Marion County Medical Center

Health Shorts

September 2005

Diabetic Eye Problems Get Early Start
Diabetic eye disease may start earlier than previously believed–even before the onset of type 2 diabetes–according to recent data from the Diabetes Prevention Program study.
Researchers found diabetic retinopathy in eight percent of pre-diabetics, subjects with impaired glucose tolerance but not enough for a diabetes diagnosis. And among subjects who developed diabetes during the course of the study, 12 percent had retinopathy.
These findings reinforced previous views that even newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics should have regular eye examinations.

[SOURCE: Rosemary Janiszewski, “Diabetic Retinopathy Occurs in Pre-Diabetes,” NIH News, June 12, 2005; Emily Chew, M.D., paper presented to American Diabetes Association Annual Scientific Sessions, June, 2005]

Floaters, Flashes: When To Worry
Have you begun to notice little specks, lines or blobs floating in front of your vision, especially when you’re looking at a plain surface? Or spots or streaks of light that last only a second or two?
Floaters are shadows caused by little globs in the vitrous gel that fills your eyeball; under normal conditions, they are generally harmless. Flashes are somewhat more serious–an indication that the vitreous fluid may be pulling or rubbing on the retina. If you have diabetes, however, floaters and flashers may be an early sign of a far more serious problem, diabetic retinopathy. Whether you’ve been diagnosed as diabetic or not, floaters and flashes are reason to see an eye doctor.

[SOURCE: Shauna S. Roberts, “When You See Spots or Stars,” Diabetes Forecast, April, 2003]

Diabetics: Keep Blood Pressure Low
A diabetic can lower her risk of eye complications and slow the progression of eye disease by keeping her blood pressure as low as possible. Every 10 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure reduces the risk of severe diabetic retinopathy by 24 percent, according to research.
In a United Kingdom study involving 1,248 patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension, subjects who kept their blood pressure under tight control with medication had 30 percent fewer abnormal blood vessels in the retina compared to those who practiced less tight control.

[SOURCE: “JOURNAL WATCH: BP Control Cuts Diabetic Eye Disease,” Pulse; November 29, 2004; “Reducing the Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy,” The Johns Hopkins White Papers, Diabetes, 2003]

Caffeine Doesn’t Make Heart Flutter
Caffeine toxicity caused by intentional over-dosing can bring on abnormal heart rhythms including atrial fibrillation, and patients with heart arrhythmias are often advised to avoid caffeinated beverages. Recent data from 47,949 subjects in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health study, however, found no association between daily consumption of caffeine and the risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter.

[SOURCE: Lars Frost and Peter Vestergaard, “Caffeine and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter: The Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March, 2005; “Caffeine and Atrial Fibrillation, “Nutrition Research Newsletter, April, 2005]

Anxiety May Make Heart Flutter
For heart disease patients, anxiety and other forms of psychological distress are powerful independent risk factors for the development of atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm that develops in the upper chambers of the heart. The higher the patient’s level of anxiety, depression or hostility, the greater the long-term risk of atrial fibrillation, according to a study conducted by Charles M. Blatt, M.D. of Harvard Medical School.

[SOURCE: Bruce Jancin, “Psychological Distress Lifts Atrial Fib Risk,” Clinical Psychiatry News, March, 2005]

Fish Oil Reduces Post-Operative Afib
Persons undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery frequently suffer atrial fibrillation as a post-operative complication that usually means a longer stay in the hospital. In a recent study involving 160 heart surgery patients, treatment with fish oil capsules starting several days before the procedure resulted in a 54 percent reduction in the incidence of atrial fibrillation.
Only 15 percent of subjects taking fish oil capsules had atrial fibrillation compared to 33 percent of those taking placebo. The hospital stay for subjects taking fish oil capsules averaged 7.3 days compared to 8.2 days for the control group.

