Health

Heart Disease Prevention Begins in Childhood BY: Dr. Allan Mendoza,
Pediatrician Kentucky River Medical Center
Heart disease, long considered an adult affliction, can sometimes get its start
in childhood. But new research indicates changes in children's lifestyles can
prevent and perhaps even reverse the symptoms.
Children have been greatly affected by poor food choices and a lack of
exercise and more youngsters are overweight than ever before.
Cardiovascular disease is strongly linked to obesity, and experts believe
that it is never too early promote healthy lifestyles.
One recent Australian study followed 35 obese children ages six to 16.
All the children were tested to evaluate the function of the inside of
the blood vessels as an early predictor of future clogged arteries and
heart disease. Teenagers in the study completed an eight-week program
of weight-resistance exercise three times a week. They lost an average
of three pounds of body fat even though their total body weight remained
the same. The fat was replaced with healthy, lean muscle mass.
The younger children preferred to run around and play outdoors
rather than work out in a gym. They, too, saw a change for the better. After eight weeks, both groups of children reported improved blood vessel function. However, all their healthy gains were erased when the children stopped exercising.
Other studies have also found that lifestyle factors influence heart disease as early as childhood.
A Louisiana researcher followed 486 people between the ages of 25 and 37 who had at least three traditional risk factors for heart disease since childhood, but who showed no outward signs of heart disease as young adults. The study concluded that it is never too early to be concerned about cardiovascular disease or to encourage healthy lifestyles. A research team in Finland found that the prevention of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, could be most effective when it starts in childhood or adolescence. Most pediatricians believe all children at risk of heart disease as adults should follow a program of diet and exercise. These and other studies continue to validate the importance of teaching children about healthy lifestyles at an early age. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that healthy children over age two should eat a variety of foods to achieve adequate nutrition. According to AHA guidelines, a child's daily diet should consist of less than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol, a saturated fat intake of seven to ten percent of total calories and a total fat equaling less than 30 percent of total calories. In other words, families should choose foods that are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and total fat. Foods should also contain plenty of carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients to keep children healthy.
Because physical inactivity can lead to cardiovascular disease later in life, take time to exercise with your kids. Taking-time away from sedentary activities as watching television or playing video games will allow for additional time to exercise. Find fun activities that are appropriate for your child's age. Activities ranging from
taking a walk to playing Frisbee will help your children achieve good physical fitness. Make fitness and diet a priority for your children to help prevent cardiovascular disease in the future.

Breathitt Online News Click Here

More Health CLICK HERE

APPALACTIAN VIOLENCE OUTREACH NETWORK CONFERENCE 3-14-05
Buckhorn, Ky. – The Appalachian Violence Outreach Network (AVON) is hosting its third annual conference, April 7, at Buckhorn Lake State Resort Conference Center.
The conference is designed to update local public service professionals on AVON’s program and how it works with women who have suffered from interpersonal violence and traumatic stress.
The event, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., will include several presentations on domestic violence, substance abuse, sexual harassment and trauma. All speakers are from Kentucky and range from domestic violence survivors, professors, law enforcement officials to doctors.
There will be two breakout sessions with four choices for each to choose from, depending on the subject you are interested in. Participation is free. The registration deadline is March 31.
AVON has served women who have suffered interpersonal violence, for the past two years, through Kentucky River Community Care, Inc., in Breathitt, Lee, Owsley and Wolfe counties. The project was funded by a three year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Rural Health Policy and the grant expires April 30, 2005. Family Violence Prevention Councils are being formed in each of the counties and it is the hope of the AVON staff that these councils will carry on the work that they have begun.
For more information please call Denise Hoffman at 606-464-3212 or Judy Hall at 606-666-9880.

