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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THAT'SNEWS UUU Obesity Rates Decline Among Young, Low-Income Children R ESEARCHERS AT THE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that for the first time in several years, obesity among low-income, preschool-aged children in the United States declined. The study used data from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System, which included 27.5 million children aged 2–4 years who were living in low-income families. The results revealed the prevalence of obesity in this population rose from 13.05% in 1998 to 15.21% in 2003, while extreme obesity increased from 1.75% to 2.22% during the same period. Prevalence declined slightly from 2003 through 2010, with obesity falling to 14.94% and extreme obesity to 2.07%. The nationwide study, published in December 2012 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was the first to document this decrease in childhood obesity. Because obese children tend to grow up to become obese adults — with greater risk of cardiovascular and other diseases than their healthier peers — even this modest drop in obesity rates has implications for improved lifelong health in the population studied. I Prostate Cancer Progression May Be Prevented by a High-Fiber Diet A STUDY BY RESEARCHERS at the University of Colorado Cancer Center shows high intake of fiber has the potential to control the growth of early-stage prostate cancer tumors. Compared with study controls, mice fed inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) — an active component of a high-fiber diet — had dramatically lower prostate tumor volumes. The antiangiogenic properties of IP6 prevented tumors from forming new blood vessels, effectively starving them of the energy they needed to grow. In addition, IP6 inhibited tumors' ability to metabolize glucose, possibly by reducing the protein GLUT-4, which aids in glucose transport. Researchers say consuming foods rich in fiber may account for the difference in progression of prostate cancer between Asian and Western cultures. While the prevalence of prostate cancer is similar in both groups of cultures, the disease tends not to progress in Asian cultures, unlike in the West. The results of this study suggest the difference is not genetic, as previously researched, but rather of dietary origin. I Link Between Passive Smoking and Dementia AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF researchers has found exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is associated with forms of dementia. ETS, also called passive smoking or secondhand smoke, has previously been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases but had not been associated with dementia before. The study included nearly 6,000 people older than 60 in rural and urban China. The country currently has 350 million smokers, making it the world's largest consumer of tobacco, and more than 50% of people in China are exposed to ETS daily. The results showed 10 percent of the study population had severe dementia syndromes. The association was related to the level and duration of ETS exposure and was detected regardless of whether the person currently, previously or never smoked. I 34 | Twin Cities MD NEWS I MDNEWS.COM A DV E R T I S E R S ' I N D E X Chu Vision Institute .....................................5 Crutchfield Dermatology........... Inside Front Cover HealthPartners ............................................ 31 Keurig............................................................ 33 Mayo Clinic .................... Inside Back Cover MMIC.............................................Back Cover St. Paul Radiology ......................................17

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