Are Squats a Good Exercise for People with Diabetes?
Squats are an excellent strength training exercise for people with diabetes including older individuals.
There are many variations of the squat, and which variation the diabetic should do is dependent upon which version he or she likes the most. (more…)
Fat & Healthy for How Long? Obesity Thickens Heart in Young Adults
If you consider yourself healthy despite obesit … high blood pressure and a thickened heart muscle may be lurking around the corner –
EVEN if you have normal blood pressure and blood sugar now.
Obese people often hear, “Just you wait, you’ll pay the price in the years to come.”
However, more research shows that being young doesn’t always protect very heavy people from the dangers of obesity.
In young adults, overweight may still cause high blood pressure and a thickened heart muscle.
Thickened Heart Muscle: a Hidden Problem that Doesn’t Show up in a Routine Physical
It’s great when your biceps or thigh muscles becomes thickened from exercise.
But the heart muscle (which is not the same as skeletal muscle) should NEVER become thicker.
It’s very bad news when it thickens. When cardiac muscle thickens, this paves the way for heart disease down the road.
Shutterstock/Designua
“Chronic obesity definitely causes thickening of the heart and blood vessels,” says Susan L. Besser, MD, with Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, and Diplomate American Board of Obesity Medicine and board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
“This is usually asymptomatic and goes undiscovered until the long-term damage shows up — such as heart disease.
“A simple CT scan of the chest will show this thickening, but this is NOT a routine test done for screening and does have its own risks (like radiation exposure).
“The changes can show up early too, in late adolescence or early adulthood. The good news: It can be reversible with improved lifestyle (weight loss).”
A study that appears in Circulation (2018), led by Kaitlin H. Wade, PhD, is the first to investigate the effects of high body mass index (BMI) in young adults.
Data on several thousand healthy people, ages 17 to 21, was collected.
Fat and Healthy NOW, Poor Health Later
If your blood work is currently normal and your blood pressure is normal today, this is but a snapshot in time.
- Normal blood sugar and BP do not tell doctors whether or not your heart muscle is thicker than it should be.
- Nor will low cholesterol show this.
The researchers determined that excess body fat raised blood pressure and enlarged the heart’s left ventricle.
Just because thin people can have high blood pressure and an enlarged left ventricle doesn’t mean that these problems can’t be caused by obesity – or made easier to develop by obesity.
“Thickening of vessel walls is widely considered to be the first sign of atherosclerosis,” says Dr. Wade in the paper.
“However, our findings suggest that higher BMIs cause changes in the heart structure of the young that may precede changes in blood vessels,” continues Dr. Wade in the report.
Having good health isn’t just about the here and now, but about how to preserve it for many years to come.
Dr. Besser provides comprehensive family care, treating common and acute primary conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Her ongoing approach allows her the opportunity to provide accurate and critical diagnoses of more complex conditions and disorders.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: FatM1ke, CC BY-SA
Source: sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180730090149.htm
Does Heart Rate Slow Down During an Angina Attack?
Seems that during an angina attack, the heart rate would always speed up and never slow down, being that oxygen supply to the heart during an anginal episode is shorted.
An elevated heart rate means more oxygen to the heart, right? (more…)
Cold Ankles for No Reason? Causes and Solutions
If your ankles seem to be cold on a frequent basis, the cause may be disease.
Not disease of the skin, but conditions such as peripheral vascular disease.
It is not normal to have chilly ankles without an obvious explanation such as wearing only ankle-high booties on your feet in a cool environment while sitting at a computer.
“While most people complain about hot or swollen ankles, some people experience cold ankles which can also be uncomfortable,” says Walter Gaman, MD, FABFM, board certified in family medicine and the author of several award-winning books including “Age to Perfection: How to Thrive to 100, Happy, Healthy, and Wise.”
Reasons for Chilly Cold Ankles Include Disease
“There are a variety of reasons that ankles can be cold,” says Dr. Gaman.
“The most common and obvious reason is that the ankle is exposed to cold air.
“This could happen in the winter or spring, but the summer is the most likely time.
“This is because most people don’t wear socks in the summer, so their ankles are exposed to the air conditioner.”
