Health Tips

NEW HEAVY EXERCISERS RISK STRESS FRACTURES

The No. 1 New Year's resolution is to lose weight and while most people combine sensible diet with exercise, sedentary people who suddenly begin to exercise vigorously are at greater risk of stress fractures, the New York Post reports. Ninety-five percent of these fractures occur in the lower extremities. The metatarsal bones in the foot account for nearly 50 percent of these injuries, with the second metatarsal the most frequently affected due to its being the most rigid and least flexible. Stress fractures of the fatigue type constitute the majority of fractures seen in athletes, according to Dr. Rock Positano, of Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City. "Medical literature reveals fatigue stress fractures are found most commonly in runners and other track athletes and ballet dancers," he says. "They are not usually found in the nonathletes, except in cases where a sedentary person suddenly increases his walking activity a hundredfold." The "weekend warrior," who exercises vigorously on weekends and who is generally less well conditioned, appears to be more susceptible to these injuries than an individual who exercises routinely, Positano says.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE TOP KILLER

Cardiovascular disease remains the major cause of death and leading drain on the nation's healthcare dollars, according to the American Heart Association's 2002 Heart and Stroke Statistical Update. An estimated 62 million Americans have cardiovascular disease, or CVD. Cardiovascular diseases include, among others, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease (heart attack and angina), stroke, congenital heart defects and congestive heart failure. In 1999, the most recent year for which data is available, CVD claimed 958,775 lives in the United States, which is 40 percent of all deaths. About 250,000 people a year die of coronary heart disease without being hospitalized. Most of these are sudden deaths caused by cardiac arrest, usually resulting from ventricular fibrillation, a condition in which the heart's lower pumping chambers contract in a rapid, unsynchronized way and the heart pumps little or no blood. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, yearly totals of sudden cardiac death in people ages 15 to 34 rose from 2,719 in 1989 to 3,000 in 1996. Although the numbers are small, the death rate increased by 30 percent in young women. About one in five deaths from cardiovascular diseases are attributable to smoking, and up to 40,000 nonsmokers die from CVD each year as a result of exposure to passive cigarette smoke.

FAT GENE DISCOVERED

Independent scientific research groups from Pfizer and Harvard Medical School have discovered a critical gene responsible for fat cell development. Drs. Bruce Spiegelman and Heidi Camp from Harvard and Pfizer, respectively, have determined that the gene which encodes the PPARgamma protein is responsible for fat cell development, or adipogenesis. PPARgamma is a nuclear hormone receptor that regulates gene expression in response to extra-cellular signals. The determination that PPARgamma2 is necessary for fat cell development provides a molecular target for drug design in the battle against the bulge. Spiegelman created cells lacking PPARgamma and demonstrated that previously identified components of the adipogenic cascade were unable to induce adipogenesis in the absence of PPARgamma. This evidence suggests that PPARgamma is the critical player in the fat differentiation pathway. Camp went one step further and identified exactly which form of PPARgamma is responsible for fat cell development. The PPARgamma gene encodes two different protein products, or isoforms, called gamma1 and gamma2. Using zinc finger protein technology to control gene expression, Camp generated two cell populations: one lacking the gamma2 isoform and another lacking both isoforms. The research is published in Genes & Development.

NO REAL CURE FOR HANGOVERS EXCEPT TIME

Doctors believe a wide array of toxins are responsible for the headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and irritability that come with hangovers. However, what toxin or combination of toxins is responsible for a hangover remains unclear -- the culprits may be present as impurities in the alcoholic beverages or created by the body itself. When the body attempts to break down and remove alcohol, it creates a highly toxic byproduct known as acetaldehyde, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Bethesda, Md. After too much alcohol is ingested, the toxins build up faster than the body can flush them out. Alcohol creates dehydration because alcohol is a diuretic -- it increases the amount of urine the body releases just when the kidneys and liver need water to dilute and eliminate toxins. While scientists say the only reliable cure for a hangover is time, there are several home remedies. "The hair of the dog that bit you" cure, or drinking more alcohol, provides only a temporary solution, the NIAAA says. Hot black coffee may help relieve the headache, but it also contains caffeine, another diuretic. Do not take aspirin while drinking, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It found that aspirin actually increases blood alcohol levels by 26 percent by slowing metabolism, which may cause liver damage.

(EDITOR: For more information, about CARDIOVASCULAR, call 214 706-1279.)