Posts Tagged ‘Risk’
Diabetes in Dogs: Four Factors to Determine If Your Dog is at Risk
January 29th, 2010 
admin Most dog owners do not really think of the possibility that their dog will acquire diabetes. Thus, they do not take any preventive measures, only to realize too late that their dog already has one. The number of dogs diagnosed with such disease is increasing and this should already be a wakeup call for dog owners to make sure they do something before it happens to their dogs.
Canine diabetes not only causes insulin deficiency, it will also bring about many complications such as cataracts (which will eventually result to blindness), infections, ketoacidosis, and pancreatitis.
So, who are at risk? Below are some factors that will help to determine if your dog is at risk or not.
Obesity
This is the biggest factor to consider. If your dog overeats and becomes overweight, this will eventually lead to diabetes. This also holds true for dogs that are often given plenty of treats. You may be rewarding and keeping your dog happy for the time being but after a period of time, this will lead to serious problems on his health.
If you truly care for your dog, feed him nutritious foods such as those rich in carbohydrates and fiber.
Old Age and Gender
Studies show that female dogs are three times more prone to become diabetic than their male counterparts. Estrogen can affect the production of insulin and this could be the cause. Moreover, older dogs have higher likelihood of diabetes.
Drug Intake
There are certain types of drugs that can trigger the occurrence of canine diabetes. Among these would be glucocortisones, which increase estrogen-production. As mentioned earlier, this particular hormone affects the production of insulin.
Breed
Some breeds are more likely to become diabetic than others. Among these breeds are: Golden Retrievers, Schnauzers, Poodles, Miniature Pinchers, Beagles, and German Shepherds.
Now that you know who are high-risk, you probably want to find out if this condition can be cured. Well, there is no cure for canine diabetes at the moment, BUT it can be managed. There are natural remedies such as diet and exercise which you can provide for your dog. You can also make use of herbal remedies and insulin injectibles to make sure that insulin production remains normal, or at least close to normal range.
But of course, the best thing to do is to prevent your dog from becoming diabetic. As a dog owner, the welfare of your pet is your responsibility. So, while you still can, make sure you keep your dog healthy and well through exercise, diet, and good grooming.
Are You at Risk For Breast Cancer?
January 28th, 2010 admin Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in American women. Approximately one out of eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. It would be so nice to tell ahead of time which is the unlucky one out of every eight patients. But there is simply no reliable method to accurately predict the future occurrence of breast cancer in any one individual patient. Everyone must understand that the individual breast cancer risk calculated by mathematical models merely refers to the group of women that the individual patient belongs to. To calculate your risk, please refer to my website progressreportoncancer.wordpress.com.
The consensus opinion in the field of breast cancer research is that there is no known cause for this most common disease, with the exception of the BRCA gene, which accounts for a very small percentage of breast cancer cases. While many risk factors for breast cancer have been identified, risk does not equal cause. In various population studies, some clinically significant risk factors have been identified, including but not limited to first degree family history, atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), and radiation exposure. Other population studies have reported “soft” risk factors, such as obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, sedentary lifestyle, hormone replacement therapy, previous benign breast biopsies, age at first childbirth, and others. However, on an individual basis, there is no reliable method to predict who will develop breast cancer. Furthermore, there is no way to determine what role, if any, a particular risk factor plays in the development of an individual’s breast cancer, with the exception of a genetic link (BRCA gene). In an individual woman, identification of specific risk factors is absolutely not the same as identification of any cause or contributing factor to the development of breast cancer. Therefore, if you should become diagnosed with breast cancer, you should NOT blame yourself. Sure, you could have eaten more healthily and exercised more, but there was absolutely nothing you could do to guarantee that breast cancer would never happen to you. The only risk factor that rises to the level of a causative role is the BRCA gene, and most certainly you could not have picked your own biological parents.
“It’s tough making predictions, especially about the future”, a statement attributed to many individuals before me.
