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(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-29 07:53

Quitting cigarettes good for cholesterol

Smokers who successfully quit may enjoy yet another health benefit: improved cholesterol profiles. A boost in "good" cholesterol comes with quitting despite weight gain after putting out the last cigarette, hints a new study.

If confirmed in future research, the finding could shed light on the strong, yet somewhat mysterious relationship between smoking and heart health. Up to 20 percent of heart disease deaths are currently blamed on smoking, but researchers do not as yet have a clear understanding of what lies behind the effect. Smoking likely affects the cardiovascular system in a variety of ways, including lowered oxygen levels and wear and tear on the heart itself.

Some small studies have also shown that smoking lowers good cholesterol (HDL) and raises bad cholesterol (LDL), says lead researcher Dr Adam Gepner of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in Madison.

To test the impact of smoking on cholesterol levels more rigorously, and in a realistic setting, Gepner and his colleagues recruited more than 1,500 smokers.

The average participant smoked about 21 cigarettes per day prior to the start of the study. After a year on one of five smoking cessation programs, 334 (36 percent) had succeeded in quitting.

The researchers found that those who stopped smoking experienced an average rise of about 5 percent, or 2.4 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), in HDL cholesterol.

Abstainers also experienced an increase in large HDL particles, which are important for lowering heart disease risk as well, report the researchers in the American Heart Journal.

Brisk walk is as good as a jog

Taking brisk walks have health benefits similar to jogging, according to Ingo Froboese, a professor at the Health Center of the German Sport University in Cologne.

This was the conclusion of a rough scientific study by the university, he said, noting that a walking speed of approximately 4.5 to 6 km per hour was necessary.

"This type of exercise is particularly suitable for beginners since it's not excessively demanding and puts optimal stress on the joints and bone structures," Froboese remarks. He says that walking strengthens the cardiovascular system, increases lung capacity, lowers blood lipid levels and enhances general well-being.

"Thirty minutes of brisk walking in the evening boosts fitness and keeps you healthy for a long time," Froboese says. "People who accumulate meters and steps during the day are also doing a lot, though. Three walks lasting at least 10 minutes each and spread over the day improve heart and circulation, and guard against many diseases."

The ideal amount of walking to protect your health is 10,000 steps daily, he says. A pedometer or step counter helps keep track of distances covered and is a good motivational aid as well.

But Froboese points out that more exertion is necessary to lose weight because "a half-hour walk burns about 200 kilocalories" - too few to shed the kilos.

Fish oil for weight loss 'not proven'

Fish oil capsules won't help boost weight loss if you're already dieting and exercising, new research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows.

Among a group of overweight and obese adults enrolled in a diet and exercise program, those who took omega-3 fatty acids didn't lose any more weight than those given placebo capsules, Dr Laura F. DeFina of The Cooper Institute in Dallas and her colleagues found.

There is evidence from animal studies that omega-3 fatty acids promote weight loss, DeFina and her team note, while studies in people have had mixed results. Since fish oil has many other potential health benefits, including cutting cholesterol, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing blood pressure, "weight-loss programs associated with the use of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids seemed appropriate", they write.

To investigate whether fish oil enhanced the results of a diet and exercise regime, the researchers randomly assigned 128 sedentary overweight or obese men and women to take five fish oil capsules (providing a total of three grams of omega-3 fatty acids) or five placebo capsules every day for 24 weeks.

Participants were also instructed to do 150 minutes a week of aerobic exercise and 20 to 30 minutes of strength exercises at least twice a week. The people in the omega-3 group lost 5.2 kg on average, compared to 5.8 kg for the placebo group, not a statistically significant difference.

DPA-Reuters