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Sunday, July 12, 2009
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Five Tests for Male Health
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Heart disease is the number one killer for men, followed by cancer, diabetes, and respiratory conditions. In order to keep men healthy and alive longer, certain tests can help determine what lifestyle changes might need to be made. The Philadelphia inquirer helped outline five key tests.
1. The first is a CT angiography test for heart health. This test helps determine your coronary artery calcium score and shows if you have plaque buildup in your arteries.
2. A bone density scan is needed to help asses the risk of osteoporosis.
3. A VO2 Max test is an endurance test that measures your maximum oxygen consumption as a test of cardiovascular capacity. This test is not covered by most insurance, but can help determine heart and body health.
4. A colonoscopy is important for any man over 50 in order to detect colon cancer. Maintaining your colon health is important, and this test is covered by most insurance providers.
5. Lastly, a nutritional evaluation is important to asses how your diet may be affecting your health and what changes need to be made.
These five tests help men become aware of their current health status. Detecting health issues early is very important, especially as men grow older. Men are encouraged to utilize all these tests to help live healthier and longer lives.
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Sunday, July 12, 2009
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Apple a Day Keeps Heart Disease Away
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French researches have found a link between the antioxidant chemicals in fruit juices and lowered risk of atherosclerosis. The hamsters in the test were given high fat and cholesterol diets to promote the buildup of fatty plaque deposits on arteries and atherosclerosis. Hamsters which were also given a fruit juice diet were found to have a lowered rate of atherosclerosis in the study.
According to Pak Waton, a Pakistan news source, "the findings suggest that the amount of phenols contained in a food have a direct effect on its antioxidant properties. Other antioxidant compounds in the fruits, such as vitamin C and carotenoids, could also contribute to their effects."
Changing your diet can definitely help those who may be at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Drinking fruit juice is an easy way to boost the antioxidants in your body and maintain the health of your heart and body.
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009
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What your CT Scan May Miss
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A study conducted in Iowa showed that in 60% of cases, new abdominal aortic dilations were not reported by physicians. Medpage Today reported that radiologists were shown to infrequently report aortic abnormalities to clinical teams. These new aortic dilations were later recorded after a follow up period of three years or more.
But don't worry! None of the patients in the study were fatally harmed. Researches stated "However, it is somewhat reassuring that we found no evidence of patient harm as a result of the delays that were identified."
The study helps shed light on inconsistencies in the field of radiology. Iowa physicians hope that their own self analysis will help others take more care in reporting even the slightest dilation in patients.
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009
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MRA Scan Saves Man's Sanity
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A man living in Bethesda, Maryland, was recently cured of an ongoing noise
ringing in his head after an MRA (magnetic resonance angiogram) scan showed
a dissection in his left carotid artery. The Washington Post reports that
doctors for six months misdiagnosed the man as having tinnitus, a condition
where you hear a ringing or pulsing sound in your head. He was told the
condition would clear in time, but was distraught when the continued ring in
his head did not cease.
After six months of constant ringing, the man was referred to a doctor who
performed a MRA Scan on his brain. The scan showed the large artery
bringing blood to the brain was torn, causing the man to be of high risk for
stroke.
Luckily, the MRA Scan helped located the problem in the blood vessels and a
cerebral angioplasty was performed to repair the damage. Without the scan,
the doctor would not have been able to locate the problem and help this man
save his sanity and his life.
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Monday, July 06, 2009
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Lung Cancer Misdiagnosed as Asthma
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In an article by the Press Association, a 17 year old girl was misdiagnosed with asthma after having difficulty breathing and a persistent cough. When symptoms did not disappear, her father sent her for a lung scan. The lung scan showed a large cancerous tumor in her left lung that occupied the majority of her lung cavity.
After rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, and removal of her lung, Miss Hicks is now cancer free. A CT Scan of her chest found the tumor and ultimately saved her life. Early detection of lung cancer is vital for treatment. Although this type of misdiagnosis is rare, patients should be aware of their own bodies and take every precaution to safeguard their personal health.
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Sunday, July 05, 2009
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FDA Approves New Drug
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A new drug has just been approved by the FDA to treat atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disease that affects approximately 2.5 million people nationwide. This new drug, Multaq, helps maintain and restore normal heart rhythm to patients.
According to the New York Times, "the drug will give doctors the first new medicine in years to treat people with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. The F.D.A had previously rejected Multaq for more severe heart problems, citing an increased risk of death."
The box will carry a warning label to stop those patients who suffer from serious heart conditions from using the drug as a remedy. But for the million of people who suffer from atrial fibrillation, new advancements in science and technology is welcomed and may help save lives.
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Thursday, July 02, 2009
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Colon Cancer Rates Rising
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Colorectal cancer rates have risen in a younger demographic than ever before. There has been a 17% increase in colon cancer cases in adults aged 50 or younger in the past decade. This increase comes as a shock, since colon cancer numbers as a whole have decreased.
According to the LA Times, "most people under 50 are not screened for colorectal cancers -- only those with certain risk factors, such as family history, chronic inflammatory bowel disease or a predisposing genetic condition. Lack of routine screening gives benign polyps time to turn cancerous and early cancers time to turn invasive."
Although the majority of cases of colon cancer still occur in the population older than 50, this new study raises questions to the lifestyles of Americans. The increase in colorectal cancer has been attributed to factors such as changes in diet and decrease in physical activity. The younger generation must be motivated to live a healthier life and to have routine health scans to prevent such rates from rising any further.
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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Immediate Angioplasty Post Heart Attack
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New studies show that performing an angioplasty directly after a person
suffers from a heart attack is the best way to increase survival rates.
Generally after a heart attack most patients are given medications that
increase blood flow and ward off blood clots, then later they have
angioplasty performed. This study aims to eliminate the medication phase and
go straight into angioplasty because evidence claims to show that survival
is higher when doing so.
Forbes said, "After six months, 11 percent of those who had quick
angioplasty had a major adverse cardiac event or died, compared to 17.2
percent of those assigned to standard treatment."
These trials are still in their early stages and require further research
and testing, which is why such tactics have yet to emerge as mainstream
methods post-heart attack.
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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Possible New Cancer Treatment Test
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The New York Times reported today of a possible new cancer attacking
treatment which has come from researchers in Australia. The test has proven
to be promising and effective when tested on animals. Doctors not only in
Australia, but in the US are thrilled at the prospect because later down the
line such treatments could mean patients wouldn't have to undergo
painstaking chemotherapy treatments.
The New York Times article said, "The EnGeneIC researchers said they had
conducted successful safety tests in a large number of monkeys and will
start safety trials in patients with all kinds of solid tumors in three
Melbourne hospitals next month. They said they had discussed licensing their
technology with large pharmaceutical companies and others."
However many doctors are still wary of promoting such treatments too soon as
many in the past have been ineffective on humans after positive trials on
animals. Still the best way to prevent cancers is to have proper
preventative screening methods which promote early detection, especially for
treatable (if caught early enough) cancers like colon cancer.
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Friday, June 26, 2009
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Peanut Butter and Heart Disease
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Who would have thought the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches you ate as a child in elementary school could actually help ward off heart disease. Researchers say that eating peanuts and having peanut butter at least five days a week nearly halves the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. However, the researchers also said that people should be aware peanuts and nuts in general are high in calories. Which is why it is essential to limit the servings of peanuts per day.
The Daily Mail said of the study, "The nuts are thought to lower bad cholesterol, help reduce inflammation in the body and boost the health of blood vessels around the heart. In a report on their findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, they said the risk was reduced by up to 44 per cent."
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