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For years, we’ve understood that having high blood levels of HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol, also known as “good” cholesterol, lowers a person’s risk of heart disease. According to a recent study, it now appears that high HDL levels (at least 56 milliliters) are also associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, and causes enough loss of memory and other cognitive abilities to compromise daily life. It is characterized by lack of synaptic communication between damaged brain cells, especially in areas of the brain in which new memories are formed, due to build-up of amyloid-? plaques and tangled neuron fibers. Although Alzheimer’s is considered an aging-related disease, it is not a natural cause of aging; rather genetic predisposition and environmental factors play into its development. Early onset Alzheimer’s also can afflict younger people. Five million people currently live with Alzheimer’s, a number which is expected to rise to sixteen billion by 2050.
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December 9-11, 2010 marked the 18th Annual Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine and Biomedical Technologies, commonly known as the Vegas “A4M” conference. Every year world-renowned speakers present cutting edge information focused on the prevention and early intervention of aging-related disease processes. Health practitioners market their products and services in an exhibition hall, and doctors can become certified in anti-aging medicine and/or receive continuing medical education (CME) credits.
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Allergan, manufacturer of the LAP-BAND®, thinks so, thinks so, and an FDA advisory committee considered the manufacturer’s request on December 3, 2010. The Lap-Band is an adjustable, inflatable silicone ring that a surgeon adheres to the top portion of a patient’s stomach during a procedure called gastric banding. Designed to promote long-term weight loss by reducing the amount of food a person’s stomach can contain and promoting quicker feelings of satiety, gastric banding provides an alternative strategy for obese people who have been unable to reduce their weight through exercise, diet and pharmacotherapy. The procedure is considered less invasive than gastric bypass surgery, which involves stomach cutting, stapling, or intestinal re-routing.
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We’ve known for a while that regular, moderate exercise (for people of all age groups) is part of a healthy lifestyle: among other things, it enhances cardiovascular function, circulation, digestion and elimination, musculoskeletal integrity, mental health and weight maintenance efforts. A study published November 22, 2010 now shows that staying physically active throughout one’s golden years offers even more benefits for elderly individuals: improved mobility and reduced risk of falls.
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The Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day is known as the busiest travel day of the year, and for this year’s air travelers, the red tape involved in airport security screening might also cause reddening of faces. Passengers and pilots alike have been complaining about recently-implemented screening techniques which seem to be getting a little too "up-close-and-personal"; faced with the choice between walking through a full body x-ray scanner and a revved-up hand search by a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer, the thought of air travel may be very stressful. New York Times writer Tobin Harshaw, states “apparently it will be the worst travel day in the history of mankind.”
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Nov. 18, 2010 marks the 33rd anniversary of the Great American Smokeout, a day dedicated to the cessation of cigarette smoking for at least 24 hours. The American Cancer Society sponsors the Smokeout to encourage people to not smoke for an entire day, if not use the date to kick the habit altogether, as well as spotlight the health hazards of tobacco use and the challenges of cessation. Since 1977, the number of American adults who smoke has decreased by 13 percent. Laws designed to shift public trends toward anti-smoking behavior have resulted in the banning of smoking in most public spaces, restaurants and bars, and workplaces, as well as point-of-sale age-restrictions and increased taxes on tobacco products. Despite these social changes, around 21 percent of adults still smoke (as do a significant number of teens), reflecting the difficulty of long-term cessation.
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Have you ever wondered what’s actually in all the various personal hygiene and cosmetic products that you apply to your skin or hair each day, and whether these products contain ingredients which could affect your health? The Story of Stuff project has released a seven-minute video called The Story of Cosmetics which thoughtfully examines this exact question, and provides insight about how to avoid toxins in personal care products through awareness and legal change.
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On November 1, 2010, Kristin Cassie, principal of Roots and Wings Montessori Place, an independent school in British Columbia, Canada, announced her decision to remove all wireless technology from the school and ban use of cell phones from the building. Stating that “it was not a major change to hardwire all computers,” Cassie indicated that practicing the precautionary principle still allowed for advanced technology in schools. “The health and safety of our children is a non-negotiable responsibility,” the principal stated. Noting the existence of evidence of harmful effects associated with wireless technology and lack of universal agreement as the relative health hazards of WiFi, Cassie defaulted on the side of safety.
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On October 4, 2010, in “Even Benefits Don’t Tempt Us to Vegetables,” Jane Brody asked readers, “given that so many professionals have failed to raise the consumption of vegetables among not-so-health-conscious Americans, how can we make a difference?” Less than one month later, after more than 600 e-mails flooded her inbox in response, Brody published “Learning to Love Veggies, Readers Weigh In,” a compilation of creative suggestions from veggie-lovers as well as those “not especially fond of vegetables." ___________________________________________________________________
In “Acne Cream? Tax-Sheltered. Breast Pump? No,” David Kocieniewski explains a flaw in our tax structure which contributes to low breastfeeding rates with babies older than 3 months in the U.S. Focusing on a regulatory provision under which new mothers are not permitted to pay for breast pumps and other supplies like bottles and pads using tax-exempt, employment-based health care accounts, Kocieniewski casts light on another dilemma working mothers face feeding their new children in the most safe, natural, and healthy way possible.
