HealthTalk
Doctor ’ s notes
Dr Rik Heymans is a general practitioner in Nerja and writes on developments in the world of medicine
Watching TV - a health hazard
A very interesting study was published recently in the medical magazine Circulation . The Japanese Collaborative Cohort Study prospectively followed a cohort of more than 85,000 Japanese people , many for more than 15 years . Investigators collected information on a number of factors , including lifestyle habits , height , weight , medical risk factors , and comorbidities . They then conducted an analysis of those individuals who had suffered fatal pulmonary embolism ( PE ) to tease out risk factors for PE .
The group of patients who watched 2.5-5 hours per day of television had a 70 % increased chance of suffering fatal PE compared with the rest of the cohort that was being followed . And those individuals in the cohort who watched more than 5 hours of television per day had a 2.5 times ( 250 %!) greater than average chance of suffering a fatal PE .
Thus , the take-home message is to cut down on immobility . If you are going to binge on television , perhaps spread out the binges over time . Better even , do not watch so much television because it can be deadly , in rare circumstances , because of its association with fatal PE , especially for people who carry a higher risk anyway .
Preventing a fall
Preventing a fall , and the resulting injuries , isn ’ t simply a matter of being more careful . Indeed , experts who have studied falls wish that people would take measures to protect themselves much as they do against heart disease or viral infections . An epidemiologist at the U . S . Center for Disease Control and Prevention , stressed the importance of exercise : if you ’ re in better physical condition , and were to fall , you ’ re less likely to be injured .
Regular exercise classes can help , especially those that include balance drills , such as standing on one foot , or working with Bosu balls , the squishy hemispheres seen at gyms . Also , the regular practice of tai chi has also been found to help . Tai chi involves very slow , purposeful movements in coordination with breathing and muscle activity , which in turn affects respiration , balance , and gait . “ If only we could put tai chi in a pill ,” the researcher said … Integrating balance and strength work into daily life — standing on one foot while brushing your teeth , for instance , or simply putting one foot in front of the other — can help as well .
Several studies have shown that vitamin D , which can improve muscle strength and balance , helps reduce falls . Also , remaining appropriately hydrated , particularly on hot days , or in people at risk for low blood pressure ( a main cause of dizziness ), is important .
People on multiple medications can be at especially high risk of falling . Psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants , antipsychotics and benzodiazepines are most clearly implicated in falls . Antidepressants can sometimes affect your balance . Blood pressure medication , used by 70 percent of people over 70 , can cause dizziness when blood pressure drops too much , and is another oft-cited culprit in falls .
A study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that among older people with hypertension , the risk of serious fall injuries — fractured bones , brain injuries or dislocated joints — was significantly higher for those who took hypertension drugs than those who did not .
Reducing the number of tripping and slipping hazards at home also helps prevent falls . Scatter rugs should be removed , for instance , and floors and stairways kept clear of obvious threats like shoes and toys .
Also , people should have their eyes checked at least once a year and wear single-vision glasses while out on walks , as bifocal and progressive lenses can cause missteps , according to a study published in the British Medical Journal in 2010 .
Also noteworthy is that excessive tentativeness can actually increase the risk of falling . People who are more cautious cut down on their activity which makes their balance worse , their strength worse , and reflexes that prevent falls worse .
© Dr RIK HEYMANS c / Angustias 24 , Nerja .
Tel : 95 252 6775
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