Health
The role of exercise in cancer reduction
Cancer can strike without warning.
Although there is no way
to prevent cancer, there are
certain measures people can take
to help reduce their risk, and exercise
is one of the more effective
ways to do just that.
The National Cancer Institute
notes that there is substantial evidence
to support the idea that
higher levels of physical activity
are linked to lower risks of several
cancers, including colon cancer, endometrial
cancer, and breast cancer.
In addition, a study published
in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine,
found that leisure-time physical
activity was associated with a
significantly decreased risk of not
only these three cancers, but also
esophageal cancer, liver cancer,
stomach cancer, kidney cancer, and
myeloid leukemia, among others.
As many as one-third of cancerrelated
deaths can be linked to obesity
and sedentary lifestyles, so
it’s easy to see the relationship between
exercise and a reduced cancer
risk.
One of the more important ways
that exercise may lower cancer risk
is through the reduction of estrogen
and insulin levels in the body.
Women with high estrogen levels
in their blood have increased risk
for breast cancer. Although estrogen
is a reproductive hormone, it
is also contained in fat cells. Exercise
can help burn fat and lower
the amount of blood estrogen in the
Differences between Crohn’s and colitis
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body, thereby lowering a woman’s
risk of developing breast cancer.
Exercise also can decrease the
potentially harmful effects of obesity,
which are linked to the development
of insulin resistance. According
to the study, “The Links
Between Insulin Resistance, Diabetes,
and Cancer” by Dr. Etan Orgel
and Dr. Steven D. Mittelman,
although the precise mechanisms
and pathways are uncertain, it is
becoming clear that hyperinsulinemia
(insulin resistance), and
possibly sustained hyperglycemia,
are important regulators of not
only the development of cancer but
also of treatment outcome. Insulin
resistance has been linked to the
development of tumors in cases of
breast and colon cancers.
The National Cancer Institute
states that exercise also can reduce
cancer risk by:
• Reducing inf lammation.
• Altering the metabolism of bile
acids in the gastrointestinal tract,
helping to decrease exposure of the
body to suspected carcinogens.
• Improving immune system
function.
• Boosting mood and feelings of
well-being.
Additional research is needed to
study the link between exercise and
cancer risk. However, based on observational
studies, existing studies
support the notion that regular
exercise can go a long way toward
reducing cancer risk.
Exercise is one of the more effective ways to reduce your risk of developing cancer.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative
colitis are part of the collective
set of conditions known as inflammatory
bowel disease.
Although Crohn’s and colitis share
similar symptoms, they are not the
same and often require different treatment
options.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s
disease are typically diagnosed by a
gastroenterologist.
Those aware of each condition
commonly mistake one for the other
and may not know what to look for
during a particular inflammatory
bowel disease event.
There are some distinct differences
between the two conditions,
however. And understanding the
differences can assist patients who
want to be actively involved in their
treatment:
• Crohn’s disease inflammation
can occur anywhere in the digestive
tract. It may cause irritation from
the mouth to the anus. Ulcerative
colitis, meanwhile, is typically relegated
to the colon or the large intestine.
Sometimes inflammation
will be present in the very end of the
small intestines as well.
• Ulcerative colitis tends to spread
progressively through the colon,
while Crohn’s disease may occur in
patches without continuous spreading.
As a result, with Crohn’s disease
there can be healthy tissue between
two diseased areas.
• During a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy,
doctors can view the inflamed
areas inside the colon. With
Crohn’s disease, the walls of the colon
often appear thickened and may
look like cobblestone, thanks to the
pockets of healthy tissue among diseased
tissue. With ulcerative colitis,
the walls of the colon are thin and
the inflammation is evenly distributed.
• Individuals who have ulcerative
colitis tend to bleed during bowel
movements, whereas blood may not
be present in stool for those with
Crohn’s.
• The name ulcerative colitis describes
ulcers present in the mucous
lining of the large intestines. These
ulcers are quite shallow. However,
patients with Crohn’s disease could
have ulcers extending deep within
the bowel wall.
• Another interesting difference
between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative
colitis is that smoking tobacco
seems to aggravate symptoms
of those with Crohn’s while it eases
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are typically diagnosed by a gastroenterologist.
symptoms for those with ulcerative
colitis. However, smoking is not recommended
to treat ulcerative colitis,
as the negative side effects of smoking
far outweigh any potentially positive
consequences.