Environmental Risk Factors in Breast Cancer
January 28th, 2010 admin Much has been written about pesticides and pollutants as being major contributors to cancers today. According to the National Toxicology Program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are 52 chemicals known to contribute to cancers of all kinds in humans and 176 chemicals reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens. Lung and mammary cancers are the most common types of cancers that are found in animal based studies of potential carcinogens. Despite this data, most experts believe that more relevant environmental risks involve diet, lifestyle, and factors related to a prolonged exposure to estrogens. However, a brief discussion of some proven and unproven chemicals associated with breast cancer risk is worthwhile.
Smoking: Researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York examined the association between cigarette smoking and incidence of breast cancer in a cohort of women who had smoked for up to 40 years. The women were subsequently followed for an average of 10.6 years. Their risk of breast cancer was 60% higher than that of women who had never smoked. Among those who smoked 20 cigarettes or more a day for 40 years, the increased risk rose to an 83% increase.
DDT: DDT and its metabolite DDE are weakly estrogenic organochlorine pesticides that accumulate in the food chain and collect in human adipose tissues through the consumption of animal products. Although several studies showed no link when blood DDT levels were checked many years after exposure, a recent study based on samples from blood collected during perinatal periods showed that women heavily exposed to the pesticide DDT during childhood are five times as likely to develop breast cancer later in life.
Other Pesticides: Other pesticides including endosulfan, toxaphene and dieldrin have been implicated as causing breast cancer based on animal studies, but their contribution to human breast cancer is unclear.
Commercial Product Chemicals: A long list of chemicals found in common commercial products have been implicated in breast cancer. This list includes industrial solvents (trichloroethylene, toluene and benzene), plastic water bottles and baby bottles (bisphenol-A), and polyvinyl chloride, a ubiquitous chemical found in food packaging, medical products, appliances, cars and toys. Again, the significance of their contribution to human breast cancer is unclear.
Pollutants: A very well studied group of chemicals collectively called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have also been implicated in breast cancer. The most common sources of these chemicals include charbroiled meat, cigarette smoke, car exhaust, and burning fuel.
Radiation exposure: Mounting evidence suggests that X-ray and gamma-ray exposure may be a significant and causative factor, particularly if the exposure is during childhood or early adulthood. Radiation therapy done for Tuberculosis and dermatologic conditions and radiation exposure from atomic bombs have been proven to cause breast cancer. The most important factor in radiation exposure is the dose of radiation. This is why efforts have been made to decrease the radiation from mammograms by 10-fold. The energy level of the radiation may also be important. Several epidemiologic studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer among female airline attendants (1.9 fold increased risk). The likely cause for airline attendant’s increased cancer risk is exposure to cosmic radiation (neutrons and gamma rays), which have much higher energy than X-rays.
Diabetes – A High Risk Factor For Coronary Heart Disease
January 28th, 2010 admin It is alarming to know that every year diabetes mellitus kills more than 70,000 United States residents and about 20 million people in U. S. alone suffer from this disease. Five in hundred people in the U. K. are affected with diabetes. In Canada about 6 per cent of their population is with diabetes mellitus which invariably accounts for about 20,000 deaths annually according to experts. In addition, diabetes is a contributory factor in heart diseases and other related health conditions.
Diabetes is caused by the body resistance to, or deficiency of the hormone insulin which helps in removal of excess sugar from the blood stream into the body cells so that it can be used as a source of energy.
If this hormone insulin is deficient or ineffective, blood sugar rises causing excessive urination, hunger and thirst. Apart from excess urine, additional symptoms may include weight loss, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, irritability, weakness and fatigue.
There are two main types of diabetes:
Type 1: Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or otherwise known as juvenile onset diabetes, this type normally starts at childhood or early adulthood and has a very strong genetic components. This type is characterized by a complete lack of insulin as the name implies and must be treated with regular insulin injections.
This type 1 diabetes is also an autoimmune disease (that is a condition whereby the body disease fighting immune system attacks the healthy tissues and cells). In this case the immune system attacks and destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas.
