Boxing may cause brain damage

Olympic boxers can exhibit changes in brain fluids after bouts, which indicates nerve cell damage. This is shown in a study of 30 top-level Swedish boxers that was conducted at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, in collaboration with the Swedish Boxing Federation, published in PLoS ONE.

It has been debated for quite some time whether Olympic boxing (amateur boxing) is hazardous to the brain. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, joined colleagues at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Linköping University and the Swedish Boxing Association in conducting a unique study of 30 top-level Swedish boxers and 25 reference persons.

Brain injury similar to Alzheimer´s

The study shows that repeated blows to the head in the boxing ring can produce a release of brain injury markers to the brain fluid, similar to what is seen with after other types of head trauma, as well as in neurological illnesses such as Alzheimer´s.

"Our study shows that after bouts, some of the boxers had elevated concentrations of four different proteins in the brain fluid, which all signal damage to the brain's nerve cells. Moreover, two of the proteins were still elevated after a period of rest" says researcher Sanna Neselius, who has led the study. Sanna Neselius has self been boxing at elite level and was ranked as one of the best female boxers in the world, both as olympic and professional boxer.

*Very few show symptoms

As many of 80 percent of the boxers exhibited protein changes that indicate brain damage.

The boxers who participated in the study competed on the top-level of Swedish boxing and all had fought at least 47 bouts. None of them had lost on a knock-out, and only one of the boxers mentioned symptoms after a bout (headache).

"The brain injury markers were elevated for 80 percent of the olympic boxers directly after a bout as a result of minor brain damage. That the brain fluid markers were elevated even after weeks of rest for some of the boxers can be interpreted as the damage had yet not healed or that some damage will remain, says Sanna Neselius.

Call for concussion guidelines

Sanna Neselius has now scheduled a meeting with the Swedish Boxing Federation's board of directors to discuss the results. "We need to discuss the results and how we can increase the medical safety for boxers, both during training and in competition," says Neselius. "I further hope that the results will be taken seriously by other martial arts federations, where the safety regulations are not as well defined as in boxing. The results may also be useful when discussing concussion guidelines.

Blood test a future option

"Preferably, we would like to find a simple blood test that provides the same information as our more advanced brain fluid examinations.

The capability does not presently exist, but can perhaps become an option in the future with further and more extensive studies."

silobreaker.com

Global gender differences in treatment of heart disease

Three new studies from India, China and Middle East expose the extent of the problem in new data presented at the World Congress of Cardiology.

Women with acute coronary syndrome - (ACS) receive inferior or less aggressive treatment compared to men, according to three large studies presented at the World Congress of Cardiology.

The CREATE registry study of 20,468 patients in India revealed that relatively fewer women are admitted with ACS.

Moreover, these women are older, reach hospital later, have more risk factors, receive inferior treatments and have worse outcomes.

While the BRIG project study of 3,168 patients in China concluded that a substantial portion of women with ACS did not receive proper treatment during hospitalisation compared with men.

Similarly, a study of 4,229 ACS patients in the Middle East found that women tended to be admitted to hospital later than men and had more comorbid disease.

These women received commonly used treatment less frequently than men, although in the case of the Middle East study this did not appear to impact in-patient mortality.

"These three studies paint a consistent picture around the world and all serve to demonstrate that women with ACS are unfortunately not receiving the same treatment as men," said Prof. Sidney C Smith Jr, MD, President, World Heart Federation.

"This is something that has to be addressed as a matter of urgency."

Women and heart disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes heart disease and stroke is the biggest killer of women globally causing 8.6 million deaths annually. Women in low-and middle-income countries who develop CVD are more likely to die from it than comparable women in industrialised nations. However, women do not perceive CVD as the greatest threat to their health they still feel more threatened by cancer than they do by CVD. The good news is that there are steps women can take to protect their hearts. These include stopping smoking, engaging in physical exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and ensuring a healthy food intake.

- healthnewsmed

Protein combination best for building muscle post-workout

At Experimental Biology 2012, Dr. Blake Rasmussen and colleagues presented a new and first-of-its-kind clinical study: "Effect of Protein Blend vs. Whey Protein Ingestion on Muscle Protein Synthesis Following Resistance Exercise."

The results of the study suggest that a protein blend (combination of soy, whey and casein) may be best to consume post-workout for building muscle.

Proteins

Specifically, the blend of proteins in this study showed an increase in a person's "anabolic window" (the amount of time it takes for building muscle to occur post exercise).

"This study confirms that consuming a blend of proteins (soy, whey and casein) versus whey protein alone provides a prolonged delivery of amino acids to the muscles, making it optimal for consumption following resistance exercise," said Dr. Rasmussen, professor and interim chair of the Department of Nutrition; Metabolism at the University of Texas Medical Branch and the senior author of this study.

"The results of the study are critical for sports nutrition consumers and regularly active individuals."

Blend

The protein in the blend used in this study consisted of 25 percent isolated soy protein, 25 percent isolated whey protein and 50 percent casein.

