Diet and Heart Health

Happy New Year, everyone!

I came across a news article about diet and heart health and I thought that would be a great topic to start the new year. So many times we make resolutions that we're going to eat better or exercise more and we might do that for a while, but soon we fall back into old habits. Those old habits are hard to break!

The article I saw was about a study that dealt with the health benefits of consuming olive oil and vegetables. To read the whole article, here's the link: More evidence olive oil and veggies help the heart

I found a few more links with some great information on heart healthy diets that you might want to check out:

Heart Healthy Diet ( Cardiovascular Research Foundation)
This web site has the following sections: Mediterranean diet, low-fat diets, fat & cholesterol, Fruits & Vegetables, Fiber & Grains, Salt & Potassium, Alcohol

Heart Healthy Eating (National Women's Health Information Center)

Healthy Cooking Techniques (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that has no odor or color, but it is very dangerous. It can cause sudden illness and death. CO is found in combustion fumes, such as those made by cars and trucks, lanterns, stoves, gas ranges and heating systems. CO from these fumes can build up in places that don't have a good flow of fresh air. You can be poisoned by breathing them in.

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. It is difficult to tell if someone has carbon monoxide poisoning since these symptoms can mimic other illnesses. Someone who is sleeping or is intoxicated can die from carbon monoxide poisoning before they exhibit symptoms. A carbon monoxide detector can warn you if you have high carbon monoxide levels in your home.

Too often during the winter months, you hear a tragic story of someone dying from carbon monoxide poisoning inside a home that could have been so easily avoided. Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that will help you avoid an unnecessary tragedy:

- Never use a gas range or oven for heating. Using a gas range or oven for heating can cause a build up of CO inside your home, cabin, or camper.
- Never use a charcoal grill or a barbecue grill indoors. Using a grill indoors will cause a build up of CO inside your home, cabin, or camper unless you use it inside a vented fireplace.
- Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal — red, gray, black, or white — gives off CO.
- Never use a portable gas camp stove indoors. Using a gas camp stove indoors can cause CO to build up inside your home, cabin, or camper.
- Never use a generator inside your home, basement, or garage or near a window, door, or vent.

The American College of Emergency Physicians offers the following general tips for preventing carbon monoxide poisoning:

- Gas appliances should be installed and maintained by a qualified professional.
- Carbon monoxide detectors should be installed on each level of your home, preferably near bedrooms.
- Never leave a vehicle engine running in an enclosed garage.
- Portable flameless chemical heaters should never be used indoors. Although they don't have a flame, they can release carbon monoxide.
- Charcoal grills should never be used indoors.
- All gas appliances must be properly vented to prevent carbon monoxide buildup indoors.
- Make sure your fireplace flue is open when you have a fire, and get your chimney checked and cleaned annually.
(SOURCE: American College of Emergency Physicians, news release, Dec. 17, 2010)

Here are some links for more information on carbon monoxide poisoning:

Portable Generator Hazards (Consumer Product Safety Commission)

Carbon Monoxide Hazards from Small Gasoline Powered Engines (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

Quiet Killer Video (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a fun and safe holiday. I want to thank all of my regular readers who keep coming back to check out my blog. I appreciate your support. Please let me know if there's a topic that you're interested in that I haven't covered because I want to provide information you can use.

Since it is the holiday season, I just wanted to share one link with you. Candles are very popular around the holidays (and all year long) so I found a link from the National Fire Protection Associating about candle safety. Check out this link: Candles (NFPA).

Driving While Drunk, Drugged or Distracted--Impaired Driving

This is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. I want to share some information and links, not only on drunk and drugged driving, but also driving while distracted, which is also a serious problem.

Here is some information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on impaired driving:

Impaired driving is dangerous and is the cause of more than half of all car crashes. It means operating a motor vehicle while

- Affected by alcohol
- Affected by illegal or legal drugs
- Too sleepy
- Distracted, such as using a cell phone or texting
- Having a medical condition which affects your driving

For your safety and the safety of others, do not drive while impaired. Have someone else drive you or take public transportation when you cannot drive. If you need to take a call or send a text message, pull over.

If you doubt that impaired driving is a problem, here are some statistics that illuminate how serious the problem really is:

Some statistics on distracted driving:
In 2008, almost 20 percent of all crashes in the year involved some type of distraction. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - NHTSA).

Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted driver, and more than half a million were injured. (NHTSA)

The younger, inexperienced drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes.

Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

Using a cell phone use while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (Source: University of Utah)

Some statistics on drugged/drunk driving:
In 2008, 11,773 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (32%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. (U.S. Dept. of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Of the 1,347 traffic fatalities among children ages 0 to 14 years in 2008, about one out of every six (16%) involved an alcohol-impaired driver. (U.S. Dept. of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are often used in combination with alcohol. (U.S. Dept. of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

I found a great publication from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration with suggestions for party planning in order to have a safe holiday season. Check out this link: Party Planning Tips for an Alcohol-Safe and Drug-Free Holiday Season to Remember

Here are some links to some other useful web sites:

Distractions in Everyday Driving (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) – PDF

Impaired Driving (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Distracted Driving Facts and Statistics (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

ABCs of BAC: A Guide to Understanding Blood Alcohol Concentration and Alcohol Impairment (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - PDF

Drugged Driving (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Some Medications and Driving Don't Mix (Food and Drug Administration)

Things You May Have Missed

I just thought I'd repeat some links from the past few weeks in case you missed them or are new to the blog. These links provide some great information on a variety of topics. I'll start off with some that are perfect for the season.

WINTER/HOLIDAY-RELATED LINKS:

Stress, Depression and the Holidays: 10 Tips for Coping from the Mayo Clinic

Seasonal Affective Disorder from the American Academy of Family Physicians

12 Healthy Ways to Survive a Holiday Eating Frenzy from Better Health USA

Heating Safety (National Fire Protection Association) – PDF

INFECTION CONTROL:

Ounce of Prevention Keeps the Germs Away: Seven Keys to a Safer Healthier Home (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF

OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS:

Medicines in My Home: Information for Adults on Using Over-the-Counter Medicines Safely (Food and Drug Administration) – PDF

CHILDHOOD OBESITY/NUTRITION:

Helping Your Overweight Child Helping Your Overweight Child (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Recipe Search from Rachael Ray's Yum-O organization that contains great recipes for kids of all ages to make

Study: Most Young Children Consume Caffeine Each Day

In a study just published in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that 75% of children surveyed consumed caffeine on a daily basis, and the more caffeine the children consumed, the less they slept.

Here are some of the findings:

Children between the ages of 8 and 12 took in an average of 109 milligrams of caffeine a day, the equivalent of 3 12-ounce cans of soda. While younger children consumed less caffeine, some as young as 5 had the equivalent of a can of soda a day.

"Contrary to popular belief, children were not more likely to wet the bed if they consumed caffeine, despite the fact that caffeine is a diuretic," study co-author Shelby Evans said in a journal news release.

"Parents should be aware of the potentially negative influence of caffeine on a child's sleep quality and daily functioning," study author Dr. William Warzak said in the news release.

He and his colleagues suggested that pediatricians could educate parents about the potentially harmful effects of caffeine in children and ask about patients' caffeine consumption.

If you want to read the whole article in the Journal of Pediatrics, here's the link: Caffeine Consumption in Young Children

Here's another link to check out: Caffeine and Your Child (Nemours Foundation)

Weight Control

In the last few weeks I've posted information on childhood obesity and healthy holiday eating. Since being overweight or obese is such a national problem (sixty-six percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese), I thought I'd post some helpful links on weight control, which will be helpful if you overindulge during the holidays!

Here is brief overview from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases:

Eating too much or not being physically active enough will make you overweight. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat. A weight-control strategy might include:

- Choosing low-fat, low-calorie foods
- Eating smaller portions
- Drinking water instead of sugary drinks
- Being physically active

If you are overweight or obese and want to lose weight, here are some helpful links you should check out:

Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-Loss Program (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Weight Loss for Life (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

What It Takes to Lose Weight (American Academy of Family Physicians)

Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

It is so important to get kids to eat right at a young age. If they have a healthy outlook about food, then they will grow up knowing the importance of a balanced diet. One thing that will help them develop good eating habits is getting them involved in cooking at a young age. If they learn how to prepare healthy food early on, hopefully they will continue that all their lives. Rachael Ray's Yum-O organization has a great recipe search tool that you can use to find healthy recipes that are suitable for kids of all ages to make. You can limit your searches by selecting an age group and/or certain food categories. Here is the link for that: http://www.yum-o.org/recipe_search.php.

