Lifelines

Teenage boys who exercise regularly and males in their 20s with physically demanding jobs may be more likely to develop testicular cancer than their less active counterparts, according to a Canadian study.

Reporting their findings in the January issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, Drs Nancy Kreiger and Anil Srivastava of the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, found that the more frequently males exercised in their teens, the greater their risk of developing testicular cancer. In addition, men who had moderate or strenuous job demands in their 20s had about a 70-85 per cent increased risk of testicular cancer, compared with those who had less strenuous jobs. Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in males aged between 15 and 35. The researchers had originally speculated that physical activity would lower the risk of testicular cancer. They now suggest that changes in the levels of male hormones due to physical activity may somehow increase the risk of cancer. (Reuters Health)

Giving intensive once-off counselling to survivors of traumatic incidents may do more harm than good, according to a group of researchers at the Institute for Employment Studies in Britain. "We are not suggesting for an instant that talking about things or counselling per se are bad. We are talking about a very specific form of intervention. It is this one session lasting up to about three hours, normally within a couple of days of someone experiencing a traumatic event that goes in very great detail through how they were thinking and feeling during their experience," says Dr Jo Rick who co-wrote the study. "It is that intensity of the re-living of the experience that we think might be problematic. Dr Rick said other forms of counselling which helped people come to terms with events gradually were highly beneficial. (BBC Health News)

Children who have a growth hormone deficiency may soon be able to be treated with one or two injections per month, compared with the current treatments which require multiple doses per week. Researchers from UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital in the US have found a treatment called Nutropin Depot, which is a longer-acting form of a growth hormone, injected with an extended release delivery system. Ninety-one patients were studied at 30 sites in the US, and the treatment was found to be safe and effective. (Ivanhoe)

It's official. The Mediterranean diet is not only one of the world's tastiest but also, one of the healthiest - if not the healthiest. An Italian study which replaced olive oil, cereals and vegetables with foods rich in saturated fats such as butter, dairy products, cheese and meat found that blood pressure increased in all participants. After a return to the customary diet, a rapid decrease in blood pressure was noted. The EU is so convinced of the benefits of olive oil that it has instituted a community-wide campaign to promote the consumption of olive oil. Its website is at www.europa.eu.int/olive-oil

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