下面的这10个习惯会帮助你活到100岁甚至更长：
1.不退休
研究发现，如果人们退休,突然停止工作，那么患有肥胖和慢性疾病的几率会急剧增加。专家建议：退休后可以去当地的博物馆或美术馆作义务讲解员，或在小学当老师。
2.每天用牙线
这可以使你的动脉保持健康。研究发现，每天使用牙线可以防止引起牙龈疾病的口腔细菌，这种细菌会进入血液，引起动脉发炎，从而导致心脏疾病。口腔内部的大量细菌会导致动脉壁变厚，而这也是心脏疾病的先兆。
3.经常运动
运动是永葆年轻的唯一方式。大量研究发现，锻炼可以改善心情、提高智力、促进平衡和骨质健康。你不必非去健身馆，每天在小区附近或购物中心散步大约30分钟就可以了。
4.富含纤维的早餐
最新研究发现，每天早上使用全麦食品会使老年人的全天血糖浓度保持稳定，防止糖尿病。
5.每天睡眠时间最少为6个小时
睡眠是体内最重要的细胞医治方式之一。而这种效用只有在每天至少睡眠6小时后才会有效。那些百岁老人无一例外地都有充足的睡眠时间。
6.多吃水果、蔬菜和全麦食品，而不是补充剂和营养品
研究表明摄入大量硒、类胡萝卜素、维生素C和维生素E等营养物质的人不易衰老，并且较少有认知障碍。但是服用含有这些营养物质的补充剂和营养品却没有这种效果。专家建议，少食用营养缺失的食物，如面包、面粉和糖类，多吃水果、蔬菜和全麦面包。
7.不要太神经质
研究发现，百岁老人不会把事情装在心里，也不会总是思考他们的烦恼。如果你天生做不到这样，那么寻找合适的释放压力方式，如瑜伽、锻炼、深思、太极或仅仅是深呼吸。
8.像个教徒似的生活
研究发现，美国教徒的平均年龄为89岁，比其他美国人多10岁。其中一个重要原因是他们珍惜从上帝那里借来的身体。也就是说，他们不吸烟，不喝酒并且不会沉迷于糖类。他们一般都是素食主义者，食用水果、蔬菜、豆类食品和坚果，而且经常锻炼。此外，他们有很强的家庭和社区观念。
9.有自己的习惯
百岁老人都有很严谨的生活习惯，他们一生会吃同样的食物，做同样的事情。在每天同一个时间点起床和睡觉也是维持身体稳定的好习惯。因为当你变老的时候，身体也会变得虚弱。如果你每晚少睡几个小时或喝太多的酒，你的免疫防护系统会被破坏，从而使你更容易感染流感或其他传染疾病。
10.和别人保持联系
和朋友或爱人经常保持联系可以防止抑郁，因为抑郁可以导致猝死。心理学家甚至认为老年人锻炼的最大好处之一就是他们和其他人一起运动时的相互影响。如果和朋友或家人保持联系，他们会告诉你，你的记忆力是否下降或在你不舒服时提醒你看医生
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Don't Drink 'Alone'
Don't Drink 'Alone'
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Drinking alcohol can raise your blood pressure, but did you know that it’s how you drink your beer, wine or martini that can really make a difference? Drinking alcohol à la carte (without food) raises your blood pressure temporarily and can actually increase your risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure) by 40%, which also increases your risk for heart disease. Without eating something to “soak up” some of the effects of the alcohol, your blood pressure is highly altered. If you are already at risk for high blood pressure or you drink regularly, don’t drink alone. Alcoholic drinks should always be enjoyed in the company of food and should only be consumed in moderation, which means having only one or two drinks on occasion.
One drink is equivalent to 12 ounces of beer or a wine cooler, five ounces of wine, 1.5 ounce of 80-proof liquor or one ounce of 100-proof liquor. So whether you’re having a glass of merlot with your spaghetti and meatballs or drinking beer with your buffalo wings, make sure you eat as you drink to help keep your blood pressure under control.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Baby Carrots
Who loves those little mini carrots? We do! According to a USA Today report, baby carrots alone have boosted carrot sales over the last 40 years by almost 100%. And that’s no small feat, even for these miniature-sized veggies. If you haven’t developed a love for baby carrots yet, it’s about time you experienced the juicy, sweet crunch for yourself. Baby carrots make for a quick and easy snack that you can munch on anytime, anywhere (except maybe the movie theater and library). At only 35 calories per half cup of carrots and more than 300% of the RDA for vitamin A (as beta-carotene), these fiber-rich veggies are also a great diet tool. Just like eating a salad before the main course works to reduce total calorie intake from that meal, carrots can help curb your appetite to help you eat less. Get your crunch on with a handful of these wonderful baby carrots and take a tasty step closer to weight-loss success and a healthier, more satisfied you
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Your Top Heart-Health Questions - Answered
Your Top Heart-Health Questions - Answered
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Heart disease strikes men and women alike, but more women die from it. To keep your ticker healthy, you need to arm yourself with information. We answer your most crucial questions…
Only older women need to worry about heart disease, right? Wrong! It was the third leading cause of death in women 25 to 44 years old, according to 2004 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So, no matter what your age, it’s important to recognize symptoms and know what you can do to prevent the most common heart disease, coronary artery disease (CAD). Here are some answers to 9 frequently asked questions:
1. How do I know if I have heart disease?Unfortunately, you may not be able to tell. Heart disease goes undetected in some people.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when the blood vessels that feed the heart become inflamed.
This can thicken the arterial lining and cause plaque to form, which can then block arteries. If the blockage completely cuts off blood to an artery or arteries feeding the heart, you can have a heart attack.
The blockage can also cause intermittent loss of blood flow to the heart. Consequently, you may feel chest pain or angina – a feeling of pressure, squeezing, pain or tightness in the middle of your chest. It usually occurs with any type of exertion and stops when the exertion stops.
However, women also may have many other symptoms that indicate CAD (See question No. 6).
Even if you don’t have symptoms, you still may have heart disease. It’s even more likely if you have any of these risk factors:
High blood pressure
Elevated cholesterol
Diabetes
Smoking cigarettes
Family history of heart disease
Obesity
Stress
Depression,
Sedentary lifestyle
If you have any risk factors, get tested for CAD immediately. Even if you do not have risk factors, it is recommended that you have a baseline EKG (electrocardiogram) at age 40. Most health care providers will evaluate you with an exam, blood tests, an EKG at rest, an EKG stress test (done while exercising) and, if necessary, an imaging study such as a stress echocardiogram.
If you have any chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual difficulty exercising, fatigue, dizziness or jaw or arm discomfort that doesn’t go away, chew an aspirin (if you’re not allergic to it) and call 911. If you have the above symptoms and they go away quickly but come back, see your clinician as soon as possible.
2. I just learned I have a heart murmur. What is it and does it raise my risk of a heart attack?The term “heart murmur” refers to an extra sound that’s sometimes described as a “whooshing” or “swishing” that occurs between the two normal beats of the heart. It’s usually caused by the flow of blood in the heart.
Heart murmurs may be present at birth (congenital heart murmurs) or they develop later in life. Generally, most heart murmurs are harmless, show no symptoms and need no treatment: These are called “innocent” murmurs.
During pregnancy, for instance, some women develop a heart murmur due to the more rapid blood flow through the heart. It usually goes away after delivery.
Another cause of an innocent murmur is anemia, or low blood count, which causes a more rapid flow of blood through the heart. It, too, usually resolves once blood count becomes more normal.
Innocent heart murmurs don’t put you at increased risk for a heart attack.
Some heart murmurs can indicate an underlying heart condition, such as a diseased heart valve. These “abnormal” murmurs must be followed up with testing and possibly treatment, and if severe enough, surgery.
Abnormal murmurs may cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, extra or skipped heartbeats, dizziness, fainting, and even chest pain.
One type of abnormal heart murmur, calcific aortic stenosis, can be a tip-off that you have CAD. That’s because, like CAD, it is your body’s formation of calcified plaque on the aortic valve that causes the stenosis. The calcified plaque also leads to the narrowing of arteries, which can lead to a heart attack. This murmur occurs mostly in older people.
Of course, you don’t always know if a newly diagnosed heart murmur is innocent or abnormal, so it’s important to have it thoroughly evaluated.
