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May 30, 2011  In This Issue... - Get the Best Sleep of Your Life
- The Pelvic Exam: A Thing of the Past?
- Arthritis Abolished in Minutes by Doctor's Astonishing Speed Cure
- Do-It-Yourself Stroke Rehab? Surprising Findings...
Get the Best Sleep of Your Life Studies suggest sleeping pills give you only 11 minutes extra sleep at best. And, if you take them, you face the problem of addiction and side effects. I have a natural solution that sends you quietly off to sleep in minutes. My new delivery technology lets you reset your body clock and fall asleep without effort. Switch off your restless mind and get meaningful rest tonight. Let me show you exactly how it works...
The Pelvic Exam: A Thing of the Past? Every year, women go marching off to their gynecologists for their annual pelvic exams... not because anyone wants to have the exam, which is after all a close-up look at the vagina and cervix. As a woman, I can tell you that it’s certainly intrusive as tests go, but for more than a half century, having "a pelvic" every year has been a cornerstone of a woman being responsible for her health. In late 2009, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) announced that for healthy women, there is no reason to have an annual Pap test, and now some prominent gynecologists have posed the idea that this may be a good time to rethink the need for an annual pelvic exam as well. I find myself wondering, Is that really a good idea? It’s an important question that you (or the women in your life) need to give careful thought to. Purpose of the Pelvic Frankly, I am more than a little concerned about taking the "annual" out of the pelvic. Cervical screening in the form of the Pap test, began back in the 1940s as an annual test for cancer and abnormal cells that might lead to cancer. Gynecologists gradually began to supplement the Pap with a complete exam of the vaginal area. Doctors supported the broadened exam because in addition to the cervical cancer screening, it allowed them to check for chlamydia and gonorrhea (common sexually transmitted bacterial diseases)... masses, including uterine fibroids... and possible early indications of ovarian cancer such as bloating and changes in bowel habits. A Changed Field The Pap has an impressive record -- cervical cancer rates have been reduced by 50% in the last 30 years. ACOG, however, has come to think that because cervical cancer is very slow-growing, having the test every few years gives sufficient time to detect it. The downside of the Pap -- and one motivating factor for ACOG’s change -- is that the test is associated with a significant number of false-positive results that lead to further examination via cervical excisions... and, in turn, cutting cervical tissue has caused a disturbing increase in premature deliveries among the women who have had these excisions. I must admit that while all of that makes some sense to me, a 50% reduction in cervical cancer rates strikes me as huge. Mightn’t those false-positives -- currently estimated to be 1% to 10% -- be reduced in some other way, I wondered? I kept reading through the new guidelines, but a small nagging sense of doubt stayed with me. The case that many gynecologists are making against annual pelvic exams goes beyond the false-positives. While no one disputes the fact that the exams do detect fibroids, a recent evaluation of data on pelvic exams published in the Journal of Women’s Health found that such information is generally not useful because detection before symptoms show up doesn’t affect treatment or outcome. The same article also reported that the pelvic exam does not help in the early detection of ovarian cancer. Again, I’m just not so sure. I know from friends who’ve had this terrible cancer that bloating, bleeding and back pain can each be signs of the disease -- yet women often attribute those symptoms to something else, something as innocent as normal menstrual changes or a strained back. Sometimes, it takes a doctor to add everything up. And in fact, the idea of fewer pelvic exams is unsettling for a fair number of doctors as well as for individuals like me. My opposition to ACOG’s new guidelines becomes even firmer as they pertain to young women. According to ACOG, even sexually active young women who have no symptoms should wait until they are age 21 to have their first cervical cancer screenings compared to the previous recommendation of three years after first sexual intercourse or age 21, whichever occurs first. The fact is that not all sexually transmitted diseases have symptoms that are obvious to laypeople -- let alone teenaged girls. I’m worried that by recommending against young women having these exams, medical reimbursement may be made more difficult to obtain and young women who do have problems will not feel comfortable making an important appointment that they need. Embarrassment is not the worst thing in the world. Colonoscopies are considered by many to be embarrassing, as are prostate exams. In my own estimation, embarrassment is something to deemphasize, and catching problems early is the place to make sure that significant emphasis remains. So, my skepticism over fewer pelvic exams has turned into an opinion. And here it is: I feel quite strongly that fewer pelvic exams and fewer Pap smears would, on the whole, set back the cause of women’s health. To my mind, there are simply too many things that can go unrecognized and therefore untreated when a woman isn’t seen by, and doesn’t talk with, her doctor. If a woman notices symptoms, she will certainly make an appointment on her own. It’s those symptoms that go unnoticed that are the reason for concern. 
