This week, at the American College of Cardiology annual conference, new research was presented that linked soy products with reductions in blood pressure. The study was presented by lead researcher Safiya Richardson, who analyzed the diets of over 5-thousand patients in a survey related to cardiovascular diseases.Richardson found that those who had a daily intake of isoflavones had the lowest blood pressure. Isoflavone compounds are commonly found in soy milk, tofu, green tea, and even peanuts. Experts agree that the unique study will be fruitful to those looking to avoid heart disease and hypertension, but recommend that a more active lifestyle along with a healthier diet will prove most effective. The Korean Financial Supervisory Service has released a preliminary report on delinquincy rates on domestic bank loans. they found that households last month had the highest rate of late payments and defaulting loans in over three years. The financial regulatory agency stated that delinquincy rates were at zero.eight-five percent compared to just under half a percent in 2009 The report also stated that corporate delinquicy rates have been steady at 1.three-eight percent.The rising household loan delinquincy rates were attributed to the higher cost of goods and a larger number of families taking out loans and mortgages… According to recent statistics released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of patients with hepatitis rose to over 4,300 last year.Hepatitis C is spread through blood and bodily fluids. Symptoms include chronic fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and muscle ache. unlike hepatitis B, hep-C cannot be prevented through vaccinations, but symptoms can be treated with various drug therapies. The CDC recommends paying attention to personal hygiene especially when it comes to piercings and tattoos. Paul Yi, Arirang NewsMAR 31, 2012   Reporter : arirangpaulyi@gmail.com  

Checking for clogged arteries doesn’t help inveterate smokers kick the habit if they are already in a quit-smoking program, Swiss researchers have found.

Yet that’s sometimes the justification when doctors recommend the expensive scan, called carotid plaque screening, which experts say has no proven benefits in people without symptoms of heart disease.

“When people get a very good smoking cessation program, carotid plaque screening does not add anything,” Dr. Nicolas Rodondi, who led the new study, told Reuters Health.

Some previous research had suggested that showing people dire pictures of cholesterol buildup, or plaque, in their arteries might be the stick they need to make healthy changes to their lifestyle.

But at least for smokers, the new study slashes those hopes.

“It proves that in trying to motivate smokers to quit, this strategy is not going to be useful,” said Dr. Patrick O’Malley of the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, who wrote an editorial about the findings.

During carotid plaque screening, doctors use ultrasound to get a picture of the arteries that supply blood to the brain. The procedure is gaining popularity both in the U.S. and in Europe, but it’s not clear that it actually helps patients.

“There is absolutely no proven benefit,” O’Malley told Reuters Health. “It’s still a promising test, but it is being overutilized in practice.”

While some organizations currently recommend the routine carotid plaque screening, the government-backed U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises against it when people have no symptoms of heart disease.

Scans vs. counseling

The new study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, is based on more than 500 long-time smokers aged 40 to 70 who all wanted to quit and had no symptoms of heart disease.

All of them had six sessions of counseling over a year, plus a phone call, nicotine patches and brochures on smoking cessation. In addition, half were randomly chosen to be screened for carotid plaque, which most turned out to have.

Although smoking contributes to plaque, which is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, the ultrasound pictures didn’t seem to have any effect.

After one year, a quarter of those who got screened had been smoke-free for at least a week based on their own reports as well as breath analyses. for those who didn’t get screened, the number was 22 percent — a difference that could easily be chalked up to chance.

And whether or not people had plaques visible on the scans didn’t make a difference either.

“Smokers are a different breed, they tend to have a different psychological profile,” said O’Malley. “They are more recalcitrant.”

According to Rodondi, carotid artery screening costs $400 in Switzerland — about the same as six sessions of quit-smoking counseling with a doctor.

And while the scan may not be worth its price tag, the smoking cessation program is, he added.

“We are very successful with the smoking cessation program,” Rodondi told Reuters Health. “When smokers try to stop smoking by themselves they only get a five-percent smoking cessation rate at one year.”

In an earlier study, O’Malley found that heart scans don’t seem to be of much help in changing risk factors for heart disease either.

While he said it’s still possible that medical scans might motivate some non-smokers to lead healthier lives, he said the new technology mostly distracts from establishing a good rapport between doctors and smokers — something that might ultimately help them kick the habit.

“It’s just difficult — It’s an addiction,” O’Malley said. “But I think people underestimate the value of building a relationship with patients and a longitudinal plan.”

