New fitness vibration plates popular but may be risky

What if you could burn fat while shaking a martini? Actually, it's your body that shakes like a martini on a new type of fitness machine that's generating lots of buzz and celebrity use. Even NASA has tested the concept.

These machines use vibrations to tone muscle and claim to do it faster. Aggressive promoters also say the equipment improves flexibility and strength, reduces pain and stress, builds muscle and reverses osteoporosis.

However, researchers warn of possible injuries ranging from back pain to cartilage damage. One even warns that the high-powered jiggling might harm the brain. They say the science is thin and too little is known about the long-term effects of such powerful vibrations.

Still, NASA is studying vibration as a possible tool for reducing muscle atrophy and bone loss during astronauts' long, weightless trips in space.

And users of the equipment love the sensation and the quick workout. Workout times are reduced by two-thirds, advocates say, a claim that appeals to busy professionals, mothers of young children and just about anyone who shuns exercise.

"I feel kind of tingly and a little like I got off a ship, kind of shaky but in a good way," said Amy Allen, 40, a working mom in Chicago, after a 25-minute workout on the Power Plate, one of the higher-end brands. "I'm hoping this is the solution to help me get that extra weight off."

The Power Plate vibrates 20 to 50 times a second in three directions, increasing g-forces on the body, and according to the Northbrook, Ill.-based company of the same name. The company says that raises the effectiveness of lunges, squats and other exercises done while standing on it.

The workout is not aerobic; it's more like weightlifting without weights.

"You don't really feel like you're working that hard, but then you get that sweat going and once the vibration stops, you can really feel it in your legs or upper body," said Michaela Zakheim, 45, who uses the machine at a fitness center in her Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Power Plate sells models for home and gym at prices ranging from $3,000 to $10,500. Motors in the base make a low humming noise. Controls adjust the duration and intensity. The machines weigh 264 to 500 pounds and have handles to hang onto.

Fitness trainers love them, but some users don't like the fact they can't read or watch TV while working out on them, said Craig Bradley, general manager of Holmes Place, an upscale Chicago health club that has four Power Plates. Doubts also stem from memories of the belt vibrators popular 50 years ago.

Others have been won over, though.

"I think the machines are as good as the imagination of the person using them," Bradley said.

Dozens of companies have entered the market, including Soloflex, which has sold more than 30,000 of its $295 vibrating, skateboardlike, handle-free platforms in less than three years, said Jerry Wilson, the Hillsboro, Ore.-based company's CEO and founder.

"We get reports back that it helps people with incontinence," Wilson said. "Their aches and pains have gone away. They're stronger. They sleep better. It has basically the same effects as if they'd started an exercise program."

A study at NASA's Johnson Space Center showed that the use of a vibration platform during exercise squats made muscles work more, but it didn't look at whether vibration makes athletes run faster or jump higher.

"Vibration works ... but we're still trying to figure out how to use it best, and I think we're a number of years away before we do that," said Bill Amonette, one of the study authors and a fitness expert at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. "I think we have to be cautious of some of the claims. ... With aggressive marketing, sometimes they claim things that aren't necessarily true."

Some researchers are also concerned that high-amplitude vibration can be dangerous over time since it can send jarring waves throughout the body, said Andrew Abercromby, another researcher at Johnson Space Center.

"I believe, and I think quite a few other people believe, the jury is still out on it," Abercromby said.

Clinton Rubin, a biomedical engineering professor at State University of New York at Stony Brook, said he has asked Power Plate to stop citing his research in its promotional materials. His work has led to a vibration device before the Food and Drug Administration approval for prevention and reversal of bone loss from osteoporosis, but that device uses much gentler vibrations than Power Plate, Rubin said.

He believes the Power Plate's vibration levels could cause low back pain, cartilage damage, blurred vision, hearing loss and even brain damage.

"I think they are cavalier in dismissing the dangers of chronic exposure," he said. "I'm a scientist. I worry that people are going to use this device based on a misrepresentation of science."

Power Plate warns pregnant women and people with retinal detachment, blood clots, bone tumors and other medical conditions against using the machines.

