Weight Debate

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells.

Although stroke is a disease of the brain, it can affect the entire body.
The signs and symptoms of a stroke include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body, or complete paralysis on one side of the body, called hemiplegia.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Problems with movement – sudden trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden confusion, or trouble talking, or understanding speech, or loss of speech.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
• Loss of memory or problems with thinking, awareness, attention, learning, and judgment.
• Loss of consciousness

Women may have unique symptoms:

• Sudden face and arm or leg pain.
• Sudden hiccups.
• Sudden nausea – feeling sick to your stomach.
• Sudden tiredness.
• Sudden chest pain.
• Sudden shortness of breath – feeling like you can not get enough air.
• Sudden pounding or racing heartbeat.

A mild stroke can cause little or no brain damage, and a major stroke can cause severe brain damage and even death. If you think someone is having a stroke or mini stroke, call 911 immediately. It is importance to get to a hospital quickly to get time-sensitive treatments. Immediate treatment may save someone’s life and enhance his or her chances for successful rehabilitation and recovery.

Five lifesaving numbers you should know about yourself!!

1. Blood Pressure Levels
Know your blood pressure numbers!!
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a serious health condition that many people don’t know they have. High blood pressure can lead to serious health conditions including coronary heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.

• Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower.
• Pre-hypertension is between 120 – 139 for the top number, or between 80 – 89 for the bottom number.
• High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.

2. Waist size
Know your waist measurement number!!
Your waist measurement does not determine if you are overweight, but it does indicate if you have excess fat in your abdomen. This is important because extra fat around your waist may increase health risks even more than fat anywhere else on your body. Belly fat sends a toxic stream of chemicals into your whole body. Measure your waist above your hipbone and below your ribcage where your natural waistline is, not where your belt is. Have good posture and suck in your stomach since the fat you are measuring is deep inside your belly.

• Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches, and men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches, may have an increased risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and more.
• Ideal waist size for women – 32 and 1/2 inches.
• Ideal waist size for men – 35 inches.

3. Weight
Know how much you weigh!!
Obesity (excess body fat) can cause many health problems including a higher risk for premature death, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, gout, high blood pressure (hypertension), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), problems with cholesterol and triglycerides, gallbladder disease, and certain kinds of cancers. Using the body mass index calculator for adults, 20 years old and older, is one way to tell whether you are at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese.

4. Cholesterol
Know your cholesterol numbers!!
High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Desirable Cholesterol Levels

• HDL (good cholesterol) 40 mg/dL or higher
• Total cholesterol Less than 200 mg/dL
• LDL (bad cholesterol) Less than 100 mg/dL (Optimal level)
• Triglycerides Less than 150 mg/dL

5. Fasting Blood Sugar
Get your blood tested after you have fasted for 8 hours. This will show if you are at risk for diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease that can lead to cardiac disease, kidney failure, blindness, an impaired immune system, and nerve problems.

• Your blood sugar level needs to be below 100.

Being overweight or obese puts you at risk for many health problems, including high blood pressure.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps out blood. Your blood pressure rises and falls during the day, but if your blood pressure stays high (or elevated) over time, it is called high blood pressure, or hypertension.

High blood pressure is a VERY serious condition!! High blood pressure is known as the silent killer because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms, so you can have it for years without knowing you do.

People of any race, age, or gender can develop high blood pressure.

High blood pressure can lead to serious health conditions including:

• Atherosclerosis, also called hardening of the arteries
• Coronary heart disease – also called coronary artery disease
• Congestive heart failure
• Stroke
• Kidney failure
• Blindness

You can prevent and control high blood pressure by following a healthy lifestyle:

• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can raise your blood pressure and losing weight can help you lower your blood pressure. You can use the body mass index (BMI) calculator to find out whether you are at a healthy weight.
• Be physically active. The Surgeon General recommends that adults should engage in moderate physical activities for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
• Follow a healthy eating plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy foods, and eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. People who eat a healthy diet can lower their blood pressure.
• Choose and prepare foods with less salt and sodium.
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, drink in moderation – no more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men.
• If you smoke, quit.
• If you already have high blood pressure, you can control it by following the healthy lifestyle mentioned above, seeing your doctor regularly, and following the treatment plan that your doctor prescribes. For some people, medication is needed.

