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Google Tech Talk February 11, 2011 Presented by Dr. Nick Leeper, Stanford University. Come out and hear Dr. Nicholas Leeper of Stanford University discuss cardiovascular disease. This talk will give you tips to stay healthy and a look at the future of cardiovascular technology.

Article by Michelle Pennington

Hypertension is one of the common health issues across the globe. Through the years, the number of people, and the younger the age group of population that gets affected by this condition gets even more alarming. If you ask around whether they or anyone from their family have any history of hypertension, chances are most, if not all would say yes. That’s how universal this health condition is. And if left untreated, or if without any change in one’s diet and lifestyle, it poses greater health risks to an individual predisposed to and those who are currently suffering from it. One’s body can get damaged over the years that might lead to a poor life condition in the future. Here’s a list of possible damages hypertension can do to your body:

Arteries: arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis, aneurysmHeart: coronary artery disease, enlarged left heart, heart failureBrain: transient ischemic attack (TIA) aka mini stroke, stroke, dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Kidneys: kidney failure, kidney scarring, kidney artery aneurysmEyes: eye blood vessel damage, fluid buildup under the retina Other possible effects of hypertension: sexual dysfunction, bone loss, trouble sleeping.In order to prevent hypertension, let’s take a look at one of its major risk factors, high blood cholesterol. Cholesterol can build up on arteries; make it non-elastic and block blood flow, thus increasing blood pressure. Thus, it is important to keep your blood cholesterol at par. And one way to do it is by consuming foods that help lower cholesterol. Some herbs and spices are known to lower blood cholesterol levels. For ages, herbs are often used for culinary, spiritual, and medicinal purposes. For cures or remedy, different parts of the herb are used like leaves, flowers, bark, seeds, and the like. Now here’s a short list of foods that help lower cholesterol:Alfalfa may block absorption of cholesterol, thus preventing arterial plaques.Capsicum fruit helps blood circulation, preventing build up of toxins.Garlic bulb has anti clotting effect, lowers serum cholesterol and increases high-density lipoproteins (HDL), aka good cholesterol.Psyllium as per studies lowers serum cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (LDL).Red yeast rice helps lower cholesterol with its “monacolin K” content, inhibiting liver enzymes dealing with cholesterol manufacturing.Other than adding these to your diet, it is of importance that one lives a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t stop at not consuming what the doctor tells you not to eat. It is a combination of proper diet; good exercise, having enough rest, and recreation. Proper diet ensures that we are getting the right nutrients, especially foods that help lower cholesterol, for our body to function well, fight off illness, etc. Good exercise makes sure that our physique is well maintained, toxins released through sweat, and our heart pumping the well-oxygenated and nutrient dense blood through our body. Rest will help our body to recuperate and repair itself. And lastly, recreation will make sure that a sound and healthy mind is in control of our healthy body.

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Dr. Joseph Presti, urology professor at Stanford University Medical Center, talks about current practices related to prostate cancer. He focuses on prevention, diagnostic techniques and treatment options.

Diabetes Mellitus, or diabetes, is a disease that is caused by the body’s inability to turn sugars into energy. Diabetes causes the sugars that your body does not turn into energy to enter your blood stream and causes your kidneys, which filter the blood, to work harder than is necessary. If your kidneys cannot properly filter the sugars from your blood, the result is more frequent urination, dehydration, and loss of energy.

Diabetes Mellitus is diagnosed when your body’s fasting blood glucose level (amount of sugar in the blood) reaches 126 milligrams/deciliter. You can be diagnosed as having different stages of diabetes mellitus. One diagnosis is pre-diabetes. You are diagnosed with pre-diabetes if your blood glucose levels are higher than is normal when tested, but you are not yet experiencing the symptoms of diabetes. People who are diagnosed with pre-diabetes are at higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes at a later time, and are at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, your physician will suggest changes in your lifestyle in order to offset the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. This will include eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

Diabetes Mellitus – Metabolism Disease

Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disease – caused when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Insulin is the natural hormone in your body that helps turn sugars into energy by moving these sugars from the blood stream to the muscle, fat, and liver cells. The muscle, fat, and liver cells then use the sugars as fuel for your body. Your body needs a certain level of energy to enable your internal organs to function properly. Your body also needs energy to perform the daily activities involved in leading a normal life.

If your body does not produce enough energy for your internal organs to function and for you to perform activities, you have a low metabolism – and you can often be tired, irritable, and experience bouts of fatigue. If your body produces more energy than you are using, you have a high metabolism and may be restless, fidgety, and experience bouts of hyperactivity.

Other Risks Involved With Diabetes Mellitus

There are other health risks involved with diabetes mellitus. The risk of heart disease and strokes is increased in patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes and other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity, abnormal cholesterol, and high triglycerides. The more factors involved, the more your chance of dying from heart disease or stroke increases.

The Importance of Preventive Measures in Diabetes Mellitus

Although diabetes mellitus is a controllable disease, the combination of diabetes and other risk factors decreases your chance of living a normal life span. It is very important that you take steps before you are diagnosed with diabetes to prevent its onset or to delay the onset as long as possible.

The single most important step you can take in the prevention of diabetes is to live a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle includes many different aspects of your life. Eating a healthy diet is essential to helping your body to perform its normal tasks as naturally as possible. A regular exercise routine is essential to maintaining a healthy weight and in keeping your muscles toned, which allows your muscles to assist your internal organs in performing their tasks. Avoiding stress, or learning how to deal with stress in a healthy manner, helps your brain and nervous system to work with other parts of your body to perform the tasks needed to sustain life.