3. Does taking hormone replacement therapy have an effect on heart disease?The jury is still out on this. A study by the Women’s Health Initiative reported in 2002 that women on Premarin and Provera [see below] were at increased risk of having a heart attack and stroke.
The study followed women who were on average 63 years old, had controlled cardiac risk factors – such as high blood pressure or diabetes – and were given a combination of Premarin and Provera or Premarin alone. Premarin alone didn’t increase the risk for heart attack, but it did increase the risk of stroke.
Yet when the researchers looked again at women who started hormone therapy within 10 years of the onset of menopause (between 50 to 59 years old), they found no increased risk of heart attack. In fact, the hormones may offer some protection from heart disease, but this needs further study.
The transdermal (patch) form of estrogen may be a better alternative for women who have risk factors for cardiac disease because several studies have a found the patch to be less likely to cause blood clots. Natural progesterone also is less likely to cause blood clots than the synthetic version.
Blood clots can lead to heart attacks and strokes, but are not the only cause. Most heart attacks are caused by plaque.
However, there are other side effects of hormone replacement therapy, such as an increased risk of breast cancer, so each woman reaching menopause should have her treatment tailored to her unique medical needs. Also, you shouldn’t stay on hormone replacement therapy indefinitely; stop at or before five years, because your breast cancer risk may increase the longer you are on hormone replacement.
4. Can birth control pills increase my risk of a heart attack?Birth control pills are generally safe in healthy women under the age of 35. For older women, there’s a risk of heart attack; the pill has been linked to blood clot formation. The risk is higher for women who smoke, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or are obese. And in younger women who take the pill, the risk of blood clots increases dramatically in smokers.
5. If I get occasional pains in my chest, does it mean I have a heart problem?No, many things besides heart disease can cause chest pain, including indigestion or heartburn, gallbladder problems, a lung infection, coughing, a cracked rib or even strain of the muscles in the chest wall.
Generally, chest pain differs with each disease. For instance, the pain associated with indigestion is usually a continuous burning sensation in the center of the chest. It doesn’t change with activity but may be relieved with food or antacids.
Pay attention to your chest pain so you can describe it to your health care provider. What’s the nature of the pain (sharp, squeezing, burning)? How long does it last? Does anything specific bring it on or relieve it? Does the pain move to other parts of the body?
Even though all types of chest pain don’t indicate heart disease, you still should take this symptom seriously and get checked when you first notice it. Then, hopefully, you will recognize it if it occurs again and know what to do based on your doctor’s instructions.
6. How do I know if I’m having a heart attack?There are some classic heart attack symptoms that strike men and women alike: chest squeezing or pressure (often described as an “elephant sitting on the chest”) with or without nausea, shortness of breath or sweating, and pain going down the left arm and up the neck.
Generally, men feel symptoms with chest pain; women may feel them together or alone and without chest pain. So we may think the symptom points to a problem other than a heart attack. Common women-specific symptoms include:
Overwhelming fatigue
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Sweating
Jaw, arm, upper back and/or abdominal discomfort
Nausea and lack of appetite
Coughing
Heart flutters
If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911. If you’re not allergic to aspirin, chew one while waiting for the ambulance. It’s much faster to call an ambulance than have someone drive you to the ER. That is why, even though we women do not like to bother anyone, CALL 911!
7. Can lifestyle and stress really bring on a heart attack?Yes, both can have a huge impact on heart disease. Many risk factors for a heart attack are under our control, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
That’s why it’s so important to exercise regularly and eat healthy (such as the Mediterranean diet). Monitor your cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure and keep them in check with diet, exercise, and (in some cases) medication. If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control. If you smoke, quit!
Many people don’t realize mood can also affect the heart. A recent study found that depressed women have a higher risk of sudden cardiac death and heart disease compared to those who aren’t depressed. Similar results were found with stressed-out or hostile women.
That is why it’s so important to address these issues with your provider and get help. To stay healthy, learn how to reduce your stress levels and manage stress that you can’t reduce.
8. Does an irregular heartbeat mean I’m at risk for a heart attack?Not necessarily. The heart normally beats regularly between 60 and 100 beats per minute. You can time your heartbeat from the pulse in your wrist or neck. Skipped or extra beats make the pulse irregular.
An irregular heartbeat has many causes, including abnormal electrolyte levels (sodium or potassium) in your blood, thyroid disease and lung disease. But CAD and diseased heart muscle after an attack can also cause irregular beats.
Many irregular beats are harmless, and, in fact, may be normal for you. But others have a serious underlying cause.
Just as with heart murmurs, have this checked out as soon as you notice the irregularity. In some cases, an irregular heartbeat will cause no symptoms and may be found by observing your pulse rate or during a physical exam.
9. If I suspect I have heart disease, what should I do?If you think you have heart disease, see your health care provider as soon as possible. If you’re having any of the symptoms mentioned in question No. 6, call 911 and chew an aspirin (only if you’re not allergic) while waiting.
Not sure if you have heart disease? Sit down right now, think about the risk factors and assess whether you have them. If you have one or more, see your doctor as soon as possible and request testing for heart disease.
If you are having intermittent symptoms, are pre-menopausal or are right at menopause – even if you have NO risk factors – request testing for heart disease from your clinician.
Remember, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in this country, and the incidence of heart disease in women goes up dramatically after menopause.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Heart disease strikes men and women alike, but more women die from it. To keep your ticker healthy, you need to arm yourself with information. We answer your most crucial questions…
Only older women need to worry about heart disease, right? Wrong! It was the third leading cause of death in women 25 to 44 years old, according to 2004 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So, no matter what your age, it’s important to recognize symptoms and know what you can do to prevent the most common heart disease, coronary artery disease (CAD). Here are some answers to 9 frequently asked questions:
1. How do I know if I have heart disease?Unfortunately, you may not be able to tell. Heart disease goes undetected in some people.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when the blood vessels that feed the heart become inflamed.
This can thicken the arterial lining and cause plaque to form, which can then block arteries. If the blockage completely cuts off blood to an artery or arteries feeding the heart, you can have a heart attack.
The blockage can also cause intermittent loss of blood flow to the heart. Consequently, you may feel chest pain or angina – a feeling of pressure, squeezing, pain or tightness in the middle of your chest. It usually occurs with any type of exertion and stops when the exertion stops.
However, women also may have many other symptoms that indicate CAD (See question No. 6).
Even if you don’t have symptoms, you still may have heart disease. It’s even more likely if you have any of these risk factors:
High blood pressure
Elevated cholesterol
Diabetes
Smoking cigarettes
Family history of heart disease
Obesity
Stress
Depression,
Sedentary lifestyle
If you have any risk factors, get tested for CAD immediately. Even if you do not have risk factors, it is recommended that you have a baseline EKG (electrocardiogram) at age 40. Most health care providers will evaluate you with an exam, blood tests, an EKG at rest, an EKG stress test (done while exercising) and, if necessary, an imaging study such as a stress echocardiogram.
If you have any chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual difficulty exercising, fatigue, dizziness or jaw or arm discomfort that doesn’t go away, chew an aspirin (if you’re not allergic to it) and call 911. If you have the above symptoms and they go away quickly but come back, see your clinician as soon as possible.
2. I just learned I have a heart murmur. What is it and does it raise my risk of a heart attack?The term “heart murmur” refers to an extra sound that’s sometimes described as a “whooshing” or “swishing” that occurs between the two normal beats of the heart. It’s usually caused by the flow of blood in the heart.
Heart murmurs may be present at birth (congenital heart murmurs) or they develop later in life. Generally, most heart murmurs are harmless, show no symptoms and need no treatment: These are called “innocent” murmurs.
During pregnancy, for instance, some women develop a heart murmur due to the more rapid blood flow through the heart. It usually goes away after delivery.
Another cause of an innocent murmur is anemia, or low blood count, which causes a more rapid flow of blood through the heart. It, too, usually resolves once blood count becomes more normal.
Innocent heart murmurs don’t put you at increased risk for a heart attack.
Some heart murmurs can indicate an underlying heart condition, such as a diseased heart valve. These “abnormal” murmurs must be followed up with testing and possibly treatment, and if severe enough, surgery.
Abnormal murmurs may cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, extra or skipped heartbeats, dizziness, fainting, and even chest pain.
One type of abnormal heart murmur, calcific aortic stenosis, can be a tip-off that you have CAD. That’s because, like CAD, it is your body’s formation of calcified plaque on the aortic valve that causes the stenosis. The calcified plaque also leads to the narrowing of arteries, which can lead to a heart attack. This murmur occurs mostly in older people.
