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| HEALTH & FITNESS |
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Drive to discover
the cause of cancer Even six-year-old
girls are obsessed with slimness Folic acid may control high blood pressure Socio-economic status
linked to mental disorders Skip breakfast and gain weight! Treat flat feet during childhood
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chest pain is not a heart attack Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) literally means decrease in blood supply (ischaemia) causing disease of the heart. The commonest cause of IHD is coronary artery disease or, simply put, decreased blood flow to the heart due to the blockages in the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart. IHD may cause mild chest discomfort, severe chest pain, heart attack or even sudden death. It progresses unless preventive methods are taken. Blockage up to 40 or 50 per cent in the coronary arteries are widely prevalent but not sufficient to casue angina coronary artery disease does not cause any problem till the blockage is more than 70 per cent. Progress of blockages depends on how bad is the lifestyle of a person. Recognition of ischaemic heart disease depends on the patient’s knowledge of the disease and his physical activity. When there is discomfort due to the heart getting less blood supply but no death of the heart muscle, it is called angina. The onset of angina is usually on sudden excitement, anxiety, climbing stairs, walking, bathing or during stressful activity or minimal exertion after heavy meals. It may be precipitated by sudden coronary artery spasm due to stress. The pain of angina is mild to severe and occurs in the centre of the chest. It may extend to the left arm, right arm, shoulder, back or lower jaws. It usually lasts 5 to 10 minutes. It may be associated with breathlessness or shortness of breath, sweating, sensation of vomiting, dizziness or fainting. There may be a choking sensation in the throat or heaviness in the upper abdomen. Some patients may simply have weakness and easy fatigability. The pain of angina is relieved on rest or with a tablet of Sorbitrate. The pain is never excruciating and does not stay for long (unlike in heart attack). Heart attack occurs when the blockage in the coronary arteries causes complete obstruction of blood supply to a part of the heart muscle, resulting in the heart muscle being completely deprived of its blood and oxygen supply which leads to their death. It can be caused by decreased blood flow due to the sudden spasm of partially blocked arteries, sudden rupture of blockages due to its continuous expansion or coronary thrombosis. It may be precipitated by a heavy meal full of fat, sudden anger or excessive sorrow or grief or excessive stress, during angiography and angioplasty when the catheter or balloon is inflated or during bypass surgery. Severity of a heart attack depends upon the area of the heart muscle involved. If only 5 to 10 per cent area is involved it is mild and most patients survive. If the dead area is more than 30 or 40 per cent the heart attack is usually severe with the possibility of death. Heart attack can be recognised by the pain being very severe in nature that cannot be tolerated. It is associated with sweating, vomiting sensation, passing stool, dizzy or loss of consciousness. The symptoms usually last half an hour or more. The conditions that are commonly confused with ischaemic heart disease are pain due to gastric acidity, ulcer or oesophagitis. However, in this case the discomfort is a burning sensation which may be spasmodic with no effect of exertion. The pain is not associated with breathlessness, radiation to arms, sweating and choking sensation, and there is no relief with rest or a tablet of Sorbitrate or spray. Muscular pain in the chest muscles due to injury or sprain can also be confused with cardiac pain. However, there is usually a history of muscular pull or injury and is relieved by the application of pain ointments or taking a pain-killer. Cervical spondylosis may also cause pain in the shoulder, left or right arm and chest pain. However, in this case the pain is continuously present in both the right and left side simultaneously and is relieved by pain-killer. It is important to consult the doctor whenever there is chest pain, but your observation of its features is essential for him to diagnose your disease properly. The writer is a Ludhiana-based specialist in non-invasive cardiology trained in England and China.
