Overturning Traditional Wisdom - Exercise Now Shown to Slowdown Multiple Sclerosis

We all know some of the obvious benefits of exercise - lowering blood pressure, cardiovascular health, losing weight, and improving your mood - but now studies are showing that exercise can do even more. It’s been recently found that exercise can slow down the progression of multiple sclerosis.

The degenerative disease damages the brain and spinal cord, causing effects including: loss of muscle control, vision, balance, sensations, and cognitive abilities.

It’s unknown what causes MS, but genetics is one common factor. MS is an autoimmune disease, which means that the nerves of the brain and spinal cord are damaged by a person’s own immune system.

The two most common forms of the disease, according to WebMD, are:

• Relapsing-remitting MS: characterized by unpredictable acute attacks, called ‘exacerbations,’ with worsening symptoms, followed by full, partial, or no recovery of some function. These attacks can evolve over several days to weeks. Recovery from an attack can take weeks and sometimes months. In most people, this pattern usually occurs early in the course of MS.
• Primary-progressive MS: characterized by a gradual but steady progression of disability, without any obvious relapses and remissions. This form of disease occurs in just 15% of all people with MS, but it is the most common type of MS in people who develop the disease after the age of 40.

To understand exactly how exercise helps slow down the progression of MS, first you have to understand a little bit more about how the disease works.

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Women With Lifelong Obesity Suffering More Illnesses in Senior Years, Says Harvard Study

Cartoon courtesy of the Rotary Club Of NorthRaleigh.

More and more Americans are definitely living longer, but they are also doing it with the help of a lot of prescription medications.

These medical issues have become a common occurrence in American culture. The Harvard School of Public Health in cooperation with Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that in a large study of 17,065 women living until at least age 70, that being overweight at middle-age was associated with having more health problems later in life.

The results showed that only 9.9 percent of the women who lived until age 70, reported being free of major chronic diseases; having good cognitive and physical functions; and having good mental health. These women were defined as healthy survivors.

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FDA Seeks the Nationwide Recall of 69 Tainted Diet Pill Brands

Photo courtesy of Wineinyourdiet.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers not to purchase 69 diet pill brands because they contain undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients that could pose health risks to consumers.

The FDA has inspected a number of unspecified companies associated with the sale of these illegal products, and is currently seeking recalls. The agency advises consumers who have used these products to stop taking them and consult their doctors immediately.

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