Of course, you don’t always know if a newly diagnosed heart murmur is innocent or abnormal, so it’s important to have it thoroughly evaluated.
3. Does taking hormone replacement therapy have an effect on heart disease?The jury is still out on this. A study by the Women’s Health Initiative reported in 2002 that women on Premarin and Provera [see below] were at increased risk of having a heart attack and stroke.
The study followed women who were on average 63 years old, had controlled cardiac risk factors – such as high blood pressure or diabetes – and were given a combination of Premarin and Provera or Premarin alone. Premarin alone didn’t increase the risk for heart attack, but it did increase the risk of stroke.
Yet when the researchers looked again at women who started hormone therapy within 10 years of the onset of menopause (between 50 to 59 years old), they found no increased risk of heart attack. In fact, the hormones may offer some protection from heart disease, but this needs further study.
The transdermal (patch) form of estrogen may be a better alternative for women who have risk factors for cardiac disease because several studies have a found the patch to be less likely to cause blood clots. Natural progesterone also is less likely to cause blood clots than the synthetic version.
Blood clots can lead to heart attacks and strokes, but are not the only cause. Most heart attacks are caused by plaque.
However, there are other side effects of hormone replacement therapy, such as an increased risk of breast cancer, so each woman reaching menopause should have her treatment tailored to her unique medical needs. Also, you shouldn’t stay on hormone replacement therapy indefinitely; stop at or before five years, because your breast cancer risk may increase the longer you are on hormone replacement.
4. Can birth control pills increase my risk of a heart attack?Birth control pills are generally safe in healthy women under the age of 35. For older women, there’s a risk of heart attack; the pill has been linked to blood clot formation. The risk is higher for women who smoke, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or are obese. And in younger women who take the pill, the risk of blood clots increases dramatically in smokers.
5. If I get occasional pains in my chest, does it mean I have a heart problem?No, many things besides heart disease can cause chest pain, including indigestion or heartburn, gallbladder problems, a lung infection, coughing, a cracked rib or even strain of the muscles in the chest wall.
Generally, chest pain differs with each disease. For instance, the pain associated with indigestion is usually a continuous burning sensation in the center of the chest. It doesn’t change with activity but may be relieved with food or antacids.
Pay attention to your chest pain so you can describe it to your health care provider. What’s the nature of the pain (sharp, squeezing, burning)? How long does it last? Does anything specific bring it on or relieve it? Does the pain move to other parts of the body?
Even though all types of chest pain don’t indicate heart disease, you still should take this symptom seriously and get checked when you first notice it. Then, hopefully, you will recognize it if it occurs again and know what to do based on your doctor’s instructions.
6. How do I know if I’m having a heart attack?There are some classic heart attack symptoms that strike men and women alike: chest squeezing or pressure (often described as an “elephant sitting on the chest”) with or without nausea, shortness of breath or sweating, and pain going down the left arm and up the neck.
Generally, men feel symptoms with chest pain; women may feel them together or alone and without chest pain. So we may think the symptom points to a problem other than a heart attack. Common women-specific symptoms include:
Overwhelming fatigue
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Sweating
Jaw, arm, upper back and/or abdominal discomfort
Nausea and lack of appetite
Coughing
Heart flutters
If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911. If you’re not allergic to aspirin, chew one while waiting for the ambulance. It’s much faster to call an ambulance than have someone drive you to the ER. That is why, even though we women do not like to bother anyone, CALL 911!
7. Can lifestyle and stress really bring on a heart attack?Yes, both can have a huge impact on heart disease. Many risk factors for a heart attack are under our control, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
That’s why it’s so important to exercise regularly and eat healthy (such as the Mediterranean diet). Monitor your cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure and keep them in check with diet, exercise, and (in some cases) medication. If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control. If you smoke, quit!
Many people don’t realize mood can also affect the heart. A recent study found that depressed women have a higher risk of sudden cardiac death and heart disease compared to those who aren’t depressed. Similar results were found with stressed-out or hostile women.
That is why it’s so important to address these issues with your provider and get help. To stay healthy, learn how to reduce your stress levels and manage stress that you can’t reduce.
8. Does an irregular heartbeat mean I’m at risk for a heart attack?Not necessarily. The heart normally beats regularly between 60 and 100 beats per minute. You can time your heartbeat from the pulse in your wrist or neck. Skipped or extra beats make the pulse irregular.
An irregular heartbeat has many causes, including abnormal electrolyte levels (sodium or potassium) in your blood, thyroid disease and lung disease. But CAD and diseased heart muscle after an attack can also cause irregular beats.
Many irregular beats are harmless, and, in fact, may be normal for you. But others have a serious underlying cause.
Just as with heart murmurs, have this checked out as soon as you notice the irregularity. In some cases, an irregular heartbeat will cause no symptoms and may be found by observing your pulse rate or during a physical exam.
9. If I suspect I have heart disease, what should I do?If you think you have heart disease, see your health care provider as soon as possible. If you’re having any of the symptoms mentioned in question No. 6, call 911 and chew an aspirin (only if you’re not allergic) while waiting.
Not sure if you have heart disease? Sit down right now, think about the risk factors and assess whether you have them. If you have one or more, see your doctor as soon as possible and request testing for heart disease.
If you are having intermittent symptoms, are pre-menopausal or are right at menopause – even if you have NO risk factors – request testing for heart disease from your clinician.
Remember, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in this country, and the incidence of heart disease in women goes up dramatically after menopause.
EAT ONLY, DOING NOTHING ELSE
EAT ALONE
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
It’s time you got rid of all your mealtime distractions and learned to eat alone. Don’t worry, you won’t have to abandon your friends or family to follow this diet trick. We’re talking about eliminating other forms of distraction that can lead you to overeat, like the television. Multi-tasking as you eat may sound efficient, and it really is – an efficient form of delivering extra calories that’ll end up on your thighs, that is. As unfortunate as it may seem, eating while you’re not paying attention is a quick way to pack on the pounds. TV-watching, reading or zoning out to music or an audio book while chowing down are all activites that can cause you to eat more without even realizing it. So eat alone. Turn off the television, shut the book and take out the ear plugs. Set yourself down at the table or outside in front of a beautiful sunrise or sunset and actually take the time to enjoy what you’re eating. And while you’re at it, don’t eat out of the bag or container that your food came in. Serve yourself a reasonable portion ahead of time and then put the rest away. Take your time eating and wait to serve yourself a second helping until at least 20 minutes have gone by so that your hunger signals have time to catch up. When you become more aware of what you’re eating, you also become better at practicing portion control, which can then translate into better control of your diet to help you reach your weight goals.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
It’s time you got rid of all your mealtime distractions and learned to eat alone. Don’t worry, you won’t have to abandon your friends or family to follow this diet trick. We’re talking about eliminating other forms of distraction that can lead you to overeat, like the television. Multi-tasking as you eat may sound efficient, and it really is – an efficient form of delivering extra calories that’ll end up on your thighs, that is. As unfortunate as it may seem, eating while you’re not paying attention is a quick way to pack on the pounds. TV-watching, reading or zoning out to music or an audio book while chowing down are all activites that can cause you to eat more without even realizing it. So eat alone. Turn off the television, shut the book and take out the ear plugs. Set yourself down at the table or outside in front of a beautiful sunrise or sunset and actually take the time to enjoy what you’re eating. And while you’re at it, don’t eat out of the bag or container that your food came in. Serve yourself a reasonable portion ahead of time and then put the rest away. Take your time eating and wait to serve yourself a second helping until at least 20 minutes have gone by so that your hunger signals have time to catch up. When you become more aware of what you’re eating, you also become better at practicing portion control, which can then translate into better control of your diet to help you reach your weight goals.
Chemotherapy: Drug treatment uses chemicals to kill cancer cells
Chemotherapy: Drug treatment uses chemicals to kill cancer cells
Basics
Chemotherapy: Drug treatment uses chemicals to kill cancer cells
Become informed about chemotherapy — what it is, why and how it's used, and what you can expect — so you feel more comfortable with the treatment process.By Mayo Clinic staff
Chemotherapy — the use of medications to treat cancer — has played a major role in cancer treatment for half a century. Years of testing and research have proved chemotherapy to be an effective cancer treatment. It may be your only treatment, or it may be used in combination with other treatments, such as surgery and radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy works by killing rapidly dividing cells. These cells include cancer cells, which continuously divide to form more cells, and healthy cells that also divide quickly, such as those in your bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive system and hair follicles. Healthy cells usually recover shortly after chemotherapy is complete, so for example, your hair starts growing again.
