In another piece of aspirin-related news, British researchers reported in the January 24 Lancet that taking low doses of both aspirin and warfarin (Coumadin) — another anti-clotting drug — prevents a first heart attack or fatal heart problem better than either drug alone. This is the first study to show that warfarin might be useful for heading off coronary artery disease as well as treating it. Read the rest of this entry »
Warfarin for Heart Disease Prevention
March 19th, 2012Does ‘NutraJoint’ Support Joint Health, or Does It Merely Support Knox
January 31st, 2012The company that makes Knox gelatin, a division of Nabisco, is once more plying the airwaves with an advertising campaign, touting the health benefits of Knox NutraJoint. Many senior citizens are familiar with these advertisements from Modern Maturity, the magazine of the American Association of Retired Persons. Similar ads have appeared in other magazines, radio, television and food brochures.
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New Drug Can’t Beat Aspirin
December 13th, 2011In new research published in the Jan. 29 issue of The Lancet, sibrafiban, a new drug that inhibits blood platelet clumping, showed no benefit over aspirin for treatment of patients who had just had a heart attack.
New Osteoporosis Drug
September 22nd, 2011Q.Do you have any information on the new hormone therapy for osteoporosis called Evista?
–Karen
A.”Evista” is the brand name for a new drug called raloxifen. Raloxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), meaning it acts like estrogen in some parts of the body, but not others. Read the rest of this entry »
Folic Acid Supplements Don?t Increase Risk of Miscarriage
July 19th, 2011Authorities in nutrition and healthcare? recommend that women who plan to become pregnant take supplements of the B vitamin, folic acid or folate, both before becoming pregnant and through early pregnancy to prevent birth defects — especially neural tube defects (NTDs) — in their babies. Read the rest of this entry »
Cardio Training Guidelines
December 23rd, 2010Frequency: 3-5 times/week
Intensity: “Somewhat hard.” You can also use the following ACSM guidelines (but we think it’s just as easy and effective to use perceived exertion): 55% to 90% of maximum heart rate or 40-85% of maximum heart rate reserve
Time: 20 to 60 minutes continuous exercise, or two to six 10-minute bouts accumulated throughout the day.
Cardiovascular fitness is the ability of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels to provide oxygen to working tissues in order to sustain prolonged exercise. As cardiovascular fitness increases, many favorable side effects also take place. A few of them are listed in the table on the right.
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A Smoker’s Quitting Experience With The Patch
June 21st, 2010I was a fairly heavy smoker for many years. (2 to 3 packs a day!) When I began smoking, I thought it was the “cool” thing to do
Over the last few years, I came to realize that smoking is very “UNcool” and that more and more people were quitting and there were less and less places where smokers were allowed to light up. I also realized how addicted I was and how terrible smoking was for my health. I knew it was time to quit.
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What is COMMON about the Common Cold?
June 9th, 2010When the common cold has you in its clutches, it’s not a welcome guest to say the least. Sore throat, sneezing, aching body and runny nose are the infamous signs of a cold.
We all recognize the symptoms. “Tough it out,” and “it will last just a few days,” are not particularly comforting words to us while undergoing the common cold’s punishment.
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Homocysteine and Cardiovascular Disease
May 21st, 2010Cardiovascular disease remains by far the leading cause of premature death for men and women in the U.S., the disease itself the consequence of a variety of factors, both hereditary and environmental.
Of the major risk factors, namely, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol and/or low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, old age, male gender, premature menopause in women, hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus and a family history of heart attack, three are related to diet: HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, hypertension and diabetes. Much research time has been spent exploring potential dietary intervention strategies and preventative measures.
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Exercising With Diabetes
May 11th, 2010There are three types of diabetes: type I diabetes, type II diabetes and gestational diabetes. Each form shares some defect in relation to insulin. Insulin affects the way the body uses food for fuel and is an essential hormone that regulates glucose, fat and protein metabolism.
Carbohydrate, or glucose, is the fuel most readily available for uses by the cells and is the body’s main energy source. In people with diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin or the body’s cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Read the rest of this entry »