As part of its ongoing commitment to reduce cancer health disparities, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), one of the National Institutes of Health, has announced the expansion of a faith-based initiative to encourage African Americans nationwide to eat a healthy diet as part of an active lifestyle.
A new analysis of the prevalence of high blood pressure in
the US shows a striking increase over the last 10 years in
the number of adults with this condition.
Obesity is a state in which there is generalised accumulation of excess adipose tissue in the body leading to more than 20%of the desirable weight. Obesity invites disabilty, disease and premature d eath. Excess body weight is a hindrance, leading to breathlessness on moderate exertion and predisposes a person to diseases like atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, gall bladder diseases and osteoarthiritis of weight bearing joint and varicose veins.
Obesity is one of the most common disorders in clinical practice. Defined (by the National Institute of Health – NIH) as a body weight 20% or more above “desirable” weight.
About 40 percent of adults ages 40 to 74 –
or 41 million people – have pre-diabetes, a condition that
raises a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart
disease, and stroke. American Indians and Alaska Natives
are 2.3 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic
whites of similar age.
The best edible insurance for reducing the risk of strokes is to eat more fruit, vegetables, and other high-fiber fare, and less of what most folks usually eat.
Exposure to excessive heat, causing loss of fluids and a rise in body temperature. This may occur at any age but most common in babies and elderly people. Prolonged exposure to high atmospheric temperature. Brief exposure to very high atmospheric temperature. (direct exposure to sun is not necessary). Heavy manual work in high temperature, high humidity. Pre-existing chronic diseases and alcoholism are some of the predisposing factors.
Progeria – a rare disease that causes premature aging may hold the key to stroke and heart ailments for the general population, British researchers say.
Depression is one of the common problems in clinical practice, which causes social, occupational, financial, and interpersonal difficulties. It also causes increased medical morbidity and mortality through suicide. Most of the subjects suffering from depression first go to their general physicians or family physicians. However, most physicians are very busy and preoccupied with general medical problems. Moreover, the general physician is not well acquainted with psychiatric problems. The difficulty is further compounded since a number of medical illnesses may cause either secondary or reactive depression.
Most medical experts recommend a diet that’s low in saturated fat and calories, while being moderate to high in complex carbohydrates. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), outlines several guidelines for better health: