Workaholism is an addiction, too

               

Traffic exposure can trigger a heart attack

We are exposed to traffic everyday, whether as a commuter or as a driver. Some of us are even exposed as part of our jobs, e.g. as traffic policemen, bus drivers, tec. This post explores the link between traffic exposure and cardiovascular health.

Previous studies have shown that heart attacks may be triggered by strenuous activities. This recent study by German researchers suggest that exposure to traffic can have some serious consequences on people’s heart health. The researchers looked at time spent on any form of traffic exposure by using some form of transport, be it by car, by public transport, or by bicycle and its triggering effect on heart attacks. However, driving a car was the most common source of traffic exposure among the 1,454 study participants. The results of the study indicate that people exposed to any form traffic exposure have a 3.2 times higher risk of having a heart attack than those without exposure. For those exposed, there is a small but significant increase in the likelihood that a heart attack can occur with 6 hours of exposure. Those who were especially at risk were

• women
• elderly men
• people who are unemployed
• people who have a history of angina pectoris (chest pains)

According to lead author Dr. Annette Peters

“Driving or riding in heavy traffic poses an additional risk of eliciting a heart attack in persons already at elevated risk. In this study, underlying vulnerable coronary artery disease increased the risk of having a heart attack after driving in traffic… one potential factor could be the exhaust and air pollution coming from other cars. But we can’t exclude the synergy between stress and air pollution that could tip the balance.”

This isn’t the first study to find a link between cardiovascular disorder and air pollution. British and Swedish researchers found that diesel exhaust increased the rate of blood clot formation as well as blood platelet activity even in healthy people - leading to increased risk of having heart attack and stroke. The increased cardiac event risk due to traffic pollution is evident even when fine particulate matter concentrations are considered low or safe.

In a previous resource post, I have reviewed the most recent medical evidence that linked air pollution to cardiac events. In one study, it was shown that fine particulate matter can interfere with the heart’s electrical functioning.

In the same way, stress can be a triggering factor towards a cardiac event. In a previous post, I discussed about the effect of stress on driving and vice versa.

We all need some form of transport to get somewhere and many of us are on the move to get to our jobs 5 days a week. What would be interesting to find out is a risk comparison between drivers and public transport commuters, e.g. which form of traffic exposure has the least adverse effect on our cardiovascular health.

Phot credit: stock.xchng

               

Driving under the influence of … stress

We are not supposed to drive when we are under the influence of alcohol or certain drugs. But what about driving while under stress? You may think that stress and driving actually go together in one package. Tell that to the people driving to and from work everyday during rush hour. Tell that to the person standing still in a gridlock. Tell that to the mom who has to shuttle her little kids to and from school, to football practice, and so on.

But sometimes major events can drastically increase stress and anxiety levels that will in turn have adverse effects on performing daily routines, including driving. With serious consequences.

One of the most traumatic and stressful experience that Americans have had in recent years is the September 11 terrorist attacks. The incident had such long lasting effects on people’s psyche that researchers are just discovering now, 8 years later.

Psychologist Alexander J. Rothman and his colleagues at the University of Minnesota analyzed records obtained from the US Department of Transportation to see if there was any relation between geographic location and the rate of fatal traffic accidents that occurred in the three months immediately following the September 11 terrorist attacks… The authors found that there was an increase in the rate of traffic fatalities in the three months following the 9/11 attacks, but only in the Northeast, the region closest to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. A follow-up analysis showed that there was a significant increase in the rate of traffic fatalities in the months following September 11 in the state of New York. This pattern of findings is consistent with the premise that stress-related reductions in the quality of driving led to a spike in the rate of fatal traffic accidents.

The findings of the study indicate that living close to the location of a highly traumatic event leads to increased psychological stress. In turn, psychological stress can impair a person’s driving ability, an impairment that can lead to serious, even fatal traffic accidents. There is therefore a need to re-examine what we know about stress and driving. In addition, psychologists will be able to anticipate behavioural patterns in response to traumatic experiences. The results of the study have been published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

I cannot drive effectively when I am under stress, even it is not necessarily due to a major traumatic experience. The stress of work and family responsibilities can sometimes be too much. That is why I prefer to take the public transport. Less stress, less damage to the environment.

Photo credit: stock.xchng

               

When relationships go bad, women’s heart suffer most

Tension. Stress. Anger. Anxiety. These are what you get in a relationship gone bad. Unfortunately, the emotional distress that comes with a strained relationship can translate into physiological problems that in turn lead to conditions like high blood pressure, heart problems, and obesity.

These health problems have been reported for both men and women although the latter seems to be more susceptible to health issues caused by bad relationships, according to a study by researchers at the University of Utah.

For the study, [the researchers] recruited 276 couples married an average of two decades, in which men and women were between 40 and 70 years old. Participants filled out questionnaires that covered positives, such as emotional warmth and mutual support; and areas of tension, such as frequency of arguments and extent of disagreements over issues like sex, kids, and money. (Source: WebMD).

