Women and Heart Attacks---Make the Call!
Posted by on March 28, 2011 - 8:37am

A woman suffers a heart attack every 90 seconds in the United States. Yet according to a 2009 American Heart Association survey only half of women indicated they would call 9-1-1 if they thought they were having a heart attack and few were aware of the most common heart attack symptoms.

The Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat. campaign is a national public education campaign that aims to educate, engage, and empower women and their families to learn the seven most common symptoms of a heart attack and encourage them to call 9-1-1 as soon as those symptoms arise.

The first step toward surviving a heart attack is learning to recognize the symptoms. The campaign, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health, encourages woman to make the call to 9-1-1 immediately if they experience one or more of the heart attack symptoms listed below. The most common signs of heart attack in both women and men are:

Unusually heavy pressure on the chest, like there's a ton of weight on you
Most heart attacks involve chest pain or discomfort in the center or left side of the chest. It usually lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It may even feel like heartburn or indigestion.

Sharp upper body pain in the neck, back, and jaw
This symptom can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper part of stomach (not below the belly button). Pain in the back, neck, or jaw is a more common heart attack symptom for women than it is for men.

Severe shortness of breath
This symptom can come on suddenly. It may occur while you are at rest or with minimal physical activity. You may struggle to breathe or try taking deep breaths. Shortness of breath may start before or at the same time as chest pain or discomfort, and can even be your only symptom.

Cold sweats, and you know it's not menopause
Unexplained or excessive sweating, or breaking out into a "cold sweat," can be a sign of heart attack.

Unusual or unexplained fatigue (tiredness)
Sudden and unusual tiredness or lack of energy is one of the most common symptoms of heart attack in women, and one of the easiest to ignore. It can come on suddenly or be present for days. More than half of women having a heart attack experience muscle tiredness or weakness that is not related to exercise.

Unfamiliar dizziness or light-headedness
Unlike in the movies, most heart attacks do not make you pass out right away. Instead, you may suddenly feel dizzy or light-headed.

Unexplained nausea (feeling sick to the stomach) or vomiting
Women are twice as likely as men to experience nausea, vomiting, or indigestion during their heart attack. These feelings are often written off as having a less serious cause. Remember, nausea and vomiting may be signs that something is seriously wrong, especially if you have other symptoms.

If you have any one of these symptoms and it lasts for more than five minutes, call 9-1-1 for emergency medical care. Even if your symptoms go away in less than five minutes, call your doctor right away—it could be a sign that a heart attack is coming soon. Don't waste time trying home remedies or waiting for the feelings to pass on their own. Remember, quick treatment can save your life.

 

Unintentional Poisoning Deaths Often Due to Misuse of Prescription Drugs
Posted by on March 24, 2011 - 11:03am

This is Poison Awareness Week and the Institute for Women's Health Research sponsored a forum featuring Dr. Carol DesLauriers  a pharmacist from the Illinois Poison Center, the nation's oldest poison center. Did you know that nearly 75% of poisoning deaths in the U.S. are due to unintentional poisoning? Unintentional poisoning includes the use of drugs or chemicals for recreational purposes in excessive amounts (an 'overdose').  It also includes the excessive use of drugs or chemicals for non-recreational purposes, such as by a toddler.   Unintentional poisoning  was second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of unintentional injury death for all ages in 2007.   Among people 35-54 years old, unintentional poisoning caused more deaths than motors vehicle crashes.

The majority of unintentional poisoning deaths were caused by drugs.  Opioid pain medications (methadone, hydrocodone, oxycodone) were the most commonly used followed by cocaine and heroin.  While the latter two drugs are gotten solely on the street, the others are available legitimately by prescription.  These drugs can be beneficial but it is the misuse of these products that are causing deaths.   Of great concern is the fact that teens often get these drugs from their parent's medicine cabinets.  As Dr. Deslauriers explained, young people believe that since these drugs are "prescribed by a doctor", they are not dangerous (like street drugs).  Addicts also get them by going to several unrelated physicians for multiple prescriptions.

