Healthy and Medical

Each gender finds itself with certain health risks and needs.  Women are required to pay particular attention to certain health conditions because of body composition, such as reproductive organs.  They are also more susceptible to certain diseases, thereby causing them to pay more attention to their health and prevention practices.

There are numerous diseases of noteworthy concern to women, though there are various ways to address those problems early through nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. As pointed out by the Mayo Clinic in a recent article through information taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

1. The number one health threat to women in America is heart disease, also the most preventable of all conditions. Alcohol should be consumed in moderation and cigarette smoke should be avoided. A simple diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fiber, and fish are important, along with physical activity to maintain a healthy weight and the monitoring of stress levels. Read more…

By increasing the likelihood for heart patients to suffer a heart attack, the common flu virus may raise the risk of dying from heart disease. Those who have other risk factors or diabetes may also be at greater risk.

An analysis conducted by a group of British researchers of 39 previous studies of heart patients which was conducted between 1932 and 2008, had results that showed an increase in the number of deaths from heart disease, as well as the occurrence of more heart attacks during flu season.

In fact, this study showed the increased death rate averaged from 35 percent to 50 percent. The report was recently published in the journal Lancet. Experts are urging all heart patients to get vaccinated against regular flu as well as the swine flu, although currently only about one-third of Americans who suffer from heart disease receive flu vaccines.

The possibility of experiencing flu-related medical issues is greater among those having heart-related problems because more flu virus is expected to be circulating during this coming flu season. Dr. Ralph Brindis, vice president of the American College of Cardiology says, “If we can convince cardiac patients to go ahead and get the flu vaccine, that could ultimately save lives.” Read more…

By now, it’s almost a cliché to reiterate that smoking is the chief cause of preventable death in the United States. Yet approximately 46 million Americans are still lighting up, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With New Year’s resolutions still fresh in people’s minds, U.S. News spoke to clinical psychologist Daniel Seidman, director of smoking cessation services at Columbia University Medical Center, about his new book, Smoke-Free in 30 Days: The Pain-Free, Permanent Way to Quit (Fireside Trade Paperback Original). In it, Seidman draws on his 20-plus years of experience with thousands of patients and walks people through the quitting process—including how to prepare for the “quit day” and how to maintain their success. Here are edited excerpts from the chat:

Are you a reformed smoker?
My story is that both my parents were smokers and died very young from it, so I’ve been very concerned about this issue. My father was 47, and my mother was 59. My mother had lung cancer. She smoked [Kent brand] cigarettes. It was later found that [the brand's specialized filter contained] asbestos. [According to a 1995 article in the journal Cancer Research, the filter contained a form of asbestos for several years during the 1950s.]

What does your monthlong program entail, and what makes it unique?
It outlines what to do each day. What we’re saying to people is rather than think about this as just being [about] willpower, focus on things you can do each day that will help you change your behavior, change your attitude, [and] use medicine to the greatest effect. It’s sort of like playing the piano. Nobody says, “If you have enough willpower, you’ll be a good piano player.” They say, “Practice.” [Quitting] isn’t just about being strong. That’s sort of a trap that people believe: “If I’m strong, I can do it. If I’m weak, then there’s nothing I can do and I just have to smoke.” We’re saying [that] if you make these efforts and do these exercises and follow these daily recommendations, you can be successful. Read more…

You should exercise each and every day. If you want to get the most of your workouts, then try out these healthy exercises for the best possible health benefits.

1. Push Ups: Though they do happen to be rather hard to do, these are one of the best exercises you can do. Pushups are good for your upper body strength and that’s a great thing for your overall health. It can help to start slow because they are hard, especially at first, but the payoff is well worth the hard work. This is the type of exercise that can also get your heart rate up and that’s good for every aspect of your health. Try them out and feel the burn—that just means that it’s working!

2. Leg Lifts: Oftentimes we engage in exercises that fail to work certain parts of our body. One such area is the calves and therefore leg lifts are great for your lower body strength, particularly focusing on your calves. We all want those great looking legs, and this is the type of exercise that will help us to get them. These also happen to be easy enough to do anywhere, and that makes them a healthy and very approachable exercise overall.

3. Sit Ups: Though you do want to incorporate other exercises as part of your regimen, sit ups are one of the best you can do for your abs. We can all stand to strengthen our abdomen muscles, and this is one of the best ways to do so. Get into the habit of doing sit ups each and every day for the best effects. You can do these in the comfort of your home or do them when you are on the go, so they are easy to practice and offer some excellent health benefits.

4. Lunges: If you want a tighter butt, better legs, and stronger hips, then this is the exercise for you. Lunges are hard to do, but you can quickly work your way up as you practice them on a regular basis. Start with stationary lunges for an easy way to break into this exercise, and then move up to walking lunges for a great alternative. These work so many muscle groups and help to contribute to great lower body strength overall, so they’re one of the most perfect exercises that you can do.

5. Jumping Jacks: If you want to get in some cardio and strength training at the same time, then this is the exercise to include in your regimen. Jumping jacks help to get your heart rate up and work your upper and lower body at the same time. This happens to make them a great exercise and one well worth including if you want to get the most bang for your buck.

Though all exercise is good for you, some are better than others. If you want to really bump up what you get out of your regimen, then consider including these great exercises.

Mary Frederick writes about how to obtain a master of health informatics