Tag: lifestyle

Can a Healthy Lifestyle Prevent IBD?

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Can a Healthy Lifestyle Prevent IBD?

Adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle may prevent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to findings from an analysis of three prospective U.S. cohort studies, which were validated in three external European cohorts.

In the primary analysis, maintaining low modifiable risk scores — based on risk factors including body mass index, smoking status, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physical activity, and daily consumption of fruit, vegetables, fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and red meat — could have prevented 42.9% of Crohn’s disease cases and 44.4% of ulcerative colitis cases, reported Hamed Khalili, MD, MPH, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues.

Moreover, adherence to a healthy lifestyle could have prevented 61.1% of Crohn’s disease cases and 42.2% of ulcerative colitis cases, they noted in Gut.

“We were surprised by the proportion of cases that could have been prevented through lifestyle modifications,” Khalili told MedPage Today. “One reason for this finding may be that our population was older and therefore most of our cases of IBD happened in older adults.”

“We know that lifestyle and environmental factors play a bigger role in the development of IBD in this population as compared to those who are diagnosed with disease earlier in life,” he added.

These findings from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), the NHS II, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) were largely validated in three external European cohorts — the Swedish Mammography Cohort, Cohort of Swedish Men, and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

Looking at cases of Crohn’s disease among the European validation cohorts, adhering to low-risk factors could have prevented 44% to 51% of cases, while adhering to a healthy lifestyle could have prevented 49% to 60% cases. For ulcerative colitis, adherence to low-risk factors could have prevented 21% to 28% of cases, while healthy lifestyle adherence could have prevented 47% to 56% of cases.

For every 1-point increase in modifiable risk score, a higher risk of Crohn’s disease (P for trend<0.0001) and ulcerative colitis (P for trend=0.008) was observed, and was similar for men and women.

IBD affects about 3.1 million people in the U.S. and 1.3 million in Europe, with incidence rising globally, especially among newly industrialized countries, Khalili’s group said. IBD is associated with an annual healthcare cost of $23,000 per patient in the U.S., and there are no current strategies to prevent the development of IBD. While one approach

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Healthy Men: Why men are the way they are | Lifestyle

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Healthy Men: Why men are the way they are | Lifestyle

Dear Heathy Men: You’ve mentioned several times in this column that men don’t go to the doctor as often as women and that they live shorter, sicker lives than women. I’m sure that’s true. But what I really want to know is why. Why don’t men take better care of themselves?

A: A number of factors keep men (and boys) from being as actively engaged in their own health care as they need to be. Here are some of the biggest ones:

— Socialization. When we’re little, boys are bombarded with the idea that “big boys don’t cry.” When we’re in high school, we’re told we need to “take one for the team.” And when we hit adulthood, it’s “man up.” Overall, the message is clear: Asking for and/or accepting help is a sign of weakness. Not surprisingly, men and boys ignore their symptoms and stay as far away from medical providers as they can.

— Media messages. In a comprehensive study of print advertising for health products and healthy lifestyles, Dr. Salvatore J. Giorgianni, Jr. found that ads were half as likely to be directed at men than at women. “This sends a clear message to boys and young men that (a) only women and girls have health-related needs, and (b) taking care of one’s physical or mental health is women’s responsibility,” says Giorgianni, co-founder and vice president of Healthy Men, Inc. (healthymen.org).

— The health care system is unwelcoming. A 2019 Cleveland Clinic survey found that going to the doctor is “so unappealing” that 7 in 10 men would rather do household chores, like cleaning the bathroom or mowing the lawn, than go to the doctor, and 77% would rather go shopping with their wife or significant other than to the doctor. As a result, about two-thirds of men prefer to self-diagnose and the same percentage will wait as long as possible before finally agreeing to see a provider. By then, it’s often too late.

Some of the blame for men’s experience of being unwelcome and uncomfortable in health care settings rests with providers. A majority of men in the 2019 survey said they would be more likely to have regular checkups if medical offices had more flexible hours. But even when they do make an office visit, according to researcher Will Courtenay’s “Dying to Be Men: Psychosocial, Environmental, and Biobehavioral Decisions in Promoting the Health of Men

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Northwest doctors say: Keep blood pressure in check with healthy lifestyle, testing at home

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Northwest doctors say: Keep blood pressure in check with healthy lifestyle, testing at home

Because it draws zero attention to itself, high blood pressure — the technical term is hypertension — seems to be the easiest to shrug off of all ongoing health conditions in American adults.

It’s symptomless. It’s sneaky. A trivial paper cut will cause you more pain and suffering than this important aspect of your health.

Nearly half of all American adults have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association, and many don’t even know it.

But hypertension doesn’t stay symptomless forever, according to Dr. Noreen Nazir, a preventive cardiologist at Oregon Health & Science University.

“In the early stages, you can have elevated numbers but no sustained symptoms,” Nazir said. “The body is trying to compensate. It can do this for a time but you may be on your way to developing symptoms and developing negative outcomes later on.”

Avoid ‘Holiday Heart’

The holiday season is when we tend to eat and drink with abandon. Doctors have a name for seasonally troubled cardiovascular systems: “holiday heart.” If you’re trying to keep your blood pressure in check despite holiday treats and peer pressure, try these tips:

  • Before you hit that party, snack healthily and include protein. You’ll be less inclined to gorge.
  • At the party, start with a glass of water. Delay and reduce alcohol.
  • Keep exercising. In addition to keeping your blood pressure better regulated, it’ll reduce stress and keep your spirits bright.
  • Stick with your meds. If you tend to forget, get a weekly pill organizer.
  • Be careful with over-the-counter cold and flu meds, which can raise blood pressure. Read labels. 

According to the American Heart Association, chronic hypertension — that is, blood pressure that stays too high for too long — increases one’s risk of heart attack, stroke and a host of other health problems, from heart and kidney disease to vision loss and sexual dysfunction.

“Most people experience very little symptoms until it’s too late,” said Dr. Richard Segal, an internal medicine specialist at Kaiser Permanente in Salem, Ore.

Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death for adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stroke is No. 5.

“Worldwide, raised blood pressure is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths, about 12.8 percent of the total of all deaths,” according to the World Health Organization.

That’s why it’s important to get screened, understand what your numbers mean

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Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease ‘may be preventable through healthy lifestyle’

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Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease ‘may be preventable through healthy lifestyle’

Up to six in 10 cases of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis may be preventable through a healthy lifestyle, researchers have suggested.

A study published online in the journal Gut said people who are at high risk of developing the conditions due to a hereditary link may be able to take action to cut their chances of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

IBD is mainly used to describe ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, whose symptoms include abdominal pain, cramps or swelling, recurring or bloody diarrhoea, weight loss and extreme tiredness.

There is no cure for the conditions, which can vary in severity.

Treatments can include following specific diets or taking medicines such as aminosalicylates or mesalazines to reduce inflammation in the gut. Immunosuppressants such as steroids are sometimes given.

According to the NHS, around one in five people with ulcerative colitis have severe symptoms that do not improve with medicine and they may need surgery to remove part of their bowel.

Meanwhile, around 60 to 75% of people with Crohn’s disease will need surgery to repair damage to their digestive system and treat complications.

In the study experts, including from Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, used data from several large, long-term studies of nurses and doctors, involving thousands of people.

The researchers created modifiable risk scores (MRS) to estimate the proportion of IBD cases that could have been avoided.

The MRS ranged from 0-6, with higher scores meaning there were more risk factors.

These risk factors included weight (body mass index), smoking, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, how much exercise people took and daily intake of fruit, fibre, vegetables, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and red meat.

Having the healthiest lifestyle was defined as having a healthy weight, never smoking, exercising regularly, at least eight daily servings of fruit and vegetables, less than half a daily serving of red meat, at least 25g of fibre per day, at least two weekly servings of fish, at least half a daily serving of nuts/seeds and a maximum of one alcoholic drink per day for women or two for men.

During the monitoring period, 346 cases of Crohn’s disease and 456 cases of ulcerative colitis were reported among

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Ashburn mom finds a healthy new lifestyle after joining a local gym | News

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Ashburn mom finds a healthy new lifestyle after joining a local gym | News

As a busy mother of three children with a husband who served in the military, like many mothers, Ingrid Herrera-Yee of Ashburn often finds that it is difficult to prioritize her own health and fitness needs.

Last year, Herrera-Yee, 54, said she had high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels and was on the obese side of the body mass indicator (BMI) chart.

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Healthy Lifestyle Hub brings hope to Auburn Gresham

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Healthy Lifestyle Hub brings hope to Auburn Gresham

CHICAGO (CBS) — After years of disinvestment, there are new and important resources coming to the Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

They are all housed in one new Healthy Lifestyle Hub at 839 W. 79th St., just west of Halsted Street. We have been following the development of the building for many months, and on Friday, CBS 2’s Irika Sargent was there for the grand opening.

You may remember in July, Sargent and CBS 2’s Joe Donlon were at the same building for a special half-hour report about the response to mass shootings on the city’s South and West sides. We chose the Healthy Lifestyle Hub as the backdrop for that newscast as a sign of hope for the real change that can be made at the community level – when investments are made in our neighborhoods.

The building at 839 W. 79th St. was built in 1925. The former furniture store had been sitting vacant for the last 25 years. It is right next to Leo High School on 7901 S. Sangamon St., and students had to walk past the shuttered building on the way to school.

The Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation set its sights on developing a project that would serve the whole community – a building that would house medical and dental services, a pharmacy, a café, a bank, and so much more.

On Friday, they celebrated that dream coming to life. During the grand opening celebration from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., residents walked through an open house to learn about all the resources coming to the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. More than 600 guests were expected in all.


Inside the Healthy Lifestyle Hub, bringing new resources to Auburn Gresham

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Carlos Nelson, chief executive officer of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, was the one who first had the idea for the Healthy Lifestyle Hub.

“We’ve been working on this since literally 2016 as a vision to bring back to life this vacant 60,000 square-foot building that’s just sat ominously right near 79th and Halsted – the busiest bus line in the entire city of Chicago,” Nelson said.

The Chicago Bears were a major benefactor, donating more than $600,000 for the project.

“When the Chicago Bears heard about our work doing the Racial Equity Rapid Response task force; doing COVID response work in Auburn Gresham, they wanted to get involved with what we were doing,” Nelson said.

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