Despite repeated warnings by health experts about the consequences of over-salted diets, big fast food and casual dining restaurant chains either have made little apparent effort to reduce sodium in their food or simply don’t disclose the amounts.

One reason: There is little economic incentive to do so.

“Too many people still equate low salt with low taste,” said Dr. Lawrence Appel of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, an authority on hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Experts believe that many Americans consume twice the sodium they need to stay healthy. The government’s recommended limit is 2,300 milligrams, or about 1 teaspoon, a day. Blacks, older adults and children are advised to ingest less than that.

But some of the most popular items on restaurant menus make following that guidance difficult. For example, a Burger King Whopper-with-cheese combo, including a medium order of French fries and medium Diet Coke, has 2,060 milligrams of sodium. There are 2,330 milligrams in a KFC Famous Bowl with mashed potatoes and gravy. An order of baby back ribs with honey barbecue sauce at Chili’s Grill & Bar comes with 4,410 milligrams of sodium.

The seasoning heightens health problems related to what’s been called an epidemic of childhood obesity. “The more calories (taken) in, the more salt in. There’s a direct relationship between obesity and high blood pressure,” said Dr. Jeffrey Cutler, a preventive medicine specialist at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a unit of the National Institutes of Health.

Last June, the American Medical Association called for a 50 percent cut in the sodium in fast food and other restaurant fare. The physicians’ organization also said it wanted to talk with the Food and Drug Administration about the issue, but 10 months have passed without such a meeting.

An FDA spokesman, Michael Herndon, said this week that one is being arranged. Meanwhile, he said, the agency is “looking at ways to get input from all stakeholders on what actions we might take” to promote reduced salt consumption.

The restaurant industry is on record as opposing mandates. Sheila Weiss, director of nutrition policy for the National Restaurant Association, called sodium reduction an “important issue” and said restaurateurs have been working with food suppliers on such items as salad dressings, sauces and soups.

“This isn’t something our members are taking lightly,” Weiss said.

Even so, diners at many of the country’s biggest chains haven’t a clue as to how much sodium they’re consuming.

Applebee’s International Inc., operator of the nation’s largest casual dining chain, is among those not disclosing salt levels, although spokesman Frank Ybarra said, “We will continue to listen to our guests as they tell us what type of additional information they want to have.”

Ruby Tuesday Inc. publishes online data on calories, fat, fiber and carbohydrates, but not for sodium. The Olive Garden and Red Lobster units of Darden Restaurants Inc. don’t disclose sodium content on their Web sites, nor does Cheesecake Factory Inc.

However, most fast food restaurants do.

McDonald’s Corp. recently told franchisees that it’s looking at reducing sodium in its popular Chicken McNuggets. But its growing emphasis on chicken as fast food fare has, in some cases, resulted in sandwiches that contain more sodium than their beef counterparts. For example, while a Big Mac hamburger comes with 1,040 milligrams of sodium, McDonald’s premium grilled chicken club sandwich has 1,720 milligrams - three-fourths of the recommended daily allowance for most adults. Crispy chicken versions are even saltier.

Other fast food chains say they’re analyzing their menus for possible nutritional enhancements. “We want to give moms and kids more options,” said Burger King spokesman Keva Silversmith.

Wendy’s International Inc. spokesman Bob Bertini said, “We continue to look for opportunities to further enhance the nutritional profile of the food we serve without sacrificing taste.”

Still, two recent Kids’ Meal additions - sandwiches featuring meat and cheese - contain more sodium than Wendy’s burger-based kids’ meals.

One longtime advocate for sodium reduction is the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has petitioned the FDA to address the issue. But CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson said, “Unless Congress gets in on the act, I don’t see a lot of voluntary progress from this administration.”

Running: You either love it or you hate it. In my case, a fun activity for my family on a Saturday morning consisted of us all lacing up our running shoes and going for a nice jog.

