TO YOUR

Mid-Valley Newspapers May 2012HealthHealthHealthHealth

A guide to wellness and healthy living in the Mid-Willamette Valley

Quick reads about health topics in the news

Walking wondersStudies using pedometers

show Americans take fewersteps per day than walkers inany other industrialized na-tion, according to a recent ar-ticle in Slate.

The average Australiantakes 9,695 steps per day; theaverage American about halfthat — 5,117. In 1969, nearlyhalf of all students in kinder-garten through eighth gradewalked or biked to school.Forty years later, that per-centage dropped to 13 per-cent, according to a 2011study published in the Ameri-can Journal of PreventiveMedicine.

Studies show walking justsix miles a week makes yousmarter, reduces depres-sion, lowers your risk forAlzheimer’s, drops bloodpressure and raises yourself-esteem. Walking brisklyone mile a day can cut inhalf the risk factor of some-one genetically prone toobesity.

– McClatchy Newspapers

Men get work done, tooIn 2011, 9 percent of sur-

gical and nonsurgical cos-metic procedures in theUnited States were conduct-ed on men, according to theAmerican Society for Aes-thetic Plastic Surgery — a121 percent increase since1997.

While the number of cos-metic surgical proceduresperformed in the UnitedStates increased just 1 per-cent from 2010 to 2011, thenumber of males getting lipo-suction and eyelid surgeriesis on the rise.

More than 41,000lipoplasty procedures andalmost 23,000 eyelid surger-ies were performed on menin 2011, increasing 14 per-cent and 6 percent, respec-tively.

– Los Angeles Times

C and blood pressureLarge doses of Vitamin C

may moderately reduce bloodpressure, Johns Hopkins re-searchers have found.

But the scientists don’trecommend people start tak-ing large amounts of the vita-min.

Researchers led by Dr.Edgar “Pete” R. Miller, an as-sociate professor in the divi-sion of general internal medi-cine at Hopkins, reviewed andanalyzed data from 29 previ-ous clinical trials and foundthat taking 500 milligrams ofVitamin C daily, or five timesthe recommended amount,could lower blood pressure by3.84 millimeters.

However, Miller warnedthat none of the studiesshowed that vitamin C direct-ly prevents or reduces ratesof cardiovascular disease, in-cluding stroke.

– The Baltimore Sun

Obesity costs riseThe cost of hospitaliza-

tions in the United States re-lated to childhood obesityrose from $125.9 million in2001 to $237.6 million fouryears later, according to astudy in the journal HealthAffairs.

– McClatchy Newspapers

Allergy bills go up

By 2005, according to theAmerican Academy of Allergy,Asthma & Immunology,Americans spent $11.2 billionfor medications (more thanhalf were prescriptions) totreat airborne allergies. Thatwas nearly double whatAmericans spent on suchdrugs in 2000.

– The Seattle Times

STAT

Cassandra Griner takes the VO2 max test at Samaritan Albany General Hospital to determine her fitness level after suffering a blood clot in her lungs a year ago.

DAVID PATTON | TO YOUR HEALTH

Mask marvelVO2 max test monitors heart and lungs, assessing risks and fitness

assandra Griner confirmedthat she was in pretty goodshape. At least the readings fromthe new VO2 max gave her thego-ahead to keep up her exercis-ing.

“It was a different feeling forme. I usually walk or use an elliptical ma-chine, but the news is good,” said Grinerafter completing her work on the station-ary bike while being hooked up to the VO2max.

Dr. George Giacoppe, pulmonologist atSamaritan Pulmonology in Albany, says thenew computerized instrument that fitsaround the nose and mouth can provide awide range of readings that can benefit ath-letes in training as well as patients sufferingfrom cardiac or pulmonary issues.

“It really has two uses, a training side anda medical side,” Giacoppe said.

As a training aid, the VO2 max is valuablefor those who are trying to establish a regi-men for fitness. It can give more detailedreadings on energy levels and track improve-ment over a period of time.

It’s medical use ranges from cardio reha-bilitation to determining whether breathingproblems may be related to the heart or thelungs.