The participants were also monitored for blood chemistry, blood pressure and waist circumference.

The study showed that the health effects of a discordant relationship on women’s health include:

• Depressive symptoms, more likely to be reported by women.
• Metabolic syndrome symptoms (which would include increased blood sugar levels, increased levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides) more likely to be reported by women.
• Weight gain and increased waist circumference, also more likely to be reported by women.
• Depressive symptoms reported by men not related to metabolic syndrome.

This is not the first study to explore the effect of relationships on health outcomes.

A large body of research shows that divorce is associated with coronary calcification in both men and women. However, the current study clearly indicates that the relationship between emotional distress caused by a bad relationship and cardiovascular health is stronger in men than women.

In another study, researchers found out that the quality of a marriage relationship can have an influence on recovery rates of women with breast cancer.

Corollary to this, another study on stroke victims and their spouses showed that, depending on coping skills, caregiving can cause depression and put a strain on relationships.

But why are women more susceptible? According to the researchers:

“Women seem to be more relationship oriented. We know by research that women tend to base their self-concept on relationships, how they are doing, how things are going for them. And we think that’s the reason we’ve shown that negative relationship issues seem to take a greater toll on women emotionally and physically.”

               

Take the stress away from the dinner table

Resource post for March

Is meal time stress time at your home? With two preschoolers to take care of, it can sometimes be for me. But I and my husband do our best to make meal times stress-free especially in the evenings because we know that the more relaxed our evening is, the better the kids - and us - could sleep. Besides, stress, as we know, is bad for our health, affects our appetite (either way is possible), and can interfere with our digestion. There is therefore a need to remove stress from our evening meals.

A recent WebMD article gave the following recommendations - 6 Ways to De-Stress at the Dinner Table:

1. Turn down the volume.
2. Set the Table to Set the Mood.
3. Let There Be (Soft) Light.
4. Control the Conversation.
5. Keep Your Cool in the Kitchen.
6. Keep It Real.

I agree with some of the tips given in the above list, especially the first one. However, each family is different. Add to the cultural differences in eating habits and you will agree there is no magic formula to a stress-free evening. I’d like to share with you our family’s strategies to have relaxing mealtimes in the evening.

No TV, no toys. No TV is allowed at meal times and no toys are allowed on the table either. It only takes one match box car to tip a glass over.

Keep it simple. Stress doesn’t just occur at the dinner table but in the kitchen as well. That is why we try to keep evening meals as simple as possible. On weekdays, everybody in the family gets a substantial warm meal either at the office canteen or at school cafeteria. Suppers at home would consist of whole grain bread, cheese, cold cuts, and sliced fresh vegetables. Low-fat fruit yoghurt or fruit mousse serves as dessert. If necessary, I can quickly make a vegetable soup in winter time. However, having this simple, easy but still healthy meal in the evenings saves me the stress of kitchen work.

Now, you may ask. How can preschoolers survive without chicken nuggets, fries, or macaroni with cheese in the evening? Ours can because they’re used not used to having them in the first place. A study by Australian researchers called Parental Attitudes and Nutrition Knowledge. showed that children learn the taste for healthy food from their parents. And their preferences are already evident as early as age 5. Our kids would remind me if I forget the veggie cuts in the evening. They just love them.

Eat together. No matter how simple the fare is, it is important that the family sits together during the meal. According to the WebMD article “recent research at Columbia University found that children who regularly had dinner with their families are less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol, and more likely to do better in school. In fact, studies show the best-adjusted children are those who eat with an adult at least five times a week, says Ann Von Berber, PhD, chair of the department of nutrition sciences at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.”

Keep it early. An early evening meal is recommended especially if you have little kids. Remember that going to bed with a full stomach is not really the best strategy for a good night sleep. We usually have supper at 6 pm, at the latest at 6:30 pm. That way, the kids can be in bed by 8 pm. However, an early supper is only possible if you keep it simple. Mind you, in some cultures (e.g. southern Europe, for example), dinner cannot start earlier than 8 pm.

Avoid take outs. We are not big fans of take outs, be it pizza or Chinese noodles or burgers. While some people think take outs are convenient, I think otherwise. I think take outs are unhealthy and wasteful (think of all those packaging) and should only be opted for under special circumstances.

Work as a team. Involve the kids in setting the table. Get them to help with peeling and slicing the vegetables, as well as with the cleaning up afterwards. This way, things go much faster.

Keep the special touches for the weekend. Weekends are slow food time at home. Saturdays and Sundays are the days reserved for specially prepared meal. There is more time to plan and shop and cook on the weekends. No need to rush or panic. Whoever is in the kitchen doesn’t get stressed or harried. On the weekends, we start our day together with a late breakfast or brunch. Early afternoon, we have a light snack which could be soup, fruit salad, or cake. And then we end the day with a 3-course meal. With candlelight and all. In the summer time, a barbecue on the terrace is warranted.

I like cooking for my family. But I can’t do it 7 days a week under time pressure after having had a long working day. I will be stressed, my husband will be stressed, and the kids will be stressed. Meal times should be times when a family sit together and talk, not argue or bicker. After a day’s work or school, the evening meal is the time to wind down and talk about the day’s events. The less stress there is, the better for everybody.

 

Photo credit: stock.xchng

               

How to keep your heart healthy in a recession

Recession then depression. It can really break your heart. It has happened before and it’s happening again. People are down and depressed and some are even committing suicide. But recession and depression can also have some long-term effects on our health that may persist long after the financial markets have recovered. Our cardiovascular health is especially at stake as we encounter stress, mental as well as physical everyday. But in tough times like this, we should really take care of ourselves and keep in mind that real wealth is good health. Here are some tips on how to take care of your heart and health in times of recession.

Eat properly. Make your health and nutrition your number one priority. Cut down on expenses, if you must, but don’t cut down on the right food. You can make some adjustments though. You might go for the cheaper run-of-the-mill vegetables rather than the more expensive organic ones. You might opt for the locally produced fruit over the exotic imported types you used to prefer.

Take your medications. Medication is another of the things that we cannot do without even during recessions. I am not referring to vitamins and dietary supplements but the medications needed to manage chronic conditions such as insulin, statins, or beta-blockers.

Keep the stress low. With bad news coming from all sides, it is difficult not to get stressed. And stressors play a major role in cardiovascular health. Don’t take is personally. It’s only money. There are many stress management strategies that you can do and some are on this list (exercise, going out). Ask your health care provider for stress management advice.

Do exercise. The economy maybe standing still but doesn’t mean that you should. You can cut down on fitness center and golf club membership fees but not on exercise. And don’t say that they all go together in one package because they don’t. There are cheap forms of exercise such as cycling, running, or simply walking to work, to shop, etc. And hey, in the process, you reduce stress, improve your cardiovascular health, lower your CO₂ emission and help curb air pollution that is bad for your heart.

Avoid alcohol. Burying your sorrows in alcoholic drinks is not the best strategy in these hard times. Alcohol is high in calories and if taken in large quantities, can damage the heart and the liver. Drinking should only be done in moderation with meals and only when you are feeling relaxed. Drinking when feeling depressed is simply asking for trouble.

Go out. Don’t mope inside the house. Go out for a walk, if only around the block and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. The combination of recession plus cold winter weather can result in a disaster that can drive us crazy. Go out with your friends and family once in awhile. You might have to downgrade to a cheaper restaurant but who cares? Good company counts.

Smell the flowers. Maybe this is your chance to slow down and check your priorities in life. Maybe this is your chance to pause and smell the flowers.

Here are some other survival tips you might want to check out:

• Keeping fit it a sick economy
• 10 Ways to Protect Your Heart From the Tolls of Recession

 

Photo credit: stock.xchng

               

Lady, does your family stress you out?

How many people are in your household? How many generations are there?

Having grown up in Asia, I’m used to the tradition of extended families under one roof. There were advantages and disadvantage to this type of family structure. The advantage is the availability of help when help is needed. Grandmothers take care of grandchildren while the parents work. It also saves money on household costs. The disadvantage is that as the older generation age, they would need care and attention that would add to the financial burden to the younger generation. Another disadvantage is stress. When living within a closed setting in cramped quarters, tension and stress tend to build up.

This study on Japanese lifestyle showed that women living in multigenerational households with children and grandparents had to two to three times higher likelihood of having a heart disease.

The study is based data from 90, 987 men and women (40 to 69 years old) followed up to 14 years. The participants were healthy and without serious health problems at the start of the study. By the time the study ended in 2004, 671 participants had coronary heart disease (CHD) and 339 had died of the condition. The incidence of CHD was much higher in multigenerational households. And the reason for this is probably stress. In Japan, women tend to go work outside the house but are still expected to perform household duties on a full-time basis.

The study reports:

“…women living in multi-generational households (living with spouse-children-parents; or spouse-parents) had 2.0 to 3.0-fold higher risk of coronary heart disease compared to women living with spouses only. Women living with spouses and children also had 2.1-fold higher risk of coronary heart disease incidence compared to married women living without children…Women in a multi-generational family had a higher risk of coronary heart disease incidence, probably due to stress from multiple family roles.”

Although the study was conducted in Japan on a Japanese study population, American health experts believe this trend is also slowly emerging in the US. According to Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City

“Women are becoming more educated and are more and more in the work force, yet culturally they still are the caretakers of the family… there is an enormous amount of stress and pressure required to do all these things.”

