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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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Friday, February 27, 2009
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Calcium and Colon Cancer
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The AFP has reported that consumption of calcium may decrease chances of developing colon cancer or tumors in the digestive system. Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, so early detection is key to survival. If you couple prevention virtual colonoscopy screening with at-home prevention methods like consuming daily doses of calcium, your chances of developing colon cancer are significantly decreased.
The AFP said, "In both men and women, dairy food and calcium intakes were inversely associated with cancers of the digestive system,' the authors of the study in the Archives of Internal Medicine wrote, 'Women who consumed the most calcium, some 1,881 milligrammes a day, cut their cancer risk by 23 percent over those who had the lowest calcium intake of around 494 milligrammes a day."
The study was shown to be consistent amongst men and women. It has long been known that women should continuously and regularly take calcium for their bone density, so by taking calcium daily both colon cancer and osteoporosis may be prevented.
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Monday, January 19, 2009
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The Many Benefits of Colonoscopy
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Virtual colonoscopies have recently been considered the wise avenue to take for colon cancer screening. However a recent case in Tampa, Florida may show that these virtual scans that aid in detecting colon cancer early, may also help doctors find osteopersosis in patients.
ABC News interviewed Dr. Lori Slezak a physician who researches and uses virtual colonoscopies. Dr. Slezak said to ABC, "As CT colonography becomes more popular, those patients can certainly request, if they are 50 or older, to have those images reformatted and their risk assessed for osteoporosis. If their bone density looks to be low, their primary care physician would follow that test up with DEXA scan to determine your actual risk of osteoporosis and recommend a type of treatment."
With these added benefits of virtual colonoscopy, there is likely to be an increase of patients opting for the non-invasive route as opposed to traditional methods of colon cancer screening.
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Thursday, November 20, 2008
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Anorexics and Bone Density Problems
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Adolescent girls suffering from anorexia are in serious risk of developing bone density issues. Physicians are urging parents and these young girls to get bone density scans to prevent and diagnose bone abnormalities. The ever increasing number of anorexia has led many to believe they will develop health issues earlier on in life, but this new study shows that health problems like osteoporosis can develop in the teen years.
Gynecologist Dr. Michelle Warren says, "This CT methodology is new and gives better knowledge about what is going on in the bones, because it gives information about their architecture. It shows that we really should pay more attention not only to the absolute value of the bones, but also to how much weight an individual has lost."
Early detection of bone density problems can help physicians impede the strength of osteoporosis. The CT scans take images of thin slices of the bone to better see abnormalities, structure and density of the bone. Similarly by getting scanned regularly the doctors can track changes yearly in the bone density of these young girls.
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Wednesday, August 06, 2008
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Bone Density Scans Can Be Done Every Five Years
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Many people know that they should get a bone density scan once they reach a certain age (usually 65) to gain an understanding of their risks for osteoporosis and bone fractures. Just how often the bone density scan needs to be done is up for debate. One new study says that it is a good idea to do the bone density scan every five years unless there are signs indicating a high level of risk which could cause the need for shorter intervals between screening.
It should be noted that the decline in bone density begins much earlier than age 65 (usually around age 40 for women and even earlier than that for men). However there is a second stage of rapid loss in bone density around the age of 65 at which time it is recommended that regularly screening for problems with osteoporosis should begin.
Although this study indicates that the screening should take place every five years, it should further be noted that even a single bone density scan can provide you with a wealth of information about the risks that you are facing in terms of bone fractures as you age. This information can be very useful in guiding your intake of vitamins and should be considered a crucial part of your overall health plan in your later years.
Question of the Day: How often should the average person get a bone density scan done and at what age should those scans begin?
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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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Ultrasound May Offer Simple Osteoporosis Screening
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People who are interetsed in checking out their risk of osteoporosis are typically going to get a bone density scan. This is an important screening test whch can provide information to the patient about signs of osteoporosis in order to prevent some of the problems that this illness causes as people aeg. However, it may be possible to use simpler screening to determine this same information.