November 28, 2011  |         LIKE THIS ARTICLE ? Join our mailing list: Sign up to stay up to date on the latest Personal Health headlines via email.        

We know too much drinking can be hazardous to our health. but new research suggests that drinking too little might be hazardous, too.

I don’t want to go to rehab, but a raft of recent studies show that moderate alcohol consumption lowers our risks for many dire conditions including heart disease, stroke, gallstones, diabetes and dementia. some studies even suggest that the answer to pesky menopause symptoms comes in six-packs and goes great with pretzels.

The keyword here is "moderate." some studies define this as one drink per week; others as up to four drinks per day. this haziness notwithstanding, these studies show that heavy drinkers are far more likely than moderate drinkers to die from certain diseases.

But so are people who don’t drink at all.

It’s a bell curve. but while one half of the bell is well, duh, the other half — the half involving abstinence — is pretty shocking. In study after study, abstainers get sick and die sooner and in larger numbers than moderate drinkers.

In these studies, "you get this protective effect no matter what you drink: wine, beer or liquor," says nutrition therapist Karen Scheuner.

Absinthe, beaujolais, King Cobra: It’s all good — or good for you.

"the benefits don’t increase with amount," Scheuner says, "and they disappear altogether if you consume four or more drinks per day."

A study published this summer found that women who consume one drink daily and men who consume two drinks daily are 23 percent less likely than nondrinkers to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Heavy drinkers, defined here as consumers of at least three to five drinks daily, face higher Alzheimer’s risks than both moderate drinkers and abstainers. (Well, duh.)

And a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that, compared to abstinence, drinking one to three alcoholic beverages daily is associated with a 33 to 56 percent lower incidence of diabetes — and imbibing over three drinks daily is associated with a 43 percent higher incidence of diabetes. (Duh again.)

A study presented two months ago at the European Respiratory Society Annual Congress found that both abstainers and heavy drinkers are nearly one and a half times as likely to develop asthma as are moderate drinkers, defined here as consumers of one to six alcoholic beverages per week. Abstainers face the highest asthma risk of all, topping even that of heavy drinkers.

A 2007 study found that drinking at least one alcoholic beverage daily is associated with a 30-percent lower risk than abstinence of developing one type of kidney cancer. but its authors warn that alcohol consumption — light, heavy and moderate — is linked with increased rates of breast cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer, esophageal cancer and other cancers. I don’t like those odds.

A study published in the new England Journal of Medicine that tracked over 22,000 men for more than 12 years found that those who regularly consumed as little as one drink a week had a lower stroke risk than did abstainers. a study published in the Journal of Urology that tracked over 120,000 men found that those who regularly consumed at least 1.3 ounces of alcohol daily — about half as much as is found in your average Manhattan — had a 35-percent lower risk than abstainers did of developing prostatic hyperplasia, whose symptoms include incontinence and a wide array of other urinary woes.

Other recent studies found moderate drinkers facing significantly less risk than abstainers for macular degeneration, arthritis, osteoporosis — and even death itself.

A 2010 study found that abstainers’ all-cause mortality rate is twice as high as that of moderate drinkers. Examining death rates among middle-aged people, this study also found a 70 percent higher mortality rate for heavy drinkers than for moderate drinkers. so does abstaining mean you’ll die that much sooner than both your social-drinker, daiquiri-a-day ex and alcoholic Uncle Joe, who blacks out in alleyways?

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Q my son, 27, has polycystic kidney disease. he has enlarged kidneys with cysts, and a liver cyst. can you discuss PKD?

A PKD causes kidneys to develop cysts (fluid-filled sacs). The noncancerous cysts can affect other organs. The most common sign is high blood pressure. Others are kidney stones, kidney failure, headache, frequent urination, urinary tract or kidney infections, back or side pain, increased abdomenal size and blood in the urine. PKD has many complications. High blood pressure, untreated, increases risk of heart disease and stroke. Loss of kidney function, kidney failure, brain aneurysm and diverticulosis can occur. Some sufferers develop mitral valve prolapse. PKD is incurable but symptoms can be treated. Family members should be tested to see if they have it. PKD sufferers should seek genetic counseling before having children to assess the risk of passing on genetic abnormalities that lead to it.

Write to Peter Gott, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10016.

Diabetes is a condition which can affect the young as well as people of all ages.

