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Eat more chocolate and live longer.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Don't let your budget effect your health
Click here for Don't let your budget effect your health.pdf
If your financial picture is not real healthy - don't let that effect your healthy lifestyle.
"Feeling strapped? Don’t let financial stress hurt your health
Perhaps you or your partner is out of work or your investments have lost value. Maybe you just wish money wasn’t so tight every month. If times have been tough on your pocketbook and portfolio, you’re not alone. The signs of economic trouble are everywhere. However, it’s important to take steps to keep these hardships from undermining your physical and emotional well-being.
Signs of the times
The fact is that living with too much financial pressure can raise stress to unsafe levels. And, ongoing stress may lead to issues such as:
* Depression
* Anxiety
* Substance abuse
* Compulsive behaviors, such as eating disorders, excessive gambling or overspending
The effects of stress don’t stop with emotions and behavior. Some experts suggest that if stress isn’t managed, it can even lead to serious physical conditions, such as heart disease and obesity.
Stress makes itself known differently from person to person. It’s important to pay attention to how you’re feeling and behaving in order to look for clues about your stress level. It may be too high if you:
* Feel unusually sad or cry a lot
* Are excessively anxious
* Have trouble sleeping
* Feel tired all the time
* Are irritable or angry
* Drink more alcohol than usual
Of course, eventually, the nation’s economy will improve. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to help get a handle on your personal finances and your stress.
Invest in a plan
For starters, try not to give in to the gloomy, negative hype in the news. Focus on what you can do to control your situation and become more competent when it comes to money. For example:
* Take a good look at your finances, even if it hurts. Think of ways you and your family can reduce expenses. It can start with something as simple as eating more meals at home or carpooling to work. If you smoke, this may be the motivation to quit that you’ve been looking for. Evaluate all the ways you spend money. Little things can add up. There may be some that you could get by without.
* Make a plan to manage your money. Perhaps, you’ve decided to pay down some credit cards or save a little more money every month. Write down specific strategies to reduce and save. Then, commit to a plan and review it regularly.
* Empower yourself. Look for opportunities to grow financially and personally. Consider talking with your employer about taking a course to improve your job skills. Or, contact a financial planner to learn how to better manage your finances. You may be able to find affordable financial guidance through government agencies and community organizations. You may want to start in the government services section of your phone book.
Create your stress defense
You can also protect against ongoing stress. It’s not always easy to make time, especially when so many responsibilities may demand your attention. But, it’s worth it. When you take care of your own needs you’re better able to care for your family’s needs, too. Consider these everyday steps:
* Be active. Playing sports or just taking a walk can reduce stress. If you’re generally healthy, aim to get at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. At least two days a week, work in some muscle-strengthening activity at a moderate intensity or higher. Just be sure to check with your doctor before significantly increasing your level of physical activity.
* Make time for yourself. Read a good book or listen to your
favorite music.
* Eat healthfully. Stress may trigger some people to reach for junk food or turn to other unhealthful eating habits. Stick with nutritious foods, such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free dairy products.
* Get enough sleep. Adults need seven to nine hours. If you’re having trouble sleeping, make some changes to your sleeping habits. For instance, try going to bed at the same time each night, and get up at the same time each morning.
* Avoid unhealthful behaviors. For example, some people use smoking or drinking too much alcohol to cope with stress. Talk with your doctor if you need help quitting."
Perhaps you or your partner is out of work or your investments have lost value. Maybe you just wish money wasn’t so tight every month. If times have been tough on your pocketbook and portfolio, you’re not alone. The signs of economic trouble are everywhere. However, it’s important to take steps to keep these hardships from undermining your physical and emotional well-being.
Signs of the times
The fact is that living with too much financial pressure can raise stress to unsafe levels. And, ongoing stress may lead to issues such as:
* Depression
* Anxiety
* Substance abuse
* Compulsive behaviors, such as eating disorders, excessive gambling or overspending
The effects of stress don’t stop with emotions and behavior. Some experts suggest that if stress isn’t managed, it can even lead to serious physical conditions, such as heart disease and obesity.