My sister and I grew up tagging along on visits to the track while our parents trained for another marathon or road race, the allweather surface putting out its familiar rubber and grass smell in the warm California sun. I was game for a few laps, while my younger sister ran stiff-armed for 100 meters yelling, “I don’t wanna!” Of course, she’s the one who now runs for the elite Cal Coast Track Club and is edging up on the 2008 Olympic Trials qualifying time for 800 meters.

Running is a lifestyle. It relieves stress, promotes overall physical and mental health, prevents disease, and new studies have suggested that overall physical fitness is linked with intelligence. It’s a meditative, step-after-step-after-step exercise that can realign us after a long day behind a desk.

While I won’t begin training in earnest for the 2008 150-mile Marathon des Sables until November, it’s got me thinking about increasing mileage over the summer, building a nice base to launch from when a couple of back-to-back four-hour runs will be necessary.

If you enjoy running, you’ve probably increased your mileage too quickly at one point or another, which inevitably leads to injury. Paying attention to your body’s reaction to increased mileage is key, but a rule of thumb is to go for a 10-percent increase each week.

But there are so many other variables that play on the 10- percent rule that it is far more prudent to follow a few common- sense pointers by Olympic top finisher, coach and exercise physiologist Pete Pfitzinger in his aptly named article “How to Safely Increase Your Mileage.”

Increase your steps:

Pfitzinger recommends that runners tack on mileage one week and then stay at that mileage for a couple of weeks before increasing again, giving the body time to adjust and preventing burnout.

Reduce training intensity:

When increasing mileage, Pfitzinger says, it’s best to reduce the speed and intensity of each overall run until another week or so, then resume at your original intensity.

Not all miles are created equal: Your experience on a trail run will differ from a concrete sidewalk or crowned asphalt road. It’s easier on your body to run on softer surfaces and in shoes that suit the biomechanics of your body. For example, I recently purchased a pair of motioncontrol Mizunos with an archsupport insole to prevent my high arches from overpronating — falling inward — and inflaming my ligaments and muscles.

Give yourself a break:

Pfitzinger’s most commonsense rule says that high mileage isn’t for everyone. Setting a target goal such as a marathon will help focus your training, but if you just want to enjoy running purely for the sake of running, high mileage isn’t necessarily good in and of itself.

Whether running is a means for weight loss, stress relief or just a celebration of the body’s abilities, for so many people who start, it becomes the way they live.

“Running is the time I solve all the worries of the world, write books, letters and is hands-down my most creativethinking time of my day,” said Lisa Smith Batchen, a renowned adventure racer, coach and the only American woman to win the Marathon des Sables. “Running saved my life when in deep depression and, God willing, I will be running for the rest of my life for overall mental, physical, personal and spiritual health.”

When it comes to increasing mileage, Smith Batchen suggests a 10- percent increase every two weeks, but she hastens to add this depends on the runner, his goals, ability and background.

My sister, Holly Hobson, frequently fits in long runs at the end of a long day of work in southern California. Her training runs can drag on for miles, but I always hear from her the same joyful report of each episode: She never tires of it.

“Running has made me a really confident person,” she said. “If you start running (whether it’s competitive or recreational), there’s no doubt that you start feeling better about yourself. When I go out for my run, it’s my chance to get away from everyone and everything and just think.

“But it’s not to just relieve stress, it’s also to go out on the streets, or the trail, or whatever it may be and be free. The trail doesn’t care what you look like or how fast you’re going, it’s just you running and hearing only the sound of your breath.”

(c) 2007 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Contact: Amie Hornbaker, +1-301-581-9221, aehornbaker@apma.org, or Craig Fritz, +1-301-581-9220, cmfritz@apma.org, both of APMA

BETHESDA, Md., April 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — What if someone told you, you could walk your way to better health? With 65 percent of American adults considered to be overweight or obese, walking may be one way to battle the bulge. However, if you lack motivation, a prescription to walk may be just what the doctor ordered. That’s the premise behind a 48-week pilot walking program conducted by 16 member physicians of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).

