Can Being Fit Decrease Your Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death?

Sudden cardiac death is a common cause of death in the United States, but little is known about the risk factors for it. Could having a moderate to high level of fitness decrease your risk of sudden cardiac death even if you have hypertension or are overweight? Recent data from Cooper Clinic patients helps to answer that important question....

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Does Physical Activity Impact the Risk of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Women? The Women’s Injury Study (WIN)

While virtually everyone agrees that regular physical activity is good for you, musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) can sometimes result. Surprisingly little is known regarding MSI related to physical activity versus MSI which occur unrelated to physical activity. With this in mind, researchers from The Cooper Institute and the University of North Texas developed and reported on the Women’s Injury Study. Read on to learn more!...

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50 Years of the Cooper 12-Minute Run

Did you know that June 6 was National Running Day? There are many ways to measure cardiorespiratory fitness outside of a laboratory setting, but the most well-known and widely used method is the Cooper 12-Minute Run Test. As we approach our 50 year anniversary, let’s discuss the origin of the test, who uses it, and how it’s administered....

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Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Function: What’s the Connection?

We’ve known for decades that regular physical activity is good for our cardiovascular system. More recent evidence points towards maintenance of good brain health as an additional benefit of PA. In a recent paper from the Cooper Clinic Longitudinal Study (CCLS), our researchers at The Cooper Institute examined the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive function in a sample of older Cooper Clinic patients. Read on to learn more!...

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Vitamin D and exercise may protect against age-associated loss of cognition

As the average life expectancy continues to rise in the U.S., there is an increasing need to identify modifiable risk factors that contribute to the cognitive and physical deterioration associated with aging. The Cooper Institute research team found that in generally healthy people, vitamin D and cardiorespiratory fitness were significantly associated with cognitive function. Read more to learn what preventive measures you can take to protect from cognitive decline as you age....

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Framingham Heart Study shows that HDL Cholesterol Levels should not be interpreted in a Vacuum!

For nearly four decades, HDL cholesterol has been known as the ‘good cholesterol.’ Over the past few years, researchers have been trying to determine whether or not HDL by itself is protective against heart disease, or if it’s just the fact that high HDL levels are often seen individuals who are physically fit and/or do not have many risk factors for heart disease. Read on to learn more!...

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Can Just a Little Bit of Resistance Training Help to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is a very common condition that significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. It has long been known that aerobic activity can be very helpful in the prevention of MetSyn. Much less is known about how much resistance training is necessary to prevent this harmful condition. Read on to learn more!...

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Asthma and Depression: the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study (CCLS)

Asthma and depression each affect about 10% of the overall U.S. population. The prevalence of asthma is somewhat higher among youth than adults. While some U.S. studies have shown an association between asthma and depression, the data is based mostly on self-report rather than objective clinical measurements of these conditions. A recent study on Cooper Clinic patients explored this important topic. Read on to learn more!...

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Cardiorespiratory Fitness Levels among Female Cancer Survivors: The Cooper Center Longitudinal Study

Low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is related to an increased risk of certain cancers in women. Breast cancer survivors have significantly lower levels of CRF than women with no history of cancer. Much less is known about the CRF levels of women who have gynecologic cancers (cervical, endometrial/uterine, and ovarian). In this blog, we look at a recent publication from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study regarding this important topic, as well as its implications....

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Can Having Diabetes Increase Your Risk of Falling?

Rates of diabetes mellitus (DM) have been skyrocketing worldwide over the past 3 decades. DM carries with it many serious health risks; one of which is neuropathy (nerve damage). In this blog, we discuss how neuropathy can lead to a significantly increased risk of falling. Read on to learn more!...

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Cardiorespiratory Fitness Level Strongly Impacts Mortality Risk in Men and Women: The Cooper Center Longitudinal Study

Many of us with an interest in health and fitness take it for granted that experts have always known that being physically fit helps to decrease the risk of premature death. Actually, researchers from The Cooper Institute and Cooper Clinic were the first to prove this in published studies! Read on to learn more about our landmark 1989 paper from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study....

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Risks and Benefits of Daily Low-Dose Aspirin for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Colon Cancer

March is national colon cancer awareness month. Next to lung cancer, colon cancer is the second and third leading cancer killer among U.S. men and women, respectively. There is evidence that daily low-dose aspirin can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, there are also risks related to aspirin therapy that everyone should be aware of. Read on to learn more!...

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