KENTUCKY'S DRINKING WATER AMONG THE SAFEST IN THE NATION
No lead problems have been found in Kentucky's drinking water
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 6, 2004) - Kentuckians enjoy some of the best and safest drinking water in the nation. News about the levels of lead in the drinking water in our nation's capital, as well as other locations
around the country, has alarmed people recently. Ongoing testing of drinking water systems in Kentucky shows that all have levels that are well below the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) action level, according to the Kentucky Division of Water.
Drinking water is not the only way for a person to be exposed to lead. It is present in some old paints, and it used to be a gasoline additive. Inhaling dust that contains lead or ingesting paint chips are other ways to come in contact with it. Lead is a problem particularly for infants and young children. Exposure to high levels of lead can result in delays in physical or mental development. For adults, it can result in kidney problems or high blood
pressure. Although the main sources of exposure to lead are ingesting paint chips and inhaling dust, EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of human exposure to lead may come from lead in drinking water. Mixing infant formula with water that contains high levels of lead significantly increases the exposure for infants.
Water that comes from your drinking water system is safe from high levels of lead; however, the water in your home could still contain unsafe levels. The source of lead in your home's water is most likely pipe or
solder in your home's own plumbing. The most common cause is corrosion, a reaction between the water and the lead pipes or solder. To reduce any possible exposure to lead in your drinking water, take these simple steps:
* "Flush" your cold-water pipes by running the water until it becomes as cold as it will get. This is necessary any time water has been sitting in the pipes for an extended period of time (six hours or longer).
* Use water only from the cold water tap for drinking, cooking and mixing baby formula. Hot water is more likely to have higher levels of lead.
For more information about lead in drinking water, see this EPA Web site: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/leadfacts.html.

Health officials work to address flu vaccine shortage
FRANKFORT, KY (Oct. 7, 2004) -- The Kentucky Department for Public Health is working to determine the status of the vaccine supply in the state following Wednesday's announcement about the production problems of one of the two providers.
State officials, in consultation with local health departments, will then develop a plan to distribute available flu shots after receiving further guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It's important to prioritize the limited supply of flu vaccine this season to target the highest risk population," said Dr. William Hacker, acting Commissioner of the Dept. for Public Health. "Those at high risk for complications from the flu are strongly encouraged to seek flu shots from their primary care physicians and other available sources. Healthy Kentuckians ages 2 through 64 are asked to keep the flu vaccine shortage in mind and to consider foregoing or delaying their flu shots this year." The nasal-spray flu vaccine is an acceptable alternative to the flu shot for healthy persons ages 5-49.

In response to the flu vaccine shortage, the CDC is recommending that available flu vaccine be administered on a priority basis to those with the highest risk for flu complications. That group includes:
* all children ages 6 - 23 months
* adults 65 and older;
* persons age 2 - 64 with chronic medical conditions
* women who will be pregnant during flu season
* residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities
* children 6 months to 18 years on chronic aspirin therapy

The CDC also recommends flu shots for those who could transmit the flu to high-risk individuals, including:
* health care workers involved in direct patient care; and
* out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children less than 6 months old.

To limit the spread of flu, everyone should:
* stay home when you have flu-like symptoms to prevent spreading the virus in the workplace. The flu most often is transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. Rarely,
infection is spread by touching something with virus on it and then touching your mouth or nose.
* cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and properly dispose of used tissues.
* wash your hands frequently and always after coughing or sneezing, or use a soapless, alcohol based hand cleaner.
Adults can infect others beginning one day before the onset of symptoms to seven days after symptoms appear. Children may transmit the flu longer than seven days. Symptoms begin one to four days after the virus enters the body.
The most common symptoms of the flu are sudden onset of:
* fever (usually high);
* headache;
* extreme tiredness;
* dry cough;
* sore throat;
* runny or stuffy nose; and
* muscle aches.

Kentuckians are advised not to confuse flu with other illnesses. The flu is a respiratory illness and not a stomach or intestinal illness. Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and other stomach distress can sometimes be related to the flu, especially in children; but, these problems are rarely the main symptoms of flu. There is no such thing as the 'stomach flu'. "The flu can make you feel just miserable, but for the majority of otherwise healthy people, it's not a serious health problem," Hacker said. "For those whose health conditions and other circumstances make them especially vulnerable, however, the flu can be very dangerous. That's why we ask
Kentuckians for their cooperation and understanding of the flu vaccine shortage and that they make thoughtful decisions about whether or not to get a flu shot this year."