The study, funded by APMA, examines two groups of nearly 250 overweight patients located across the country. The objective is to determine if a podiatrist’s care can make a difference in maintaining a long-term walking routine. The participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group A participants will be given a written walking program and doctor discussions about the benefits of a walking program. These patients will be given a walking prescription which will include a 12 week calendar to document steps taken per day from the pedometer.

Group B patients will receive no walking prescription, no hand- outs, and no doctor discussions about the benefits of a walking program and will only be given a pedometer and instructions to walk. Body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, blood pressure and other health stats will be monitored on a regular basis for both groups. To qualify for the study, patients must be 18 years or older, at risk for obesity with a BMI of 27 or higher and cleared to participate in the study with no major health conditions, such as a heart attack, stroke or loss of sensation in the feet. Both groups will receive a free pair of Asics walking shoes to utilize in the study.

“Our walking study helps cement two important concepts,” said Dr. Bryan Caldwell, the principal investigating podiatrist in the study and a professor at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. “We have known for years the health benefits of walking, as well as the positive impact a podiatrist’s guidance can have on his or her patient’s health. We hope the combination of the two will result in a positive outcome for people who struggle with their weight on a daily basis and will ultimately save lives.”

Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. A poor diet and lack of physical activity are two of the biggest contributing factors. For this reason, podiatrists participating in the study will record participants’ weight and amount of steps every four weeks using software designed specifically for podiatric research and information sharing from Integrated Physician Systems.

“Implementation of a viable walking program under the care of a podiatrist has great potential,” said APMA President Dr. David Schofield. “Podiatrists have a vested interest in their patients’ well being, without healthy feet, walking is not an option.”

For more information about APMA’s walking study or how to gear up for walking, go to http://www.apma.org/walking.

Founded in 1912, the American Podiatric Medical Association represents the nation’s premier foot and ankle physicians. The Association has component societies in 53 locations in the U.S. and its territories and a membership of close to 11,500 doctors of podiatric medicine. For free foot health information, contact APMA at 1-800-FOOTCARE (1-800-366-8227) or visit http://www.apma.orgon the Web.

SOURCE American Podiatric Medical Association

(c) 2007 U.S. Newswire. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

For women with no incentive to get in shape for the coming swimsuit season, here’s a different motivation to cut the junk food. Hamburgers, hot dogs to fried chicken — all your favorite no-effort foods eaten too much too often — can raise a woman’s risk of developing cancers of the womb, pancreas, skin and urinary tract, new studies claim.

Two studies, one from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and the other from Umea University Hospital in Sweden, have found these diseases could result from the high consumption of fatty and processed foods.

The U.S. study discovered post-menopausal women on fatty diets may have a 15 percent increase in their chances of developing breast cancer. The Swedish study, which took place over the course of 13 years, established women with raised levels of blood sugar were at substantial extra risk of developing a range of other cancers. It’s all in what you eat.

For the American review, researchers questioned 188,000 post-menopausal women on how often they consumed specific foods in their diet. They found doubling fat intake from 20 percent to 40 percent appeared to be linked to a 15 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer. Women whose fat intake levels reached 40 percent of their diet were at the most risk. Of the subjects, 3,500 developed the disease.

It didn’t seem to make any difference whether the fat was the unhealthy saturated fat, which is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol — found primarily in meats and dairy products — or whether it was the natural monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats found in plant and seed oils and avocados.

While high blood sugar levels can develop into type 2 diabetes, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of cancer, the new Swedish analysis appeared to show that high blood sugar levels in themselves can increase a woman’s risk of cancers of the womb, pancreas, skin and urinary tract. High blood sugar in pre-menopausal women could also lead to a greater risk of breast cancer.

It is not clear how dietary fat raises the risk of breast cancer, but it is believed increased fat stored in the body could produce greater amounts of the hormone oestrogen circulating through the system.

Both of the studies, however, are not conclusive and need to be confirmed with future studies.

In addition, a greater risk of cancer caused by high blood sugar levels doesn’t seem to affect men.

