PART TWO CAUSES OF SPORTS INJURY AND EXERCISE HEALTH PROBLEMS

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Other reported causes of sports injury and exercise health problems have included:

Idiopathic Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

Idiopathic hypertophy of the left ventricle of the heart. The left ventricle is the chamber that does the pumping of the freshly oxygenated blood into the aorta and through the body. Idiopathic is a fancy way of saying "we don't know why this is happening".

Congenital Coronary Artery Anomalies

Various anomalies of the coronary arteries, the arteries that supply the heart muscle itself.

Mitral Valve Prolapse

The mitral valve is the valve that separates the left atrium, the left upper chamber of the heart from the left ventricle the left lower chamber that does the heavy duty pumping of oxygenated blood into the body. In mitral valve prolapse, the two leaflets of the mitral valve of the heart don't quite close correctly and can sort of bend backwards and permit blood to flow back into the chamber it has just come from. Mitral valve prolapse is quite common. About 2% of the population have mitral valve prolapse. It is sometimes associated with panic attacks. Mitral valve prolapse is not often cited as a cause of sudden death.

Marfan's Syndrome: Abraham Lincoln May Have Had It

Abraham Lincoln seemed to have the tall gangly appearance characteristic of Marfan's Syndrome. It's been suggested that Lincoln may have had Marfan's Syndrome. The American Heart Association description of Marfan's Syndrome says that"the Marfan syndrome is a connective tissue disorder. Connective tissue provides substance and support to tendons, ligaments, blood vessel walls, cartilage, heart valves and many other structures. A blood pressure drug, losartan, is being investigated as a means of preventing damage to the aorta in people with Marfan's. The aorta is the large artery that carries blood away form the heart. (see link below) In the Marfan syndrome, the chemical makeup of the connective tissue isn't normal. As a result, many of these structures aren't as stiff as they should be. Connective tissue gets some of its strength from a protein called fibrillin 1. Fibrillin 1 also plays an important role in controlling the growth and development of the body. In Marfan syndrome, the body produces fibrillin 1 that does not work properly. As a result, the connective tissue is not as strong as it should be, and the growth and development of the body are affected.

Click for healty medical About a Study of Drug that may Protect People with Marfan.

site at Washington University School of Medicine About Marfan's Syndrome .

Watch this video outlining signs of Marfan Syndrome Click the arrow to start




Chris Patton was a University of Maryland basketball star who died during a pickup game in 1976, and Flo Hyman was an Olympic volleyball player who died at age 31 in 1986 both because of Marfan Syndrome related problems. The connective tissue problems of Marfan's may result in problems with the heart valves or a dissecting abdominal aorta. As you can read here Marfan Syndrome Often Goes Undiagnosed

Long QT Syndrome

The heart generates an electrical signal that propagates from the upper chambers (the atria) into the lower chambers (the ventricles) of the heart. When you look at an EKG the first, left most part of an individual cycle on an EKG is produced by the atria and the right part , the "qrst" reflects the activity of the ventricles. In long qt syndrome there is a prolonged interval of the signal in the ventricles. This is associated with heart arrhythmia.

Hyponatremia: Low Sodium in the Blood

Hyponatremia means a low concentration of sodium in the blood. Athletes such as runners who participate in a marathon are in danger of having their blood sodium concentration diluted because they may actually drink too many fluids.
Look at Hyponatremia a Concern for Marathon Runners.

Ruptured Aortic Aneurysm

Other Causes of Injury in Sports and Running Such as Heat Stroke and Asthma

Athletes with asthma have certainly performed at the highest levels of sports. This article Athletes with Asthma from the BBC mentions Mark Spitz and Jackie Joyner-Kersee among others. However, it is vital that asthma be diagnosed and treated successfully by an experienced physician and that the athlete be very familiar with asthma. See also

Sudden Death in Young Athletes and also A Review of Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes and Strategies for Pre participation Cardiovascular Screening

Click here for Part One of CAUSES OF SPORTS INJURY AND EXERCISE HEALTH PROBLEMS

CAUSES OF SPORTS INJURY DANGEROUS MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND EXERCISE HEALTH PROBLEMS

Reggie Lewis, Jim Fixx: Why Seemingly Healthy People Collapse While Running or While Playing Sports: A 14 Year Old Boy Collapses After Getting Hit in the Chest at a Karate Match

It happened again. Sports is healthy and fun but sometimes sports can result in injury or worse. She had just completed the 2003 Chicago marathon when the seemingly healthy vigorous 29 year old woman who worked as a physical education teacher collapsed. Another marathon runner, without a history of problems had died. The cause was said to be mitral valve prolapse, a problem that is not often associated with such an outcome. A 14 year old boy takes an apparently innocuous hit to the chest at a karate match, doubles over and dies. This article Sudden Death in Young Athletes from the New England Journal shows photos of the boy at the karate match as he reacts to the blow.



In 2001 a 22 year old man running collapsed near the finish line of the marathon, in a previous marathon a 45 year old had collapsed and in an incident that sounded similar to one at the Boston Marathon, a 43 year old woman was said to have died because of hyponatremia, low sodium levels in the blood. Here you can read about a 33 year old man who died after crossing the finish line of the Honolulu Marathon.

University of Essex Researchers Says Sedentary People Should Avoid Sudden Strenuous Excercise

Although thousands upon thousands of people run in sporting events, races, marathons and play football, basketball and soccer, sudden cardiac death is thankfully a rare phenomenon. Nevertheless sudden death of athletes is a persistent phenomenon and it's not hard to do a search of Google and come up with stories about sports related deaths. Recently researchers at the University of Essex pointed out that people who have not been exercising regularly should avoid sudden bursts of strenuous exercise, Sudden Exercise Poses Heart Risk.

Heart Problems in Athletes and Sports Enthusiasts Are Often Difficult to Detect

Here is a:

link to a pdf of a 2003 review article called Sudden Death in Young AthletesThe review article includes a photo sequence of a boy at a karate match collapsing after sustaining a blow to the chest. A study published in 1996 in the Journal of the American Medical Association

Sudden Death in Young Competitive Athletes Clinical, Demographic, and Pathological Profiles analyzed a total of 158 sudden deaths that occurred in trained athletes throughout the United States from 1985 through 1995 .



