HHS HealthBeat (December 05, 2007)

Walking away from the side effects

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Even valuable medical treatments can have unwanted side effects.  Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can leave men with weakened bones. However, researchers suggest a way to maintain bone strength – walking.

Paula Chiplis of Johns Hopkins School of Nursing saw what happened when men on radiation and a form of chemotherapy walked briskly 30 minutes a day, five days a week, over eight weeks. They gained some bone while those men who didn’t walk lost bone.

``As long as a patient is cleared for exercising, it’s something that they can do and oftentimes very much enjoy doing.’’ (8 seconds)

The study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May, 26 2008