It is important that you realize how your body works together – and how the things that you do on a daily basis can prevent your body from performing the tasks necessary. Beginning a healthy lifestyle as early as possible gives you the best chance to avoid the risks associated with diabetes mellitus – and decreases the chances of the other factors that may come into play – thereby decreasing your risks of more serious diseases such as heart disease and stroke. Both your physical condition and your mental condition play an important role in your overall health.

Overview: Heart disease is the number-one cause of death among men and women in the United States. Yet it is also preventable and often reversible. In this interview, youll hear from an expert about heart disease prevention. Part One: Heart function Atherosclerosis/Blockages Cholesterol: HDL and LDL Statin drugs Part Two: Heart disease prevention Aspirin and ACE inhibitors Beta blockers Cholesterol Diet Exercise Fatty fish with omega 3 Glucose (sugar) control High blood pressure control Inflammation C-reactive protein Guest: Dr. Michael Miller, a cardiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center who is head of the Center for Preventive Cardiology. Dr. Miller is also an associate professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Links: Heart Disease Prevention (Part 1) www.youtube.com Heart Disease Prevention (Part 2) www.youtube.com Center for Preventive Cardiology www.umm.edu Dr. Michael Miller www.umm.edu

Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body. An estimated 18.2 million people in the United States–6.3 percent of the population–have diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both. There are three major types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood.

The body produces little or no insulin, and daily injections of insulin are needed to sustain life. Type 1 diabetes is usually due to the auto-immune destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes usually develop over a short period, although the destruction of beta cells can begin years earlier. Symptoms may include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision and extreme fatigue. Type 2 diabetes is much more common than type 1 and makes up most of all cases of diabetes. It usually occurs in adulthood. The pancreas does not produce enough insulin to maintain blood glucose standardal.

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is increased if it runs in your family. Nine out of ten people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes and over 80% of these people are overweight. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women – about 135,000 cases in the United States each year. Some women develop gestational diabetes late in pregnancy. About 20%–50% of affected women develop type 2 diabetes. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to have large babies. The treatment of diabetes is highly individualized, depending on the type of diabetes.

Diabetes Treatment and Prevention Tips There are many steps to get rid of diabetes. Some include

1. Insulin must be given as an injection.

2. Aspirin therapy also recommeded.

3. Smoking cessation can also help lower risk.

4. Lose weight if you are obese and begin an exercise program.

5. Metformin medicine also helpful or type 2 diabetes.

6. Anti-hypertensive medicines to control high blood pressure.

7. A statin, such as simvastatin or atorvastatin, to reduce high cholesterol levels

8. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes.

Video sample of Envision’s educational healthcare training program on pressure ulcers (bed sores) developed with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). The program includes strategies to prevent & manage pressure ulcers, patient risk factors and wound care. To preview the entire video, visit www.EnvisionInc.net or call:1-866-321-5066.

Becky Captain, FNP-C explains what you can do to reduce your risk for heart attack/heart disease. She answers all the pertinent questions about cholesterol from what it is to the difference between LDL and HDL; blood sugar to glucose; and everything in between. There are several risk factors for heart disease, which include modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Non-modifiable factors include age and family history. Modifiable risk factors include smoking, excess weight or obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and erectile dysfunction. All of these factors can play a part in developing risk factors. Experts suggest that one should have their cholesterol checked at the age of 20. If your reading is normal then you should have it checked every five years thereafter. If they have an abnormal reading then they should follow the guidelines provided by their healthcare professional. Earlier screening is suggested at an earlier age if you have any of the modifiable or non-modifiable risk factors. For more information go to www.cardiotabs.com.

Overview: Heart disease is the number-one cause of death among men and women in the United States. Yet it is also preventable and often reversible. In this interview, youll hear from an expert about heart disease prevention. Part One: Heart function Atherosclerosis/Blockages Cholesterol: HDL and LDL Statin drugs Part Two: Heart disease prevention Aspirin and ACE inhibitors Beta blockers Cholesterol Diet Exercise Fatty fish with omega 3 Glucose (sugar) control High blood pressure control Inflammation C-reactive protein Guest: Dr. Michael Miller, a cardiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center who is head of the Center for Preventive Cardiology. Dr. Miller is also an associate professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Links: Heart Disease Prevention (Part 1) www.youtube.com Heart Disease Prevention (Part 2) www.youtube.com Center for Preventive Cardiology www.umm.edu Dr. Michael Miller www.umm.edu

www.encognitive.com Vitamin D importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. The purpose of this review is to put into perspective the many health benefits of vitamin D and the role of vitamin D deficiency in increasing the risk of many common and serious diseases, including some common cancers, type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Numerous epidemiologic studies suggest that exposure to sunlight, which enhances the production of vitamin D3 in the skin, is important in preventing many chronic diseases. Because very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, sunlight supplies most of our vitamin D requirement. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is the metabolite that should be measured in the blood to determine vitamin D status. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in infants who are solely breastfed and who do not receive vitamin D supplementation and in adults of all ages who have increased skin pigmentation or who always wear sun protection or limit their outdoor activities. Vitamin D deficiency is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia. A new dietary source of vitamin D is orange juice fortified with vitamin D. Studies in both human and animal models add strength to the hypothesis that the unrecognized epidemic of vitamin D deficiency worldwide is a contributing factor of many chronic debilitating diseases. Greater awareness of the insidious consequences of vitamin D deficiency is needed. Annual measurement of serum 25 …