The mask sends readings to a computerscreen that the atten-dant can monitor as thepatient or athlete worksout on either a station-ary bike or a treadmill.Readings include the en-ergy levels, and cardioand respiratory func-tions.

Griner, a surgicalnurse at SAGH, was first monitored for basereadings before moving to the bike for herworkout. She had suffered a blood clot in herlung over a year ago and was looking to see ifshe could safely continue to exercise.

“According to the test, her clot has dis-solved. Her readings were normal,” Giacoppesaid. “She’s good to go.”

One of the main purposes of the new ma-chine, which according to Giacoppe is theonly one in the mid-valley, is to asses surgi-cal risk for lung cancer or heart surgery pa-tients. The evaluation can help determine

what strategy to take with patients who maybe facing a heart transplant, for instance.

One plus is that mid-valley patients nolonger have to travel to Portland to undergothe testing.

Giacoppe also expects it willbe a great tool for rehabilitation.Matthew White of Samaritan’sCardiac Rehabilitation crew saidit allows trainers there to helpshow patients that they arehealthy enough to push them-selves to the next level.

“Sometimes patients reach apoint they aren’t willing to

move beyond,” White said. “We can showthem through the readings that they are inno danger to keep going. It removes thatpsychological block.”

Local athletes may be the ones who canbenefit the most, according to Giacoppe. Hesaid many professional teams have a similarsystem to track progress of an athlete’s fit-ness. Lance Armstrong helped popularize itwhen he used similar instruments to trainfor the Tour de France.

“We would like to open it up to local ath-letes so they can track their levels and work

to improve their performance,” Giacoppesaid.

The device measures the workload inwatts. Censors connected to the mask moni-tor oxygen consumption — how much air iscoming in and out — reads heart rate, andcan track metabolic rates. Those taking aride or walk have their blood pressure moni-tored throughout the test and also are con-nected to an EKG.

Once in progress, the system relays whensomeone’s performance on the machinesbecomes more intense, switching from aero-bic to anaerobic exercise.

The test takes about 12 to 15 minutes.“It can make you sweat like crazy,” White

said. “We ramp it up every minute.”Giacoppe said it is valuable in under-

standing how the body works. It can deter-mine an individual’s exercise limits and theirpulmonary and cardiac limits.

The machine, which arrived two monthsago and cost about $100,000, was funded bythe Samaritan Albany General HospitalFoundation.

The service is expected to provide a newrevenue stream for the hospital and possiblyjob opportunities.

CBy STEVE LATHROP

Matthew White of Samaritan’s Cardiac Rehabilitation program works with Griner during her testlast Thursday. Her results show that the clot has fully dissolved and it’s safe to keep on exercising.

‘It can make you sweatlike crazy. We ramp it

up every minute.’MATTHEW WHITE

CARDIAC REHABILITATION

BY MELISSA HEALYLOS ANGELES TIMES

For the young, regret overpoor choices or missed op-portunities can be a power-ful carrot: It sparks reap-praisal, accelerates learningand motivates change. Inthe old, regret appears to beno better than a stick — astern reminder of poorchoices, lost powers and ourshort time remaining onearth. So what’s the key tohappy old age? Don’t lungeafter the carrot and youwon’t get hit by the stick.

A new study finds thathow we deal with foregoneoptions and lost opportuni-ties makes a huge differencein whether we will grow intohappy seniors or succumb tolate-life depression. Report-ing their findings in Sciencemagazine, German re-searchers found that inrepetitive games of chance,when healthy young adultspay a price for a wrong deci-sion, they shift their strate-gies accordingly in the nextround. If their caution lostthem a big payoff, they’ll bebolder in the next game; ifthey risked too much andcame up empty-handed,they’ll become more cau-tious the next time around.

Their response to regretis to act on it. And theirphysiological response to

that regret was active too:Their heart rates increasedand their skin becameclammy.

Like miniskirts, muscleshirts and long hair, whatworked well for young peo-ple did not work so wellafter age 50. Among oldersubjects (a total of 40 adultswith average age of 65), the20 who had experiencedlate-life depression (de-fined as a first episode ofdepression after age 55)were far more likely to re-spond to regret in the sameway a healthy young personwould: Their hearts wouldpound, their hands wouldget moist, and they wouldadjust their playing strat-egy in the next game.

The emotionally healthyolder adults, however, werelike Zen masters in the faceof regret: Whether theywent all in and lost or heldand lost had no bearing onhow they played the nextgame. Their palms stayeddry and their hearts did notrace.

When researchers usedfMRI scanners to peer intotheir subjects’ brains asthey played, they saw asimilar pattern, in whichthe older depressed adultsreacted to regret in thesame way a healthy youngperson would.

BY ERIK LACITISTHE SEATTLE TIMES

Maybe if your mom hadn’tstopped you from eatingdirt at the playground, youwouldn’t be all itchy nowand runny-nosed becauseit’s allergy season.

It is that time of the yearagain, as nature sends outmillions of grains of pollen,seemingly mostly into youreyeballs and nostrils.

Are you part of that selectclub of 3 to 5 percent of thepopulation who experts sayare severely affected by air-borne allergens?

How severe? Oh, maybelike this:

As James Thurber, thecelebrated humorist, is saidto have com-plained, “Iused to wakeup at 4 a.m.and starts n e e z i n g ,sometimes forfive hours. Itried to find out what sortof allergy I had but finallycame to the conclusion thatit must be an allergy to con-sciousness.”

And guess what, pollensufferers? It’s only going toget worse.

The allergy season is ex-pected to last for longerstretches, because of — whatelse? — global warming.

Plus, pollen allergies mayalso affect a larger group ofpeople as more and more ofthe world’s population livesin ... too-hygienic a society.Yes, too clean.

“One of the ideas aboutwhy allergies seem to beincreasing in the developedworld is that we have allthese cells that function asa defense mechanismagainst parasites — badwater, bad food, mosquito-

borne diseases, even snakevenom,” says Dr. DavidRobinson, a Virginia MasonMedical Center allergist.

As hygiene increases,these cells have fewer par-asites to fight, but they’vegot to fight something.

They decide to fight pol-lens, which they do by re-leasing a compound calledhistamine, which gives us arunny nose and watery eyesto expel those pollens thecells believe are parasites.

By the way, when you buyover-the-counter allergymedication that containsantihistamines, you’re notbuying something thatstops histamine produc-tion. The antihistamine

simply at-taches itselfto the recep-tor sites towhich theh i s t a m i n ewould attachitself, and

blocks it by having gottenthere first.

As for climate change, a2011 report by the federalEnvironmental ProtectionAgency says warmer tem-peratures and more rain willcause some plants to growfaster, bloom earlier andproduce more pollen. And,says the EPA, we can expect“allergy seasons to beginearlier and last longer.”

That doesn’t mean adrastic change in pollenseasons.

What the EPA says“makes a lot of sense,” saysDr. Reynold Karr, a clinicalprofessor in the Universityof Washington’s Divisionof Allergy and InfectiousDiseases, and the Divisionof Rheumatology. “But Ihaven’t seen a significantchange at this point.”

BY JENNIFER ROUSETO YOUR HEALTH

On Saturday, May 19,teams of energetic peoplewill descend on the Samari-tan Health Services campuson the north end of Corval-lis to go through a series ofwacky challenges atHeartChase, a new gameshow-style fundraiser forheart disease research.

Some people will be therefor a good time. Some will bethere to support a good cause.

Mckenna Koon will bethere for her family.

“I’ve always had a reallyhealthy heart, and I didn’treally think it affected myfamily,” the OSU senior said.

Then her aunt was diag-nosed with coronary arterydisease and told she mayneed open heart surgery.

“After that, I wasn’t juston the outside anymore,”Koon said.

Koon’s mother has nowstarted a team in her sister’shonor, called “Team Connie;”Mckenna, her mother and heraunt will all be there atHeartChase, playing gamesand tackling challenges inan effort to combat the dis-ease that has now become areality for their family.

A healthy challengeOrganizers of HeartChase

describe it as “Amazing Race”meets “Minute to Win It.”

Teams will compete againsteach other to complete a se-ries of health-themed chal-lenges, with prizes for theteams that rack up the mostpoints. The event is a new onefor Corvallis and for the spon-soring organization, theAmerican Heart Association.