Dealing with Dry Skin in the Winter

Many people suffer from dry skin and the winter can make things worse with the cold outside and the dry air inside. Since I have issues with wintertime dry skin, I thought I'd post a couple links with tips for dealing with dry skin. The second link is especially useful for older people who have aging skin issues. Since we're all getting older, I think the tips will be helpful for everyone.

Dry Skin from the National Library of Medicine

Dermatologists' Top 10 Tips for Relieving Dry Skin: Changes in Skin Care Can Soothe Aging Skin from the American Academy of Dermatology

Getting Exercise During the Winter

Winter weather has arrived in many parts of the country so I thought I'd post some links with exercise tips during the winter months. There are tips for both outdoor and indoor exercises. Make sure you check with your health care provider before starting any exercise program.

Exercise and cold weather: Tips to stay safe outdoors from the Mayo Clinic

Exercising during winter--the key to staying fit from the High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal

Warm Up Your Winter with Exercise from the Christian Post

Patient Rights

As a patient, you have certain rights, whether you are a patient in a hospital or whether you're receiving home care. Some are guaranteed by federal law, such as the right to get a copy of your medical records, and the right to keep them private. I found some links to some very helpful information that you should definitely read before getting any kind of medical treatment. One of the links concerns rights for home care or hospice patients and another one provides information if you are on Medicare.

Patient Care Partnership: Understanding Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities (American Hospital Association) – PDF

Questions Are the Answer: Get More Involved with Your Health Care (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

What Are My Rights As a Patient? (National Association for Home Care & Hospice)

Your Medicare Rights and Protections (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - PDF

Holiday/Winter Safety Tips

I came across a news release from the American College of Orthopaedic Surgeons about holiday safety, especially when using a ladder to hang Christmas decorations. I thought I'd include that press release and then at the bottom of the post, I included two links for winter safety tips. One of them deals with heating safety and the other is from the American Academy of Pediatrics with safety tips for kids of all ages.

Here is the press release:

Orthopaedic surgeons encourage safety when cleaning for the winter and putting up holiday decorations.

OVERVIEW: Whether you are cleaning the garage or attic, clearing the gutters, or raking, it is time for the pre-winter cleanup. No matter the chore, these simple tasks can become a pain in the neck, quite literally. For some ambitious folks, these cleanup days also serve as an excellent time to put up holiday decorations before the first snowfall or family festivity. To make your seasonal cleanup less strenuous and to keep decorating stress-free, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) emphasizes proper safety when partaking in these activities.

STATISTICS (1-7):
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

There were more than 505,000 injuries from rake or ladder use in 2009.

According to a 2000-2003 study evaluating winter holiday falls from November 1 - January 31:

An estimated 17,465 persons were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments (EDs) for holiday decorating related falls.

Approximately 62 percent of those injured were aged 20 - 49 years;
approximately 43 percent of injuries were caused by falls from ladders; and
males were 40 percent more likely than females to be injured.

AAOS SAFETY TIPS:
Properly set up the ladder on a firm, level surface. When you are cleaning out the garage or closet, be careful pushing or pulling anything from shelves while standing on a ladder. You could lose your balance and fall off.

Watch for soft, muddy spots or uneven flooring, and never place a ladder on ground that is uneven.

Remember the 1-to-4 rule: the bottom of the ladder should be 1 foot away from the wall for every 4 feet that the ladder rises.

It’s very important to select the right ladder for the job. When working at low and medium heights, choose step stools or utility ladders.

Extension ladders are ideal for use outdoors to reach high places, as when hanging items from the rooftop.

Whether you are lifting a heavy laundry basket or a heavy box, remember to get close to the object, bend at the knees, and lift with your leg muscles. Do not bend at the waist.

Ask for help when lifting a heavy object. A bulky package, awkwardly lifted, can lead to a back injury. You might want to take a break from your chores, but never use a stepladder’s top or pail shelf as a seat. It is not designed to carry your weight.

Be careful when putting up holiday decorations, including lights and trees. Move materials with caution when on the ladder, and always position the ladder close to the work area, so you do not lose your balance and fall.

Be mindful of any rearranged furniture and new decorations and make sure others in the house are familiar with the changes as well. Consider installing night lights in an area that is rearranged to avoid nighttime confusion.

AAOS EXPERT ADVICE: “If you plan on putting up holiday decorations and lights, it’s important to do so with caution. With the constant ladder climbing and stretching, it’s easy to lose your balance or be careless for just a moment,” said orthopaedic surgeon Sherwin SW Ho, MD. “Be sure to take your time and avoid taking safety risks to get the job done at a quicker pace.”

Here are links to more safety information:

Heating Safety (National Fire Protection Association) - PDF

Winter Safety Tips (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Preventing the Spread of Germs: Good Hygiene

When you cough or sneeze, you send tiny germ-filled droplets into the air. Colds and flu usually spread that way. You can help stop the spread of germs by:

- Covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough
- Washing your hands often - always before you eat or prepare food, and after you use the bathroom or change a diaper
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth

Hand washing is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of illnesses. Soap and water work well to kill germs. Wash for at least 15 seconds. Disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers also work well.

If you want more helpful tips on preventing the spread of germs or bacteria, check out these informative sites:

Ounce of Prevention Keeps the Germs Away: Seven Keys to a Safer Healthier Home (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF

Germs: Understand and Protect against Bacteria, Viruses and Infection (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Taking Over-the-Counter Medications Safely

You may have heard on the news about a new study that found that most of the popular over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold, pain-relieving, allergy and stomach drugs just don't explain dosing very well. Nor is there much consistency in product labeling. Parents have been admonished over the years to follow the directions carefully, but as the results of this study found, they still may be giving their children either too much or not enough of a medication simply because inconsistent labeling and inaccurate or unclear measuring devices. Adults may also be taking the wrong dose of medicines.

Here is a summary of the results of the study: Measuring devices were packaged with 148 of 200 products (74.0%). Within this subset of 148 products, inconsistencies between the medication's dosing directions and markings on the device were found in 146 cases (98.6%). These included missing markings (n = 36, 24.3%) and superfluous markings (n = 120, 81.1%). Across all products, 11 (5.5%) used atypical units of measurement (e.g., drams, cc) for doses listed. Milliliter, teaspoon, and tablespoon units were used for doses in 143 (71.5%), 155 (77.5%), and 37 (18.5%) products, respectively. A nonstandard abbreviation for milliliter (not mL) was used by 97 products. Of the products that included an abbreviation, 163 did not define at least 1 abbreviation.

In November 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new voluntary guidelines to industry groups responsible for manufacturing, marketing, or distributing over-the-counter (OTC) liquid medications, particularly those intended for use by children. Since this recent study found that there are still problems, mandatory guidelines may be necessary.

Here is a summary of the FDA’s recommendations:

Food and Drug Administration Recommendations to Industry for Over-the-Counter Liquid Medications

Presence and Type of Measuring Device

- Measuring devices should be included for all over-the-counter liquid medications.

Within-Product Inconsistency Between Labeled Dosing Directions and Measuring Device

- Devices should be marked with calibrated units of measure that are the same as those specified in the labeled dosage directions.
- Abbreviations used on devices should be the same as those used in directions.
- Devices should not bear extraneous or unnecessary markings.
- Devices should not be significantly larger than the largest dose described.

Across-Product Variability

- Abbreviations should conform to international or national standards.
- Abbreviations should be defined on devices and/or label directions.
- Decimals and fractions should be used with care and conform to recommendations, including use of leading zeros before decimal points to avoid 10-fold errors and use of small font size for numerals in fractions (e.g., rather than 1/2).

Consumer Guidance on Appropriate Use

- Consumers should be encouraged to use measuring devices only with the products with which they are included.
- Consumers should be directed to consult a health care provider when a physician-recommended dose is not marked on the enclosed measuring device.
- Usability studies should be done to confirm understandability and accurate use.

Health literacy is also an issue. 1 in 3 U.S. adults and 1 in 4 U.S. parents have limited health literacy and an even larger number have low numeracy, thus making it difficult to decipher the instructions and markings on many medications. Supporting consumer comprehension by providing clear, consistent, and standardized information increases the likelihood that consumers can safely and effectively use over-the-counter medications.

If you want more information on over-the-counter medications and how to safely use them, check out the following links:

Getting the Most from Your OTC Medicine (American Academy of Family Physicians)

Medicines in My Home: Information for Adults on Using Over-the-Counter Medicines Safely (Food and Drug Administration) – PDF

Over-the-Counter Medicines: What's Right for You? (Food and Drug Administration)