The highest death rate is among people age 45-49 years old and men are more likely to die from unintentional poisoning than women.   Children have the lowest mortality rates because they do not abuse drugs as frequently as older adults.  Parents are reminded that when medicine comes  in "child-resistant" bottles---that does not mean "child-proof".    Never use a pill bottle as a rattle to entertain your child (yes, people actually do this!).

Personal Safety Concerns about Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami
Posted by on March 23, 2011 - 2:57pm

As the tragedy of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan continues to make headlines, it is only natural to be concerned about the fallout on our own countries.    You read stories about a run on pharmacies for potassium iodine and hear questions about the drinking water.   Are we overreacting?   The United States government has compiled recommendations from a number of agencies include the FDA and CDC that address the questions many of us have regarding the safety of our water, food and air.  To view these guidelines, click HERE.

Our hearts and thoughts are with those who have been touched by this tragedy and we encourage our readers to support the relief efforts in any way possible.  The site listed also includes charities that are accepting donations.

Exercise Reduces Intra-abdominal Fat, a Health Risk for Women
Posted by on March 22, 2011 - 1:05pm
Cracking the Genetic Code for Alzheimer's Disease
Posted by on March 21, 2011 - 8:59am

Scientists crack code to create neurons whose early death causes memory loss

Northwestern Medicine researchers for the first time have transformed a human embryonic stem cell into a critical type of neuron that dies early in Alzheimer’s disease and is a major cause of memory loss.  This new ability to reprogram stem cells and grow a limitless supply of the human neurons will enable a rapid wave of drug testing for Alzheimer’s disease, allow researchers to study why the neurons die and could potentially lead to transplanting the new neurons into people with Alzheimer’s.  The paper will be published March 4 in the journal Stem Cells.

These critical neurons help retrieve memories in the brain. In early Alzheimer’s, the ability to retrieve memories is lost, not the memories themselves. There is a relatively small population of these neurons in the brain, and their loss has a swift and devastating effect on the ability to remember.

“Now that we have learned how to make these cells, we can study them in a tissue culture dish and figure out what we can do to prevent them from dying,” said senior study author Jack Kessler, M.D., chair of neurology and the Davee Professor of Stem Cell Biology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “This technique to produce the neurons allows for an almost infinite number of these cells to be grown in labs, allowing other scientists the ability to study why this one population of cells selectively dies in Alzheimer’s disease,” said Christopher Bissonnette, a former doctoral student in neurology who labored for six years in Kessler’s lab to crack the genetic code of the stem cells to produce the neurons. His research was motivated by his grandfather’s death from Alzheimer’s.

The ability to make the cells also means researchers can quickly test thousands of different drugs to see which ones may keep the cells alive when they are in a challenging environment. This rapid testing technique is called high-throughput screening.

Kessler and Bissonnette demonstrated the newly produced neurons work just like the originals. They transplanted the new neurons into the hippocampus of mice and showed the neurons functioned normally. The neurons produced axons, or connecting fibers, to the hippocampus and pumped out acetylcholine, a chemical needed by the hippocampus to retrieve memories from other parts of the brain.

Human Skin Cells Transformed into Stem Cells and then Neurons

In new, unpublished research, Northwestern Medicine scientists also have discovered a second novel way to make the neurons. They made human embryonic stem cells (called induced pluripotent stem cells) from human skin cells and then transformed these into the neurons.   Scientists made these stem cells and neurons from skin cells of three groups of people: Alzheimer’s patients, healthy patients with no family history of Alzheimer’s, and healthy patients with an increased likelihood of developing the disease due to a family history of Alzheimer’s because of genetic mutations or unknown reasons.

“This gives us a new way to study diseased human Alzheimer’s cells,” Kessler said. “These are real people with real disease. That’s why it’s exciting.”

by Marla Paul Northwestern health sciences editor.

Feel Full on Fewer Calories
Posted by on March 18, 2011 - 8:55am

 

Grapes or Raisins?

Almost everyone who is health conscious agrees that American food portions are out of control!  One of our most visited blogs "Eat less, Move More" has generated a lot of comments and many readers are surprised how small portions need to be if you want to lose weight.   We've also received a number of suggestions like using a smaller plate, eating 5-6  mini meals every day, etc.   But the bottom line remains the same:   If you want to actually lose weight and you are not an exercise buff, portion control is a good way to go. However, not all portions represent the same amount of calories.

