Health hot line

HEART DISEASE

HEART disease is the No. 1 killer of American women, with 1 out of 2 women losing their lives as a direct result of heart complications--complications that sometimes aren't identified and treated in women as quickly as they are in men. According to the American Heart Association, every year about half a million women die of heart disease. And it has claimed the lives of more women than men each year since 1984. African-American women are at special risk; they are 60 percent more likely than White women to die of coronary heart disease.

Some new, experimental treatments that are being explored include inserting healthy muscle cells into the failing heart and using stem cells to grow new heart cells. There may soon be drugs available with multiple functions to improve the pumping ability of the heart, open clogged arteries, or prevent tissue damage from free radicals. Free radicals are often oxygen molecules that have lost or gained an electron. These molecules tend to become involved in chain reactions with other, less reactive molecules and can cause cellular damage. Other avenues of research include transplants from animals, and the development of an improved left ventricular assist device, which can help the functioning of the damaged heart.

Different surgical techniques are also getting attention. Advances are being made in less-invasive bypass surgery, which does not require the use of a heart/lung bypass machine. One technique, which may, for certain people, be an alternative to standard coronary artery bypass surgery, involves making a small incision on the left-hand side of the chest, and can be used to bypass one or two vessel. The procedure may be combined with balloon angioplasty.

There are also special techniques designed to immobilize the part of the heart that needs the surgery, making it easier to see and access the coronary artery to be bypassed. This type of surgery is performed through an incision that runs the length of the breastbone.

While these procedures are a long way from being commonplace, findings so far suggest that patients make a speedier recovery with fewer complications such as bleeding, pain and breathing problems. These techniques may offer an earlier return to work and other activities than conventional surgery.

STRESS

ARE you suffering from late-night insomnia? Constant back pains or a stiff neck? Have you lost or gained weight and are you experiencing problems in your relationship?

These may seem like simple, everyday problems that the average American ignores, but doctors say there's a very good possibility that they are signs of stress.

Stress, which is defined as a state of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium, can attack the immune system, bloodstream, nervous and limbic system as well as the heart.

With an unstable economy and the necessity of dealing with new forms of racism, stress, sometimes debilitating, has become a major issue in the African-American community, where it is a leading contributor to irritability, nagging pain and some major medical problems.

According to experts, there are three types of stress--acute, episodic acute and chronic--which affect the body physically, emotionally and psychologically.

Acute stress can cause the entire body to have an immediate reaction and is often linked to a variety of life of situations--an argument, a minor traffic accident or an approaching deadline.

Episodic stress is an extreme form of acute stress related to time management and anxiety.

Chronic stress, aka "long term" stress, affects the entire health system and can lead to degenerative and inflammatory conditions like heart attacks, arteriosclerosis, strokes and cancer, the No. 1 killer in Black America.

Now that it's clear how stress can cause an enormous amount of harm to the human body, what avenues should be chosen to prevent a lengthy pattern of stress?

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommends meditation, daily exercises, well-balanced meals, plenty of rest, exercise, and a more relaxed and conflict-free life.

DIABETES

ABOUT 18 million Americans have diabetes, and another 41 million people between the age of 40 and 74 (40 percent of U.S. adult population) currently have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases a person's risk of developing diabetes. The new pre-diabetes estimate is more than double the old estimate, and is based on a revised, more accurate definition of a person's normal blood glucose levels.

While diabetes affects African-Americans at twice the rate of Whites, new research points to ways to slow down the progression of diabetes, and to prevent it from occurring altogether. According to medical experts, losing 5 percent of a person's body weight through healthy eating and increased physical activity (as little as 30 minutes a day) can help to prevent the disease, which is linked with heart disease.

Doctors say deaths from heart disease in women with diabetes have increased 23 percent over the past 30 years, compared to a 27 percent decrease in women without diabetes.