Chubby Canadians tip scales into the world's fattest zone

"Canadians are among the fattest people in the western world and getting chubbier each year, a major new study revealed Thursday. Only super-sized Americans, Mexicans, Brits, Australians and New Zealanders fared worse than Canadians in a survey of the 33 members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a government-funded policy think-tank. Sixty per cent of Canadian adults are overweight and roughly one in four - 24 per cent - are obese, the OECD said. The problem is worse for men, with 66 per cent of Canadian males overweight compared to 54 per cent of women. Canada is far ahead of the OECD average of 50 per cent who are overweight and 16 per cent who are obese. By far the thinnest are Japanese, with only 24 per cent overweight and three per cent obese

European Medicines Agency decides to suspend Avandia

"The European Medicines Agency has announced a recommendation to suspend Avandia (Rosiglitazone) from the European market following a review into the safety of the drug. Diabetes UK is advising anyone currently taking Avandia to consult their healthcare team without delay to discuss switching onto an alternative treatment that is best suited to their needs" - Diabetes UK

New Ideas for Diabetes Management (CARG)

* Thursday October 28, 2010
* 8:00-10:30 am at the Field House
* For Cardiac Rehab and First Step participants with diabetes
* Topics to be covered:
- Getting the most out of home blood sugar checking
- Achieving the food "balance"
- What's new in diabetes management strategies

Pre-registration required. Space is limited - ask your exercise therapist to put your name on the registration list
Breakfast provided free of charge
Presented by Marlene Matiko, Diabetes Nurse Educator and Rochelle Anthony, Dietitian

CARG President, Mohindar Sachdev, interviewed in September issue of PAC World

Mohindar Sachdev, President of CARG, has an interview published in the September 2010 issue of PAC World. You can read it online at: http://carg.ca/mohindarseptember2010.pdf or below:

U.K. research suggests flu vaccine lowers risk of heart attack

"Canadians with serious heart conditions should line up for the flu vaccine as soon as they can this year - getting the shot, and getting it earlier, could significantly lower the risk of heart attack, a new British study suggests. Previous research has shown that heart attacks increase dramatically in winter when patients often develop pneumonia or the flu, and scientists say there may be a link between respiratory infections and heart attacks. A study of more than 78,700 patients, who were at least 40 years old and living in England and Wales, suggest that flu vaccinations are connected to a reduced risk of heart attack. And the earlier people got the shot, the better, although even those whose vaccination was delayed saw a benefit. Receiving a flu shot between September and mid-November was associated with a 21 per cent decrease in the rate of heart attacks compared with later vaccination, which was linked to a 12 per cent reduction, said Niroshan Siriwardena, lead investigator and a University of Lincoln professor"

Most Americans don't get daily exercise

Only about 5 percent of American adults do some type of vigorous physical activity on any given day, according to the results of a new study. Researchers analyzed 2003-2008 data from nearly 80,000 participants, aged 20 and older, in the American Time Use Survey, a national telephone-based poll that asked people what they did in the preceding 24 hours. Most respondents reported sedentary activities such as eating and drinking (95.6 percent) and watching television/movies (80.1 percent), or light activities such as washing, dressing and grooming (78.9 percent), and driving a car, truck or motorcycle (71.4 percent). The most frequently reported moderate activities were food and drink preparation (25.7 percent) and lawn, garden and houseplant care (10.6 percent), lead investigator Catrine Tudor-Locke, director of the Walking Behavior Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., and colleagues found. Only 5 percent of respondents reported vigorous physical activities, including using cardiovascular exercise equipment (2.2 percent) and running (1.1 percent). The survey findings are published online and in the October print issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. "On any given day, most U.S. adults reported performing predominantly sedentary and light activities. The greatest prevalence for reported moderate activities was food and drink preparation for both men (12.8 percent) and women (37.6 percent)," the authors wrote in the report