Feel fuller on fewer calories. This requires understanding the concept of "energy density".   Energy density is the number of calories (energy) in a certain amount of food.   High energy density means that there are a lot of calories in a small amount of food.   Low energy density means there are few calories in a lot of food.

One of the classic examples is raisins vs. grapes.    A one cup of raisins (dried grapes)  has about 434 calories.  A cup of fresh grapes has about 104 calories.  So to eat the same amount of calories, you would have to limit the raisins to 1/4 a cup!  Which choice would make you feel fuller?   One ounce of potato chips is 150 calories, the same amount of calories found in 3 1/2 cups of air popped popcorn.

In order to lose or maintain your weight, your goal should be to eat more  low energy dense foods.  That way, you eat larger portions that make you feel fuller.   Let's explore this density concept a bit further.   Several factors play a role in what makes food high or low in energy density.

1.  Water.   Fruits and vegetables have a high water content which provides volume but not calories, making them a low energy dense food.  A grapefruit is 90 percent water and a  half grapefruit is only 39 calories.  Watermelon is 92% water.

2. Fiber.  High fiber foods provide volume and take longer to digest, making you feel fuller with less calories.

3.  Fat.  Fat is very high in energy density (remember we are really talking about calories!).   One teaspoon of butter contains almost the same number of calories as 2 cups of low energy dense broccoli.

What about nutrition?   Does  "fullness" translate into a adequate nutritional intake?   What foods are better options when it comes to energy density?.    According to the Mayo Clinic Health Weight Pyramid:.

  • Most vegetables are low in calories but high in volume especially lettuce, asparagus, broccoli and zucchini.    Add more vegetables to your pastas instead of meat and cheesy sauces.   Put veggies on your sandwiches instead cheese slices and gobs of mayonnaise.
  • Fruits are healthy but some are lower calorie choices than others and certain fruits have more concentrated sugars (such as raisins) and have higher calories with less volume.   Fruit juices are also relatively high in calories and don't necessarily fill you up.   Eating a whole orange with its natural fiber will fill you up more than a glass of orange juice.
  • Carbohydrates are either grains or foods made from grains like cereals and pasta.  Select carbs that are higher in fiber like oatmeal, whole grain breads, brown rice and avoid breads made with refined white flour and sweeteners.
  • Fats are a high energy dense food but some are healthier than others.   Watch your portions and include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in your diet like nuts, seeds, healthier vegetable oils (flax see, olive, and safflower oil). Just keep the portions small.
  • Sweets are high in energy density and are a challenge when it comes to caloric intake.   Try to find desserts that have low fat and sugar content, such as fruits and low-fat yogurt.  If they are baked, look for whole grain flour pastries.   The key to limiting the effect of sweets is to keep the servings small (share with your table mates--1 dessert, 4 forks--most restaurants are accommodating).
  • Protein comes from plant and animal sources and the healthiest low-energy dense choices are those high in protein but low in fat  such as lentils (also high in fiber!), skinless white meat, and fish.  Select fat-free dairy foods.

Substituting low density foods keep you from feeling food deprived, make you feel better about your meal and will help keep those calories down!  Here's a final example:   A small order of McD's french fries has 225 calories.  You could substitute (with the same amount of calories)  a salad made with a small apple, 10 cups of fresh spinach, and 1 1/2 cups strawberries with a splash of diet dressing.

Tattoos: Be Smart About Body Art
Posted by on March 16, 2011 - 2:25pm

No inks on the market today have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for injection into the skin – and yet one in four Americans age 18 to 50 has a tattoo. On Tuesday, the FDA hosted a webinar about the basics of tattoo regulation and safety. Whether you want to cover yourself with color or just get your eyeliner tattooed on, here are the facts you need to know.