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Drive to discover
the cause of cancer Chandigarh: The mystery surrounding the cause of the dreaded disease of cancer is still pre-occupying the scientific minds the world over. While human genes are believed to be responsible for causing the cancers, researches have found that some cancers are induced in the human body through viruses also. “What causes cancer is still unknown, for there can be several genetic causes responsible for the disease. But researches have found that some viruses and also the environmental factors are equally capable of causing cancer among human beings,” says Prof Scott Cram, of the University of California, Los-Lamos, National Laboratory, the United States of America, who was on a visit to the city recently to participate in the Indo-US workshop on Flow Cytometry at Panjab University. Professor Cram says that cervical cancer is one such cancer where the presence of a certain kind of virus has been found to cause the disease. “In some cases, all the factors, including the genetics, environmental and viruses, are responsible for the cause of cancer,” he says. Professor Cram, however, says a better understanding of the human body at a molecular level would definitely lead to an early diagnosis and initiation of the treatment for cancer. “The knowledge of human genome and the molecular level would definitely go a long way in the diagnosis and the treatment of the disease. With the advancement in this field, the experts should be able to identify that section of population which is more susceptible to developing cancer. If such an early identification is done, the suspect patients can be diagnosed and treated at a very early stage,” explains Professor Cram while laying a lot of emphasis on the field of bio-technology to find solutions to understanding the molecular world. He says that the identification of the susceptible population is extremely beneficial for breast cancer, where the suspect persons can be ruled by conducting mammography. |
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Even six-year-old girls are obsessed with slimness London: Girls as old as six are also fussy about
their bodies and want to be slimmer, a new study reveals. Researchers from the Flinders University of South Australia interviewed girls aged five to eight and found that 47 per cent wanted to be slimmer, with most of them under the impression that would make them more popular. “Eating disorders have been recorded in children as young as eight, and there may have been instances in children of an even younger age,” the BBC quoted a spokesman for the UK’s Eating Disorders Association as saying. The participants were asked about dieting, what they thought about their peers’ level of body dissatisfaction, and how much body shape was accepted among the girls they knew. Forty-five per cent girls admitted that they would diet if they gained weight, with most of them thinking that being thin would increase likeability. “Previously, research has focused on adolescence as the likely time for the emergence of body dissatisfaction. However, clear evidence has accumulated that a substantial number of pre-adolescent girls are dissatisfied with their bodies and wish to be thinner,” the report quoted lead researcher, Hayley Dohnt, as saying.
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Folic acid may control high blood pressure WOMEN who get a lot of folic acid in their diet or through supplements are less likely to have high blood pressure. A new study shows that younger women who got at least 1,000 micrograms of folic acid a day from their diet or supplements had a 46 per cent lower risk of developing high blood pressure. Folic acid is a B-complex vitamin found naturally in leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits and lentils. Folic acid, also known as folate, can be found in vitamin supplements and fortified foods such as breads and breakfast cereals. Researchers say folic acid is though to reduce the risk of high blood pressure by helping the blood vessels relax and improve blood flow. Previous studies have shown that diets rich in folic acid can improve blood pressure, but researchers say this is the first study to show that a higher folic acid intake is associated with a lower risk of developing high blood pressure. High blood pressure affects an estimated 65 million people in the US. Since the risk of developing high blood pressure increases with age, researches say identifying ways to reduce a person’s risk of the disease through diet and lifestyle could have a major impact on public health. In the study, which appears in the January 19 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers analysed diet and blood pressure information from more than 150,000 women. None of the women had a history of high blood pressure. Information on folic acid from dietary sources and supplements was collected from the women and updated every four years. Which is better? Diet or supplements? The results showed that women aged 27 to 44 years who got at least 1,000 micrograms a day of folic acid from their diet and supplements were 46 per cent less likely to develop high blood pressure than the women who got less than 200 micrograms per day. Women aged 43 to 70 years also experienced a blood pressure benefit from folic acid. Among these women, those who had a higher folic acid intake had an 18 per cent lower risk of high blood pressure. Although total folic acid intake was linked to a lower risk of high blood pressure, researchers say their results show that the supplementation of folic acid may play a more significant role in preventing high blood pressure. They found a significant relationship between folic acid supplementation and high blood pressure risk, but the relationship between folic acid from food sources and blood pressure risk was not clear. The writer is a consultant physician and cardiologist. |
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Socio-economic status linked to mental disorders WashingtoN: According to a new study conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA), a person’s socio- economic status(SES) is closely associated with his or her mental health. The survey covered 34,000 psychiatric patients who were admitted to mental hospitals at least twice in Massachusetts during 1994- 2000, and found problems like unemployment, poverty and houses unaffordability in the backdrop in most of the cases . “The poorer one’s socio-economic conditions are, the higher one’s risk is for mental disability and psychiatric hospitalisation” said, Christopher G. Hudson, of Salem State College. And this was found regardless of what economic hardship or type of psychological disorder the person went through. A person’s socio-economic status(SES) is mainly decided on the basis of community income, education and occupational status. The study considered economic stress as one of several possible explanations for the correlation between SES and mental illness, and this was determined by how much the local income was below the federal poverty level, the rate of unemployment, and an index of rental housing unaffordability. This research has proved that SES is directly responsible for the development of mental illness. It even indirectly impacts mental status of a person through its association with adverse economic stressful conditions among lower income groups, said Dr. Hudson. He also said, “the study highlights the need for the continued development of preventive and early intervention strategies that pay particular attention to the devastating impacts of unemployment, economic displacement, and housing dislocation, including homelessness.” This research is carried in the current issue of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry published by the American Psychological Association.
