Body Mass Index
What is the body mass index (BMI)? The body mass index is a method used to measure a person’s percentage of body fat. Weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared (kg/m2). In studies by the National Center for Health Statistics, overweight is defined as a body mass index of 25.0–29.9 (based on […]
Body Composition Tests
What is body composition, and why is it important? Body composition is one part of a person’s overall physical fitness. The others are cardiovascular endurance (fitness of the heart and lungs), muscular strength and flexibility. The first two parts are linked with the risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Obesity is now recognized as […]
Cardiovascular Risk Factors Worksheet
Extensive clinical and statistical studies have identified multiple factors that increase your risk for a heart attack or stroke (“brain attack”). Use this worksheet to determine your total number of risk factors. Desired cholesterol levels are based on your total number of risk factors. Risk Factors: Check all that apply. ____ Age: Male: 45 years or […]
Reducing Heart Disease
A heart attack is still the leading killer of American men and women but, since 1960, the mortality rate from a heart attack has dropped by half. This success is due not only to improved medical treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), but also to preventative steps people have taken. We still have a ways […]
First Heart Attack Risk Test
This test will help you figure your risk of a first heart attack. Fill in your points for each risk factor. Then total them to find out your risk. Points: _____ Age (in years): Men 0 pts. – Less than 35 1 pt. – 35 to 39 2 pts. – 40 to 48 3 pts. – 49 to 53 4 […]
It’s Settled: Heliotherapy (“Sun Therapy”) Is a Health Risk
The recent settlement of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) case against a manufacturer of tanning products will help protect consumers. The settlement specifies that certain health claims for tanning products are prohibited, and that the product labels must include warnings about tanning. Back in 1994, Sun & Skin News alerted the public about a line […]
SPF, UVB and UVA Protection Explained
Try this pop quiz: Is SPF 45 sunscreen three times stronger than SPF 15 sunscreen? Does it last three times longer? Do sunscreens provide better UVA protection than UVB protection? What works better, sunscreens or sunblocks? Do “broad-spectrum” sunscreens protect against all UV rays? f you’re not certain of the answers, join the club. Recent […]
Laparoscopic Hernia Repair Benefits
People whose groin (inguinal) hernias are repaired using a laparoscopic method recover more rapidly and have fewer repeat hernias than others treated with standard open surgery, a study shows. The laparoscope-treated patients had less pain, resumed work and normal activities sooner, and expressed greater satisfaction with the procedure, according to a report in The New […]
All About Inguinal Hernias: Symptoms and Causes
A Hernia is a defect in a wall or lining that allows the extrusion of tissues normally contained by that wall. Inguinal hernias are protrusions of soft tissue, such as a portion of the intestine, through a weak spot in a muscle, usually in the abdominal wall. Inguinal hernias occur where the abdomen meets the […]
Colon Cancer: Facts, Prevention, and Screening.
Colon cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women who don’t smoke, surpassed only by breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. There are 130,000 new cases of colon cancer each year in the U.S. Early detection can control colon cancer, but a regular program of colon screening is […]