http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (HealthDay)—Lower levels of abdominal muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in youth are independently associated with adverse levels of fasting insulin, insulin sensitivity, and β-cell function in young adulthood, according to a study published online April 11 in Diabetes Care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-teens-strength-cardio-insulin-resistance.html Diabetes Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:40:04 EST news286121422 Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered that eating mushrooms containing Vitamin D2 can be as effective at increasing and maintaining vitamin D levels (25–hydroxyvitamin D) as taking supplemental vitamin D2 or vitamin D3. These findings will be presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Microbiology annual meeting in Boston on April 22 and also concurrently appear in Dermato-Endocrinology on line open access. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-mushrooms-vitamin-d-supplements.html Health Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:30:01 EST news285849661 (Medical Xpress)—One in three people with rheumatoid arthritis, regardless of their age, will fall once or more times a year, according to a new University of Manchester study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-people-rheumatoid-arthritis-high-falls.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:26:33 EST news284883987 (HealthDay)—The days and weeks after hospital discharge are a vulnerable time for people, with one in five older Americans readmitted within a month—often for symptoms unrelated to the original illness. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-hospital-discharge-ills-seniors.html Health Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:59:16 EST news276976721 Low muscle strength in adolescence is strongly associated with a greater risk of early death from several major causes, suggests a large study published on the British Medical Journal website today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-muscle-strength-adolescence-linked-early.html Health Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:30:02 EST news272648654 For people experiencing first-time symptoms of Bell's palsy, steroid pills very likely are the most effective known treatment for recovering full strength in the facial muscles, according to a guideline published in the November 7, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Bell's palsy is a nerve disorder that affects muscle movement in the face and usually leaves half of the face temporarily paralyzed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-guideline-steroid-pills-effective-facial.html Neuroscience Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:00:09 EST news271517829 Physical exercise, including treadmill, stretching and resistance exercises, appears to improve gait speed, muscle strength and fitness for patients with Parkinson disease (PD), according to a report of a randomized clinical trial published Online First by Archives of Neurology, a JAMA Network publication. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-physical-gait-muscle-strength-patients.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:00:06 EST news271337584 (HealthDay)—Adults with cerebral palsy may be able to reduce declines in muscle strength, improve function, and reduce cardiovascular and metabolic disease by avoiding sedentary behavior and engaging in physical activity, according to a study published online Oct. 23 in Obesity Reviews. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-sedentary-behavior-worsens-decline-cerebral.html Overweight and Obesity Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:40:01 EST news271078438 Free bus passes for over-60s may be encouraging older people to be more physically active, say the authors of a study published today in the American Journal of Public Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-free-bus-health-benefit.html Health Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:36:53 EST news267377799 Presented last week at the British Science Festival, a new study by University of Aberdeen scientists will examine if the consumption of fish oil combined with weight training exercises could help protect the elderly against muscle deterioration. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-fish-oil-key-sarcopenia-elderly.html Health Mon, 10 Sep 2012 07:50:01 EST news266481562 (HealthDay) -- This summer, thrill-seekers will test their bravery on extreme roller-coaster rides -- twisting, flipping and spinning, all while trying to keep their lunch down. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-kids-safe-roller-coasters-thrill.html Health Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:52:35 EST news260725948 A new study to be presented at the Society for Experimental Biology meeting on June 30 has shown that caffeine boosts power in older muscles, suggesting the stimulant could aid elderly people to maintain their strength, reducing the incidence of falls and injuries. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-caffeine-boosts-power-elderly-muscles.html Health Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:00:02 EST news260124810 Famous cartoon character Popeye is right to down a can of spinach when he wants his biceps to bulge, according to a Swedish study presented Monday showing why the leafy vegetable makes us stronger. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-popeye-spinach-stronger.html Medical research Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:10:01 EST news259858802 A natural compound found in some fruits, nuts and red wine may enhance exercise training and performance, demonstrates newly published medical research from the University of Alberta. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-resveratrol-natural.html Health Tue, 19 Jun 2012 15:10:36 EST news259337354 An innovative strategy for regenerating skeletal muscle tissue using cells derived from the amniotic fluid is outlined in new research published by scientists at the UCL Institute of Child Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-potential-approach-regenerating-skeletal-muscle.html Medical research Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:34:11 EST news257765644 (HealthDay) -- In older adults, diabetes correlates with slower walking speed, and diabetes-linked reductions in muscle strength and worse muscle quality contribute to these walking limitations, according to a study published online May 17 in Diabetes Care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-limb-muscle-limitations-hamper-diabetes.html Diabetes Wed, 30 May 2012 10:03:15 EST news257590984 (HealthDay) -- Neither isometric neck muscle strength nor passive mobility of the cervical spine, two physical capacity parameters found to be associated with neck pain in other studies, predicts later neck pain in pain-free working-age women, according to a study published in the May 20 issue of Spine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-neck-strength-cervical-spine-mobility.html Other Fri, 25 May 2012 12:11:41 EST news257166688 Men experience a marked drop in their testosterone levels when taking a targeted therapy to control a specific type of lung cancer. That's according to a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the April issue of Cancer, the official journal of the American Cancer Society. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-clinical-insight-treatment-lung-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:26:34 EST news252782785 Exercise which can achieve both cardiovascular function and muscle strength "would be a preferred mode of training for older persons", say investigators http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-older-subjects-regularly-tai-chi.html Cardiology Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:00:01 EST news252689717 Men receiving testosterone supplementation who also received a drug (dutasteride) commonly used to treat an enlarged prostate gland and which blocks the conversion of testosterone to its potent metabolite DHT did not experience a significant difference in changes in certain outcomes such as muscle mass, muscle strength, or sexual function compared to men who did not receive dutasteride, according to a study in the March 7 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-relative-roles-testosterone-metabolite-dihydrotestosterone.html Medical research Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:00:08 EST news250269494 Multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disease, causes periodic attacks of neurologic symptoms such as limb weakness and mobility defects. And while MS patients' walking abilities and muscle strength are examined on a regular basis, doctors have yet to determine when the lower limb muscles begin to deteriorate. That's important because with earlier identification of mobility problems, doctors would be able to implement early intervention programs that could make all the difference for those with MS. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-muscling-multiple-sclerosis.html Medical research Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:11:38 EST news246795087 Good balance and mobility are essential to help you perform most activities involved in every-day life, as well as many recreational pursuits. Keeping your balance is a complex task, involving the co-ordination between a person's muscles and sensors which detect balance and are part of the nervous system. In older people many factors such as reduced muscle strength, stiff joints, delayed reaction times and changes in the sensory system all add up to reduce a person's ability to keep in balance. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-evidence-base-older-people.html Health Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:05:04 EST news240037492 When a motor nerve is severely damaged, people rarely recover full muscle strength and function. Neuroscientists from Children's Hospital Boston, combining patient data with observations in a mouse model, now show why. It's not that motor nerve fibers don't regrow -- they can -- but they don't grow fast enough. By the time they get to the muscle fibers, they can no longer communicate with them. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-reversing-motor-nerve-essence.html Medical research Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:00:05 EST news236861754 Physical activity requires strong, healthy muscles. Fortunately, when people exercise on a regular basis, their muscles experience a continuous cycle of muscle breakdown (during exercise) and compensatory remodeling and growth (especially with weightlifting). Athletes have long experimented with methods to augment these physiologic responses to enhance muscle growth. One such ergogenic aid that has gained recent popularity is the use of high-quality, high-protein beverages during and after exercise, with dairy-based drinks enriched with whey proteins often taking front stage. Many studies have documented a beneficial effect of their consumption. Of particular interest is the effect of the essential amino acid leucine contained in these products. Two papers, published in the September 2011 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, report the results of 2 independent studies conducted to understand better how amino acids influence protein synthesis in recreational athletes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-muscle-building-effect-protein-beverages-athletes.html Other Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:38:21 EST news232893488 Robot-assisted therapy has measurable benefits for patients with a weaker arm following a stroke. This is according to new research featured in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation, published by SAGE, which is the first to use accelerometers to track patients' improvement and compare real world results. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-rehab-robots-patients.html Medical research Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:01:27 EST news232250423 A Baylor University study has found that a popular nutritional supplement that is marketed to lead to greater muscle strength through increasing blood flow to the muscle does not increase blood flow as claimed on the bottle. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-popular-muscle-boosting-supplement-blood.html Other Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:13:11 EST news232193584 People lose 30% of their muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. However, maintaining muscle strength in old age is enormously important in order to maintain mobility and to be able to lead an independent life and manage everyday tasks independently. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Frank Mayer and colleagues from the University of Potsdam conclude that progressive strength (resistance) training counteracts muscular atrophy in old age (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2011; 108(21): 359-64). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-strength-grandma-grandpa.html Health Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:44:43 EST news226917877 Vitamin D supplements may help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) get more from their pulmonary rehabilitation programs, according to a study conducted by researchers from Belgium. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-vitamin-d-outcomes-patients-copd.html Health Mon, 16 May 2011 03:28:16 EST news224735263 (Medical Xpress) -- Obesity appears to impair normal muscle function in rats, an observation that could have significant implications for humans, according to Penn State researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-obesity-wimpy-rats.html Medical research Mon, 09 May 2011 11:56:15 EST news224160948 Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore VA Medical Center found that Parkinson's patients who walked on a treadmill at a comfortable speed for a longer duration (low-intensity exercise) improved their walking more than patients who walked for less time but at an increased speed and incline (high-intensity exercise). The investigators also found benefits for stretching and resistance exercises. The study results will be presented April 12 at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Honolulu. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-benefit-low-intensity-parkinson-patients.html Health Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:46:27 EST news221845571