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The rising incidence of diabetes shows no sign of decline, according to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report issued October 22, 2010. Whether diagnosed with it or not, 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. currently have diabetes, and researchers expect this number to increase to 1 in 5, if not 1 in 3, adults within the next forty years. The vast majority of people with diabetes develop the type II variety, which is preventable, in most cases, through healthy lifestyle choices.
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Is the new federal health care reform law (a.k.a. President Obama's signature legislative achievement: “Obamacare”) unconstitutional? Many state attorney generals and governors (19 Republicans and 1 Democrat) think so, and have joined Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum as plaintiffs in a federal district court lawsuit. The various state leaders are challenging two main provisions in the law: the requirement that all American citizens purchase health insurance or face monetary penalties, and the expansion of Medicaid to include low-income recipients. In a 65-page opinion published October 14, 2010, Federal Judge Vinson officially rejected the U.S. Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the Florida lawsuit; a full hearing on whether Congress went beyond its powers to regulate interstate commerce, and tax and spend for the general welfare, when enacting the law is set for December 16, 2010.
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In her article about Dr. Abraham Verghese, author and senior associate chairman for the theory and practice of medicine at Stanford University, Denise Grady casts light on a modern medical education trend that threatens loss of “personal touch” in today's doctor-patient relationships. In an era where lab tests and M.R.I., CT and ultrasound machines are the ultimate diagnosticians, old-fashioned physical exams which include careful touching, looking and listening are at risk of extinction. While some doctors consider physical exams obsolete in light of modern technology, others like Dr. Verghese, believe they are a lost art in need of revival.
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In “Schoolkids Deserve More than Junk Food,” Chef Jamie Oliver expresses disappointment over Congress’ failure to pass the Child Nutrition Bill last week. Oliver is best known for his cooking shows and books; his TV series, “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” has helped bring mainstream awareness to the need for better school lunch programs in American public schools, and over 600,000 people have signed the Food Revolution petition Oliver intends to show to the White House.
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October 2010 marks the 26th year that the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization began promoting better awareness of breast cancer. Comprised of national public service organizations, government agencies, and professional media associations, NBCAM actively provides information about breast cancer as well as access to screening services. NBCAM’s mission is to educate and empower women so that they may take control of their own breast health to defeat, if not prevent, breast cancer. Breast cancer afflicts approximately one in every eight women, and kills one in every thirty-five; it is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women.1 However, due to early detection, breast cancer death rates have declined over the past two decades, especially in women under fifty; there are currently over 2.5 million breast cancer survivors (those who have received or are receiving treatment) in the United States.2
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In a recent study examining the relationship between obesity and depression, researchers determined that depression, especially in teenage girls, likely contributes to health problems like cardiovascular disease because of associated weight gain, especially around the abdominal area, over time. The study was designed to investigate whether depression precedes obesity or vice versa, and demonstrated a mind-body connection between these conditions which sheds light on the way we approach obesity prevention and treatment.
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On September 23, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its decision to restrict the use of Avandia (rosiglitazone), a diabetes drug; specifically, only type II diabetics who are unable to control their condition with other medications are now eligible to take Avandia. This new regulation sprung from a 3-year reevaluation of Avandia’s safety by the FDA, which became necessary after Ohio Cardiologist Dr. Steven E. Nissen published a study in The New England Journal of Medicine linking Avandia to increased risk of adverse cardiovascular (ischemic) effects.
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In “New Drugs Stir Debate on Rules of Clinical Trials,” Amy Harmon details the story of two cousins who entered a clinical trial for treatment after developing skin cancer, and shines light on an ethical dilemma surrounding the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval process for drugs marketed as cancer treatments. Both cousins entered the trial's final phase with hopes of receiving PLX4032, an experimental melanoma drug which had been shown in an earlier trial phase to stop tumor growth, but only one got to take the “superpills.” While 24-year-old Thomas McLaughlin was assigned to the PLX4032 group, 22-year-old Brandon Ryan was randomly selected for the trial’s control group, and received instead standard chemotherapy for melanoma. Even when the chemotherapy proved ineffective against the tumors that had spread to the young man’s liver, lungs and spine, Ryan was not permitted to switch into the experimental group to receive the pills because doing so would have tainted the trial results. While McLaughlin continues to take PLX4032, Ryan passed away in June 2010.