Soloflex recommends using its device only 30 minutes a day because too much use would exceed industry standards for safe vibrations in the workplace. (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn't set safety levels for fitness equipment, an agency spokesman said.)

"I own a steel factory, so I know whole body vibration has allowable exposure limits," Wilson said. "But too much aspirin is bad for one too."

Associated Press Writer Mike Schneider in Cape Canaveral, Fla., contributed to this report.

carla k johnson

osteoporosis prevention

Periodontal diseases are blind to age

2 studies suggest that periodontal diseases should be a concern to women of all ages

CHICAGO – Two new studies in the June issue of the Journal of Periodontology (JOP) suggest that periodontal diseases are a threat to women of all ages due to hormonal fluctuations that occur at various stages of their lives.

One study looked at 50 women who were between the ages of 20 to 35 with varying forms of periodontitis. The study found that women who currently were taking oral contraceptive pills had more gingival bleeding upon probing and deeper periodontal pockets (signs of periodontitis) than those who were not taking oral contraceptive pills.

“Younger women often think that periodontal disease is a condition associated with old age,” explained study author Brian Mullally, PhD. “Our study shows that it is very possible for younger women to experience periodontal disease. It is important for women to alert their dental practitioners of any medications they are taking, such as oral contraceptive pills, because it is possible that their oral health may be affected. It might also be prudent where possible for young women to ensure that their periodontal health has been checked before commencing oral contraceptive therapy.”

Another study in this month’s issue of the JOP examined 1,256 postmenopausal women and looked for a potential association between periodontal bacteria and bone loss in the oral cavity. The study results showed that women with periodontal bacteria in their mouths were also more likely to have bone loss in the oral cavity, which can lead to tooth loss if not treated.

“Our study’s findings are important for postmenopausal women because they suggest that good periodontal health is extremely important in the postmenopausal years,” said study author Renee Brennan, PhD. “We found that oral bone loss was associated with presence of oral bacteria. In fact, 62% of the women in our study had at least one species of subgingival bacteria present, and the women with these bacteria had more evidence of oral bone loss. Interestingly, women who had a Body Mass Index in the overweight range were much more likely to have oral bone loss associated with presence of oral bacteria. Oral bone loss has been associated with osteoporosis in this group as well. This association has been difficult to study because many risk factors for periodontal disease and osteoporosis, including smoking, age, medications, and overall general health are similar. It should be noted that our study was limited in that it included a relatively healthy group of mostly Caucasian women and that future studies are needed to determine the effects of periodontal bacteria on bone loss in other groups of postmenopausal women.”

“Taking care of your teeth and gums is a lifelong commitment,” explained Preston D. Miller, Jr., DDS, President of the American Academy of Periodontology. “Women should pay special attention to their oral health as they enter different stages of their lives because additional periodontal care may be needed during different points such as the reproductive years or menopause. Knowing your ‘pocket size’ depth can be a good way for women to keep track of their periodontal health; periodontal pockets of one to two millimeters with no bleeding are not a concern but pockets of three and four millimeters may need a more in depth cleaning called scaling and root planing.”

osteoporosis prevention

Five steps to osteoporosis prevention

osteoporosis prevention

> Get daily amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

> Engage in regular weight-bearing exercise.

> Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake.

> Talk to your health provider about bone health.

> When appropriate, have a bone density test and take prescribed medication.

Source: National Institute of Aging

25,000 seniors suffer broken hips: Study

But quicker the surgery, better the outcome, report suggests

Canadian Press
Almost two-thirds of seniors who suffer a broken hip go under the knife within a day or two, and they tend to have better outcomes than those who wait longer for an operation, said a report released today.

Overall, the study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information found that nearly 25,000 seniors were admitted to hospital in Canada in 2005-2006 with a broken hip. Hospitalizations for hip fractures were down 13 per cent from five years earlier.

But the report found that eight per cent of seniors admitted to hospitals outside Quebec with hip fractures spent four or more days in hospital before having surgery.

Those who had to wait longer than the next day for surgery were 22 per cent more likely to die in hospital within 30 days of admission.