The article says that "Of 115 athletes who had a standard pre participation medical evaluation, only 4 (3%) were suspected of having cardiovascular disease." This study found that the single most common cardiac cause of sudden death in young competitive athletes was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. See also a pdf of

A Review of Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes and Strategies for Pre participation Cardiovascular Screening

Commotio Cordis: A Hit in the Chest

Apparently Innocuous Blow to the Chest of a Child Turns into a Killer

Commotio cordis is arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm) or sudden death from low-impact, blunt trauma to the chest without apparent heart injury. ..Commotio cordis occurs in baseball ...hockey, softball, and several other sports.". An example would be a boy playing in little league gets hit in the chest by a baseball. The ball hitting his chest sets off an arrhythmia in his heart.

See

Sports Sciences Feature: Commotio Cordis Sudden death following chest wall trauma.

Rare, fatal injury baffles science, sports

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy


It has also been called Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis.

What is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Boston Basketball Star Reggie Lewis Had Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

According to the description of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at the

web site of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association "There are three types of cardiomyopathy" (disorder of the heart muscle) : "hypertrophic", "dilated" and "restrictive". The main feature of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an excessive thickening of the heart muscle (hypertrophy literally means to thicken). Thickening is seen in the ventricular septal measurement (normal range .08-1.2mm), and in weight." In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy the heart septum or wall between the two ventricles, the lower pumping chambers of the heart, is thickened. You can read these recommendations for screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy from the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopthy Association

See also A Physician's Guide to Treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Click here for PART TWO CAUSES OF SPORTS INJURY DANGEROUS MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND EXERCISE HEALTH PROBLEMS

MindBullet: Take 2 Aspirin and We'll Google You in the Morning...

Excellent MindBullet from MindBullets.net. They're weekly doses of futurism - health related in this instance...


SA Doc's analysis. It could happen - give it a couple of years. In South Africa, we're in a little bit of a pickle though. No online consultations are allowed - HPCSA law dictates you have to "touch" a patient in order to provide a medical service.

DANGER IN YOUR DEODORIZER CHECK OUT HEALTH RISKS SAFETY OF COMMON HOUSEHOLD AND GARAGE PRODUCTS AT NATIONAL LIBRARY MEDICINE DATABASE

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Danger in your deodorizer? Caution with the cleanser? Who knows what lurks under your kitchen sink, in your garage, Learn more about what's in these products

Are your kitchen cleansers safe? Is there danger in the deodorizer? What lurks beneath your sink? Up your shelf? In your garage? Are there hazardous or unhealthy chemicals in your household products? What's under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room? Learn more about what's in these household products,kitchen products,cleansers,garage products about the potential health effects, and about safety and handling. The Household Products Database of the National Library of Medicine links over 7,000 consumer brands to health effects from Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by manufacturers and allows scientists and consumers to research products based on chemical ingredients. The database is designed to help answer the following typical questions:

What are the chemical ingredients and their percentage in specific brands?

Which products contain specific chemical ingredients?

Who manufactures a specific brand? How do I contact this manufacturer?

What are the acute and chronic effects of chemical ingredients in a specific brand?

What other information is available about chemicals in the toxicology-related databases of the National Library of Medicine?



Information in the Household Products Database is from a variety of publicly available sources including brand-specific labels and Material Safety Data Sheets when available from manufacturers and manufacturers' web sites.

The National Library of Medicine Household Products Database

A LACK OF SLEEP CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

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Rule Number One of Flying: Always make certain that the pilots of your airplane are awake

Studies show that airline flying is more fun when your airplane pilots are awake. "An Air India flight headed for Mumbai overshot its destination and was halfway to Goa before its dozing airline pilots were woken out of a deep slumber by air traffic control, a report said. The high altitude nap took place approximately two weeks ago, the Times of India reported today".



"Some 100 passengers were on board the state-run airline flight that originated from Dubai and flew to the western Indian city of Jaipur before heading south to Mumbai when both airline pilots fell asleep, a source told the paper. "After operating an overnight flight, fatigue levels peak - and so the pilots dozed off after taking off from Jaipur," the source, who was not identified in the report, said".

Plane Soared Past Destination as Pilots Slept Report

LOOKING LIKE ABRAHAM LINCOLN A VIDEO ABOUT MARFAN POSSIBLE NEW TREATMENT FOR MARFAN SYNDROME BLOOD PRESSURE DRUG LOSARTAN COZAAR MIGHT PROTECT AORTA

LOOKING LIKE ABRAHAM LINCOLN VIDEO ABOUT MARFAN POSSIBLE NEW TREATMENT FOR MARFAN SYNDROME BLOOD PRESSURE DRUG LOSARTAN COZAAR MIGHT PROTECT AORTA

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Looking Like Abraham Lincoln What Is Marfan Syndrome? How Might Losartan Cozaar Protect

The blood pressure drug Losartan marketed as Cozaar by Merck, may help defend people with Marfan Syndrome from damage to the aorta, the most important artery in the body. Doctors are currently running clinical trials to test the effectiveness of Losartan for Marfan Syndrome. Scholars have speculated over the years that Abraham Lincoln had Marfan because his appearance seemed to fit the bill for Marfan's.



"People with Marfan Syndrome a genetic condition that can be inherited or, in roughly one-fourth of cases, can appear out of nowhere tend to have long limbs and fingers, are often tall and may encounter a broad range of symptoms". Losartan is a type of blood pressure drug called an angotensin receptor type 2 antagonist. A preliminary study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that Losartan Cozaar may prevent lethal damage to the aorta in people with Marfan Syndrome. The drug may act to slow down aorta growth. The findings have already paved the way for a large-scale trial of the drug for this condition.


Marfan Syndrome is a disorder of connective tissue. Connective tissue holds all the parts of the body together and helps control growth. Connective tissue gets some of its strength from a protein called fibrillin 1. Fibrillin 1 also plays an important role in controlling the growth and development of the body. In Marfan syndrome, the body produces fibrillin 1 that does not work properly. As a result, the connective tissue is not as strong as it should be, and the growth and development of the body are affected.


