An analysis of news reports, insurance claims and data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) revealed that one in 43,770 NCAA athletes suffer sudden cardiac death each year, said the researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The investigators tracked deaths from 2004 to 2008 and found that there were 273 deaths from all causes, including: 187 deaths (68 percent) from non-medical/traumatic causes; 80 deaths (29 percent) from medical causes; and six deaths (2 percent) from unknown causes.

The deaths from medical causes included 45 athletes (56 percent) who suffered cardiovascular-related sudden death. Of the 36 deaths that occurred during or shortly after physical activity, 27 (75 percent) were related to cardiac causes, according to the study published in the April 4 online issue of the journal Circulation.

The study also found that:

Black athletes had a higher rate of sudden cardiac death (one in 17,696) than white athletes (one in 58,653).The risk was higher in males (one in 33,134) than in females (one in 76,646).The highest rate of sudden cardiac death was in basketball (one in 11,394), followed by swimming, lacrosse, football and cross-country track.

About 400,000 students, ages 17 to 23, participate in NCAA sports each year. Sports training and competition can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death in people with underlying heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

The researchers said their findings could influence health screening guidelines for young people in organized sports.

“The American Heart Association regards cardiovascular screening for athletes as an important public health issue, for which there are compelling ethical, legal and medical grounds,” Dr. Ralph L. Sacco, president of the American Heart Association, said in a journal news release.

“We strongly encourage student-athletes and other participants in organized competitive sports to be screened with a careful history, including family history, and thorough physical examination. The American Heart Association also believes health care professionals providing the screening should be able to order noninvasive testing when they judge it is needed,” Sacco added.

More information

Parent Heart Watch has more about sudden cardiac arrest/death in young people.

Signs a Boy Likes You

Unlike animals, humans don’t advertise their affections; they use subtle ways of showing their liking for the female species. The female, for her part, needs to be attuned to the boys external show of emotions. Here are a few things that you need to look out for if you are wondering how to tell if a boy likes you.

Glimpses
If you see the boy stealing glances at you, it’s one of the indicators that the boy is into you. Boys will instinctively keep looking at a girl they like, it’s their genetic programming. If he is shy, then he will look away as soon as you look at him and if he is the confident types he will hold your gaze.

Words
Let’s say, both of you know each other and he can’t keep quiet when he is around you, take this as a positive sign. In the event you don’t know each other but have common friends and he always has a comment on most of the things you say when you are in a group indicates he is into you and wants you to notice him.

Dressing Up
A boy who likes a girl will try and appeal to her visual cortex by dressing up for her. It doesn’t mean he will wear a tux in front of you, it just means that he will try to dress up differently than he usually does. He might even resort to wearing accessories, like wearing a hat, or perhaps a bandanna around his wrist. All this effort is to catch your attention.

Attitude
Boys always feel that they’re at war with everyone when it comes to getting a girl to notice them, so they will go overboard to display their affection. Should you be in the cafeteria he might just start belting lyrics from the new Justin Bieber song as you pass by. He will try and do some stupid stunt, like driving the car fast out of the parking lot or arranging an impromptu show of push ups with his buddies.

Technology
Gone are the days of passing notes in class, boys today will link with you on social networking internet sites or text you. If he texts you frequently it really is a sign that the boy is into you, the text messages can be greetings like ‘good morning’, ‘hi’, ‘what’s up’, or even some funny jokes. Always chatting with you when you will be online and sending you virtual gifts are some of the other indications that he is into you.

Etiquette
If you’re troubled with the question how to tell if a guy likes you, then observe his mannerism when he is around you. See if he holds the door open for you, gets you a chair to sit, apologizes vehemently for the silliest things, etc. This is his way of saying that he is a suitable candidate and would treat you right.

Boys who like women will tell their friends that they have the hots for you, it really is their way of telling people around that you will be off limits. He will also touch you in your arm or shoulder when he is speaking to you and will treat you differently than other girls he understands. So if you are a girl with the million dollar question, does he like me, these are some of the signs that you ought to be keeping a look out for. The next time he is around, pay attention to these points and you will surely get you answer in a jiffy.

“We did not see any evidence that soy intake after breast cancer increases the risk of recurrence or deaths [from breast cancer],” said Dr. Xiao Ou Shu, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

“Our study indicated that soy food intake among breast cancer survivors is safe and may reduce the risk of recurrence,” she said.

She emphasized she is talking about soy foods, such as tofu and soybeans, not soy supplements.