Arthritis Abolished in Minutes by Doctor's Astonishing Speed Cure People fly in from all over the world to visit the famed California clinic of Dr. Mark Stengler. His naturopathic speed cures are the stuff of medical legend -- sought after by film actors, sports stars and mega-millionaire CEOs. Legions of patients can attest to the power of this amazing new botanical "nano-cure." An NFL hero was stunned by its speed, as it eased his chronic hip pain in minutes! Better still, the relief "held" for days.
Read on...
Do-It-Yourself Stroke Rehab? Surprising Findings... While many people survive strokes and manage to keep their own "selves" very much intact, for others the remnant physical or mental damage of the stroke goes on and on. Careers and relationships suffer when a formerly vibrant, independent person is transformed into one who is in need of assistance for everything from driving to dialing the phone to showering and dressing. Since 1995, survival rates for stroke patients have been boosted by nearly 30% -- but, sadly, many of those patients have remained deeply impaired. They have trouble walking and they are at high risk for falls. Innovative therapies have been developed for physical therapy to aid in recovery. While helpful, much of this technology is expensive to develop, costly to purchase and must be administered by a trained specialist as part of a structured exercise program, putting it out of reach for many patients. Now a study from Duke University has taken the results of patients doing intensive, center-based rehab with high-tech equipment and compared them with the results of people who work at home with a visiting physical therapist. The researchers also investigated whether rehab started long after a stroke -- as much as six months later -- still can be helpful. Exciting, Unexpected Results The study examined the progress of 408 stroke survivors, all of whom had their strokes either two months or six months earlier. Some of the patients who had suffered strokes six months previously were wait-listed to begin therapy at a center and so had not received any rehab. All of the patients were divided into three groups. Those who had strokes two months previously either underwent therapy in a center for high-tech rehab (group one)... or had home-based rehab with a therapist (group two), emphasizing progressive strength, balance and walking exercises. The third group of patients -- those who were wait-listed -- also started the high-tech program. Rehab for all groups took place in three weekly sessions over 12 weeks. I spoke with the study author, Pamela Woods Duncan, PhD, PT, professor of physical therapy at Duke University School of Medicine. She explained that the goal of the study was to determine how well patients functioned one year after a stroke with different therapy protocols -- and that the research yielded two excellent findings: First, while the researchers had anticipated that high-tech rehab would be more effective, much to their surprise that was not the case. "Using technology was not superior to working with patients at home in function, balance and walking exercises," Dr. Duncan said. Furthermore, the study put to rest the belief that only early rehab works. The results were the same in all three groups including the late starters -- 52% of all patients showed significant improvement, walking well in the home and walking more in their communities. On Your Own? Stroke patients absolutely need rehabilitation and regular exercise, Dr. Duncan told me, but added that it would be a grave mistake to misinterpret these findings to mean that stroke patients can do well simply by exercising on their own at home. Stroke patients need careful cardiovascular monitoring and a trained therapist to design and conduct a program that is in keeping with their progress. Safety is an issue, especially early on in rehab when the risk of falling is high -- so using professional therapists, at least initially, is critical. That said, in-home therapy uses less expensive equipment (such as elastic bands), requires less training for therapists and needs fewer clinical staff members than in-patient care. And, physical therapy for stroke patients is not just a 12-week endeavor -- it must be a lifelong habit in order to keep the muscles strong and supple. Developing an at-home therapy plan that can be administered by family members can be cost-effective and also very helpful at maintaining and even continuing to improve the physical function of the patient. Source(s):
Pamela Woods Duncan, PhD, PT, professor of physical therapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina. Be well, 
Carole Jackson
Bottom Line's Daily Health News
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to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. | May 29, 2011 | |  |  | Which Carbs Place an Unhealthy Load on Your Heart? | | | Shocking #2 Cause of Cancer | | | Should You Ease the Pain of a Shot... or Not? | | | Why Don’t These Doctors Get Sick? | | | Surprising Stats: The Steps We Take | | | |  |  | |  | |