Watch this video outlining signs of Marfan Syndrome Click the arrow to start





Most people who have Marfan Syndrome have problems with their heart and blood vessels because of weak connective tissue. The aorta is the large artery that carries oxygenated blood from the heart. Marfan can impact the strength of the aorta. The findings have already paved the way for a large-scale trial of the drug for this condition. Previous "research suggested that Losartan slashes circulating levels of transforming growth factor beta, interrupting this cycle of aorta damage. "In the 1990s, cardiologist Harry Dietz of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore led a team of researchers that discovered that Marfan Syndrome stems from a mutation in the FBN1 gene that encodes a glycoprotein called fibrillin-1. In people with the syndrome, a lack of fibrillin-1 allows excess production of a signaling protein called transforming growth factor beta, which kicks on a host of reactions that damage the aorta walls over time, says research physician Benjamin Brooke of Johns Hopkins. The drug also eases blood pressure, which puts less strain on the aorta itself, studies in mice showed".

Click for healty medical Causes of Exercise Sports Health Problems

Blood pressure drug might offer new treatment for Marfan syndrome

ATENOLOL VS. LOSARTAN CLINICAL TRIAL

Angiotensin II Blockade and Aortic-Root Dilation in Marfan's Syndrome

VIDEOS WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF VITAMIN D ANOTHER REPORT ASKS IS LOW VITAMIN D BAD FOR THE HEALTH LOWER VITAMIN D AND HEART PROBLEMS

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Here are video reports that discuss the recent interest in what are the benefits of Vitamin D? Or at least what are some of the new research findings about what Vitamin D might do or not. How do I love thee Vitamin D? Let me count the ways. Still another medical report has appeared about the putative relationship between Vitamin D and health.



Earlier the Archives of Internal Medicine had a report about a relationship between low Vitamin D and heart attacks. Now another report says "Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels (which are ways of measuring Vitamin D in the body) are independently associated with all-cause and cardiovascular (heart) mortality. (But) A causal relationship has yet to be proved by intervention trials using vitamin D".




Watch this video about what are the possible benefits of Vitamin D Click the arrow to start








Now it is Vitamin D and the risk of heart attack and heart problems .It seems like Vitamin D has arrived in the medical spot light. Recently I wrote in healty medical Blog that the Canadian Cancer Society has recommended that many people take Vitamin D and I also scoped out a report that said that women with breast cancer who had low levels of Vitamin D did less well prognosis wise. Now fanning the flames of Vitamin D popularity is a study that says "Low levels of 25(OH)D (Vitamin D) are associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) in a graded manner, even after controlling for factors known to be associated with coronary artery disease" (heart problems related to the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle itself with blood).



Watch this video about a possible relationship between Vitamin D and cancer Click the arrow to start







The report about Vitamin D and heart and all cause mortality was published in the June 23 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.In the study, Dr. Harald Dobnig, from the Medical University of Graz in Austria, and colleagues collected data on vitamin D levels among almost 3,300 patients undergoing angiography. Angiography is the medical procedure where dye is injected to "light up" the heart coronary arteries when viewed with xray to check for coronary blockage.



"After more than seven years of follow-up, 737 patients had died, 463 of them from cardiovascular disease. Dobnig's team found that death rates from any cause, and from cardiovascular disease, were higher among people with the lowest levels of vitamin D". "Although not proved, it seems possible that at least part of this effect may be due to lowering of a risk profile promoting atherosclerosis and preventing cardiovascular end points," they concluded".

Studying Animals to See What Works Against Cancer in People


"Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, noted that similar observations with low vitamin E and beta carotene levels and cardiovascular mortality were not confirmed when vitamin supplementation was tested in clinical trials. "Prospective randomized clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation demonstrating a reduction in cardiovascular mortality are absolutely needed before any treatment recommendations can be made," Fonarow said. "The few clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation conducted to date have been quite disappointing."



"Vitamin D also appears to play a role in preventing heart failure, another study finds.In a study, published online in Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, University of Michigan pharmacologist Simpson showed that vitamin D could prevent heart failure from developing in rats".

Click healty medical Canadian Cancer Society Recommends Many Take Vitamin D

Independent Association of Low Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Levels With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality

What About Vitamin D and Pancreatic Cancer



In the report about Vitamin D and the heart they say "Vitamin D deficiency may be involved in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease in humans".The scientists examined the blood levels of Vitamin D in thousands of men between the ages of 40 and 75. "We assessed prospectively whether (blood) plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) ,(Vitamin D) concentrations are associated with risk of coronary heart disease".



Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D. The flesh of fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources. Blood serum concentration of 25(OH)D is the best indicator of Vitamin D status. It reflects vitamin D produced in the skin and that obtained from food and supplements and has a fairly long circulating half-life of 15 days. "A nested case-control study was conducted in 18 225 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study; the men were aged 40 to 75 years and were free of diagnosed cardiovascular disease at blood collection. Low levels of 25(OH)D are associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack)in a graded manner, even after controlling for factors (that is making adjustments to the calculations for other things that could cause coronary heart problems) known to be associated with coronary artery disease".

Low Vitamin D Could Raise Death Risk

Click healty medical Could Vitamin D Level Be Associated With Breast Cancer Prognosis

25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Men

STILL ANOTHER REPORT ASKS IS LOW VITAMIN D BAD FOR THE HEALTH LOWER VITAMIN D HIGHER RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND HEART PROBLEMS

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How do I love thee Vitamin D? Let me count the ways. Still another medical report has appeared about the putative relationship between Vitamin D and health. Earlier the Archives of Internal Medicine had a report about a relationship between low Vitamin D and heart attacks. Now another report says "Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels (which are ways of measuring Vitamin D in the body) are independently associated with all-cause and cardiovascular (heart) mortality. (But) A causal relationship has yet to be proved by intervention trials using vitamin D".



Now it is Vitamin D and the risk of heart attack and heart problems .It seems like Vitamin D has arrived in the medical spot light. Recently I wrote in healty medical Blog that the Canadian Cancer Society has recommended that many people take Vitamin D and I also scoped out a report that said that women with breast cancer who had low levels of Vitamin D did less well prognosis wise. Now fanning the flames of Vitamin D popularity is a study that says "Low levels of 25(OH)D (Vitamin D) are associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) in a graded manner, even after controlling for factors known to be associated with coronary artery disease" (heart problems related to the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle itself with blood).