That is why the first Sneaker Stroll is scheduled for Saturday at the Riverside Park Nature Trail, with registration beginning at 9 a.m.

The walk begins at 10 a.m., and all proceeds will go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that can strike children and adults suddenly, and can be fatal.

Until a cure is found, many people with diabetes have to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin injections multiple times or use a pump — each day, every day of their lives. and even with that intensive care, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its potential complications, which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke and amputation.

The symptoms of juvenile diabetes, which can come as Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes, are extremely similar, but the two kinds are caused by very different bodily malfunctions. It is important to know which type the individual is afflicted with in order to provide the right treatment, which also varies between types.

Juvenile diabetes is somehow triggered to attack innocent, insulin-producing cells in the pancreas called beta cells. (Medical professionals suspect the triggers may be hereditary or environmental, but have no conclusive evidence.) Juvenile diabetes is almost always first diagnosed in children, teenagers or young adults.

A person with juvenile diabetes has the right amount of glucose, the body’s main fuel, in his system, but lacks insulin, which carries glucose throughout the bloodstream. Without insulin, the body cannot be fueled, and essentially begins to waste away.

If your child has diabetes, he or she may display a host of tell-tale symptoms. one of the most noticeable juvenile diabetes symptoms is increased urination. the body is still producing glucose, but since insulin isn’t transporting the glucose to the appropriate cells, it amasses. the kidneys attempt to resolve the problem by getting rid of the extra sugar the glucose build-up leaves, which causes frequent urges to urinate.

Increased thirst is another important symptom that parents usually assume accounts for their child’s increased urination. unfortunately, the real explanation for their child’s sudden inability to drink enough is the fact that he or she is constantly letting anything he drinks out of his body via urination.

Children with juvenile diabetes are often constantly hungry no matter how much they eat, since without insulin to carry their body’s fuel source, glucose, they are technically never actually fed.

Another telling symptom of juvenile diabetes is significant weight loss. Since people with Type 2 diabetes tend to be overweight, diabetes is usually associated with weight gain, but with Type 1 diabetes, circumstances are just the opposite. the child in question is not receiving any fuel in the form of glucose, so the body has nothing to create fat from. His appetite increases monstrously, but his weight drops at an entirely disproportionate rate — distinct potential warning signs of Type 1 diabetes.

Other symptoms logically stemming from those listed above but not necessarily present in children with juvenile diabetes include fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, a peculiar fruity type of odor in the breath, absence of menstruation in girls and bed-wetting. Parents should be especially concerned when children who normally don’t wet the bed at all begin to do so quite frequently.

Juvenile diabetes is a very serious, chronic disease that must be treated immediately. Experts say not try to excuse frequent thirst and hunger as the natural cravings of a growing child, especially when paired with any of the above symptoms.

The onset of juvenile diabetes can be extremely fast, and can be deadly, so the instant parents suspect something is amiss with a child, get him or her screened by a professional and, if needed, properly treated without delay.

For more information or to donate call Cara Draegert at 970-380-2272 or Kate Jilek at 970-467-1199 or Teresa Dabbs at 970-590-6017.

– Contact Dan Barker at .

Symptoms of STDs avoid

As such, people are always going to great pains to avoid making an appointment for an STD test. They increasingly do internet research to find out symptoms and try and figure out what’s wrong with a self diagnosis, even though this really isn’t the sort of thing that you should second guess – untreated STDs can lead to infertility, brain damage, heart disease, birth defects and in some cases death. And of course, they can also be spread onto others, giving them the risks as well. If you are in any doubt about your health, or think you have been taking risks, then you should really get an STD test.

The most common symptom that accompanies many of the STD’s is pain in the lower abdomen or groin area. this pain may only appear for short periods of time but can be quite severe when it does occur. in women this type of pain can also extend to the vaginal canal and may occur during sex for certain STD’s. for other forms of disease like genital herpes the pain may be more localized and accompany the outbreak of lesions. this pain may also happen during urination and may also involve a burning sensation that becomes worse over time if treatment is not started.

STD Pictures of Syphilis symptoms will commonly show a round, cluster like rash called Chancre. They appear around the genital areas both on the vagina and penis and possibly on the rectum. These rashes would disappear after a time only to reappear on different parts of the body. They most commonly reappear on the hands and soles of the feet. Severe cases of Chancre manifestation is the appearance of the skin looking like it lost a lot of layers.

