Friday, January 14, 2005
I'm trying to get through a load of magazine articles I've torn out and saved up. Herewith a summary:
From Reader's Digest, December 2004:
CT scans are a safe way to diagnose illness or injury. But the growing trend of full-body CT scans by healthy people for early detection of tumors or heart problems may actually increase cancer risk. Don't get a full-body CT scan unless you are already at heightened risk for one of these diseases. From a study at Columbia University Medical Center.
Being overweight ups heart disease risk, and exercise cuts risk. Which is more important: losing weight, or exercising? Obese women who weren't active were 50% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke or die in the next four years than more active obese women. It's still not OK to be obese, but regardless of your weight, you'll be better off if you exercise than if you don't. From a University of Florida study.
From Science News. 9 October 2004:
From muscle strength to immunity, scientists find new Vitamin D benefits. Vitamin D reduces your risk of injury from falling. It appears to have a protective effect against MS, and possibly against other autoimmune diseases. It helps reduce the gum inflammation that can lead to tooth loss. It slows prostate cancer growth. It may aid in the prevention of type 2 diabetes - and many people with heart failure also have diabetes, so this effect is important for you. Recommendations: aim for at least 400 IU of Vitamin D daily, and 600 is even better.
However, note also from an earlier issue of Science News, summarized in the Dec 18 issue, that Vitamin D promotes weight gain in people who aren't getting enough calcium in their diets - so as you up your Vitamin D intake, make sure your calcium intake is also adequate!
And also from that year-end summary:
Guggul extract, a common dietary supplement for heart health and obesity, may impair the efficacy of many prescription drugs. Here's a link to that article online: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20041002/food.asp. Statins are one class of drugs whose effectiveness is reduced by guggul, and many of us with heart failure are taking statins. In general, don't take any dietary supplements purported to have health benefits without checking with your doctor for potential interactions with prescription medications.
From Science News, 4 December 2004:
Breathing polluted air - air with soot and other airborne particles - compromises the arteries' capacity to dilate and inhibits blood flow. This links cardiovascular disease and polluted air.
There, that's enough for the moment, and gets rid of a few millimeters of my accumulated paper pile.
From Reader's Digest, December 2004:
From Science News. 9 October 2004:
From muscle strength to immunity, scientists find new Vitamin D benefits. Vitamin D reduces your risk of injury from falling. It appears to have a protective effect against MS, and possibly against other autoimmune diseases. It helps reduce the gum inflammation that can lead to tooth loss. It slows prostate cancer growth. It may aid in the prevention of type 2 diabetes - and many people with heart failure also have diabetes, so this effect is important for you. Recommendations: aim for at least 400 IU of Vitamin D daily, and 600 is even better.
However, note also from an earlier issue of Science News, summarized in the Dec 18 issue, that Vitamin D promotes weight gain in people who aren't getting enough calcium in their diets - so as you up your Vitamin D intake, make sure your calcium intake is also adequate!
And also from that year-end summary:
Guggul extract, a common dietary supplement for heart health and obesity, may impair the efficacy of many prescription drugs. Here's a link to that article online: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20041002/food.asp. Statins are one class of drugs whose effectiveness is reduced by guggul, and many of us with heart failure are taking statins. In general, don't take any dietary supplements purported to have health benefits without checking with your doctor for potential interactions with prescription medications.
From Science News, 4 December 2004:
Breathing polluted air - air with soot and other airborne particles - compromises the arteries' capacity to dilate and inhibits blood flow. This links cardiovascular disease and polluted air.
There, that's enough for the moment, and gets rid of a few millimeters of my accumulated paper pile.