The report about Vitamin D and heart and all cause mortality was published in the June 23 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.In the study, Dr. Harald Dobnig, from the Medical University of Graz in Austria, and colleagues collected data on vitamin D levels among almost 3,300 patients undergoing angiography. Angiography is the medical procedure where dye is injected to "light up" the heart coronary arteries when viewed with xray to check for coronary blockage.



"After more than seven years of follow-up, 737 patients had died, 463 of them from cardiovascular disease. Dobnig's team found that death rates from any cause, and from cardiovascular disease, were higher among people with the lowest levels of vitamin D". "Although not proved, it seems possible that at least part of this effect may be due to lowering of a risk profile promoting atherosclerosis and preventing cardiovascular end points," they concluded".,br>

In a related story A UCLA Scientist Thinks Omega 3 is Good for Your Thinking





"Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, noted that similar observations with low vitamin E and beta carotene levels and cardiovascular mortality were not confirmed when vitamin supplementation was tested in clinical trials. "Prospective randomized clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation demonstrating a reduction in cardiovascular mortality are absolutely needed before any treatment recommendations can be made," Fonarow said. "The few clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation conducted to date have been quite disappointing."



"Vitamin D also appears to play a role in preventing heart failure, another study finds.In a study, published online in Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, University of Michigan pharmacologist Simpson showed that vitamin D could prevent heart failure from developing in rats".

Click healty medical Canadian Cancer Society Recommends Many Take Vitamin D

Independent Association of Low Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Levels With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality

What About Vitamin D and Pancreatic Cancer



In the report about Vitamin D and the heart they say "Vitamin D deficiency may be involved in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease in humans".The scientists examined the blood levels of Vitamin D in thousands of men between the ages of 40 and 75. "We assessed prospectively whether (blood) plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) ,(Vitamin D) concentrations are associated with risk of coronary heart disease".



Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D. The flesh of fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources. Blood serum concentration of 25(OH)D is the best indicator of Vitamin D status. It reflects vitamin D produced in the skin and that obtained from food and supplements and has a fairly long circulating half-life of 15 days. "A nested case-control study was conducted in 18 225 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study; the men were aged 40 to 75 years and were free of diagnosed cardiovascular disease at blood collection. Low levels of 25(OH)D are associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack)in a graded manner, even after controlling for factors (that is making adjustments to the calculations for other things that could cause coronary heart problems) known to be associated with coronary artery disease".

Low Vitamin D Could Raise Death Risk

Click healty medical Could Vitamin D Level Be Associated With Breast Cancer Prognosis

25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Men

Neurotics and Psychotics

The difference between a neurotic and a psychotic is that, while a psychotic thinks that 2 + 2 = 5, a neurotic knows the answer is 4, but it worries him.

Thanks to Medical Jokes on Geocities.

IT CAME FROM THE SWAMP STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM ALLIGATOR BLOOD IS BEING INVESTIGATED AS A SOURCE OF NEW ANTIBIOTICS AND ANTIFUNGAL CHEMICALS

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Looking for new anti bacterial and anti fungal chemicals, researchers at Louisiana State University and at McNeese State University are analyzing alligator blood to identify peptides and proteins with antimicrobial activity. Apparently alligators have a strong immune system. Alligators may be dangerous, they may be dirty but they may also hold a key to fight dangerous germs like MRSA bacteria. If you think about it, alligators are able to live in dirty bacteria infested water. How do they do it? Apparently alligators have a strong immune system. It is the immune system that helps your body fight off disease.





Alligator blood may turn out to be a new source of antimicrobial compounds. It seems that in laboratory studies alligator white blood cell extracts killed MRSA. methicillin resistant Staph aureus as well as Candida Albicans, a fungus. "In previous studies, biochemist Mark E. Merchant of McNeese State found that extracts from alligator blood kill a variety of bacteria and yeast, including "some incredibly nasty strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria" such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the notorious culprit in many hospital-acquired infections. These blood samples contain peptides (parts of proteins) that are part of the alligator’s innate immune system".

"Merchant has teamed up with mass spectrometrist Kermit K. Murray and grad student Lancia N. F. Darville at Louisiana State to perform proteomic analyses of alligator serum and white blood cells to identify those peptides".

Alligator Blood May Be Source of New Anti Microbial Chemicals

Doctor Chart Bloopers #1

Found these at The Doctor's Lounge. Not from real Doctor's. Obviously. Well. Maybe.

*The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.

*The baby was delivered, the cord clamped and cut, and handed to the pediatrician, who breathed and cried immediately.

*Exam of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.

*She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life until 1989 when she got a divorce.

*The patient was in his usual state of good health until his airplane ran out of gas and crashed.

*Rectal exam revealed a normal size thyroid. (Long fingers?)

*Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.

*A midsystolic ejaculation murmur heard over the mitral area.

*The patient lives at home with his mother, father, and pet turtle, who is presently enrolled in day care three times a week.

*Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.

*She is numb from her toes down.

*Exam of genitalia was completely negative except for the right foot.

*The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as stockbroker instead.

*When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the room.

*Examination reveals a well-developed male lying in bed with his family in no distress.

*She has no rigors or chills but her husband says she was very hot in bed last night.

*She can't get pregnant with her husband, so I will work her up.

*Whilst in Casualty she was examined, X-rated and sent home.

*The patient states there is a burning pain in his penis which goes to his feet.

*On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.

*The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1983.

*I will be happy to go into her GI system, she seems ready and anxious.

*Patient was released to outpatient department without dressing.

*I have suggested that he loosen his pants before standing, and then, when he stands with the help of his wife, they should fall to the floor.

*The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.

*Discharge status: Alive but without permission.

*The patient will need disposition, and therefore we will get Dr. Blank to dispose of him.

*Healthy-appearing, decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.

*The patient has no past history of suicides.

*The patient expired on the floor uneventfully.

*Patient has left his white blood cells at another hospital.

*Patient was becoming more demented with urinary frequency.

*The patient's past medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.

*She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in separate directions in early December.

*The patient experienced sudden onset of severe shortness of breath with a picture of acute pulmonary oedema at home while having sex which gradually deteriorated in the emergency room.

*Patient has chest pains if she lies on her left side for over a year.

*He had a left-toe amputation one month ago. He also had a left-knee amputation last year.