ICU/CCU renovations at Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon

From Saskatoon Health Region: "Three new intensive care unit (ICU) beds are now open at Royal University Hospital, along with a new ICU entrance. These renovations were initially meant to increase capacity within the current ICU at RUH. However, it resulted in moving and renovating the coronary care unit (CCU) in order to have physical space within ICU to expand. CCU completed its renovation in May. Over the course of the summer, the new ICU rooms have been created in the unoccupied space in the former CCU. The project is now entering Phase 5, which will result in the creation of a new medication preparation room, clean/dirty service areas, itinerate work spaces and a central paper storage area. As construction continues, ICU capacity will be at 13 beds. Once the project is completed, we will have 15 ICU beds in the main core area and have two renovated satellite beds. This will give us the ability to surge up to 17 beds. This is expected to be done this winter"

Statins before surgery can lower heart-attack risk (USA)

Cardiologists at the University of Florida's medical college have found that giving patients cholesterol-lowering statins before surgery and other invasive procedures can cut their risk of heart attacks, death and other complications by almost half, according to a new report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "The magnitude of benefit we found in terms of reducing mortality, post-procedure myocardial infarctions and reduction in atrial fibrillation after bypass surgery is really quite large," said Dr. David Winchester, a cardiologist at UF's College of Medicine. "If you look at some of the other interventions we use, such as using beta blockers before surgery, you don't get nearly the kind of benefit that we are seeing with using statins prior to procedures. That is very surprising." They found that patients who took the therapy before surgery had a 43 percent lower risk of heart attack and 46 percent lower risk of atrial fibrillation. Post-surgery death rates were lower by 34 percent. Beneficial effects were seen when statins were administered as little as one day before surgery

Video: Stress and its impact on heart - Heart Fit Clinic, Calgary, Canada

Stress and the economy and its impact on heart health:

Seasonal influenza season is here (Saskatoon Health Region)

Seasonal influenza vaccine is available to everyone beginning October 12, 2010 until March 31, 2011. All ages benefit from annual influenza vaccine but it is important those considered at high risk be immunized.

People at high risk of complications or hospitalization:

* People 65 years of age or older (or turn 65 prior to March 31, 2011)
* Pregnant women
* Children 6 months to 4 years of age
* People who are severely obese
* People of any age who are residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities
* Anyone with chronic health conditions such as:

-- chronic heart or lung disorders (including cystic fibrosis and asthma);
-- diabetes;
-- cancer, immunodeficiency, immunosuppression (due to underlying disease and/or therapy);
-- renal disease;
-- anemia or hemoglobinopathy;
-- conditions with an increased risk of aspiration (muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or acquired brain injury);
-- children and adolescents with conditions treated for long periods with acetylsalicylic acid;

Household and close contacts:

* Of any of the categories listed above,
* Of infants less than 6 months of age,
* Households expecting a newborn before March 31, 2011

Other groups:

* Healthcare providers, health care students and registered volunteers
* Physicians and medical office staff
* People providing regular child care to children less than 5 years of age
* People employed in the poultry and hog industry

Broccoli may guard against arthritis (UK)

"British scientists say broccoli - already known to help prevent cancer - may fight osteoarthritis. Scientists at the University of East Anglia say initial laboratory tests find a bioactive compound in broccoli - sulforaphane - blocks the enzymes linked to the joint destruction in osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. The scientists are undertaking a research project to see if the compound found in broccoli could slow or prevent osteoarthritis development. "Britain has an aging population and developing new strategies for combating age-related diseases such as osteoarthritis is vital -- to improve the quality of life for sufferers but also to reduce the economic burden on society," research project leader Ian Clark says in a statement. The three-year research project will also investigate the effects of other dietary compounds on osteoarthritis, including diallyl disulphide - a compound found in high amounts in garlic that appears to slow the destruction of cartilage in laboratory models' - UPI

