Health ShortsNovember 2007HPV Test Outperforms Pap Smear 1. Angina is a type of mini- heart attack. TRUE or FALSE? 2. Each time you experience angina, your heart suffers permanent damage. TRUE or FALSE? 3. It’s very important to avoid activities that bring on angina. TRUE or FALSE? The correct answer is FALSE to each of the above questions. Yet a survey of 197 angina patients found that 82 percent of subjects believed incorrectly that they should avoid activities that bring on angina, while 53 percent were wrong on question 2 and 30 percent wrong on question 1. The same study concluded that “educating patients and demystifying angina” was effective in keeping patients out of the hospital and improving their quality of life. [SOURCE: “Educating angina patients about their disease reduces hospital admissions,” Reuters Health, April 11, 2007; Journal of Pain Management, 2007;33:310–318] Exercise Is Best for Keeping Muscles Levels of hormones such as dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA, decline with aging at about the same time that abdominal fat tends to become more obvious in both men and women. A two-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine [October 19, 2006] found that DHEA had no effect on body composition in men and women age 60 and over. Previous studies established that it’s possible to maintain and increase muscle mass at any age through regular exercise that includes strength training. [SOURCE: “Abdominal fat and what to do about it,” Harvard Women’s Health Watch,. December, 2006] Exercise Key to Kids’ Abdominal Fat Abdominal obesity is considered an important health problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent among American children. Visceral abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. A study of 42 eight-year-old children at risk of obesity found a strong link between increased physical activity and reductions in visceral fat. The authors recommended “structured physical training...to prevent further visceral fat accumulation.” [SOURCE: Brian E. Saelens, Randy J. Seeley, Kelly van Schaick, Lane F. Donnelly and Kendall J. O’Brien, “Visceral abdominal fat is correlated with whole-body fat and physical activity among 8-y-old children at risk of obesity,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January, 2007] Stop Fat Storage in Its Tracks You’ve just had a good 45-minute workout, and the machine tells you that you’ve burned 475 calories. Don’t start feeling too smug: your body is going to start storing fat again before you know it. In a laboratory study using adolescent rats and exercise wheels, University of Missouri researchers found that abdominal fat cells of physically fit rats started storing fat just five hours after the end of exercise. After two days with no exercise, the fat cells increased in size by 19 percent. [SOURCE: Daniel J. DeNoon, “Skipping exercise makes fat a bigger problem,” WebMD Weight Loss Clinic–Medical News, April 19, 2005; Journal of Physiology, April, 2005] Losing Weight? Measure Waist If you’re trying to slim down, measuring your waist circumference may tell you more about your body composition and your overall health than either weight or body mass index (BMI). Even more than total body fat or weight, abdominal fat is considered an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. A waist measurement greater than 40 inches for a man or 35 inches for a woman is considered high risk. Starting at the top of the hip bone, bring the tape measure all the way around, level with your navel. Don’t hold your breath and don’t pull the tape too tight. [SOURCE: “Calculating your waist circumference,” WebMD Medical Reference, March 29, 2007] Kidney Disease Rises among Seniors The prevalence of chronic kidney disease has increased by about four percent over the past decade, and those most affected are older adults and those who are overweight or have diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure. About 40 percent of Americans over age 60 and all adults with type 2 diabetes had kidney disease, according to a report based on national health studies from 1999 to 2004. The disorder was found in 15 percent of overweight and 20 percent of obese subjects; 28 percent of those with heart disease; and 24 percent of those with hypertension. [SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 1, 2007] New Kidney Treatment Being Tested Chronic kidney disease, common among diabetics and persons with uncontrolled blood pressure, is a progressive condition that at present cannot be reversed. A new antiinflammatory agent is currently undergoing trials to determine its safety and effectiveness in blocking the inflammation involved in diabetic kidney disease. At present, diabetic kidney disease is managed through smoking cessation, weight reduction, dietary modifications and control of blood pressure and blood sugar. [SOURCE: Caroline Cassels, “Researchers investigating inflammation as promising treatment target in diabetic kidney disease,” Medscape Medical News, January 12, 2006] New Angina Treatment Helps ED Erectile dysfunction frequently accompanies heart disease, but many men with angina are not allowed to take oral ED medications because of possible interactions with nitrate medications used to treat their recurrent chest pain. A new non-invasive treatment for angina has been found effective in reducing both angina and erectile dysfunction. Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) uses three sets of cuffs wrapped around the patient’s calves and lower and upper thighs that are inflated sequentially to improve blood flow throughout the body. In one study, 89 percent of patients undergoing EECP had improvements in angina status and 84 percent reported improvement in their ED. In fact, 40 percent had complete resolution of their erectile dysfunction. [SOURCE: W.E. Lawson, et al, “Effect of enhanced external counterpulsation on medically refractory angina patients with erectile dysfunction,” International Journal of clinical Practice, 2007;61(5):757-762] Don’t Waste Time Wondering About 5 million Americans go to the emergency department each year with chest pain. While slightly less than half of these cases involve heart-related pain, nearly all require a doctor’s opinion. Those who waste time wondering if they should go to the ER could literally die of indecision. [SOURCE: W. Steven Pray, “The Patient with Chest Pain,” U.S. Pharmacist, 2007; 32(2), 2007] | ArchiveAugust 2008 |
The information on this site is intended to increase your awareness and understanding of specific health issues. It should not be used for diagnosis or as a substitute for health care by your physician. | |