Among the 63,000 adults observed by the Swedish study, 2,478 cases of cancer were identified. But none were in men, and no link was established between high blood sugar levels and the increased hazard of cancer. In fact, raised blood sugar levels in men appeared very marginally to protect them against developing prostate cancer.

Making the moves to guard against these increased risks of cancers in women doesn’t have to be a struggle or cause for dismay. It’s a question of changing from a diet high in processed and fatty foods to one rich in fruits and vegetables and fresh produce. Not only will this kind of healthy diet reduce cancer risk, but also weight. If you can’t bear to let go of that burger, try this substitute.

Chicken patties in a lettuce leaf wrap; serves four.

Ingredients:

– 1 pound ground chicken or turkey

– 4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

– 1 head lettuce, Boston, Butter or Romaine

– small handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

– grated zest of 1 small lemon

– 1 large clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

– salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

– Turn a broiler to high heat.

– Carefully separate 8 leaves of lettuce from the head without tearing.

– Mix the ground meat with the tomatoes, the mint, the lemon zest and season to taste.

– Divide into eight balls, then flatten with the palm of the hand to ½ inch thickness.

– Broil on both sides till cooked through, about 3-4 minutes each side.

– Spritz with a little lemon juice, then lay each on a lettuce leaf, roll it up and eat.

In the United States, over 95% of our health care dollars are spent on diagnosing and treating preventable diseases. This staggering number ought to be a clarion call to become active for everyone who has, for one reason or another, developed a sedentary lifestyle. Wellness is at the center of a movement to establish goals that will help increase or maintain an individual’s physical activity level. The attention that wellness programs have received from industry and the corporate world is based on the fact that healthy employees are happy employees. Companies that have adopted wellness programs into their culture have found that the annual health care cost for participating employees is much below the national average, and absenteeism is also lower than the national average. The benefits to people who take on wellness programs as an important part of their lives are: participation in regular physical activity, lower stress levels, better weight management, improved sleeping patterns, and increased energy throughout the day.

Mulvihil (2003) suggested that wellness was, “A set of organized activities and systematic interventions, offered through corporations/ worksites, managed care organizations, and governmental/community agencies, whose primary purposes are to provide health education, identify modifiable health risks, and influence health behavior changes”(p. 1). Wellness is something we all hope to achieve. Wellness encourages citizens of the world to understand that social, economic, and environmental circumstances deeply affect our personal health and the quality of life we hope to enjoy. With our fast-paced, over-committed lifestyles, we often overlook how much we eat, what we eat, and how much exercise we get. We are a culture surrounded by guilty pleasures-too many to enumerate here, but chocolate is one that comes to mind. Our lack of willpower may be our eventual downfall…. pass me another slice please!

Wellness can’t happen by itself. It has to be nurtured and worked on within the constraints of our lives. Wellness institutes are springing up all over the planet. Their programs are based on helping us establish a balance in the social, occupational, spiritual, physical, intellectual, and emotional dimensions of our lives. All these dimensions relate to and affect each other. We can be lured by the suggestion that “wellness” is a place to relax, a place far away from the pressures of the world, a place to renew the spirit and reenergize the soul. While the notion may be true, wellness is hard work and takes discipline to achieve. Wellness requires participants to be proactive in their attainment of a healthier existence and the search to be the person that they choose to become.

In this issue, we examine technology and wellness. This can be an exciting and challenging field for technologists to engage their expertise. For Instance, the same sensors that are used to measure tension and stress on materials can be adapted to measure the stress level in the body. Patients who receive biofeedback training can be tested using devices that measure jaw pressure. They are given a reading of the resistance created when teeth-grinding occurs. A doctor will use this baseline number to determine a course of action that the patient can use to reduce stress that causes the teeth- grinding event. Temperature sensors can also be used to measure what is happening in the body. Generally speaking, we are fascinated by body fat. A new test called a bioelectrlcal impedance test is used to determine body fat percentages. Small sensors are placed on one hand and one foot. A low power radio frequency pulse is then passed through the body to measure water content. The amount of body fat is deduced from the readings obtained from the amount of water found in the body. Other interesting wellness technologies are directed at monitoring the health of senior citizens. Monitors that measure movement, mental state, and physical state have become commonplace as seniors take more responsibility for their own health. Data collected from the monitors can be downloaded at a caregiver’s office for analysis. Our exercise machines are also good examples of data-collecting technologies. How many of us log in to our treadmill or orbital cycle with a password? The purpose for this is to measure our progress during the session or over a longer period of time. The data entered can show us what we need to work on and can be used to motivate us to do better.

