John Fodor’s Health Corner

Hi Folkes

I just finished updating my Website and completed my free online Health Newsletter. The updated website is still https://www.johntfodor.com

The website has a subscription form for the newsletter. Check it out. I think you will find it interesting. it contains the following features:

News From Santa Barbara

Feature Health Articles

What’s New On The Health Scene

Health Facts and Fallacies

Links to Numerous Health Organizations and Agencies

I haven’t been able to write any blog postings during the past several weeks as my time has been pretty much taken up with the development of my professional website.

Features of the site include:

• Detailed information on The Seven Health Essentials for Maintaining Your Health and Vitality
• An extensive list of national health resources, with contact information
• Access to a free monthly health information newsletter (To be published in March)
• Links to numerous reliable national and international health agencies and organizations
• Information about my book Maintaining Your Health And Vitality: A Health Guide For Seniors And Their Families (http://www.booklocker.com/books/3048.html)

It is important to note that information on the website is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for consultation with a health care provider. The site does not give personal medical and health advice. It does, however, contain vital health information that can help you to maintain your health and vitality.

While the site is now available for viewing, some sections are still being developed. You can log on to the site at <https://www.johntfodor.com>. Check it out and let me know what you think. Comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. You can comment below or you can respond to my web mail at healthguidlines@johntfodor.com

During the past 50 years we have benefited greatly from new and improved medicines. Medicines that are now available have helped to prevent or control a number of illnesses and health conditions and have allowed people to live longer and to have more active and productive lives.

That’s the good news! But if not taken correctly, medicines can be a danger to your health. This is becoming an increasing problem as up to half of the people in the United States who are taking medicines do not take them correctly or as prescribed. Other things you should know about taking medicines include the following:

Medicines may cause side effects or allergic reactions, and may be affected by interactions with foods, drinks, or other drugs.

Combining alcoholic drinks with medicines can cause serious health problems. The combination of alcohol and medicines could render a person unconscious and could lead to death. It also could make a person drowsy and interfere with one’s reaction time, making it dangerous to drive. In addition, many popular painkillers and cough, cold and allergy remedies contain ingredients that can react negatively to alcohol.

Medicines can interact with other drugs being taken, which could result in serious health consequences. This drug interaction risk may even be greater for older adults as many older people often take a number of medications for different health conditions.

Medicines can react to medical conditions that you may have. For instance, if you have high blood pressure or asthma, these conditions could become worse if you take certain nasal decongestants (Medicines and you: A Guide for older adults, 2005).

Storing medicines improperly can also be a problem. For instance, if you keep your medicines in a poorly sealed container under high humidity the ingredients might break down so that the medicine does not dissolve properly in your body or causes them to lose their potency.

Carrying medicines in your pocket so that they are next to your body can raise the temperature, which can alter the medicines properties.

In summary, here are some of the things you can do to help make the medicines you are taking safer and more effective (Adapted from: FDA’s tips for taking medicines. (2005). U.S. Food and Drug Administration):

• Keep a record of all your current medicines, including their names and regimens (dose, time, and other instructions for taking)
• Write down any problems you have with the medicine so you can discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist
• Read labels carefully before taking doses
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before crushing or splitting tablets; some must be swallowed whole
• Contact the doctor or pharmacist if new or unexpected symptoms or other problems appear
• Even if symptoms disappear, be sure to finish all of a medicine prescribed for you
• Periodically ask your doctor to reevaluate long-term medicine use
• Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine the first time, especially if you are using other medicines
• Be sure to read OTC medicine labels for ingredients, proper uses, directions, warnings, precautions, and expiration dates
• Many medicines contain the same ingredients – be sure that you are not taking the same drug in more than one form
• Throw away outdated medicine
• Store medicine in the original container, where the label identifies it and gives directions
• Do not store medicine in the bathroom. Unless instructed otherwise, keep it away from heat, light and moisture
• Do not store medicine near a dangerous substance that could be taken by mistake
• In addition, if you take several medicines each day and store them in a special container sectioned off by the days in a week, be sure that the container meets proper storage standards so that they remain stable. Check with your pharmacist for proper medicine storage containers
• Never take someone else’s medicine
• Tell your doctor if you are allergic to drugs or foods, have diabetes or kidney or liver disease, follow a special diet or take dietary supplements, and use alcohol or tobacco.

