Health
Summer 2008
We
lost it!
1,400
pounds
ACH
is
slimmer
Little losses,
BIG GAINS
More reasons to
drop the weight
Have
diabetes,
will travel
What to know
before you go
Have diabetes, will travel
World traveler Jennifer Brown doesn’t let diabetes keep her at home. From southern Europe to China, from
the Andes Mountains to the Amazon River Basin, this 52-year-old adventurer has learned to manage her type 1
diabetes in faraway places—sometimes under rigorous conditions.
“If diabetes is something that keeps you from traveling, it shouldn’t,” Brown says. “Adventuring is so much
fun. I can’t imagine not doing it.”
Just plan ahead, and follow this advice from the American Diabetes Association on safe travel.
BEFORE YOU GO
See your doctor for a checkup four to six weeks before you travel. Ask your doctor for:
✓ A signed letter listing your diabetes supplies, medications and any food or medication
allergies.
✓ A prescription letting you order extra insulin so that you will have twice as much as you
would normally need for the length of the trip. Plan to pack half your supplies in a carry-on
bag.
✓ Prescriptions for insulin and other medicines that you can fill while traveling. Discuss safe
substitutes for your brand of insulin if it is unavailable.
✓ Have a medical identification bracelet or necklace
with an emergency phone
number and a brief description of your condition.
And carry a medical card
in your wallet. When traveling abroad, ID should be
written in the languages of
the places you are visiting.
✓ Learn to say “I have
diabetes” and “Sugar or
orange juice, please” in
languages of the countries you’ll visit.
✓ About six months
before you leave home,
find out what immunizations you need and
when to get them.
OTHER TRAVEL TIPS
✓ When you travel with
diabetes, check your blood
glucose often. Changes
in diet, activity and time
zones can affect it in unexpected ways. To keep track
of shots and meals, leave
your watch set to your
home time until the morning after you arrive.
✓ If you travel with others,
tell at least one person
how to recognize signs
of low blood glucose and
what to do if you can’t
help yourself. Make sure
you have glucose gel or
tablets to treat low blood
glucose—and a glucagon
emergency kit.
2
Health Scene • www.achosp.org
✓ Stick to your usual
meal plan when possible. Pack a lunch or
snacks so you don’t
have to depend on meal
service or finding a
restaurant.
The ACH Diabetes Awareness
support group meets at
1:30 p.m. on the first
Wednesday of selected
months. Call Educational
Services at 330-596-7145.
time for a
cholesterol test?
Taking
cholesterol
to heart
HAVE YOUR
CHOLESTEROL
TESTED AT ACH
For the convenience of
our patients , Alliance
Community Hospital’s
outpatient blood drawing
station is located on the
first floor near Patient
Registration. For more
information, please call
330-596-7020.
HOURS:
✓ Monday through Friday,
7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
✓ Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon
Progression
of plaque buildup
in arteries
FRoM WHAt you’Ve HeARD about cholesterol, you probably get the idea that it’s
pretty sinister stuff , right?
Let’s face it, clogged arteries and heart
disease are serious matters, and cholesterol is notorious for its role in these
health problems.
But maybe you’ve also heard about
good and bad cholesterol. Or you might
have wondered just how cholesterol affects your health and what it’s doing in
your body, anyway.
First, some cholesterol is actually
necessary. Th is soft, waxy material helps
make hormones, cells and digestive substances. In fact, our bodies make cholesterol for such purposes.
But cholesterol also comes from
animal-derived foods—such as meats, egg
yolks and whole-milk products—and from
cholesterol-boosting saturated and trans
fats.
And a cholesterol surplus, no matter what the source, can spell trouble.
Arteries that deliver oxygen-rich blood
to your heart and brain can eventually
➊ Blood flows freely through healthy arteries.
➋ Plaque forms in arterial walls. This decreases
blood flow and increases the risk of heart attack,
stroke and other serious vascular problems.
If you don’t know your cholesterol numbers,
you’re giving heart disease an advantage it
doesn’t need.
Since high blood cholesterol—which
boosts your risk for heart disease—doesn’t
cause symptoms, you need a cholesterol test
to know where you stand. In fact, all people
20 and older should have their cholesterol
checked at least every five years. It’s that
important.