Remember to get your blood pressure checked regularly!!

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps out blood.

Your blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but if your blood pressure stays high (or elevated) for too long, it can cause health problems like high blood pressure, also called hypertension. High blood pressure can damage your body in many ways.

Blood pressure also tends to rise as people age, but following a healthy lifestyle can help some people delay or prevent this rise in blood pressure.

It is important to get your blood pressure checked regularly. Knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when you are feeling good because high blood pressure often has no symptoms. Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, written one above or before the other, with the systolic number on top and the diastolic number on the bottom:

• Systolic pressure – highest when your heart beats while pumpimp out blood into your arteries.
• Diastolic pressure – when the heart rests between beats.

Example, a blood pressure measurement that reads 120 systolic and 80 diastolic would be expressed verbally as 120 over 80 or written out as 120/80 mmHg. mmHg is an abbreviation of millimeters of mercury.

Blood Pressure Levels in Adults

• Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower.
• Pre-hypertension is between 120 – 139 for the top number, or between 80 – 89 for the bottom number.
• High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells. A stroke is sometimes called a brain attack.

People of any age can have a stroke… infants, children, young adults, and even fetuses in the womb, but the risk of stroke is more common in older people.

There are over 780,000 strokes every year in the United States. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the country and causes more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease. Nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65 and the risk of having a stroke more than doubles for every 10 years after the age of 55. Recurrent stroke is frequent – about 25 percent of people who recover from their first stroke will have another stroke within 5 years.

Stroke also seems to run in some families, and the risk of stroke doubles for women if their dad, mom, brother, or sister has had a stroke. Compared to white women, African American women have more strokes and have a higher risk of disability and death from stroke, partly because more African American women have high blood pressure which is a major risk factor of stroke.

Women who have high blood pressure, have heart disease, who smoke, have diabetes, or have atrial fibrillation – a kind of irregular heart beat – are more likely to have a stroke. Hormonal changes in women during pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause are also linked to an increased risk of stroke.

There are two types of stroke:

• Ischemic stroke is the most common type. Ischemic stroke happens when blood is blocked from getting to the brain. This often happens because the artery is clogged with fatty deposits (atherosclerosis) or a blood clot.
• Hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel in a persons brain bursts, and blood bleeds into or around their brain. This type of stroke can be caused by an aneurysm. An aneurysm is a thin or weak spot in an artery that balloons out and can burst.

Both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke can cause brain cells to die. Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood or there is sudden bleeding into or around the brain. Learn about the Signs and Symptoms of Stroke and Stroke Prevention.

Mini Stroke
A mini stroke, also called a transient ischemic attack or (TIA), happens when, for a short time, less blood than normal gets to the brain. A person may have some signs of stroke or may not notice any signs. A mini stroke lasts from a few minutes up to a day. Many people do not even know they have had a stroke. A mini stroke can be a sign of a full stroke to come.

A mild stroke can cause little or no brain damage, and a major stroke can cause severe brain damage and even death. Stroke is a medical emergency. If you think someone is having a stroke or mini stroke, call 911 immediately. Getting treatment within 60 minutes can prevent disability. It is importance to get to a hospital quickly to get time-sensitive treatments. Immediate treatment may save someone’s life and enhance his or her chances for successful rehabilitation and recovery.

It’s time to get the 2010 – 2011 flu shot!! The flu vaccine is for everyone 6 months of age and older.

Because influenza – the flu – can be unpredictable, it is likely that the 2009 regular seasonal viruses and the H1N1 viruses will cause illness in the United States this flu season. To protect yourself and your family, you should get a flu vaccine as soon as the vaccine becomes available this fall.

It’s not too late to get vaccinated after Thanksgiving or even in December or later. Influenza is unpredictable and seasons can vary. Seasonal influenza disease usually peaks in January or February most years, but disease can occur as late as May.

And remember… it takes two weeks for your body to gain protection from the flu virus after getting vaccinated, so you could become ill with the flu before protection from the vaccine takes effect.

The 2010 – 2011 flu vaccine is already available at some pharmacies and medical clinics. I just got my flu shot at the Safeway pharmacy on Tuesday (3 days ago). It cost 30 dollars without medical insurance.

The 2010 – 2011 flu vaccine will protect you against three different flu viruses:

• H3N2 virus
• Influenza B virus
• H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The respiratory system is a group of organs and tissues that help you breathe. The main parts of the respiratory system are the airways, the lungs and linked blood vessels, and the muscles that enable breathing.

The flu can cause mild to severe illness in people, and sometimes the flu can even cause death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.

The best way you can prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year. Don’t delay, get your flu vaccine today!!

The human body is amazing!! One example is the more that you use your muscles, the stronger your muscles become. Heavy use does not wear muscles out – instead they grow bigger and stronger. Somehow, muscle cells “sense” how they are being used and then remodel themselves to better fit the task. But… unused muscles do not remain preserved – neglect causes them to waste away, or atrophy.

Muscle Atrophy
Muscle atrophy, or muscle wasting, is a weakening, shrinking, and loss of muscle caused by disease or lack of use. Muscle wasting decreases strength and the ability to move. In most people, muscle atrophy is caused by decreased activity. This type of atrophy can be reversed with exercise and better nutrition.

Some Causes of Muscle Atrophy (incomplete list)

• Disuse of your muscles from a lack of physical exercise – not using your muscles enough.
• Aging – some muscle atrophy occurs normally with aging. Most people lose 20 to 40 percent of their muscle tissue as they get older. Strength exercise can at least partly restore muscle and strength.
• People with sedentary jobs.
• People with medical conditions that limit their movement.
• Bedridden people can have significant muscle wasting.
• The most severe type of muscle atrophy is neurogenic atrophy. It occurs when there is an injury to, or disease of, a nerve that connects to the muscle. This type of muscle atrophy tends to occur more suddenly than disuse atrophy.

Did you know that astronauts in space exercise furiously to keep fit, but even so, their muscles tend to weaken. Normally, your muscles do a lot of work that they are hardly aware of, such as lifting your body and maintaining your posture against gravity. In space, that constant muscular work is removed, and there is a danger of atrophy.

If you are able, make sure you get enough physical activity every day. You should build strong, healthy muscles. Muscle strengthening activities (resistance exercises where your muscles work or hold against an applied force or weight) can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength. Slowly increasing the amount of weight and number of repetitions you do will give you even more benefits, no matter what your age is.

Some examples of strength training activities include: (incomplete list)

• Jumping rope (strengthens your back, glutes, shoulders, abs, chest and arms, also a great cardio workout too)
• Push-ups
• Pull-ups
• Biceps curls
• Sit-ups
• Carrying full laundry baskets
• Rowing a boat
• Strength training in aerobics class

Both strength training and cardio activity are important. Strength training helps develop and maintain healthy bones, and develop and tone muscles.

If you already have muscle atrophy, an exercise program is recommended, under the direction of a doctor or therapistis. This may include exercises in water to reduce the muscle workload, and other types of rehabilitation. People who cannot actively move one or more joints can do exercises using braces or splints.

Staying active may be the single most important step to making your later years healthy and happy!!

Always be careful… what is easy for one person might be strenuous for you. Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Do you still believe that stress causes ulcers? Well, about 20 years ago, Australian scientists Barry Marshall, MD, and Robin Warren, MD, discovered that stomach ulcers were caused by an infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), and could be cured in about two weeks with antibiotics!!

This discovery was one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of the late 20th century and the researchers were awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

About 90 percent of ulcers are caused by an infection with H. pylori, but misperceptions continue to dominate beliefs about the cause of ulcers. Many people continue to suffer unnecessarily while trying to manage chronic gastric discomfort with over-the-counter antacids, believing the cause to be stress or spicy food.

The photograph on the right is stomach tissue infected with H. pylori as seen through a microscope. In the micrograph, silver stained H. pylori bacteria appear as tiny black dots and lines.

Ulcers are not caused by stress, spicy foods, or a rich diet, but… stress and some foods might irritate an ulcer that is already there.

H. pylori is a spiral-shaped (like a corkscrew) bacterium that is able to grow in the human stomach. Usually, the acidic stomach environment prevents the survival of viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms, but H. pylori has evolved to be uniquely suited to thrive in the harsh stomach environment. H. pylori bacteria secrete urease, a special enzyme that converts urea to ammonia. Ammonia reduces the acidity of the stomach, making it a more hospitable home for H. pylori.