Stress makes itself known differently from person to person. It’s important to pay attention to how you’re feeling and behaving in order to look for clues about your stress level. It may be too high if you:
* Feel unusually sad or cry a lot
* Are excessively anxious
* Have trouble sleeping
* Feel tired all the time
* Are irritable or angry
* Drink more alcohol than usual
Of course, eventually, the nation’s economy will improve. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to help get a handle on your personal finances and your stress.
Invest in a plan
For starters, try not to give in to the gloomy, negative hype in the news. Focus on what you can do to control your situation and become more competent when it comes to money. For example:
* Take a good look at your finances, even if it hurts. Think of ways you and your family can reduce expenses. It can start with something as simple as eating more meals at home or carpooling to work. If you smoke, this may be the motivation to quit that you’ve been looking for. Evaluate all the ways you spend money. Little things can add up. There may be some that you could get by without.
* Make a plan to manage your money. Perhaps, you’ve decided to pay down some credit cards or save a little more money every month. Write down specific strategies to reduce and save. Then, commit to a plan and review it regularly.
* Empower yourself. Look for opportunities to grow financially and personally. Consider talking with your employer about taking a course to improve your job skills. Or, contact a financial planner to learn how to better manage your finances. You may be able to find affordable financial guidance through government agencies and community organizations. You may want to start in the government services section of your phone book.
Create your stress defense
You can also protect against ongoing stress. It’s not always easy to make time, especially when so many responsibilities may demand your attention. But, it’s worth it. When you take care of your own needs you’re better able to care for your family’s needs, too. Consider these everyday steps:
* Be active. Playing sports or just taking a walk can reduce stress. If you’re generally healthy, aim to get at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. At least two days a week, work in some muscle-strengthening activity at a moderate intensity or higher. Just be sure to check with your doctor before significantly increasing your level of physical activity.
* Make time for yourself. Read a good book or listen to your
favorite music.
* Eat healthfully. Stress may trigger some people to reach for junk food or turn to other unhealthful eating habits. Stick with nutritious foods, such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free dairy products.
* Get enough sleep. Adults need seven to nine hours. If you’re having trouble sleeping, make some changes to your sleeping habits. For instance, try going to bed at the same time each night, and get up at the same time each morning.
* Avoid unhealthful behaviors. For example, some people use smoking or drinking too much alcohol to cope with stress. Talk with your doctor if you need help quitting."
"Get to the heart of
metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome — a combination of risk factors that are linked to being inactive, overweight and obese — is becoming increasingly common in the United States. In fact, almost 25 percent of adults have it. People with metabolic syndrome are twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with those who don’t. They’re also five times more likely to develop diabetes.
Know your factors
Metabolic syndrome may be diagnosed if you have at least three of the following risk factors:
* A large waist — 35 inches or more for women and 40 inches or more for men.
* A triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher.
* A low HDL, or “good” cholesterol, level — less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women.
* Higher than normal blood pressure — 130/85 mmHg or higher. However, if only one of your two blood pressure numbers is high, it’s still a risk factor of metabolic syndrome.
* Higher than normal fasting blood glucose level — 100 mg/dL
or higher.
The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing heart disease or diabetes or having a stroke.
Risk management
If you have metabolic syndrome, treatment — such as making lifestyle changes — can help reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. If you already have one or both of these conditions, lifestyle changes also may help you prevent or delay complications, such as heart attack and stroke.
To get started, talk with your doctor. He or she may suggest that you:
Shed excess weight. If you’re overweight, dropping those extra pounds can make a big difference to your health. Being overweight puts stress on your heart and increases your risk of heart disease. Losing even 7 to 10 percent of your weight can bring health benefits. If you weigh 250 pounds, for example, that’s about 18 to 25 pounds.
Choose a healthful diet. Eating healthful foods not only will help you lose weight, but it may help you lower your cholesterol, too. Choose foods high in soluble fiber and low in fat, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Step it up. Be sure to talk with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program or significantly increasing your level of physical activity. Your doctor may prescribe an exercise program that’s designed just for you.
In general, people with metabolic syndrome should maintain a moderate level of activity — such as brisk walking — for at least 30 minutes, at least five days a week. It’s fine to break it up into chunks of 10 minutes or more to get to your total. Talk with your doctor about working up to 60 minutes a day, every day of the week.