Sources for this posting include:

FDA’s tips for taking medicines. (2005). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/fdac/reprints/medtips.html

Tips on using medicines wisely. (2006). American Society of Consulting Pharmacists. Retrieved from http://www.seniorcarepharmacist.com/tips/

According to a study headed by Dr. Zuo-Feng Zhang, professor of epidemiology in the UCLA School of Public Health,THE ANSWER IS YES.

Findings of the study indicated that tobacco smokers who eat three servings of fruits and vegetables a day and drink green or black tea had a lower risk of developing lung cancer. There are several possible reasons for this:

1. These foods contain certain chemicals called flavanoids, which can block the formation of blood vessels that tumors develop. This prevents tumors from growing and spreading.

2. In addition, according to Dr. Zhang, when flavanoids stop cancer cells from growing, it allows for naturally programmed cell death.

3. Dr. Zhang also indicated that the antioxidant properties found in the flavanoids may also work to counteract the DNA-damaging effects of tobacco smoke.

The findings of the study are extremely important in that tobacco smoking causes more than 80 percent of lung cancers.

Obviously, quitting smoking is the best way to help prevent lung cancer, but if you can’t stop smoking, you may help reduce the threat of lung cancer by eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more green and black tea.

The findings of study may also be good news for non smokers. If smokers can benefit from eating foods that contain flavanoids, then, inasmuch as there are other causes of lung cancer, it follows that non smokers may also help reduce their chances of getting lung cancer by eating flavanoid-rich foods.

Note: The study was reported in the November 2008 issue of UCLA Public Health. It also appeared in the June 2008 issue of Cancer, published by the American Cancer Society.

WILL A LITTLE EXTRA WEIGHT HURT YOU? IT SURE COULD!

If I’m a little overweight, it’s not going to cause any major health problems. Right? That’s a rationalization that a lot of people use About the weight they are gaining. The facts are that being a little overweight can cause some serious health problems. And if you are a little overweight, you probably will continue to keep gaining weight, unless you make a conscious effort to start a sensible program to lose some pounds and control your weight. That doesn’t mean going on a crash diet.

Too, overweight and obesity is a national health problem.The National Institutes of Health indicate that over half of U.S. adults are overweight – having an excess of bodyweight compared to a set of national standards.

Specifically, 54.9 percent of all adults 20 years of age or older, 50.7 percent of women 20 years of age or older and 59.4 percent of men 20 years of age or older are overweight.

More importantly, the number of overweight individuals in the United States continues to rise for all age groups.

Why Is It So important For All Of Us To Maintain A Healthy Weight?

There are many good reasons why you should try to maintain a health weight. According to government health authorities, overweight and obesity are known risk factors for a number of serious illnesses and health problems, including:

• diabetes
• heart disease
• stroke
• hypertension
• gallbladder disease
• osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints
• sleep apnea and other breathing problems
• some forms of cancer (uterine, breast, colorectal, kidney, and gallbladder
• irregular periods

So How Can You Tell If You Are Overweight?

Most people know if they are overweight without even weighing themselves – the clothes start getting tighter, the face gets fuller, and hips, abdomen, and buttocks start to spread out.

But if you are not sure, you can use a simple procedure know as The Body Mass Index (BMI). It gives you a much better general indication of whether or not you are over weight. It measures your weight in relation to your height and will give you a general idea of whether you have a healthy weight, are overweight or are obese. You can check out your own BMI at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.

For more information on the causes of overweight and obesity and what you can do to maintain a healthy weight, check out my book:

Fodor, J.T. (2007). Maintaining Your Health and Vitality: A Health Guide for Seniors and Their Families, Chapter 4, You Don’t Need That Extra Baggage: Preventing Overweight and Obesity. Bangor, Maine: Booklocker.Com.

Unfortunately, there has been another hiatus in my postings. The first one was in January and February of this year because of a ruptured quadriceps tendon I suffered in a fall (see “Watch Your Step or Pay Attention To The Task At Hand,” posted on January 29).

This time the hiatus in postings was because of a much more serious condition, that is, my wife has been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (a type of bone cancer). Therapy has been tough – radiation and chemo, which seems to being doing the trick but also has resulted in a number of side effects, that at times have been debilitating.

Taking care of Mary plus picking up on the household and yard chores along with going to numerous lab tests, CAT Scans, MRIs and doctor appointments has taken up most of the time every day for the past couple of months.

The radiation therapy has been completed and if all goes well the chemo therapy will be completed by the end of the month, at which time I should be able to pick up again on my postings.

