Idea #316 for December 31st, 2009: Out In The Cold or Winter Weather Can Increase Heart Attack Risk

In colder regions of the country, winter weather poses more than just risks of hypothermia. Many people are unaware that risk of heart attack also increases when the temperature drops. In the cold, blood vessels tend to constrict in an effort to conserve body heat. As a result, blood pressure increases and the amount of oxygen that can get to the heart decreases. Couple that with strenuous winter activity — like shoveling snow — and you have a recipe for heart attack in susceptible people. For people at increased risk of of heart disease, experts recommend avoiding strenuous cold-weather activity, and they should be aware of heart attack symptoms to ensure immediate response if one occurs.

Read more about this here.

Idea #292 for December 7th, 2009: Watching Waistlines or BMI May Predict Heart Disease Risk

Much has been made of the inexactness of the BMI metric and whether it should be emphasized in medicine. BMI (body masss index) is calculated from a person’s height and weight, and can quantify the degree to which the person may be over- or under-weight. A Dutch study now supports the idea that BMI is an effective tool in predicting the risk of heart disease.

The study, which spanned ten years, found that more than half of fatal heart attacks are linked to a high BMI. People with a BMI over 30 are considered obese, while those between 25 and 30 are deemed overweight. The study, which looked at over 20,00o patients, found that 53% of fatal heart attacks occurred in those whose BMI was high enough to be considered overweight or obese. This evidence underscores the urgent need to stop the obesity epidemic. It also shows that BMI may be a valuable predictor of heart disease risk.

Read more about this here:

Idea #274 for November 19th, 2009: Screening High School Athletes For Heart Conditions

Young athletes who appear to be in excellent physical condition sometimes suffer from undetected heart ailments that lead to their sudden deaths. In fact sudden cardiac death from heart rhythm disturbances kills 1 out of 3000 young adults each year. The rapid onset of these cardiac problems makes treating them almost impossible. Researchers at Johns Hopkins believe that the best approach might be screening healthy young athletes for heart problems.

The researchers screened over 100 high school athletes in Maryland using several tests. They tried to detect cardiac abnormalities using EKG, blood pressure tests, echocardiograms, and listening for murmurs. They found that 36 of the 134 athletes had abnormalities like high and low blood pressure. The researchers contend that using multiple tests is the best way to screen young athletes for heart problems. Although potentially costly, screening athletes could save hundreds or even thousands of lives each year, if heart issues are caught and treated before they lead to sudden cardiac death.

Read more about this in the Baltimore Sun.

Idea #263 for November 8th, 2009: Beating The Clock or Time Is Crucial For Stroke Victims

For people exhibiting symptoms of stroke, getting emergency care as fast as possible could mean the difference between life and death. Yet 40% of stroke patients use private transportation to get to ERs instead of dialing 911, says a new CDC report. Timing is crucial because the drug used to treat a stroke, tissue plasminogen activator, has to be given within three hours of the first symptoms. Patients cannot afford to wait for travel arrangements.

The important thing here is that people have to be well aware of the typical symptoms of stroke so that they can identify their condition rapidly and seek emergency help. A vital part of that process is making sure people who are at high risk of stroke — smokers, people with hypertension or obesity, etc. — know what the beginning of a stroke feels like. The symptoms include: vision problems, weakness on one side of the body, and rapid onset of dizziness or headache. It’s in the best interest of elderly patients and other people in a high risk category to memorize the symptoms of a stroke so that if the worst happens, they can react promptly.

Read more about this issue here.

 

Idea #230 for October 6th, 2009: Low-Pressure Situation or Inexpensive Way of Managing High Blood Pressure

Less than 40% of Americans with high blood pressure are adequately keeping their condition under control, which has driven doctors to find new methods for patients managing hypertension. Letting blood pressure get out of control can lead to a number of other conditions, not least of which are heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. A Duke study found that managing blood pressure inexpensively and effectively can be accomplished through telephone counseling and patient self-monitoring at home.

In the study, patients that were taught how to use blood pressure monitoring equipment while also receiving instructional phone calls from nurses were able to lower their blood pressure by 11%. The phone calls from the nurses consisted of nutrition and exercise advice, as well as medication side-effects. It’s important that side-effects are discussed because patients may cease taking medications if side-effects are found to be an annoyance. The per-patient cost of this program works out to about $400 for two years — a bargain in the world of healthcare. We need more of this type of thinking in medicine to lower costs and improve patient outcomes.

See more about this study here.

