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Vigorous Treadmill Workout Curbs Appetite Hormones U.K. researchers say findings may lead to more effective ways to control weight. Aerobic exercise is better than non-aerobic activities at suppressing appetite, according to a U.K. study. The research involved 11 male university students who participated in three types of sessions. In one, they ran for 60 minutes on a treadmill and then rested for seven hours. In another, they did 90 minutes of weight lifting and then rested for 6.5 hours. In the third session, they did no exercise. The participants received two meals during each session and also reported their hunger levels at various points during each session. The researchers measured the students' levels of two major appetite hormones: ghrelin (which stimulates appetite) and peptide YY (which suppresses appetite). During the treadmill session (aerobic exercise), ghrelin levels dropped and peptide YY levels increased, indicating that the hormones were suppressing appetite. During the weightlifting (non-aerobic) session, ghrelin levels decreased, but there was no significant change in peptide YY levels. The appetite hormone effects of both types of exercise lasted for a few hours. Both types of exercise suppressed hunger, but aerobic exercise resulted in greater suppression of hunger. The findings were published online in the American Journal of Physiology -- Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. "The finding that hunger is suppressed during and immediately after vigorous treadmill running is consistent with previous studies indicating that strenuous aerobic exercise transiently suppresses appetite," senior author David J. Stensel, of Loughborough University, said in an American Physiological Society news release. "The findings suggest a similar, although slightly attenuated response, for weight-lifting exercise." He said this line of research may lead to more effective ways to use exercise to help control weight. More information To learn more about preventing stroke, visit the physical activity and weight control. Magnets in Kids' Toys Pose Broad Dangers Parents need to be better warned about potential health risks and symptoms of children swallowing toys with magnets before shopping for presents this holiday season, a new study says. When ingested, multiple magnets can stick to each other across a bowel wall, leading to infection in the digestive tract, the need for surgery, and even death. Often parents don't seek medical attention for a child who has swallowed a magnet as quickly as necessary, a study of international incidents by the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found. The findings, based on analysis of 128 magnet-swallowing case in 21 countries, were published online in the journal Pediatric Radiology. "The majority of swallowed magnetic objects were components of toy sets, including many well-known brands," study author Dr. Alan Oestreich, a professor of radiology at Cincinnati Children's, said in a hospital news release. "Many of the children represented in the survey were 5 years of age or younger and dependent on their parents or guardians to ensure they do not have access to multiple small magnets." The authors urged parents to pay particular attention when buying toys for small children as written warnings are not mandatory on toys containing magnets. Symptoms of ingested magnets can be mild and flu-like, but nausea, vomiting, cramps or abdominal pain should be given medical attention, especially if the child is autistic or has other developmental issues. More than 16 percent of the children aged 4 and older who had swallowed magnets had autism. "One should consider requesting a plain radiograph of the abdomen if symptoms are not immediately attributable to an illness and/or the parent suspects the child may have swallowed magnets," Oestreich said. The study called for the public to be better educated on the dangers of children swallowing magnets. This included stronger and more frequent manufacturer warnings about the dangers and symptoms of magnet ingestion. More information To learn more about preventing stroke, visit the the dangers of ingestion magnets Possible AIDS Treatment Shows Promise in Monkeys Researchers report that a treatment under development appears to stop the equivalent of the AIDS virus in monkeys. Nine rhesus macaque monkeys infected with a virus known as SIV underwent treatment and remain alive eight months later. The treatment appears to work by preventing virus cells from fooling the immune system. There's no guarantee that the treatment will work in people. But if it's effective in humans, the treatment could allow patients to avoid taking AIDS drugs for the rest of their lives, said study co-author Rama Rao Amara, an assistant professor at Emory University's Yerkes National Primate Research Center. "If you wake up and realize you don't have to take a pill, it's a big step forward," he said. In addition, he said, current AIDS drugs are expensive and have serious side effects. Existing AIDS drugs do have benefits: They're often effective and have allowed patients to live normal lives. However, they can't always keep up with the AIDS virus, which evolves quickly and can become immune to current treatments. "The virus changes and then these drugs don't work after some time," Amara said. In the new study, Amara and colleagues injected nine monkeys with an antibody that blocks a kind of "don't kill me" signal that cells infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) send to immune cells. When the SIV-infected cells emit the signal, "the killer cell thinks, 'You are not my enemy. You're my friend,'" Amara said. But when the signal is blocked, the killer immune cells can do their job and wipe out the virus. The researchers gave four injections of the antibody to the monkeys over 10 days and then watched to see what happened. The study appears in the Dec. 10 online edition of Nature The monkeys, infected with SIV for as long as 21 months, were able to beat back the virus. Levels of virus in the blood dropped and the animals remained alive. By contrast, four out of five monkeys who received a "control" antibody died within four months. "What is amazing to me how rapidly you can actually change these killer cells," Amara said. "Now they are good cells." The work of the monkeys is done and they will be euthanized, Amara said. It is too expensive -- $7 a day each -- to pay for their care with available funding, he said. In humans, the treatment could cost a couple thousand dollars per dose, Amara said, although patients might then avoid taking drugs for life. Dr. Mark Connors, a specialist in AIDS research, said the research is "clearly valid and very interesting. I'm sure it's going to generate debate over the next year or so as to what it means." Even skeptics may be convinced by evidence that the treatment directly affects survival and the level of the virus in the body, said Connors, chief of the HIV-Specific Immunity Section at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases. As for the future, Connors said he's "guardedly optimistic" that the treatment could be used in humans, perhaps in conjunction with other medications. More information To learn more about preventing stroke, visit the AIDS.gov. HealthDayNews articles are derived from various sources and do not reflect federal policy. IHProducts.net does not endorse opinions, products, or services that may appear in news stories. 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