Chemotherapy can serve varying goals
One of chemotherapy's main advantages is that — unlike radiation, which treats only the area of the body exposed to the radiation — chemotherapy treats the entire body. As a result, any cells that may have broken away from the original cancer are treated.
Depending on what type of cancer you have and whether it has spread, your doctor may use chemotherapy to:
Eliminate all cancer cells in your body, even when cancer is widespread
Prolong your life by controlling cancer growth and spread
Relieve symptoms and enhance your quality of life
In some cases, chemotherapy may be the only treatment you need. More often, it's used in conjunction with other treatments, such as surgery, radiation or a bone marrow transplant, to improve results. For example, you may receive:
Chemotherapy before other treatments (neoadjuvant chemotherapy). The goal of neoadjuvant therapy is to reduce the size of a tumor before surgery or radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy after other treatments (adjuvant chemotherapy). Given after surgery or radiation, the goal of adjuvant therapy is to eliminate any cancer cells that might linger in your body after earlier treatments.
How your doctor chooses a chemotherapy regimen
Chemotherapy may not be limited to a single drug. Most chemotherapy is given as a combination of drugs that work together to kill cancer cells. Combining drugs that have different actions at the cellular level may help destroy a greater number of cancer cells and might reduce the risk of your cancer developing resistance to one particular drug. Your doctor will recommend drug combinations that have been tested in people with similar conditions and have been shown to have some effect against your particular type of cancer.
What chemicals your doctor recommends is generally based on the type, stage and grade of your cancer, as well as your age, general health and your willingness to tolerate certain temporary side effects.
How chemotherapy is given
You usually receive chemotherapy in cycles, depending on your condition and which drugs are used. Cycles may include taking the drugs daily, weekly or monthly for a few months or several months, with a recovery period after each treatment. Recovery periods allow time for your body to rest and produce new, healthy cells.
Chemotherapy drugs can be taken in a number of forms. Your doctor decides what form or forms to use primarily based on what type of cancer you have and what drug or combination of drugs will best treat your cancer. Examples of different forms of chemotherapy include:
Intravenous (IV). Chemotherapy is injected into a vein, using a needle inserted through your skin. This allows rapid distribution of the chemotherapy throughout your entire body.
Oral. You swallow this form of chemotherapy as a pill.
Topical. This type of drug is applied to your skin to treat localized skin cancers.
Injection. Using a needle, your doctor injects the drug directly into a muscle, under your skin or into a cancerous area on your skin.
Chemotherapy medications, regardless of how they're given, generally travel in your bloodstream and throughout your entire body. The intravenous route is the most common, allowing chemotherapy drugs to spread quickly through your system. In cases in which your doctor wants to direct chemotherapy to a more confined area — for example, to ensure a tumor is exposed to more of the drug — he or she may insert a tube (catheter) directly into that area or into a blood vessel supplying the tumor.
Chemotherapy side effects
Because chemotherapy drugs can affect healthy cells, one of their disadvantages is that you may experience chemotherapy side effects, some temporary and some longer term. Not every drug will cause every side effect. Your doctor can tell you what to expect from the drugs you're receiving.
Temporary side effects might include:
Hair loss
Dry mouth
Mouth sores (stomatitis)
Difficult or painful swallowing (esophagitis)
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Constipation
Fatigue
Bleeding
Susceptibility to infection
Infertility
Loss of appetite
Changes in the way food tastes
Cognitive impairment, sometimes referred to as "chemo brain"
Liver damage
Heart damage
Nerve damage
Lung damage
How long these temporary side effects last depends on what drug or combination of drugs you're taking and for how long. Most chemotherapy side effects will subside shortly after you stop your treatments. And most short-term side effects can be minimized with medication. For example, your doctor can give you medications to help relieve nausea or build up your blood counts. If side effects make you uncomfortable, tell your doctor. If you find that the side effects are more than you're willing to endure, you can change treatments.
Long-term or late chemotherapy side effectsAs people with cancer live longer after treatment, doctors are discovering that some treatments cause long-lasting side effects or side effects that become apparent long after treatment ends. These long-term side effects are rare. Before you begin treatment, discuss with your doctor what long-term effects you might experience. Some chemotherapy drugs can cause:
Organ damage, including problems with your heart, lungs and kidneys
Nerve damage
Blood in your urine (hemorrhagic cystitis)
Another cancer, including Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia and some tumors
Your doctor can tell you what signs and symptoms to watch for after treatment. Knowing what long-term side effects to watch for can help you stay healthy after treatment.
Basics
Chemotherapy: Drug treatment uses chemicals to kill cancer cells
Become informed about chemotherapy — what it is, why and how it's used, and what you can expect — so you feel more comfortable with the treatment process.By Mayo Clinic staff
Chemotherapy — the use of medications to treat cancer — has played a major role in cancer treatment for half a century. Years of testing and research have proved chemotherapy to be an effective cancer treatment. It may be your only treatment, or it may be used in combination with other treatments, such as surgery and radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy works by killing rapidly dividing cells. These cells include cancer cells, which continuously divide to form more cells, and healthy cells that also divide quickly, such as those in your bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive system and hair follicles. Healthy cells usually recover shortly after chemotherapy is complete, so for example, your hair starts growing again.
Chemotherapy can serve varying goals
One of chemotherapy's main advantages is that — unlike radiation, which treats only the area of the body exposed to the radiation — chemotherapy treats the entire body. As a result, any cells that may have broken away from the original cancer are treated.
Depending on what type of cancer you have and whether it has spread, your doctor may use chemotherapy to:
Eliminate all cancer cells in your body, even when cancer is widespread
Prolong your life by controlling cancer growth and spread
Relieve symptoms and enhance your quality of life
In some cases, chemotherapy may be the only treatment you need. More often, it's used in conjunction with other treatments, such as surgery, radiation or a bone marrow transplant, to improve results. For example, you may receive:
Chemotherapy before other treatments (neoadjuvant chemotherapy). The goal of neoadjuvant therapy is to reduce the size of a tumor before surgery or radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy after other treatments (adjuvant chemotherapy). Given after surgery or radiation, the goal of adjuvant therapy is to eliminate any cancer cells that might linger in your body after earlier treatments.
How your doctor chooses a chemotherapy regimen
Chemotherapy may not be limited to a single drug. Most chemotherapy is given as a combination of drugs that work together to kill cancer cells. Combining drugs that have different actions at the cellular level may help destroy a greater number of cancer cells and might reduce the risk of your cancer developing resistance to one particular drug. Your doctor will recommend drug combinations that have been tested in people with similar conditions and have been shown to have some effect against your particular type of cancer.
What chemicals your doctor recommends is generally based on the type, stage and grade of your cancer, as well as your age, general health and your willingness to tolerate certain temporary side effects.
How chemotherapy is given
You usually receive chemotherapy in cycles, depending on your condition and which drugs are used. Cycles may include taking the drugs daily, weekly or monthly for a few months or several months, with a recovery period after each treatment. Recovery periods allow time for your body to rest and produce new, healthy cells.
Chemotherapy drugs can be taken in a number of forms. Your doctor decides what form or forms to use primarily based on what type of cancer you have and what drug or combination of drugs will best treat your cancer. Examples of different forms of chemotherapy include:
Intravenous (IV). Chemotherapy is injected into a vein, using a needle inserted through your skin. This allows rapid distribution of the chemotherapy throughout your entire body.
Oral. You swallow this form of chemotherapy as a pill.
Topical. This type of drug is applied to your skin to treat localized skin cancers.
Injection. Using a needle, your doctor injects the drug directly into a muscle, under your skin or into a cancerous area on your skin.
Chemotherapy medications, regardless of how they're given, generally travel in your bloodstream and throughout your entire body. The intravenous route is the most common, allowing chemotherapy drugs to spread quickly through your system. In cases in which your doctor wants to direct chemotherapy to a more confined area — for example, to ensure a tumor is exposed to more of the drug — he or she may insert a tube (catheter) directly into that area or into a blood vessel supplying the tumor.
