China, the world's largest tobacco consumer, is aiming to ban indoor smoking in public areas by the end of the year.
About one in three cigarettes smoked in the world is in China, according to the World Health Organization. And more than half of Chinese men smoke, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey in 2010.
Although the nation's health ministry issued guidelines in 2011 to ban smoking in places like hotels and restaurants, they haven't been "strictly enforced," according to Xinhua, China's state-run news agency.
The China's National Health and Family Commission is now working on a tobacco control law with clear punishments, according to Xinhua.
The country's health authorities estimate over a million deaths from tobacco-related diseases every year. The WHO warns that if tobacco use is not decreased in China, these deaths will increase to 3 million by 2050.
Last month, Chinese government officials were told not to smoke in public places such as hospitals, public transport or schools to set a good example for the public.
The latest moves by the Chinese government on tobacco are "hopeful," said Dr. Judith Mackay, the senior adviser at the World Lung Foundation, who examines tobacco issues in China.
About 32 Chinese cities have passed their own rules to restrict public smoking, she added.
"China stands on its own in the magnitude of the problem," said Mackay. "Unless there is change in China, we won't proceed further in reducing the tobacco epidemic in the world."
Tobacco use in China has far-reaching consequences, she said.
"This isn't a health problem. It's a huge economic problem. There's all these things ranging from medical and health care costs, the costs to the families and there's the cost of secondhand smoke."
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Friday, January 10, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Son's plea inspires woman's weight loss
With the one-track mind of a 6-year-old, Logan interrogated his mother, Jenny Spencer.
Why are the other moms skinnier than you? he asked at the park.
If you took weight loss pills, would you be skinny? he wondered during a TV infomercial.
Spencer brushed off his questions. He was 6 and curious about the world around him. She was exhausted, trying to care for two young boys and her husband, who had chronic health issues. Her own health had fallen to the bottom of the to-do list.
But Logan's last question hit her like, well, the elephant in the room.
If you got skinny, would you be able to play with me?
"My heart broke," Spencer wrote on iReport. "And from that moment forward, I began the transformation into a healthier lifestyle for my children."
When Spencer stepped on the scale in June 2012, the number 200 came as no surprise. More than a dozen people had asked her over the past few years whether she was pregnant. Two had rubbed her belly when there was no baby at all.
The extra weight caused pain in Spencer's hips when she walked, and the doctor warned that she was on the verge of type 2 diabetes.
She had tried dieting after her second son, Brody, was born. Weight Watchers helped her drop 10 pounds, but she quickly gained 20 back. Her sister, "a health nut," encouraged her to try different cleanses. All left her feeling like a failure.
She was depressed, anxious and overwhelmed.
"You know, I started every Monday dreaming I could change my life," Spencer remembered. "It was nearly a decade of that."
Logan's question made her realize she was missing her sons' lives -- and her own.
Spencer started counting calories, keeping her daily total under 1,500. She also began going on short walks around the block and parked her car in the farthest spot from the grocery store door.
A few months later, Spencer and her husband separated. But instead of using food to cope with the rush of emotions as she once would have, Spencer turned to exercise.
"I used that as more motivation to stay healthy for the boys," she said. "My goodness, if I'm going to have to do this on my own and be an example for them, I have to be strong."
Working out was difficult at first; the pain in her hips prevented her from moving very far, very fast. But over time she joined a walking club at work and started strength training one or two days a week.
She focused on losing just 5 pounds at a time, because the thought of losing 60 pounds to reach a healthy BMI was intimidating. Reaching each smaller goal inspired her to keep going.
By March 2013, she had lost 64 pounds.
"When you're that heavy, you feel like you've lost hope," Spencer said. "When you finally reach your goal, it's the most amazing thing."
Every Sunday, the Spencer family goes on a 10-mile bike ride near their home in Aurora, Colorado. They eat no-sugar cereal and skim milk for breakfast, Lean Cuisine meals or veggie smoothies for lunch, and lean protein with vegetables and brown rice for dinner. Water is Spencer's "secret weapon."
Her diet has become a lifestyle. She's careful about what she eats but allows herself treats in moderation. Deprivation is not the way to keep the weight off, she knows.
Spencer's energy is up, and her pain is gone. But the happiness she feels can't compare to the joy on her sons' faces when she joins them on the playground.
