Researchers Uncover the Benefit of Exercise over Hormones for Menopausal Women

Researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia have hoped to prove that exercise is less risky than hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women, but were unable to find a relationship between exercise and hot flashes.

However, the study was able to show that exercise led to lowered stress levels among postmenopausal women.

Exercise Can Reduce Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Postmenopausal Women

Although the relationship between reduced hot flashes and exercise was not proven, the results of the research are significant because hot flashes in menopausal women have been seen as a temporary problem, while women who are postmenopausal live a long time and often struggle with stress, anxiety and depression.

Small Amounts of Exercise Help

One surprising outcome of the study is that the reduced stress levels were caused by small amounts of exercise. In other words, women who are postmenopausal and dealing with the unfortunate side effects of stress and anxiety can reduce those affects with a moderate exercise routine that they can incorporate into their daily life.

Interestingly, researchers found that extreme exercise regimens actually had the outcome of increasing stress for these women. But that could have been because the women tested were heavier and had lower hormone levels. Moderate exercise regimens seemed to provide greater stress reduction for the group of black women.

Hot Flashes? What Hot Flashes?

Although exercise had little effect on hot-flashes, the interesting point is that while women participated in a moderate but consistent exercise regimen, they seemed to care less about hot flashes. Women seem to just deal with them better while working on a healthy exercise plan.

The mental benefits of exercise for postmenopausal women are an important finding because the lack of estrogen leads to an increase in stress, anxiety and depression.

Consult Your Doctor

Consult your doctor before starting any new diet or exercise program. He or she knows your medical history and will be able to determine if your exercise program will help your menopausal symptoms to improve.

More Information on Menopause

For more information on menopause, please visit the Women's Health network: http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/menopaus.htm

Does the Onset of Winter Weather Make You SAD?

Cures for Seasonal Affective Disorder

For many people, the first chilly days of autumn are a welcome retreat. After summer heat that seems to stick around longer every year, most of us look forward to the change in temperature and the shortened days. There's nothing like curling up cozily in front of a roaring fire with a cup of hot cocoa to welcome the change of season.

But for an estimated ten to twenty percent of the world's population, the colder temperatures and shorter daylight hours that signal the shift to autumn and then winter can trigger unwelcome feelings of depression. The syndrome is known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, and it is especially prevalent in regions with severe winter weather, such as Alaska and the Scandinavian and Nordic countries.

The symptoms of SAD vary from person to person, but they often include feelings of sadness, lack of motivation, lethargy, and hopelessness. In severe cases, SAD impedes sufferers' ability to function normally. Hospitalization is sometimes required, especially if the patient is experiencing suicidal impulses.

Because SAD affects so many people around the world, researchers have focused a great deal of attention on efforts to delve into possible causes and cures for the disorder. This week, we'll review the results of several recent studies that have attempted to unlock part of the SAD puzzle.

Researchers Identify SAD Subtypes and Treatments

The diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder has only become widely accepted as valid in the medical community over the course of the last several decades. Now that the existence of SAD is universally agreed upon, researchers have begun the difficult task of describing the symptoms of the disorder and developing possible treatments.

Researchers at Loyola University recently undertook a major literature review of the current sum total of SAD-related research and information. According to their findings, there are now three major types of seasonal affective disorder. Standard SAD is related to winter weather, while the much rarer reverse seasonal affective disorder (RSAD) affects people when winter gives way to warmer weather in the spring and summer. Rarer still is year-round SAD, which primarily impacts people who live or work in windowless, dark environments.

The most common forms of treatment for SAD include sessions under lights designed to mimic sunlight, treatment with anti-depression medication, and standard psychotherapy. According to the researchers, several promising new treatments may be available to SAD sufferers in the next few years, including more targeted pharmaceutical medications.

Daylight Savings' Time May Contribute to SAD

The autumnal ritual of setting clocks back an hour may trigger SAD episodes in millions, according to the results of a recent study conducted by scientists at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany.

The researchers found that the "fall back" tradition that dramatically shortens daylight hours can impact the body's cycle for sleeping and waking, known as the Circadian rhythm. Even the small difference of an hour can cause major disruptions over the course of an entire season, according to the research team. Sleeping difficulties, fatigue, and SAD-like symptoms could be the result of this shift.

Although they acknowledge that more research is needed before a final determination is made, the researchers called for further inquiry into Daylight Savings' possible negative health impacts.

