Now is a great time to get your cholesterol numbers in tip-top shape. But just what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a fat that circulates in your blood, used to build cells and certain hormones. It cannot dissolve in blood. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is considered good because it clears one’s arteries of excess fats. LDL (low-density lipoprotein), on the other hand, clogs the arteries and can lead to stroke or heart attack.
And did you know that your cholesterol can be too high ( above 240 mg/dL) or too low (under 160 mg/d)?
What contributes to high cholesterol? Poor diet and lack of exercise certainly can. Genetics can also play a role - familial hypercholesterolemia (high LDL levels) effects 1 in 500 people and can lead to heart attacks at an early age. As women age, the decrease in estrogen levels can also lead to a drop in HDL levels and a rise in LDL levels.
How do you keep cholesterol in check? Lose weight, quit smoking and drink in moderation. Daily exercise is also important - it’s been found to raise the levels of HDL in a person’s bloodstream. Avoid trans fats, limit cholesterol intake - under 300 mg per day, choose lean meats and skim milk, and eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, walnuts, almonds and ground flaxseed.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is one of the more difficult medical conditions to diagnose. It has a long list of symptoms that are common to other diseases or illnesses and those symptoms may wane or get progressively worse in no particular pattern.
While no root cause has yet been identified for CFS, recent research indicates CFS may be caused by a rare mouse-related virus - murine leukemia virus (MLV). MLV, which causes cancer in mice, was found in the blood of 86 percent of tested CFS patients. In comparison, only seven percent of healthy blood donors had MLV in their samples. Scientists admit these findings are just the beginning - further research is needed to determine if an actual link between MLV and CFS exists.
Currently there is no one diagnostic test or cure for CFS. Doctors diagnose CFS by ruling out other medical issues. In general, to be diagnosed with CFS you have to experience persistent and extreme fatigue for at least six months and have at least four of the following eight symptoms:
- Memory or concentration difficulties
- Sore throat
- Unexplained muscle pain
- Pain in the joints
- Headaches
- Sleep disturbances
- Sore and enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits
- Extreme exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise
Women are most often diagnosed with CFS but research has not proven that sex is a risk factor. Instead, women may be more likely to report CFS symptoms to a doctor. People of all ages can get CFS but it is most common in people in their 40s and 50s.
If you are diagnosed with CFS your doctor’s chosen treatment will depend on the relieving the symptoms you are experiencing. Treatments generally consist of a combination of steps that help patients moderate their daily activity and exercise, address sleep problems and persistent pain, reduce stress, treat depression, relieve allergy-like symptoms and address low blood pressure or nervous system disorders.
In general, see your doctor if you are experiencing persistent or excessive fatigue.
Psoriatic arthritis was brought to very public attention with the announcement last week that PGA golfer Phil Mickelson was recently diagnosed with the autoimmune disease - a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own joints and tendons. This “attack” can cause redness, stiffness, warmth, inflammation and pain in the joints of your body. The pain may be limited to one or both sides of your body, cause pain in your fingertips, feet or spine, or may be a more debilitating version - destructive arthritis - that can result in severe pain, destroy bones and disable a person. Psoriatic arthritis may also lead to dactylitis - swelling of the fingers and toes.
Some people with psoriatic arthritis have psoriasis - an autoimmune inflammatory skin disease that results in scaly patches of skin on the scalp, ears, elbows, or buttocks. Like psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis can flare - causing greater discomfort - or go into remission. If someone suffers from both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, the flares of the skin condition can coincide with flares in the arthritic condition. In both cases, stress can exacerbate the condition.
Who’s at risk? Psoriatic arthritis affects both men and women equally. Those with psoriasis are more likely to develop psoriatic arthritis and genetics can play a role. The disease is also most likely to strike those between the ages of 30 and 50.
If you experience any of the above symptoms, see your doctor. Tests to determine your condition may include x-rays, a joint fluid test, a blood sed rate test and a blood rheumatoid factor test.
While no cure currently exists, psoriatic arthritis can, in most cases, be managed with medications that control inflammation. Medications used to treat the condition include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Advil, Motrin), corticosteroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (Azulfidine), immunosuppressant medications (Imuran, Neoral, Arava) or TNF-alpha inhibitors (Enbrel).
Risks associated with the psoriatic arthritis include diabetes and heart disease. There are also some risks associated with the medications used to treat the disease because the drugs - used to block tumor necrosis factor (TNF) - can put one at risk for infections.
Summer means travel. And for many of you that can mean motion sickness - be it travel by plan, train or automobile. It can even happen to people at an IMAX theatre. You may feel nauseous, dizzy, sweaty and uncomfortable. For most people the symptoms vanish once the offending motion stops - in other words, once you get off the plane or out of the car. But for some people the symptoms can last for a few days. This condition is called “mal d’embarquement.”
Just why do people suffer from motion sickness? Well, your body is constantly balancing a variety of sensations - signals from your inner ear, your skin, your eyes and your central nervous system. When these systems receive different messages, you can start to feel sick. One of the best examples is reading a book in the car. Your eyes - focused on the page - tell your body that you are stationary. But the fluid in your ears is telling your body a different story - a story of motion.
What can you do to prevent motion sickness?
- Don’t pick a window seat in an airplane. If you are seated by the window, don’t look out.
- Don’t read a book while in a car. Opt to sit in the front seat or drive.
- Get on the deck of the boat and take a good look around you. Watching the horizon will help.
- Don’t pick a backward facing seat on the train. Forward is best.
Certain medications can also help prevent motion sickness. The key is taking them well in advance of the motion. Antihistamines (such as Dramamine or Meclizine) or a scopolamine skin patch can prevent motion sickness. The skin patch is placed behind the ear and should be applied about four hours in advance of getting in the car, boat or plane. Some people also find that ginger ale helps an upset stomach, or even rolling down the window in the car. Experiment and see what works for you.
Finally, some people can actually teach their bodies to tolerate the conflicting sensory signals that make them motion sick. So, if you like reading in the car but start to feel woozy, try to extend your reading time a little longer each time. Eventually, your body may tolerate reading in the car.
Having difficultly grasping objects? Perhaps you’ve noticed painless knots, or a thickening of tissues, in your palm near the base of your fingers. Or that some of your fingers have become difficult to straighten. If so, you may have developed Dupuytren’s contracture.
Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition that develops slowly, usually over a period of years that causes the connective tissues within the hand to thicken and pull your fingers into a bent position. While the ring and pinky fingers are most commonly affected, any of your fingers may be affected on either hand.
While this condition is usually painless, it can make it difficult for the affected person to grasp objects, to shake hands, straighten the fingers or place a hand into confined spaces - such as gloves.
Research indicates that Dupuytren’s contracture does run in families and most often affects men of Northern European descent over the age of 50. Alcoholics and smokers are also more likely to be affected perhaps because of damage done to blood vessels. Diabetics are also at higher risk for the condition.
Other treatment options include:
- Needling -a needle is inserted to puncture the cord.
- Enzyme injections of Xiaflex -this enzyme softens the thickened cord. The doctor then manipulates the hand to try and “break” the cord.
- Surgery - the affected or scarred tissue is removed.
If you begin to experience symptoms of Dupuytren’s contracture, see your physician. Early intervention with heat, physical therapy and stretching may help in slowing the progression of the condition.
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