Although there are vaccines for hepatitis A and B, the only way to be completely protected from any STD is by practicing abstinence. this is why it is recommended to restrict the amount of sexual partners you have to people with clean sexual health histories; this is the most effective way of reducing the risk of STDs. Condoms are also highly effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases but only when the condom is used properly; otherwise, there is a greater chance of becoming infected.

Burning and difficulty in urination are both common STD symptoms. this comes from the inflammation of the urethral lining which is prevalent with most viral STD infections. this is among the STD symptoms which are indicative from most sufferers of an STD infection. The problem is that this is not only on the list of STD symptoms but is also common with many other infections especially infections of the bladder and infections of the prostate in men.

Another of the STD symptoms that can frequently be present is a difficulty in urination or a burning sensation while urinating. many viral STD infections cause the urethral lining to become inflamed, which causes this burning sensation or the difficulty in urination. These types of symptoms are also common with other infections, such as bladder or prostate infections, so they are not conclusive and should be tested to determine the cause. If you have burning or difficulty in urinating, you may want to look for some of the other common symptoms.

Another common disease that is diagnosed through std testing is Genital Herpes; it has been a common misconception that the kind of herpes that cause cold sores do not cause genital infection but being one of the two strains has a probability of generating std symptoms in the genital area as well. Genital Herpes is notorious for recurring outbreaks of blister sores on the genital aspect for both sexes, normally observed in the cervical lining for women and the urethral opening for men. this form of herpes can be transmitted to a baby during pregnancy. although genital herpes is treatable, there has not been any known curative intervention. The frequency and prominence of blisters can be managed but complete elimination of the infection is still not available.

More Symptoms Syphilis Articles

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this entry was posted on Friday, April 22nd, 2011 at 3:25 pm and is filed under Treatment. you can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. you can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

You may have encountered indigestion during pregnancy. It is normal since you have a baby inside you. It will grow larger and larger providing some pressure to your stomach. as a result, you will not be able to eat well and have some symptoms called indigestion or acid reflux.

Indigestion during pregnancy happens when you have stomach acid flows into your esophagus. normally, this should not occur because you have lower esophageal valve to prevent this. however, you can have this in several circumstances. Being pregnant is one that provides the chance for you to have acid reflux and cause heartburn.

Heartburn includes the symptoms of having the pain on the chest. some people compare it to the symptoms of the pain from heart disease. It is a stinging and burning pain. Approximately 15 million of the US people suffer from it.

You can have heartburn or indigestion during any period of your pregnancy. It is estimated that there are 20 per cent of female experience heartburn during the first three months of pregnancy. The number increases to 40 per cent and 70 per cent for the second and third semester respectively.

The symptoms will not be harmful to your baby but the treatment of them can be. so, you will need to be careful on what medicines that you are going to use. It can carry some side effects which may not be desirable. Consult your doctor before using any medicine when you are pregnant.

Another way to treat indigestion during pregnancy is using home remedy. You can apply what you have already had in your kitchen to help cure heartburn. It can be safe and less expensive for you.

Want to know more about home remedy for heartburn that can help you permanently get rid of heartburn?

Check out at Remedy for Heartburn

remedyforheartburn.net

Author: Tom MandascoArticle Source: EzineArticles.comRetirement plan

(Editor’s Note: the Texas Legislature is having a fight over slot machines, while the issue of sovereignty goes mostly ignored. so gambling looks more promising to Legislators than independence. Texas, your elected officials are bought and paid for. You will not move forward into independence while these sold-out solons are still in Austin the level of thinking and actions that got you where you are now will not take you into secession, liberty and new nation status.)

I can think of no more fitting example of American politics today than one comparing the practice of traditional medicine to politics on both the state and national levels.

Traditional medical practice primarily treats diseases with prescription medicines and surgery. it focuses upon the symptoms of disease and spends most of its time, energy and money on making symptoms go away. For the most universal disease…the common cold…traditional medicine states that there is no cure for the cold. Further, all over-the-counter medicine treats symptoms only, and does nothing to identify and treat the cause of the cold.

From the common cold to heart disease, most traditional medicine only treats symptoms. In the area of heart disease, heart surgery is used to alleviate angina and open or reroute blood vessels that feed the heart muscle. so, a few inches of veins are treated, and miles of vessels and arteries are ignored. and within a few years, the repaired veins are occluded once again, and more heart surgery is indicated. the causes of the heart disease are not identified and treated. and usually, the cause of heart disease is the diet of the individual over a lifetime.

