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5-minute walks reverse some ill effects of sitting. Studies continue to mount about how bad long-periods of sitting are for us. A new study out this week provides some hope to those yet to make the transition to standing. “Study authors found that during a 3-hour period, the function of the femoral artery was decreased by as much as 50 percent after just one hour of sitting. But study participants who walked for five minutes during each hour of sitting did not experience a drop in arterial function, suggesting that the increase in muscle activity and blood flow was beneficial.” Participants saw the same benefits even while walking at a sauntering two miles per hour. According to authors, “We have shown that prolonged sitting impairs endothelial function, which is an early marker of cardiovascular disease, and that breaking sitting time prevents the decline in that function.”
The temperature of your breath could reveal lung cancer. Lung cancer is deadly partly because it can go undetected for long periods of time. While some can be seen early on X-ray and CT scans, not all are visible and the radiation risk from the scan makes these less appealing as screening techniques. A group of researchers in Italy found that “among 82 people who showed potential signs of lung cancer on X-rays, those who had confirmed lung cancer had higher breath temperatures than those whose readings weren’t as high.While many factors could contribute to breath temperature, the team also found that the readings were higher the more the participants had smoked, and among those with later-stage cancer.” While the finding needs to be repeated and confirmed, the new test could signify another way to find lung cancers earlier.