A test called a lipoprotein profile measures the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood.
Keep in mind, your doctor may suggest
more frequent cholesterol checks based on
your age and other factors that can raise your
heart disease risk.
American Heart Association; National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute
become narrowed by cholesterol buildup,
setting you up for heart disease, heart attack or stroke.
There’s something else to know about
cholesterol: You have the power to control
it. Have your doctor test your cholesterol
so you’ll know if your levels put you at
risk.
Main types of cholesterol
The two main types of cholesterol are:
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which
earned its bad reputation as the cholesterol
that collects in arteries. Lower LDL levels
can reduce your risk for heart disease.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is
the good kind that may carry cholesterol
away from arteries so it can ultimately
leave the body. Higher HDL levels can
reduce your heart disease risk.
A blood test also can show your total
cholesterol and triglycerides, a kind of fat
that’s important to watch out for.
You can help manage cholesterol levels
with lifestyle choices, such as eating a
diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol,
exercising regularly, and avoiding tobacco
smoke. Your doctor also can prescribe
medicines to help get your cholesterol in
line.
American Heart Association; National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute
www.achosp.org • Health Scene
3
eXCeSS
WeIGHt:
From
little
losses
come
big
gains
➔ Reduced risk of stroke.
➔ Lower blood pressure.
➔ Less osteoarthritis.
➔ Reduced risk of diabetes.
➔ Reduced risk of heart disease.
4
Health Scene • www.achosp.org
eNouGH ALReADy. You’ve gotten the
message—loud and clear—that being overweight is bad
for your health. In fact, you’ve heard it so many times that
you may have stopped listening.
But tuning out the dangers of excess weight is risky,
because carrying too many pounds really can take years
off your life.
While you may know that extra pounds are not good
for you, the specifics of how they jeopardize health may
surprise you—perhaps enough to lose some weight.
The cancer connection
If you’re a woman, you might be surprised to learn that
being overweight after menopause raises your breast cancer risk. It also increases the chances that breast cancer,
if it develops, will be fatal, the National Cancer Institute
reports.
Before menopause, a woman’s ovaries produce most of
her estrogen, a hormone that spurs the growth of cancerous breast cells. But after a woman’s menstrual periods
stop, fat tissue, which also produces estrogen, becomes
her most important source of the hormone. Thus, being
overweight after menopause increases estrogen levels,
which, in turn, appears to make breast cancer both more
likely and more deadly.
Being too heavy also raises the risk of cancers of the
kidney, uterus, gallbladder and colon.
In fact, overweight and obesity may account for
20 percent of all cancer deaths in American women and
14 percent in men, the American Cancer Society (ACS)
cautions.
That means 90,000 cancer deaths might be prevented
each year if people in this country could maintain a
healthy weight.
Yet according to an ACS survey, just 1 percent of
Americans identified maintaining a healthy weight as a
way to help reduce risk for cancer.
Beyond cancer
Of course, carrying too many pounds does more than
make you vulnerable to cancer. It also raises the risk of a
long list of health problems, such as the following:
Heart disease. Extra pounds make you susceptible to
clogged arteries, chest pain and heart attacks. One reason is that heavy people are prone to having high blood
pressure, high levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol), and low
levels of HDL (the good cholesterol). And all of these are
risk factors for heart disease.
Also, scientists are learning that fat—particularly fat
around our middle—is biologically active.
“Rather than merely adding inches, fat cells appear to
function like a gland or organ. They pump out immune
system chemicals that appear to heighten heart disease
risk,” says Caroline Apovian, MD, 2007–2010 secretarytreasurer of NAASO, The Obesity Society.
Stroke. Weight gain often triggers high blood pressure, a
major cause of stroke.
Diabetes. More than 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, according to the National Institutes
of Health. Excess fat interferes with the body’s ability to
use insulin, the hormone that
keeps blood sugar at healthy
levels.
Osteoarthritis. Being overweight puts extra stress on the
knees and hips, wearing away
the shock-absorbing cartilage
that protects them and causing pain and stiffness.
Liver disease. Fat can build
up in the liver and damage it, causing scar tissue to form.
