Men: Stop Avoiding Your Health

53% of men say health is just not something they talk about.

 You could probably guess that men are much more likely to talk to each other about the upcoming football game or presidential election than prostate cancer or their family history of cardiovascular disease. But if men don’t talk about their health concerns even to those closest to them, then how does it impact their overall health? A survey by the Cleveland Clinic reveals the truth about men and their sometimes not-so-healthy habits.

 In an effort to raise awareness about men’s health and gain insight into behaviors and attitudes surrounding health topics, the Cleveland Clinic launched their “MENtion It” campaign. They surveyed men ages 18 to 70 about their health, their understanding of health screenings, and the social settings in which they discussed their health concerns with other people.

 Results from the survey found that men talk about current events, sports, and work much more often than their health (not surprising!). Only 7% of men surveyed said they talked about health with a male friend. If health does come up in conversation between men, it is likely regarding an injury, such as bragging rights from being able to tolerate the pain from a broken arm.

 The survey found that most men (60%) see a doctor once a year for a check-up, but only 42% of men talk to their doctor when they have a serious health concern, including gastrointestinal issues, problems in the bedroom, or urinary issues. These issues are considered more private, which is why 48% of men said they would turn to a spouse or significant other rather than their friends, parents, or siblings.

 The survey also tested knowledge about health screenings and found that most men don’t know the correct age to start to get them. Some common misconceptions about health screenings are listed below.

Cardiovascular Disease and Coronary Artery Disease
 Men surveyed thought cardiovascular disease or coronary artery disease screening isn’t needed until age 40. The American Heart Association actually recommends screening as early as age 20.

Blood Pressure
 Age 35 is when men should start thinking about blood pressure monitoring; in reality, this should start at age 20 as well, according to the American Heart Association

Prostate Cancer
 Most men believed prostate cancer screening should start at age 42, when in fact the Urology Care Foundation suggests screening should begin at age 55.

Colorectal Cancer
 Most men thought colon or rectal cancer screening should begin at age 42; this should in fact start at age 50, based on recommendations from the CDC.

 While it may not be a popular topic, discussing health and staying educated on important prevention strategies is important for men’s health. If you have any health concerns that you are keeping bottled up, mention them to your friends or family, and most importantly, call your doctor.

This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

Yoga's Benefits Go Straight to the Heart

As popular as it has become, yoga still doesn't get the respect it deserves. It is a serious exercise regimen and every bit as good for the heart as other forms of exercise, according to recent analysis.  And because yoga is a lot less boring than riding a stationary bike, it may even be better than typical exercise when it comes to good heart health.  The authors of the analysis looked at 32 randomized controlled trials of how yoga affected risk factors for heart disease such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

First, the researchers reviewed trials comparing people who used yoga as a form of exercise to people who did not exercise. Yoga participants had lower body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) and cholesterol (both LDL and total) and had higher HDL (good) cholesterol.  They also had lower triglycerides and heart rate, and were more likely to lose weight during the trial. In fact, the only outcomes recorded where yoga did not lead to measurable improvements were fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin.

In trials comparing yoga's effects to the impact of other types of aerobic exercise, such as cycling or brisk walking, the results were even simpler: there was no significant difference between yoga and other exercise. The researchers caution that many of the trials were of rather short duration and had small numbers of participants, so it's possible that the results of larger or longer trials might be different.

Yoga may even have an edge over traditional forms of exercise. It tends to be more acceptable to patients with physical disabilities, including people with joint pain, heart problems and the elderly. It also requires no special equipment and can be performed either alone at home or as a part of a class. Add in that yoga is a lot less boring than a regimen of sit-ups and tummy crunches, and you're left with an exercise that you're more likely to keep doing. And the best exercise in the world won't help you if you don't do it.

Despite its growing popularity, yoga still carries a whiff of flakiness or new-age eccentricity for some who aren't familiar with it. This study should help dispel that idea. Plain and simple, yoga is good exercise.

The study is published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
 January 7, 2015

This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

More Dangerous Than Smoking

 

Smokeless tobacco appears to be even worse for your health than lighting up.

 If you are among those who believe that using smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco, keeps you safe from the cancer risks that come from smoking, think again. Not only is this untrue, but smokeless tobacco users have higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals in their bloodstream than do regular cigarette smokers, according to a recent study.