A new study showed that a radiation-free ultrasound may be useful for detecting signs of osteoporosis in aging women. The information obtained from this testing can be combined with other information about the patient in order to better assess whether bone density screening is actually necessary. This could help to reduce unnecessary screening while improving the screening for those patients who are at risk of problems with osteoporosis.
Learn more about this study here.
Question of the Day: Is ultrasound screening a good choice for people who may be at risk of osteoporosis but who aren't ready for a bone density scan?
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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Global Study of Osteoporosis in Women Reveals Interesting Information
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One of the most important screening exams that an individual can get done is the bone density scan. This scan helps identify early signs of osteoporosis, a problem which plagues a large number of aging adults. Osteoporosis, left untreated, leads to brittle and broken bones which can ultimately lead to other serious (even fatal) health problems. As a result, it is highly important to detect the problem at its onset in order to make lifestyle changes that will limit the impact of the issue.
A global study recently took a look at the way that osteoporosis is identified, prevented and treated in women around the world. The study revealed interesting information which suggests that women in all parts of the world should be encouraged to be more proactive in treating the problem through prevention by screening.
The study showed that twenty-five percent of women, on average, have experienced a bone fracture after the age of forty-five. Very few of the women studied were taking medications to prevent the problem of osteoporosis. The number of treated women was much lower for European women than for women in North America. This suggests that European women in particular should be getting an early diagnosis.
Question of the Day: What should be done to make sure that women around the world are getting bone density scans for osteoporosis?
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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
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Correlation Between Coronary Artery Disease and Osteoporosis
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Those people who have reason to get a coronary angiography (or CT angiography) should also think about getting a bone density scan. Likewise, those people who shows signs of osteoporosis may want to ask their doctors about getting a CT Angiography to check for coronary artery disease. That's because a new study reveals that there appears to be a correlation between the existence of obstructive coronary artery disease and the existence of signs of osteoporosis.
It is unclear to researchers why there would be a correlation between these two diseases. They have reviewed the use of common medications, such as hormone replacement therapy, and have not found that to be a factor in this correlation. Additional studies will need to be completed before doctors are able to determine what the link is here. However, it's something to be aware of as a patient (or as a medical practitioner) in order to be able to get the screening you need to keep yourself safe from both types of disease.
Learn more here.
Question of the Day: Would you be more inclined to get a bone density scan first or a CT Angiography first?
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Monday, May 05, 2008
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Osteoporosis Genes Help With Screening
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One of the most common preventive imaging scans that is done is the bone density scan, a procedure which allows people to check for early warnings signs of osteoporosis in order to prevent this disease of aging that plagues such a great percentage of the population. Those scans may now be assisted by additional potential screening made possible by the identification of two different genes related to osteoporosis.
Two different proteins have been identified in the body that are likely to indicate risk of osteoporosis if they are both present in the body at the same time. This was the case for twenty percent of the population studied by researchers who were reviewing the genes related to osteoporosis.
The authors say: "These alleles can be measured with near-perfect precision and without bias years before the age at which fractures tend to occur - which could provide ample lead-time for preventive measures. Eventually, a panel of genetic markers could be used in addition to environmental risk factors to identify individuals who are most at risk for osteoporotic fractures." (source)
This would not be a replacement for the bone density scan but instead would be a supplemental tool used for better preventive health as people begin to age into the years during which osteoporosis becomes a serious issue.
Question of the Day: What do you see as the best methods of preventing osteoporosis?
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
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Men Taking Diuretics Should Consider Bone Scan
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One of the major health problems that continues to plague aging adults today is the issue of bone loss and osteoporosis. This is not only a physically painful part of aging but one that impacts the overall quality of the individual's life because of the precautions that must be taken to prevent risks to the body. As a result, many aging adults use bone density scans to keep themselves aware of their risk level and able to combat the problem.
A new study reveals that this precaution may be even more important for a certain population of aging men. The study showed that men who are taking loop diuretics are more susceptible to bone loss. These diuretics are a commonly prescribed medication for aging men who have hypertension or are at risk for heart failure. As a result, it is important that these men and their doctors work together to monitor bone loss using the imaging processes that are available.
Question of the Day: Is it the doctor's or patient's responsibility to make sure that bone scans are completed for patients on loop diuretics?
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