"We find that there is a group that we could perhaps do a better job on," said Dr. Michael Dunbar, an orthopedic surgeon in Halifax who routinely sees elderly patients showing up in hospital in ``significant amounts of pain" after a fall.

"We've identified some low-hanging fruit, a group that is waiting and subsequently is not having as good an outcome, particularly with respect to mortality. So it's an area where we could do better."

Numerous factors can contribute to delays.

Dunbar said they can occur because a patient has to be taken off blood-thinners before surgery, or may require a cardiac assessment first.

Jennifer Zelmer, vice-president of research and analysis at CIHI, said the statistics were adjusted for these "patient factors," and the report revealed a number of other concerns related to wait times.

"If you were transferred from one hospital to another, or if you're admitted to a larger hospital, or an afternoon or evening admit, or an admission on a weekday as opposed to a weekend, those patients were more likely to have their surgery later than others," said Zelmer, one of the authors of the report.

The fact that surgery occurs more quickly when a person is admitted on a weekend might come as a surprise, but Zelmer said it has to do with the fact that someone is specifically on call on the weekend to handle trauma cases and can help a patient immediately.

"Whereas on a weekday, they may be in the middle of a hip replacement, for example, or a scheduled surgery," she said.

Dunbar agreed, noting that elective surgery isn't normally scheduled on weekends, so surgeons can start working on emergency cases such as fractured hips first thing in the morning.

Broken hips are dealt with more quickly in small hospitals, the report found.

"Seventy-four per cent, for example, got same day or next day surgery if they were admitted to a small hospital," Zelmer said.

The number was 67 per cent for a medium or large community hospital, and 57 per cent for teaching hospitals.

As for regional variations, those in Prince Edward Island, British Columbia and Nova Scotia were more likely to have surgery quickly, while patients in Manitoba and Saskatchewan were behind the national average.

Health Minister Tony Clement noted that it's the first time CIHI has measured wait times for hip fracture surgery.

"So before we didn't have a benchmark for this kind of surgery," he said.

"We didn't have a specific target. But we can use this baseline information to measure how better or worse we do in the years ahead."

The higher death rate among those who wait longer for surgery does not have have to do with problems in setting the bones, said Dunbar, but other factors.

"Because you're immobilized, you're lying in bed, you can't move, you tend to get more urinary tract infections, you get more pneumonia because you can't get up and clear your lungs, you get pressure sores, and you get blood clots," he said.

Dunbar pointed to the decline in the overall number of hip fractures – adjusted for population aging and population growth – as a positive thing.

"What that says to me is our colleagues who have been working on prevention strategies like treating osteoporosis, identifying people at risk, working on fall prevention strategies, etc., have been effective in that they're reducing the incidence of hip fractures," he said

osteoporosis prevention

First-Line Osteoporosis Therapy Receives General Benefit Status on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary

TORONTO, June 4 /CNW/ - ACTONEL(R) (risedronate sodium tablets), a drug
indicated for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, has been moved
from Limited Use to General Benefit status on the Ontario Drug Benefit
Formulary (ODBF). This means osteoporosis patients covered by the Ontario Drug
Benefit plan will now have unrestricted access to Actonel. In the past, unless
patients (seniors with no private coverage or those on fixed incomes) met
restrictive criteria, they might have needed to pay out-of-pocket for Actonel,
despite it being recommended by Osteoporosis Canada's clinical practice
guidelines(1) as a first line treatment for osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis affects as many as 530,000 Ontarians, resulting in more than
57,000 osteoporosis-related fractures, 68,000 emergency department visits,
62,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths each and every year. The resulting
cost to the health care system is as high as $500-million in hospitalization
and long-term care.(2)

"Fracture prevention is the goal of osteoporosis management, and having
access to a first line therapy such as Actonel, with proven fracture
prevention as early as six months is good news for Ontario osteoporosis
patients," says Dr. Rick Adachi, Professor in the Department of Medicine at
McMaster University and rheumatologist at St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton.

