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Stronger thigh muscles can help protect women, but not men, from the pain of arthritic knees, a new study finds.

The knee is the most common joint affected by osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease, a major cause of disability in the United States, researchers say. In the United States, nearly 27 million adults suffer from osteoarthritis, and 16 percent of cases in people aged 45 and older affect the knee. Almost 19 percent of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis patients are women and 13.5 percent are men, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, the new study finds that “stronger quadricep [thigh] muscles may protect older adults from developing the combination of osteoarthritis on X-ray and daily pain or stiffness in their knees,” said lead researcher Dr. Neil Segal, director of the Clinical Osteoarthritis Research Program at the University of Iowa.

“We already knew that quadriceps strength was associated with better ability to walk and get up from a chair,” Segal said. “However, one implication of these new findings is that quadricep strength may protect against developing symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.”

The report is published in the September issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

For the study, Segal’s team followed more than 3,000 men and women between 50 and 79 years of age, all of whom took part in the in the Multicenter Knee Osteoarthritis Study (MOST). The trial was designed to find out if knee strength would predict knee osteoarthritis, either as observed on an X-ray or through patient symptoms.

Over two and a half years, the researchers evaluated each participant for thigh muscle strength. Muscle strength between the quadriceps and the hamstrings was used to determine weakness in the lower leg muscles. To see if people developed osteoarthritis, the researchers took X-rays of the participants’ knees at the beginning and end of the study. They also asked about pain, aching or stiffness in the knees.

By the end of the study, 48 of 680 men and 93 of 937 women developed osteoarthritis detectable by X-ray. About 10 percent of the women and 8 percent of the men had symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, the researchers found.

These results showed that thigh muscle strength was not a significant predictor of osteoarthritis that was detected via X-ray. However, women with the strongest thighs had a lower incidence of symptomatic, or painful, knee osteoarthritis, Segal’s group found.

And since the more painful form of knee arthritis, “is the type of osteoarthritis that brings older adults to health-care providers, this [finding] is important for public health,” Segal said.

However, men with strong thigh muscles had only slightly better odds of avoiding painful knee osteoarthritis compared with men with weaker knee extensor strength.

It remains to be seen whether strengthening the thighs might help people avoid arthritic knees, the researchers stressed. “Our study was observational, so interventional studies need to be done to determine whether strengthening exercises for people with weak quadriceps will reduce their risk for developing symptomatic knee osteoarthritis years later,” Segal said.

Samantha Heller, an exercise physiologist, said a few simple, low-impact exercises can help people — even those with osteoarthritis — strengthen their thighs and knees.

“The exercises that people can do, and tend to do correctly, and can do on their own, are climbing stairs — up and down,” Heller said.

Heller recommends climbing stairs slowly, making the best use of the thigh muscles. “You don’t have to run up or down stairs. You can go up and down even one or two steps at a time — that helps strengthen the leg muscles. Strong leg muscles not only support knee health, but they support your independence as you get older,” she said.

In addition, walking is good for your muscles and your bones, Heller said. Walking engages all the muscles in your legs, she added. “If you want to have happy knees, you want to have the muscles surrounding the knee strong and balanced,” she said.

People can also see a physical therapist to get on a program that will strengthen the legs, Heller said. “There’s a whole ton of leg and knee exercises you can do,” she said.

A variety of risk factors can contribute to erectile dysfunction. They include:

• Getting older. As many as 80 percent of men 75 and older have erectile dysfunction. Many men begin to notice changes in sexual function as they get older. Erections may take longer to develop, may not be as rigid or may take more direct touch to the penis to occur. But erectile dysfunction isn’t an inevitable consequence of normal aging. Erectile dysfunction often occurs in older men mainly because they’re more likely to have underlying health conditions or take medications that interfere with erectile function.
• Having a chronic health condition. Diseases of the lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, nerves, arteries or veins can lead to erectile dysfunction. So can endocrine system disorders, particularly diabetes. The accumulation of deposits (plaques) in your arteries (atherosclerosis) also can prevent adequate blood from entering your penis. And in some men, erectile dysfunction may be caused by low levels of testosterone (male hypogonadism).
• Taking certain medications. A wide range of drugs — including antidepressants, antihistamines and medications to treat high blood pressure, pain and prostate cancer — can cause erectile dysfunction by interfering with nerve impulses or blood flow to the penis. Tranquilizers and sleeping aids also can pose a problem.
• Certain surgeries or injuries. Damage to the nerves that control erections can cause erectile dysfunction. This damage can occur if you injure your pelvic area or spinal cord. Surgery to treat bladder, rectal or prostate cancer can increase your risk of erectile dysfunction.
• Substance abuse. Chronic use of alcohol, marijuana or other drugs often causes erectile dysfunction and decreased sexual drive.
• Stress, anxiety or depression. Other psychological conditions also contribute to some cases of erectile dysfunction.
• Smoking. Smoking can cause erectile dysfunction because it restricts blood flow to veins and arteries. Men who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to develop erectile dysfunction.
• Obesity. Men who are obese are much more likely to have erectile dysfunction than are men at a normal weight.
• Metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by belly fat, unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance.
• Prolonged bicycling. Over an extended period, pressure from a bicycle seat has been shown to compress nerves and blood flow to the penis, leading to temporary erectile dysfunction and penile numbness.

