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Archive for November, 2008

Antioxidants help delay aging signs

November 26th, 2008

Von

Eating or consuming antioxidant-rich foods can actually help delay signs of aging.

“Our cells use antioxidants to work against the effects of harmful environmental factors and free radicals that evade our body’s defenses and can cause internal breakdown and cellular aging,” says Dr. Miguel Ramos Jr., PhD, director of the Geriatric Center of St. Luke’s Medical Center and the president of the Philippine Society of Geriatric Medicine.

Foods rich in antioxidant include fruits, vegetables, nuts, certain meat products, and coffee. A study done at the University of Scranton showed that these foods are the number one sources of antioxidants in the US diet.

According to Dr. Ramos, while the body requires oxygen, it can also cause harm through the natural process called oxidation, which is said to be the primary catalyst for much of the damage associated with aging.

“This process produces potentially harmful by-products. In cells, these by-products are called oxygen free radicals, also known as reactive oxygen species,” he explains. (more…)

Posted in Health Tips, Mens health

Tags: Antioxidant Rich Foods, Beta Carotene, Bodily Changes, Cell Membranes, Chemical Toxins, Dr Miguel, Environmental Factors, Fruits Vegetables, Geriatric Center, Geriatric Medicine, Internal Breakdown, Meat Products, Mitochondria, Oxygen Free Radicals, Oxygen Species, Phd Director, Reactive Molecules, Source Of Energy, Sun Chemical, Ultraviolet Rays

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Healthy meals for breast (and other) cancer survivors

November 26th, 2008

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Joy Angelica Subido

Is adopting a healthier diet and lifestyle after getting cancer somewhat like closing the barn door when the horses have already bolted? Certainly not. There is no reason to feel depressed and “throw in the towel.” With better medications and improved technology, the future continues to be even more promising for cancer patients. Cure and survival rates have vastly improved, so that with a commitment to eschew cancer-causing habits, a growing number of individuals are discovering that there really is life after cancer after all.

Along with alcoholic beverage and smoking cessation, physical activity, constant medical monitoring, and avoidance of carcinogens in the environment, a key lifestyle factor in preventing the recurrence of cancer is better diet. Studies have shown that the disease is less common in countries where the typical diet is low in total fat, polyunsaturated and unsaturated fats, and experts suggest that cured foodstuff containing cancer-causing chemicals and preservatives should be avoided in favor of healthier alternatives. Of course, awareness campaigns have been invaluable for prevention, early detection, and improved remission and cure. Taking into account that breast cancer is by far the most frequent cancer among women worldwide, and that the Philippines has the highest incidence rate in Asia, GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) embarked on a campaign dubbed “More Than Words.” The GSK initiative “calls for people to engage in proactive dialogue and positive action to improve the awareness, management, and care of breast cancer patients around the world.”

In line with the GSK program, celebrity chef Rob Pengson recently provided healthy, easy-to-prepare alternatives for breast cancer survivors. Members of a support group called “Corridors of Hope” engaged in friendly competition to prepare the healthy recipes. The activity was followed by a discussion on the importance of nutrition by Dr. Romulo de Villa, president of the Molecular Oncology Society of the Philippines and dean of the College of Medicine, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Does good nutrition help breast and other cancer patients? (more…)

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags: Alcoholic Beverage, Awareness Campaigns, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Patients, Breast Cancer Survivors, Cancer, Cancer Causing Chemicals, Celebrity Chef, Corridors Of Hope, Diet Studies, Foodstuff, Frequent Cancer, Glaxosmithkline, Healthy Meals, Healthy Recipes, Improved Technology, Incidence Rate, Smoking Cessation, Survival Rates, Typical Diet, Unsaturated Fats

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Is your heart beating really fast?

November 26th, 2008

Von

Check your pulse while sitting down. Count the beats you feel for 10 seconds and multiply it by six to get your pulse rate. Got 70 and above? Most doctors will say that’s normal, but a recent study shows that a resting heart rate (measured while sitting or lying down) of 70 or more beats per minute (bpm) is a telltale sign of increased risk of heart attack.

Results of the BEAUTIFUL study also reveal that CAD (coronary artery disease) patients with LVD (left ventricular dysfunction) and a high resting heart rate are in greater risk of needing further heart surgery in the future. They also face greater risk of dying of heart disease. Through the same study, doctors discovered that lowering the heart rate of patients, using the new drug Ivabradine (Corolan), significantly reduces the risk of such coronary events.

BEAUTIFUL is the first study to evaluate the benefits of pure heart rate reduction using the new drug Ivabradine (Corolan). Doctors from 34 countries around the world served as investigators for this study.

Philippine Heart Association’s immediate past president Dr. Efren Vicaldo and cardiologist Dr. Ma. Rosario Sevilla presented these findings in the health forum organized by the Philippine College of Physicians and Servier Philippines, Inc., a research-based French organization dedicated to the development of new medicines. (more…)

Posted in Health Tips, Heart Attack

Tags: College Of Physicians, Coronary Artery Disease, Coronary Events, Disease Patients, French Organization, Health Forum, Heart Surgery, High Resting Heart Rate, Left Ventricular Dysfunction, New Medicines, Philippine College Of Physicians, Philippine Heart Association, Philippine Star, Pulse Rate, Pure Heart, Resting Heart Rate, Risk Of Heart Attack, Rosario Sevilla, Servier Philippines Inc, Telltale Sign

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Vitamin pills don’t prevent heart disease

November 15th, 2008

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Vitamins C and E do nothing to prevent heart disease in men, one of the largest and longest studies of these supplements has found.

Vitamin E even appeared to raise the risk of bleeding strokes, a danger seen in at least one earlier study.

Besides questioning whether vitamins help, “we have to worry about potential harm,” said Barbara Howard, a nutrition scientist at MedStar Research Institute of Hyattsville, Maryland.

She has no role in the research but reviewed and discussed it at an American Heart Association conference. Results also were published online by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Male smokers taking vitamin E had a higher rate of bleeding strokes in a previous study, and several others found no benefit for heart health. (more…)

Posted in Health Tips, Heart Attack, Vitamins

Tags: American Heart Association, American Medical Association, Brigham And Women, E Vitamin, Health Study, Heart Attacks, Heart Health, Heart Problems, Hyattsville Maryland, Journal Of The American Medical Association, Male Doctors, Male Smokers, Medstar Research Institute, National Institutes Of Health, Nutrition Scientist, Physicians Health, S Hospital, Vitam, Vitamin Makers, Vitamin Pills

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Time for change (in joints)

November 14th, 2008

Von

by DR. JOSE S. PUJALTE JR.

YOU’RE out of denial now. Yes, the hurt in the knees hasn’t really been going away even on a diet of pain pills. And yes, you’ve have just about enough of the incapacitation and the boredom.

In fact, you’ve been rightly proactive about the whole thing. Regular visits to the orthopedic specialist confirmed the worsening osteoarthritis of the knee. It’s been three years of enduring the pain but you’ve been a good patient. You took the medicine (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and much later, the COX-2 inhibitors) and the food supplements (glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate). You even managed to lose a few pounds, on the recommendation of the doctor that lessening the load on the knees might ease some of the suffering.

Yet the pain remained. (more…)

Posted in Health Tips