Chemotherapy side effects
Because chemotherapy drugs can affect healthy cells, one of their disadvantages is that you may experience chemotherapy side effects, some temporary and some longer term. Not every drug will cause every side effect. Your doctor can tell you what to expect from the drugs you're receiving.
Temporary side effects might include:
Hair loss
Dry mouth
Mouth sores (stomatitis)
Difficult or painful swallowing (esophagitis)
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Constipation
Fatigue
Bleeding
Susceptibility to infection
Infertility
Loss of appetite
Changes in the way food tastes
Cognitive impairment, sometimes referred to as "chemo brain"
Liver damage
Heart damage
Nerve damage
Lung damage
How long these temporary side effects last depends on what drug or combination of drugs you're taking and for how long. Most chemotherapy side effects will subside shortly after you stop your treatments. And most short-term side effects can be minimized with medication. For example, your doctor can give you medications to help relieve nausea or build up your blood counts. If side effects make you uncomfortable, tell your doctor. If you find that the side effects are more than you're willing to endure, you can change treatments.
Long-term or late chemotherapy side effectsAs people with cancer live longer after treatment, doctors are discovering that some treatments cause long-lasting side effects or side effects that become apparent long after treatment ends. These long-term side effects are rare. Before you begin treatment, discuss with your doctor what long-term effects you might experience. Some chemotherapy drugs can cause:
Organ damage, including problems with your heart, lungs and kidneys
Nerve damage
Blood in your urine (hemorrhagic cystitis)
Another cancer, including Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia and some tumors
Your doctor can tell you what signs and symptoms to watch for after treatment. Knowing what long-term side effects to watch for can help you stay healthy after treatment.
Eat Like a Child
Whether its broccoli or pizza, you probably know that getting children to eat can sometimes be a struggle. They take a bite, squirm around as they chew, and, of course, play with their food.
If you’re lucky, they do eat a nutritious meal – but they always stop when they’ve had enough, not necessarily when their plate is clean. Getting an adult to eat, on the other hand, is rarely a problem. In fact, it’s usually the opposite scenario – we can’t stop ourselves! Is there something we can learn from how a child eats? You bet!
Children listen to the instinctual cues that their bodies send, so they stop when they’re full. You need to get in tune with these signals. If you pay close attention while you eat, you’ll notice that the pleasure you get from food tends to diminish as you continue to eat. This is a sign that your body has had enough. Listen to your body and eat just until you’re satisfied, not stuffed, and weight management will be child’s play.
If you’re lucky, they do eat a nutritious meal – but they always stop when they’ve had enough, not necessarily when their plate is clean. Getting an adult to eat, on the other hand, is rarely a problem. In fact, it’s usually the opposite scenario – we can’t stop ourselves! Is there something we can learn from how a child eats? You bet!
Children listen to the instinctual cues that their bodies send, so they stop when they’re full. You need to get in tune with these signals. If you pay close attention while you eat, you’ll notice that the pleasure you get from food tends to diminish as you continue to eat. This is a sign that your body has had enough. Listen to your body and eat just until you’re satisfied, not stuffed, and weight management will be child’s play.
Germy mouths linked to heart attacks, study finds
Germy mouths linked to heart attacks, study finds
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People with the germiest mouths are the most likely to have heart attacks, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
A study that compared heart attack victims to healthy volunteers found the heart patients had higher numbers of bacteria in their mouths, the researchers said.
Their findings add to a growing body of evidence linking oral hygiene with overall health.
Oelisoa Andriankaja and colleagues at the University at Buffalo in New York were trying to find if any particular species of bacteria might be causing heart attacks.
Their tests on 386 men and women who had suffered heart attacks and 840 people free of heart trouble showed two types -- Tannerella forsynthesis and Prevotella intermedia -- were more common among the heart attack patients.
But more striking, the people who had the most bacteria of all types in their mouths were the most likely to have had heart attacks, they told a meeting of the International Association of Dental Research in Miami.
"The message here is that even though some specific periodontal pathogens have been found to be associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, the total bacterial pathogenic burden is more important than the type of bacteria," Andriankaja, now at the University of Puerto Rico, said in a statement.
"In other words, the total number of 'bugs' is more important than one single organism."
Doctors are not sure how bacteria may be linked with heart attacks but several studies have shown associations between gum disease and heart disease. Bacteria may set off general inflammation that in turn causes blood to clot.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People with the germiest mouths are the most likely to have heart attacks, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
A study that compared heart attack victims to healthy volunteers found the heart patients had higher numbers of bacteria in their mouths, the researchers said.
Their findings add to a growing body of evidence linking oral hygiene with overall health.
Oelisoa Andriankaja and colleagues at the University at Buffalo in New York were trying to find if any particular species of bacteria might be causing heart attacks.
Their tests on 386 men and women who had suffered heart attacks and 840 people free of heart trouble showed two types -- Tannerella forsynthesis and Prevotella intermedia -- were more common among the heart attack patients.
But more striking, the people who had the most bacteria of all types in their mouths were the most likely to have had heart attacks, they told a meeting of the International Association of Dental Research in Miami.
"The message here is that even though some specific periodontal pathogens have been found to be associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, the total bacterial pathogenic burden is more important than the type of bacteria," Andriankaja, now at the University of Puerto Rico, said in a statement.
"In other words, the total number of 'bugs' is more important than one single organism."
Doctors are not sure how bacteria may be linked with heart attacks but several studies have shown associations between gum disease and heart disease. Bacteria may set off general inflammation that in turn causes blood to clot.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Medical Myths That Can Kill You
Medical Myths That Can Kill You
Monday, April 06, 2009
Some myths are harmless. But some can kill you if you don’t get the facts from a doctor. In this LifeScript exclusive, NBC News medical correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman debunks the most dangerous health misconceptions – and shares secrets that could save your life. Plus, test your women’s health IQ…
Myths can steer people toward illness, hardship and even death, says Snyderman, in her book Medical Myths That Can Kill You: And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend and Improve Your Life (Crown Publishers). From tetanus shots to colonoscopies, the book helps readers manage their medical destinies by disproving common beliefs that can send us to the morgue before our time.In this exclusive interview with LifeScript, Snyderman, a practicing physician and chief medical editor for NBC News, reveals the most lethal misconceptions we tend to have about our health.
She also gives us the lowdown on whether widely circulated warnings (like coloring your hair when you’re pregnant can harm the baby).
Myth 1: Doctors don’t play favorites.What’s the greatest threat to women’s lives? A lack of assertiveness with doctors and other medical personnel, Snyderman says.
As patients, we like to believe that physicians treat everyone with equal care and concern, but they don’t, Snyderman says. “There are inherent biases in health care, whether it’s racism or sexism or ageism.”Such discrimination means some groups of patients get short shrift when they most need the best care. For example, obese women often receive inadequate doses of chemotherapy because doctors discount them for being overweight, Snyderman says. The same holds true for poor women.The long-term solution? Women should see as many different physicians as possible until they find one who takes their complaints seriously and shows dedication to healing them. In the short term? Women need to speak up and insist on attention and care from doctors and nurses. “When it comes to navigating the health care system, good manners are not conducive to good health.”
For example, if you’re going to the emergency room, take someone with you, so you’ll have an advocate who can speak up for you when you’re weak or incapacitated.
Myth 2: You can skip annual checkups. Wrong! You should visit a primary care doctor every year and make sure their services and tests are tailored to your sex, age and risks based on family history. Annual tests are one reason her father is still alive, Snyderman says. Her grandfather died of colon cancer in his 60s, so at every annual checkup her father insisted on getting a sigmoidoscopy, an exam of the lower colon.
When the colonoscopy, a more accurate treatment, became available, he told his doctor he wanted one.
It revealed a cancerous mass in his intestines, which the sigmoidoscopy might have missed.
Because he demanded the colonoscopy and caught the problem early, he survived treatment and has remained healthy for the last 21 years, Snyderman says.Snyderman also stresses the importance of routine checks, such as blood pressure and urinalysis, which help detect problems before they turn into crises.
Because many of us forget to schedule yearly exams, pick a memorable date, like your birthday, to make the appointment, she says.
Click here for Women’s Medical Checklists for Every Age.
Myth 3: Adults don’t need shots. Shots are not just for kids. Some 70,000 U.S. adults die every year from causes that vaccinations could have prevented.