*By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart had stopped, and he was feeling much better.

*The patient is a 79-year-old widow who no longer lives with her husband.

*The patient refused an autopsy.

*Many years ago the patient had frostbite of the right shoe.

*The bugs that grew out of her urine were cultured in the Casualty and are not available. I WILL FIND THEM!!!

*The patient left the hospital feeling much better except for her original complaints.

ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT CAUSED BY ANGER AND QUICK TEMPER MAKING YOURSELF SICK

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You know the type. Anger hostility and the heart. Maybe he's the boss, a relative or a business associate. A report that's not on time. A charge on a bill that he thinks is unjustified. They erupt in anger like a Mt. Vesuvius. Intuitively, you know this can't be healthy. You're right! Anger, hostility,quick temper can all impact the heart adversely with things like more atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat.








A study Anger and Hostility Predict the Development of Atrial Fibrillation in Men in the Framingham Offspring Study said that there was an association in men between anger, a quick hostile temper and the development of a heart rhythm abnormality.






The research, which appeared in the journal, Circulation said that hostile quick tempered men get more atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a disorderly heart rhythm that starts in the upper chambers of the heart. Normally, a regular orderly impulse is sent from the right atrium of the heart starting at a site called the SA node. The SA Node is sort of a "broadcast station" for the signal generation. Prime Minister Tony Blair had an irregular heart rhythm in 2003 that sounded like it was a case of atrial fibrillation. See What is the Nature of Tony Blair's Heart Problem: Fast Heartbeat Due to Problem in Upper Chamber of Heart.




In atrial fibrillation there are too many uncoordinated signals coming from the top of the heart down into the ventricles and the heart pumps in a less coordinated fashion. Too little blood may be pumped out and the person feels weak dizzy or faint.

Anger and Hostility Predict the Development of Atrial Fibrillation in Men in the Framingham Offspring Study



You can read a nice explanation of atrial fibrillation at

What You Need to Know..about Atrial Fibrillation

ANOTHER BENEFIT WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY GASTRIC BYPASS GASTRIC BANDING MAY LOWER INCIDENCE OF SOME TYPES OF CANCER ACCORDING TO RESEARCH REPORT

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Can Gastric Bypass or Gastric Banding Surgery Decrease Chance of Cancer?

A bariatric weight loss surgeon reported at a bariatric surgery conference that a study showed that gastric bypass surgery decreased the incidence of two of the most common cancers over five years after the gastric bypass. The study, which analyzed data from nearly 6,800 patients, was conducted by researchers from Montreal's McGill University. The findings were presented at a meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.

Look at this amazing before and after gastric bypass video

Read and Watch Video About New Experimental Non Abdomen Cutting Stomach Stapling





"This is confirmatory evidence that weight loss is good for you and makes you feel better, makes you feel lighter," said lead study author Dr. Nicolas Christou, director of bariatric surgery and professor of surgery at McGill. "But the icing on the cake, so to speak, is it can reduce your chance of developing cancer and improve your diabetes, sleep apnea and reduces your risk of dying once you lose the weight."

Dieting vs gastric bypass what to expect

Watch a very detailed expert video discussing the pros and cons of gastric bypass and weight loss surgery. There may be as many as 16 million Americans who are candidates for weight loss or bariatric surgery such as gastric bypass surgery. Extreme overweight or obesity can impact the social, psychological and health aspects of a person's life. Mark Twain's comment about smoking, "it's easy to quit, I've done it a hundred times" could easily apply to the roller coaster of dieting. Dieting to lose weight can be effective but for many very heavy people gastric bypass or gastric band surgery is a good alternative.





A New England Journal of Medicine research article found that gastric bypass surgery is beneficial. "In fact, the benefit is quite dramatic. The authors studied 9,949 patients who had undergone weight loss surgery, and compared them to a control group of 9,628 severely obese individuals who did not have the surgery".

Read healty medical Blog Gastric Bypass Surgery Pros and Cons

Stomach surgery reduces cancer risk in obese patients





This video features the surgeon who performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass for weight loss. Laparascopic surgery uses small incisions in a less invasive surgical procedure with faster recovery times. In this video about weight loss surgery they discuss the pros and cons and what results you can expect with gastric bypass surgery. They also talk about who is a good candidate for bariatric (weight loss) surgery.







Watch a video discussing the pros and cons of gastric bypass surgery Click the arrow to start

COULD THIS BE BREAKTHROUGH IN TREATMENT OF MELANOMA SKIN CANCER STOPPED IN MELANOMA PATIENT WITH BILLIONS OF COPIES OF IMMUNE CELL

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Could this be a breakthrough in the treatment of melanoma skin cancer?

Not all skin cancer is melanoma but melanoma is the most dangerous of skin cancers.In a striking and hopeful feat of biological legerdemaine "researchers used 5 billion copies of a single immune cell from a man to wipe out signs of his advanced melanoma skin cancer for more than two years, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine with the catchy title Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma with Autologous CD4+ T Cells against NY-ESO-1. Copies of an infection-fighting CD4 T immune cell were grown in a laboratory, and then used to attack the 52-year-old melanoma patient's tumor, the report said. Previously, scientists had difficulty isolating and copying immune system cells, the researchers wrote in the report." The 52-year-old patient's dramatic turnaround was the only success in a small study.





A melanoma is form of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, cells that make the pigment melanin. Actually melanoma can appear elsewhere even in the eye or under the toenails. Melanoma cancer may begin in a mole, but can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as in the eye or in the intestines. Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its natural color. When skin is exposed to the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment, causing the skin to tan, or darken. Moles that have certain features need to be aggressively examined for melanoma.



"It's targeted to tumor cells and not to normal cells," Dr. Cassian Yee of the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle, the lead author of the study, told ABC News. The researchers even isolated which of those cancer-fighting cells were most aggressive against the patient's own melanoma and then, over the next three months, grew a vast, new army of five billion of those particular cells. Finally, the scientists injected the cancer-fighting cells back into the patient".

Cyclophosphamide or Cellular Adoptive Immunotherapy With or Without Aldesleukin in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma. This study is currently recruiting participants.

Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma with Autologous CD4+ T Cells against NY-ESO-1

Melanoma Stopped in Patient With 5 Billion Copies of Own Cell

What is the relationship between a mole and melanoma?