Idea #216 for September 22nd, 2009: Snuffed Out or FDA Bans Flavored Cigarettes

The FDA made the right choice Tuesday in banning the sale of flavored cigarettes. Flavors like chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla have been known to attract young people to tobacco products. In fact, studies show 17 year old smokers are three times more likely than those over 25 to smoke flavored cigarettes. Not allowing tobacco companies to sell flavored tobacco products should cut down on teenage smoking rates and save many lives down the line.

The FDA now has the authority to regulate tobacco products, thanks to a bill signed into law a few months ago, and this is their first major move against the tobacco industry since then. The move, though, may not be broad enough; it currently only bans flavored cigarettes while cigarillos and small cigars can still legally be sold with flavoring. Menthol cigarettes are also spared from the ban. Nonetheless, the ban is definitely a positive step forward for our nation’s health that will reap benefits for generations to come.

Read more about this news story in the New York Times.

Idea #206 for September 12th, 2009: Free Speech or Improving Communication Between African American Patients and Doctors

Sometimes trends in healthcare emerge that show disparities in treatment across various ethnicities or races. New research suggests that African Americans with high blood pressure are not sufficiently communicating with their providers, leading to further health problems.

The study involved recording the audio from over 200 hypertensive patients in Baltimore while visiting their primary care providers. The recordings revealed that African American patients had shorter visits and had less verbal interaction with their providers than white patients. Researchers postulate that lack of trust, or a feeling of disconnect may be at play. Further, physicians may not be as apt to engage in dialogue with quiet patients, the study suggests. If trust is an issue, then efforts should be focused on correcting that issue so that communication can become more free. Lack of communication may lead to higher rates of hypertension and its complications, which is especially a concern in the African American population.

See more about this study in US News.

Idea #197 for September 3rd, 2009: Baby Fat or Fit Mothers Produce Healthier Children

Here’s a story with a very unexpected result: a study is showing that mothers who undergo weight-loss surgery before pregnancy are less likely to have obese children. It’s odd because you wouldn’t expect gastric bypass surgery to have any affect on the offspring of the patient. The study looked at women who had children before and after weight-loss surgery, and found that children born after the surgery were smaller at birth and were also three times less likely to become obese later in life. They also had improved cardiovascular health, including lower cholesterol.

This study and previous research have shown that overweight mothers’ intrauterine environments is different than those of normal-weight mothers, and that has a negative effect on developing children. The mothers’ metabolic problems will also be present in the child in those cases, research suggests. The important thing to take away from this information is that women should try to lose weight before deciding to have children, whether through weight-loss surgery or through conventional means. Not only will the health of the mother improve, but also that of her children.

Read more about this study here.

Idea #179 for August 16th, 2009: Educating Seniors on Stroke Risks

Receiving timely medical attention is key to treating strokes in elderly patients. Recognizing signs of strokes, and knowing the risk factors that contribute to them, can ensure that patients will react promptly and correctly to the onset of a stroke. However, seniors are often not well-enough informed on these issues, surveys find.

A study found that less than half of elderly patients surveyed were aware that dizziness, numbness, weakness, and headaches are warning signs of a stroke. The majority were able to correctly identify high blood pressure as a risk factor for stroke, but less than half knew that high cholesterol and smoking were also factors. Further, only 10% of the respondents were aware that diabetes and alcohol consumption are other stroke risk factors.

If patients have a better grasp of the symptoms associated with the onset of stroke, their chances of receiving rapid treatment and recovery can be greatly improved. Additionally, having a clear understanding of the risk factors involved can encourage people to adjust their lifestyles in order to lessen their chances of having a stroke. Primary care physicians can help educate seniors on stroke symptoms, especially ones who are at a higher risk of developing them. Additionally, an education campaign targeting that population can also help spread the message.

Read more about this issue in the news here.

Idea #140 for July 8th, 2009: Widening Problem or Childhood Obesity Continues to Rise

Over the last year, not a single state recorded a decrease in its obesity rate. In 31 states, the adult obesity rate exceeds 25% (if you broaden the metric to include individuals who are considered just “overweight,” the national average is more like 66%). It’s a disturbing trend, but even more frightening is the prevalence of obesity among children. For kids ages ten to seventeen, the rate of obesity exceeds 30% in 30 states. In Mississippi, the childhood obesity rate is a shocking 44% — the highest in the nation.

Evidence shows that obese children usually carry that status into adulthood, so we can expect another big leap in adult obesity rates as this generation matures. The chronic illnesses associated with obesity like hypertension and diabetes will balloon in coming years if this epidemic is not addressed, and the costs of treating them will undoubtedly blow-up too. Whether it’s encouraging more physical fitness, steering them away from fast food, or even changing the lunchroom menu, something has to be done to make these trends go in the other direction, or we will be paying the price in a few decades.

Read more about the news here and here.