Get walking and take your dog, too

A recent article from WebMC Health News said walking your dog can help keep you fit and may also ward off high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Read the article here.

"Dog owners who don't walk their dog are missing a great opportunity to get physical activity and stay healthy," says researcher Cindy Lentino, MS, an exercise scientist at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.

"If you walk your dog just 30 minutes a day, you can meet national recommendations for physical activity," she tells WebMD.

The study was presented at a meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Baltimore.

It involved 916 healthy people averaging age 40, three-fourths of whom were women.

Compared with participants who regularly walked their four-legged pals, dog owners who didn't walk their pets:

• Were 58% more likely to be overweight or underweight.
• Were substantially less likely to meet the ACSM/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for physical activity, which call for moderately intense cardio exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. That means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation.
• Spent about 30 more minutes sitting around every day, on average.
• Were more than twice as likely to have high blood pressure.

When matched against people who didn't own a dog, the dog walkers:

• Were 11% less likely to use tobacco products.
• Had about one-third the risk of diabetes.
• Were about 15% less likely to have high blood pressure and about 30% less likely to have high cholesterol.
• Were about 35% less likely to have symptoms of depression.

New use for a dog's nose

Research is indicating that dogs may be able to detect chemicals released into urine by prostate tumors.

Read the article by WebMD.com writer Charlene Laino here.

The concept isn't new. Other researchers have reported varying degrees of success using dogs to detect cancers of the skin, lung, and bladder, says researcher Pierre Bigot, MD, of Tenon Hospital in Paris.

The theory is that many tumors release chemicals with distinct odors that can be picked up by dogs, whose sense of smell is much more sensitive than that of humans, he tells WebMD.

Researchers used a Belgian Malinois, a breed used in drug and bomb detection. The dog was trained to identify urine from a patient with confirmed prostate cancer and then taught to tell samples that were from healthy men.

Out of 66 tests, the dog was correct 63 times. Other dogs are now being tested.

The goal is not to have dogs sniffing around hospital testing labs, but to determine what chemicals the dogs are identifying and then develop a more accurate electronic detection system, something the article calls an "electronic nose."

Aging dogs equals aging answers

An interesting article by Dan McFeely of the Indianapolis Star appeared in USA Today about studying older dogs to gain insight into aging and cancer.

Read it here.

Researcher David Waters of Purdue University is taking a 23-day tour around the country examining 15 of the oldest-living Rottweilers, all of which are at least 13 years old. Rotties typically don't live longer than 10, according to the article.

Waters is calling the venture his "Old Grey Muzzle tour."

"If you want to understand aging, you have to look to those who have been extremely successful," Waters said. "These dogs are the equivalent to 100-year-old people and we want to find out what is the root of their success."

During each stop, which can last up to four hours, Waters performs a physical examination on the dog. He listens closely to the hearts and lungs. He performs a neurological exam, collects DNA samples, checks bone density and measures body weight and height. Additionally, Waters conducts interviews with owners, exploring the home environment and the things owners have done to keep their dogs healthy.

Waters said decisions owners make can profoundly affect longevity, such as diet, vaccinations and ovary removals.

Waters, 52, focuses on the Rottweilers, he said, because of the similar patterns of aging and cancer behavior for those that are afflicted. Waters says there is a growing need to find out what impacts healthy aging.

Kate would be happy to meet with Waters.