Certainly, the Internet has had an impact on wellness too! How many visits have people made to sites like WebMD, The Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance, The American Chiropractic Association, or the International Home Remedies Project, to ensure that their symptoms are not fatal? The fact that these sites exist is testimony to our awareness of the importance of wellness.

Be well! And above all enjoy this issue.

reference:

Mulvihill, M. (2003). The Definition and Core Practices of Wellness. Retrieved February 6, 2007 from www.awlp.org/ awlp/pub/ nwftn_Deflnltlon_Practices_ Wellness.pdf.

Charlie McLaughlin is the Field Editor for T&C. Charlie is the Chair of the Department of Educational Studies at Rhode Island College and the coordinator for the Technology Education program. He can be reached at cmclaughlin@ric.edu.

Copyright International Technology Education Association Mar 2007

(c) 2007 Technology and Children. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Then Lundquist, 42, who works in Orange, Calif., starts applying pressure to Hernandez’s hips. “Oh, he just kicked me!” Lundquist says, referring to the 36-week old baby inside Hernandez’s belly.

Close to 10 minutes later, Hernandez, 36, stands up and feels relief. Two more weeks and she’ll be ready to deliver, hopefully with no complications.

That’s not the same story she heard four weeks ago, when an obstetrician told her she was facing a Cesarean delivery (C-section) because the baby in her womb was in a high-risk position. A childbirth educator referred her to Lundquist, a prenatal chiropractor certified since 2001 in the Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique.

CHIROPRACTIC TECHNIQUE

The Webster technique is an increasingly popular form of chiropractic medicine that focuses on helping pregnant women. Though complex in some ways, the basic idea is this: to help a pregnant woman feel comfortable enough with her body to help her give birth to a healthy baby.

Sometimes the manipulations include loosening the mother’s womb enough to allow the baby to shift from a high-risk position to a position that’s safer for the baby and more comfortable for the mother.

“(It) reduces interference to the nervous system, balances out pelvic muscles and ligaments which in turn removes torsion to the uterus. (It) allows the baby to get into the best possible position for birth,” said Jeanne Ohm, executive coordinator of the Philadelphia-based International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, the organization that certifies chiropractors on the technique.

Although the technique was initially used to help pregnant moms with breech babies, it is now used to help any woman with pregnancy-related complaints, said Lundquist.

Hernandez first visited Lundquist at 32 weeks of pregnancy. An ultrasound from her obstetrician’s office showed her baby was 180 degrees from the normal head-down position for birth, so her doctor told her she needed to start considering the possibility of a C-section, a medical standard of care for breech babies but something Hernandez was hoping to avoid.

After two sessions with Lundquist, a new ultrasound showed the baby was in the proper head-down position. “I felt a great relief after the first adjustment,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez had been suffering with neck and back pain long before she got pregnant. She started horseback riding at age 3 and was involved in three car accidents. But the active real estate agent never thought the pain would haunt her pregnancy. Critically, she never thought her own pain might interfere with her baby’s development.

But it does.

Lundquist, in an essay she wrote about the Webster technique, said that during the last six months of a baby’s development in the womb, when 65 percent of the baby’s nervous system is growing, the fetus is extremely sensitive to pressures that can influence the “normal formation of structures.”

Among those “normal” functions is the baby’s position in the womb. If, by the 34th week, the baby isn’t in the correct position the baby isn’t likely to reposition without some outside help.