Quit smoking. It’s harmful to your heart. It also raises triglyceride levels and lowers HDL cholesterol.
In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe medicines to control individual risk factors, such as high blood pressure.
Steps to prevention
A healthful lifestyle is vital if you have metabolic syndrome. And, even if you only have one risk factor, such as high blood pressure, it’s important to take steps to control it. Healthful lifestyle changes may help prevent metabolic syndrome."
metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome — a combination of risk factors that are linked to being inactive, overweight and obese — is becoming increasingly common in the United States. In fact, almost 25 percent of adults have it. People with metabolic syndrome are twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with those who don’t. They’re also five times more likely to develop diabetes.
Know your factors
Metabolic syndrome may be diagnosed if you have at least three of the following risk factors:
* A large waist — 35 inches or more for women and 40 inches or more for men.
* A triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher.
* A low HDL, or “good” cholesterol, level — less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women.
* Higher than normal blood pressure — 130/85 mmHg or higher. However, if only one of your two blood pressure numbers is high, it’s still a risk factor of metabolic syndrome.
* Higher than normal fasting blood glucose level — 100 mg/dL
or higher.
The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing heart disease or diabetes or having a stroke.
Risk management
If you have metabolic syndrome, treatment — such as making lifestyle changes — can help reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. If you already have one or both of these conditions, lifestyle changes also may help you prevent or delay complications, such as heart attack and stroke.
To get started, talk with your doctor. He or she may suggest that you:
Shed excess weight. If you’re overweight, dropping those extra pounds can make a big difference to your health. Being overweight puts stress on your heart and increases your risk of heart disease. Losing even 7 to 10 percent of your weight can bring health benefits. If you weigh 250 pounds, for example, that’s about 18 to 25 pounds.
Choose a healthful diet. Eating healthful foods not only will help you lose weight, but it may help you lower your cholesterol, too. Choose foods high in soluble fiber and low in fat, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Step it up. Be sure to talk with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program or significantly increasing your level of physical activity. Your doctor may prescribe an exercise program that’s designed just for you.
In general, people with metabolic syndrome should maintain a moderate level of activity — such as brisk walking — for at least 30 minutes, at least five days a week. It’s fine to break it up into chunks of 10 minutes or more to get to your total. Talk with your doctor about working up to 60 minutes a day, every day of the week.
Quit smoking. It’s harmful to your heart. It also raises triglyceride levels and lowers HDL cholesterol.
In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe medicines to control individual risk factors, such as high blood pressure.
Steps to prevention
A healthful lifestyle is vital if you have metabolic syndrome. And, even if you only have one risk factor, such as high blood pressure, it’s important to take steps to control it. Healthful lifestyle changes may help prevent metabolic syndrome."
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
New Government research on mammographys
"Panel: Screening Mammogram Guidelines Change
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommends Routine Mammography Screening Every 2 Years
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Medical News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Nov. 16, 2009 – A government appointed expert panel is calling for huge changes in breast cancer screening in the United States, but a leading cancer group is highly critical of the move.
In newly revised guidelines, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends against routine mammography screening for average-risk women in their 40s.
USPSTF also says women between the ages of 50 and 74 should have mammogram screenings every two years instead of every year.
Routine screening is not recommended for women older than 74.
In addition, the government task force:
Concluded women and their doctors should base the decision to start mammography before age 50 on the woman’s individual risks and preferences.
Recommends against breast self-exams based on findings from two large studies showing the practice to have no value.
Concluded more evidence is needed to determine if clinical breast exams performed by trained medical professionals are useful.
Concluded more research is needed before recommendations for or against mammography screening after age 74 can be made.
Concluded there is not enough evidence to know if the newer digital mammography or MRI are superior to traditional film mammography.
ACS Does Not Support Changes
The dramatically revised guidelines were based on a comprehensive analysis of the research exploring the benefits and risks of breast cancer screening and a risk-benefit model commissioned by USPSTF.
Task force vice-chairwoman Diana B. Petitti, MD, MPH, says the new recommendations do not mean average-risk women younger than 50 and older than 74 should never be screened.