In clinical trials, Actonel has been found to reduce the risk of
vertebral(3),(4) and nonvertebral fractures(3), including those at the hip.(5)
In analyses of the clinical trial data, fracture protection with Actonel was
seen as early as six months(6),(7) and the findings of the recently published
RisedronatE and ALendronate (REAL) cohort study,(8) a large retrospective
study that measured fracture incidence in over 33,000 postmenopausal women
receiving one of the two most popular osteoporosis drugs, were consistent with
these analyses.

"This General Benefit listing is great news for physicians and patients.
It is consistent with the Ontario Ministry of Health's Osteoporosis Strategy
and provides better access to effective first line therapies recommended by
evidence-based guidelines" says Dr. Famida Jiwa, Acting President & CEO of
Osteoporosis Canada. "Improving access to effective therapies allows
physicians to prescribe therapy that meets the unique needs of patients
without being restricted by drug plan status. This is an important step in
reducing the burden of osteoporosis, both on patients and on the healthcare
system overall."

The Osteoporosis Action Plan: An Osteoporosis Strategy for Ontario (a
report of the Osteoporosis Action Plan committee submitted to the Ontario
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care), states that if more people with
osteoporosis had better access to effective therapies, Ontario would be able
to reduce the number of fractures and increase the quality of life for
thousands.(9) The Transparent Drug System for Patients Act (Bill 102) calls
for the elimination of the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) plan's Limited Use
listings, which provides only restricted access to therapies like Actonel.
Reforming the drug system is part of the government's effort to improve access
to therapies needed by Ontario patients to live healthier, longer lives.

"All patients should have access to the medicine their doctor thinks best
suits their individual needs," says Roza Taca, osteoporosis patient. "When I
was diagnosed with osteoporosis five years ago, my doctor essentially had only
one choice of treatment that was covered by the government plan. This new
listing means doctors have more choices, and that means patients get better
care." 

osteoporosis prevention

Fight Disease, Aging with Fitness

through physical activity, we can improve our quality of life by preventing or delaying development of health problems. The ISSA technical support staff reveals the five principle physical components of fitness.

Carpinteria, CA (PRWEB) June 5, 2007 -- Several studies have explored the relationship between physical activity and the overall quality of life. In 1996, the Surgeon General's Office released its Report on Physical Activity and Health. This report reviews the evidence relating physical activity to reduced risks of a variety of health problems. Evidence shows that physical activity is related to a lower risk of premature development of many health problems such as anxiety, arthritis, back pain, cancer, depression, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, lung disease, memory problems and osteoporosis.

According to the experts at the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), a personal training certification organization that teaches the nation's personal trainers how to get their clients into shape, "total fitness involves an integrated approach that is dynamic, multidimensional and also relates to heredity and environmental factors."

total fitness involves an integrated approach that is dynamic, multidimensional and also relates to heredity and environmental factors.

"Although heredity influences physical fitness and health, we can all lead healthy or unhealthy lives regardless of our genetic makeup," reports Patrick Gamboa, ISSA Director of Technical and Educational Support. "Since it isn't possible to establish the relative portion of an individual's health or fitness that is determined through heredity, your genetic background neither dooms nor guarantees success in achieving total fitness." One of the major components of fitness involves personal choices: time spent in the sun, smoking, drinking, arguing and worrying. People who, over a lifetime, have neglected health and fitness practices suffer higher levels of "disease" (maladies, ailments, injuries -- the absence of ease) compared to those who have lived a fitness lifestyle.

Through physical activity, we can improve our quality of life by preventing or delaying development of health problems. The ISSA technical support staff reveals the five principle physical components of fitness:

1. Cardiovascular endurance is an important (most physicians would state categorically that it is the most important) component of physical fitness. When your muscles need oxygen, your aerobic (cardiovascular) system must be able to efficiently deliver it to them. When your body has waste products that need to be expelled (e.g. carbon dioxide and metabolic waste products), your heart-lung complex must be up to the task. These two tasks form the functional basis of aerobic fitness.

