Page 4 - June 2018 Healthbeat

health bits
[ THE LATEST NEWS ]
Stroke ready
National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs was recently recognized by the Arkansas Department of Health as an Arkansas Stroke Ready Hospital. This designation demonstrates that the hospital is able to give appropriate care to stroke patients.
“With stroke, every second counts,” said Dr.
Appathurai Balamurugan, state chronic-disease
director and medical director for the ADH Chronic
Disease Branch. “Each hour of delay in stroke treatment
ages the brain close to four years and increases the chances
of permanent disability. The ArSRH designation ensures that stroke patients make it to the closest appropriate hospital when they dial 911.”
The most recent data show Arkansas has the fifth-highest stroke death rate in the country, with more than 45 deaths per 100,000 people every year. Stroke is a leading cause of serious disability. Although lifesaving treatment is available to reverse the effects of the most common type of stroke, few patients receive such medical care in time.
Hospitals recognized with the ArSRH designation partner with local emergency medical services to improve outcomes by helping ensure that stroke patients are rapidly transported to the most appropri- ate hospital. EMS providers screen patients with standardized protocols to effectively recognize stroke and make sure patients receive the right kind of care.
— COURTESY OF NATIONAL PARK MEDICAL CENTER
[ DID YOU KNOW?]
Testosterone is a hormone that is produced in the human body. Although testosterone is largely associated with males, females produce it as well. Testosterone is responsible for stimulating sperm production and giving men their reproductive drive. Testosterone also helps build bone and mus- cle mass and causes hair to grow on a man’s chest and elsewhere. WebMD states that after age 30, most men begin to experience a gradual decline in testosterone production. Some men may even exhibit symptoms that sug- gest that their testosterone levels have dropped considerably. The American Urological Association states that roughly two out of every 10 men older than 60 have low testosterone, often referred to as “low T.” Signs of low T include reduced sex drive, difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection, low semen volume, hair loss, fatigue and increased body fat. Men can have their testos- terone levels checked by taking a blood test to see if their levels are normal.
— COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE
[ TERMS ]
Gastroparesis: This is a term that describes a digestive disorder in which the motility of the stomach is either abnormal or absent. When the condition of gastroparesis is present, the stomach is unable to contract normally, therefore cannot crush food or propel it into the small intestine properly. Normal digestion may not occur.
SOURCE: THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE.
9,310
THE NUMBER OF NEW CASES OF TESTICULAR CANCER DIAGNOSED EACH YEAR. ONE IN EVERY 250 MEN WILL DEVELOP TESTICULAR CANCER AT SOME POINT DURING THEIR LIFETIME.
SOURCE: THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
[ THE SCOOP ]
Strut away stress
According to the American Psycholog- ical Association’s 2017 Stress in America survey, 53 percent of Americans look to physical activity as a means of coping with their stress. Exercising was the most popular form of physical activity cited, with 46 percent of respondents indi- cating they looked to these activities to cope with their stress. In addition, more people seem to be looking to yoga and meditation to help them deal with stress. While only 12 percent of respondents in- dicated they practice yoga or medita- tion to deal with stress, that marks a siz- able increase from a year earlier, when 9 percent of respondents cited yoga and meditation among the methods they used to cope with stress. While they’re not physical activities, listening to mu- sic (47 percent) and prayer (29 percent) were other mechanisms people relied on to cope with their stress.
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SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2018 // HEALTHBEAT // ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
— COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE