The chances of developing most cancers increase markedly as we get older and so it is considered a major age-related disease. Despite that, efforts at prevention for those in middle age and later life are very limited, says Dr Heike Bischoff -Ferrari. And while we know that lifestyle makes a difference, there isn’t enough research around which specific interventions are effective.
Bischoff -Ferrari is working to fill that knowledge gap. An expert in the dynamics of healthy ageing at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland, she has been testing a combination of simple approaches that she hopes will make a difference.
The DO-HEALTH trial was a three-year study, conducted in five European countries, with 2157 older adults. They were split into groups and given either daily high-dose vitamin D3, omega 3 supplements or a simple home-exercise programme. Plus, some groups were given various combinations of those treatments.
Clinical trials have shown mixed results for the role of vitamin D and omega-3 in preventing cancer on their own. And there have been no clinical trials examining the effect of exercise on cancer prevention, until this one.
What this study has shown, however, is that combining all three treatments may have some effect, says Bischoff -Ferrari. Researchers saw an overall reduction in the risk of invasive cancer by 61% in healthy adults aged 70 or older.
The home exercise program was completed three times a week and involved simple video-guided exercises focused on building arm and leg strength. Bischoff -Ferrari says that many participants were already reasonably fit and active.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 21 - 27, 2022 من New Zealand Listener.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 21 - 27, 2022 من New Zealand Listener.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.