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THURSDAY, Jan. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers are reporting progress on a blood test that can detect multiple cancers in a relatively simpler, and potentially less pricey, way than other tests under development.The test picks up certain cancer signals in the blood using a fairly straightforward method: counting bits of DNA that appear to be "broken" in unexpected places.In the new study, scientists found that the approach can distinguish people with any of 11 different types of cancer from people who are cancer-free. Not only that, it can do so using a relatively small blood sample, according to senior researcher Dr. Muhammed Murtaza, of the University of Wisconsin's School of Medicine and Public Health, in Madison.That's relative to other blood tests that are under...

THURSDAY, Jan. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Look at a bodybuilder who has bulked up with bulging muscles, and it might not seem that lifting weights can shed pounds. But first impressions can be deceiving.Instead, experts say, building muscle can indeed be one way to transform your body and lose weight. “Weightlifting activates your large muscle groups and, when done appropriately, can burn more calories than steady state cardio,” said Dr. Russell Camhi, who works in primary care sports medicine for Northwell Health's Orthopaedic Institute in Smithtown, N.Y.Still, weightlifting on its own is not the key to weight loss. At least 80% of weight loss is through nutrition, Camhi said. “No matter what exercise program you choose you will not lose weight if you are not monitoring your...

THURSDAY, Jan. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of adults spend too much time at a desk or in front of a screen, and experts have long advised them to sit less, move more.But if lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar and a mood boost are the goals, what's the bare minimum of movement that will get the job done?Apparently just five minutes of walking every 30 minutes.That’s the finding of a small, new study that compared the benefits of five exercise “snacks” — small bursts of exercise spread out during the day.“We’ve found in our past research that, on average, adults in the U.S. spend over three-quarters of their day sedentary, or about 11 to 12 hours a day,” said study co-author Keith Diaz. He directs Columbia University’s Exercise Testing Laboratory at the...

THURSDAY, Jan. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Do your liver a favor and steer clear of fast food, new research urges.People with obesity or diabetes who consumed 20% or more of their daily calories from fast food had severely elevated levels of fat in their liver compared to those who ate less fast food or none.Even the general U.S. population had moderate increases in liver fat when fast food made up one-fifth or more of their diet, the study found.“Healthy livers contain a small amount of fat, usually less than 5%, and even a moderate increase in fat can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,” said lead study author Dr. Ani Kardashian. She is a hepatologist with University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, in Los Angeles. “The severe rise in liver fat in...