One of the FDA’s jobs is to make sure that color additives – the substances that add color to everything from food to cosmetics – are used safely. To get approval for a pigment, a manufacturer must submit a petition to the FDA showing that the color additive is safe for whatever they want to use it for. Currently, no manufacturers have submitted petitions to use a color additive as tattoo ink, according to Bhakti Petigara Harp, a chemist in the FDA section of Cosmetics and Colors. Watch out for companies that allege their ink is FDA-approved; these claims are false.

From 2003 to 2004, the FDA received more than 150 reports of adverse reactions from tattoos. These side effects ranged from tenderness and swelling to itching and bumps. Most of these reactions were linked back to a particular brand of ink, which was quickly taken off the market. Another company bragged that its ink contained no preservatives – an attractive claim in our age of organic food. The problem was that, with no preservatives, bacteria and mold grew in the pigment, and many people suffered infections and other adverse reactions. These unfortunate incidents show how important it is to research the tattoo ink you plan to use.

The inks used for tattooing fall into two categories: inorganic pigments and synthetic organic pigments. Inorganic pigments are metal oxides, salts or minerals, like charcoal and cinnabar. A drawback of inorganic pigments is that some will fade or change color over time. The other type of inks are synthetic organic pigments. These were first synthesized in the mid 19th century to fill a demand for brighter colors. For those experiencing buyer’s remorse, some synthetic organic tattoo pigments can be removed with laser treatments.

In fact, 17 percent of people surveyed who had tattoos said they were considering getting their ink removed. Laser removal is an expensive, painful and time-consuming process that doesn’t always work. High-intensity light beams break up the pigment under the skin, fading the tattoo over time. Only a reputable dermatologist should administer laser treatment.

Another type of tattooing, called micropigmentation or permanent makeup, is used to replace traditional makeup. Common permanent makeup tattoos substitute eyeliner, lipliner and eyebrow pencil. Although some doctors offer permanent makeup tattoo services in a medical setting, these pigments are also not FDA-approved.

Some tattoos can interact with MRI scans, causing swelling or burning around the tattoo during the procedure. However, the risks of not getting a needed MRI are greater than the risks of tattoo interaction, so don’t avoid an MRI if your doctor says you require one.

Even though the FDA chooses not to exercise its authority to regulate tattoo pigments, this doesn’t mean consumers have to go unprotected. Research the ink you plan to use to make sure it has not been recalled and that the company marketing it doesn’t make suspicious claims like “FDA-approved” or “preservative-free.” Finally, make sure your tattoo artist is licensed in your state, and seek out reviews from former clients.  Here are some resources about tattooing:

Think Before You Ink: Are Tattoos Safe?
Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts
MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

Article by Rose Pastore

 

Women's History Month--Interesting Facts!
Posted by on March 15, 2011 - 1:23pm

March is Women's History Month in the USA--a good time to reflect on the status of women today.   Here are a few facts from the U.S. Census Bureau:

  • U.S. Women outnumber men  157.2 million vs. 153.2 million.   Twice as many women are older than 85 compared to men.
  • The median annual  income for full time working women is $36,278 in 2009, up 1.9% from 2008.  Women now earn 77 cents for every $1 earned by men.
  • The highest ratio of women to men earnings are in Washington DC where women earn 88% of what men make.
  • Number of women over age 25 with bachelor degrees or more education in 2009 is 29.9 million compared to 28.7 million men.  Women outrank men in all educational attainment levels except professional and doctoral degrees.
  • 55% percent of current college students are women.
  • There are 7.8 million women-owned businesses in 2007.  Women owned 29% of all non-farm businesses.
  • 66% of female citizens 18 and over reported voting in the 2008 election.   62% male counterparts voted.
  • More women  (23.9 million) worked in the education, health and social services business than in any other fields.
  • 14% of the armed forces are women as of September 2008.
  • Among married couples, 20.7% of the women earn $5000 more than their husbands.
  • 5 million women are stay-at-home mothers (where spouse is in the labor force);   154,000 men are stay-at-home dads.

National Women's History Month dates back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions.    It was expanded to Women's History Week in 1981, and then expanded to a month in 1987.  The trigger issue in 1857 was poor working conditions, what do you think the key issues are for women today?