Many of us think that once we’ve completed the childhood series of shots for polio, measles and the like, we’re done. But we may need tetanus booster shots, human papillomavirus (HPV) injections to prevent cervical cancer, and even a vaccine against meningitis, a deadly bacterial infection of the brain that tends to strike on college campuses.If your parents dropped the ball on childhood vaccinations for diseases such as chicken pox and measles, you’re not out of danger. Talk to your doctor about getting immunized.Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, www.cdc.gov, for a detailed rundown of what you need.
Myth 4: Only old people get heart disease and stroke.Heart attacks strike only elderly, paunchy middle-aged men, right? Not necessarily. Strokes, which occur when there’s a stoppage of blood flow to the brain, also can affect young people.
If you’re not a member of either of those groups, you could still be at risk. Everyone should begin heart checks at age 20, the American Heart Association says.
That’s because problems that lead to arteriosclerosis, the buildup that blocks blood flow to the heart, can start when you’re young − a possible consequence of factors such as a fat-laden diet, smoking and obesity.In fact, Snyderman attributes her own heart problem, discovered when she was in her 50s, to careless eating habits in her youth. (She’s reversed them).Women should be tested for high blood pressure, cholesterol count and body mass index (BMI). They also need to be aggressive about getting to the emergency room at the first sign of danger, Snyderman says.
Whatever your age, if you experience signs of a heart attack (pressure in the chest or pain radiating from the chest) or stroke (a sudden numbness on one side of the body), get medical help immediately.
Symptoms can differ by gender. In women, heart attacks are often preceded by jaw pain, a feeling of breathing icy air or overwhelming fatigue. Call an ambulance if you have any of these symptoms.
And never drive yourself to the E.R.
“When you arrive with sirens, you’ll get treatment faster,” Snyderman says. “Or walk right up to the desk and say, ‘I think I’m having a heart attack.’ That’s how you get past the paperwork.”
Get more answers to your top heart-health questions here.
Myth 5: Natural means safe.Two natural, plant-derived substances, Snyderman says, can end lives: tobacco and arsenic.
So what about the hundreds of holistic remedies and diet supplements − from wheat grass juice and blue-green algae to biotin capsules − that health food stores dispense? Is our faith misplaced?
There aren’t easy answers, Snyderman says, because most such products haven’t received the extensive clinical testing that prescription drugs go through before entering the market. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require such trials for natural substances.If you decide to try natural products, take these sensible steps:
First, be frank with your conventional doctor. Tell him or her what you’re taking and how much, and who else (for example, an herbalist or homeopathic professional) has been giving you advice. “Everything you put in your mouth can affect something else you’re taking,” she says. Your conventional doctor needs to have all the information before giving you prescription drugs or anesthesia for surgical procedures.
Also, do your homework before you try any natural remedies. “It’s best to look at the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [www.ajcn.org] or the Tufts University Web site [http://www.library.tufts.edu/hsl/subjectGuides/cam.html],” Snyderman says. “And remember, medicine is a moving target. Wisdom changes.”
Debunking 6 Small MythsWe compiled a short list of medical urban legends we’d heard for years and asked Snyderman if they’re fact or folklore. Here are her answers:1. LifeScript: Is coloring your hair while pregnant really dangerous to the fetus? Snyderman: There’s never been a link between hair coloring and hurting a baby. 2. Is it true you can have one glass of wine per day while pregnant?Yes, but sip it slowly and have it with food.3. We hear a lot about people testing their “toxin load.” But do we really have to remove all toxins from our environment? Isn’t some exposure healthy?We’re all walking around with toxic things inside us, but is it worth testing? No. It’s BS. The only exceptions are if you have a child with a neurological problem or have an old house. It wouldn’t hurt to test for lead. There are simple home tests you can use for that.
4. Can talcum powder really give you ovarian cancer?An interesting question, because no one knows for sure. As doctors, we used to have talc on our gloves, and we learned to rinse it off because little deposits could show up in the [patient’s] abdominal cavity.5. Do you really have to drink water right after a massage?No. And you don’t have to drink eight glasses of water a day either. Drink when you’re thirsty.6. What do people believe that always surprises you?That dietary supplements are as good as food. You can’t replace food with supplements.Want to learn more? Get your own copy of Medical Myths That Can Kill You.
Women’s Health: How Much Do You Know?How you take care of yourself has a huge impact on your future, affecting everything from your ability to have children to your risk of heart disease. Test your smarts with this women's health quiz.
Join the behind-the-scenes conversation on Health Bistro, LifeScript’s blog.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Some myths are harmless. But some can kill you if you don’t get the facts from a doctor. In this LifeScript exclusive, NBC News medical correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman debunks the most dangerous health misconceptions – and shares secrets that could save your life. Plus, test your women’s health IQ…
Myths can steer people toward illness, hardship and even death, says Snyderman, in her book Medical Myths That Can Kill You: And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend and Improve Your Life (Crown Publishers). From tetanus shots to colonoscopies, the book helps readers manage their medical destinies by disproving common beliefs that can send us to the morgue before our time.In this exclusive interview with LifeScript, Snyderman, a practicing physician and chief medical editor for NBC News, reveals the most lethal misconceptions we tend to have about our health.
She also gives us the lowdown on whether widely circulated warnings (like coloring your hair when you’re pregnant can harm the baby).
Myth 1: Doctors don’t play favorites.What’s the greatest threat to women’s lives? A lack of assertiveness with doctors and other medical personnel, Snyderman says.
As patients, we like to believe that physicians treat everyone with equal care and concern, but they don’t, Snyderman says. “There are inherent biases in health care, whether it’s racism or sexism or ageism.”Such discrimination means some groups of patients get short shrift when they most need the best care. For example, obese women often receive inadequate doses of chemotherapy because doctors discount them for being overweight, Snyderman says. The same holds true for poor women.The long-term solution? Women should see as many different physicians as possible until they find one who takes their complaints seriously and shows dedication to healing them. In the short term? Women need to speak up and insist on attention and care from doctors and nurses. “When it comes to navigating the health care system, good manners are not conducive to good health.”
For example, if you’re going to the emergency room, take someone with you, so you’ll have an advocate who can speak up for you when you’re weak or incapacitated.
Myth 2: You can skip annual checkups. Wrong! You should visit a primary care doctor every year and make sure their services and tests are tailored to your sex, age and risks based on family history. Annual tests are one reason her father is still alive, Snyderman says. Her grandfather died of colon cancer in his 60s, so at every annual checkup her father insisted on getting a sigmoidoscopy, an exam of the lower colon.
When the colonoscopy, a more accurate treatment, became available, he told his doctor he wanted one.
It revealed a cancerous mass in his intestines, which the sigmoidoscopy might have missed.
Because he demanded the colonoscopy and caught the problem early, he survived treatment and has remained healthy for the last 21 years, Snyderman says.Snyderman also stresses the importance of routine checks, such as blood pressure and urinalysis, which help detect problems before they turn into crises.
Because many of us forget to schedule yearly exams, pick a memorable date, like your birthday, to make the appointment, she says.
Click here for Women’s Medical Checklists for Every Age.
Myth 3: Adults don’t need shots. Shots are not just for kids. Some 70,000 U.S. adults die every year from causes that vaccinations could have prevented.
Many of us think that once we’ve completed the childhood series of shots for polio, measles and the like, we’re done. But we may need tetanus booster shots, human papillomavirus (HPV) injections to prevent cervical cancer, and even a vaccine against meningitis, a deadly bacterial infection of the brain that tends to strike on college campuses.If your parents dropped the ball on childhood vaccinations for diseases such as chicken pox and measles, you’re not out of danger. Talk to your doctor about getting immunized.Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, www.cdc.gov, for a detailed rundown of what you need.
Myth 4: Only old people get heart disease and stroke.Heart attacks strike only elderly, paunchy middle-aged men, right? Not necessarily. Strokes, which occur when there’s a stoppage of blood flow to the brain, also can affect young people.
If you’re not a member of either of those groups, you could still be at risk. Everyone should begin heart checks at age 20, the American Heart Association says.
That’s because problems that lead to arteriosclerosis, the buildup that blocks blood flow to the heart, can start when you’re young − a possible consequence of factors such as a fat-laden diet, smoking and obesity.In fact, Snyderman attributes her own heart problem, discovered when she was in her 50s, to careless eating habits in her youth. (She’s reversed them).Women should be tested for high blood pressure, cholesterol count and body mass index (BMI). They also need to be aggressive about getting to the emergency room at the first sign of danger, Snyderman says.
