by Wendy on January 29, 2010
Do you know that you don’t have to be overweight to have too much body fat? You can weigh in at what you think is your ideal range and normal body size, but still be considered obese and thus, at risk for future heart problems. This phenomenon of “normal weight obesity” is the focus of a report by the Mayo Clinic, whose authors estimate that as many as 30 million Americans fall into this category. An informative feature story about this appeared in the Wall Street Journal’s HeartBeat Column this week.
Apparently, what’s most critical in evaluating whether you’re really fit or just acceptable is not your BMI score, the traditional measure for obesity, but how much body fat you’re carrying around. [click to continue...]
by Wendy on November 9, 2009
Do taking vitamin D and fish oil really lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and other illnesses as some research studies (and supplement manufacturers) have suggested? Beginning in January, researchers at Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital will begin a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the gold standard of research, to find out. The new study, called VITAL (VITamin D and OmegA-e TriaL), funded by the National Institute of Health, will involve 20,000 men and women. If you qualify (women must be 65 years or older and have never had a heart attack, stroke or cancer) you can participate too.
For details about the study and eligibility to participate, visit the VITAL website.
by Wendy on November 2, 2009
If you’ve lost at least 30 pounds and maintained that loss for at least one year, you can participate in a research study that is investigating the characteristics of individuals who have succeeded at long-term weight loss. The National Weight Control Registry was started in 1994 and more than 5000 individuals have enrolled, making it the largest study of its kind. Participation requires filling out periodic questionnaires and annual surveys.
Interestingly, more than 80% of the registrants are women with an average age is 45. Registry members have lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for 5.5 years. Duration of successful weight loss has ranged from 1 year to 66 years! According to the registry data, here’s how they did it:
- 45 % lost the weight on their own, while the other 55% had help from some type of program.
- Nearly all of the registry participants (98%) report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
- And, nearly all (94%) increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
- Most of the registrants continue to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity (90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day)
Even if you don’t qualify, you’ll be inspired by the weight loss success stories that are posted on the NWCR website.
If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight, what’s been your secret to success?
by Wendy on August 10, 2009
A recent pair of studies has concluded that Black Cohosh and Red Clover (shown in photo), commonly used by women to alleviate hot flashes, are safe to take — that is, they don’t have a negative impact on breast and uterine health. That’s the good news. The bad news? Neither botanical treatment worked as well as a placebo in reducing the number of hot flashes and night sweats that the research participants experienced daily over a 12 month period. What did work was the hormone therapy used in the study – in this case Prempro, a conjugated hormone product made by Wyeth. [click to continue...]
by Wendy on July 13, 2009
Some women are just plain lucky. They sail through Menopause without a minute of discomfort. I put them in the same category as super-models. They’re freaks of nature. The fact is that most menopausal women experience hot flashes and/or night sweats and they can range from mildly disruptive to downright debilitating. Hormone therapy will help with the hot flashes (vasomotor symptoms as they are called), but current guidelines recommend that it be taken at the lowest effective dose for the shortest period of time. So, in making the decision to take HT, wouldn’t it be a lot easier if women knew how long their hot flashes would last? [click to continue...]
by Wendy on June 16, 2009
by Wendy on June 11, 2009
After writing about the possible connection between hormones and heartburn (or gastric reflux) earlier this week, I discovered another research report, involving nearly 40,000 patients, that concluded that even short-term use of popular acid-reducing drugs such as Prevacid, Zantac and Tagament may raise the risk of hip fractures. The increased risks appeared two years after patients started taking prescription or over-the-counter anti-reflux medications. Other brands in this category of drugs include; Nexium, Prilosec, Protonix and Aciphex. [click to continue...]
by Wendy on June 8, 2009
If TV commercials for pharmaceuticals are a true reflection of what ails our population, then I have to conclude that a good percentage of people – men and women – suffer from Gerd, often called acid reflux or heartburn. It has been commonly believed that lifestyle factors such as BMI (body mass index), diet, smoking status, alcohol consumption and the use of certain medications are the culprits. But recent research has shown that if a post-menopausal women is complaining of Gerd-like symptoms, it’s very possible that her use of hormone therapies, or raloxifene (prescribed for osteoporosis prevention) or even over-the-counter soy estrogen products are to blame. [click to continue...]
by Wendy on June 2, 2009
Your claims of brain fog, senior moments, or whatever you want to call the small but frequent memory lapses you experience during the menopause transition are real, according to the findings of a new study just published in Neurology journal.
Researchers spent four years investigating the effects of the menopause transition and hormone use on three areas of cognitive function; processing speed, verbal memory and working memory. They concluded that mid-life women, particularly those in the late-perimenopause stage (they haven’t have a period in three to 11 months) were not able to learn as well as they had during pre-menopause. The good news is that their test scores eventually improved and rebounded to pre-menopause levels once they hit post-menopause (no period for 12 months), indicating that “menopause related cognitive difficulties may be time-limited.” [click to continue...]
by Wendy on April 30, 2009
The latest John Hopkins “health alert” reminds us of a study not too long ago that highlighted ten alternative reasons why most adults in this country are overweight. They go beyond calorie counting and less exercise and they may apply to you. Here they are:
- Less sleep - we’ve gone from an average of nine to seven hours of sleep a night. Sleep deprivation is linked to a more robust appetite.
- Pesticides and other chemicals in foods- These substances can change hormonal activity, which can boost body fat.
- Air conditioning and heating – we don’t sweat and shiver as much as our ancestors, so we don’t burn as many calories. [click to continue...]
Sleep disturbances, weight gain and creeping blood pressure are common complaints of women in mid-life. I’ve learned through experience and research that there’s a connection between 
