Dr. Mitchell talks about studies in the news

Dr. Tedd Mitchell, Cooper Clinic president and CEO is interviewed by Todd Whitthorne, and gives his thoughts on two recent news articles.

Prostate Test Found to Save Few Lives

Two big studies have recently been published regarding prostate cancer were published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. One study was conducted here in the United States; the other encompassed several European countries. The headlines read “Prostate Test Found To Save Few Lives.” Dr. Mitchell says these headlines don’t change Cooper Clinic recommendations that men between 40- and 50 years of age get an initial PSA test.

Dr. Mitchell explains that the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test is a bio marker in the blood. As the prostate gland ages, it grows in size and more of the PSA antigen is released. There are conditions (not just cancer) that can make the prostate release large amount of the antigen. The PSA test is a tool that physicians use to look at PSA levels over time.

Many men will die with prostate cancer but not from prostate cancer. Currently, for every 50 men who are diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer, the life of one man will be extended. For the other 49 men, their lifetime won’t vary. We don’t yet know the impact of this statistic over 15- or 20 years.

Cooper Clinic recommends initial testing between 40 and 50 years of age. Dr. Mitchell believes the PSA test is important tool in helping to extend life. However, not all prostate cancers act the same, and it’s important that men diagnosed with prostate cancer work with their physician about a specific plan of action for their treatment. Younger men diagnosed with cancer tend to have a more aggressive form of prostate cancer. In addition, prostate cancer therapy is not without problems – there are side effects and levels of effectiveness. It’s important to know the man to help determine the right level of therapy. For this reason, men need to review their PSA results with a physician who knows them, knows their general health, their psychological profile, etc.

Dr. Mitchell believes regular PSA testing is important as a series of PSA tests over a series of years is way more important than a single elevated PSA test. If you have someone who’s had normal or low-end PSA tests, a big change, even if the result is still normal, is still a major concern.

Prevention: Gains From Exercise After Heart Attack Are Lost if Exercise Stops

A study published in the March 16 issue of the journal Circulation, looked at the impact of exercise after heart attack on flow-mediated dilation. Flow-mediated dilation is the flexibility of our arteries. Dr. Mitchell describes our arteries as being like a garden hose. The more flexible the garden hose, the more water that can flow through. An old or damaged garden hose will not pump as much water through it as a new garden hose. Post heart-attack, arteries have a reduced capacity to pump through blood.

The study contained 228 people divided into one of four groups:

·        No exercise

·        Strength training only

·        Aerobic conditioning only

·        Strength training & aerobic conditioning

The study found that heart attack survivors can improve the elasticity of their blood vessels through exercise.

Interestingly, each of the exercise groups saw good improvements in blow-mediated dilation. However, after 4 weeks of inactivity/non-exercise, the benefits of exercise were lost. As Dr. Cooper always says, fitness is a journey not a destination, and we can’t store fitness.

Dr. Mitchell urges that it’s also important for us to do both aerobic and strength training. He regularly sees older adults who have good cardiovascular conditioning who don’t do strength training and are withering away despite their cardiovascular health. Or, on the other hand the meathead who doesn’t go to the track. It’s the combination of fitness we’re after, and excluding one for the other is dysfunctional and simply not in our best interests.

Jill Turner is VP of Operations for Cooper Concepts, the company that markets Cooper Complete nutritional supplements. Jill regularly contributes information to the Cooper blog. Email jsturner@cooperwellness.com or call 972-560-3262 with your questions and comments.

Reference Information

Prostate Test Found To Save Few Lives

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/health/19cancer.html

Prevention: Gains From Exercise After Heart Attack Are Lost if Exercise Stops

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/health/24prev.html?partner=rss&emc=rss