GOOD NEWS

Better heart functioning

Vitamin C supplements improve the response of nervous system of patients who have had a heart attack, suggests a report in the International Journal of Cardiology. Researchers investigated the influence of ascorbic acid on the sympathetic response to exercise in 21 men. The participants underwent symptom-limited exercise testing twice, once after oral administration of the supplement and once without. Although resting blood pressure and heart rate did not differ with or without ascorbic acid, the researchers suggest that the heart rate response to peak exercise was significantly higher, an indication of better heart function.

Positive effect

Physical activity in the year before a diagnosis of breast cancer has a positive influence on the prognosis of young women who are overweight, a new research suggests. The researchers investigated the ties between pre-diagnosis physical activity and survival in 1,264 women, diagnosed with breast cancer. Within months of diagnosis, they were asked about their freque ncy of moderate physical activity before diagnosis. They observed a reduced death risk of 22 per cent among women in the highest quartile of activity in the year before their diagnosis. High activity levels were associated with a 30 per cent reduction in the risk of death among women who were overweight.

BAD NEWS

More harms than gain

Popping anti-inflammatory drugs just after a hip replacement surgery could trigger the development of ectopic bone warns a new study in the British Medical Journal. Many surgeons prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs in the immediate post-operative period to avoid simply as part of a pain management strategy. The researchers say that the use of post-operative Ibuprofen, did reduce the risk of ectopic bone formation, but no reductions in hip pain or physical disability six to 12 months after surgery.

Cause and effect

Pregnant women who do not get enough vitamin E may give birth to children who are at higher risk of developing asthma, says a study in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The results of this study indicate that early life nutrient intake, both in utero and in the early postpartum period, modifies the risk of developing childhood asthma. They observed that children of women with the highest intake of vitamin E were less likely to develop wheezing or asthma.