 | | Which Carbs Place an Unhealthy Load on Your Heart? At a wedding, a tablemate groaned, "This is all delicious—the bread, the pasta, the cake—but so many carbs! I’ve been trying to avoid them because I have a family history of heart disease." I knew what she meant, since some research indicates that carbohydrates may be as dangerous to our hearts as the dreaded saturated fat. However, a recent study in Archives of Internal Medicine confirmed that we needn’t renounce all carbs, just those with a high glycemic index (GI)—meaning those that cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels, which can be hard on the body. Study finding: Compared with women whose diets included the fewest high-GI carbs, women whose diets included the most carbs with a high GI were about twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease (narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart). Surprising: High-GI foods include not only the usual carbo culprits (white bread, sweets) but also some foods that we normally think of as healthful, such as brown rice. After that wedding, I contacted James Shikany, DrPH, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, who has studied the connection between GI and chronic diseases for many years. He explained that, over time, a diet full of high-GI foods can lead to chronic high blood levels of insulin. This can have multiple adverse metabolic effects—for instance, on cholesterol levels, blood clotting factors and body weight—potentially increasing heart disease risk. Here’s what women need to know about GI to keep their hearts healthy or to minimize the danger if they already have heart disease... Demystifying the Glycemic Index Scientifically speaking, the glycemic index is a measure of how quickly and dramatically equal amounts (usually 50 grams) of various carbohydrate foods will raise blood sugar levels. Based on that, a food is ranked on a scale ranging from 0 (meaning it causes no alteration in blood sugar) to 100 (reflecting an extreme spike in blood sugar equal to that of pure glucose). A GI of 70 or more is considered high. Tricky: Some high-GI foods don’t really deserve a bad rap. For instance, although watermelon is a healthful fruit, it rates a high GI of 72. Dr. Shikany said that this stems from a glitch in the GI concept that arises with foods that are relatively low in carbohydrates—because you would have to eat almost five cups of watermelon to consume 50 grams of carbs! To get around that problem, you also should consider the newer concept of glycemic load (GL), which takes into account a food’s GI and its standard portion size. A report from the Harvard School of Public Health classifies a high GL as 20 and up... a GL of 10 or less is considered low. Watermelon’s GL is a very reasonable four. It would be convenient if we could just check product labels to learn a food’s GI or GL, but unfortunately such information is not listed. What’s more, food processing and preparation methods can affect those numbers. For example, cooking carrots increases their glycemic ratings because heat breaks down the cell walls, making the carbohydrate more available, Dr. Shikany said. Thus, we must dig deeper to figure out which foods are best and worst for our hearts. You might assume that you can just follow the often-heard advice to stick mostly to complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains. Yet when it comes to GL, that doesn’t necessarily hold true. For example, the GL of mass-produced whole-wheat bread tends to be only slightly lower than that of white bread. What matters more, Dr. Shikany said, is to have soluble fiber in your food. Soluble fiber slows digestion and absorption and thus helps keep blood sugar levels more stable. Good sources include barley, oats and wheat bran... beans of many types... certain fruits (apples, citrus fruits, mangoes, pears, strawberries)... some vegetables (asparagus, Brussels sprouts, turnips)... flax and psyllium seeds. Low-Glycemic Guidelines A great way to be sure that you’re eating a low-glycemic diet is to look up favorite foods at www.GlycemicIndex.com. This database from the University of Sydney in Australia lists the GL (and GI) of many foods. If a food has a GL of 20 or more, instead eat something similar that has a lower GL. Example: Rather than white rice (with a GL as high as 43, depending on brand) or even brown rice (with a GL as high as 33), eat pearled barley (with a GL of nine to 12). Of course, I realize that you won’t always have time to check the database, so I asked Dr. Shikany for some simple low-GL strategies. His suggestions... - Eat foods that are as close to their natural states as possible. For instance, the GL of apple juice is about 13, whereas raw apples have a GL of just four to six.
