently than those taken orally, ultimately exposing women to 60% more estrogen than pills, The Associated Press reports. The FDA says the patch is a safe, effective method of contraception, but that women with concerns or other risk factors for blood clots should discuss other options with their doctors.

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Adults Miss Vaccines: Lots of U.S. adults are not getting vaccines that could protect them from serious illnesses. A new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only about 2% of people age 60 and older got the vaccine against shingles during its first year of sales, and only 2% of adults ages 18 to 64 got a pertussis (whooping cough) booster, despite well-publicized outbreaks of the disease in recent years. About 10% of women ages 18 to 26 have received at least one dose of the three-shot series that protects against human papillomavirus, the cause of most cases of cervical cancer. Only 69% of people 65 and older got an annual flu shot, and only 66% got the pneumonia vaccine. Some 44% of seniors 65 and older received a tetanus shot in the past 10 years, The Associated Press reports.

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