The good news is that the therapy has been successful and the cancer cells have pretty much been eliminated and all blood counts are now normal. When the chemo is completed, we are hoping that the debilitating side effects will also end.

Hope to be posting again by the end of the month.

John Fodor

Eating disorders are not just passing whims or a simple desire to become thin. They are serious disorders that can not only affect your health and vitality, they can be life-threatening. And while eating disorders primarily affect teen-age girls, more and more women as well as boys and men are being affected. According to the National Institutes of Health, eating disorders are among the most frustrating and most difficult-to-treat conditions. Associated with these disorders are depression, substance abuse and anxiety disorders. They can also lead to heart and kidney disorders.

The three main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.

Anorexia Nervosa

Those with anorexia nervosa imagine themselves as being overweight, even though they are extremely thin. They are essentially starving themselves.

Other symptoms of this disorder include:

• a relentless pursuit to be thin
• unwilling to maintain a normal weight
• a distorted body image
• intense fear of gaining weight
• lack of menstruation among girls and women
• repeatedly weighing themselves
• portioning food carefully; eating only small amounts of only certain foods
• excessive exercise
• self-induced vomiting
• misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas

Over a period of time, other symptoms may appear, such as:

• thinning bones
• brittle hair and nails
• dry, yellowish skin
• growth of fine hair over the body
• mild anemia and muscle weakness
• severe constipation
• low blood pressure
• slow pulse and breathing
• feeling cold all the time
• being extremely tired and lethargic

Bulimia Nervosa

People with bulimia nervosa eat unusually large amounts of food. they then compensate by purging (vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics), fasting or exercising excessively.

Other symptoms include:

• frequently eating large amounts of food (binge-eating)
• feeling a lack of control over the eating
• binging and purging in secret
• feelings of shame and disgust
• intensely unhappy with body size and shape despite normal height and weight

Binge Eating Disorder

A person who suffers from binge-eating disorder binge but do not purge. They generally become overweight or obese.

Other symptoms include:

• frequently eating large amounts of food
• unable to control the eating behavior
• feelings of guilt, shame and/or distress about the eating behavior, which can lead to more binge eating

IF A MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY HAS ANY OF THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED ABOVE, MEDICAL HELP SHOULD BE SOUGHT. INDIVIDUALS SIMPLY CAN NOT OVERCOME THESE DISORDERS BY THEMSELVES.

Treatment Options

Current treatment options may include mental health therapy, nutritional counseling and medicines. On-line intervention programs also have shown some promise among some college-aged women who are at high risk of developing an eating disorder. Family-based therapy where parents take an active role in a child’s treatment has also had favorable results. This approach is also being used with adult couples in which one of the partners has anorexia nervosa.

Additional information on eating disorders can be found in the Spring, 2008 issue of the MedlinePlus magazine. You can also find information by doing a search on “Eating Disorders” at the MedlinePlus website (http://medlineplus.gov/). Also check out “Eating Disorders” at the National Institute of Mental Health website (http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/ken98-0047/default.asp).

According to current research, the answer is yes.

A Finnish study, published in the February issue of The American Journal of clinical Nutrition, suggests that eating berries can increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure. See also the WebMd article Berries Good for the Heart, February 15, 2008 – (http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20080215/berries-good-for-heart).

Apparently, berries contain a number of beneficial nutrients, such as vitamin C, fiber and a class of antioxidants called polyphenols, which can benefit your heart.

According to the July 2008 issue of the UCLA Division of Geriatrics publication Healthy/ Years, polyphenols also seem to prevent a number of diseases

Other foods that contain polyphenols that also seem to be beneficial to the heart include tea, red wine and chocolate.

The following is a list of berries and the nutrients they contain:

Blackberries - Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Fiber, manganese, polyphenols

Blueberries - Vitamin C, fiber, manganese, polyphenols

Cranberries - Vitamin C, fiber, polypheols

RasPberries - Vitamin C, fiber, manganese, polyphenols

Strawberries - Vitamin C, fiber, manganese, polyphenols

The good thing about berries is that they can be eaten fresh when they are in season, dried or frozen. You also can enjoy the benefits of berries as a separate fruit, or you can put them in cereals, salads, or a desert.

SO EAT BERRIES TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT

I’ve written a number of postings on the values of regular exercise (See “A Well-Rounded Exercise Program,” 10/24/07; “Your Exercise Program: Warm-up and Stretching Phases,” 12/13/07); “Your Exercise Program: Endurance Exercises,” 12/18/07; ”Your Exercise Program: Strength Exercises,” 12/22/07 and “Essential Keys to Maintaining Your Health and Vitality;” 5/12/08).