Sometimes, clusters of melanocytes and surrounding tissue form noncancerous growths called moles. Doctors also call a mole a nevus, the plural is nevi. Melanoma can occur on any skin surface. In men, melanoma is often found on the trunk(the area between the shoulders and the hips) or the head and neck. In women, it often develops on the lower legs. Even children can develop melanoma as you can see when you watch the video about melanoma and a child with melanoma who got treated in time and made a full recovery. People can also have melanoma under the fingernails or toenails or on the palms or soles of the feet. Melanoma may also occur in the eye.



A Video Story about a Child with Melanoma and What to Look For Click the Arrow to Start

What is the ABCDE Screening Method for Melanoma?

The ABCDE method to screen for melanoma simply means that a mole that meets any of these criteria should be examined by a physician. It is hard even for doctors sometimes to look at a skin lesion and determine if it is cancerous. Actually I would recommend you ask your physician at even the slightest suspicion. It's better to be safe than sorry. The melanoma screening method includes:

Asymmetric. The shape of one half does not match the other.

Border irregularity. The edges are often ragged, notched, blurred, or irregular in outline; the pigment may spread into the surrounding skin.

Color variation. The color is uneven. Shades of black, brown, and tan may be present. Areas of white, grey, red, pink, or blue also may be seen.

Diameter larger than six millimeters. There is a change in size, usually an increase. Melanomas are usually larger than the eraser of a pencil (1/4 inch or 5 millimeters).

Evolution or changes in the skin lesion






If the doctor suspects that a spot on the skin is melanoma, the person will need to have a biopsy. A biopsy is the only way to make a definite diagnosis of melanoma. In this procedure, the doctor tries to remove all of the suspicious-looking growth. This is an excisional biopsy. A pathologist then examines the tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Sometimes it is helpful for more than one pathologist to check the tissue for cancer cells.

WHEN LOOKING FOR CANCER CURES CAVEAT EMPTOR WHILE DIFFERENT HOSPITALS MAY OFFER DIFFERENT CANCER CURES AND TECHNOLOGY MAKE SURE ITS LEGITIAMATE

WHEN LOOKING FOR CANCER CURES CAVEAT EMPTOR WHILE DIFFERENT HOSPITALS MAY OFFER DIFFERENT CANCER CURES AND TECHNOLOGY MAKE SURE ITS LEGITIMATE

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It's true that different hospitals and medical institutions may have different science and technology to treat cancer. For example, experimental cancer vaccines or medications may only be available at some select academic medical centers with names like Johns Hopkins, Stanford or Sloan Kettering. But you should investigate and check out all claims about cancer treatment and cures. Warning Letters have been sent to 23 U.S. companies and two foreign individuals marketing a wide range of products fraudulently claiming to prevent and cure cancer, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . The FDA also warns North American consumers against using or purchasing the products, which include tablets, teas, tonics, black salves, and creams, and are sold under various names on the Internet.





Those companies and individuals warned, the complete list of fake cancer 'cure' products and their manufacturers along with a consumer article on health scams can be found here, http://www.fda.gov/cder/news/fakecancercures.htm. "Although promotions of bogus cancer 'cures' have always been a problem, the Internet has provided a mechanism for them to flourish," said Margaret O'K. Glavin, the FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "These warning letters are an important step to ensure that consumers do not become the victim of false 'cures' that may cause greater harm to their health."



The FDA urges consumers to consult their health care provider about discontinuing use of these products and to seek appropriate medical attention if they have experienced any adverse effects.

FDA Warns Individuals and Firms to Stop Selling Fake Cancer Cures

MORE ABOUT TIM RUSSERT PREDICTING HEART ATTACKS AND THINGS TO LOWER THE CHANCES OF SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST AND A HEART ATTACK

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Some have suggested that the widespread use of cholesterol lowering medication, blood pressure control,aspirin and other measures have led to fewer heart attacks

True or False? A heart attack and cardiac arrest are the same thing?

I saw another article about heart attacks, about predicting who will have a heart attack and steps to try and prevent a heart attack. The article drew an analogy between the famous runner Jim Fixx and Tim Russert. Both were relatively young men. The article pointed out "Just over a year ago, a team led by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the death rate from heart disease in the USA has dropped by 50% from 1980 to 2000, thanks to improvements in medical treatment and a reduction in risk factors".


"The researchers credited those advances — including intensive cholesterol lowering (with drugs like the statins) and blood pressure control for heart attack patients and a drop in smoking rates — with saving an estimated 341,000 lives that would have been lost to heart disease if conditions in 1980 had persisted".

This Video Explains Coronary Artery Blockage Click This





As I pointed out previously in healty medical Blog, the Heart Association writes "The American Heart Association recommends aspirin use for patients who've had a myocardial infarction (heart attack), unstable angina, ischemic stroke (caused by blood clot) or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs or "little strokes"), if not contraindicated.(An example of a contraindication might be easy bleeding) This recommendation is based on sound evidence from clinical trials showing that aspirin helps prevent the recurrence of such events as heart attack, hospitalization for recurrent angina, second strokes, etc. (secondary prevention). Studies show aspirin also helps prevent these events from occurring in people at high risk (primary prevention)".





This tragedy has once again raised the public awareness of the danger of heart problems. As the article points out "What is clear is that there are ways to lower one's risk of sudden cardiac death and heart problems: eat healthy, exercise, don't smoke, and take aspirin and or statins. Statins are the medications that lower cholesterol. High cholesterol is positively correlated with coronary artery disease. The trouble, though, is that patients often don't think they're at serious risk until they are actually experiencing an attack".



Cardiac arrest is not synonymous with a heart attack. A heart attack refers to myocardial infarction. The heart muscle (myocardium) pumps oxygenated blood to supply the body's needs. But the heart is a muscle and the heart muscle itself needs oxygenated blood. That oxygenated blood is supplied to the heart by the coronary arteries which envelop the heart. When the blood supply to some part of the heart is cut off completely enough to damage the heart muscle as by a blockage or blockages in the coronary artery, that is a heart attack, a myocardial infarction.



A cardiac arrest refers to a situation where the heart's ability to pump is so compromised that the blood flow to the body is interrupted. This can happen with a severe electrical disturbance in the heart as ventricular fibrillation or severe blood loss or a massive heart attack that damages so much heart muscle that the heart can't pump properly. It is in cases of sudden cardiac arrest where cpr and automatic defibrillators may save a life.

healty medical Update on Cholesterol The Good the Bad and The Ugly

Russert death shows massive heart attack isn't easy to predict

Aspirin in Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention

What Happened to Russert The science of sudden cardiac arrest

VITAMIN D AND PANCREATIC CANCER DOES VITAMIN D HELP PREVENT PANCREATIC CANCER

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RESEARCH ASKS IS THERE A BENEFIT OF VITAMIN D AGAINST PANCREATIC CANCER

With the stories of Pavarotti and Swayze, pancreatic cancer has been in the news. Recently I wrote about treatment at Johns Hopkins for pancreatic cancer. With the opera star Marilyn Horne getting surgery as well as a vaccine for pancreatic cancer. In an unrelated story researchers have been investigating the possible benefits of vitamin D in preventing medical problems, possibly even some forms of cancer. In fact the Canadian Cancer Society has recommended vitamin D. But it turns out that researchers at Harvard and Northwestern have looked at a possible role of vitamin D in prevention of pancreatic cancer.









Vitamin D May Do A Lot More

Vitamin D vs pancreatic cancer and what is a cohort study

In 2006 Harvard and Northwestern scientists illuminated a possible benefit of vitamin D against pancreatic cancer in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. The researchers wrote "We observed that a higher intake of vitamin D was associated with a decreased risk for pancreatic cancer in two large U.S. cohorts. (A cohort is a group of people who share a common characteristic or experience within a defined period (e.g., are born, leave school, lose their job, are exposed to a drug or a vaccine, etc.)...In this analysis of two large prospective cohort studies, we observed a reduced risk for pancreatic cancer with higher intake of vitamin D. Participants consuming 600 IU/d or more of vitamin D experienced a 41% lower risk for pancreatic cancer when compared with those consuming less than 150 IU/d".

healty medical Blog SHOULD PEOPLE TAKE VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENT WHAT IS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CANCER, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS CHRONIC DISEASE AND VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY




We cannot exclude the possibility that vitamin D may be acting as a surrogate for some other, as yet unknown, factor that is associated with the risk for pancreatic cancer. However, in our multivariable analyses, we controlled for factors previously associated with pancreatic cancer(such as cigarette smoking), as well as other potential confounders, including multivitamin supplement use and calcium and retinol intake. Adjusting for multivitamin supplement use strengthened the association between total vitamin D intake and the risk for pancreatic cancer, particularly at the highest levels of intake. We have previously reported a modest positive association between multivitamin supplement use and the risk of pancreatic cancer and this raised the possibility that some factor in multivitamin supplements other than vitamin D, potentially retinol, antagonizes a protective effect of vitamin D, or plays an independent role in increasing the risk for pancreatic cancer. Moreover, when excluding multivitamin supplement users, we continued to observe an inverse relation between vitamin D from food sources and the risk for pancreatic cancer".




"Two ongoing cohort studies provided data for our analyses: the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). The NHS was initiated in 1976 when 121,701 U.S. female registered nurses ages 30 to 55 years responded to a mailed questionnaire. The HPFS began in 1986 when 51,529 U.S. male health professionals ages 40 to 75 years responded to a mailed questionnaire".




"To our knowledge, this is the first epidemiologic report of an association between vitamin D intake and the risk for pancreatic cancer...In concert with laboratory demonstrations of antitumor effects of vitamin D, our results point to a potential role for the vitamin D pathway in the prevention and pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. Considering the paucity of epidemiologic data on this malignancy, additional study of vitamin D and pancreatic cancer is warranted".

Vitamin D Intake and the Risk for Pancreatic Cancer in Two Cohort Studies

Canadian Cancer Society Decision to Recommend Vitamin D a First

PART TWO YOU NEED TO WATCH YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE JUST ASK THE WIFE OF A CERTAIN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

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In 80 to 90 percent of cases people have what is called essential hypertension. A fancy moniker for "we don't know why". But even though medical science doesn't why most people have high blood pressure doctors can treat high blood pressure successfully. Many people will need blood pressure medication. But an expert panel said lifestyle changes can impact your blood pressure too!




About 65 million Americans are walking around with high blood pressure a.k.a hypertension. And many of them don't even know it! Almost one billion people worldwide have high blood pressure.What is blood pressure anyway? Your body needs oxygen rich blood all the time. Your heart is the master pump that pumps blood. But blood pressure is more complicated than just the heart. The pressure is created by the heart but the arteries and channels that carry the blood also exert a pressure. An analogy is the way fuel flows in a car. In a car the fuel is pumped from the fuel pump. When you put your foot on the accelerator more fuel is pumped to meet demand. When you exercise your heart pumps harder to meet demand. The fuel flows through pipes to the parts of the engine. If the pipes get clogged it is harder for the fuel to be distributed, similarly resistance in the arteries can force the blood pressure up. If there is a leak in the system the pressure can drop. If you lose a lot of blood the pressure drops and you can go into shock.

A Possible New Use for an Old Blood Pressure Drug



Even though we don't know why most people have high blood pressure (some people do have identifiable factors like kidney problems) we do know many things that affect the pressure. If you are angry, angry at the traffic,angry at your boss and pretty much just plain always angry there's a good chance it's showing up in your pressure. Adrenalin gets pumped into your system, the nerves are stimulated. The nerves attached to the artery walls can alter the blood pressure. Anger and stress, especially chronic (long term) anger and stress are correlated with high blood pressure and heart problems.




"Although treatment has been prescribed for nearly all people known to have blood pressures consistently above 140/90, now called the high end of normal, up to half of patients still have elevated pressures.Why? Because doctors are not aggressive and creative in treating the problem...Many patients do not follow doctor’s orders and fail to fill prescriptions or neglect to take medicine daily; and because the rising weight of Americans and the passion for high-salt processed and restaurant-prepared foods have raised the once-normal pressures of many people to levels that experts say should be treated".