Breech babies aren’t limited to moms who have bad backs and necks.

Karen Lombard, 41, never had back pain, but her second baby was in a breech position before she visited with Lundquist last year.

Lombard didn’t feel any change after Lundquist applied the Webster technique. Although the baby wasn’t moved to a totally safe position, she was moved enough so the doctor could maneuver the baby before active labor. The doctor used a baby maneuvering technique known as the external cephalic version, or ECV, to get the infant into a healthier head-down position.

Lombard said the procedure was painful, but short and successful. She had a vaginal birth and her daughter, Danielle, is a thriving 4-month-old.

Lundquist saw Lombard for the first time when Lombard was 36 weeks pregnant, a point that Lundquist says might have been too late for the Webster technique to achieve the full effect.

___

HOW IT WORKS

Lundquist loosens up tight spots she finds on the ligaments that suspend the uterus in the mother’s pelvis. She provides a gentle pressure with her thumbs on the ligaments on each side of the patient’s lower abdomen, avoiding direct pressure on the baby or putting any pressure on the uterus. If one of the ligaments is too tight, it could put tension on the uterus causing a tortional or twisting force, a condition called in-utero constraint.

Each session lasts about 10 to 15 minutes, with moms noticing the changes in 30 minutes to one hour after the treatment. But mothers say that their babies get very active during or soon after Lundquist’s manipulations.

“Immediately after the first treatment I felt he moved,” Hernandez said.

The technique doesn’t involve any risk, said Ohm, who has 25 years of chiropractic experience, 10 of which she has been teaching the Webster technique to the ICPA membership.

Lundquist usually is successful in readjusting the baby, though the success rate drops if her patients have passed the 34-week mark of their pregnancies.

“It’s good to look at the baby’s position by the 34th week,” said Sue Coffman, a Bradley childbirth method instructor who referred Hernandez and Lombard to Lundquist’s care.

According to the ICPA, the Webster technique has been found to be 82 percent successful in helping moms feel comfortable.

“I recommend (pregnant moms) visiting a chiropractor even if the baby isn’t breech. It’s really helpful,” Hernandez said.

___

PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS

Breech position: A fetus with the feet, buttocks or legs pointing down toward the cervix is said to be in breech position. Before birth, most breech fetuses change position so that the head points downward. Some, however, remain in breech position late into the last part of pregnancy.

Medical procedures used with breech babies

External cephalic version (ECV): an external procedure done by a physician to turn a fetus from any abnormal position into a head-down position before labor begins.

Cesarean section or C-section: a form of childbirth in which a surgical incision is made through a mother’s abdomen and uterus to deliver the baby. It is usually performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby or mother’s life at risk. In the last decade it has been performed upon request.

Chiropractic procedure: the Webster technique

A chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nervous system, balances pelvic muscles and ligaments which in turn removes torsion to the uterus, reducing the potential for intrauterine constraint and allows the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.

It was developed in 1978 by Larry Webster, founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, to help breech babies turn to the proper head-down position for a vaginal birth.

___

TIPS AND CONTACTS

Tips to help the baby get in the right position:

Sit on the “truck driver” position: on the edge of the seat with legs open

Sleep on the side, leaning a little forward

Exercise (especially stretch) and eat healthy and balanced meals

Talk with your obstetrician or gynecologist about any abnormalities before seeing experts in other fields

Address of Webster-certified chiropractors can be found at the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association’s Web site, www.icpa4kids.com

___

(c) 2007, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).

Visit the Register on the World Wide Web at http://www.ocregister.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

_____

PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): chiropractor+pregnancy

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People who have weekend heart attacks are more likely to die than those admitted to hospitals during the week, largely because they’re less likely to get care that meets scientific guidelines for saving lives, a study reported Wednesday.

“One of every hundred heart patients over a weekend will die unnecessarily,” which amounts to several thousand people each year, says lead author William Kostis of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. “Once you lose those people, you don’t get them back.”

