November 2008 Blog Archive
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
NFL Gets Involved in Heart Scans
From Heisman Trophy winners to Hall of Famers, they all lined up to get heart scans. The NFL Player Care Foundation has launched a new program to promote comprehensive heart screening for players. 33 former and current NFL stars underwent scans earlier this month. Players have long denounced against the NFL's poor health watch, so many were thrilled to see this new program. Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Ted Mcknight excitedly said,
"This has been needed for a long time. This can help catch things in guys who have had issues who probably would have let it skate by. It's important to have an idea of where we are physically. We know we are beat up … but to know internally where we are … you're curious to know."
The players had nearly $3,000 worth of testing done to them: heart and artery imaging, cholesterol testing, blood pressure testing, body fat and a
64 Slice CT Scan. Hopefully this new awareness towards heart scans and heart disease will influence other athletes and organizations to take steps towards prevention.
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The Thanksgiving Blues
With Thanksgiving dinner approaching in the next few days, binge drink and excessive overeating us inevitable. Researchers may have found that the link between binge drinking and clogged arteries.
The research attempts to correlate drinking patterns with cardiovascular disease as opposed to the total amount of alcohol consumed over long periods of time. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that,
"Many studies suggest that an irregular pattern of heavy drinking brings about a two-fold increase in risk for a fatal heart attack, even as moderate drinking has been shown to reduce risk (the red wine effect). About 65 percent of Americans drink alcohol, with 15 percent reporting binge patterns in a national survey of problem drinkers."
The study says that a certain type of immune cell is developed during drinking that attaches to the walls of the artery more easily which then promotes and initiates cardiovascular disease. Hopefully with such research people who are aware of their drinking habits will take action and get yearly
heart scans as a means of prevention.
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Colon Cancer Risks
A
study published yesterday by the Cancer Causes and Control group has said that physical inactivity may be a major factor in colon cancer. Similarly the study suggests that physical activity like sport and exercise may reduce the risks of colon cancer. Howrad R. A. of the National Cancer Institute led the study and said they, "…found men engaging in exercise five or more times per week compared to those who were never or rarely exercising were at a 21 percent reduced risk of colon cancer. For women, the reduction was 15 percent."
The study went into further detail highlighting the number of hours of exercise which help reduce colon cancer – more than 7 hours of physical activity a week. And people who sit for long periods of time – 9 hours or more – doing nothing like watching television or surfing the net may fall victim to colorectal cancer more often. Though it is important to note these are still preliminary numbers and figures, the National Cancer Institute will further investigate the research. It is also a wise decision to get yearly
virtual colonoscopies to help further prevent colon cancer.
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Monday, November 24, 2008
New Scanner Slashes Radiation Emissions
Siemens Healthcare has unveiled a new
CT Scanner that emits a fraction of the CT radiation that traditional screening techniques give off. The Somatom Definition Flash scanner is also said to be faster and more precise, with two X-Ray tubes that revolve around the patient's body. Siemens says the entire chest region can be screened in 0.6 seconds. This new added efficiency means patients will no longer have to hold their breath during a chest examination as the previously had to.
Director of CT Physics at Siemens Thomas Flohr was thrilled to say,
"The dual-source system together with the extremely fast rotation time results in a scanner about three times faster than existing technologies. You can scan the entire body in about four seconds, or the entire heart in a quarter of a second."
This new scanner will be released in early 2009, and will be presented to the Radiological Society of North America in November. Not only will this new technology be faster, but most importantly may be safer for patients.
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Thursday, November 20, 2008
Anorexics and Bone Density Problems
Adolescent girls suffering from anorexia are in serious risk of developing bone density issues. Physicians are urging parents and these young girls to get bone density scans to prevent and diagnose bone abnormalities. The ever increasing number of anorexia has led many to believe they will develop health issues earlier on in life, but this new study shows that health problems like osteoporosis can develop in the teen years.
Gynecologist Dr. Michelle Warren says,
"This CT methodology is new and gives better knowledge about what is going on in the bones, because it gives information about their architecture. It shows that we really should pay more attention not only to the absolute value of the bones, but also to how much weight an individual has lost."
Early detection of bone density problems can help physicians impede the strength of osteoporosis. The
CT scans take images of thin slices of the bone to better see abnormalities, structure and density of the bone. Similarly by getting scanned regularly the doctors can track changes yearly in the bone density of these young girls.
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Monday, November 17, 2008
Yet Another Smoking Ailment
A study released by the B
ritish Medical Journal has found that women who smoke may be four times more likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Similarly female smokers may be eight times more susceptible to emergency health issues as opposed to non-smokers. The BMJ is hoping to show people yet another reason and incentive to quit smoking, or simply never pick it up. Aortic aneurysms cause over 15,000 deaths each year in the United States alone and of that number, 40% are women. Women are not paying enough attention to such issues, so it is vital to get screened and scanned for prevention methods.
Regardless of if female smokers are worried about aortic aneurysms,
virtual lung scans are essential to staying healthy. Early detection of lung cancer may considerably increase your chances of recovering. A large part of early detection involves yearly lung scans.
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Obese Children Facing Heart Disease
Physicians and parents alike are worried about obesity among young children. A study released today shows that obese and overweight children have the same plaque build up as 40-year-old adults do. This alarming fact is prompting cardiologists to urge young children to get their arteries and hearts scanned. Obesity is running rampant and is nearly an epidemic these days, and the plaque build up in the neck arteries is of serious concern.