“This is a pilot event. It’snever been done in Oregonbefore, and there are onlysix or seven in the entireU.S.,” said Alison Blazer, oneof the volunteer organizers ofthe event. Blazer said theAmerican Heart Association

thought Corvallis in particu-lar would be a good place togrow the event. “Oregon isknown as a healthy state,and they were drawn toCo rva l l i s b e ca u se i t’s community-oriented.”

Teams can be made of uptwo to five people — it couldbe families, couples, co-workers or friends. Each teamneeds one smartphone tohelp navigate their waythrough the chase. It starts at10 a.m. on May 19 at the en-trance to the Samaritan Heartand Vascular Institute, andcosts $30 per person to regis-ter. You can register online atcorvallisheartchase.org.

Each checkpoint is spon-

sored by a local group orbusiness, and each is aimedat somehow educating par-ticipants about heart health.

For example, a checkpointcalled “Build This, NotThat,” is sponsored by theOSU Student Dieticians As-sociation and Devco Engi-neering. It challenges teamsto guess the calories in a par-ticular item — and, if theyguess wrong, they have tostrap on pedometers and dojumping jacks or some otherexercise until they’ve workedoff the caloric difference.

At the end of the event,there will be a fair with livemusic, food booths and ta-bles from the sponsors.

Organizers say they hopethe fledgling event draws alarge crowd — their goal is400-500 participants — andraises a good chunk ofmoney for the AmericanHeart Association.

But more than that, theyhope participants will comeaway knowing more aboutheart disease.

A bit of awarenessA little bit of awareness is

what first led MckennaKoon’s aunt to see the doctorin the first place. Koon did aninternship with the Ameri-can Heart Association lastsummer, and was so inspiredthat she told her family allabout the things she waslearning about heart health.

“It was from that researchthat she decided to get testedfor heart disease,” Koon said.“Now she’s trying to gethealthy so that maybe shewon’t have to have openheart surgery.”

Koon said the diagnosis hasbeen a reminder for her entirefamily that they need to payattention to their health.

“You always think, ‘oh,that could never happen tome,’” she said. “And thenyou find out that it can.”

IF YOU GOWhat: HeartChase, a

fundraiser for heart diseaseresearch.

When: Saturday, May 19;the HeartChase begins at 10a.m. The competition will befollowed by a fair with livemusic, food booths, andtables from the sponsors.

Where: The event beginsat the entrance to theSamaritan Heart and VascularInstitute, 3600 N.W.Samaritan Drive.

How much: The eventcosts $30 per person to regis-ter. You can register online atcorvallisheartchase.org.

BY JENNIFER ROUSETO YOUR HEALTH

Organizers of the mid-valley’s newheart disease benefit event, HeartChase,say they chose the location becauseOregon is known as one of the healthierstates in the union — and that’s true bymany common measures, such as ratesof obesity, rates of diabetes, and thenumber of people who smoke.

But in one important way, Oregonsticks out as particularly unhealthy: itsrate of stroke.

According to the Centers for DiseaseControl’s “Atlas of Stroke Mortality,”Oregon is the fifth-worst state in thecountry for stroke rates.

Karen Phillips, stroke program coor-dinator for Samaritan Health Services,said that when you look at nationalmaps showing stroke data, the otherhigh-risk states are in the southernUnited States, where rates of diabetesand obesity also tend to be higher.Other Northwestern states have lowerrates than Oregon.

“No one knows why,” Phillips said.“Oregon is this sore thumb sticking outin the middle of the stroke rate maps.It’s crazy.”

May is American Stroke Month, andorganizers of HeartChase hope the co-inciding event will increase awarenessof stroke, which is a cardiovasculardisease, similar to coronary artery dis-ease or other conditions more com-monly associated with heart health.

“It is a cardiovascular disease thatjust affects the brain as well,” Phillips

said. Just as clogged or blocked arter-ies in other parts of the body can causea heart attack, a clogged or rupturedartery in the brain can cause a stroke,sometimes called a “brain attack.”