I don’t have to go on with any more examples from medicine. every person reading this article will have their own medical experiences to remember, or will know someone for whom these comparisons are true.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers lend new meaning to the term “drug pusher.” so simply agree with me that nearly every drug you see advertised in any medium is a symptom reliever, not a cure for the disease it purports to treat. Lipitor doesn’t cure high cholesterol, Coumadin doesn’t cure heart disease, Symbicort doesn’t cure asthma and Viagra doesn’t cure limp dicks. they only treat symptoms.

If traditional medicine spent most of their time on illness prevention and health, very few of the diseases of the 21st century would exist. but helping people prevent illness through lifestyle choices and diet doesn’t pay very well. Is there any wonder why medical professionals concentrate on symptoms? That’s where the money is.

So how does this translate to politics?

Arguably, 75% of the Federal budget is spent on programs that were never authorized by the original US Constitution. and at the state level, much the same thing can be said. most all states are spending money on things never dreamed of by the people who wrote the state constitutions. so, it could be said that most of the money collected and spent in taxes today is spent trying to treat symptoms of the disease, not dealing with the elemental requirements for government “health” in the founding documents. Legislators have piled on fallacious diagnosis after mendacious diagnosis, leading everyone astray as to what treatments are necessary.

Legislators in states and in DC have layered on hundreds of thousands of new laws and regulations…more every year. no one ever seems to ask whether these acts violate the Constitutions of either the US or the states. the politicians simply wink at each other, and then argue vehemently about which side gets to spend the money on their illegal, immoral laws and regulations.

Rather than taking a position that there should be tax money paid out to some aggrieved party or group for perceived inequities, legislators could have taken the position that the founding document did not provide…even prevented…the payment to or favorable treatment of the aggrieved parties. In medical parlance, legislators could have told the crybabies to change their lifestyles, rather than writing them a tax prescription that masked their symptoms and allowed the crybabies to continue living a subsidized lifestyle.

From the inception of our nation in 1776 to about 1920, the Federal government spent annually about 3% of the Gross National Product. and it is that period of our history in which America went from being a new nation to the wealthiest nation on earth. Today, Washington consumes over 25% of GDP. and now, America has more debt than any other nation, and it’s only going to get worse.

The daily news reports on every TV and radio station tell us about the uncontrollable debt incurred by Congress. We read and hear stories of the 2010/2011 Congressional budget presently being negotiated here in March 2011, even though the Federal budget officially began on October 1, 2010. We are told about non-discretionary spending, like Social Security, and discretionary spending like new road projects and new weapons systems. and the talking heads and their favorite experts prattle on about how bleak the future looks if Washington doesn’t cut spending. and all the new Republicans in Congress can muster is about $60 billion in cuts from a $3.7 Trillion dollar 2012 budget.

Republicans, Democrats and Tea Partiers are attacking each other about cutting spending. It’s just like groups of doctors, each with its own diagnosis for treating the symptoms of a terminally-ill patient, bitterly fighting about whose diagnosis will win. Meanwhile, the patient is being stuck with the bill, no matter which diagnosis prevails. and, the doctors don’t really care if the patient lives, and the patient cannot survive any one of the three diagnoses. He’s sure to die.

When holistic medical practitioners suggest that diet and lifestyle can prevent most illness, they are labeled “quacks” and shunned by traditional medicine.

When someone comes along and recommends that the DC “doctors” and the state “specialists” go back the basics, they are then attacked and accused of practicing “quack” political medicine. Why…the very idea that we should go back to the basics is preposterous! and that attitude mirrors the crisis in medicine in America.

The crisis in the nation’s capital, and most of the state capitals, is that the people that YOU ELECTED with your votes have no intention whatsoever in only spending money on things authorized by whatever Constitution they took an oath to uphold. the crisis in DC and the state capitals is not a debt crisis. It’s not a budget crisis. It’s not a fiscal health crisis.

The crisis in Washington and the state capitals is a refuse-to-obey-the-law crisis.

We can have a discussion later about whether the Constitution has any legal standing. but let’s just go back to the time in which the Founders were still alive.

The US Constitution laid out the parameters of the Federal government’s power and authority in Article I, Section 8. Over the last 230 years, Washington has usurped nearly 100% of the states’ authority to keep Washington in check. when a wild animal slips its chains, it is then free to turn on its captors. when a fire, which can be our servant, rages out of control, it becomes a deadly enemy.

