Exercise and Immune System in Disease - Literature review Example

Running Head: EXERCISE AND IMMUNE SYSTEM IN DISEASE NAME: INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Immune system in a complex system in the body that protects it against organisms or substances that causes diseases as well as tumor cells. Immunity is the system’s ability to protect the body against diseases. Immunity system works in three different ways (Langhans, 2003). First, the immune creates a barrier that stops the pathogen at the point of entry; secondly, the system makes an antibody to the foreign organism. This hopes at killing the organism. Thirdly, certain immune cells directly attack the organism in an attempt to kill it (Mackey, 2000). In the other hand, endocrine system is the bodily system that consists of endocrine glands that releases their secretions known as hormones in the bloodstream to act on targeted organ. The endocrine site includes; hypothalamus and pituitary gland, pineal gland, thyroid glands, pancreas, adrenal glands and gonads. Physical exercise being any bodily activity to maintain physical fitness, health and wellness takes major part in the implication of immune and endocrine systems. This physical exercise has an effect on the cardiovascular system, immune system, brain function, depression and sleep (Mackey, 2000). Research shows that frequent exercise has help to prevent and treat diseases such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression. Basing on the research carried out by the World Health Organization, it shows that lack of physical activities result to approximately 10% of breast and colon cancer are generally beneficial and healthy if they occur in response to exercise (Mackey, 2000). There are different types of cancer basing on the 2010 research carried out in the United States. In the research, lung cancer is the common type with more than 222,000 cases. The following table gives the estimated numbers of new cases and deaths for each common cancer type: Cancer Type Estimated New Cases Estimated Deaths Bladder 70,530 14,680 Breast (Female – Male) 207,090 – 1,970 39,840 – 390 Colon and Rectal (Combined) 142,570 51,370 Endometrial 43,470 7,950 Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer 53,581 11,997 Leukemia 43,050 21,840 Lung (Including Bronchus) 222,520 157,300 Melanoma 68,130 8,700 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 65,540 20,210 Pancreatic 43,140 36,800 Prostate 217,730 32,050 Thyroid 44,670 1,690 Exercise modulates the immune response through metabolic and neuroendocrine mechanisms hence; regular exercise has been proven to treat cancer patients as the exercise will ameliorate cachexia symptoms thus increasing survival. Research has also shown that patients that undergo breast cancer are subjected to a kind of exercise that helps to improve shoulder mobility, which helps to maintain the energy balance during chemotherapy, hence improving their cancer life survival (Mackey, 2000). Though vigorous activity is important and should be carried out in life, these activities are morally protective for older women in their later life. A 2002 research showed that in comparison with lung cancer, which has the highest death rate, stomach cancer makes the second high death rate of (~800,000 per year) world wide (MacDonald, 2003). A research carried out in Czech Republic shows that out of 10million people under 30years of age, 3 were diagnosed to have stomach cancer and less than 5% of stomach cancer occur in people under 40 years, with 81.1% of this 5% being in the age bracket of 30-39 years. While another research showed that 18.9% of the total 5% in the age bracket of 20-29% has stomach cancer. Stomach cancer world map - Death - WHO2004.svg Below bar graph shows a research on stomach cancer. English: Age-standardized death rates from Stomach cancer by country (per 100,000 inhabitants).    No data    Less than 3.5    3.5-8    8-12.5    12.5-17    17-21.5    21.5-26    26-30.5    30.5-35    35-40    40-45    45-50    More than 50 Prostate cancer can be improved on patients by administering Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in the early stages of disease. Though ADT reduces muscle strength, lean and bone mass, increases fat mass and fracture risk they are relatively important as they compromise physical function thus quality life. Regular training and exercising is reliable, safe and effective in relation to loss of skeletal muscle. Resistance in training also can lead to acute testosterone release occurring immediately after the exercise which could affect ADT disease control. Reduce testosterone by the muscular system availability to the prostate slows the growth of cancer cells. Growth hormone (GH) and intramuscular insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) are hormonal changes obtained from resistance training. The hormones are healthy among older people as they help improve physical function and preserve body composition. Colon and rectal cancer are combined and called colorectal cancer. Research has also shown that physical inactivity has contributed to about 13%-14% of colon cancer. Exercise assist in developing