Locally, Linn County and MarionCounty fall into the worst categoryranking for stroke rates, with 147 ormore deaths from stroke per 100,000people. Benton and Lincoln counties arein the second-worst category, with be-tween 134 and 146 deaths per 100,000.

Taking FAST actionPhillips emphasized two things as

she reviewed the negative data:First, it’s possible to modify many of

your risk factors. Following the advicethat will improve your heart health —such as eating healthy foods, increas-ing exercise and taking steps to lowercholesterol — also will bring downyour risk of stroke.

Second, residents of a high-riskstroke area should be watchful forsymptoms of stroke in themselves orthose around them. The signs aren’talways immediately apparent, and soPhillips likes to use the acronym FAST:

• The letter F stands for face: Isthere a facial droop, blurred vision or

dizziness? Phillips said asking some-one experiencing possible strokesymptoms to smile, and then seeingwhether both sides of the face re-spond, is one simple test.

• A stands for arm or appendage.This could be an entire side of the bodygone numb, or it could be a strangeweakness or tingling sensation on onehalf of the body. “I’d ask a person toclose their eyes and hold out their arm,”she said. If they can’t do that with theireyes closed, there may be a problem.

• S is for speech. If words are slurredor garbled, or if the person is speakingbut the words are jumbled and don’tmake sense, that’s a sign of stroke.“Sometimes it’s like a paragraph gotput into a blender,” Phillips said. “Askthe person to repeat a couple of sen-tences and see if they can do it.”

• T is for time. The faster a personexperiencing a stroke gets to the hos-pital, the better. “Time lost equalsbrain tissue lost,” Phillips said.

She said that in one instance in Cor-vallis recently, a woman with no previ-ous health problems walked into churchand began having stroke symptoms.Church members recognized the signsand got her to the hospital immediately.

“She came in with no function on onehalf of her body, and her speech in-volved,” Phillips said.“If she hadn’t beentreated, she might have had to live her lifein some kind of home. But instead, sheleft walking and talking and was able toreturn to her former quality of life.”

Strokes abound in OregonFYI

For more information, visitwww.samhealth.org/services/stroke or www.strokeassociation.org.

To Your HealthTuesday, May 8, 2012A6

BY ELLEN WARRENCHICAGO TRIBUNE

Here’s a new spin on thesaying, “If you snooze youlose.” What if the “lose” partapplied to your weight?

No, it’s not as simple asgoing to sleep and waking upslimmer. Alas.

But a recent Harvard studydoes suggest that people whoget a good night’s rest find iteasier to resist overeating —especially when it comes togorging on high-caloriefoods like ice cream, cheese-burgers or French fries.

We all know the tempta-tion: You’re drowsy duringthe day, get hungry and headto the snacks aisle or a vend-ing machine for junk food ora candy bar.

“Daytime sleepiness waspositively related to greaterhunger and elevated prefer-ence for high-calorie foods,”concluded the study, led byWilliam Killgore, an assis-tant professor of psychologyat Harvard Medical School.

MRIs of study volunteersshowed why. Sleepier peoplehad less activity in the self-control part of the brain —the prefrontal cortex. That’sthe area “that puts thebrakes on and slows youdown from doing things youshouldn’t do” — like eatingtoo much fattening, un-healthy food, says Killgore.

“If you’re sleepy, you’remore likely to reach out andtake a few extra bites of foodor go for that extra dessert or

say yes to something youwouldn’t have,” says Killgore.

New preliminary findingsshow that women are evenmore inclined than men toovereat and to prefer junkfood when they get sleepyduring the day.

“People think they’re sobusy that, if they’re going tochintz on something, they’regoing to cut out some sleep.And that’s one thing theyshouldn’t do,” says Killgore.“It affects our ability to con-trol food intake.”

Good night’s sleep contributes to healthy eating

Chasing after health

ANDY CRIPE/TO YOUR HEALTH

Oregon State University student Mckenna Koon will compete in heraunt’s honor in the upcoming HeartChase fundraiser.

Corvallis game show-style event will raise funds for American Heart Association

Blown awayby pollen?

ON THE WEBPollen.com offers allergy

forecasts, “best” and“worst” cities, and more.

For healthy old age:Let go of your regrets

To Your Health A7Tuesday, May 8, 2012