May 13-19 is National Women’s Health Week.  It empowers women to make their health a top priority and encourages preventive screenings, getting active, and eating healthy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading causes of death in females in the United States in 2007 were:

1) Heart disease - 25.1%
2) Cancer - 22.1%
3) Stroke - 6.7%
4) Chronic lower respiratory diseases - 5.5%
5) Alzheimer’s disease - 4.3%
6) Unintentional injuries - 3.6%
7) Diabetes - 2.9%
8 ) Influenza and pneumonia - 2.3%
9) Kidney disease - 2.0%
10) Septicemia (bacteria in the blood) - 1.6%

To learn more about National Women’s Health Week, visit http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/.  More information about women’s health can also be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/women/lcod/index.htm.

Pap tests are important gynecological screenings for women to detect early changes in the cervix, generally caused by a virus called HPV.  With regular screening tests, cervical cancer is the easiest female cancer to prevent.

According to the CDC, women should start getting regular pap smears at age 21.  It is important for women to continue getting pap smears regularly - even if you think you are too old to have a child, or are not sexually active.

Reclast is an annual osteoporosis treatment.  It is the only FDA-approved treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis that works in just one dose a year.  Reclast is given by IV so it goes through your bloodstream to your bones where the majority of the medicine then binds to your bones.  With osteoporosis, old bone breaks down faster than new bone is created to replace it.  Reclast helps to slow the breakdown of old bone tissue.

Osteoporosis causes one in two women over the age of 50 to suffer a broken bone in her remaining lifetime.  One annual dose of Reclast, along with daily calcium and Vitamin D, helps to increase bone density and strengthen your bones.

Source: http://www.reclast.com

An exercise stress test is a useful screening tool for the detection of significant coronary artery disease.  As your body works harder during the stress test, it requires more fuel and your heart has to pump more blood.  An exercise stress test can show if there is a lack of blood supply through the arteries that go to the heart.  Your heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and how tired you feel are monitored during the test.

An exercise stress test is performed to:

• Help diagnose coronary artery disease
• Help diagnose the possible cause of symptoms such as chest pain
• Help determine your safe level of exercise
• Help predict dangerous heart-related conditions such as a heart attack

Source: www.heart.org

Are you up to date?
Staying current with routine lab work is an important component of your healthcare. Providers commonly order the following tests to evaluate risk factors for chronic conditions.  Read on to learn more about your numbers.

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
The CMP is a frequently ordered panel that gives your provider important information about the current status of your kidneys, liver, and electrolyte and acid/base balance as well as your blood sugar and blood proteins. This test is used as a broad screening tool to evaluate organ function and check for conditions such as diabetes, liver disease, and kidney disease.  It is also ordered to monitor known conditions, such as hypertension, and to monitor patients taking specific medications for any kidney or liver related side effects.

Lipid Profile
The lipid profile is a group of tests that are ordered to determine the risk of coronary heart disease. The lipid profile includes total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol), LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol), and triglycerides.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)
A CBC is ordered to determine general health status and to screen for and monitor a variety of disorders, such as anemia.  It can also determine a person’s red blood cell count, white blood cell count, and platelet count.

Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
TSH is ordered to screen for and help diagnose thyroid disorders and to monitor hyper- and hypothyroidism.

T-4 (Thyroxine)
T-4 is usually ordered when a patient has an abnormal TSH level or when a patient has symptoms of hyper- or hypothyroidism.  This test also helps evaluate thyroid gland function.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
This test is to screen men for prostate cancer, to help determine the necessity for a biopsy of the prostate, to monitor the effectiveness of treatment for prostate cancer, and to detect recurrence of prostate cancer. Men 50 and older and those who are at risk for prostate cancer should have this lab test performed.

Hemoglobin A1c
This test is ordered to monitor a person’s diabetes and to aid in treatment decisions as well as to determine blood sugar control in patients.

