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March 10, 2011  In This Issue... - Is T-Stress Slowly Killing You?
- 5 Easy At-Home Tests Measure Health and Predict How Long You Will Live -- The Important Low-Tech Medical Tests You Can Do for Yourself
- Blood Pressure "Switch" Found on Human Body...
- Can a Broken Heart Really Kill Someone?
- The 4 Most Deadly Prescription Drug Myths
Is T-Stress Slowly Killing You? The mainstream’s got us worried about cholesterol and blood pressure. But cutting-edge research has just revealed a health industry "game-changer." Not only will this hidden cause of cardiovascular risk shock you... it may be slowly killing you as you read this. Visit this link now to find out if you’re at risk. And learn how one natural health breakthrough can reverse this hidden killer and save your life... or the life of someone you love.
5 Easy At-Home Tests Measure Health and Predict How Long You Will Live Expensive high-tech equipment such as MRIs and PET scans make many modern medical miracles possible... but, in truth, most of us have much of the medical information that we need to evaluate our health right at our fingertips. Low-tech, do-it-yourself medicine can reveal surprisingly important information about how healthy you are... and even how long you can reasonably expect to live, said Daily Health News contributing editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND. With that information, you can make changes... be healthier... and live longer... all without a doctor’s intervention. Better Than a Crystal Ball Let me start by saying that none of this is meant to supersede your relationship with your doctor -- in fact, I recently wrote specifically about the importance of getting regular hands-on examinations (see Daily Health News, "Why Doctors Need to Get Physical," January 25, 2011) and, of course, any worrisome signs or symptoms should be immediately checked out by the doctor you trust. That said, here are five tests you can do yourself, at home, that will help gauge your health from head to toe -- all physician-approved by our own Dr. Rubman! You’ll need no equipment fancier than a stopwatch or tape measure, and the information you’ll get can provide valuable insights into what your future holds. Test # 1: A Brain Teaser In their offices, physicians use the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) to evaluate memory and cognitive abilities and screen for signs of dementia in older people... but you can conduct your own unofficial evaluation at home. (Note: You can use these questions to determine whether someone in your life is beginning to suffer early signs of dementia, or you can use questions like these to decide whether your own memory lapses are normal or potentially worrisome.) Required equipment: A pen and paper. Test-taking instructions: Ask a series of straightforward questions. What’s today’s date? What country are we in? Can you repeat a phrase spoken to you by someone else? Name common objects around you, such as a pencil or watch? Consistent problems with answering questions such as these can indicate that you may have some underlying health troubles, which Dr. Rubman notes may be dementia or could point to other problems, including environmental factors or nutritional deficiencies. For example, dementia-like symptoms can sometimes be side effects of prescription or over-the-counter medications or may be caused by a deficiency of certain nutrients, such as vitamins B-12 and B-6 or the amino acid L-carnitine. Test # 2: Stick Your Neck Out A simple test for obstructive sleep apnea -- a dangerous sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing and snoring -- is neck circumference. Although size matters in the sense that larger people have larger "healthy" measurements, if you are a man with a neck circumference of 17 inches or more or a woman with a neck that measures 16 inches or greater, you have a higher-than-normal risk for sleep apnea -- in fact, you may have sleep apnea and not realize it. Required equipment: A tape measure. How to do it: Measure the distance around your neck at about the spot where a man would measure for collar size. If you are in the danger area, see your physician to discuss whether you should be tested for sleep apnea. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to complications ranging from daytime sleepiness and poor concentration to an increased risk for high blood pressure and heart disease. Losing weight or sleeping on your side may solve the problem, or your physician can prescribe a special sleep mask or other device to help regulate breathing. Test # 3: Name That Fruit In general, people of both genders whose bodies are shaped like apples (round at the middle) face greater health risks than those shaped like pears (a narrow waist and wider hips). When fat accumulates in your abdomen and around your waist, it’s a sign that fat is also building up around vital organs such as your heart, liver, kidneys and intestine. For people of average height, a waist circumference over 35 inches in women or over 40 inches in men often is an indication of higher risk for metabolic syndrome, diabetes or even heart attack or stroke. Required equipment: That same tape measure you just used. How to do it: Wrap the tape measure around your waist and then your hips. If your waist is bigger than your hips, you have an apple shape. To slim down, consult your health-care provider and get started on a sensible program of diet and exercise. Test # 4: Pay Attention to Your Poop A sudden change in bowel habits, especially if you are 50 or older, is a possible sign of a digestive disorder, which may or may not be serious. Watch for variations in stool frequency, color, consistency or shape that last longer than a few days. Also be alert to the onset of prolonged periods of constipation or diarrhea. Other stool symptoms that should be checked out with your doctor include the presence of mucus or blood (bright red or dark or clotted) or a color that is very light or very dark. Required equipment: None. Dr. Rubman’s tip: A normal stool is soft, medium brown, doesn’t sink quickly and doesn’t stink (not terribly, anyway). (For more on what constitutes a "normal" bowel movement, see Daily Health News, "Stool Testing Can Tell You Lots About Your Health," February 8, 2011.) If you detect danger signs, promptly report them to your physician and seek appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Test #5: Speed Test Believe it or not, something as simple as the way you walk (called "gait speed" in medical-ese) is an accepted measurement of frailty in older people and a predictor of physical and cognitive health. In fact, it is a key barometer of heart and lung health and overall well-being. In the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers reported that measuring gait speed even can aid doctors in determining whether a patient is fit for heart surgery. In other research, investigators found that people with a brisk gait of at least 3.28 feet (one meter) per second live longer than average. Required equipment: A tape measure or yardstick and a stopwatch. How to do it: Measure out a distance of 30 feet (roughly three car lengths) and then use the stopwatch to time (or have someone else do so) how long it takes you to walk the distance at your regular pace -- for instance, imagining yourself taking a walk on a nice spring day. Ideally, you should cover the distance in no more than 10 seconds. A worrisome result would be if it takes you 20 seconds. The idea here is not that you should try to walk faster, but rather that if you are healthier overall you will naturally be a faster walker. Therefore, picking up your walking speed may turn out to be a good way to achieve this general health goal -- and it will enhance your mental acuity as well. That should be ample incentive to start a regular walking program several days a week! Yes, these tests are basic, but the information they provide is valuable and helpful -- they’re worth doing periodically to keep a measure on your health and well-being. Source(s): Andrew L. Rubman, ND, founder and director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut. www.SouthburyClinic.com.
Blood Pressure "Switch" Found on Human Body... Chicago, IL: A recent study conducted by the Hypertension Center at the University of Chicago identified a small spot (the "Atlas area") on the body that appears to control blood pressure. In minutes, a single touch lowers blood pressure back to healthy levels. Top number drops 14 points, bottom number drops 8 points. No drug on Earth can match this instant miracle. Who knew it was this simple? It’s almost like a switch that allows doctors to dial down your blood pressure in minutes. Learn more...
Can a Broken Heart Really Kill Someone? The term "broken heart" always reminds me of that quintessential ’70s song by the Bee Gees, the one that asks for advice on how to mend one so the singer can "...liiiiiiive again." The ballad is a little melodramatic, but, as it turns out, not overly so! New research has identified that some people have a vascular abnormality that may make them vulnerable to a heart attack as a result of suffering intense emotional anguish. It turns out that these patients have blood vessels that react very differently to stress than those of other people, triggering physiological changes that may increase vulnerability to heart attack -- and, in extreme cases, actually bring one on. Extra-Sensitive People The medical name for broken heart syndrome is apical ballooning syndrome (ABS). Seen in men and young women only very occasionally, the problem mainly affects postmenopausal women, probably because menopause brings hormonal shifts that change the way their blood vessels respond to stress. Amir Lerman, MD, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and coauthor of a recent study on the topic (published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology), told me that awareness of this problem has grown in recent years. He and others are now working to take the knowledge further and develop a way to identify these very sensitive people in advance so that they can take steps to avoid the problem. The Challenge The study: To learn more about the cause of this condition, researchers examined 28 postmenopausal women -- 12 with ABS, 12 without ABS and four who had suffered classic heart attacks. The participants were asked to complete a series of mental stress tests, including complex memory and mathematical tasks. As they did this, researchers used a finger cuff (called an EndoPAT) to monitor changes in their blood volume as a way to determine how their blood vessels reacted when they were experiencing mental stress. Normal blood vessels dilate during stress, allowing more blood to flow to the heart, but the opposite occurs in people with ABS. Researchers found that, compared to both other groups, these patients had "decreased endothelial function," causing their blood vessels to constrict under stress. The endothelium or inner layer of the vessels regulates the activity of the vessels, allowing blood flow to increase when we’re in demanding situations, such as exercising or under mental stress. Endothelial dysfunction also can contribute to decreased blood flow to the heart, which -- if dramatic enough -- can lead to a heart attack and also to weakening of the left ventricle, the heart’s main pumping chamber. What Can You Do? "If you’re under stress and your blood vessels narrow rather than dilate, there’s a discrepancy between how much blood flow you need and how much you get," explains Dr. Lerman, noting that this is what causes the chest pains or shortness of breath that ABS patients often experience. The good news is this isn’t usually as dangerous as it feels. There’s no actual blockage involved with ABS and it usually doesn’t cause permanent damage, he said. Might you have ABS? Well, if you have noticed that when you’re really stressed your chest hurts and you’re short of breath, then Dr. Lerman advises that you discuss the condition with your doctor. He suggests asking to have your endothelial function tested with noninvasive devices, such as the EndoPAT used in the study, and adds that it’s a good idea for anyone who has experienced heart attack-like symptoms but hasn’t actually had a heart attack to be tested as well. Dr. Lerman told me that people with ABS usually respond quite well to treatment, which may involve medication, such as beta-blockers and other drugs to lower blood pressure, and/or relaxation techniques, such as meditation or yoga, to help them learn better ways to handle stressful situations. The goal, said Dr. Lerman, is for people to learn coping skills that bring greater resilience so that they can learn to tolerate sadness and loss without allowing it to, literally, "break their hearts." It’s a simple and healthful fix -- for all of us, in fact, not just people who have ABS! Source(s):
Amir Lerman, MD, cardiologist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
The 4 Most Deadly Prescription Drug Myths You’d like to trust your pharmacy and pharmacist. But the truth is, that when it comes to prescription medicine, you can’t be so trusting. Are any of these well known myths in your thoughts? Myth #1: My pharmacy will warn me if I’m combining the wrong drugs. Myth #2: The drug packaging tells everything I need to know about side effects. Myth #3: My doctor is aware so will warn me about any serious dangers from my meds. Myth #4: Really serious drug reactions are rare. The truth is that prescription drugs are 10 times more likely to put you in the hospital than a car accident! Learn the facts behind these myths... Learn more...
Be well, 
Carole Jackson
Bottom Line's Daily Health News
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