The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Leisure activity and nonalcoholic fatty liver

     Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a fatty inflammation of the liver that is not due to excessive alcohol use. Surprisingly, it is found in nearly one-third of urban dwelling American adults, according to 1 study.

    Researchers from the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel studied the relationship between leisure-time physical activity and NAFLD, which is often recommended as part of treatment.

    First, the details.

    • 39 people participated in the study.
    • After diagnostic testing to divide the participants into NAFLD and non-NAFLD groups, a food frequency questionnaire and a detailed physical activity questionnaire were administered.

    And, the results.

    • The NAFLD group engaged in less physical activity.
    • The SteatoTest (a non-invasive test for fatty liver) was significantly lower among those who engaged in any physical activity or resistance physical activity at least once a week.
      • In resistance training, muscles work against resistance to gain mass.
    • Physical activity at least once a week was associated with a reduced risk for abdominal obesity.
    • After adjusting for sex, greater participation in any kind of sport and resistance exercise was associated with a lower risk of NAFLD.
    • After adjusting the results for all possible confounding variables, only the association with resistance physical activity remained significant.

    The bottom line?
    The authors concluded, “Habitual leisure-time physical activity, especially anaerobic, may play a protective role in NAFLD. This association appears to be mediated by a reduced rate of abdominal obesity.”

    1/13/09 19:07 JR

    Leave a Comment

    You must be logged in to post a comment.