Rather, they are meant to foster discussion between these women and their doctors about the risks vs. benefits of routine screening.
Potential risks include anxiety, unnecessary biopsy, and unnecessary treatment of cancers that would never become life threatening.
'A woman who still wants to be screened after having the conversation with her clinician and considering the balance of benefits and harms should absolutely be screened,' Pettiti tells WebMD.
The American Cancer Society will continue to recommend annual routine mammography screening for all healthy women age 40 and over, ACS Chief Medical Officer Otis Brawley, MD, confirmed in a statement issued today.
'This is one screening test I recommend unequivocally, and would recommend to any woman 40 and over, be she a patient, a stranger, or a family member,' he notes.
Mammography Screening Every 2 Years
All agree that annual mammography screenings save lives.
But based on the research analysis and risk-assessment model, the task force concluded the harms of telling women to have a mammogram every year starting at age 40 outweigh the benefits.
According to the newly published research analysis:
1,904 women between the ages of 39 and 49 would need to be invited for screening to have one breast cancer death prevented.
1,339 women between the ages of 50 and 59 would need to be invited for screening to prevent one death.
377 women between the ages of 60 and 69 would need to be invited for screening to prevent one death.
According to the risk-assessment model, about 60% more false-positive results could be expected for every 1,000 mammograms performed when screening is started at age 40 instead of 50.
Jeanne S. Mandelblatt, MD, MPH, of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center led the research team that developed the model.
The team concluded that mammogram screening every two years achieves most of the benefits of annual screening with far fewer false-positives and other negative outcomes.
'Mammogram screening clearly has benefits, but there are potential risks as well,' she tells WebMD. 'Women need to discuss their own individual balance of risks and benefits with their health care providers.'
Brawley: ‘Women Want Mammograms’
The American Cancer Society’s Brawley says surveys show women understand the limitations of mammography but still place a high value on breast cancer screening.
“With its new recommendations, the USPSTF is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives; just not enough of them,” he notes.
In 2003, an ACS expert panel reviewed much of the same research as the USPSTF panel but came to very different conclusions about who should be screened and how often, ACS volunteer president Elizabeth T.H. Fontham, MD, tells WebMD.
She worries the competing recommendations will confuse women and keep those who most need mammograms from getting them.
“It would be a terrible thing if women conclude that mammography screening is not useful,” she says. “One thing we know for sure is that mammography saves lives. That is true for women in their 40s, for women 75 and older, and for all women in between.”
Fox Chase Cancer Center Director of Mammography Kathryn Evers, MD, tells WebMD she will continue to recommend annual screening to her patients in their 40s and to healthy patients who are 75 and older.
She is concerned that health insurance providers may deny coverage for routine mammogram screening to average-risk women younger than 50 and older than 74, based on the new USPTF recommendations.
“Mammography is not a perfect tool, but it saves lives,” she says. “Right now it is the best tool we have to prevent deaths from breast cancer, and women want their insurance to pay for it.”
In a joint statement emailed to WebMD, the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Society of Breast Imaging say the new guidelines could cost women's lives.
Calling the guidelines a 'cost-cutting' measure, the ACR states that 'two decades of decline in breast cancer mortality could be reversed and countless American women may die needlessly from breast cancer each year.'
In the statement, Carol H. Lee, MD, chairwoman of the ACR's Breast Imaging Commission, calls the USPSTF recommendations 'unfounded.' Lee adds, 'Mammography is not a perfect test, but it has unquestionably been shown to save lives -- including in women aged 40-49.'"
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommends Routine Mammography Screening Every 2 Years
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Medical News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Nov. 16, 2009 – A government appointed expert panel is calling for huge changes in breast cancer screening in the United States, but a leading cancer group is highly critical of the move.
In newly revised guidelines, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends against routine mammography screening for average-risk women in their 40s.
USPSTF also says women between the ages of 50 and 74 should have mammogram screenings every two years instead of every year.
Routine screening is not recommended for women older than 74.
In addition, the government task force:
Concluded women and their doctors should base the decision to start mammography before age 50 on the woman’s individual risks and preferences.
Recommends against breast self-exams based on findings from two large studies showing the practice to have no value.