The research is to be presented Tuesday at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Results of studies presented at meetings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

For the study, Shu evaluated data on 9,515 women who had participated in one of three studies of breast cancer survivors: Life After Cancer Epidemiology, Women’s Healthy Eating and Living and the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival studies.

Shu reviewed information from food questionnaires on the women’s soy food intake. The average time between breast cancer diagnosis and soy food evaluation was about 14 months.

After a follow-up that averaged 7.4 years, Shu found 1,348 breast cancer recurrences and 1,171 deaths from breast cancer and other causes.

Compared to the women who ate the least soy, women in the upper 10th percentile group for soy food intake had a 35 percent reduced risk of recurrence.

Those who ate the most soy also had a 17 percent reduced risk of death from all causes during the follow-up, but that finding did not reach statistical significance, Shu said.

Soy food consumption was considerably higher in the Shanghai group than among the U.S. participants.

How much soy might be protective? “Women can get the level of soy isoflavones that is similar to the top 10 percent consumption level found in our U.S. study population by consuming a cup of [soy] milk or half serving of tofu (2 oz.) per day,” she said.

In the past, women who survived breast cancer tended to avoid soy foods, said Dr. Marian Neuhouser, associate member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

The worry, she said, was that some soy foods can act as a weak phytoestrogen, and most breast cancers are estrogen-receptor positive, needing estrogen to grow.

“I think this study and a previous study support the idea that soy foods are safe for women with breast cancer,” she said.

She, too, emphasized that the study is on soy foods, not supplements. Soy foods are a good source of low-fat protein, she said.

Soy contributes to an overall healthy diet pattern, and healthy diet patterns are linked with lower recurrence, she said.

“If someone has a latte with soy milk, it means they aren’t having a latte with whole milk, which has a lot more fat in it,” Neuhouser said.

More information

To learn more about soy, visit the Soyfoods Association of North America.

Researchers analyzed data from 18,336 breast cancer survivors in the United States and China, ages 20 to 83, whose weight was assessed 18 to 48 months after diagnosis and compared with their pre-diagnosis weight.

Extreme weight gain (10 percent or greater than pre-diagnosis weight) occurred in 16 percent of the women. They were 14 percent more likely to suffer a cancer recurrence than women whose weight remained stable (within 5 percent of their pre-diagnosis weight).

Among the women with extreme weight gain, 19.4 percent had a body mass index (BMI) lower than 25, which is considered normal weight, before their diagnosis of breast cancer. These women had a 25 percent increased risk of cancer death and also had an increased risk of cancer recurrence.

The study is to be presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in Orlando, Fla. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed journal.

“Most women are not gaining a large amount of weight following breast cancer diagnosis. But our analysis of the pooled data showed an association with poorer outcomes overall for those who do,” lead researcher Bette Caan, senior research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, said in an AACR news release.

Further research is needed to learn why extreme weight gain puts breast cancer survivors at increased risk for worse outcomes, Caan added.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about breast cancer.

Tips on How to Get a Boyfriend in High School

Keep It Simple…
One of the first things you need to know is – to keep it simple. Be someone who is immediately liked by everyone. Don’t be too complicated and don’t have complex emotions, that people would not prefer to deal with. Don’t be too smart for your age, but be more sensible for your age. There are girls who have weird expectations about a relationship, so make sure you have your opinions on this cleared and that they aren’t ones that guys would want to run away from. Be someone who calls a horse a horse and not a donkey. As Dave Berry said, “Guys are simple… women are not simple and they always assume that males must be just as complicated as they are, only way more mysterious. The whole point is guys are not thinking much. They’re just what they appear to be. Tragically.”

Attention to Appearance…
If you want to understand how to get a man to notice you, this tip will surely assist. All men are initially only physically attracted. This tells you that you will have to give enough attention to your appearance. Make sure you pamper yourself in the parlor or spa from time to time and that your wardrobe is decent enough to make you look good at all times. Make sure you’re living in the world of today and that your clothes are not old fashioned, even if expensive. Another perspective here, is that of hygiene. See to it that your hair is always in place and that your nails are always shaped properly if not cut. Be clean in and out!

Show Some Smartness…
Another thing you need to make sure of is that you’re smart enough for the men. No guy will like a girlfriend who is dumb and not street smart. Gone are the days when bold was something that was looked down on. Today, smartness is given much more credit than you think it ever got. Know your stuff in school well and don’t seem lost in all conversations. Make sure your views are well formed and that you’re a person who lives by values and principles. There is something called substance, make sure you’ve got some.