This combination of protein blends was determined in a preclinical study which was presented at Experimental Biology 2011.

Soy, whey and casein proteins are all absorbed at different rates during digestion.

Whey protein is referred to as a "fast" protein because it is rapidly absorbed whereas casein, a "slow" protein, requires several hours to be digested. The ability of soy protein to deliver amino acids is "intermediate," meaning concentrations in blood peak somewhat later compared to whey, but its digestion rate is much quicker than casein.

Hence, the effect of all three of these proteins combined appears to provide the extended release of amino acid delivery to the muscles.

"Your muscles don't recover in 30 minutes. It takes at least 24-48 hours for your muscles to recover after a resistance exercise," said Greg Paul, global marketing director for sports nutrition and weight management, Solae.

"The study showed that protein blends can provide amino acid delivery for up to five hours, meaning if you consume a product or protein shake with these blends, the prolonged effect will deliver essential amino acids to feed your muscles until your next meal."

- MNT

Acupuncture can improve skeletal muscle atrophy

A team of Japanese researchers reveal study results at the Experimental Biology 2012 meeting that show how acupuncture therapy mitigates skeletal muscle loss and holds promise for those seeking improved mobility through muscle rejuvenation.

"It is my hope that this study will demonstrate acupuncture's feasibility with regard to improving health among the elderly and medical patients. Our findings could identify acupuncture as the primary nonpharmacological treatment to prevent skeletal muscle atrophy in the future," says Akiko Onda, an acupuncturist and graduate student at the Waseda University School of Sport Sciences, who has been conducting a series of studies on skeletal muscle atrophy for the past four years.

Loss of skeletal muscle mass has a profound effect on the ability of the elderly and the sick to engage in physical activity.

Because skeletal muscle has high plasticity, interventions such as exercise training, improved nutrition and mechanical stimulation are often recommended to prevent atrophy.

Unfortunately, these can be challenging goals for those who are already frail or who have severe medical conditions. Onda said an alternative nonpharmacological intervention is urgently required, and so she and her collaborators in two labs at Waseda University decided to explore how acupuncture affects skeletal muscle at the molecular level.

"The main focus of this study is changes in the mRNA expression levels of muscle-specific atrophic genes such as atrogin-1," Onda says.

"Muscle mass and structure are determined by the balance between protein degradation and synthesis."

The team showed that decreases in muscle mass in mice and in the mRNA expression level of the E3 ubiquitin ligase atrogin-1 can be significantly reversed by acupuncture. In spite of the World Health Organization's endorsement of acupuncture and the widespread use of acupuncture as a treatment for various diseases, acupuncture is still regarded by many as obscure and suspicious, and its underlying molecular mechanisms are almost completely unknown.

"Our results have uncovered one molecular mechanism responsible for the efficacy of acupuncture treatment and clarified its usefulness in preventing skeletal muscle atrophy in mice," Onda said.

"We hope to introduce acupuncture as a new strategy for preventing skeletal muscle trophy in the future. Further investigations into its molecular mechanisms will help to decrease the medical community's suspicion of acupuncture and provide us with a better understanding of how acupuncture treatment prevents skeletal muscle atrophy."

- humanhealthandscience

Bedwetting in older children

Bedwetting in older children is common, but it can be distressing. An article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) outlines possible causes and evidence for current treatments.

Bedwetting in children aged five years or older, also called nocturnal enuresis, is common, although more common in boys. An American study found a prevalence of bedwetting of 6.21 p.c. in boys compared with 2.51 p.c. in girls.

Condition

There is also a strong genetic aspect to bedwetting, as a large British study found a significantly higher likelihood of bedwetting if a parent was a bedwetter.

Three conditions generally contribute to bedwetting: excessive urine production at night, an overactive bladder and an inability to wake up in response to the need to urinate. Although the condition itself is not associated with a major illness, it is important for physicians to conduct a physical exam to rule out any other causes. Urinalysis and urine culture may be the only necessary tests as evidence shows that other investigations are not particularly useful or cost effective.

"The most critical aspect of treatment is reassurance for the child, who may experience low self-esteem," writes Dr. Darcie Kiddoo, Divisions of Pediatric Surgery and Urology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.

"Parents must understand that, unlike daytime behaviour, nighttime incontinence is not within the child's control."

Modifications

Treatment varies from lifestyle modifications to medication and alternative therapies for which there is little evidence of effectiveness.

Desmopressin a medication that works on the kidneys to reabsorb urine, is successful in reducing nighttime water production but the benefits disappear when the medication is stopped. Tricyclic antidepressants can be effective in some children, but there are adverse effects and few parents choose this option.

Bed alarms have shown the most long-term success. "A systematic review found that after 10 weeks, 66 p.c. of children maintained 14 consecutive dry nights compared with only 4 p.c. of children with no treatment," Dr. Kiddoo writes. The effect lasts after the device is no longer used, but parental vigilance is required to help children wake up if they do not hear the alarm.

Children eventually will outgrow the condition, with 15 p.c. stopping without treatment each year.

- MNT