A team based at the University of Athens, after reviewing several studies on the subject, has concluded that there appears to be a link between antibiotic use and increased risk of breast cancer.
Published in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, the study drew on previous research in order to divine its own results. They performed two types of analysis — one that looked at studies comparing the effect on breast cancer risk in women who have used antibiotics versus women who have never used them and a second that examined the number of prescriptions of antibiotics. The reason for the two different analyses is because previous studies have yielded conflicting results.
After finding five cases examining subjects who have used antibiotics compared to those who never have, the team found that those who have taken antibiotics had a slightly elevated risk of developing breast cancer. The analysis of a number of antibiotic prescriptions also found a “borderline dose-response effect implicating the number of antibiotic prescriptions.” Such a small link, the authors stated, could be from the fact the team measured number of prescriptions and not actual antibiotic dosage.
While no causal relationship has been established, one theory is that antibiotics weaken the immune response to cancer or that antibiotics kill off so-called “gut-friendly” bacteria that help digest food and also help protect against cancer.
Strolling about 10 to 15 kilometres each week can help preserve the size of your brain and also put a stop to memory loss as you age, according a study published in Neurology.
The average adult brain has been shown to shrink with age, which has been linked with memory problems later in life. While researchers have long believed exercises can help preserve brain volume, there have not been enough studies following enough individuals into their senior years to back up the theory.
The team out of the University of Pittsburgh looked at 299 adults who were an average age of 78 years, taking part in the Cardiovascular Health Cognition Study. Grey matter volume, physical activity and cognitive impairment were all measured regularly. None of the subjects had problems with dementia at the time the study started. Brain volume was measured using MRI brain scans after nine years. After 13 years, the team tested the group’s thinking and memory skills and tested for signs of dementia.
The results showed that after nine years, individuals who walked at least 72 blocks (between 10 and 15 kilometres) a week had more grey matter volume than those who walked less. Walking more than that distance did not appear to increase grey matter further. Furthermore, after 13 years, about 40 per cent of participants had developed cognitive impairments or dementia while those who had walked the most cut their risk of developing similar problems in half.
The authors subsequently concluded that, “Greater amounts of walking are associated with greater grey matter volume, which is in turn associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment.”
