Animal studies and small studies in humans have offered some evidence that these compounds, known as isoflavones, could help build muscle mass and reduce fat mass, Dr. Oksana A. Matvienko of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and her colleagues write in the journal Menopause.

It’s unclear why such compounds might have any effect on body composition, but it’s possible that they might act as estrogen does, to affect hormones that play a role in fat and sugar metabolism.

To investigate whether isoflavones might help women avoid putting on fat after menopause, the researchers enrolled 229 postmenopausal women in their study, none of whom were severely obese. The women were randomly assigned to take a placebo – also known as a dummy pill — a tablet containing 80 milligrams of soy isoflavones, or a 120-milligram isoflavone tablet every day for a year.

The isoflavones had no significant effect on women’s bodies, the researchers found, nor did they affect levels of insulin, leptin, ghrelin, or adiponectin, hormones that help regulate appetite. The researchers did find a relationship between all of these “appetitive hormones”-aside from insulin-and body composition, but the only factor that predicted changes in fat mass was the amount of fat in a woman’s diet.

And the longer it had been since a woman’s last period, the higher her fat mass.

While the current findings found no effect of isoflavones, Matvienko and her colleagues say, it is possible that other compounds found in soy could influence body composition.

For now, though, the researchers say that they “cannot recommend” that healthy women take soy isoflavones to reduce body fat.

SOURCE: Menopause

Dr. Patricia A. Boyle of Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago and her colleagues found that the greater a person’s muscle strength, the lower their likelihood of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s over a four-year period. The same was true for the loss of mental function that often precedes full-blown Alzheimer’s.

Studies have linked grip strength to Alzheimer’s, while a person’s weight and level of physical activity also influence risk of the disease. To date, however, no one has studied whether muscle strength in and of itself might play a role in dementia risk, Boyle and her team note in November’s Annals of Neurology.

“These findings support the link between physical health and cognition in aging and the importance of maintaining good physical function and strength,” Boyle told Reuters Health via E-mail.

The researchers measured the strength of nine muscle groups in the arms and legs of 970 dementia-free men and women 54 to 100 years old (their average age was around 80). They also tested the strength of study participants’ breathing muscles.

During follow-up, which lasted about four years, 138 people developed Alzheimer’s. These individuals were older and had worse mental function than the rest of the study participants. They also were weaker.

But even after the researchers adjusted for age and education level-which can influence Alzheimer’s risk-they found that muscle strength had a strong influence on the risk of the disease. People who ranked in the top 10 percent for muscle strength were 61 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the weakest 10 percent. Stronger people also showed a slower decline in their mental abilities over time.

The relationship between muscle strength and mild mental difficulties, which occurred in an additional 275 people, was similar, with the strongest 10 percent being at 48 percent lower risk than the weakest 10 percent.

When the researchers looked at different types of muscle strength separately, they found that grip strength and breathing-muscle strength had an independent effect on Alzheimer’s risk, but arm and leg strength didn’t.

The most likely explanation for the mental function-muscle strength link is that there is something going in the body that causes both muscle weakness and loss of mental ability, Boyle said.

While the study couldn’t show whether keeping one’s muscles strong will keep Alzheimer’s at bay, staying fit is a good idea-and good for the brain-no matter what, according to Boyle.

“We certainly think that it is important to be physically active and to work to keep our muscles strong,” she said. “Good physical health is important for good brain function.”

The National Sleep Foundation says a number of medications can lead to insomnia. Here’s a list of the most common examples:
Cold and allergy medications.
High blood pressure medications.
Medications to treat heart disease.
Medications to treat thyroid problems.
Birth control.
Asthma medications.
Medications to manage pain.
Medications for depression, particularly SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).

A whole variety of activities — including chatting on cell phones, grooming, drinking, eating, smoking and even reading — are keeping drivers from focusing around school zones, the Safe Kids USA organization reported.

Researchers also found that drivers who don’t use seat belts are about one-third more likely to be distracted than those who are belted in, and afternoon drivers are 22 percent more likely to be distracted than morning drivers.

And if you think men are the most distracted, think again: females are 21 percent more likely to be distracted than males, the study authors noted.

The study results are based on more than 40,000 observations by researchers in 20 locations across the United States.

“The public expects drivers to be on their best behavior when they are near schools, however, the new study shows the opposite is true when it comes to distracted driving,” Moira Donahue, director of the Walk This Way program, Safe Kids’ pedestrian safety program, said in a news release. “With recent research demonstrating that the driving skills of a distracted driver are as bad as or worse than an intoxicated driver, the overall relevance of this study is clear. Almost one in six drivers in a school zone behaves like a drunk driver.”

Cell phones were the leading distraction for drivers in this setting, accounting for 9.8 percent of the number of incidences, according to the news release.

“Multi-tasking while driving can have deadly consequences,” said Donahue. “Drivers need to shut off their phones and pay attention to the road, especially in areas that are filled with children.”