 There are at least 28 cancer-causing compounds in smokeless tobacco. Dip, chew, snuff, snus — none of them are safe. It's just that their dangers aren't as well known as that of cigarettes because there haven't been as many studies done on their potential to cause harm as have been done on smoking.

 Researchers looked at levels of a compound called NNAL in the current study. NNAL is a breakdown product of the carcinogen NNK, which is only found in tobacco and tobacco products. NNAL measurements are commonly used to gauge a person's exposure to NNK.

 The level of NNAL was nearly three times higher in users of smokeless tobacco as it was in cigarette smokers. And levels of cotinine, a breakdown product and biomarker of nicotine, were also higher in users of smokeless tobacco than in smokers, as was the level of lead in their blood.

 The study looked at data on nearly 24,000 adults who were part of the National Health and Nutrition and Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2012. Despite the study's large size, it only found 488 people who exclusively used smokeless tobacco (did not also smoke), while there were nearly 7,000 exclusive cigarette smokers.

 The FDA and NIH are currently collaborating on a a large longitudinal study, the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, designed to give more specific information on the effects of smokeless tobacco over time.

 Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn died in 2014 from cancer of the salivary gland. Gwynn blamed his cancer on decades of chewing tobacco, though a consulting physician on the team that treated him strongly disagrees. Another doctor isn't so sure, noting that cancer tends to occur in the part of the mouth where you chew tobacco.

 Cancer of the salivary gland is so rare that little is known about its causes, and smokeless tobacco has not been linked to it. About all that's certain here is that doctors would not be having this disagreement if Gwynn had chewed gum instead of tobacco.

 Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking. Users run the same risks of gum disease, heart disease and addiction as cigarette users and an even greater risk of oral cancer.

 The study appears in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
 December 4, 2015

 Source: www.TheDoctorWillSeeYouNow.com

 This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

Why We Miss So Many Heart Attacks in Women

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States. Yet researchers and clinicians have been slow to acknowledge that heart disease is different in women than in men. Women don't feel the same as men when they are having a heart attack. And the causes and risk factors for heart problems in women are also different. In fact the symptoms of a heart attack in women are often very different from those experienced by men. Women — and too often their doctors — often don't even realize that they are having a dangerous cardiac event, according to a recent Scientific Statement published by the American Heart Association.

The purpose of the statement is to highlight the differences in causes, symptoms, treatment, and outcomes of heart disease in women, compared with men's heart disease. The differences are important because the strategies for treating heart disease in men may not all be applicable to women. The authors suggest that because of these issues, heart disease in women is under-diagnosed, under treated, and opportunities for prevention are often missed.

Symptoms, Often Missed and Mistreated
The classic symptoms of heart attacks are chest pain or discomfort. However, women often do not experience classic chest pain. They may instead complain of shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. They may break out in a cold sweat or complain of pressure, squeezing, or fullness in the chest that lasts for several minutes, or eases and then returns.

The problem is that when a woman comes in for urgent or emergency care with these subtler symptoms and without chest pain, they are often treated less aggressively than patients with classic symptoms, or they may be misdiagnosed entirely and their symptoms attributed to anxiety or other non-cardiac causes. Women themselves often fail to realize that they are having a heart attack, so they put off seeking care, believing their discomfort will pass. Such delays can lead to more disability and a greater likelihood of death.

Different Causes and Risk Factors
In men, heart attacks are often caused by blockages in the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that nourish the heart muscle itself. These blockages are caused by plaque build-up. It takes considerably less plaque to cause to a heart attack in a woman, leaving women at higher risk from plaque build-up than are men.  As the AHA statement points out, women may also have heart attacks without any significant blockage. Instead, their heart attacks may be caused by a spasm or a tear in an artery, making the risk of heart attack may be harder to predict from tests, such as cardiac catheterization, that focus on the amount of plaque built-up in veins and arteries.

The kinds of risk factors that can bring on a heart attack are also different for women. For example, high blood pressure is more strongly associated with heart attacks in women than in men. And when a young woman has diabetes, she is at four to five times higher risk of heart attack than a young man with a similar condition.

Depression, anxiety, and stress can contribute to the development and outcome of heart attacks in women — and men. Women and their health care providers must stay on top of these sorts of risk factors, and also may need to address them at younger ages than is the case in men.

Racial Disparities Among Women
There are also differences in the risk of heart attack among women themselves. African American women at any age have a higher incidence of heart attacks than white women, and young African American women who have heart attacks are more likely to die in the hospital than are white women. One reason for this may be the fact that, according to the statement, African American women are less likely to be given treatments such as cardiac catheterization than white women.