Some Flirting Support…
Now should you have your eyes set on this one particular man, you need to tell him that you are interested. Now you can’t go tell him this outright, can you? (Just in situation, you can’t!). Well, a little bit of healthy flirting is all you need here. Show those flirting signs but don’t go overboard with them and seem desperate. Look at him straight in the eyes when he talks to you and have those witty one-liners ready around the corner. There are guys who are smart enough to interpret them the right way and the ones who can’t, who cares?

Idealistic Individuality…
Another critical tip here is that you need to maintain your individuality. Guys don’t like ladies who’re always tagging along and act like leeches, even though it truly is unknowingly. These girls seem like a constant emotional liability and no one desires those, do they? You have to understand how to retain your individuality in between everyone else. High school is a time when everyone follows the masses and it’s all about the being in the crowd. It really is this thought process that you need to break and be different.

Now that you know how to get a boyfriend in high school, you can start the application of these tips as soon as possible, to see better and faster results. Remember, there is nothing difficult in getting a boyfriend as lengthy as you stick to being yourself and don’t pretend to be someone else. Be proud of being who you’re than being unsure of being someone else. Best of Luck!

The study found that when women stopped taking estrogen, the risk of stroke and blood clots, which were elevated while they were on estrogen, dropped quickly in several years of follow-up after treatment.

Possibly the most perplexing finding from this latest analysis is that a reduced risk of breast cancer persisted in women who had been on estrogen-only therapy.

“I think the findings are very reassuring. It doesn’t appear that women have to be concerned about an increased risk of breast cancer from short-term use of estrogen therapy, and they might have a decreased risk of breast cancer, heart attack, and even dying,” said the study’s lead author, Andrea LaCroix, a professor of epidemiology and WHI investigator from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Results of the study are published in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The Women’s Health Initiative estrogen-alone trial included 10,739 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79 who had previously had a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus).

The women were randomized to receive either estrogen treatment or a placebo. The study recruited women from 1993 through 1998, and the planned end of the study was in 2005. However, the study was stopped in 2004 when researchers realized the therapy was causing an increased risk of stroke and no apparent health benefits, according to LaCroix.

For the current analysis, 7,645 women agreed to continue participating in follow-up visits through 2009.

The good news from this analysis is that risks that increase while a woman is taking estrogen therapy appear to dissipate rapidly over time. While the odds of stroke and blood clots increase while on estrogen therapy, the risk returns to normal several years after stopping the hormone therapy. Women who had taken estrogen also had similar rates of heart disease and an overall risk of mortality compared to women on placebo at follow-up, according to the study.

One benefit that was seen during the treatment phase of the trial — a reduced risk of hip fractures — didn’t persist when the women stopped taking estrogen.

The benefit that did seem to last, however, was a decreased risk of breast cancer. Over the entire follow-up period, the incidence of breast cancer was 0.27 percent in women who took estrogen, and 0.35 percent in women who took the placebo.

LaCroix said it’s unclear what the mechanism behind the apparent protection against breast cancer is. Normally, estrogen is implicated in the development of breast cancer, not in the prevention of the disease.

She said this aspect of the study definitely needs more research, but added of this finding, “It’s reassuring, if you’re a woman in your 50s who has menopausal symptoms and a reason for taking estrogen.”

Dr. Graham Colditz, co-author of an accompanying editorial in the same issue of the journal and chief of the division of public health sciences at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said the reduction in breast cancer may be because these women were already past menopause when the estrogen was given. “There’s an involution of breast cells after menopause, so there would appear to be fewer bad actors waiting to respond to the hormones,” he said.

The study also found that the use of estrogen produced better outcomes for younger women than for women in their 70s. Heart disease risk, colorectal cancer risk and the overall risk of dying were lower in women in their 50s compared to those in their 70s, according to the study.

“Women in their 50s — who are the best candidates for estrogen therapy — show the best benefit-to-risk profile for short-term use of estrogen therapy,” said LaCroix. “We now have a really good set of data on what happens after you stop taking hormones and you can use this information to discuss risks and benefits with your physician,” she added.

Colditz isn’t so convinced, however. In the editorial, he noted that the International Agency for Research on Cancer had concluded that the body of evidence suggests that estrogen-only hormone therapy and combination HRT are carcinogenic, and added that this study did not address longer-term estrogen hormone therapy use, which a meta-analysis of 16 studies has linked with an increased risk of breast cancer. In addition, he and his co-author wrote, the study showed “no substantial benefit” to women who undergo estrogen hormone therapy, compared to women who do not.