Whatever your age, if you experience signs of a heart attack (pressure in the chest or pain radiating from the chest) or stroke (a sudden numbness on one side of the body), get medical help immediately.
Symptoms can differ by gender. In women, heart attacks are often preceded by jaw pain, a feeling of breathing icy air or overwhelming fatigue. Call an ambulance if you have any of these symptoms.
And never drive yourself to the E.R.
“When you arrive with sirens, you’ll get treatment faster,” Snyderman says. “Or walk right up to the desk and say, ‘I think I’m having a heart attack.’ That’s how you get past the paperwork.”
Get more answers to your top heart-health questions here.
Myth 5: Natural means safe.Two natural, plant-derived substances, Snyderman says, can end lives: tobacco and arsenic.
So what about the hundreds of holistic remedies and diet supplements − from wheat grass juice and blue-green algae to biotin capsules − that health food stores dispense? Is our faith misplaced?
There aren’t easy answers, Snyderman says, because most such products haven’t received the extensive clinical testing that prescription drugs go through before entering the market. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require such trials for natural substances.If you decide to try natural products, take these sensible steps:
First, be frank with your conventional doctor. Tell him or her what you’re taking and how much, and who else (for example, an herbalist or homeopathic professional) has been giving you advice. “Everything you put in your mouth can affect something else you’re taking,” she says. Your conventional doctor needs to have all the information before giving you prescription drugs or anesthesia for surgical procedures.
Also, do your homework before you try any natural remedies. “It’s best to look at the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [www.ajcn.org] or the Tufts University Web site [http://www.library.tufts.edu/hsl/subjectGuides/cam.html],” Snyderman says. “And remember, medicine is a moving target. Wisdom changes.”
Debunking 6 Small MythsWe compiled a short list of medical urban legends we’d heard for years and asked Snyderman if they’re fact or folklore. Here are her answers:1. LifeScript: Is coloring your hair while pregnant really dangerous to the fetus? Snyderman: There’s never been a link between hair coloring and hurting a baby. 2. Is it true you can have one glass of wine per day while pregnant?Yes, but sip it slowly and have it with food.3. We hear a lot about people testing their “toxin load.” But do we really have to remove all toxins from our environment? Isn’t some exposure healthy?We’re all walking around with toxic things inside us, but is it worth testing? No. It’s BS. The only exceptions are if you have a child with a neurological problem or have an old house. It wouldn’t hurt to test for lead. There are simple home tests you can use for that.
4. Can talcum powder really give you ovarian cancer?An interesting question, because no one knows for sure. As doctors, we used to have talc on our gloves, and we learned to rinse it off because little deposits could show up in the [patient’s] abdominal cavity.5. Do you really have to drink water right after a massage?No. And you don’t have to drink eight glasses of water a day either. Drink when you’re thirsty.6. What do people believe that always surprises you?That dietary supplements are as good as food. You can’t replace food with supplements.Want to learn more? Get your own copy of Medical Myths That Can Kill You.
Women’s Health: How Much Do You Know?How you take care of yourself has a huge impact on your future, affecting everything from your ability to have children to your risk of heart disease. Test your smarts with this women's health quiz.
Join the behind-the-scenes conversation on Health Bistro, LifeScript’s blog.
Friday, April 3, 2009
10 Foods That Help Fight Cancer
10 Foods That Help Fight Cancer
Friday, April 03, 2009
Food does more than sustain us – it can also keep our bodies healthy. Some foods even have cancer-fighting properties. Read on for 10 items that can ward off the big “C” and how to add them to your diet. Plus, test your cancer IQ with our quiz…
Most of us know the foods that pack on pounds: burgers, ice cream, chips and more. But what you eat goes beyond whether you’ll fit into your jeans. Healthy foods also may keep cancer at bay.
“Though there’s no one food that will reduce your risk of this disease, it’s the synergy between many nutrients – vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants – that’s likely to give you the most protection,” says Colleen Doyle, M.S., R.D., director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society.
These 10 edibles pack a powerful anti-cancer punch:
1. BerriesHow they help: Berries contain antioxidants – compounds believed to protect your cells from damage that’s been linked to cancer – and may boost your immune system, says Lisa Young, Ph.D., R.D., author of The Portion Teller (Broadway) and adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University.
They contain polyphenols, including ellagic acid and anthocyanins – antioxidants that counteract, reduce and repair damage to cells, Doyle says. Berries are also brimming with other potential cancer-fighters like vitamin C and fiber.
Cancers they may fight: Skin, bladder, lung, breast, cancer and esophageal
Get your fill: Toss blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries into yogurt, smoothies, cereal and salads or stir them into muffin or pancake recipes.
2. GrapesHow they help: A plant chemical called resveratrol, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, hides in the skin of grapes – especially purple and red ones. Studies have shown they may keep cancer cells from growing and inhibit tumors, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Cancers they may fight: Liver, stomach, breast and colon
Get your fill: Wash grapes, freeze them, then eat them as a sweet snack or add sliced ones into salads or cottage cheese. (Red wine contains this compound, but it’s not the best way to consume resveratrol because alcohol has been linked to higher cancer risk.)
3. TomatoesHow they help: Tomatoes get their bright red color from an antioxidant called lycopene, which can protect cells from damage and kill those that aren’t growing properly, Doyle says.
They also may protect skin from cancer “by absorbing UV light,” says Wilhelm Stahl, Ph.D., professor and antioxidant researcher at the University of Dusseldorf in Germany.
Cancers they may fight: Breast, lung, endometrial, skin, prostrate and mouth
Get your fill: Cooked or processed tomato-based foods – juice, sauce, paste, soup, even ketchup – have the most lycopene because heat releases more of this nutrient and allows your body to absorb it more easily.
Not a tomato lover? You can get lycopene in pink grapefruit and watermelon, too.
4. Cruciferous veggiesHow they help: Cruciferous veggies (think broccoli, kale and cabbage) contain potential cancer fighters such as glucosinolates, crambene and indole-3-carbinol, says the American Institute for Cancer Research. They also contain sulforaphane, which may keep cancer at bay by helping rid the body of carcinogens and inhibit the growth of cancer cells, according to research from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.
Cancers they may fight: Stomach, breast, skin, mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophageal
Get your fill: Try broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage salad. Eat veggies raw or lightly steamed because they lose powerful phytochemicals when overcooked.
5. Garlic How it helps: Garlic contains unique antioxidant phytochemicals called allyl sulfides that “seem to intervene in several steps of the cancer process,” says Karen Collins, R.D., C.D.N., nutrition advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research. A 2007 study in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that these compounds inhibit colon tumor formation and cell growth.
Cancers it may fight: Stomach, esophageal, breast, lung and colon
Get your fill: Sauté veggies in a clove or two of garlic or add it to homemade salad dressings, dips, pasta sauces and soups. Also, add garlic salt or powder to ground beef while making burgers or sprinkle it on pizza.
6. TeaHow it helps: Tea is chock full of antioxidants called catechins, which lab studies have found may stop growth of cancer cells and reduce the size of cancerous tumors.
Cancers it may fight: Colon, liver, breast, prostate, lung, skin, bladder, stomach and pancreatic
Get your fill: Sip hot or cold green tea instead of coffee (it has less caffeine and no calories if you go sugarless). Black tea offers benefits, but green tea has three times more catechins, according to the American Institute of Cancer Research.
7. FlaxseedHow it helps: “Flaxseed contains an antioxidant called lignans, which may help the body rid itself of carcinogens, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to reduce inflammation and boost the body’s immune system,” says Krista Haynes, R.D., a staff dietitian with the Cancer Project, a nonprofit group in Washington, D.C.
Cancers it may fight: Colon, breast, skin and lung
Get your fill: Try cooking or baking with flaxseed meal, flour and oil (all found at health food stores) or sprinkle ground flaxseed on cereal, oatmeal or salads.
8. LegumesHow they help: They may be tiny, but legumes such as peas, beans and lentils pack a big nutritional punch.
“They contain natural phytochemicals that are uniquely different from those in vegetables and whole grains,” Collins says.
These include saponins, protease inhibitors and phytica acid, which lab studies reveal may prevent the reproduction of cancer cells, as well as fiber, which can decrease your risk of colon cancer, according to a 2007 American Institute of Cancer Research report.