— ANI |
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Skip breakfast and gain weight!
WASHINGTON: Those who regularly skip their breakfast are more likely to be overweight and are more prone to heart disease than anyone else, reveals a new study. According to the study published in the recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who skipped breakfast for two weeks ate more during the rest of the day, developed higher cholesterol levels, and were less sensitive to insulin than women who ate breakfast every day. Researchers examined the effects of eating or skipping breakfast on calories eaten and burned throughout the day as well as circulating insulin, glucose, and cholesterol levels in 10 healthy women of normal weight. They found when the women ate breakfast, they ate about 100 fewer calories per day and had a better insulin response to eating, suggesting that their risk of diabetes was lower. LDL “bad” cholesterol levels were also significantly lower in the women who ate breakfast.
— ANI |
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Treat flat feet during childhood ONE common finding among scores of people suffering from knee pain, foot pain, ankle discomfort, etc, is the presence of flat feet. Unfortunately, this so-called minor problem is not dealt with at an appropriate age due to the lack of awareness and availability of podiatrists in our country. This, in fact, leads to complications laters in life. Causative factors are heredity, flattening of the arch due to obesity and lack of elasticity of ligaments, muscles and tendons. Normally a child till the age of two years has flat feet due to the presence of the pad of fat and incomplete union of bones. With the advancement in age, the fat pad decreases and 90 per cent children develop a perfect arch by the age of 10 years. Ten per cent of the children suffer from flat feet later in life. Parents generally fail in detecting flat feet. The usual complaint is the child falling frequently while running. The ideal way to detect flat feet is to place wet feet on the floor. In a normal individual, a strip that is about half of the width of the front of foot joins the heel and toe. In individuals suffering from flat feet the strip is almost of the same width as the front of the foot. Shoe examination of an individual with flat feet reveals a worn-out inner side. Flat feet in the normal course may not cause any problem, but in instances where physical activity is accelerated one may experience pain and discomfort in the foot, ankle, knee etc. Apart from carrying the weight of the body, the feet also act as a shock-absorber and help in propelling the leg and body parts. Hence the flat feet problem, and if not addressed well in time it can lead to abnormalities like the loss of medial arch, heel pain (plantar fascists), medial knee pain, ankle pain, knock knees, etc. This limits physical activity and obstructs the performance of daily chores. Flat feet are classified as structural flat foot and flexible flat foot In structural flat foot the foot is flat all the times vis-à-vis running, walking, standing, lying down, etc. This is due to the abnormal bone structure. In flexible flat foot there is an arch till the time there is no weight bearing, but the arch disappears when the patient stands up. Treatment If there is pain even after wearing well-fitted shoes and there is difficulty in walking and running, and shoes start wearing out fast then conservative treatment is undertaken 1. Orthotics or corrective devices placed in shoes treat most of the children with flat feet. 2. Shoes having a high arch on the inner side should be preferred. 3. Certain exercises are also advocated. Among the Exercises are:
Sitting excercises
In the case of structural flat foot and in cases not responding to conservative treatment, surgical intervention is the answer. Surgical treatment may be in the form of repair of the muscle, tendon or bony correction. To conclude, flat feet is an entity which, if treated early in childhood, can prevent a lot of discomfort and handicap later in life. Watchful and observant parents can indeed prevent their children from a lot of suffering and pain. This also reduces the burden on the health infrastructure. Useful tips Role of exercise: Taking regular exercise is the single most important action anyone can take to improve the strength of bones. The sort of exercise that is beneficial in preventing osteoporosis is weight-bearing, such as walking or aerobics. Regular calcium intake: Regular intake of calcium is essential throughout life for healthy bones. The recommended intake of calcium for an adult is 800 mg. On an average, 250 ml milk or 150 g yoghurt contains 300 mg of calcium. Early diagnoses: Early diagnoses can help in reducing the complications associated with osteoporosis. A bone density scan early in midlife can be of great help in diagnosing and thereby preventing osteoporosis. The writer is a former doctor/physiotherapist, Indian cricket team. |
ALL that glitters is not gold and every chest pain is not a heart attack. It is not rare to see patients having chest pain panicking and living under the fear of death due to heart attack even when the cause of the pain is not in the heart but elsewhere. It is important to know the various causes of pain that may resemble cardiac pain so that this situation is avoided.