Shoveling Heavy Snow Can Be a Major Heart Risk

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Dec 13,2010

Snow shoveling in frigid temps is a risky combination for heart disease patients

As Midwesterners brace for seasonal snowfalls, Northwestern Medicine experts of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute urge persons with known heart disease to take caution when removing snow.  Because shoveling is a physical activity that raises heart rate and blood pressure, Bluhm clinicians recommend that persons with known cardiovascular disease consult their physician before heading out to shovel snow.

There are other risk factors.  Being over the age of 50, having a history of heavy smoking, being obese and having a sedentary lifestyle are all reasons get your doctor’s clearance before attempting to remove snow. If doctor’s clearance is granted, use the following precautions: Read the rest of this entry »

Publicis Groupe Acquires Digital District

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Dec 13,2010

Strengthening Publicis Healthcare Communication Group’s Digital Offering

Publicis Groupe announced that it has acquired Digital District, a recognized thought leader in the interactive healthcare communications space. Digital District will be aligned under Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG) and will become part of the global digital communications arm of PHCG. Digital District will maintain its current location in Dusseldorf (Germany), and will continue to be led by General Manager Aleksandar Stojanovic.

Founded in 2002, Digital District focuses on defining and implementing digital communication strategies. The agency offers a fully integrated suite of innovative interactive solutions, including digital branding, content management, e-commerce strategies, social media, web 2.0, and online marketing. Digital District’s clients include AstraZeneca, Siemens, Bellicon, Weleda, and Sara Lee. The agency outranked 450 interactive agencies and captured the number 1 position in the Benchpark interactive agency quality ranking for the second time in early 2010.

The acquisition of Digital District clearly illustrates Publicis Groupe’s commitment to strengthening its digital expertise in healthcare communications. The Internet has become a critical source for individuals wishing to obtain information about their health, and healthcare-related searches rank among the top queries on the Internet. Given the strength of the Internet as a tool for healthcare brands, guidance will be increasingly valuable to pharmaceutical companies and institutions close to the industry throughout the world.

Alain Sarraf, President of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, Europe, “With the ever-increasing focus on providing our clients with dynamic digital experiences, the addition of Digital District strengthens our prowess in this sector. This move allows us to increase our global footprint and create a stronger European digital entity.”

Nutrition: Olive Oil Strongly Favored in Survey of Dietitians

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Dec 9,2010

A newly released survey of dietitians, which examines their current perspectives regarding various dietary fats and oils, reveals a strong preference for olive oil as the food oil of choice even for individuals on a diet. Canola oil was the second choice, while other oils—safflower, soybean, peanut, corn and flax—trailed far behind.

The Dietary Fat Survey for Dietitians was conducted by Dr. Doug Bibus, nationally recognized lipid nutrition expert and community faculty member at the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota and president of Lipid Technologies, LLC. In releasing the survey results, Dr. Bibus noted that the public has been confronted by confusing messages about the consumption of fat, and the survey of professional dietitians should help provide some clarity.

Among the key findings of the survey respondents were that olive oil is considered one of the top two “healthy foods and ingredients,” the first being fruits and vegetables, and the third being salmon and fish. Ninety-five percent of the dietitians routinely recommend olive oil to their patients.

“In response to the rising incidence of obesity in our country, ‘Low Fat’ diets were strongly recommended to curb calories,” Bibus stated. “However, results from the past decade of practicing ‘low fat’ strategies have also mirrored a further expansion of the obesity epidemic. Recent epidemiological reviews are now suggesting that dietary refined carbohydrate may be a major culprit of increasing obesity rates and that dietary fat may not be as harmful as once thought. Clearly, dietitians in our survey feel that olive oil is an important part of any diet.”

Among weight loss diets, the Mediterranean diet was preferred by sixty-five percent of respondents, with WeightWatchers a distant second. More than 9 out of 10 of the respondents agree that olive oil is a key component of the Mediterranean diet and recommend it during weight loss dieting.

Ninety-five percent of the dietitians also “recommend replacing butter and hydrogenated fats” with olive oil.

The survey solicited participation from 787 dietitians. The complete survey results can be found at the website of the underwriter of the survey Pompeian, Inc.: www.pompeian.com/dietitiansurvey.

Heart Attack: New Hope in Delaying Brain Damage in Cardiac Arrest Victims

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Dec 8,2010

After a heart attack and the victim stops breathing, a process of irreversible brain damage starts to occur within 3 to 4 minutes. Or does it?

While researching cardiac arrest, Jeffrey Dobkin read about a boy drowning in icy waters.  Although submerged for over half an hour the boy was rescued, resuscitated, and recovered completely.  No brain damage.

Dobkin wondered: How can someone drown and experience no brain damage?  What delays brain damage in drowning victims?  In an emergency can it be applied to heart attack victims?

Dobkin’s research pointed to yes. He believes brain damage that occurs when someone’s heart stops beating can be delayed for up to an hour.

“Cold water drowning victims survive without brain damage because of the triggering of the ‘Mammalian Diving Reflex’.  This natural reflex is solely responsible for delaying brain death,” says Dobkin. “And the specific trigger of the diving reflex is a facial immersion in cold water.”

Dobkin’s Technique to delay brain damage in heart attack victims is simple:  Immediately apply cold, wet compresses to the face of the victim.

His technique is an emergency time-buying procedure to delay brain damage until emergency medical personnel arrive.  It works in conjunction with CPR.

The Dobkin Technique is application of cold wet compresses to the face and eye area.  ”The eyes, the ophthalmic nerve, are the trigger points,” says Dobkin.  The Dobkin-Trigger Technique immediately starts to delay brain damage and gives emergency medical personnel a much greater “golden window” to respond to non-breathing victims than 4 minutes.

The Dobkin Technique works in heart attack victims – the fourth largest cause of death in the U.S.  His technique works to delay brain damage when the oxygen supply to the brain of a person is shut off (Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy) for any reason: drug overdose, choking, stroke, suffocation, electrocution.  It works at a critical time—on the scene: before initial resuscitation can be started by medical personnel.