Multi-vessel cardiac bypass performed through small single incision

Surgeons at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston, Texas, perform multiple cardiac vessel bypasses through a single, small incision in the patient's side, reducing pain, recovery time and risk for infection. "This represents a big improvement on older versions of minimally invasive bypass procedures," said Dr. Mahesh Ramchandani, cardiac surgeon at Methodist."By approaching the heart from the patient's side, rather than going in directly over the heart, we can reduce trauma to the patient's ribs and we can see the heart better, which allows us to safely perform multi-vessel bypasses in one minimally invasive procedure," Ramchandani said.
Ramchandani has performed approximately 150 multi-vessel cardiac bypasses using this new approach, a technique he teaches to surgeons in a monthly hands-on, interactive class held in the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education (MITIE). He has trained more than 50 surgeons who have come to Methodist from across the world for his expertise

Google Health updated

Google Health has rolled out a bunch of new features to allow people to use the service to track their exercise, dieting, and other health parameters like blood glucose levels. You can set goals, take notes, and basically use it as your wellness diary

Know your Numbers! Week 2010 (UK)

"'Are you gambling with your health?' is the question the Blood Pressure Association is asking as it launches the nation's biggest blood pressure event, Know your Numbers! Week 2010. More than 1,400 venues, known as Pressure Stations, are offering free blood pressure checks across the UK from 13-19 September. The charity's research found three quarters of UK adults don't know their blood pressure numbers. This means they are taking an unnecessary gamble with their health, as uncontrolled high blood pressure causes stroke and heart attack. That's why the Blood Pressure Association, along with Frank Sinatra (aka tribute act Stephen Triffitt) known for his love of gambling as well as crooning, is urging everyone to take the first step to lowering their odds of strokes and heart attack by having a blood pressure check"

Video: Consequences from PCRM (USA)

"Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's provocative new fast-food commercial draws attention to the link between heart disease deaths and fast food. Studies show that people who consume fast food are at a higher risk for obesity, a factor contributing to heart disease. High-fat, high-sodium offerings at fast-food restaurants include products such as KFC's Double Down Combo Meal, which has 45 grams of fat and 2,120 milligrams of sodium, and McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Extra Value Meal, which has 61 grams of fat and 1,650 milligrams of sodium"

Aerobic exercise helps relieve insomnia (USA)

"U.S. researchers say aerobic exercise not only boosts cardiovascular fitness but improves sleep and mood in people who suffer from insomnia. Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine say middle-age and older adults with an insomnia diagnosis who did aerobic exercise found dramatic improvement in quality and duration of sleep. The study, scheduled to be published in the October issue of Sleep Medicine, linked aerobic exercise in participants reporting better sleep quality - elevating them from a diagnosis of poor sleeper to good sleeper. The study participants who exercised reported fewer depressive symptoms, more vitality and less daytime sleepiness. "This is relevant to a huge portion of the population," senior author Dr. Phyllis Zee says in a statement. "Insomnia increases with age. Around middle age, sleep begins to change dramatically. It is essential that we identify behavioral ways to improve sleep." Zee and colleagues examined 23 sedentary adults, primarily women, age 55 and older who had difficulty falling sleep and/or staying asleep and reported impaired daytime functioning. They were randomly assigned to engage in a non-physical activity such as a cooking class or museum lecture, or to undergo a conditioning period and aerobic physical activity"

Evesham Cardiac Rehab charity (UK)

"A county cardiac rehabilitation unit which was set up 18 months ago has launched a charity arm to help ensure its survival. The facility in Evesham was founded by town councillor Gerry O’Donnell, who spearheaded a campaign to establish the unit in Evesham after experiencing its benefits first-hand. He had been working on a fatal accident inquiry in Scotland when he suffered a heart attack in the final week of the investigation. Once discharged from hospital, he discovered that a pioneer of community-based cardiac rehabilitation, Dr Hugh Bethell, practised in his local surgery and he was assigned to his rehabilitation programme. Research has shown that those who suffer from heart problems, either from a heart attack or through disease, can find themselves more distressed and are often told to 'take it easy'. But Dr Bethell's approach flew in the face of traditional practices by reasoning that as some of the heart's muscles had been damaged, it was vital to build up the remaining muscle as the demands placed upon it would be greater...