Sometimes the scarring becomes so severe that it blocks
blood flow to the liver—a condition known as cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis is normally associated with heavy alcohol use.
But it can also occur in obese people who don’t abuse
alcohol.
Infertility. Obesity can cause hormonal changes that stop
ovulation and make it hard for a woman to get pregnant.
Find out
how ACH is
“losing it”!
See the back
page.
Little losses, big gains
If these health risks unnerve you, focus on this: “Losing
only a modest amount of weight can reduce your risk
sof many of the complications of obesity,” Dr. Apovian
emphasizes.
So what’s modest?
As little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight—or
about 10 to 20 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds, says
Dr. ­Apovian. That’s all it takes to lower your blood pressure; reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes; and keep osteoarthritis from progressing.
The bottom line: Taking off a few unwanted pounds—
and keeping them off—is good medicine.
Look beyond
numbers on scale
Step on a scale, and it won’t necessarily tell
you whether you’re at a healthy weight. That’s
because your weight doesn’t reveal how
much fat you carry and where you carry it.
Excess fat raises your risk for health
problems, from heart disease and high blood
pressure to diabetes.
Where your body stores fat matters
because fat that settles around your middle
(rather than your hips and thighs) also raises
your risk of serious health problems.
So along with monitoring your actual
weight, you also need to know your body
mass index (BMI) and waist size.
Your BMI is based on your height and
weight and is generally a good gauge of how
much body fat you have. A BMI of 18.5 to
24.9 typically means a healthy weight.
Your waist size may signal a risk for health
problems if you’re a woman with a waist of
more than 35 inches or a man with a waist
of more than 40 inches. Thus, even if your
BMI falls within a healthy range, you still
may be prone to health problems if you’re
apple-shaped.
American Academy of Family Physicians; American Dietetic
Association
Calculate your BMI
To calculate your body mass index, or BMI, visit the
American Academy of Family Physicians online.
Go to www.familydoctor.org.
www.achosp.org • Health Scene Read up on
nutrition!
Alliance Community Hospital
offers the Health Caring Resource
Library just off the main lobby.
Call the Educational
Services Department
at 330-596-7145.
COLOR
YOUR
PLATE
AND
PALATE
WITH
LOVE THAT
COLOR! The very
chemicals—called
phytochemicals—that
produce those bright
purples, reds, yellows
and greens in produce
may also protect against
the effects of aging.
6
Health Scene • www.achosp.org
PICK A CoLoR, ANy CoLoR. Vegetables come in all shades, and
they provide your body with a low-fat source of the vitamins,
minerals and fiber it needs to maintain good health.
Include vegetables as part of a healthy diet, and you may
reduce your risk for many health problems, including cancer, heart disease and stroke, according to the National
Cancer Institute.
Some of the important nutrients in vegetables are:
Potassium, which may help maintain healthy blood
pressure.
Vitamin A, which keeps the eyes and skin healthy and
helps to protect against infections.
Dietary fiber, which helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart
disease. Fiber also helps maintain proper bowel
function.
With their high water and fiber content,
vegetables can make you feel full without
the hefty calorie load of foods higher in
fat. Eating more vegetables and being
physically active can help you maintain a
healthy body weight.
Choose from a rainbow of healthy vegetables to satisfy your appetite.
Are you
fortified
with folate?
Some nutrients are so important to our
health that they are added to common
foods.
Folate is one of these. A type of B
vitamin, folate is found naturally in
foods like leafy greens and citrus fruits.
The vitamin helps our bodies produce
and maintain new cells.
In the early 1990s, researchers
found that increases in folate during
pregnancy could reduce the risk of
some common, serious birth defects.
In response, the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration ordered that all
enriched grain products be fortified
with folic acid, a synthetic form of the
vitamin.
Folate isn’t just a pregnancy vitamin,
though. Everyone needs folate to
produce normal red blood cells and
prevent anemia, says the National
Institutes of Health.
WHERE TO FIND FOLATE
You can get folate from foods such as
spinach, broccoli, oranges, peas and
beans, as well as from fortified rolls,
cornmeal, flour, rice and breakfast
cereals.
Most daily vitamins contain the
minimum daily requirement of 400
micrograms.