State constitutions require states to balance a budget each year. but balancing a budget is easy. All you have to do is establish your budget, and then go to the citizens and take all the money you need by force. Kings have done that for millennia. but what about the morality of the spending? what about the lawfulness of the spending? and if new laws have been layered onto the constitution that permit spending not originally authorized, who wins?

I submit to you that the Washington Federal Government could be saved…pulled back from the brink of disaster…if Congress would only spend money on the constitutionally-authorized actions in Article I, Section 8. but that would mean canceling:

Social SecurityMedicareMedicaidAll Federal Departments except Defense, Treasury, State, the Judiciary and Interior.

I submit to you that the states could be saved…pulled back from bankruptcy…if the legislatures and their governors would return to their own constitutions and the authority originally granted.

Here in America, from DC to every state house, it’s getting down to nut-cuttin’ time (like they say on the ranch). and even though I posit above that our nation and our states could survive, we all know that there is certainly no stomach in the Congress or the White House for shrinking the Federal Government voluntarily. and in the various state houses, there is very little leadership, and even less courage, to pare back state government to the size it was, shall we say…100 years ago?

Occam’s Razor tells us that the simplest solution is usually the best and most effective. Reconstructing Federal and state governments would be mind-bogglingly complicated, and I have not even addressed the thousands of lawsuits that would be filed by trial lawyers representing every group that considered itself injured by spending cuts or program eliminations.

The simplest solution to fixing state governments and the US Federal government is SECESSION. and secession will not occur until the state and Federal governments collapse and there is no other choice left but secession.

Secession is the Hope For Mankind. Who will be first?

DumpDC. six Letters That can Change History.

© Copyright 2011, Russell D. Longcore. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 at 12:01 am and is filed under Secession, Texas Independence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Summary there has been conflicting evidence regarding the link between metabolic syndrome and age-related dementia or memory loss. Metabolic syndrome involves symptoms of obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure. it is known that this condition increases the risk of heart disease. However, the link between this condition and dementia is not clearly defined. A study was conducted in France to understand this association better. the results showed that those with metabolic syndrome are at a higher risk of developing dementia but not at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Introduction Dementia is the most severe form of pathological brain aging, defined by developing both memory disorders and deficiency in at least one other cognitive function. it is noted that 18 percent of elderly people over the age of 75 years have dementia. of these, 50 to 60 percent of cases are of Alzheimer’s disease and 40 to 50 percent are of vascular dementia (dementia caused due to reduced blood flow to the brain). Metabolic syndrome is associated with an escalated danger of heart disease. Detection of metabolic syndrome and its early management help to prevent heart disease. However, if it is established that this condition is associated with dementia as well, similar preventive approaches could be devised. this study sought to explore a link between metabolic syndrome and dementia.

Methodology •    The study involved a total of 7,087 people aged over 65 years. the population was followed over four years. •    The participants were subjected to a three-stage test by neuropsychologists and neurologists for the presence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. •    Parameters for metabolic syndrome like blood sugar, blood cholesterol, waist circumference, weight, blood pressure etc. were recorded. •    Several interviews were conducted to record other factors like age, gender, educational qualification etc.

Results •    Results from analysis showed that 15.8 percent of the participants had metabolic syndrome. Further, metabolic syndrome amplified the threat of vascular dementia specifically, whereas it had no effect on Alzheimer’s disease or on general dementia during the four years of observation. •    Of all the parameters of lipid profile or cholesterol, a high triglyceride level was associated with high incidence of vascular dementia. •    Higher waist girth corresponded to lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. •    Of all the factors, presence of diabetes was significantly linked to dementia.

Next steps/shortcomings the authors agree that since all of the “oldest elderly” participants with metabolic syndrome did not survive for assessment of cognitive decline; there may be some differences in actual results from those obtained. also, they agree that “subjects with metabolic syndrome are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease before developing dementia”. Further studies that explore the various reasons for death in people with metabolic syndrome are warranted.

Conclusion an elderly person with high triglyceride levels and/or diabetes is at a higher risk of developing vascular dementia. the results of this study highlight the necessity for prompt detection and management of high triglyceride levels and diabetes in the elderly, to push back the beginning of “clinical dementia.” this study, however, should be interpreted with caution. the authors suggest that “metabolic syndrome as a whole does not seem to have any added value regarding dementia risk in this population.” thus further studies that measure the exact level of association between specific parameters like triglycerides and diabetes with dementia may explain the link with dementia more clearly.