If your ankles feel chilly, put on a pair of socks. If you’re healthy, the socks should instantly correct the problem. But if they don’t…you may have a problem.
“Medical conditions that can lead to cold ankles include: peripheral vascular disease, Raynaud’s phenomenon and rheumatoid arthritis,” says Dr. Gaman.
What is peripheral vascular disease?
Also known as peripheral artery disease, it’s when the arteries in your legs are narrowed, reducing blood flow.
Reduced blood flow to the feet will make them feel cold.
In addition to this symptom there is often pain when walking.
Think of PVD as “heart disease in the legs.”
The process that causes narrowing of the heart’s coronary arteries is the same process that reduces the diameter of the leg’s arteries.
What is Raynaud’s disease?
This is far less serious than PVD, and results in cold and numb fingers and toes in response to cold temperature or even mental stress.
Small arteries that supply these areas with blood become constricted.
The ankles may be affected.
Dr. Gaman says, “If your cold ankles are also painful, seek medical attention.
“Ankles that are cold intermittently, but are not painful or discolored, are most likely not serious.”
Dr. Gaman is with Executive Medicine of Texas and is with the Staying Young Radio Show 2.0 podcast.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Is There a Such Thing As Restless Arm Syndrome?
Is “restless arm syndrome” a real condition? Why would restlessness occur only in the legs? (more…)
Can a General Physician Read an EKG?
Just how well can a general practitioner interpret an EKG of your heart?
This is a very fair question. After all, sooner or later, medical students will be shown how to read an EKG (also known as an ECG).
Furthermore, some patients may not feel comfortable that a general doctor, or one who is not a cardiologist, is the only doctor who’s interpreting their EKG.
What also gets tossed into the equation is when a computer decides when an EKG is “abnormal.”
“An electrocardiogram, also referred to as an EKG or ECG, is used to detect electrical activity within the heart,” says Walter Gaman, MD, FABFM, board certified in family medicine and the author of several award-winning books including “Age to Perfection: How to Thrive to 100, Happy, Healthy, and Wise.”
“An abnormal tracing could be the sign of an active or previous heart attack, poor blood flow (ischemia) or an abnormal rhythm,” continues Dr. Gaman.
“GP or general practitioner refers to someone who is not board certified. Reading and interpreting an EKG for emergency purposes is something most physicians learn during residency.
“A general practitioner may or may not incorporate that skill into practice later during their profession.
“Most physicians who are board certified, such as internists and family medicine physicians, use EKG within the office and have had continuing education on EKG interpretation, as it pertains to overall heart health and disease management.”
The type of doctor who specializes in abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) is an electrophysiologist. This is a sub-specialty of cardiology.
If you’re concerned about your non-cardiologist doctor’s ability to interpret your recent or future EKG, then certainly you should bring it to a cardiologist — or have a new EKG taken in a cardiologist’s office.
Make sure that it has 12 leads. A 12-lead EKG provides a comprehensive view of the heart’s electrical activity from multiple angles.
Each lead captures a different perspective, allowing accurate detection of arrhythmias, blockages, heart attack and other cardiac conditions.
Six limb leads observe the heart’s electrical activity in the frontal plane, while six chest leads monitor the horizontal plane.
This multidimensional view enhances diagnostic precision.
Dr. Gaman is with Executive Medicine of Texas and is with the Staying Young Radio Show 2.0 podcast.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/megaflopp
Resting Heart Rate Is 95: Does this Mean Heart Trouble?
Are you unnerved by those studies showing a link between resting heart rates of 95 and all-cause mortality? Isn’t an RHR of 75 better than 95? (more…)
Core Exercises to Prevent Spinal Stenosis in Healthy People
You don’t want to wait till you have spinal stenosis to wonder what kind of exercises could have possibly prevented it.
Spinal stenosis tends to be progressive. In its severe form, the patient walks or stands way stooped over.
This condition can begin in middle age, even sooner.
The time for prevention strategies is when you’re young, not old. (more…)
Can a Low Back Problem Cause Pain in the Shins?
Do you suffer from unexplained pain or aching in the shins?
The origin of this problem could be in your lower back.
Shins that hurt is a very common symptom, especially among runners.
But people who never run or jog can also get pain in the lower legs. (more…)