The shortage of hospitals capable of providing lifesaving angioplasty has prompted the American College of Cardiology to launch a campaign to encourage more hospitals to make the procedure routine for treating heart attacks.

The American Heart Association estimates that as many as 10,000 people each year die from heart attacks caused by blockages in the arteries that carry the blood supply.

Studies show that reopening a clogged artery by inflating a tiny balloon reduces a patient’s risk of death by roughly 40%, but only if the procedure can be performed within 90 minutes of arrival at the hospital. The cardiology college and the heart association have adopted that standard as a primary guideline for heart attack care.

But researchers at Yale University reported in November that just one-third of the hospitals provide angioplasty quickly enough to save heart patients’ lives. Even fewer patients appear to get appropriate care on weekends, Kostis and his colleagues report in today’s New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers examined data from almost 60,000 heart attack patients admitted to hospitals from 1987 to 2001 in New Jersey. Nearly 16,000 of the patients were admitted on weekends.

Within a month of admission, 12.9% of weekend heart attack patients died, compared with 12% of those who had heart attacks during the week, a statistically significant difference, Kostis says.

He says one reason the weekend death rate is higher might be that 30% fewer patients get angioplasty on Saturday and Sunday.

“What’s different about the weekends?” asks Tom Balcezak of Yale-New Haven Hospital. “Cardiac catheterization labs (where angioplasty is done) may be staffed by people who are on call rather than in-house; attending physician coverage may be different … or there may be a smaller pharmacy staff.”

Nevertheless, Kostis says, “we don’t want people to think that if they have a heart attack on Sunday they should wait until Monday. Absolutely not.” (c) Copyright 2005 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

February has been designated as Heart Month. Diet plays an important role in heart health, according to Don Mankie, one of five registered dieticians at the Nutrition Resource in Roanoke. Mankie worked at the former Lewis-Gale Clinic before going into private practice.

Most heart-related health issues can be managed by weight loss and healthful eating habits while becoming more physically active, according to Mankie. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes respond well to weight loss and healthy lifestyle changes.

“People in our program lose weight consistently, and their medical health indexes [blood pressure, blood sugar and other measurements] improve almost immediately,” said Mankie. “Patients also feel better, as they learn new, healthy habits.”

The Nutrition Resource offers a free orientation class every Monday at 5:30 p.m. This program not only helps people lose weight, but offers ongoing support for weight maintenance, Mankie said.

The basic program involves weekly group sessions, a specific diet and recommendations for at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise, three to four times a week. With the support of the staff at the Nutrition Source, including midweek phone calls, patients can lose weight and feel supported in the process.

Weight maintenance, after having lost weight, is most important. The program recommends an additional 18 months of ongoing support post weight loss, but many patients continue to use its support well beyond that time. If you’ve lost weight on your own, Mankie advises an awareness that maintaining a new, healthy weight will require ongoing lifestyle adjustments and possibly counseling about body image and stress management. Losing weight is one thing; maintaining a healthy weight for the rest of your life is another.

Mankie offers the following suggestions on how to keep your heart healthy:

n Eat five to nine servings of vegetables/fruits each day. Don’t rely on juices, which are high in calories and don’t offer the benefit of fiber from plant foods. “We’ve always heard that fruits and vegetables are good for us; the new news is that they can actually save our lives,” said Mankie. Phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals, as well as dietary fiber, make these foods the essential center of a healthy diet.

n Eat low-fat proteins — lean meats, low-fat dairy, soy products and beans/legumes are recommended. Mankie also recommends eating fish twice a week as a low-fat protein with the additional benefit of heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.

When eating fats, remember that liquids are healthier than solids (for example, substitute olive oil for butter. If you eat a lot of packaged or restaurant foods, educate yourself to read labels and choose foods that are lower in fat and use healthy fats.

n Favor whole grains, beans and legumes. Whole-wheat breads, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, oats and other less-processed grains, as well as beans and legumes, have many healthful benefits. These complex carbohydrates help with digestive function (due to fiber) and help keep blood sugar levels even, aiding in satiety, as they are slowly digested. Mankie is particularly fond of sweet potatoes, which are “chock-full of nutrients,” he said.