Cardiac imaging breakthrough developed at the University of Western Ontario (Canada)

Cardiologists and surgeons may soon have a new tool to improve outcomes for patients requiring pacemakers, bypass surgery or angioplasties. Research led by Dr. James White and his colleagues at The University of Western Ontario has led to a new imaging technique, which provides a single, 3D high-resolution image of the heart revealing both its vasculature and the presence of scar tissue within the muscle. This novel imaging was performed using a 3-Tesla MRI at Western's Robarts Research Institute. The findings are published on-line in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging

Food Chat with Rochelle Anthony

Do have a question for Rochelle Anthony, Dietitian for the Cardiac Rehab and First Step Programs? Dates:

Thursday, November 25, 2010 9:00 to 10:30
Monday, December 13, 2010 9:00 to 11:00

Field House track area

Diabetes on Track for CARG and 1st Step: Do you have a question regarding your diabetes?

Marlene Matiko, Diabetes Nurse Educator, and Rochelle Anthony, Dietitian, will be in the track area at the Field House to answer your questions on:

Monday, October 4 2010 from 8:00 to 11:00 am
Tuesday, October 26 2010 from 8:00 to 11:00 am
Monday, November 29 2010 from 8:00 to 11:00 am
Thursday, December 9 2010 from 8:00 to 11:00 am

Please bring your logbook and blood sugar meter. No appointments required

Smokeless tobacco products not a safe option, won't help smokers quit (AHA)

"Smokeless tobacco products should not be used as an alternative to cigarettes or for smoking cessation due to the risk of addiction and return to smoking, according to an American Heart Association policy statement. Smokeless tobacco products such as dry and moist snuff as well as chewing tobacco may also increase the risk of fatal heart attack, fatal stroke and certain cancers, according to the statement published online in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. 'No tobacco product is safe to consume,' said Mariann Piano, Ph.D., lead writer of the statement and a professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The statement also addresses a controversy over whether smokeless tobacco product use is a 'safer' alternative to smoking. The idea that smokeless tobacco products are preferable to cigarettes is based in part on the Swedish experience where there was a significant decrease in smoking among Swedish men between 1976 and 2002 which corresponded to an increase in the use of smokeless tobacco"

The Economic Case for Universal Pharmacare (Canada)

The Economic Case for Universal Pharmacare: Costs and benefits of publicly funded drug coverage for all Canadians by Marc-André Gagnon, Guillaume Hébert. The main argument that is typically made against the establishment of universal Pharmacare is economic in nature. This report shows that the economic argument in favour of such a program is loud and clear, regardless of which industrial policy is subsequently considered. Canadians could save between 10% and 42% - up to $10.7 billion - of total drug expenditures. A universal drug plan providing first-dollar coverage, established alongside a rigorous drug assessment process, would not only ensure greater fairness in accessing medication and improve drug safety, but would also help contain the inflationary costs of drugs, regardless of the industrial policy Canada may choose

Are allergies associated with heart disease? (USA)

"Common allergies that bring on wheezing, sneezing and watery eyes could be next to join the list of factors linked to heart disease, suggests a large new study. However, the researchers stress that the findings do not prove that allergies actually cause heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. To look for ties between common allergic symptoms and heart disease, Dr. Jongoh Kim of Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and colleagues analyzed data on more than 8,600 adults aged 20 or older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 1988 and 1994. They found that common allergies and heart disease frequently paired up" - Source: The American Journal of Cardiology

Craziest Food Creations 2010 (USA)

"There's an arms race going on, and it could mean disaster for your waistline. But this terrifying competition to build the biggest, scariest weapons of mass destruction isn't happening between the United States and Russia, or on the Korean peninsula, or among angry rivals somewhere in the Middle East. It's happening between America's restaurants - every one of them, it seems, is eager to show it has the biggest, scariest, most destructive new food in the marketplace. And the unsuspecting victims of this Strangelovian contest? You and me"

Food binge may cause long-term body fat increase (Sweden)