 

March is Colorectal Cancer Month
Posted by on March 14, 2011 - 8:29am

Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. If everyone aged 50 years old or older were screened regularly, as many as 60% of deaths from this cancer could be avoided.   Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer—cancer of the colon or rectum—is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Colorectal cancer also is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States.

The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with advancing age. More than 90% of cases occur in people aged 50 or older.

However, many people who are at risk for the disease are not being screened according to national guidelines.   It is estimated that as many as 60% of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if all men and women aged 50 years or older were screened routinely. In most cases, colorectal cancer develops from precancerous polyps (abnormal growths) in the colon or rectum. Screening tests can find precancerous polyps, so that they can be removed before they turn into cancer. Screening tests also can find colorectal cancer early, when treatment works best.

Some studies show that increased physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight may decrease the risk for colorectal cancer. Evidence is less clear about other ways to prevent colorectal cancer.

Currently, there is no consensus on the role of diet in preventing colorectal cancer, but medical experts recommend a diet low in animal fats and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products to reduce the risk of other chronic diseases, such as coronary artery disease and diabetes.  In addition, researchers are examining the role of certain medications and supplements, including aspirin, calcium, vitamin D, and selenium, in preventing colorectal cancer. While these supplements may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, the most effective way to reduce your risk is by having regular colorectal cancer screening tests beginning at age 50.

You should begin screening for colorectal cancer soon after turning 50, then continue getting screened at regular intervals. However, you may need to be tested earlier or more often than other people if 1) you or a close relative have had colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer; or 2) You have inflammatory bowel disease.
If you are aged 50 or older, or think you may be at increased risk for colorectal cancer, speak with your doctor about getting screened..
Several tests are available to screen for colorectal cancer. Some are used alone; others are used in combination with each other. Talk with your doctor about which test or tests are best for you. These screening tests are recommended by the USPSTF:

  • Colonoscopy (every 10 years).
  • High-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (FOBT) (every year).
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy (every 5 years).

In addition to these tests, some groups also recommend the double contrast barium enema as a screening test (every 5 years). Other tests are being evaluated and may be recommended by the USPSTF for use in colorectal cancer screening in the future, including CT colonography (also known as “virtual colonoscopy”) and stool DNA testing.

 

Benlysta Approved for Lupus
Posted by on March 13, 2011 - 1:02pm

First new lupus drug approved in 56 years.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  approved Benlysta (belimumab) to treat patients with active, systemic lupus erythematosus who are receiving standard therapy, including corticosteroids, antimalarials, immunosuppressives, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Prior to Benlysta, FDA last approved drugs to treat lupus, Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) and corticosteroids, in 1955. Aspirin was approved to treat lupus in 1948.

Lupus is a serious, potentially fatal, autoimmune disease that attacks healthy tissues. It disproportionately affects women, and usually develops between ages 15 and 44. The disease affects many parts of the body including the joints, the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, and the brain. When common lupus symptoms appear (flare) they can present as swelling in the joints or joint pain, light sensitivity, fever, chest pain, hair loss, and fatigue.

Estimates vary on the number of lupus sufferers in the United States ranging from approximately 300,000 to 1.5 million people. People of all races can have the disease; however, African American women have a 3 times higher incidence (number of new cases) than Caucasian women.

Patients treated with Benlysta and standard therapies experienced less disease activity than those who received a placebo and standard of care medicines. Results suggested, but did not definitively establish, that some patients had a reduced likelihood of severe flares, and some reduced their steroid doses.

African American patients and patients of African heritage participating in the two studies did not appear to respond to treatment with Benlysta. The studies lacked sufficient numbers to establish a definite conclusion. To address this concern, the sponsor has agreed to conduct an additional study of people with those backgrounds to further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Benlysta for this subgroup of lupus patients.

Those receiving Benlysta during clinical studies reported more deaths and serious infections compared with placebo. The drug should not be administered with live vaccines. The manufacturer is required to provide a Medication Guide to inform patients of the risks associated with Benlysta.

The most common side effects in the studies included nausea, diarrhea, and fever (pyrexia). Patients also commonly experienced infusion reactions, so pre-treatment with an antihistamine should be considered.

NIH: Lupus Fact Sheet

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