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New research warns that, after completing breast cancer treatment, women aged 45 and over have a heightened risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The researchers' analysis revealed that, when they compared them with women over 45 who never experienced breast cancer, those who had received breast cancer treatment had a much higher likelihood of having metabolic syndrome, diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertriglyceridemia (elevated blood levels of fatty molecules), as well as abdominal obesity. All of these conditions are top risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease. Moreover, these women's risk of cardiovascular, event-related death was increased, matching death rates that experts associate with a breast cancer diagnosis. “Heart-healthy lifestyle modifications can decrease both the risk of recurrent breast cancer and the risk of developing heart disease. Thus women should be evaluated for heart disease risk, as they are being treated for breast cancer, and continue to be followed for increased risk after treatment for breast cancer." Says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of NAMS.

Brazilian scientists conducted a study on mice and found that strength training can reduce liver fat and improve blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. In many cases, people can avoid diabetes by following a healthful diet and exercising. To develop new drugs that reproduce some of the benefits of physical activity, a team of scientists in Brazil analyzed the effects of strength training on the livers of mice. The new study, by researchers at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo State, Brazil, found that strength weight training can reduce liver fat and improve blood sugar levels in people with obesity and those with diabetes. The results of the research appear in the Journal of Endocrinology. The liver plays a key role in blood sugar management and the development of diabetes. This organ produces, stores, and controls blood sugar levels. If the body produces too much fat, it can build up in the liver and lead to inflammation and liver failure. Overweight people are at high risk of developing both liver disease and diabetes. Studies were conducted on mice. The results showed that the mice that exercised produced less glucose than the sedentary obese group even though they received the same amount of pyruvate. These findings suggest that strength training caused metabolic alterations that made the liver more sensitive to insulin. This study demonstrated that strength training led to benefits in the liver tissue that were unrelated to skeletomuscular contractions. The researchers hypothesized that a protein called clusterin might play a role in the communication between the muscles and liver. If additional research confirms this hypothesis, the team may test treatments with synthetic alternatives.