"A moment on the lips can actually mean a lifetime on the hips, according to Swedish researchers, who found that binging on food seems to have a long term effect on body weight. People who gorged on fast food for four weeks and did little exercise put on an average of 6.4kg of weight. Two years later, signs of increased body fat were still apparent, says the Linkoping University study. The Swedish researchers studied a group of 18 adults with an average age of 26. During the study, the details of which were published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism, the 18 participants had their physical activity limited to 5,000 steps per day, considered to be tantamount to a sedentary lifestyle"

Overweight and obese make up majority in Ontario

New analysis of a landmark health survey by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) shows that 70% of Ontario adults are either overweight or obese, and have a strong prevalence of high blood pressure that could lead to heart attack or stroke. The research, led by Dr. Frans Leenen of the Heart Institute's Hypertension Unit, adds new information to a limited amount of Canadian data on obesity and high blood pressure. The analysis further strengthens the link between high blood pressure and above normal Body Mass Index (BMI), a formula for body composition calculated by height and weight. "Obesity is rapidly increasing in Canada because we are eating far more than our bodies require. We know better than ever that even being overweight creates other problems such as diabetes and high cholesterol levels and thereby endangers cardiovascular health," said Dr. Leenen. "Public health strategies to reduce the growing epidemic of obesity would also reduce the burden of high blood pressure and other negative effects leading to heart disease." Study results were published this week in the American Journal of Hypertension (AM J Hypertens 2010; 23: 1000-1006). They represent the latest analysis from the Ontario Survey on the Prevalence and Control of Hypertension, the first comprehensive assessment of high blood pressure in Canada since 1992

Study finds doctor-patient disconnect (USA)

"The heart patients at Springfield's Baystate Medical Center, Massachusetts, almost all thought the stents used to prop open their arteries would prevent a heart attack. But their doctors had told most of them before the procedure that it would do nothing more than relieve chest pain. This yawning disconnect between what doctors say and patients hear was reported in a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Physicians say the communications gap extends to other types of elective treatments, as well, resulting in patient confusion and perhaps overuse of some procedures"

Most Americans still not eating enough fruits, veggies

"In 2000, the U.S. government set modest goals for the amount of fruit and vegetables people should eat, but a decade later the majority of Americans are not even close to reaching those thresholds, health officials said Thursday. In fact, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009, 67.5 percent of adults ate fruit less than two times daily and 73.7 percent ate vegetables less than three times per day. The goals of Healthy People 2010 were for 75 percent of people to eat at least two servings of fruit and 50 percent to eat at least three servings of vegetables every day" - The report is published in the September 10 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

Exercise shoes focus attention on walking

Call them toners, shapers, or rocker bottoms, those exercise shoes with the distinctive thick, rounded soles are flying off the shelves and onto the feet of even the most clodhopper-averse walkers. And if experts differ on how effectively the shoes will buff butts and carve calves, they concur that whatever gets you moving is a good thing. "I tell people to make your bottom half your better half," said Denise Austin, a fitness expert and spokesperson for Skechers Shape-ups. "They make you feel like you're walking on sand." Toning shoes use curved soles and extra padding to alter the wearer's walking gait, purportedly engaging seldom-used muscles, increasing blood flow and reducing stress to the lower back. "The second you put them on you think 'good posture'," Austin said "They make you more aware than regular shoes." She said letters she's received from nurses and others on their feet all day praise them for their comfort

More obesity surgery 'could save millions of pounds' (UK)

"Millions of pounds are lost in England by the failure of the NHS to provide more obesity operations, a study says. About 1m people meet the criteria for bariatric surgery, but last year there were just 3,600 operations carried out. The Office of Health Economics suggests £1.3bn could be saved over three years if a quarter of eligible patients got treatment through more people working and fewer demands on the NHS. But the government said the treatment should always be a "last resort". The economists looked at a range of data in their analysis, including official guidelines, figures from more than half of NHS trusts and previously published reports"

Statins may cut arthritis risk, study suggests (Israel)