“Women should use estrogen with caution,” Colditz concluded. “There are risks from taking hormone therapy. Even when using estrogen for one to two years for relief of menopausal symptoms, there are still risk-benefit issues to deal with.”

More information

For more on menopause and hormone therapy, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In fact, the study, published in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found no increased risk for patients who take opioid painkillers both as-needed and as regularly scheduled doses.

“Between 1999 and 2007, the rate of unintentional overdose death in the United States increased by 124 percent, largely because of increases in prescription opioid overdoses,” wrote Amy S.B. Bohnert of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor, Mich., and colleagues in a journal news release.

“Achieving a better understanding of the factors contributing to prescription opioid overdose death is an essential step toward addressing this troubling and dramatic increase in overdose mortality,” they added.

For this study the researchers examined VA data on 750 accidental opioid overdose deaths that occurred from 2004 to 2008 and a random sample of almost 155,000 patients who received opioids to treat pain in 2004 or 2005.

The overdose rate among patients treated with opioids was 0.04 percent. Patients who died of an opioid overdose were much more likely to be middle-aged and white; more likely to have chronic or acute pain, more likely to have substance use disorders or other psychiatric diagnoses; and less likely to have cancer.

Patients who received a higher maximum daily dose (100 milligrams/day or more) were more likely to overdose than those who received a lower maximum daily dose (between 1 and 20 mg/day).

“The present findings highlight the importance of implementing strategies for reducing opioid overdose among patients being treated for pain,” the researchers wrote.

“This study documents a relationship between opioid prescribing and opioid overdose in a large, national, prospective cohort of individuals receiving opioid therapy for a variety of medical conditions,” they continued. “The risk of opioid overdose should continue to be evaluated relative to the need to reduce pain and suffering and be considered along with other risk factors.”

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about opioids and other pain medicines.

Scientists found that vibrations in the inner ear continue even after a sound has ended and may serve as a mechanical memory of recent sounds.

The study is published in the April 5 issue of the Biophysical Journal.

In research with guinea pigs, the investigators found that after-vibrations in the inner ear were dependent on the magnitude and frequency of the sound stimuli and that even minor hearing loss resulted in a major reduction in after-vibrations.

“The after-vibrations appear to be driven by sustained force production in the inner ear — a form of short-term memory of past stimulations,” study senior author Dr. Alfred L. Nuttall, of the Oregon Hearing Research Center, said in a journal news release.

“It is important to point out that although our findings clearly demonstrate the existence of after-vibrations, further work is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanism,” he added.

Nuttall explained the potential importance of after-vibrations for hearing.

“The ability to detect brief gaps in an ongoing stimulus is critical for speech recognition; gaps need to be longer than a minimal interval to be perceived. To the extent that after-vibrations excite the auditory nerve fibers, they may explain part of the difficulty in detecting such gaps.”

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders outlines signs of hearing loss.

Men and women alike, enter a different stage in their lives after marriage and this stage brings with it a lot of psychological changes. The entire concept of marriage is so overwhelming for most that they are not able to cope up with. This isn’t a good factor or a bad factor, it is just perfectly normal to feel so. There are times when we all find it difficult to cope up with something or the other. All we need to do is think a small, realize the situation and try harder. The tips below will enable you to to think what is it that you need inside your romantic relationship now, to understand what exactly is happening, and to try and make things perfect, forever!

Relationship Assistance for Married Women: Tips

Patience
My first in partnership advice for women, this element is very crucial. Patience, and how much of it you can possess, can make a lot of distinction. If you are very short tempered and aggressive, you need to change that about yourself and see to it that you stay calm and deal with things. Patience also helps when the other person is wrong, and you’re right, as he’s soon going to feel sorry that he hurt you and you didn’t say a thing. Nonetheless, in the event you react in the same manner as he does, it shows you in equally bad light. Silence has a lot of dignity, and you need to recognize when to remain quiet and when to speak it out.

Understanding
Another essential partnership guidance for married women is to possess the quality of understanding. A woman by nature, is more understanding towards emotions and sentiments than males. On the other hand, men are very secretive about their emotions, and can seldom show them all. This makes it critical for you to read between the lines. When he talks, ask him if anything is wrong when you see a change of attitude towards you. There is a lot that requirements to be spoken in between the two partners, and it’s you who needs to make the initiative.

Surprise Element
Men get bored easily, and this is why you need to keep on surprising them in the event you want to maintain the spontaneity within your romantic relationship. Spontaneity also adds to the fun and the fun in turn leads to more happiness. The surprise element also will show your husband that you care for him, and his happiness matters to you more than anything else does. Surprises always make the other person feel good and, as a wife, it’s not only your duty but also one of the special gestures you need to show towards your husband.