Cardiologist Dr. Geetha Raghuveer says, "
The blood vessels of obese youngsters age more rapidly than those of their normal-weight counterparts -- raising their risk of developing heart disease at an earlier age."
This research was discussed and presented at the American Heart Associations 2008 conference just this week. Dr. Raghuveer and her colleagues did the study on nearly 70 obese children, most of whom had high cholesterol, blood pressure and were at great risk of developing serious heart conditions like stroke or heart attack.
After all they say you're as old as your arteries. It may be time to get our kid's arteries back to their youthful ages.
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Atherosclerosis Risks
Johns Hopkins researchers have reported that Estrogen and Testosterone may influence the risk of developing Atherosclerosis. These naturally produced sex hormones may be hardening arteries without you even knowing.
The study also discovered that men have significantly higher chances of developing heart disease because of their increased amounts of testosterone levels. These findings are being presented at the Nov 11th American Heart Association conference in New Orleans.
"The study suggests that older women who produce a relatively high amount of estrogen are more likely to develop coronary artery calcium (CAC), a component of the fatty plaque that builds up in blood vessels and hardens arteries. Older men with relatively high amounts of testosterone are also more likely to develop CAC."
With factors like sex hormones influencing Atherosclerosis it is vital that men and women take precaution and get
heart scans regularly. Heart attack is a silent killer among candidates with heart disease.
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Getting Hooked Early
Everyday in America nearly 6,000 young people start down their tumultuous path of smoking cigarettes. Of the nearly 400,000 kids (Under 18) who become avid smokers this year alone, nearly 120,000 of them may eventually succumb to smoking related ailments and eventually die. Among these hundreds of thousands of teenagers yearly, a large percentage of them have body image issues, more specifically young girls with poor eating habits and diets. The pressure to be twiggy – the model and thin – forces many young girls to smoke whilst dieting. Smoking gives many dieting teens the illusion of having control over their eating habits, but what they lose control of is their health.
It is these young people that may become the lung-cancer ridden fifty-something's in the next 40 years. It is important to instill better eating habits, no smoking and
preventative care into these kids lives at an early age. With lung cancer the key is early detection. If these kids are quick to pick up habits, let's hope when they are 35 they pick up the habit of getting scanned yearly.
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Monday, November 10, 2008
Brain Scans Found Link between Education and Alzheimer's
A
brain test that demonstrates brain changes causing Alzheimer's shows that education may delay dementia and Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute has long been trying to find the link between education and the disease that plagues hundreds of thousands of people each year. This study may be validating and bolstering their years of education/Alzheimer's research.
Dr. Catherine Roe a Neurology research instructor said about the study, "
The good news is that greater education may allow people to harbor amyloid plaques and other brain pathology linked to Alzheimer's disease without experiencing decline of their cognitive abilities."
Dr. Roe and her colleagues are also hoping to examine and study these same peoples cognitive memory, hobbies and other possible intellectual activities that may lead to further links.
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Thursday, November 06, 2008
Almost the Mainstream
Virtual Colonoscopies are gaining fans and credibility. Doctors and patients alike are relishing in the joys of a non-invasive colorectal examination. The virtual scans are nearly the mainstream method for colon cancer prevention. The FDA is scheduled to meet later this month, and despite some concerns, the virtual colonoscopy may be the way of the future. The virtual screenings have proven to be successful in finding polyps the way the traditional colonoscopy does, however these scans have the perk and comfort of less-protrusion and invasion.
The humiliation of the traditional procedure is eliminated, similarly so are the fears of the long tube-like instrument being inserted into your backside. These scans are painless, hassle free and efficient which is why so many people are speaking their praise.
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Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Eating Season Tips
As Thanksgiving rapidly approaches, Americans start to worry about excessive weight gain and added stress. The holiday season means one thing: eating, eating and more eating! In order to prevent mindless overeating it may be a good idea to start prepping for the weeks of eating season now. The key to staying fit during the cold yet festive winter months is to balance and control your diet. By working out consistently and limiting your portions those added extra pounds won't creep up. Instead of lathering up your turkey and mashed potatoes with fatty gravy, channel the art of moderation.
Recent studies have shown that overeating promotes disease like diabetes, coronary artery disease and cancer. Overeating induces high cholesterol and blood pressure, so it's best to think twice about indulging in that extra slice of pumpkin pie. In fact hundreds of thousands of people die from heart disease each year and millions suffer from diabetes (both of which may be due in part to poor eating habits). If you're concerned about overeating, weight gain or simply want to get checked,
preventative body scans are a wise way to monitor your health.
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Sunday, November 02, 2008
‘Movember'
How can poor facial grooming equal cancer awareness? Well, you could ask the thousands of Australians who grow a moustache – mo – during 'movember' to raise awareness and money for men's health. Movember began a decade ago by a small group of Australian guys and has spread internationally raising thousands of dollars for prostate cancer research.
According to the organization,
"Movember aims to change attitudes and make men's health fun by putting the Mo back on the face of fashion and in the process raise some serious funds for key men's health issues."
So all this month Australian men will be growing their finest 1970s mo's which concludes with Gala events and Mo-themed festivities.
Don't think a Mo would fly at your workplace? You can still get into the spirit of movember and make a wise health decision by consulting your local physician about
preventive screening for prostate cancer.
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