Thu, 31 January 2008
Dr. Tedd Mitchell, president of Cooper Clinic, discusses the recent study reported in American Journal of Preventive Medicine (http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSFLE27756320071212) that obese children who watched two to four hours of TV each day were 2.5 times more likely to have high blood pressure than their peers who watched less TV. Dr. Mitchell explains the role of NEAT, Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or sports-like exercise), and how it impacts overall weight. Sitting still burns few calories, standing burns more calories than sitting, and walking burns more calories than standing. Healthy children need to keep moving. Children have access to TV, computers, electronic games, and other gadgets that keep them sitting and inactive. Dr. Mitchell suggests removal of the TV and computer from the bedroom (so time can be monitored), and urges parents to enforce a household rule of "no eating in front of the TV.?
Direct download: TV_viewing_increases_BP_in_obese_children.mp3
Category:Health and Wellness -- posted at: 4:40pm CDT |
Tue, 29 January 2008
Dr. Michele Kettles, medical director and vice president of Cooper Clinic in Dallas, discusses the latest scientific data on vitamin D, and explains why vitamin D is important. Traditional bone health recommendations may have overemphasized the importance of calcium in bone health and underemphasized the importance of vitamin D. Vitamin D isn't just for bone health. Dr. Kettles explains that low levels of vitamin D are also associated with certain disease states. Cooper Clinic started routinely checking vitamin D levels of all patients in June 2007. Your physician can check your vitamin D level with a simple blood test. The test to take is a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level. The Cooper Complete scientific advisory team suggests vitamin D supplementation of 1,000 IU daily. Vitamin D-3 is a better supplement compared to vitamin D-2, and when purchasing vitamin D-3, look for the word "cholecalciferol? on the supplement facts label. An article entitled, "Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease? was published in the journal Circulation on Jan. 22, 2008 - (http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.706127v1). |
Fri, 25 January 2008
The prevalence of esophageal cancer in men 50 years and older is increasing. Dr. Tedd Mitchell, president of Cooper Clinic, discusses this situation, and explains the difference between the two types of esophageal cancer. The gold standard for screening for esophageal cancer is an EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) test. Cooper Clinic recommends a baseline screen at age 50. Dr. Mitchell discusses long-time use of over-the-counter acid reflux medications, from TUMS to Prilosec. Dr. Mitchell recommends evaluation and treatment if acid reflux occurs more than once or twice each week.
Direct download: Acid_Reflux_and_Cancer_Risk.mp3
Category:Health and Wellness -- posted at: 10:54am CDT |
Tue, 22 January 2008
Dr. Tedd Mitchell, president of Cooper Clinic, discusses the United Kingdom study Combined Impact of Health Behaviours and Mortality in Men and Women: The EPIC-Norfolk Prospective Population Study reported in PLoS Medicine http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050012. Researchers examined the prospective relationship between lifestyle and mortality in a prospective population study of 20,244 men and women aged 45 - 79, and found that four healthy lifestyle habits resulted in participants living an average of 14 years longer than those who didn't practice any of the four lifestyle habits. We also give the calculation for Body Mass Index (BMI), http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/, and explain the categories. |
Wed, 16 January 2008
The ENHANCE (Effect of Combination Ezetimibe and High-Dose Simvastatin vs. Simvastatin Alone on the Atherosclerotic Process in Patients with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia) trial results were released on Jan. 14, 2008. Dr. Tedd Mitchell, president of Cooper Clinic, discusses results of the ENHANCE trial (which compared Vytorin to Zetia), and gives Cooper Clinic's recommendation of what to do if someone currently takes either of these medications.
Direct download: ENHANCE_Trial_Cooper_Clinic_feedback.mp3
Category:Health and Wellness -- posted at: 3:02pm CDT |