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HEALTH REPORT TOXIC WAIST Are you at risk for a heart attack? 
To check your heart attack risk, break out a tape measure. After studying 27,000 people from 52 countries, Canadian researchers found that the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a better predictor of risk than body mass index (BMI) because BMI doesn't take into account where weight is carried. Women with a WHR ratio greater than 0.8 - for men it was 0.95 - were 24 percent more likely to have a heart attack, even if they had a healthy BMI. To determine your WHR, divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference. Or just check your waist: If it's greater than 35 inches (40 inches for men), says the American Heart Association, your risk is elevated. - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. SNORE SCARE 
Disorder could signal higher risk of stroke, heart disease If your snoring wakes your spouse, you could be at higher risk of a stroke. Sleep apnea, a disorder in which your breathing periodically stops, is marked by loud snoring. The condition ups the risk of heart disease; now, a study indicates it can double stroke and death risk, too. After tracking 842 sleep disorder patients for two to six years, Yale scientists found that 13 percent of sleep apnea sufferers had had a stroke or died from any cause, compared with just 6 percent of those without the condition. Sleep apnea raises blood pressure and the risk of blood clots, researchers say. If you suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, ask your doctor for sleep testing to measure your breathing overnight. Sleep apnea is treated with lifestyle modifications, such as exercise to lose weight, or, for more severe cases, with a breathing mask that keeps airways open. - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. ESTROGEN EXPOSURE Birth control product has elevated levels If you're on the Ortho Evra birth control patch, a new FDA warning states that you're getting about 60 percent more estrogen than women on low-dose pills, which is a lot more than the product originally promised. That may sound scary, but "the amount of estrogen you get from the patch is actually comparable to higher-dose pills that we prescribe regularly," says Dr. Mary Jane Minkin. Women with a history of heart trouble or who smoke should avoid higher doses of estrogen because of heart risk. But if you're healthy and happy with the patch, stick with it. - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. 
BOOMER JOINT WOES More baby boomers are obese by midlife than their parents were at the same age, and they are more hobbled by weight-related osteoarthritis as a result, new Harvard research shows. — Midlife obesity in baby boomers' parents born 1926 to 1945: 16 percent — Midlife obesity in baby boomers born 1946 to 1964: 30 percent — Increase in obesity-related osteoarthritis from 1971 to 2002: 465 percent - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. NOISE POLLUTION Pump down the volume to lower blood pressure 
Protect your heart with a healthy diet, exercise, aspirin ... and earplugs? Frequent exposure to loud noises at home or work raises blood pressure and your risk of heart attack, two new studies warn. When 46 factory workers wore blood-pressure monitors on the job, scientists found that their blood pressure rose 2 points for every 10- to 13-decibel increase in workplace noise, which ranged from 40 to 100 decibels. Meanwhile, a German study discovered that living in a noisy neighborhood - where traffic raised decibel levels above 60 - tripled a woman's risk of heart attack; men's risk doubled. Excess noise increases stress hormones that constrict arteries, says registered nurse Sally L. Lusk, Ph.D. When it's loud enough that you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone 3 feet away, put in earplugs. - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. WORK PERK Program improves employees' health Getting your blood sugar under control may be easier when the boss is involved. In the first study of its kind, Brigham Young University scientists asked 35 employees - 31 were pre-diabetic, 4 diabetic - of a local company to stick with a yearlong wellness program held at the office. Before, during, and after work they attended classes on nutrition and exercise, and they had free access to an onsite nurse. They were also encouraged to do a 30-minute workout daily. After 6 months, participants showed remarkable improvement: Their blood glucose levels dropped by 25 percent, their weight fell by 6 pounds on average, and they trimmed more than an inch from their waistlines. Red flags such as high cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure decreased as well. After 12 months, 18 of the prediabetics had reached normal, healthy status, and 3 of the 4 diabetics were free of disease. The workplace is good for reinforcing lifestyle changes, says lead researcher Steven Aldana, Ph.D., partly because it makes it easy for employees to attend helpful classes. "It's a great support system." - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. WHAT'S CAUSING CHRONIC COUGH? Chronic sinusitis could be the culprit After a cold, you feel OK but the cough hangs around - sound familiar? Each year, people schedule 30 million visits to the doctor because of a chronic cough - one that lingers more than 3 weeks. Often, doctors can't offer much help, but a new Mayo Clinic study finds that in a third of cases, there may be an easy fix. When researchers examined CT scans of the sinuses of 132 patients with chronic coughs, they discovered that 37 percent actually had chronic sinusitis, an infection or inflammation that can cause coughing and sneezing. Sinusitis can be treated with antibiotics, decongestants, or a nasal steroid spray. - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. ANXIETY ANSWERS Researchers develop blood test to check for disorders Panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, and other anxiety disorders hit more than 19 million Americans. Getting diagnosed is often an arduous, uncertain process - but a new blood test can detect these disorders in hours, say scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After reviewing the psychiatric history of 461 volunteers, researchers found that by checking for high levels of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a blood protein people release when under stress, they could identify anxiety disorders 90 percent of the time. It's likely the test will be available within a year, leading to faster treatment for many. - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. |
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