SAD Categorized as a Form of Major Depression

For decades, the diagnosis of SAD was belittled and trivialized by many in the medical profession. However, researchers are now beginning to acknowledge the potential seriousness of the disorder, clearing the way for studies designed to develop treatments to ease the suffering of those whose moods are negatively impacted by the advent of winter.

To this end, researchers at the University of Rochester recently undertook a comparative assessment of the symptoms of SAD sufferers. According to their findings, SAD shares many symptoms with a diagnosis of major clinical depression, and it can impede normal cognition and functioning to the same degree.

The researchers further discovered that even severe cases of SAD often go formally undiagnosed. They surmised that this is probably partly due to the fact that SAD sufferers and their doctors continue to dismiss the disorder as insignificant. The team recommended measures to instill a greater public awareness of the disorder, as well as new treatment guidelines that align with the current recommendations for the treatment of depression.

If you're concerned about "winter depression," talk to your doctor, a licensed therapist, or another credentialed helping professional. Check back each week for more of the health science news you need.

Researchers Explore Physiological Roots of Mental and Cognitive Disorders

For millennia, people suffering from mental illness were often looked down upon and scorned by the larger community. It was long believed that these neurological, emotional, and cognitive disorders were a sign of evil, moral weakness, or even demonic possession.

Unfortunately, many of these misguided beliefs persisted well into the twentieth century. It has only been in the last several decades that researchers have begun to uncover the physical, physiological, and environmental factors that can contribute to many mental illnesses and cognitive disorders. Today, it is widely understood that many of these disorders are organic illnesses that result from chemical imbalances or other health problems.

Research into the physiological causes of mental illness and cognitive disorders has been very active in the last several decades. This week, we?ll review some of the most significant recent findings that have emerged from scholarly journals and research institutions around the world.

Study Reveals Roots of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder May Be Found in Brain

In recent decades, diagnoses of ADD and ADHD have skyrocketed. This trend has prompted some criticism and controversy, including widespread skepticism and disbelief of the validity of these conditions. Many critics of these diagnoses have called their very existence into question.

However, evidence drawn from a recent study may prove that ADHD has neurological roots, indicating that the disorder is, in fact, a biological reality. Scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health recently analyzed a large cross-section of patients diagnosed with ADHD. According to their findings, there are a number of significant neurological differences in the brains of ADHD patients.

Two chief differences were identified in the brains of ADHD patients. The first difference centered on a genetic variation in the area of the brain designed to regulate the body?s intake of the compound known as dopamine. Patients who were found to have this genetic quirk had a much higher risk of developing ADHD.

Secondly, it was found that patients diagnosed with ADHD typically had much lower dopamine levels than did their non-ADHD counterparts. Taken together, both of these findings make a strong case for the argument that these common attention disorders do have biological roots in the body.

Scientists Uncover Genetic Risk for Mental Illness

The 'nature versus nurture' debate over the source of personality and mental health has raged for centuries, but the findings of a recent international study indicates that genetics may indeed play a significant factor in severe mental illnesses.

A large-scale study administered by the Wellcome Trust for Human Genetics at the University of Oxford in England involved researchers at more than 20 institutions around the world. The cross-disciplinary team evaluated the genetic material of a large variety of mentally ill and non-mentally ill individuals.

According to the team's findings, variations in the gene LRRTM1 were linked to a greater risk of developing several severe mental illnesses, including psychosis and schizophrenia. Interestingly enough, the same genetic variations were also linked to left-handedness. The researchers reported that the genetic variation caused differences in brain function that were fundamentally similar.

Chronic Inflammation and Heart Disease Linked to Depression, Anger, and Hostility in Men

Researchers found that men who tended to display higher-than-average levels of mental health problems such as depression, anger, and hostility were also at greater risk for health problems such as chronic inflammation, according to a study conducted at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

The study also suggests that without proper intervention and treatment, this type of chronic inflammation could lead to serious and even fatal illnesses, such as heart disease, abnormal heart rhythms, and diabetes.

While the link appeared to be statistically significant, the researchers indicated that more research would be necessary to identify the precise nature of the relationship between emotional problems and disease. In the interim, they recommend that people at high risk for depression, anger, and hostility practice stress reduction methods designed to help control their symptoms.

If you have questions or concerns about the link between mental and physical health, talk to your doctor or licensed mental health professional. Be sure to check back each week for the health science news you need to enhance your lifestyle.