"Taking statins may reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, a study suggests. Israeli researchers looked at 1.8m patients and found fewer incidents of the joint condition among those who took the cholesterol-busting drugs. It was thought statins could ease symptoms in those already diagnosed by stopping the over-production of tissue between the joints. But the Maccabi Healthcare Services Research Institute study suggested they could stop it developing altogether. The team discovered 2,500 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, the debilitating inflammation of the joints which affects about one in 100 people"

Winter sports tourists at higher risk of heart attack (Austria)

"Skiers and other winter sports tourists who visit the Alps are at increased risk for heart attack due to low temperatures, high altitude and inadequate conditioning for intense physical exertion, finds a new study. The risk is greatest during the first two days of vacation, said a research team of cardiologists at the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria, who focused on winter tourists in the Tyrolean Alps. "Every year, millions of tourists visit the Tyrolean Alps to participate in a variety of winter sports, each of which carries a certain risk of accident and injury," study senior author Dr. Bernhard Metzler, an associate professor of cardiology at the university, said in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology"

Vended foods and beverages may be linked to obesity, diabetes and coronary artery disease (USA)

School children who consume foods purchased in vending machines are more likely to develop poor diet quality - and that may be associated with being overweight, obese or at risk for chronic health problems such as diabetes and coronary artery disease, according to research from the University of Michigan Medical School.

David Letterman visits 'The View' to talk Heart Surgery with Barbara Walters (Video)

"Late Show" host David Letterman recently paid a visit to "The View" on ABC as part of the "Welcome Back" for host Barbara Walters. Walters had heart surgery back in May 2010, and is feeling great following it. Letterman has also had major heart surgery and talked about the ordeal on the show:

$11.6 million to study cardiac proteins (USA)

A blood test to diagnose which heart attack survivors will suffer heart failure is the goal of a new five-year, $11.6 million contract to the UT Health Science Center San Antonio from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Each year more than 1.2 million Americans suffer a heart attack. In a third of these individuals, the damage results in heart failure, a progressive condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's oxygen needs. Half of these 400,000 survivors will die within five years

The Villages Hospital hosts party for graduates of cardiac rehab program (Florida)

"It was only five short months ago that Bob Messing underwent triple bypass surgery. Facing a potentially life-threatening condition and never having been hospitalized before, the Village of Hadley resident was understandably scared. 'I had never been sick, never had an operation, never been in the hospital and I was scared to death,' Messing said. Although his surgery was successful, it was only the beginning of Messing's road to recovery. But lucky for him, he was able to take advantage of The Villages Hospital's cardiac rehabilitation program, a program that he said not only helped him get his life back, but brought it to a whole other level. 'I showed up and I was like a 90-year-old man. I could hardly walk,' Messing said. 'After all my courses, they really exhilarated my healing process and my rejuvenation and my recovery went very good.'"

Integrative Cardiology: edited by Stephen Devries and James Dalen

"Integrative Cardiology is an exploration of a new and much-needed perspective in cardiac care: the intelligent synthesis of conventional medicine with alternative approaches not typically part of Western medical curriculum. More than a blending of two approaches, this new perspective in cardiology highlights specific gaps in conventional heart care, and examines how alternative approaches may be ideally suited to address these missed opportunities"

Bad hair days stress heart

"The predictor of your future health might be on top of your head. Two University of Western Ontario medical researchers have established a link between elevated levels of the hormone cortisol in human hair and heart attack risk in men. Doctors Gideon Koren and Stan Van Uum have developed a way to measure cortisol - a stress-related hormone produced by the adrenal glands - that accurately measures stress levels in the months prior to an acute event such as a heart attack. The research is published on-line in the journal Stress"

Greece in new crackdown on smokers and tobacco ads

"A new law has come into force in Greece banning smoking in enclosed public spaces and tobacco advertising. It is the second such attempt to curb tobacco addiction in Europe's biggest-smoking nation in just over a year. Smokers who break the law could be fined hundreds of euros and businesses may have to pay several thousand. But restaurant and cafe owners say they are being targeted at a time of economic crisis. It is estimated that more than 40% of Greek adults smoke - well above the EU's average of 29%"