2. Strength is your ability to exert musculoskeletal force against an external object, such as a barbell, the ground or an opponent, and it stems from four main sources: structural, physiological, psychoneural and environmental factors. A lack of adequate muscular strength in conjunction with a decrease in bone density is a definite health concern of our general population and can lead to a decrease in our musculoskeletal functions. Strength developed through resistance training helps to develop our musculoskeletal system, which is what gives us the ability to physically move using our muscles and bones.

3. Sound nutrition is the consumption of food that provides your body with all the nutrients it needs to remain healthy and active. The six major nutrients necessary for a healthy body are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. A deficiency in any one of these nutrients can reduce your chances of success in reaching your fitness goals. Considerable data indicates that the safest and most effective way to accomplish weight control is to combine sensible eating habits with a program of sound exercise that includes both aerobic and weight training.

4. Flexibility is the ability to flex, extend, or circumduct the joints through their full intended range of motion. The term "flexibility" actually refers to the mobility of your joints and how muscles, ligaments, tendons, or other soft tissues affect it -- not to the "suppleness" of those soft tissues themselves. How much flexibility do you need? Although the answer varies from individual to individual, it can safely be said that you need enough flexibility to meet the demands of your daily activities with ease, plus a little bit more to spare for life's little emergencies (e.g., falling on ice, tripping, etc.). It is important to remember that flexibility and strength training programs must occur concurrently. Significantly improving your joints' range of motion without also improving the strength of your surrounding musculature (especially at its new range of motion) can be an invitation for injury.

5. A positive attitude may seem like a mental component of fitness, but this element of physical fitness is the most important of all! Adopted from the Native Americans, the points of the YMCA triangle stand for "mind," "body" and "spirit." All religions in one way or another recognize the importance of this Mind-Body-Spirit link. To realize your full potential, it is necessary to focus on your overall happiness with life and the healthy lifestyle choices that you make everyday.

fight osteoporosis

Rising Aging Population Drives Advances In DEXA

osteoporosis population

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled Advances in DEXA provides the reader with an overview of some of the present and the future trends witnessed in the osteoporosis business. It also includes a section on technology drivers and challenges faced by the technology.

Increased Awareness of Osteoporosis Drives Research on Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA)

DEXA is the established standard for measuring bone mineral density (BMD) to diagnose osteoporosis, which afflicts most of the population beyond age 65. Mass screening has proven very uneconomical and a requirement for risk-based screening does not exist in most countries. "Moreover, the high cost of screening has prevented federal structures across the continents to take initiatives to implement screening," according to the analyst of the study. "The lobbying efforts of certain eminent bodies and pharmaceutical companies have yielded very little effect and pale into insignificance in certain instances."

In general, the osteoporosis market is a very passive market. Vendors are looking into assessing fracture risk rather than diagnosing BMD therefore, a cost-effective solution in diagnosing the disease is essential. With many manufacturers making a foray into this particular segment with newer technologies at a cheaper rate, the awareness about the disease has greatly increased. From a community perspective, this has encouraged the growth of the market in a larger sense.

Rising Aging Population Drives Advances in DEXA

Although the costs associated with screening can be reduced, the initial start-up costs are likely to remain substantial. The industry is still stuck on the capital expenditure model and one of its problems is the availability of capital for competing technologies. With the economic equation positioned at a big time high, the ability to diagnose osteoporosis has risen dramatically. Early screening of patients is likely to aid in the doctors diagnosing any bone anomalies, but a need to increase awareness among patients can pose a challenge. Though a number of treatment options are available for diagnosing this disease, the main issue is that patients who are offered an osteoporosis evaluation are far too little. This however hikes the revenue potential of this market.

Also, a majority of the X-ray market drivers are applicable to the bone densitometry market as well. One of the key drivers for this market is the increase in the aging population. "Incidentally, women who were associated with a greater risk of developing osteoporosis due to a multitude of factors and parameters, are at par with men, with the incidence of osteoporosis expected to rise significantly in men," explains the analyst. "As the aging population grows, the prevalence and incidence rate have substantially increased, due to which the costs associated with osteoporosis-related fractures have risen dramatically thus boosting the market."