The benefits of exercise described in these postings included:

• Improving sleep habits
• Helping to control weight
• Reducing the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke
• Helping to reduce stress
• Helping to prevent or reduce diabetes, colon cancer and osteoporosis
• Helping to prevent bone and muscle injury due to falls

We can now add another benefit. A number of studies have been conducted in the last few years showing that exercise can help reduce your risk of DEMENTIA and ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

In a study presented in The Lancet Neurology, research evidence suggested that a regular, well-balance exercise program* can help reduce your risk of dementia as well as the more serious Alzheimer’s disease. The study showed that those who are genetically prone to Alzheimer’s disease could see a reduction of about 60%, and those who developed Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia were less likely to have been active when they were middle-aged than those who remained free of dementia.

*(To realize the benefits of exercise, it is generally recommended that a person should have moderate aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes three to five times a week.)

According to the researchers, a primary benefit of individuals who have physically active lifestyles in youth and at midlife might increase their ability of enjoying and participating physical and cognitive activities in later life. Apparently regular exercise benefits the brain by helping to keep small blood vessels of the brain healthy as well as protecting against other conditions that might make dementia more likely, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

It was also suggested that:

Exercise might also reduce the amount of the protein amyloid that builds up in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease.

Physical activity also affects genes and compounds important for maintaining good cognition and memory

People who exercise tend to live healthier lifestyles in general, such as drinking less alcohol and refraining from smoking. Leading A healthy lifestyle – exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet – helps protect against dementia.

——————-

Other links on exercise and Alzheimer’s include:

Annals of Internal Medicine http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/144/2/73

Medical News Today, Exercise Reduces Dementia Risk for Older Adults http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/36250.php

WebMD, Exercise May Cut Risk of Dementia http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20080603/exercise-may-cut-risk-of-dementia

Additional information on risk factors, diagnostic tests, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease can be found in:

Fodor, John T. (2007). Maintaining Your Health and Vitality: A Health Guide for Seniors and Their Families. Bangor, Maine: Booklocker.com, Inc.

http://www.booklocker.com/books/3048.html

The internet provides a vast amount of information and resources about health, disease and prevention. Indeed it is an outstanding resource for the general population as well as for health professionals. However, while there is much “good” health information on the Internet, there is also a lot of “bad” or misleading information. So how do you sort out the good from the bad?

One thing you can do is to check out the sources of information that you find. Some of the more reliable sources are research institutes and universities; schools of public health; medical and dental schools; official public health agencies; health maintenance organizations, clinics and hospitals; professional health organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Dental Association and the American Dietetic Associations; and recognized national and international health organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization. Information from these sources is generally well documented with supportive research and scientific references.

But even here you can be fooled. Recently there was an email circulated that was labeled “Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins Hospital.” Now Johns Hopkins is considered to be a world leader in research and education in medicine and public health. What could possibly be wrong with information from this highly regarded institution? The problem was that the email was an attempt to dupe the public into believing that the information was put out by Johns Hopkins, when it was not.

While some of the email had bits of correct information, it was out of context and incomplete. Most of the information would be classified as pure quackery. The entire email and its contents were completely denounced by Johns Hopkins. The following was their response to this hoax:

John Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center
Office of Public Affairs March 2007

Email Hoax Regarding Cancer

“An email falsely attributed to Johns Hopkins describing properties of cancer cells and suggesting prevention strategies has begun circulating the Internet. Johns Hopkins did not publish the email, entitle “Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins,” nor do we endorse its contents.”

THE MORAL HERE IS THAT IF YOU ARE SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR HEALTH INFORMATION, DOUBLE CHECK THE SOURCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS ACTUALLY FROM A VIABLE AND RELIABLE SOURCE.

You can usually do this by logging on to Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/) and putting the title or key words of the title in the search window.

Additional Web sites for evaluating health information on the Internet include:

The National Institutes of Health provides a list of resources for evaluating health information. (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/evaluatinghealthinformation.html)

National Human Genome research Institute. Finding Reliable Health Information Online
(http://www.genome.gov/11008303)

National Cancer Institute. How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet
(http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/information/internet)

National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus Guide to Healthy Web Surfing
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthywebsurfing.html)

National Library of Medicine. How Do I Evaluate the Information I Find?
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/guide.html#six)

Food and Drug Administration. How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet
(http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/evalhealthinfo.html)