Cancers they may fight: Colon and stomach, among others
Get your fill: Top salads with lentils and peas, whip up lentil or pea soup, add pea pods to your stir-fry or nosh on plain old peanuts.
9. Whole grainsHow they help: People who get their fill of whole grains have a 21% to 43% lower risk of cancer than those who eat little to none, according to a study from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. Unlike refined grains, whole grains have the bran and germ layers, which are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients.
“They also contain fiber, which, when fermented in the colon, may produce substances that protect cells from cancer-causing agents,” Collins says.
Cancers they may fight: Breast, colon and stomach
Get your fill: Bake with whole-wheat flour and have oatmeal for breakfast. Eat sandwiches made with whole-wheat bread (“whole wheat” should be the first word on the ingredient list) and replace white rice with wild or brown.
10. Dark-green leafy vegetablesHow they help: These emerald-hued veggies contain folate and carotenoids.
“Carotenoids are antioxidants that aid cell-to-cell communication that controls cell growth, while folate is essential to protect our DNA, the starting point of any change that leads to cancer,” Collins says.
Cancers they may fight: Breast, skin, lung, stomach, mouth, pharynx and larynx
Get your fill: Add spinach to omelets and swap it for iceberg lettuce in salads (throw in romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce and Swiss chard, too). For dinner, lightly sauté mustard greens, collard greens and kale in olive oil and a squirt of lemon.
What’s Your Cancer IQ?Cell phones, makeup, bug spray, even fresh produce all have been rumored to cause cancer. But should you believe every cancer myth you hear? How much do you know about everyday cancer risks? Test your cancer knowledge with this quiz.
Join the behind-the-scenes conversation on Health Bistro, LifeScript’s blog.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Food does more than sustain us – it can also keep our bodies healthy. Some foods even have cancer-fighting properties. Read on for 10 items that can ward off the big “C” and how to add them to your diet. Plus, test your cancer IQ with our quiz…
Most of us know the foods that pack on pounds: burgers, ice cream, chips and more. But what you eat goes beyond whether you’ll fit into your jeans. Healthy foods also may keep cancer at bay.
“Though there’s no one food that will reduce your risk of this disease, it’s the synergy between many nutrients – vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants – that’s likely to give you the most protection,” says Colleen Doyle, M.S., R.D., director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society.
These 10 edibles pack a powerful anti-cancer punch:
1. BerriesHow they help: Berries contain antioxidants – compounds believed to protect your cells from damage that’s been linked to cancer – and may boost your immune system, says Lisa Young, Ph.D., R.D., author of The Portion Teller (Broadway) and adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University.
They contain polyphenols, including ellagic acid and anthocyanins – antioxidants that counteract, reduce and repair damage to cells, Doyle says. Berries are also brimming with other potential cancer-fighters like vitamin C and fiber.
Cancers they may fight: Skin, bladder, lung, breast, cancer and esophageal
Get your fill: Toss blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries into yogurt, smoothies, cereal and salads or stir them into muffin or pancake recipes.
2. GrapesHow they help: A plant chemical called resveratrol, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, hides in the skin of grapes – especially purple and red ones. Studies have shown they may keep cancer cells from growing and inhibit tumors, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Cancers they may fight: Liver, stomach, breast and colon
Get your fill: Wash grapes, freeze them, then eat them as a sweet snack or add sliced ones into salads or cottage cheese. (Red wine contains this compound, but it’s not the best way to consume resveratrol because alcohol has been linked to higher cancer risk.)
3. TomatoesHow they help: Tomatoes get their bright red color from an antioxidant called lycopene, which can protect cells from damage and kill those that aren’t growing properly, Doyle says.
They also may protect skin from cancer “by absorbing UV light,” says Wilhelm Stahl, Ph.D., professor and antioxidant researcher at the University of Dusseldorf in Germany.
Cancers they may fight: Breast, lung, endometrial, skin, prostrate and mouth
Get your fill: Cooked or processed tomato-based foods – juice, sauce, paste, soup, even ketchup – have the most lycopene because heat releases more of this nutrient and allows your body to absorb it more easily.
Not a tomato lover? You can get lycopene in pink grapefruit and watermelon, too.
4. Cruciferous veggiesHow they help: Cruciferous veggies (think broccoli, kale and cabbage) contain potential cancer fighters such as glucosinolates, crambene and indole-3-carbinol, says the American Institute for Cancer Research. They also contain sulforaphane, which may keep cancer at bay by helping rid the body of carcinogens and inhibit the growth of cancer cells, according to research from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.
Cancers they may fight: Stomach, breast, skin, mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophageal
Get your fill: Try broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage salad. Eat veggies raw or lightly steamed because they lose powerful phytochemicals when overcooked.
5. Garlic How it helps: Garlic contains unique antioxidant phytochemicals called allyl sulfides that “seem to intervene in several steps of the cancer process,” says Karen Collins, R.D., C.D.N., nutrition advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research. A 2007 study in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that these compounds inhibit colon tumor formation and cell growth.
Cancers it may fight: Stomach, esophageal, breast, lung and colon
Get your fill: Sauté veggies in a clove or two of garlic or add it to homemade salad dressings, dips, pasta sauces and soups. Also, add garlic salt or powder to ground beef while making burgers or sprinkle it on pizza.
6. TeaHow it helps: Tea is chock full of antioxidants called catechins, which lab studies have found may stop growth of cancer cells and reduce the size of cancerous tumors.
Cancers it may fight: Colon, liver, breast, prostate, lung, skin, bladder, stomach and pancreatic
Get your fill: Sip hot or cold green tea instead of coffee (it has less caffeine and no calories if you go sugarless). Black tea offers benefits, but green tea has three times more catechins, according to the American Institute of Cancer Research.
7. FlaxseedHow it helps: “Flaxseed contains an antioxidant called lignans, which may help the body rid itself of carcinogens, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to reduce inflammation and boost the body’s immune system,” says Krista Haynes, R.D., a staff dietitian with the Cancer Project, a nonprofit group in Washington, D.C.
Cancers it may fight: Colon, breast, skin and lung
Get your fill: Try cooking or baking with flaxseed meal, flour and oil (all found at health food stores) or sprinkle ground flaxseed on cereal, oatmeal or salads.
8. LegumesHow they help: They may be tiny, but legumes such as peas, beans and lentils pack a big nutritional punch.
“They contain natural phytochemicals that are uniquely different from those in vegetables and whole grains,” Collins says.
These include saponins, protease inhibitors and phytica acid, which lab studies reveal may prevent the reproduction of cancer cells, as well as fiber, which can decrease your risk of colon cancer, according to a 2007 American Institute of Cancer Research report.
Cancers they may fight: Colon and stomach, among others
Get your fill: Top salads with lentils and peas, whip up lentil or pea soup, add pea pods to your stir-fry or nosh on plain old peanuts.
9. Whole grainsHow they help: People who get their fill of whole grains have a 21% to 43% lower risk of cancer than those who eat little to none, according to a study from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. Unlike refined grains, whole grains have the bran and germ layers, which are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients.
“They also contain fiber, which, when fermented in the colon, may produce substances that protect cells from cancer-causing agents,” Collins says.
Cancers they may fight: Breast, colon and stomach
Get your fill: Bake with whole-wheat flour and have oatmeal for breakfast. Eat sandwiches made with whole-wheat bread (“whole wheat” should be the first word on the ingredient list) and replace white rice with wild or brown.
10. Dark-green leafy vegetablesHow they help: These emerald-hued veggies contain folate and carotenoids.
“Carotenoids are antioxidants that aid cell-to-cell communication that controls cell growth, while folate is essential to protect our DNA, the starting point of any change that leads to cancer,” Collins says.
Cancers they may fight: Breast, skin, lung, stomach, mouth, pharynx and larynx
Get your fill: Add spinach to omelets and swap it for iceberg lettuce in salads (throw in romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce and Swiss chard, too). For dinner, lightly sauté mustard greens, collard greens and kale in olive oil and a squirt of lemon.
What’s Your Cancer IQ?Cell phones, makeup, bug spray, even fresh produce all have been rumored to cause cancer. But should you believe every cancer myth you hear? How much do you know about everyday cancer risks? Test your cancer knowledge with this quiz.
Join the behind-the-scenes conversation on Health Bistro, LifeScript’s blog.
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