A Reason for Thanks: Cancer Rates, Deaths Drop

Here’s something to be thankful for: a recent report suggests that the rate of new cancer diagnoses and deaths related to the disease have dropped for the first time.

Overall cancer death rates have been dropping recently, but this is the first time researchers have noted that the number of new cases fell as well. Cancer rates for men and women both were down, including the most common forms (lung, colorectal and prostate for men; breast and colorectal for women).

In an article on CNN.com, a physician from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas noted that the results of the report could indicate that advancements in treatment, as well as increased efforts at preventing cancer and detecting it earlier through screenings, are becoming more effective.

But the fight is far from over. While the rates may have dropped overall, some types of cancer have gone up, such as liver cancer. And while preventative tactics – such as quitting smoking – and catching cancer earlier seem to be working, not everyone is able to accomplish those goals.

It’s important that people have access to and utilize screening tests such as mammograms for breast cancer, prostate exams for men, or colonoscopies to detect colon cancer. At the same time, modification of risk factors that people can control may help continue to reduce the rates of cancer across the United States.

It’s a good start. But there’s still a lot of work to do.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Give Thanks But Don’t Overindulge

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s time to give thanks for what we have, spend time with those we love, and resist the urge to overindulge. If you want to avoid the creeping weight gain that often accompanies the holiday season, here is a little food for thought.

A Wall Street Journal article entitled “Bulging Waist Carries Risk” described a study that followed 360,000 men and women in nine European countries for about a decade. Researchers tracked the participants’ body mass index, or BMI, as well as their waist circumference and the ratio of their waist and hip measurements.

Researchers discovered that even patients with a normal BMI had an increased risk of death if they had a large waist. Among study participants, normal weight males with waists measuring 40 inches or greater were more than twice as likely to die as those with waists of 34 inches or less; normal weight females who had waists of 35 inches or greater were 79 percent more likely to die than those with waists measuring 28 inches or less.

Researchers also found that for each two-inch increase in waist size in participants with any BMI score, the risk of death increased by 17 percent for men and 13 percent for women. Similar results were found when researchers compared waist-to-hip ratios. Yikes! That is sobering news. I can hear the tape measures snapping open, so here are some tips to keep your waistline from expanding this holiday season:

• Make a commitment to yourself not to gain weight. While this sounds logical, making a formal commitment (writing it down where you can see it) will help you to keep your goal in sight.
• Stick to your usual exercise plan. If this means “none” for some of you, this is a good time to get out and take a walk. Most people will attend parties and gatherings complete with food and drink; exercise is a great way to burn extra calories.
• Keep your portions small and avoid going back for seconds. Many celebrations will center around food – that’s OK, just don’t go overboard.
• Weigh yourself and take a waist measurement weekly. This will help to keep you focused.
• Remember the true reason for this season. Give thanks for all of the good things, both big and small, in your life. Spend time with people you love. Focus on the joy the season brings, rather than the sweets and treats that are everywhere.

--Rosemarie Lembo James, RD, CNSD, LD/N
Clinical Director of Nutrition Services

For Diabetics, Holidays Can Be A Challenge

Here we are again. The holiday season is here with its colorful decorations, its never-ending shopping, abundance of parties and especially and abundance of food! We will roll into our cars the day of Thanksgiving feeling as stuffed as the turkey we just ate.

It is a difficult time for everyone in trying to stay healthy, particularly for people who have health conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes.

Diabetics have to be especially careful as they are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease like heart attack or stroke. It is the leading cause if death among people with diabetes. I know someone who just found out that she has diabetes and she really has to be careful of her diet, which is a very big challenge during the holidays.

At Martin Memorial Health Systems we have a program that helps people manage their diabetes. Our program coordinator, Maureen Daniello, R.N., C.D.E., answers some of my questions on diabetes and its link to heart disease:

What does it means if I have diabetes?
Diabetes develops when the pancreas does not make enough insulin and/or the cells in the body aren’t using the insulin properly. As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starving for energy.