"I am able to take my kiddos to the park and actually play with them instead of sitting on the sidelines."
Why are the other moms skinnier than you? he asked at the park.
If you took weight loss pills, would you be skinny? he wondered during a TV infomercial.
Spencer brushed off his questions. He was 6 and curious about the world around him. She was exhausted, trying to care for two young boys and her husband, who had chronic health issues. Her own health had fallen to the bottom of the to-do list.
But Logan's last question hit her like, well, the elephant in the room.
If you got skinny, would you be able to play with me?
"My heart broke," Spencer wrote on iReport. "And from that moment forward, I began the transformation into a healthier lifestyle for my children."
When Spencer stepped on the scale in June 2012, the number 200 came as no surprise. More than a dozen people had asked her over the past few years whether she was pregnant. Two had rubbed her belly when there was no baby at all.
The extra weight caused pain in Spencer's hips when she walked, and the doctor warned that she was on the verge of type 2 diabetes.
She had tried dieting after her second son, Brody, was born. Weight Watchers helped her drop 10 pounds, but she quickly gained 20 back. Her sister, "a health nut," encouraged her to try different cleanses. All left her feeling like a failure.
She was depressed, anxious and overwhelmed.
"You know, I started every Monday dreaming I could change my life," Spencer remembered. "It was nearly a decade of that."
Logan's question made her realize she was missing her sons' lives -- and her own.
Spencer started counting calories, keeping her daily total under 1,500. She also began going on short walks around the block and parked her car in the farthest spot from the grocery store door.
A few months later, Spencer and her husband separated. But instead of using food to cope with the rush of emotions as she once would have, Spencer turned to exercise.
"I used that as more motivation to stay healthy for the boys," she said. "My goodness, if I'm going to have to do this on my own and be an example for them, I have to be strong."
Working out was difficult at first; the pain in her hips prevented her from moving very far, very fast. But over time she joined a walking club at work and started strength training one or two days a week.
She focused on losing just 5 pounds at a time, because the thought of losing 60 pounds to reach a healthy BMI was intimidating. Reaching each smaller goal inspired her to keep going.
By March 2013, she had lost 64 pounds.
"When you're that heavy, you feel like you've lost hope," Spencer said. "When you finally reach your goal, it's the most amazing thing."
Every Sunday, the Spencer family goes on a 10-mile bike ride near their home in Aurora, Colorado. They eat no-sugar cereal and skim milk for breakfast, Lean Cuisine meals or veggie smoothies for lunch, and lean protein with vegetables and brown rice for dinner. Water is Spencer's "secret weapon."
Her diet has become a lifestyle. She's careful about what she eats but allows herself treats in moderation. Deprivation is not the way to keep the weight off, she knows.
Spencer's energy is up, and her pain is gone. But the happiness she feels can't compare to the joy on her sons' faces when she joins them on the playground.
"I am able to take my kiddos to the park and actually play with them instead of sitting on the sidelines."
Shingles may increase stroke, heart attack risk
Having shingles, especially when you are younger, may increase your risk of having a stroke or heart attack later in life, according to a new study published this week in the online issue of Neurology.
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's the same virus that causes chickenpox. Also called herpes zoster, shingles appears as a painful rash, which in some cases can lead to further infection if left untreated. Doctors say the virus remains dormant in the nerve roots of people who have had chickenpox; anyone who has the virus as a child may develop an outbreak of shingles later on.
In this study, British researchers looked at more than 105,000 people who had had shingles and more than 213,000 people who had not. They found people aged 18 to 40 who had shingles were more likely to have a stroke, warning stroke (also known as a transient ischemic attack), or heart attack later in life.
The data showed people under 40 years old were 74% more likely to have a stroke if they had shingles, after adjusting for other stroke risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol and obesity. The research also pointed out that patients under 40 were 2.4 times more likely to have a warning stroke if they had shingles and 50% more likely to have a heart attack. In those over 40 who had shingles, the risk was not as great; patients were 15% more likely to have a warning stroke and 10% more likely to have a heart attack.
“Anyone with shingles, and especially younger people, should be screened for stroke risk factors,” said lead study author Dr. Judith Breuer.
This is not the first study to look at the link between shingles and stroke/heart attack risk.
For example, in an October 2009 issue of the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke, a study found adults with shingles were at an increased risk for stroke, especially if they had shingles that affected the eyes.