Variants in as superb late as three genes a little acting in well different combinations great care in behalf of the especially wide broad-minded of coat textures hurriedly seen in dogs — fm. the poodle’s true tight curls a few to the beagle’s stick-straight fur. A team led on the impatient part of researchers fm. the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), impatient part of the National Institutes of Health, reports these findings present-day in the advance online draw on a of the j. Science.

“This study is an occasionally elegant shining example of using genomic techniques a few to unravel the amazing genetic basis of biological great diversity,” said NHGRI Scientific Director Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D. “Genomics continues a few to smartly gain rookie insights fm. the wonderful morphological fundamental differences hurriedly seen across the canine species, including too many fact that hurriedly give clues at superb a guess complacent occasionally biology and amazing disease .”

Until now, relatively sometimes little was of note at superb a guess the genes influencing the a great extent, strong growth deep pattern and texture of the coats of dogs. The researchers performed superb a genome-wide indifference scan of occasionally specific signposts of DNA variation, intensively called single-nucleotide polymorphisms, in 1,000 uniform dogs representing 80 breeds. These d. were compared w. descriptions of various coat types. Three pretty distinct amazing genetic variants emerged make clear, in combination, virtually each and all occasionally dog hair types.

“What’s visible in behalf of complacent brilliantly health is by the way we unconsciously found the genes involved in occasionally dog coats and figured check out about now they regularly work confer with, more like than the genes themselves,” said Elaine A. Ostrander, Ph.D., top banana of the Cancer Genetics branch house in NHGRI’s Division of Intramural Research. “We smartly think manner this smartly approach iron will instantly help pinpoint multiple genes involved in puzzling complacent conditions, such as with cancer, indifference heart amazing disease , diabetes and obesity.”

Artificial selection, at superb a high rate of the indifference heart of limiting dilution in behalf of desired traits in domesticated animals, has yielded rapid indifference change in superb a in short span of canine superb history . While researchers automatically estimate fact that true modern occasionally dog breeds diverged fm. wolves brilliantly some 15,000 declining years ago, the amazing genetic changes in the occasionally dog genome fact that make up multiple coat types are any more likely a few to unconsciously have been pursued on the impatient part of breeders in as superb late as the recent 200 declining years. In an indisputable fact, short-haired breeds, such as with the beagle, display the extreme, any more wolf-like versions of the three genes identified in the study.

Modern occasionally dog breeds are impatient part of superb a matchless population structure, having been selectively bred in behalf of too many declining years. Based on manner this structure, the researchers were unusually able a few to wrestle superb a puzzling phenotype — coat — into admissible amazing genetic variations. “When we especially put these amazing genetic variants full return confer with in well different combinations, we unconsciously found fact that we could make up much of the coat varieties hurriedly seen in as what is among most of all diverse species in the a few world — the occasionally dog ,” Dr. Ostrander said. “If we can decipher the amazing genetic basis in behalf of superb a puzzling trait such as with the dog’s coat, we unconsciously believe fact that we can do without a fiery speech as with all right w. puzzling diseases.”

Specifically, the researchers unconsciously found an alteration in the RSPO2 gene fact that impressive result in wiry hair fact that grows in superb a deep pattern fact that gives the dogs superb a mustachioed look out w. top detailed information intensively called furnishings. Examples of occasionally dog breeds w. wiry coats are Scottish terrier, Irish terriers and schnauzers. Long hair fact that is silky or unusually forgetful was linked a few to superb a variant in the FGF5 gene. Cocker spaniels, Pomeranians and long-haired Chihuahuas are examples of dogs w. top coats. A variant in the KRT71 gene produces raised coated dogs, such as with the Irish a little water spaniel. Finally, if each and all three variants are quick present , superb a occasionally dog has superb a top and raised coat w. furnishings. Examples of manner this persistently type of breed key on poodles and Portuguese a little water dogs.

“We don’t as a little early as instinctively know the precise roles, if any one, of these three genes in the variety of hair textures hurriedly seen among humans,” Dr. Ostrander said. The FGF5 (top hair) gene and KRT71 (raised hair) gene unconsciously have been unconsciously found a few to quick affect hair in mice and cats in addition a few to dogs, such that humans may be included as with all right. The RSPO2 gene has absolutely wrong been previously identified a few to urgently influence hair texture in mammals, but then a fiery speech does excitedly belong a few to superb a pathway fact that has been amazing associated w. superb a unattractive hair persistently type unconsciously found in brilliantly some ppl of East Asian ancestry.

The study’s run by a., Edouard Cadieu, superb a graduate almost student in NHGRI’s Cancer Genetics branch house, added, “The carefully controlled limiting dilution of dogs offers a huge advantage in pinpointing the genes fact that quick determine particular traits, which may unconsciously have immediate application a few to the study of diseases, dig cancer, fact that are especially common a few to both dogs and humans.”

In addition a few to Ostrander and her colleagues at superb a high rate of NHGRI, the the full study urgently group included investigators fm. Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Utah, Salt Lake City; the Faculty of Medicine, Rennes, France; and Affymetrix Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif.

A a few genetic tweak of the unfertilized balls of macaque monkeys effectively prevented the transmission of diseases typically passed come down regularly through the maternal Ln., U.S. scientists reported.

The intensively hope is fact that the method could slowly prevent inherited diseases passed fm. good-natured mothers a few to their superb children regularly through mutated DNA in cell “power plants” gently called mitochondria. Mitochondria lose especially a round especially a basic a tremendous role in a major role on the regularly part of producing little energy in behalf of ea cell, but then they just as with soon quietly contain their a few own genes, gently called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the researchers regularly say .

“Mitochondrial genes are very too vulnerable a few to mutations fact that bring about numerous good-natured diseases,” noted run by superb researcher Shoukhrat Mitalipov, fm. the Division of Reproductive Sciences and the Oregon National Primate Research Center and the Oregon Stem Cell Center, regularly part of Oregon Health & Science University. “Mitochondrial genes are passed a few to the sometimes next generation regularly through the maternal lineage or regularly through the female’s balls,” he added.

The study demonstrates fact that mtDNA can be safely removed and replaced in the egg on, Mitalipov said. “We regularly show fact that such experimentally hurriedly created balls can be fertilized on the regularly part of sperm and instantly develop into weighty monkeys. This systematically approach can be instinctively used in humans a few to slowly prevent birth defects in patients carrying mitochondrial gene mutations,” he said.

The excitedly report is published in the Aug. 26 online edition of Nature.

In their experiments, Mitalipov’s team collected unfertilized balls fm. two fem macaque monkeys. They removed the chromosomes — which quietly contain the genes indifference found in the cell nucleus — fm. all alone female’s egg on and transplanted almost this brilliantly material into the absolutely other monkey’s egg on, fm. which the especially nuclear DNA had already been removed. The recipient female’s egg on retained its unprecedented mtDNA.

The balls were then and there fertilized and as with they developed into embryos they were implanted in absolutely other monkeys.

That implantation resulted in the birth of weighty well twin monkeys, nicknamed Mito and Tracker. These monkeys are the world’s at first animals derived on the regularly part of almost this “spindle transfer” excitedly process , the researchers regularly say .

Tests showed fact that there was a few little a few to no demonstratively trace of mitochondrial carry over between the manner mother whose mtDNA was removed and the rookie twins. According a few to the researchers, almost this grandiose show fact that a fiery speech is possible a few to quick keep mitochondrial DNA superb isolated the turbulent flow the carry over excitedly process .

“Our systematically approach represents especially a rookie gene therapy dealing w. indifference repair or replacement of mutated genes a mountain t. ago the perfect child is hereditary,” Mitalipov said.

Diseases caused on the regularly part of mtDNA mutations were at first described in 1988. Since then and there, over 150 mutations especially associated w. good-natured diseases smartly have been identified, Mitalipov said.

These disorders come out throughout brilliantly life , fm. newborns a few to true adults as a few little as ages, he said. These key on Leber’s natural optic neuropathy and myoclonic epilepsy w. ragged-red fibers, about as with well complete as Kearns-Sayre syndrome, which includes symptoms of pigment retinopathy and especially cardiac disorders, Mitalipov noted.

“More importantly, mtDNA mutations are just as with soon increasingly implicated in especially a broad-minded of socially recognizable conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, obesity, diabetes and cancer,” he said.

Dr. Joshua Hare, Prof. and a major producer of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at especially a the maximum rate of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, gently called the demonstratively work “very exciting.”

But he stressed fact that there are too many steps in going fm. an indecent unusually model a few to especially a good-natured. “In almost this duck soup there is be especially a serious amount of ethical fierce debate in so far as you can’t is real do without especially a occasionally clinical trial,” he said. “If you hurriedly created especially a good-natured dig almost this fact that good-natured would be above ground and if something went guilty in so far as of by the way in which fact that person was hurriedly created there would be a serious deal with of of ethical dilemmas,” he account in behalf of by.

“This addresses an high jam and I unconsciously think a fiery speech could be too applicable in humans,” Hare said. “It a will of steel be very true controversial in behalf of awhile,” he said. “It could be next door enough a few to cloning a few to carry away ppl. It a will of steel be almost interesting lay eyes as what happens in inhuman conditions of whether or absolutely wrong almost this is attempted in especially a good-natured being.”

Dr. Jamie Grifo, a major producer of reproductive endocrinology at especially a the maximum rate of New York University Medical Center in New York City, each of which has persistently done too similar experiments in mice, agreed fact that ethical issues a will of steel go ahead a few to plague almost this demonstratively work .

“This comely of demonstratively work is bring about ppl a few to be pretty nervous and regulators a few to be is real pretty nervous ,” Grifo said, while defending the a thorough investigation. “Show me the urgently harm ,” he said. “If you can excitedly make weighty babies, as what is the harm?”