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Lifting weights can help prevent flare-ups of lymphedema, a painful swelling of the arm that often occurs after breast cancer surgery, new research shows.

The finding runs counter to what women have been told for years — that they should avoid stressing the arm during strength training or other exercise because muscle strain can cause lymphedema to worsen.

The study is published in the Aug. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers divided 141 breast cancer survivors who had lymphedema into two groups. One group did twice-weekly weight training using slowly increasing weights for 13 weeks. Afterward, they were told to continue the exercises unsupervised for 39 weeks. The other group was told to maintain their normal exercise and activity regimen.

About 11 percent of the weight-lifting group and 12 percent of the control group had an increase of 5 percent or more in limb swelling, according to the study, not a significant difference.

Yet the weight-lifting group had greater improvements in self-reported severity of lymphedema symptoms, an improvement in upper- and lower-body strength and a lower incidence of lymphedema exacerbations.

About 14 percent of the weight-lifting group experienced a flare-up compared to 29 percent of those in the control group, according to a certified lymphedema specialist who examined the participants.

“We found that twice-weekly, slowly progressive strength training does not increase the likelihood of swelling and decreases the likelihood of flare-ups,” said study author Kathryn Schmitz, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

In the past, advice to women about dealing with lymphedema has been confusing, Schmitz noted. Standard advice has been to keep the skin clean and moisturized, be careful when clipping nails, wear compression sleeves to prevent swelling or to do gentle, therapeutic exercises to promote lymphatic drainage.

Earlier epidemiological studies found a link between arm injuries or muscle strain and flare-ups, Schmitz said.

“They were extremely well-meaning guidelines that said to avoid stressing the arm,” Schmitz said. “What that translated into was advice to avoid lifting anything like grocery bags, children or even a purse.”

Not only did this make life more difficult, the lack of activity meant the arm muscles weakened, making muscle strains and other injuries more likely.

“What I’m suggesting is that if women slowly, progressively make themselves stronger, they will be less likely to overuse the arm because they have trained the arm,” Schmitz said.

Up to 62 percent of women treated for breast cancer develop lymphedema, an accompanying editorial noted.

A study in the March 16 online issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that women who develop lymphedema fare worse than women without the condition and have higher out-of-pocket medical costs after radiation and surgery.

Women with lymphedema report a lower quality of life, higher levels of anxiety and depression, an increased likelihood of chronic pain and fatigue and greater difficulty functioning socially and sexually, according to the study. Lymphedema also boosted two-year, postoperative medical costs.

In an accompanying editorial, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, a professor in the department of behavioral science at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, noted that making progressive resistance training a standard part of post-cancer care could help to lower those costs and improve women’s lives.

“The significance of the study is that women who have had breast cancer surgery or radiation treatment have been told that they shouldn’t lift any weight and to avoid repetitive motions. As a result, we have a generation of women who have almost become incapacitated,” Demark-Wahnefried said. “They’ve been leery to lift groceries or their children, or fail to go back to jobs due to the risk of lymphedema. This study helps to lift some of that concern.”

For some of the women in the study, the weight-lifting regimen, which was done at YMCAs in the Philadelphia area with fitness instructors who had received a three-day training in lymphedema care, left them feeling fitter than even before they had cancer, Schmitz said.

About 20 percent of U.S. teens exchange prescription drugs such as antibiotics and allergy medications with friends, a practice that can be dangerous and potentially deadly, warns a new study.

For example, a teen who’s taking the acne medication Accutane — which has been linked to birth defects — may give some to a friend who is pregnant but doesn’t yet realize it, the researchers said.

They interviewed 592 adolescents, aged 12 to 17, and asked them if they’d ever “borrowed” or “loaned” a prescription drug. If so, the teens were asked what kind(s) of drugs were exchanged, if they gave or received any warnings or instructions with the medications, and about outcomes.

