Monday, January 29, 2007

February is American Heart Month!

The number one cause of death in the U.S. is cardiovascular disease. In order to increase awareness and to urge Americans to join the battle against these diseases, February has been declared American Heart Month. American Heart Month provides an opportunity to promote heart health for men and women by focusing on risk factors for heart disease and what the community can do to reduce those factors.

Risk factors linked to heart disease include, a family history of heart disease, especially if a family member developed heart disease before the age of fifty, high blood pressure or diabetes. Lifestyle also plays an important role in the risk for developing heart disease. Factors such as smoking may increase an individual’s risk for heart disease. Also, those taking oral contraceptives while smoking have an even greater risk. In addition, obesity and lack of physical activity are also contributing factors that could increase the risk of heart disease.

There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Research your family history to see if heart disease runs in the family. The earlier you know you are at risk, the sooner you can develop a course of action to combat those factors. If you smoke, quit. Stopping the smoking habit will greatly reduce your risk of a stroke or heart attack. Cut back on your intake of saturated fats. Not only does this fat add pounds, but it also can contribute to high blood cholesterol. Finally, take steps to live a healthier lifestyle, such as starting a heart smart diet and exercising more frequently.

Physicians at UAB Medical West in Bessemer are available for any questions you may have regarding heart disease and its risk factors. For additional information, or to schedule an appointment with a UAB Medical West physician, please call 996-WEST.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

UAB Medical West Recognizes Cervical Health Awareness Month

This year, more than ten thousand American women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer was once the number one cause of death from cancer in women. Thanks to screenings, the number of women in the U.S. with cervical cancer has decreased dramatically. In honor of Cervical Health Awareness Month, UAB Medical West hopes to create awareness about the causes, risk factors, and prevention methods for contracting cervical cancer.

A virus—the human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common cause of cervical cancer. HPV is a common sexually transmitted virus that usually goes away on its own. Most people with HPV never even know they have it. There are two types of HPV—"low risk" and "high risk." Some low risk HPV infections can cause genital warts. Sometimes, if the high-risk type of HPV does not go away on its own, it may cause abnormal cells to form. If these abnormal cells are not found and treated, they may become cancer.

The FDA recently approved a new vaccine which will prevent many types of cervical cancer. The vaccine, called Gardisil, has been approved for administration to girls ages 9 through 26 who have not begun sexual activity. The vaccine, which works by building immunity against HPV, was found to be effective in preventing almost three-quarters of all cervical cancers.

“This vaccine will be an excellent tool in preventing cervical cancer,” said Dr. Richard Stephen, OB/GYN at UAB Medical West. “It is a significant advance in women’s health care.”

Dr. Stephen also reminds women that there are other risk factors in contracting cervical cancer. Women who smoke are almost twice as likely to develop cervical cancer. Women with HIV infection are at a higher risk of contracting the cancer due to their weakened immune systems. Family history also plays a role in developing cervical cancer. Women whose mothers or sisters have had cervical cancer are more likely to get the disease themselves.

The Pap test or Pap smear is another important tool for the early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. It can detect abnormal cells and early cervical cancer, which can be treated successfully. It is recommended that women receive yearly Pap tests beginning three years after they become sexually active, but no later than 21 years of age.

UAB Medical West will soon be offering the HPV vaccine, Gardisil. For more information, or to schedule an appointment with a UAB Medical West physician, call 996-WEST.

How to recognize someone having a stroke

I recently received this e-mail and thought it might be important to know about recognizing the symptoms of someone having a stroke.

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be wi th us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.It only takes a minute to read this...A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR. Read and Learn!Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK, to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently: It is sunny out today.)
R *Ask him o r her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.{NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue... if the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke}

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Scale Back Alabama

UAB Medical West is currently participating in a state-wide weight loss program called "Scale Back Alabama." This is a great opportunity to make that New Year's resolution of losing those extra pounds come true!

Alabama has an adult obesity rate of 28.7 percent, ranking it the 2nd heaviest state in the nation. The state also ranks 5th in the nation for diabetes and ranks 3rd for hypertension. In an effort to change these statistics and help people lose weight, UAB Medical West is teaming up with the Alabama Hospital Association, the Alabama Department of Public Health, and Barber Dairies, to begin an eight-week weight loss program beginning in January called “Scale Back Alabama.” Ruben Studdard, American Idol winner and Birmingham native, is leading “Scale Back Alabama,” and has already lost 85 pounds!

Teams of three to five members will compete to see who can lose the most weight on a percentage basis, with the winning team receiving $1,000 per person, compliments of Barber Dairies.

UAB Medical West is encouraging its own employees and surrounding community to participate. The hospital will also serve as one of the official weigh-in sites on January 22, 2007. Scheduled times on this date are 8 a.m.- 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.- 4 p.m.

To participate or for more information on “Scale Back Alabama,” please contact
UAB Medical West Marketing Director, Haley Tingle at 481-7272 or go to www.scalebackalabama.com.