PreDisease.com Blog

In the human body, collagen is the most prevalent connective tissue protein, acting as the scaffolding that holds the body together and giving it support. Now, researchers have created a collagen that is the strongest ever invented, with enormous potential to treat a variety of human conditions that result from collagen defects or breakdown, such as arthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is a chronic condition in which cartilage in the joints breaks down. Loss of cartilage causes the bones to rub together, causing stiffness and pain.

Collagen in medicine has been used mainly in artificial skin substitutes. The ability to be used in the treatment of arthritis could be the breakthrough that many have been waiting for. At the present time, it is estimated that 46 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis; by 2030, it is estimated that 67 million Americans will be living with the debilitating condition.

Source: Super-strong Collagen Created By UW-Madison Scientists

A study by Canadian researchers illustrates the importance of monitoring bone density in patients who have decreased kidney function. Decreased bone density can predispose people to bone fractures, which can be deadly in the elderly population.

The study followed 635 people aged 50 and above for a total of five years. Kidney function and bone density were measured at the beginning and end of the study. Results showed that people with impaired kidney function lost bone density at a faster rate than those with healthy kidneys. Bone loss occurred even in those who had mild kidney impairment.

Many people with kidney disease are not aware they have a problem. Screening for kidney disease in older individuals might prevent bone loss from occurring, thus decreasing the risk of fractures and death in the older population. Screening for kidney disease could involve simple measures such as checking blood pressure and obtaining a serum creatinine level, GFR (glomerular filtration rate) and urine protein. These tests are often done yearly as part of an annual physical. People who have high blood pressure, diabetes and a family history of kidney disease are at increased risk for kidney disease.

Consider the following statistics: 1 in 3 women will die of heart disease, 450,000 women per year die from cardiovascular disease and only 1 in 5 women believe that heart disease is the biggest threat to their health.

Heart disease has been thought of as a disease affecting mostly men for so long that changing this perception is difficult. The fact is, heart disease now kills more women than men, but women often experience different symptoms than men and often develop heart disease later in life than do men. The rise in obesity, diabetes and the numbers of women who smoke are thought to be the reason for the changing demographics of heart disease.

Women’s symptoms of a heart attack are often different than the “classic” presentation. Men often experience crushing chest pain; women are more likely to complain of discomfort in an area other than their chest, such as the jaw, the abdomen and the arms. They may also complain of feeling exhausted and short of breath.

Women are also treated differently in hospital, according to some studies. They may be less likely to be put on aspirin therapy and to have their cholesterol as aggressively managed as men do. The good news is that women are surviving heart attacks in greater numbers. This may be a case of closing the barn door after the horse has escaped- women need to understand their personal risk factors for heart disease and seek counseling from their personal physicians on prevention strategies.

Source: Diagnosis dilemma: Women’s heart symptoms differ from men

Pre-diabetes can be defined as the condition of having abnormally high blood glucose levels that are not high enough to warrant the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that 57 million people in the United States are pre-diabetic (NDIC, 2007). How can you tell if you are one of these people?

Some groups of people are at higher risk of developing diabetes. These groups include the elderly, African Americans, those of Asian descent, Native Americans and those of Latin descent. However, pre-diabetes and diabetes can occur in people of all ethnicities and ages. Other risk factors for pre-diabetes and diabetes include a sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, a family history of diabetes, being overweight and a history of having had diabetes during pregnancy.

Two common tests that can help determine whether you have an abnormal metabolism are the Fasting Glucose Test and the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. Abnormal results on either of these tests signal that your body has an impaired ability to metabolize glucose.

A diagnosis of pre-diabetes does not necessarily mean that you are destined to become diabetic. Studies have shown that lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and weight loss, can prevent the development of diabetes. Knowing your risk factors for diabetes can help you to avoid developing the disease.

Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/PUBS/statistics/#pre-diabetes

Menopause is an inevitable part of every woman’s life. Some women sail through relatively unscathed, while others experience every symptom in the book. Menopause is an intensely personal experience for every woman. Perimenopause precedes menopause, although some of the symptoms can overlap, and can occur at varying ages.

When does perimenopause begin?

Symptoms perimenopause generally begin when a women is in her 40’s, although they may start sooner than this.

What triggers perimenopause?

Perimenopause is triggered by a gradual and slow reduction in the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries.

How long does perimenopause last?

Perimenopause can last for many years, with the average being 4 years. For some women, this period may only last for months, while for others perimenopause will last for up to 10 years.

When does perimenopause end?

Just before menopause, the reduction in the amount of estrogen the ovaries produce accelerates. This is when women are more likely to experience menopausal symptoms. Perimenopause is officially over when a woman has not experienced a period for 12 months, at which point she is said to be in menopause. For women who no longer experience menstrual periods due to hysterectomy, levels of hormones can be measured by blood sampling.

What are the symptoms?

• Hot flashes
• Mood changes
• Vaginal dryness
• Fatigue
• Breast tenderness
• Menstrual period irregularities
• Sleep disturbances

Can I still become pregnant during perimenopause?

Yes! Although hormone levels are reduced and fertility declines, you may still become pregnant. You should continue to use birth control if you do not want to become pregnant until you have gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/perimenopause/DS00554

Salt reduction is one of the ways that you can help prevent high blood pressure, one of the risks for heart disease and stroke. Cutting salt in your diet can help, but many people are unaware that only a small amount of their daily intake of salt comes from their salt shaker. Reducing the amount of salt you add to your food is important, but many of the foods we buy contain high amounts of sodium.