The bacterium causes peptic ulcers by damaging the mucous coating that protects the stomach and duodenum (the beginning of the small intestine). Damage to the mucous coating allows powerful stomach acid to get through to the sensitive lining beneath. Together, the stomach acid and H. pylori irritate the lining of the stomach or duodenum and cause an ulcer.

People of any age can get an ulcer. The most common ulcer symptom is a burning pain in the stomach.

If you have persistent stomach distress, skip the antacid and see your doctor instead. Your doctor can administer tests to properly diagnose and treat the symptoms and cause. Eliminating H. pylori infections with antibiotics means that your ulcer can be cured for good.

Your liver has two parts, a right lobe and a smaller left lobe.

Your liver weighs about 3 pounds in the average size person, is about the size of a football, and produces more heat than any other organ in your body.

Your liver helps fight infections, cleans your blood, helps digest food and stores energy for when you need it.

You cannot live without your liver!! If your liver fails, your doctor may put you on a waiting list for a liver transplant.

Fatty liver disease, also known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), occurs when fat builds up in the liver cells and causes injury and inflammation in the liver. Fatty liver disease is like alcoholic liver damage, but it is not caused by alcohol and can occur in people who drink little or no alcohol.

Fatty liver disease can sometimes lead to severe liver damage, cirrhosis (a build up of scar tissue that blocks proper blood flow in the liver), or even liver failure.

Being Overweight
People who have diabetes or pre-diabetes (when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet in the diabetic range) are more likely to have fatty liver disease than people without these conditions. People who are overweight are more likely to develop diabetes. It is not known why some people who are overweight or diabetic get fatty liver disease and others do not.

Weight Loss
Losing weight and being physically active can help you control your blood sugar levels. It can also reduce the build up of fat in your liver and prevent further injury.

People with fatty liver disease should avoid drinking alcohol.

Some Signs of Liver Problems

• Feeling tired or weak.
• Losing your appetite.
• Feeling sick to your stomach.
• Losing weight.
• Bruising or bleeding easily, such as nosebleeds.
• Bloating due to fluid buildup in the abdomen, called ascites.
• Declining mental functions.
• Skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow, a condition called jaundice, and may cause swelling in the legs and the abdomen.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in the body’s deep veins, usually in the lower leg or thigh. Part of a clot may break off and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE). An embolism can get stuck in the brain, lungs, heart, or other area, leading to severe damage, and, possibly death.

Estimates suggest that 350,000 to 600,000 Americans have a DVT or PE each year, and that at least 100,000 people die as a result. Many of those who have a DVT or PE also have complications that can greatly impact their quality of life.

DVT can occur at any age, that includes healthy people, young and old.

In most cases, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism develops in a person who has an inherited blood clotting disorder or other risk factor, and who experiences a triggering event. The risk increases for someone who has more than one risk factor at the same time.

Factors that increase risk are:

• Certain inherited blood disorders or factors that make your blood thicker or more likely to clot as well as a family history or previous deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.
• Overweight and obesity.
• Cancer and its treatment.
• Pregnancy and childbirth.
• In women, use of hormones for birth control or menopause.
• Smoking.
• People aged 50 or older are more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis.
• Ethnicity: African Americans and Whites are more likely than other groups to develop deep vein thrombosis.

Protect Yourself
1. When sitting for long periods of time (example – traveling or studying):

• Get up and walk around every 1 to 2 hours.
• Exercise your legs while you sit:
  • Raise and lower your heels while keeping your toes on the floor.
  • Raise and lower your toes while keeping your heels on the floor.
  • Tightening and releasing your leg muscles.
• Drink plenty of water, and avoid drinking anything with alcohol or caffeine in it.

2. Move around as soon as possible after having been confined to bed, such as after surgery, illness, or injury.

3. If you are at increased risk, talk to your doctor about wearing graduated compression stockings (support hose), and about medication (anticoagulants) to prevent or treat DVT.

4. Exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and don’t smoke.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is also called:
Blood clot in the legs.
Venous thrombosis.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) – this term is used for both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.