 Finally, African American and Hispanic women have more of the heart disease-related risk factors that are so frequently overlooked in women in general such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, raising their overall risk for a heart attack. In fact, these risk factors are present in many of the women of color who have a heart attack, yet they receive no preventative treatments.
 The best thing women can do to protect themselves is to be aware of the risk factors for heart disease, particularly those most likely to affect them. Recognize your risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and stress. Keep in mind that any health issues or behaviors — such as consuming too much sugar — that put you at risk are also opportunities for interventions to reduce that risk.

 It is important women make sure their health care providers take their concerns seriously and offer therapeutic interventions to decrease the likelihood that they will have heart attacks.
 Of course, the ultimate responsibility is yours: you have to take these heart risks seriously and change your lifestyle to reduce your risk, whether this means quitting smoking, losing weight or changing your diet. The AHA statement, published in its journal, Circulation, is meant to make women aware that heart disease and heart attacks often affect women differently from the classic chest pain commonly identified as a heart attack. If troubling symptoms occur, seek medical care; don't assume your symptoms are too minor to be signs of heart disease.

This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

Protect Your Heart: Hold The Salt And Hold The Sugar

By now, you probably know to "hold the salt" to protect your heart.  In fact, the American Heart Association just released new stricter salt recommendations lowering the daily-recommended amount from 2500 mg to 1500 mg.  However, researchers are also suggesting that you "hold the sugar".  Although heart disease claims more lives in America each year than cancer or stroke, many people may not be aware how reducing salt and sugar consumption can benefit their heart health.

Americans typically consume more than 2 times the recommendation of 1,500 mg of salt per day, with about 77% of daily salt intake coming from packaged, processed, fast, and restaurant food.  Excess salt can elevate blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease.  Even decreasing salt intake by only 400 mg per day can be beneficial to your heart health.

Consuming a high amount of added sugars in processed, packaged, or prepared foods, and soda pop or sugary drinks has recently been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta.  It appears that higher consumption of added sugars can increase the risk of heart disease.  Excess sugar specifically appears to cause low levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL-C) and high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat that is in the blood.  Although larger long-term research trials are needed on the relationship between added sugar and heart disease, the Emory researchers support dietary guidelines that would recommend limits on consumption of added sugars.

Here are some tips for reducing your salt and sugar intake:

• Read food and beverage labels and keep track of your daily consumption of sugar and salt
• Find recipe-makeovers for your favorite meals that contain less salt and less added sugar
• Consult a nutritionist for help planning menus and meals
• Learn what foods are best to select when dining out
• Ask your doctor's office for educational material and resources in your area
• The American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association have helpful guides on their websites

This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

 

Remember Your New Year's Resolution!

So, it has been just over a month since you made that New Year’s Resolution, but do you even remember what it was?  We all have good intentions when we make them, but let’s face it, life just gets in the way! Only 8% of those who make a New Year’s resolution end up keeping it; the rest of us are done with them by the end of March.  We tend to fail, not for lack of trying, but for setting unrealistic expectations and time frames.

Stop thinking “New Year’s Resolution” and start thinking “my goals for this year”! It is important for you to make your goals specific, attainable, relevant, measurable, and set to a time limit.  Losing weight is always in the top 5 resolutions, and one of the first to be broken.  Instead of thinking “losing weight”, make a goal to eat healthier (eat 4 servings of fruit and veggies a day), limit desserts to 1 per week and eat a normal portion size.  These changes will help you lose the weight you want by establishing easy, achievable daily goals.  Fall off the wagon one day?  Don’t worry about it, just start again!  Think of getting healthy like the stock market.  Your goal in investing is not to get rich quick, but to secure long term wealth, or, in this case health.

If you need help achieving your goal of obtaining a healthy lifestyle, we are here to help!  Our patients lose thousands of pounds each month, and best of all they keep them off.  Our providers and staff can help you identify the physical and emotional triggers that have stopped you in the past and give you a personalized wellness plan to get you on your way to better health once and for all. Come and join us for our “New Goals for a New Me” until the end of March and receive your free consultation and start your wellness program for only $75. That’s a 50% savings! Call now for your free consultation (352) 394-4237.

Happy New Year!

            Happy New Year from Total Family Healthcare!