Your kidneys do a wonderful job of regulating the sodium in your body, which is needed for essential functions such as regulating fluid in your body, controlling muscle contractions and regulating nerve impulses. When you have too much sodium, your kidneys excrete sodium in your urine; your kidneys conserve sodium when you have too little in your body.

Many of the prepared and processed foods we buy already contain high amounts of sodium, and adding salt to these foods further increases their sodium content. In fact, about 77% of the sodium we consume comes from eating foods that already contain salt. It is important to be aware of foods that contain high levels of sodium if you are trying to control your salt intake. How much salt should you consume? The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium intake to less than 1,500 milligrams per day. Reading food labels can help you become more aware of those foods that contain high amounts of sodium.

Source: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4708

A new study has shown a definite link between women who have family members with type 2 diabetes and the risk of developing the disease themselves. Previous studies have also supported this hypothesis, but there is no clear genetic link identified.

In a study which spanned 20 years, 73, 227 women from the U.S. were followed to determine their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Risk factors were taken into consideration, such as weight, height, BMI (body mass index) and lifestyle habits. After controlling for these variables, it was discovered that having a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) with the disease more than doubled the women’s’ risk of developing the disease themselves. Women who had family members with the condition were more prone to being overweight, and this factor accounts for approximately 20% of the heredity factor. Eating red meat and consuming alcoholic beverages and sweetened drinks were also considered to be factors in common. In all, 5,101 of the women developed type 2 diabetes during the course of the study.

Researchers came to the conclusion that being overweight and sharing these dietary habits partially explains the heredity factor in type 2 diabetes. The study was reported in the January issue ofDiabetes Care.

February is designated as American Heart Month, a good time to reflect on our own personal risks for heart disease and how best to prevent the development of heart disease. Although there are some risk factors you can’t change, such as your age, heredity and whether you are male or female, there are several areas that you can work on:

Quitting smoking- this is perhaps one of the best and most important things you can do to decrease your risk for heart disease. Smokers carry a two-to-fourfold risk of developing heart disease when compared to non-smokers.

Lose weight- being overweight forces your heart to work harder. Obesity also contributes to hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes. Losing weight, even a small amount, can help in the fight against heart disease.

Exercise- exercising can help you lose weight, avoid diabetes, lower your blood pressure and decrease your cholesterol. The more exercise you do, the healthier your heart will be! Regular, moderate physical activity has been proven to improve heart health, while a sedentary lifestyle is a known risk factor for the development of heart disease.

Watch your blood pressure- high blood pressure increases your risk for heart disease, especially when other risk factors are present, such as diabetes, obesity, and smoking. Monitor your blood pressure regularly, and intervene early.

As well as knowing your risk factors for heart disease, it is important to know the signs of a heart attack, the most obvious of which is chest pain or discomfort. Pain or discomfort may come and go, or may be constant. It may be centered in the mid-sternum and may feel like squeezing, pressure, or tightness. You may also feel light-headed, nauseous, and may feel short of breath.

The rapidly increasing numbers of type 2 diabetics in the US are being blamed for the inflated price tag of $218 billion, which is the estimated cost of pre-diabetes and diabetes for 2007. An analysis spear-headed by the Changing Diabetes Program (NCDP) studied both the direct costs of medical care required for diabetics and the indirect causes, such as absenteeism and lost productivity.

The cost of type 2 diabetes was found to be $10,000.00 per person (annual), while the cost of pre-diabetes was only $443.00 annually. The message here is that it is important to prevent those with pre-diabetes from advancing to full-blown type 2 diabetes, with its attendant costs and complications. How can this be done? The answer is to focus on prevention, particularly weight loss and moderate exercise, which may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by almost 60%.

The cost of pre-diabetes and diabetes is borne by all citizens in the form of higher health care premiums. Furthermore, it is estimated that in the US, the diabetes population will double in the next 25 years, and that the cost of this increase will reach $336 billion by 2034 (American Diabetes Association). These figures make it that much more imperative that we all work together to develop programs to prevent diabetes.

Source: Diabetes And Pre-Diabetes Accounted For $218 Billion In Costs In 2007, Health Affairs Paper Demonstrates

Source: National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2007

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that increasing Medicare co-payments resulted in fewer doctor visits and more frequent and lengthy hospitalizations among seniors.

In tough economic times, insurance companies may see the benefit in raising co-payments to help defer rising costs, but this strategy is likely to backfire on them, as evidenced by this study. The study included almost 900,000 seniors enrolled in 36 different Medicare plans. The results? Those seniors who saw a raise in their co-pay rates saw a doctor less often and were hospitalized more often and for longer periods of time. Good medicine? This would not seem to be the case. The populations most affected by a rise in co-payments were those who could least afford it- those living in low-income neighborhoods and those who already had diagnosed health problems, such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

The study illustrated what many intuitively know: raising co-payments leads to less preventative care, which means sicker patients who need to be cared for at a higher cost, not to mention an increase in patient dissatisfaction.

Source: Increased Ambulatory Care Copayments and Hospitalizations among the Elderly