[SOURCE: Bruce Jancin, “Pre-Bypass Fish Oil Cuts Post-Op Atrial Fibrillation,” Family Practice News, June 15, 2005]

X-Raying Treats Not Recommended
Many hospitals in the past offered free x-ray screening of Halloween candy, but this practice has largely been discontinued because it is costly and gives parents a false sense of reassurance.
Parents should note that x-rays are incapable of detecting poisons, glass, wood or plastic and are an ineffective means of identifying needles and razors.
Most hospitals focus their efforts instead on educating parents on methods of checking candy for possible tampering.

[SOURCE: “Concerns Regarding Safety and Need Prompt Enloe To Cancel Halloween Candy Screenings,” Enloe Medical Center news release, October 4, 2002]

A Good Meal for Trick-or-Treaters
Give your kids a good meal before they head out trick-or-treating. They’ll be getting proper nutrition and won’t be as tempted to overeat on sweets or break into their treat bags early, before you’ve had a chance to inspect them.

[SOURCE: “Halloween Safety Tips,” Kalamazoo Gazette, October 30, 2004]

Tips for Treating
As you’re preparing for trick or treaters this Halloween, keep a few guidelines in mind.

Don’’t serve home-baked goods or unwrapped candy such as malted milk balls. Though malicious tampering is a rare occurrence, parents are advised to discard such items.

Certain items can constitute a choking hazard for children under age three. Avoid giving caramel, gum, hard candies or small toys to toddlers.

Most popular candies are available in individually wrapped miniature packs. For a healthy alternative, miniature boxes of raisins are also widely available.

[SOURCE: “Halloween Treats: What’s Safe for Tots,” Parents Magazine, October, 2000]

The Best Antidepressant: Exercise
About two thirds of patients taking antidepressant medication benefit from their treatment, but virtually 100 percent of persons who exercise show significant improvements in mood–without the negative side effects that often accompany medication therapy.
In a study conducted at Tufts University, a group of depressed males and females averaging 70 years of age showed significant improvement after a 10-week weight training program. Their symptoms of depression improved two to three times more than subjects in a control group who did not exercise.
In another study, women who walked or jogged just one and a half miles a day twice a week registered significant gains in self confidence, alertness and overall mood.

[SOURCE: “Winter Exercise–For Body and Soul,” Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, December, 2003]

Should You Work Out When
You’re Feeling Down and Out?
When you’re feeling down and out because of circumstances at work or at home, exercise may be the best way to ease stress and get things in perspective. And even if you’re under the weather with a slight head cold, a workout may restore your energy and get your body’s natural pain killers into action.
But if you have a fever, aches and pains and a cough that produces phlegm, you should put your exercise routine on hold until you’re feeling better. In either case, drink plenty of fluids.

[SOURCE: Sally Wadyka, “Take It Outside: Hibernating Is for Bears,” Real Simple, February 1, 2005; Mary Carmichael, “Ask Tip Sheet” Newsweek, October 20, 2003]

Women Face Higher Afib Risk
Among patients receiving treatment for atrial fibrillation, women had a higher risk than men of suffering a stroke because of their medical condition, according to data on more than 13,000 subjects in the ATRIA (Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation) study.
Female subjects not taking warfarin had a 60 percent greater relative risk of stroke than men. Among women age 75 and over the relative risk was even higher.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common rhythm disturbance of the heart. Overall, it increases the risk of stroke five- to seven-fold.

[SOURCE: Bruce Jancin, “Stroke Risk with Atrial Fib Higher in Women,” Internal Medicine News, March 1, 2005]

Exercise Blunts Effects of Aging
Most seniors age 70 and over eventually begin to develop problems walking, climbing stairs and handling daily activities, but those who exercise regularly are much less likely to suffer loss of mobility. A study of 3,075 subjects aged 70 to 79 published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that “physical activity in old age is as important as taking your medications” in maintaining mobility and independence.
At the beginning of the study, most subjects had no trouble walking a quarter mile or climbing 10 steps. After four and a half years, 34 percent of the men and 47 percent of the women were experiencing difficulty, but the most active exercisers were only half as likely as the most sedentary to have mobility problems.

[SOURCE: “To Stay Mobile, Keep on the Move,” Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter,” September, 2005]

Health Shorts

September 2005

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