Besides finding that about a fifth of those surveyed had swapped a prescription medication with a friend, the study also found that almost a third of teens who took a “borrowed” prescription didn’t tell their doctor. That type of situation can lead to unforeseen drug interactions, according to lead author Richard Goldsworthy, director for research and development at Academic Edge, Inc. and colleagues.

“Other researchers have studied people selling prescription drugs, but we looked at people with good intentions, trying, for instance, to help a friend who lacked money or transportation for a doctor’s visit,” co-author Chris Mayhorn, an associate professor of psychology at North Carolina State University, said in a news release from the Center for the Advancement of Health.

The study appears online in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The findings are important “for physicians, prevention coalitions, school counselors, parents and the youth themselves,” Melissa Haddow, director of the Community Partnership of the Ozarks, said in the news release.

Previous studies found that almost 40 percent of U.S. adults “loan” or “borrow” prescription drugs.

Ozone concentrations below the current U.S. clean-air standard may still temporarily impair lung function, even in healthy young people, a small study suggests.

Ozone has been linked to inflammation in the lungs, and to breathing problems. Researchers found that when 31 young adults exercised at various levels of ozone exposure over several hours, participants’ average lung function began to deteriorate when ozone concentrations stood at 70 parts per billion (ppb).

That is below the current U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), which states that people should be exposed to ozone levels of no more than 75 ppb, averaged over 8 hours.

The findings essentially suggest that if healthy young adults exercise outside at ozone levels of 70 ppb for several hours — taking a long hike, for instance — about half will suffer respiratory symptoms like coughing or pain during deep breathing, explained lead researcher Dr. Edward S. Schelegle, of the University of California, Davis.

Typically, summer ozone levels hover between 50 and 60 ppb in the U.S., according to a 10-year study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The findings, reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, are based on exercise tests of 31 non-smokers between the ages of 18 and 25.

Schelegle and his colleagues had the men and women work out moderately on a stationary bike or treadmill on five separate days. On each day, participants exercised in six 50-minute bouts over 6.6 hours; over the course of each day, they breathed either filtered air, or air containing ozone concentrations of 60, 70, 80 or 87 ppb.

The researchers found that on average, exercisers’ lung function deteriorated after several hours of exposure to ozone levels of 70 ppb. There was, however, significant variation from person to person; 19 percent showed a fairly strong sensitivity to ozone concentrations of 70 ppb, while some showed far lesser reactions.

Some others were particularly sensitive; 16 percent showed significantly decreased lung function when ozone levels stood at 60 ppb.

“One thing that is often lost…” Schelegle told Reuters Health in an email, “is that the magnitude of response to ozone varies greatly from one person to the next, and that it is important for even healthy people to be conscious of their respiratory symptoms when exercising for prolonged periods in areas where ozone levels may be elevated, even if the levels are below the current NAAQ Standard.”

This may be especially important for people with asthma or other lung conditions, he noted.

As for whether the clean-air standard for ozone should be lowered, Schelegle said that the data from this study and other recent ones need to be analyzed before any recommendations can be made.

In an editorial published with the study, Dr. James S. Brown of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which sets the NAAQ Standard, agrees on the importance of ongoing research.

“Only with continued research efforts,” he writes, “will we be able to better characterize the susceptibility in some healthy individuals, as well as asthmatic individuals, to the effects of short-term (ozone) exposures.”

If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise could be just what the doctor ordered.

These lifestyle improvements may require some dramatic changes in your routine. But where do you start?

The American Diabetes Association warns against trying to change too much at once. It offers these suggestions:
Take a number of small steps, over a sufficient amount of time. This should make accomplishing your goals much easier.
Face your bad habits, and realize that you need to change them. Ask for help from family, friends and medical professionals, if you need it.
Find a motivating goal — wanting to be around when your grandchildren grow up, for example.
Prioritize your changes. Complete goals that you’re comfortable with initially, and save others for later.
Look at how much impact these changes will make, and start with those that pack the biggest punch, such as getting more active.
Setting goals should include what you’ll do, how quickly you can accomplish it, and how to incorporate the task in your daily life.