"While weight loss and improvements in diet and exercise habits can indeed help people lower an elevated pressure, “most people can’t adjust their lifestyles enough to normalize their blood pressure,” Dr. Moser said in an interview. “Most people need help from medication, notably a diuretic in combination with one or two other drugs. The majority of patients don’t get their pressures to normal without such a combination (with blood pressure medication).”

Hypertension: In Retreat, but Hardly Vanquished

Cindy McCain Blood Pressure

YOU NEED TO WATCH YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE JUST ASK THE WIFE OF A CERTAIN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

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True or False? An adult who consistently has 140/90 blood pressure does not have high blood pressure

Consistently High Blood Pressure May Result in a Stroke

Understanding blood pressure, what is high blood pressure, how to detect hypertension and how to treat it is crucial. It really is an illustration of the saying the more you know the better. Factors like excess salt in the diet, high stress, overweight may all contribute to elevated blood pressure. Read this.


It is an important lesson about the importance of blood pressure and controlling blood pressure. Most doctors will diagnose a person with high blood pressure on the basis of two or more readings, taken on several occasions. A consistent blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered high blood pressure,called in medical terms hypertension and need blood pressure treatment.



Your doctor does not know why you have high blood pressure. Don't look for a new doctor because they don't know why your blood pressure is high either(an exaggeration, sometimes there is an identifiable cause) but in 80 to 90 percent of cases people have what is called essential hypertension.



Just "as with cholesterol levels, the concept of a normal blood pressure has fallen strikingly as doctors learn what it takes to preserve good health.Lacking good treatments for hypertension, no doctor was concerned when, at age 57, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s blood pressure was 170/90. And so the president’s blood pressure rose inexorably over the next six years, and on April 12, 1945, at age 63 and with a pressure of 200/110, he died of a brain hemorrhage caused by severe hypertension".




Cindy McCain looks great now but in 2004, the relatively young McCain had a stroke after she decided she didn't need or want to take her blood pressure medicine."The stroke occurred while she was out to lunch with some friends. "I started talking, and the next thing I knew, what was coming out of my mouth was just gibberish," she recalls. "My first thought was just to get out of there, but I couldn't walk. One of my friends' husbands actually picked me up and carried me to the car, then drove me to the hospital."




"As she headed for the hospital, "I thought, I wish I had one more chance to tell my family I loved them," she said. McCain had high blood pressure—the primary cause for strokes—and she wouldn't take her medicine, thinking that, at 49, she was just too young to need it. "It was a hell of a lesson to learn," she said of the medical scare that put her in intensive care for two weeks. Upon her return home, she decided to move to Coronado, Calif.—alone—and concentrate on getting better, away from the stress of daily life".

Click to Read What is the Correct Way to Measure Blood Pressure

Go to Part 2 of You Need to watch Your Blood Pressure

TIM RUSSERT THINGS TO LOWER THE CHANCE OF SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST AND A HEART ATTACK

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True or False? A heart attack and cardiac arrest are the same thing?

I have been reading an article about the sudden cardiac arrest of the much loved Tim Russert. This tragedy has once again raised the public awareness of the danger of heart problems. As the article points out "What is clear is that there are ways to lower one's risk of sudden cardiac death and heart problems: eat healthy, exercise, don't smoke, and take aspirin and or statins. Statins are the medications that lower cholesterol. High cholesterol is positively correlated with coronary artery disease. The trouble, though, is that patients often don't think they're at serious risk until they are actually experiencing an attack".



Cardiac arrest is not synonymous with a heart attack. A heart attack refers to myocardial infarction. The heart muscle (myocardium) pumps oxygenated blood to supply the body's needs. But the heart is a muscle and the heart muscle itself needs oxygenated blood. That oxygenated blood is supplied to the heart by the coronary arteries which envelop the heart. When the blood supply to some part of the heart is cut off completely enough to damage the heart muscle as by a blockage or blockages in the coronary artery, that is a heart attack, a myocardial infarction.



A cardiac arrest refers to a situation where the heart's ability to pump is so compromised that the blood flow to the body is interrupted. This can happen with a severe electrical disturbance in the heart as ventricular fibrillation or severe blood loss or a massive heart attack that damages so much heart muscle that the heart can't pump properly. It is in cases of sudden cardiac arrest where cpr and automatic defibrillators may save a life.

healty medical Update on Cholesterol The Good the Bad and The Ugly

What Happened to Russert The science of sudden cardiac arrest

WHAT IS DEPRESSION: Some Facts About Depression and Can Omega 3 Help

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Which of the Following Are True About Depression?

Depression is twice as common in men as in women

Some small studies have claimed that increasing the amount of omega 3 fatty acids in the diet such as those in certain fish can help depression

More than 17% of the population have had a major depressive episode in their lifetime

It usually takes 2 to 6 weeks to notice improved symptoms after starting medication for depression

Bipolar disorder, another type of depression also called manic-depressive illness is characterized by cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression)



Actually according to statistics depression is twice as common in women as men. It is also true that more than 17% of the population have had a major depressive episode in their lifetime. And you may need to wait between 2 and 6 weeks for the medication for depression to cause a noticeable improvement.



"Never have so many owed so much to so few". Winston Churchill was speaking about the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots who defended England in the Battle of Britain but the phrase could aptly have included Churchill himself. A man who did so much to prevent the world from falling into the depths of tyranny and the abyss of a new dark age. Yet Churchill fought internal as well as external battles. He called it his "black dog", bouts of depression during the course of his amazing and inspiring life. He along with Abraham Lincoln and countless millions upon millions of other people have come to grips with this ubiquitous phenomenon.

Fishing for Treatment for Depression: More Fish Less Depression? Piscatorial Impact on Serotonin Levels

As the study printed in Researchers Fish for Answers About Omega-3, Bipolar Link indicates researchers have reported an inverse correlation between bipolar (manic) depression and fish consumption. The question about omega 3 fatty acids and depression is not just a fish story. There are ongoing studies and some small preliminary reports that omega 3 fatty acids such as those in certain fish may help with depression and perhaps other related conditions. See this report about borderline personality, depression and omega 3 fatty acids. See also this report about fish oil and depression .

What are Symptoms of Depression?

Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood

Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness

Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex

Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"

Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions

Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping

Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain

Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts

Restlessness, irritability

Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain.



The previous list of depression symptoms is from this excellent National Institute of Mental Health page explaining the Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Depression.