If you are breastfeeding or
pregnant, ask your doctor
how much folate you
need and how best to
get it.
daily dose
WINDoW CoRDS
Keep curious
kids safe
Babies and toddlers are born to
experiment. Your task as a parent is
to try to keep them safe as they explore
everything from the light switch to the
television remote.
But one hazard can be easily overlooked: window pullcords. Used
on blinds and other window coverings, they can easily tangle around a
child’s body or neck and may cause strangling.
KEEP KIDS CORDLESS
To keep your little explorer safe, follow these tips from the American
Academy of Pediatrics:
✓ Inspect the cords and chains on all window coverings.
✓ Move cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from window cords.
✓ Keep tasseled pull cords short, and anchor continuous-loop cords
to the floor or wall.
✓ Lock cords into position when lowering horizontal coverings or
shades.
✓ Consider installing cordless window coverings in children’s bedrooms and play areas.
FRee repair kits available
Window coverings purchased before 2001 may need to be updated or repaired
to comply with current safety standards. Free repair kits are available.
Call the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at
800-506-4636.
National Women’s Health
Information Center
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www.achosp.org • Health Scene
7
ACH teams up
to scale down
Alliance Community Hospital (ACH)
i s now 1,400 pounds lighter.
Well, some of our Colleagues are, at
least.
That’s because nearly 150 of ACH’s
Colleagues (employees) participated in
a hospital-wide weight-loss and healthy
lifestyle initiative called “ACH’s Biggest
Healthy Loser.” The 12-week campaign
ran from Feb. 11 to May 5.
Participants followed diet and exercise
recommendations outlined in The Biggest
Loser, a book that is based on the hit NBC
television show of the same name.
Fun fitness
For more about ACH
programs, call 330-596-6000
or visit www.achosp.org.
“We wanted
to inspire our
Colleagues
to take an
active role in
their own
well-being.”
“We wanted to inspire our Colleagues
to take an active role in their own wellbeing,” says Sam Donohoe, Director of
Colleague Relations (personnel) at ACH
and one of the “ACH Biggest Healthy
Loser” program co-founders. “The fact
that we have all of these Colleagues working together in teams, challenging each
other and engaging in friendly competition to make healthier lifestyle choices, is
really encouraging.”
Not to mention wildly successful.
Roughly midway through the competition, the collective weight loss total had
already surpassed 1,000 pounds.
“We’re thrilled to have had this kind
of response to our program,” says Paul
HEALTH SCENE is published as a ­commu­nity ­service for the
friends and patrons of ­ALLIANCE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL,
a 204-bed, nonprofit health care facility serving Alliance and
surrounding communities, 200 E. State St., Alliance, OH 44601,
telephone 330-596-6000. Find us on the Internet at www.achosp.org.
200 E. State St.
Alliance, OH 44601
Chief Executive Officer
Stan W. Jonas
Public Relations
Ryan Jensen
Patricia Kimerer
Danielle Nesgoda
Information in HEALTH SCENE comes from a wide range of medical
experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content
that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider.
Models may be used in photos and illustrations.
Copyright © 2008 Coffey Communications, Inc.
HSM22189h
Witkowski, MS, PharmD, and Director of
Pharmacy at ACH. “When we began, we
had hoped to get a few dozen Colleagues
to take part, but instead we’ve got a few
dozen teams of Colleagues who are completely engaged.”
Bigger brains, smaller bellies
Witkowski, also a co-founder, says that
the program included mandatory educational sessions on topics such as the health
benefits of weight loss, the importance of a
well-balanced and low-fat diet, and ways to
create safe, effective exercise regimens.
He noted that additional educational
sessions were offered on matters such as
how taking certain types of medications
or having conditions like sleep apnea can
affect overall health and wellness.
“We’re also proud that our team trainers are all exercise physiology students
at nearby Mount Union College [MUC],”
Witkowski says. “It’s just one more way in
which we’re collaborating with MUC.”
Witkowski says an abbreviated second
leg of the program is now under way, to
be followed by another in-house session
in the fall. The ultimate goal is to offer a
similar program to the Alliance community as a whole.
“We’re on a mission to improve the
health of our Colleagues, as well as that of
the community at large,” Witkowski says.
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