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In “Teaching Doctors about Nutrition and Diet,” Pauline W. Chen, M.D. explores the disparity between inadequate nutrition training in medical schools and the need for nutritional awareness in prevention and management of chronic diseases. Noting that “the most important public health measure for any of us to take may well be watching what we eat,” Dr. Chen discusses a possible solution to the barriers most physicians currently face in providing their patients nutritional counseling: Nutrition in Medicine. A fully developed online nutritional program, Nutrition in Medicine is offered free of charge to medical students by the University of North Carolina, and is a series of interactive multimedia instruction modules covering topics such as nutrition and dietary supplements for the elderly, cancer nutrition at the molecular level, and pediatric obesity. Also offered to practicing physicians, the Nutrition in Medicine programs may eventually help doctors earn required continuing medical education credits.
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Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Environmental Working Group (EWG) submitted a letter on September 13, 2010 to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency responsible for regulation of cell phone safety, requesting information that would demonstrate whether the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), the trade association for the wireless industry, is working with the FCC to fight the recent Cell Phone Right to Know ordinance. Passed in San Francisco this summer, the ordinance requires cell phone retailers to display SAR value of individual phones at points of sale. CTIA responded in July by issuing a retaliatory statement announcing that it would no longer hold its annual convention in San Francisco, and filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the ordinance from taking effect.
While the Cell Phone Right to Know ordinance will not make cell phones more safe to use, it signifies a step toward prioritizing consumer awareness. Until the FCC updates its safety regulations for cell phone manufacturers, HMDI recommends taking the following measures to reduce potential health risks associated with unlimited cell phone use (“SOLMATE”).
Remember Your SOLMATE for Safer Cell Phone Use
When in doubt, it's better to err on the side of precaution.
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On February 4, 2010, Senator John McCain introduced a new bill to his peers which would give the FDA unbridled power over the supplement industry, and which could impede consumer access to health-promoting supplements while unnecessarily overburdening supplement companies. McCain’s proposed legislation, The Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 (S.3002), would amend The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act so that the FDA would have absolute discretion to decide market availability of, as well as mandatory recall authority over, supplements.
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On January 10, 2010, a massive 7.0 earthquake shattered the lives of people near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. The quake, said to be the worst in Haiti in over 200 years, damaged or destroyed approximately 50 percent of buildings in the worst-hit areas. A high proportion of the city’s 3 million people have been left without access to shelter, food, water, or electricity. Despite all of the death and destruction around them, hundreds of people marched the streets of Port-au-Prince while singing and chanting, demonstrating again the incredible resilience of the human spirit.
© 2010 Heart MD Institute, PA |
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On December 1, 2009, a panel of experts gave a 65-minute presentation at Columbia Law School entitled "Wireless Hazards." This presentation provides a great overview of the issues of potential health effects of cell phone use and the need to revise current safety standards.
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Tips for Safer Cell Phone Use
Taking the following precautionary measures when using cell phones will help reduce your exposure to cell phone emissions and protect you against possible adverse health effects of cell phone use:
1. Use a low-radiation phone (lowest possible SAR value): EWG provides a list at http://www.ewg.org/cellphone-radiation
2. Use a phone when on a G (not an E) network.
3. Use speakerphone or an air tube head set and hold the phone away from your body. Do not use a wireless earpiece.
4. Send texts instead of calling.
5. Keep call time to a minimum.
6. Keep cell phone away from your body when on and not in use.
7. Make and take calls only if the signal is strong (if the signal is weak, the phone must emit more radiation to get to the tower).
8. Limit children’s use – such as in emergencies only.
9. Use a landline instead of a cell phone whenever possible.
10. Turn your cell phone off when you're not using it to make or receive calls and/or texts.
11. Get a pager to alert you of calls.
Dangers of Diuretics
Some 25 to 40 percent of adults age 65 and older use diuretics. Diuretics increase urine production, which promotes excretion of more than the normal amount of sodium, potassium, and water. The result is less fluid flowing through the blood vessels, which reduces pressure on arterial walls. While this may be good for your blood pressure, it’s not so good for your body chemistry. All of the enzymatic processes that require sodium and potassium have less of those minerals available to them.
Thiazides, a specific class of diuretics, remain a first choice for treating high blood pressure and hypertension-related heart problems. Other types of diuretics can be prescribed to prevent, treat, or improve symptoms in a variety of conditions, such as congestive heart failure and edema. But they all work the same way—and other classes of diuretics have been documented to deplete calcium, B-complex vitamins, and vitamin C
The health of the body begins to deteriorate when its physical, emotional, and mental processes fail to work in harmony. Establishing health and balance within a person requires a multidisciplinary approach which may include elements of proper breathing, exercise, release of painful emotions and past traumas, energy enhancement, nutritional healing, reopening of the heart to love, and the development of a spiritual connection.
-Heartbreak and Heart Disease