To help with weight loss and maintenance, as well as to strengthen the cardiovascular system, regular exercise is essential. Mankie reported a recent study that showed “regardless of cholesterol level, people who were physically active had a significantly decreased risk of death from heart disease.” He suggests 30 to 60 minutes a day of exercise — with variety — including aerobic, flexibility and resistance-training. A good walk coupled with stretching and some weight-training is ideal.

The Nutrition Resource, located at 1910 Electric Road in Roanoke, offers the nationally recognized Health Management Resources weight- management program. The dieticians at the Nutrition Resource also conduct health and wellness seminars for corporations, and offer individual counseling for any nutrition-related issue - diabetes, heart disease, eating disorders and food allergies. For additional information, call (540) 772-4930.

(c) 2007 Roanoke Times & World News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Video: Women’s Heart Health: Aspirin Recommended

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of U.S. women, but many women and even physicians still believe the myth that it is primarily a problem for men, said Kim Cash, a spokeswoman for Oklahoma’s American Heart Association chapters.

“I’ll be glad when I won’t hear any more stories from women who have gone to the emergency room having a heart attack, and when they ask if they could be having one, the doctors just look at them like they’re crazy,” she said.

The American Heart Association has updated its guidelines for the treatment of heart disease in women to reflect the latest research. The new guidelines — updated from 2004 — were published Tuesday in a special women’s health issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Another study, released Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that women who have sustained heart attacks are not getting adequate treatment.

This research shows that physicians often fail to prescribe aspirin, beta blockers and cholesterol-lowering drugs to women who have had heart attacks, even though the medications are known to prevent additional heart attacks.

“This report confirms previous evidence that women with (heart disease) are being undertreated in the United States,” wrote Drs. Andrew Miller and Suzanne Oparil of the University of Alabama at Birmingham in an editorial accompanying the research.

Many physicians diagnose heartburn or other ailments when women come to them with chest pain or other symptoms of heart disease, Cash said.

“There are still doctors who blame women’s symptoms on stress. They say: ‘It’s in your head. You’re just stressed out,’ ” she said.

And often, a woman who smokes and who has hypertension or a woman who is obese and has diabetes is not counseled by her health-care provider about heart disease, Cash said.

“Part of the problem is educating health-care providers about women and heart disease,” she said.

But women share a responsibility in educating themselves about heart disease, Cash said.

“Many women know they’re a size 6 at SteinMart and a size 8 at Dillard’s, but they don’t know their cholesterol numbers,” she said.

Eighty percent of heart disease is preventable if certain risk factors are eliminated or controlled, such as high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes, she said.

According to the American Heart Association, 42.1 million women in the U.S. live with cardiovascular disease.

The association’s study says: “Some women are at significant risk of future heart attack or stroke because they already have CVD and/ or multiple risk factors. These women are candidates for more aggressive preventive therapy, and we define them as high risk.

“Nearly all women are at risk for CVD, underscoring the importance of a heart-healthy life-style in everyone.”

Kim Archer 581-8315

kim.archer@tulsaworld.com

(c) 2007 Tulsa World. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

I don’t argue that sound research does seem to show that the antioxidants in red wine have a beneficial effect on the heart and this wine, says Sainsbury’s, has 32% more than the average red wine.

There’s no doubt, however, that the beneficial effects of drinking red wine are limited to a very moderate intake. Too much and you’re scuppered.

As this has 14% alcohol, go easy. It costs pounds 4.99.

I take heart from recent research that shows that the tannic red wines of South-West France are also especially high in antioxidants.

APPEALING FRUIT

WHETHER or not it’s good for me, Kendermann’s Pinot Grigio/ Chardonnay 2005 (pounds 6.99 at Tesco) is delicious drinking ( clean and fresh with lots of ripe apple and melon fruit.

Most attractive!

(c) 2007 The Journal - Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.