For More Information: Metabolic Syndrome and Risk for Incident Alzheimer’s Disease or Vascular Dementia Publication Journal: Diabetes Care, January 2009 By Christelle Raffaitin, MD; Christophe Tzourio, PhD; University Hospital of Bordeaux, Pessac, France; Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Medicalé (INSERM), Bordeaux, France and INSERM, Paris, France

*FYI Living Lab Reports Are Summaries of the Original Research.

Two community leaders are taking a special interest in programs about heart disease this month.

Radio personality Frank Barber and former city manager Wayne Stephens are survivors of heart disease.

The two became friends while broadcasting Tiffin University football games a few years ago. Both have received cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at Mercy Tiffin Hospital.

The two agreed to tell their stories hoping to make citizens more away of their own heart health.

March is not a good month for Frank Barber. Nearly six years ago, he was visiting relatives in new York, when he became seriously ill. For a couple months before that, he had been feeling sluggish with what he thought to be flu or some other “winter” problem. he remembers waking up in a bed and learning only half of his heart was functioning properly.

“The next thing I know, I had two stents and pacemaker. That was 2005. then nothing happened really until almost a year ago … when I had another episode. That was an 80 percent blockage in the artery that didn’t have a pacemaker. so now I’m the proud owner of three stents,” Barber said.

Because he could not pinpoint pain directly in the heart, he did not believe he had suffered a heart attack. Tests indicated otherwise. the second time, he wasted no time going to the hospital. when he was strong enough, he began cardiac rehabilitation three times a week.

Barber said his illness made him reflect on his parents’ heart problems. he lost his mother to a heart attack when she was 49, and less serious heart problems also existed in his father’s family.

“Of course, you never think it’s going to be you,” he said. “A week before I had this problem, this time, I was playing tennis … flying around the tennis court with no pain whatsoever – but tired. so maybe there was some subtle sign,” he said.

Barber said he had become a careless eater.

He continues to work out Tuesdays and Fridays in the cardiac maintenance program at Tiffin Mercy. Those sessions are $5 each and open to anyone diagnosed with heart or lung problems.

Heart problems run on both sides of the family for Wayne Stephens, but like Barber, Stephens did not attribute his first symptoms to heart problems.

Stephens was forewarned about his family health history in 1993 when his mother died from a heart attack at age 69. she had had a stroke and another heart attack before that. His father lived to 80, but he had his first heart attack at 57. Wayne’s older brother died of a heart attack at 64 and a younger brother had a series of strokes at 55.

A heart catherization showed his heart to be healthy at the time, but the doctor warned Stephens he was at high risk.

Running was his preferred exercise, but then he hurt his knee and accepted the less active job of city administrator.

In November 2009, Stephens felt a burning sensation while he was mowing the lawn. he was diagnosed with GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). the doctor prescribed medication and ordered a stress test for his patient. Stephen’s knee prevented him from completing the test, so it was deemed “inconclusive.”

The pain returned on Christmas Eve, while visiting relatives in Uniontown. another stress test was ruled invalid.

June 8, 2010, the burning took Stephens to the emergency room. he was taken by ambulance to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, where two stents installed.

Barber and Stephens have learned heart attack symptoms vary, and symptoms in women may not be the same as those for men. Stephens said his brother Larry experienced pain between his shoulder blades and sought relief from a chiropractor. Some people have no detectable symptoms, but tests tell the truth.

“My doctor describes them as ‘silent’ heart attacks where you don’t even know sometimes you’ve had them,” Barber said. “Don’t get that feeling of invincibility, because even athletes get a terrible surprise.”

“My cardiologist gave me very specific instructions,” Stephens said. “A low-fat, low-sodium diet and as much exercise as I could tolerate.”

Both survivors had high marks for the cardiac rehabilitation they received at Mercy Tiffin. when people in rehab try to work harder than they should, nurses caution them to slow down or adjust equipment in some way.

“I didn’t listen five years ago,” Barber said. “I thought I knew it all, but this time I was listening very carefully. I got a second chance, so I’m taking the opportunity to make the most of it.”

“You’ve got to stay active,” Stephens said. “Had Frank and I both not been active, it could have been a whole lot worse … if we hadn’t been active, what happened to us might have been fatal.”