- Breakfast cereals in particular have a wide GL range. Rule of thumb: Anything puffed, ground or flaked tends to have a higher GL than oatmeal or All-Bran.
- Whenever you eat carbs, have some protein and a bit of fat at the same time. This slows carbohydrate absorption, keeping blood sugar levels more stable... and keeping your heart healthier.
Source: James Shikany, DrPH, is an associate professor in the division of preventive medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine and an associate scientist with the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at UAB. His work focuses on the association between diet and chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
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 | | Shocking #2 Cause of Cancer An official at the American Cancer Society said that it’s easy to avoid half of all cancers. However, an adviser to the American Institute for Cancer Research was even more optimistic when he said that nine out of 10 cancers are related to factors we control. Of course, their #1 piece of advice is "stop smoking." We all know that. But I bet you don’t know the #2 cause of cancer. It’s something totally under your control—it’s much easier than quitting cigarettes—and it’s the last thing you’d ever expect. I’ll tell you about it in a moment. | |
Keep reading...  | |  | | |
 | | Should You Ease the Pain of a Shot... or Not?
Q: My arm always feels sore after I get a flu shot or other vaccination. It’s OK to take an over-the-counter pain reliever to minimize the discomfort, isn’t it?
A: Not really—and here’s why. The purpose of vaccination is to create an immune reaction... and that includes inflammation. Pain is a natural consequence of inflammation. If you try to reduce the pain and inflammation, whether with a pain-relieving drug or with ice, it may decrease the effectiveness of the vaccination, research suggests. For instance, in a study published in The Lancet, babies who received acetaminophen (Tylenol) after their injections produced significantly fewer antibodies against the diseases for which they had been vaccinated than babies who were not given the pain reliever. It makes sense that this same effect might apply to adults. Think of it this way—pain actually is a good sign that your body is reacting to the vaccine the way you want it to. The discomfort should go away within about 10 hours. If it has been more than a day and your arm is still very sore, alert the doctor who prescribed the injection. You may need to be evaluated to make sure there are no other forces at play. Source: Sergei Frenzel ND, MD, is founder of Integrative Natural Health, a clinic with offices in Stamford and Southington, Connecticut. He is a graduate of both Bridgeport University College of Naturopathic Medicine in Connecticut and Kharkov State Medical University in Kharkov, Ukraine. www.IntegrativeNaturalHealth.com
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| | | Surprising Stats: The Steps We Take Do you know how much you walk in a day—and how your daily step count compares with other people’s? Consider these averages... By gender:
4,912... Steps taken by an American woman.
5,340... Steps taken by an American man. By marital status:
4,793... Steps taken by a married American.
6,076... Steps taken by a single American. By country:
5,117... Steps taken by an adult in the US—where the obesity rate is 34%.
9,650... Steps taken by an adult in Switzerland—where the obesity rate is just 8%. Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
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 |  | |  Tamara Eberlein, the editor of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line, has been a health journalist for nearly three decades. An award-winning author or coauthor of four books, she is committed to helping other women in midlife and beyond live healthy, fulfilling lives. Her latest book is the updated, third edition of When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads (HarperCollins). She is also the "chief health adviser" to her husband of 25 years, college-age twins and teenaged son. | |  | | Bottom Line Publications | 281 Tresser Boulevard, 8th Floor | Stamford, CT 06901
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