What’s the connection between diabetes and heart disease?
High blood pressure levels damage nerves and blood vessels, leading to complications such as heart disease. High blood glucose levels over time can lead to increased deposits of fatty materials on the inside of the blood vessel walls, which can affect blood flow, increasing the chance of clogging and hardening of the blood vessels. Because diabetes increases the levels of cholesterol and fat in your blood, more than 75 percent of people with uncontrolled diabetes die from some form of heart disease.

What are the risk factors?
Family history is an important one, especially if one or more members of your family had a heart attack at an early age. You can’t change your family history, but you can control the other risk factors for heart disease.

What are the medical conditions you have to be aware of?
Elevated waist circumference; elevated levels of triglycerides; low level of good cholesterol (HDL); elevated blood pressure levels; elevated fasting blood glucose levels.

What should people do to stay healthy and control their diabetes?
See a registered dietitian. Increase fiber in your diet by looking for oat bran, oatmeal, whole grain breads and cereals, or dried beans. Also, cut down on saturated fat like meats, poultry skin, butter or dairy products with fat. Reach and maintain a healthy body weight. One of the most important things you can do is the three E’s: Exercise, exercise, exercis. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

If you smoke: quit!
Keep track of your ABC’s: A stands for A1c, have an A1c test at least twice a year; B is for blood pressure, the target is to be below 130/80 mm; C is for cholesterol, have it checked at least once a year.

If you think you may need assistance controlling your diabetes, click here to find out how the diabetes education program at Martin Memorial can help.

--Sophie Sawicki
Marketing Representative

Learning New Ways to Find Balance

Vestibular (inner ear) disorders can cause imbalance, dizziness, vertigo, fatigue, anxiety and other symptoms with potentially devastating effects on a person's day-to-day functioning, risk of falling, ability to work, relationships with family and friends and quality of life.

On top of everything else, these disorders are often “invisible,” making it difficult for others to understand how disabling they can be. Diagnosing and treating vestibular disorders may not always be clear-cut, but there are effective testing procedures and treatments available, as well as medical professionals and clinicians who are specially trained in the evaluation and treatment of balance disorders.

For instance, computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) is a series of tests performed by an audiologist that measures how well you are able to maintain balance under different conditions. The benefits of CDP are well documented in clinical literature and Martin Memorial utilizes the state-of-the-art Neurocom SMART EquiTest Balance System for all CDP testing.

During testing, you as the patient are asked to stand as steady as possible on a platform inside a visual enclosure. The platform has sensors that measure how well you maintain your balance as the walls of the enclosure and the platform surface moves.

Some tests are designed to mimic different conditions encountered in every day life, while others are used to determine the source of the balance problem. Test results help provide a better understanding of the cause of your balance problems, which in turn allows physicians and therapists to focus on the abnormal system and to design effective treatment programs that can maximize functional abilities and minimize disruptive symptoms.

If you think you might be having problems with your balance, take the balance self-test at www.balanceandmobility.com. Then give us a call at the Raub Rehabilitation Center in Stuart at (772) 223-4936, for more information or to schedule an evaluation.

--Michele P. Phillips, Au.D., CCC-A
Audiologist

Beat Goes on at Frances Langford Heart Center

Let me share with you a story that starts with Hope At Every Turn, becomes Hope is a Heartbeat Away and continues with The Beat Goes On.

Martin Memorial has been a beacon of hope within our community for many years. Those within this community will tell you how Martin Memorial has provided the much-needed health care services that the community demanded, thus providing Hope at Every Turn.

In August 2006, Hope became a Heartbeat Away. The Frances Langford Heart Center opened its doors to the Treasure Coast. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. The feeling was overwhelming. The Ocala Heart Institute at Martin Memorial Health Systems team was in place to provide adult cardiac surgery. Two interventional cardiologists were ready to perform angioplasty and/or stent placement. And like shoppers looking for a bargain on the day after Thanksgiving, people were lining up to receive such services that were once only available a great distance away from home.

