Drawing A Line Against Cardiovascular Disease

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States according to the American Heart Association (AHA). This might not come as a shock to most people, but the actual statistics for heart disease are mind blowing: the AHA reports that 60.8 million Americans suffer from some form of heart disease; that's one in every five Americans. Nearly one of every 2.5 deaths in this country stems from cardiovascular disease. ‘It is important for Americans to know just how deadly heart disease is,’ says Debbie Williams, VP of Medical Affairs for Meridian Co. Ltd. Meridian has developed a medical device called the Digital Pulse Analyzer (DPA), which provides early detection of arterial wall stiffness and determines the biological age of arteries ‘The DPA provides a simple way for people to monitor their cardiovascular health,’ explains Williams. ‘Along with a healthy diet and exercise, early screenings for heart disease contribute to protecting and preventing cardiovascular disease.’”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109949.php

Former U.S. Surgeon General In City; Advocates Nutrition, Activity

“Tempt children with salads, vegetables and fruits, and keep senior citizens active in the job market. That was the advice from former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, the featured speaker Wednesday at an AARP-sponsored health care forum at Oklahoma City University. Satcher, 67, said having children eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly is a key part of improving the health status of Americans. With encouragement, American youngsters can be captivated by healthy foods instead of junk foods, he said. He’s sounding an alarm. Satcher was U.S. Surgeon General 1998 to 2002. He is director of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.”

http://newsok.com/former-u.s.-surgeon-general-advocates-nutrition-activity/article/3253223

Obesity Prevention: The Role Of Policies, Laws And Regulations

“When the free market creates substantial population detriments and health inequalities, government policies are needed to change the ground rules in favour of population benefits. Concerted action is needed from governments in four broad areas: provide leadership to set the agenda and show the way; advocate for a multi-sector response and establish the mechanisms for all sectors to engage and enhance action; develop and implement policies (including laws and regulations) to create healthier food and activity environments, and; secure increased and continued funding to reduce obesogenic environments and promote healthy eating and physical activity. Policies, laws and regulations are often needed to drive the environmental and social changes that, eventually, will have a sustainable impact on reducing obesity. An 'obesity impact assessment' on legislation such as public liability, urban planning, transport, food safety, agriculture, and trade may identify 'rules' which contribute to obesogenic environments. In other areas, such as marketing to children, school food, and taxes/levies, there may be opportunities for regulations to actively support obesity prevention.”

http://7thspace.com/headlines/283492/obesity_prevention_the_role_of_policies_laws_and_regulations.html

Expert: Exercise Fights Addiction

“New approaches for treating and preventing drug addiction range from low-tech - regular exercise - to high-tech such as experimental vaccines aimed at helping to prevent former drug users from relapsing. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is just as excited about both options. Of the two, though, exercise will probably yield the quickest payoff. ‘It's something we could apply right away,’ she said. ‘Vaccines, we're not going to get those results in one or two years. It will take probably five, six years to results.’ Statistics indicate that teens who exercise daily are the least likely to report using drugs or alcohol, Volkow said Tuesday at a NIDA-sponsored conference on addiction treatment and research at Duke Energy Center downtown. NIDA, part of the National Institutes of Health, is sponsoring research to see if - and why - regular exercise prevents substance abuse. The agency is also awarding grants to determine whether working up a sweat can make addiction treatment more successful. Exercise has the advantage of being inexpensive and easily accessible, Volkow said.”

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080604/NEWS01/806040333/1056/COL02

Health Talk: Exercise and Your Heart

“The benefit of exercise in patients with and without heart disease continues to be rediscovered every few years. The benefits of a regular exercise program in patients with newly diagnosed coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease remains an underutilized treatment in the physician's toolbox. Fewer than 20 percent of eligible patients with coronary artery disease are referred to exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs. Higgins and Ades reviewed the clinical benefits of exercise in a controlled and systematic program after coronary events and identified several direct and immediate benefits of exercise including decreased mortality, increased exercise capacity, improved heart function and blood flow to the heart itself and an improved quality of life with reduced costs. There is also evidence that suggests there could be a decrease in cardiac events, defined as sudden cardiac death and heart attack.”

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080604/FEATURES14/806040302/1028/FEATURES14

Obesity Epidemic 'Not Caused By Idleness'

“Researchers have found that people burn the same number of calories each day as they have for the last 20 years, which means that over-eating rather than a sedentary lifestyle is the main cause of the ‘obesity epidemic’. More than 20 per cent of Americans and Britons are classed as obese, which means their Body Mass Index is over 30, with an additional 30 to 40 per cent classed as overweight. Researchers from the universities of Aberdeen and Maastricht have discovered that there has been no reduction in the level of energy people use in their daily lives over the past 20 years. They also found that comparisons of energy expended by people in both the USA and Europe differ little from those in pre-industrial societies in the Third World. ‘We found that people have not reduced their energy expenditure over the same period that obesity rates have increased enormously,’ said Prof John Speakman of the University of Aberdeen, co-author of a paper in the International Journal of Obesity. ‘Because we found no evidence for declines in energy expenditure over the last two decades, this work suggests that the obesity epidemic has been largely driven by increases in food intake,’ said Professor Klaas Westerterp, from the University of Maastricht.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2074518/Obesity-epidemic-'not-caused-by-idleness'.html

Obesity Increases Stillbirth Risk

“Expectant mothers are being advised to monitor their obesity levels after it was found that these may be a factor in stillbirths. Previous studies had found that the risk of a woman giving birth to a stillborn baby increased if she had previously undergone a caesarean. But the latest findings from a study at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, showed that maternal obesity levels had a greater impact on her risk of stillbirth. ‘Our study strongly suggests that previous caesarean section does not increase the risk of stillbirth in subsequent pregnancies,’ said Dr Steven Wood, from the university's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.”

http://www.nursinginpractice.com/default.asp?title=Obesityincreasesstillbirthrisk&page=article.display&article.id=11444