Adventure
A special mention in the connection advice for women over 40, this can support your partnership grow more beautifully. Just like a relationship grows with the element of spontaneity, it also requires a particular quota of adventure. Now, adventure can be defined differently by all of us, isn’t it? Take him out on those adventure vacations once in a while and plan them for him. One weekend each and every month, go play some adventure sports activities together. Go mountain biking and trekking whenever you feel you need some change. These things will not only increase the number of good things you’ll do together, but will also add to the love you’ll share.

Companionship
Though I’m mentioning this towards the end of this article on partnership advice for married women, it’s probably one of the most essential aspects in all types of relationships. Once married, you have to know that you will be your husband’s companion, in happiness and during the tough times too. This means, you need to stand by his side no matter how tough times get, and also, more importantly, let him know that he always has you. This assurance from your side can do wonders to your connection.

Now that you will be equipped with this relationship guidance for married women, you can deal with issues in marriage easily and confidently. Remember, marriage is one of the most beautiful experiences in life in the event you make the most of it. Understanding is the key to every problem in each and every relationship, so make sure you in no way fail at that. Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

The device, surgically placed just below the collarbone, sends a four- to six-volt electrical jolt to the carotid arteries. This is said to lower blood pressure through a process known as baroreflex activation therapy.

The researchers were scheduled to present their findings Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans.

“People with resistant hypertension — high blood pressure that doesn’t respond to multi-drug therapy and lifestyle changes — are a growing group, and they’re in desperate need of additional treatments,” study lead author Dr. John D. Bisognano, professor of medicine in the cardiology division of the University of Rochester, said in a meeting news release.

“This system is safe, and its effect is as good as two or three drugs for people who are already taking five or six drugs and still can’t control their hypertension,” said Bisognano, who is also a consultant for CVRx, Inc., the device’s maker, which funded the study.

The pulses generated by the device trick the body into thinking that blood pressure has spiked. In response, the body sends out regulators that cause blood pressure to fall, the researchers explain in the news release.

For this phase 3 study (typically conducted before submitting a device for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration), the device was implanted in 265 patients with high blood pressure (readings over 160/80 mmHg) recruited from centers in the United States and Europe. All of the patients had been taking three or more blood pressure medications, including a diuretic, but their hypertension remained uncontrolled.

Blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 mmHg increase the risk of heart and kidney disease, stroke and death, experts note.

The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups, with both groups taking about the same number of medications. One group received the baroreflex activation therapy device with activation for the full 12 months. In the other group, the device was programmed to start operating at six months.

The goal for systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) was under 140 mmHg. At monthly visits, if a patient’s target was not met, the voltage was upped to further lower blood pressure.

Systolic blood pressure dropped in both groups, the researchers reported. Forty-one percent of patients with the device achieved target levels after six months, and more than half (54 percent) met the goal after the 12-month mark.

The researchers were also surprised by a placebo effect noted in the other group: about one-fifth of people who weren’t getting shocks still met their target for lowered blood pressure during the first six months, or control phase, while 46 percent achieved the target by the end of the study.

Overall, “reductions in [systolic blood pressure] at 12 months were at least 50 percent of those seen at six months, demonstrating a sustained response,” the researchers wrote.

In both time periods, both groups saw their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number in a reading) drop as well.

At the end of the study, “there was an 88 percent responder rate, a 35 mmHg blood pressure drop and a decrease in left ventricular mass,” the researchers wrote, explaining that chronic hypertension enlarges the heart’s left ventricle.

“The data showed that the therapy significantly reduced blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension,” they said.

Cardiologists not involved in the study did offer some caveats, however.

Dr. Nieca Goldberg, director of the women’s heart program at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, called the treatment “a novel approach” for people unable to tolerate or benefit from high blood pressure drugs.

However, “this is more invasive than traditional ways to treat hypertension, and there were only 265 participants in the study,” she noted. “More research is necessary to see if there are gender differences in treatment and if the benefit is there for a whole range of people.”

And although the device may effectively reduce blood pressure, the surgery is risky, said Dr. Barry J. Materson, a professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

“In a study published in 2010, there were a number of serious adverse effects related to the surgery and the implanted device and wires,” he said, but “no adverse effects are discussed in the present abstract.”

Also, the study fails to address the costs associated with the device, Materson said. “This needs to be weighed against the long-term cost of the medications,” he added.

Experts note that research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

For more about high blood pressure, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.