the function of immune and the amount of insulin and decreases obesity and reducing gastrointestinal transttime (Langhans, 2003). Exercise is of much importance in the treatment and prevention of colon cancer as research shows that 30% of colorectal has been reduced through either occupational or recreational exercise. Lung cancer patience is subjected to some kind of exercise like cardio respiratory fitness that will lower body fats hence reducing their risk of getting anesthesia and improves surgical outcomes. According to 2005 research carried, it showed that exercise can only be administer during or after the cancer patient has received the treatment. Cancer patience also experience a lot of depression, hence research shows that depression can be reduce through exercising. Research shows that in healthy elderly people 61% has been obtained through exercise, while 21% has obtained their healthy through routine medication. Cancer-related fatigue being the most common side effect of cancer is caused by chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, biological therapy, radiation therapy and combination therapy, can be improved through exercising (Mackey, 2000). This exercise is done in accordance to the health care prescription, starting exercise slowly allowing your body to adjust, keeping proper exercise schedule, having the right exercise to your body and having safe exercise that carry little risk of injury. Effective exercise helps to preserve muscle and bone content hence reducing fat gain and improving the functional capacity thus promoting mental health and depression. Exercise also reliably been prove to induce health benefits by promoting increases in the ability to do some work and increase physical reserve capacity. Cancer patience who undergoes presurgery, immediately postsurgery, during chemotherapy, and radiation require exercise prescribe by a qualified healthy practitioner. During cancer survivor program it shows that both aerobic and anabolic exercise, emphases are being adjusted according to the individual patient (Mackey, 2000). Exercise has shown increase in musculoskeletal fitness and physical reserve capacity in ADT treatment in men who are aging. Research also shows that whether effects of exercise are direct or indirect to the body helps to enhance and support the immune system in the body hence promoting over all health. Though research shows that exercise does not repair weakened and diseased immune system, it shows that exercises improves and strengthen its condition more so indirectly rather than directly. Moderate and regular exercise helps to improve stress conditions which are very harmful to the body at chronic level. This stress conditions are improved through exercising which in the out come improves the immune system of the body. People with greater stress level always tend to suffer from digestive tract problems, cold and frequent fatigue due to lack of enough sleep. Kidney cancer can greatly be improved through exercise (MacDonald, 2003). This is more so since exercise improves the working conditions of the cardiovascular system. When these conditions are improved, it facilitates the flow of blood in the body hence carries away toxins from the body organs, muscles and endocrine system (Mackey, 2000). When regular and moderate exercise in the body is observed it lessens the body susceptibility to the body thus boosting the body’s immunity. Lung cancer also can be improved through exercise, this is more so because through exercise body temperature is improved. When the temperature is improved the body immune helps to kill infective organisms that cause colds, flu, and other diseases (Langhans, 2003). Cancer of the bone can also be improving through exercising. This is so because physical exercise maintains the production of the glutamine from the skeleton muscle due to muscle demand and other organ for glutamine (Mackey, 2000). In conclusion, exercise is of much importance in the maintenance of the body’s welfare through implications in the endocrine and immune system (Langhans, 2003). This is so because exercise enhances the working efficiency of the body either directly or indirectly to the body. Through the exercise harmful substances are remove from the body hence body’s conditions are improved thus preventing the body from cancer of the kidney and cancer of the lungs by moderation of body temperatures (MacDonald, 2003). On the other hand, exercise on the endocrine system also is of great importance as it prevents the body from acquisition of various cancer types like breast, prostate, colon, lung and stomach cancers as it controls the hormonal changes in the body. From the different types of cancer, research shows that lung cancer is the most deadly caner. While prostate cancer is more common on aging male than young male and Stomach cancer is morally prevented by eating fresh vegetables and fruits apart from exercising. Reference. 1. MacDonald N. (2003), Understanding and managing cancer cachexia, Oxford University. 2. Mackey J. (2000), Copying with cancer, America. 3. Langhans W. (2003), Peripheral mechanisms involved with catabolism, North America.  Read More