Compared to adults without shingles, those with the painful skin rash were about 30% more likely to suffer a stroke within a year of the attack. Patients who had shingles in and around an eye had four times the risk for stroke in the year following the episode.
"Many studies have shown that people with herpes zoster infection are more likely to develop stroke.," said lead author, Dr Jiunn-Horng Kang, attending physician in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Taipei Medical University Hospital. "But ours was the first to demonstrate the actual risk of stroke following herpes zoster infection."
For some doctors, these findings on the shingles virus and its relationship to stroke raise red flags.
“Although it’s still unknown why herpes zoster can cause stroke and heart problems, I am guessing it highlights the role of viral infections, like shingles and the cause of inflammation to the circulatory system,” explains Dr. Warren Levy, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at Virginia Heart in Northern Virginia. “We already know inflammation can cause serious heart problems. Perhaps we need to be extremely vigilant, especially with those who have been infected with shingles, and treat them more aggressively for heart attack and stroke prevention, no matter what age they became infected.”
Levy also brings up an interesting point: Shingles is considered to be a virus that primarily infects the elderly. In fact, the herpes zoster vaccine, designed to prevent shingles, is recommended for those over the age of 60. But these latest findings point to even greater risks of heart problems for those who contract shingles earlier in life. So the question remains, "Should younger people be getting the vaccine?"
“The shingles vaccine has been shown to reduce the number of cases of shingles by about 50%,” notes Breuer. “Studies are needed to determine whether vaccination can also reduce the incidence of stroke and heart attack."
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's the same virus that causes chickenpox. Also called herpes zoster, shingles appears as a painful rash, which in some cases can lead to further infection if left untreated. Doctors say the virus remains dormant in the nerve roots of people who have had chickenpox; anyone who has the virus as a child may develop an outbreak of shingles later on.
In this study, British researchers looked at more than 105,000 people who had had shingles and more than 213,000 people who had not. They found people aged 18 to 40 who had shingles were more likely to have a stroke, warning stroke (also known as a transient ischemic attack), or heart attack later in life.
The data showed people under 40 years old were 74% more likely to have a stroke if they had shingles, after adjusting for other stroke risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol and obesity. The research also pointed out that patients under 40 were 2.4 times more likely to have a warning stroke if they had shingles and 50% more likely to have a heart attack. In those over 40 who had shingles, the risk was not as great; patients were 15% more likely to have a warning stroke and 10% more likely to have a heart attack.
“Anyone with shingles, and especially younger people, should be screened for stroke risk factors,” said lead study author Dr. Judith Breuer.
This is not the first study to look at the link between shingles and stroke/heart attack risk.
For example, in an October 2009 issue of the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke, a study found adults with shingles were at an increased risk for stroke, especially if they had shingles that affected the eyes.
Compared to adults without shingles, those with the painful skin rash were about 30% more likely to suffer a stroke within a year of the attack. Patients who had shingles in and around an eye had four times the risk for stroke in the year following the episode.
"Many studies have shown that people with herpes zoster infection are more likely to develop stroke.," said lead author, Dr Jiunn-Horng Kang, attending physician in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Taipei Medical University Hospital. "But ours was the first to demonstrate the actual risk of stroke following herpes zoster infection."
For some doctors, these findings on the shingles virus and its relationship to stroke raise red flags.
“Although it’s still unknown why herpes zoster can cause stroke and heart problems, I am guessing it highlights the role of viral infections, like shingles and the cause of inflammation to the circulatory system,” explains Dr. Warren Levy, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at Virginia Heart in Northern Virginia. “We already know inflammation can cause serious heart problems. Perhaps we need to be extremely vigilant, especially with those who have been infected with shingles, and treat them more aggressively for heart attack and stroke prevention, no matter what age they became infected.”
Levy also brings up an interesting point: Shingles is considered to be a virus that primarily infects the elderly. In fact, the herpes zoster vaccine, designed to prevent shingles, is recommended for those over the age of 60. But these latest findings point to even greater risks of heart problems for those who contract shingles earlier in life. So the question remains, "Should younger people be getting the vaccine?"
“The shingles vaccine has been shown to reduce the number of cases of shingles by about 50%,” notes Breuer. “Studies are needed to determine whether vaccination can also reduce the incidence of stroke and heart attack."
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