Concluded more evidence is needed to determine if clinical breast exams performed by trained medical professionals are useful.
Concluded more research is needed before recommendations for or against mammography screening after age 74 can be made.
Concluded there is not enough evidence to know if the newer digital mammography or MRI are superior to traditional film mammography.
ACS Does Not Support Changes
The dramatically revised guidelines were based on a comprehensive analysis of the research exploring the benefits and risks of breast cancer screening and a risk-benefit model commissioned by USPSTF.
Task force vice-chairwoman Diana B. Petitti, MD, MPH, says the new recommendations do not mean average-risk women younger than 50 and older than 74 should never be screened.
Rather, they are meant to foster discussion between these women and their doctors about the risks vs. benefits of routine screening.
Potential risks include anxiety, unnecessary biopsy, and unnecessary treatment of cancers that would never become life threatening.
'A woman who still wants to be screened after having the conversation with her clinician and considering the balance of benefits and harms should absolutely be screened,' Pettiti tells WebMD.
The American Cancer Society will continue to recommend annual routine mammography screening for all healthy women age 40 and over, ACS Chief Medical Officer Otis Brawley, MD, confirmed in a statement issued today.
'This is one screening test I recommend unequivocally, and would recommend to any woman 40 and over, be she a patient, a stranger, or a family member,' he notes.
Mammography Screening Every 2 Years
All agree that annual mammography screenings save lives.
But based on the research analysis and risk-assessment model, the task force concluded the harms of telling women to have a mammogram every year starting at age 40 outweigh the benefits.
According to the newly published research analysis:
1,904 women between the ages of 39 and 49 would need to be invited for screening to have one breast cancer death prevented.
1,339 women between the ages of 50 and 59 would need to be invited for screening to prevent one death.
377 women between the ages of 60 and 69 would need to be invited for screening to prevent one death.
According to the risk-assessment model, about 60% more false-positive results could be expected for every 1,000 mammograms performed when screening is started at age 40 instead of 50.
Jeanne S. Mandelblatt, MD, MPH, of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center led the research team that developed the model.
The team concluded that mammogram screening every two years achieves most of the benefits of annual screening with far fewer false-positives and other negative outcomes.
'Mammogram screening clearly has benefits, but there are potential risks as well,' she tells WebMD. 'Women need to discuss their own individual balance of risks and benefits with their health care providers.'
Brawley: ‘Women Want Mammograms’
The American Cancer Society’s Brawley says surveys show women understand the limitations of mammography but still place a high value on breast cancer screening.
“With its new recommendations, the USPSTF is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives; just not enough of them,” he notes.
In 2003, an ACS expert panel reviewed much of the same research as the USPSTF panel but came to very different conclusions about who should be screened and how often, ACS volunteer president Elizabeth T.H. Fontham, MD, tells WebMD.
She worries the competing recommendations will confuse women and keep those who most need mammograms from getting them.
“It would be a terrible thing if women conclude that mammography screening is not useful,” she says. “One thing we know for sure is that mammography saves lives. That is true for women in their 40s, for women 75 and older, and for all women in between.”
Fox Chase Cancer Center Director of Mammography Kathryn Evers, MD, tells WebMD she will continue to recommend annual screening to her patients in their 40s and to healthy patients who are 75 and older.
She is concerned that health insurance providers may deny coverage for routine mammogram screening to average-risk women younger than 50 and older than 74, based on the new USPTF recommendations.
“Mammography is not a perfect tool, but it saves lives,” she says. “Right now it is the best tool we have to prevent deaths from breast cancer, and women want their insurance to pay for it.”
In a joint statement emailed to WebMD, the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Society of Breast Imaging say the new guidelines could cost women's lives.
Calling the guidelines a 'cost-cutting' measure, the ACR states that 'two decades of decline in breast cancer mortality could be reversed and countless American women may die needlessly from breast cancer each year.'
In the statement, Carol H. Lee, MD, chairwoman of the ACR's Breast Imaging Commission, calls the USPSTF recommendations 'unfounded.' Lee adds, 'Mammography is not a perfect test, but it has unquestionably been shown to save lives -- including in women aged 40-49.'"
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