The A1C test is a common blood test used to diagnose type 1 and type 2 diabetes and then to gauge how well you’re managing your diabetes.  It shows the amount of glucose that sticks to the red blood cell, which is proportional to the amount of glucose in the blood.  The A1C test can help manage your diabetes by judging whether a treatment plan is working and how healthy choices can make a difference in diabetes control.

Depending on the type of diabetes you have will determine how often you need the A1C test.  According to the Mayo Clinic, the A1C test may be recommended:

• Twice a year if you have type 2 diabetes, you don’t use insulin, and your blood sugar level is consistently within your target range
• Three to four times a year if you have type 1 diabetes
• Four times a year if you have type 2 diabetes, you use insulin to manage your diabetes, or you have trouble keeping your blood sugar level within your target range

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/a1c-test
Source: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/a1c/

Diabetes education is defined as a collaborative process through which people with or at risk for diabetes gain the knowledge and skills needed to modify behavior and successfully self-manage the disease and its related conditions.  Diabetes education is an interactive, ongoing process involving the patient and a diabetic educator.  There are seven self-care behaviors that improve health status and greater quality of life:

• Healthy eating
• Being active
• Monitoring
• Taking medication
• Problem solving
• Healthy coping
• Reducing risks

Diabetes Educator:

Diabetes educators are healthcare professionals who focus on educating people with and at risk for diabetes.  They focus on helping people with diabetes understand their disease and learn how to adjust their lifestyle and behavior so that they can develop the skills to successfully manager their diabetes.

Source: http://www.diabeteseducator.org

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a bowel disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and discomfort accompanied by alterations in bowel function, diarrhea, constipation or a combination of both.

Facts about IBS:

• IBS affects between 25 and 45 million people in the United States
• The exact cause of IBS is not known
• Stress does not cause IBS
• IBS is unpredictable
• Treatments are available for IBS to help manage symptoms
• There are no tests that identify IBS (ex: blood tests, x-rays, etc) - IBS is diagnosed based on signs and symptoms
• IBS is a long-term condition
• Symptoms can change over time

The main sign/symptom of IBS is if you have stomach pain or discomfort several days per month and is related to changes in the way your bowel moves.  Other symptoms such as bloating, heartburn, nausea, and fatigue are some other common symptoms.  It is best to be evaluated by your doctor to see if you have IBS.


Source: http://www.aboutibs.org/

A skin biopsy is used to diagnose or rule out certain skin conditions and diseases.  It removes cells or skin samples from the surface of your body. The sample taken from a skin biopsy is examined to provide information about your medical condition.  A skin biopsy may be necessary to diagnose or to help treat skin conditions and diseases, such as dermatitis, skin cancer, skin infections, suspicious moles, and warts.

There are three main types of skin biopsies:

• Shave biopsy - a small section from the top layers of skin is removed
• Punch biopsy - a small section of skin including the deeper layers is removed
• Excisional biopsy - an entire lump or an area of abnormal skin, including a portion of normal skin down to or through the fatty layer of skin is removed

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/skin-biopsy/MY00169

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which the stomach contents (food or liquid) leak backwards from the stomach into the esophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach). This action can irritate the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms.

Symptoms:

• Frequent heartburn (acid indigestion)
• Feeling that food is stuck behind the breastbone
• Nausea after eating
• Difficulty swallowing

Food Triggers:

• Citrus fruits
• Chocolate
• Caffeine and alcoholic beverages
• Fatty/fried food
• Garlic/onions
• Spicy foods
• Tomato-based foods

Treatment:

• Over the counter antacids - ex: Alka Seltzer, Mylanta, Rolaids, etc.
• Prescription medication  - ex: Nexium
• Lifestyle changes - Avoid foods and beverages that worsen symptoms, eat small, frequent meals, wear loose-fitting clothes, and avoid lying down for 3 hours after a meal

If your symptoms are severe or persist, your doctor might order certain tests such as an EGD or a barium swallowing study to help diagnose reflux.

Source: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gerd/