Type 2: Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or maturity onset diabetes tends to develop in middle age or older individuals particularly those who are obese.
In this case the pancreas secrets enough insulin, but the body cells seem resistant to the effects making the body to release more insulin in the blood by trying to overcome the resistance.
Most cases of type 2 diabetes can be managed with a combination of diet, exercise and oral medication. Symptoms include repeated infections or skin sore that heals slowly or not at all, numbness in the hand or feet, tiredness and nausea.
For women, it is particularly important because diabetes seems to affect the female hormone and as a result, many women with diabetes develop coronary heart disease. Diabetes may cause blockage of large blood vessels that can lead to severe cardiovascular problems.
Studies have shown that some environmental factors can trigger type 1 diabetes in people with genetic predisposition for the disease.
Researchers attribute type 2 diabetes to obesity. So every pound of excess weight you gain increases your chance by 5 per cent at least.
Treatment includes controlling the amount of glucose in your blood stream depending on the type of diabetes, physical exercise, controlled diet and medication makes it less common. Most importantly, check your blood sugar regularly and see your physician for a more qualified advice.
A couple of drugs like, Glucophage, Actos, Precose, Avandis and many others have been developed to help with type 2 diabetes. Consult your doctor for a detailed and proper form of treatment.
Knowledge is power, so Learn and Live!
Posted in Health & Safety 
Tags: Coronary, Diabetes, Disease, Factor, Heart, High, Risk 
No Comments »58 Percent Reduced Diabetes Risk Reducing Weight And Exercising
January 28th, 2010 admin In the study performed by the US researchers and published in the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) in October 2008, a total of 3,234 overweight people participated in a three-year diabetes prevention program. The participants were segregated into three groups: The first group, called the lifestyle intervention group, received intensive training in diet, physical activity, and behavior modification. By eating less fat and fewer calories and exercising for a total of 150 minutes a week, they aimed to lose 7 percent of their body weight and maintain that loss. The second group took the popular anti-diabetic drug Metformin (850mg twice a day), and the third receiving a placebo (an inert sugar-type pill labeled exactly like the Metformin drug). The Metformin and placebo groups also received information about diet and exercise but no intensive motivational counseling. At the beginning there was also a fourth group receiving the drug Troglitazone (Rezulin). This group was discontinued when it was discovered that Rezulin has the potential to cause serious liver damage.
After concluding the three-year prevention program, all participants had access to ongoing lifestyle coaching and were frequently monitored regarding their glucose blood levels over a period of ten years.
Dieters gather the most benefit
The study clearly shows that overweight people reducing their weight by 7 percent, combined with a 30 minute daily exercise program, achieve a reduction of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58 percent compared with the people of the placebo group. Weight loss and physical activity improve the body’s ability to use insulin and process glucose and thus reduce the risk of developing diabetes. This finding was true for both men and women and across all participating ethnic groups. Weight reduction in particular was beneficial for participants over 60 years who achieved this way a diabetes risk reduction of 71 percent.
The group applying Metformin also showed a significant diabetes 2 risk reduction of 31 percent. Metformin was found to be most effective in men and women between 25 and 44 years and in those with a body mass index of 35 or higher (i.e. with at least 60 pounds overweight) and least effective in people over 45 years old.
Further analysis of the data also have added to the evidence that changes in diet and physical activity leading to weight loss not only reduce diabetes risk but also risk of cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome. Participants in the lifestyle intervention group who did not have metabolic syndrome at the beginning of the study—about half of the participants—were less likely to develop it than those in the other groups.
This study is one more proof of the importance of weight control and physical exercises for personal wellness and good health. It clearly shows that lifestyle factors (obesity and sedentary lifestyle) are very important in triggering the genetic elements that cause Type 2 diabetes. People having somebody in the family suffering this disease should pay special attention to these results and considering them as a motivation for applying a rigorous weight control and routinely physical training program.
Posted in Health & Safety Tags: Diabetes, Exercising, Percent, Reduced, Reducing, Risk, Weight No Comments »