Health Highlights: Sept. 2, 2008

"This suggests that stair climbing can have major public health implications," said lead researcher Dr. Phillippe Meyer, who added that the findings need to be confirmed in larger studies.

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Sex Hormones Linked to Male Heart Disease: Study

Sex hormones may explain why men are more prone to heart disease than women of the same age, say British researchers.

The University of Leicester study of 933 men examined the way that sex hormones interact with three major heart disease risk factors -- cholesterol, blood pressure and weight,United Press Internationalreported.

The researchers found that two sex hormones -- estradiol and estrone -- are associated with increased levels of "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and low levels of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

Dr. Maciej Tomaszewski said the results suggest that sex hormones may play an important role in heart disease in men, even before they have symptoms of coronary artery disease or stroke,UPIreported.

The study was published in the journalAtherosclerosis.

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Bicycle Helmet Law Cuts Deaths by 52 Percent

Deaths among cyclists age 15 and younger decreased 52 percent after bike helmet use for children up to age 17 became law in the Canadian province of Ontario in 1995, a new study found.

The study found that the average number of deaths among cyclists age 15 and younger decreased from 13 a year to six a year, which translates into a life saved every two months, said Dr. Patricia Parkin, of Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, and her colleagues. There was no similar reduction among cyclists ages 16 and 17,CBC Newsreported.