Hope is a heartbeat away. There are many stories to tell and many lives saved. I can tell you about the 40 year old that had no prior cardiac risk factors that was taken urgently to the operating room for bypass surgery; the life saved after a traumatic knife stabbing; the young mother who had a valve replacement; the dissecting aneurysm that was repaired; the young girl experiencing a heart attack that coded several times and was successfully treated. The stories go on. For these individuals treated at The Frances Langford Heart Center, Hope was a Heartbeat Away.

The beat goes on. The Frances Langford Heart Center continues to thrive. This past month the Ocala Heart Institute at Martin Memorial Health Systems surpassed 500 adult cardiac surgeries at the Frances Langford Heart Center. The number of cardiac interventions since inception has exceeded 1,400. Martin Memorial’s Frances Langford Heart Center is a welcomed addition to the health system and will continue to provide a much-needed service to this community.

--Melissa Zinderman, RN
Cardiovascular Patient Educator

Making Plans for a Healthy Holiday

Since the holidays are just around the corner, it is important to stick with your exercise regimen. Before the holidays sneak up, get your plan started now. Many people put their exercise routines on hold from Thanksgiving to New Year's and return with a 10-pound weight gain.

All of us get busy this time of year with family, parties and shopping. Also, since our climate is the best in the country during the winter months, many of us have company from “up north.”

Scheduling your exercise should be as important as keeping a doctor’s appointment. I teach a cardio/sculpt class at Martin Memorial Health and Fitness Center three times per week and I have a very dedicated group of people that attend faithfully. I asked them for their tips about how they stay focused during the holiday season. Here’s what they had to say:

• Schedule all appointments so they do not conflict with their workout schedules. This includes doctor appointments, hair and nail, golf, etc.
• “Even when we have company, they sleep in while we exercise at the fitness center.
• Make exercise a priority.
• Make healthy food choices at parties.
• If you go overboard at a party with food and drink, make sure you are right back at the fitness center the next day working extra hard to work it off.
• Even an abbreviated workout is better than none at all.
  

Let’s make this holiday season different! Let’s all continue our workout regimens so that we feel healthy, look healthy and our clothes still fit on January 2, 2009!

--Jane Reynolds
Health and Fitness Technician
Hospital South Health and Fitness

November Brings Lung Cancer Awareness

It’s November! That means that soon we’ll be stuffing our faces with turkey, stuffing and pie. The mention of November brings about visions of falling leaves (if you’re up north) and the impending holidays.

But November isn’t only the month containing a gluttonous rampage (Thanksgiving), it’s also National Lung Cancer Awareness month. In the wake of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, lung cancer is not to be forgotten and for good reason – it’s the No. 1 cancer killer among men and women.

It’s also a cancer that carries a very real social stigma because it is often tied to smoking, and advocacy is lacking in the lung cancer arena. As the lung cancer navigator at the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center, I face some very difficult situations with my patients, who are often offered few solutions due to lack of resources specifically for lung cancer.

But advancements in treatment and detection are hopefully getting better. I recently read an article on msnbc.com that reports on a study conducted that found 26 genes that may promote the development of lung cancer if they’re damaged. As the Associated Press reports, “It’s a step to developing new treatments that can be tailored to specific patients.”

I’m delighted to see such advances taking place to combat this devastating disease. New clinical trials for lung cancer will be opening right here at Martin Memorial in late November. Hopefully, with the passing of the days in our 11th month, there will be an increased awareness of the challenges lung cancer patients face and the need for a louder voice when it comes to the funding, research and advocacy.

Also remember that I’m available for patients with newly diagnosed or suspected lung cancer at (772) 223-5945, ext. 1669.

--Lindsay Mattino, RN, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator