Kaiser Permanente thrive » disease-prevention

The correlation between belly fat and dementia

admin11kcesarz — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:09:14 +0000

A 2008 study in the journal Neurology found that having a few extra pounds around your belly in midlife can increase your chances of suffering from dementia later in life.

The study, led by Rachel Whitmer, PhD, uncovered the following key findings:

People who were overweight and had a large belly were 2.7 times more likely to develop dementia than people with a normal weight and belly size. Abdominal obesity is a waistline measuring greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.
People who were both obese and had a large belly were 3.6 times more likely to develop dementia.
People who were not overweight but had extra belly fat nonetheless were 1.9 times more likely to develop dementia.

These findings are important because, while it's well known that a lot of belly fat increases risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease, this is the first time researchers made a distinct connection between belly fat and risk of dementia.

Dr. Whitmer, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, says, "Considering that 50 percent of adults in this country have abdominal obesity, this is a disturbing finding."

What's more, Dr. Whitmer adds, "These findings imply that the dangerous effects of abdominal obesity on the brain may start long before the signs of dementia appear."

Researchers studied 6,583 Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California who had their belly fat measured between 1964 and 1973 (when they were in their forties). An average of 36 years later, they determined that 16 percent had been diagnosed with dementia.

All in all, this study is further proof that reducing body fat with diet and exercise isn't just good for your body—it's good for your mind.

Check out Dr. Whitmer's television appearance on KGO-TV, ABC's "The View from the Bay" on April 1, 2008, where she discusses the correlation between belly fat and dementia.

The value of prevention

admin99ntygiels — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:00:14 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

A positive attitude can go a long way in helping you maintain good health. So can regularly scheduled mammograms.

By getting mammograms regularly, women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by potentially detecting it in early stages when it's more treatable.

We’ve long recognized the value of prevention, and that's why we created a television commercial to acknowledge the benefits of early detection.

Changing the way we manage disease through electronic health records

admin11kcesarz — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:31:22 +0000

Is kidney disease just the beginning?

A new, five-year project shows that the use of electronic health records by specialty and primary care doctors can lead to improved care and early intervention for those with serious health issues like kidney disease.

"The goal with kidney disease is to detect it early enough to make changes that will slow the disease down. If you're more likely to end up with kidney failure, we want to reach you in time to help prepare you for successful dialysis treatment," said Brian J. Lee, MD, the paper's lead author.

Learn more about the electronic health records project.

H1N1 pandemic is not a sign the disease is getting more severe

admin10kavesian — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:34:54 +0000

The H1N1 (swine flu) virus hasn’t gotten more severe, but it has spread to more areas of the world.

The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 strain of flu a pandemic because it continues to spread in the United States and around the world. So far, though, most cases have been mild.

Kaiser Permanente doctors and disease experts have been treating the virus outbreak as if it were a pandemic since late April.

Among many of the communities we serve, the number of people with the flu is about the same as any other year, and very few people have had to be hospitalized.

Tips on how to protect your family from the flu.

Go green: Avoid chemicals in your home

admin10kavesian — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:08:34 +0000

Improving your health can start at home. Our Kaiser Permanente environmental experts have put together a list of simple “green” steps to make your home healthier and more eco-friendly.

Use unscented products and investigate the contents of your cosmetics and personal care products. Avoid polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is found in cleaning product bottles, mattress covers, and even some toys. Avoid children’s jewelry that contains lead and toys that contain phthalates. Use detergents that don’t contain phosphates, and avoid bleach.

Program slashes heart attack risks in people with diabetes

admin10kavesian — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:36:17 +0000

When Christy Rosenberg, director of the San Diego Council of Community Clinics Health Network, found the clinic’s simple three-drug protocol known as ALL could reduce the chances of high-risk patients developing a heart attack or stroke by 50 percent, she had tne reaction: “Let’s jump on it.”

Rosenberg recruited Ken Morris, chief medical officer at North County Health Services, and Dr. Jennifer Tuteur, then medical director of Comprehensive Health Center, to roll out the program to a wider audience.

Today, there are more than 500 patients on the ALL program (named for the three drugs aspirin, lovastatin, and lisinopril) with 99 percent of them staying on the drugs and maintaining their health. “It’s a phenomenal record,” says Tuteur.

Watch as medical director Winston Wong and Dr. Tuteur detail the impact of the ALL protocol.

Reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes with simple medications

admin10kavesian — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:25:27 +0000

Many health issues that affect our communities are complicated. But that doesn’t mean the solutions need to be.

A simple treatment involving only three medications is helping people with diabetes reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke, and blindness. Doctors with Kaiser Permanente found that treating them with ALL (short for aspirin, lovastatin, and lisinopril) reduces the chances of a heart attack by more than 50 percent.

"We tell our patients, 'This will save your lives,'" says Jennifer Tuteur, MD, who oversees the care of 1,600 patients with diabetes.

Learn how Dr. Tuteur and others are using ALL to give patients a better chance at healthier lives.

X-ray program helps the homeless

admin10kavesian — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:20:57 +0000

You don’t need to be a superhero to make your community a healthier place. You just need to care about others.

Radiologist Ronald Saul, MD, got to know many of the homeless in Los Angeles, and those feelings led him to extend a helping hand. "You realize they aren't that different from you or me,” he says. “They had a hard time in their lives, which they couldn't handle, and they ended up on the street. But I've also seen them turn their lives around."

Saul, along with radiologist Keith Terasaki, MD, got doctors to volunteer to read the X-rays that homeless people need to prove they don’t have tuberculosis. Without that proof, they can be barred from temporary shelters and forced to sleep on the streets.

In two years, the program has grown to include eight doctors and all 17 radiology residents at our Los Angeles Medical Center on Sunset. Find out how the free X-ray reading program has helped keep a roof over the heads of countless homeless men, women, and children.

Are you at risk for a heart attack? Take this test.

admin10kavesian — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:29:37 +0000

Face it. Nobody wants to think about a heart attack. But the more you know about how to prevent it, the better off you’ll be … both physically and mentally. Find your risk of heart attack. Use our heart risk tool.

You’ll need the following information:

Systolic blood pressure
Cholesterol levels

Five ways to drop the pressure

admin10kavesian — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:14:56 +0000

High blood pressure (hypertension) has no symptoms, but is a major cause in the development of heart disease. The only way you’ll know if you have it is to measure it. The good news is … it’s treatable.

Our medical experts recommend these steps for high blood pressure:

Decrease your salt intake. (DASH diet)
Drink in moderation. (or not at all).
Exercise
Manage stress
Take your medications correctly.

Discover effective treatments for high blood pressure.