With the current economic situation, extended families are forced to live together in order to save on costs - cost for childcare and cost for old age care. In the end, it all falls on the women’s shoulders to juggle between job and extended family.

“…caring for others can increase the risk of heart disease… We should incorporate this potential risk factor into our screening, and refer women for support services when needed,” according to Dr. Lori Mosca, a physician scientist at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

This Christmas, families come together to celebrate. Let us take care that this season of cheer does not turn into a season of stress.

               

Stress and Breast Cancer

Reuters Health reported late last month on the connection between young women with multiple life event stressors and breast cancer.

Researchers found that women “who had experienced two or more severe or mild-to-moderate life events were 62 percent more likely to have breast cancer.”

Read the article in its entirety here.

What constitutes a stressful life event?

The HOLMES-RAHE LIFE CHANGE SCALE is considered a Stress Test evaluator.

The higher the score, the more likely you are to experience injury or illness.

Death of a spouse	100
Divorce	73
Marital separation	65
Imprisonment	63
Death of a close family member	63
Personal injury or illness	53
Marriage	50
Dismissal from work	47
Marital reconciliation	45
Retirement	45
Change in health of family member	44
Pregnancy	40
Sexual difficulties	39
Gain a new family member	39
Business readjustment	39
Change in financial state	38
Change in frequency of arguments	35
Major mortgage	32
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan	30
Change in responsibilities at work	29
Child leaving home	29
Trouble with in-laws	29
Outstanding personal achievement	28
Spouse starts or stops work	26
Begin or end school	26
Change in living conditions	25
Revision of personal habits	24
Trouble with boss	23
Change in working hours or conditions	20
Change in residence	20
Change in schools	20
Change in recreation	19
Change in church activities	19
Change in social activities	18
Minor mortgage or loan	17
Change in sleeping habits	16
Change in number of family reunions	15
Change in eating habits	15
Vacation	13
Christmas	12
Minor violation of law	11

Score of 300+: At risk of illness.

Score of 150-299+: Risk of illness is moderate (reduced by 30% from the above risk).

Score 150-: Only have a slight risk of illness.

You can also take the test here and have it automatically tally up the number for you.

By becoming aware of your total score you can make changes to prevent stress-related illness such as cancer.

Check out the Battling Stress site here, or the Battling Cancer archives –Laughter Therapy and The Healing Power of Music– on stress for more information on how to deal with life event stress.

               

Birth weight and cardiovascular health - where is the connection?

How much did you weigh at birth? Your baby/babies? Does it matter?

A new study by British researchers published in the European Heart Journal shows that there is a link between low birth weight and predisposition to hypertension later in life.

Increasing evidence suggests that adverse prenatal environments, as indicated by low birth weight, cause long-term changes in cardiovascular physiology that predispose to circulatory disease.

The study followed up 140 healthy children aged 7 to 9 years old who were born at full-term, had a wide-range of birth weights though still considered normal. Blood pressure and heart rate (by ECG) were regularly monitored. In addition, the children were also subjected to psychological stress tests (e.g. speaking in public, mental arithmetic task) and the response in the form of cardiac impedance was measured.

The results show that there birth weight is linked to certain cardiovascular response to stress. However, the relationship is different depending on gender. Boys with low birth weights are more like to have higher vascular resistance and higher blood pressure during the stress test. In girls, this link is not evident. However girls with low birth weight tended to have higher activity of the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress. This is the part of the nervous system usually located in the spinal cord and is responsible for regulation of many processes in the body, including stress response. Both responses translate to a predisposition to cardiovascular problems later in life.

The study concludes

Smaller size at birth is associated with sex-specific alterations in cardiac physiology; boys had higher systemic vascular resistance and girls had increased cardiac sympathetic activation.

The results of this study are based on children with birth weights considered to be low, nevertheless still within a range considered normal.

Can you imagine what possible health problems premature babies with below normal birth weights can have? A baby is considered premature when born before the 37th week of gestation. Premature babies - preemies for short - tend to be smaller and weigh less than full-term babies. Several studies have shown that preemies are more likely to have health problems ranging from respiratory problems to autism

This doesn’t mean that preemies are doomed to be ill for the rest of their lives. My twins were born 5 weeks early but I didn’t resign myself to the fact that they will be just as healthy as their peers just because they were small babies. I strongly believe in the power of prevention through a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, proper nutrition, and the right attitude can make a lot of difference and I can to attest this when I look at how my boys can outrun and outcycle other kids of their age.

Still, now that the health consequences of low birth weight are known, pregnant and wanna-be pregnant women should pay closer attention to factors that can affect a fetus’ growth in the womb - and these include maternal nutrition, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

Photo credit

               

Music Therapy to Combat Stress in Diabetics

Music has the amazing ability to turn emotions on and off, to transport us to another place and yes, to heal.

Music transcends race, sex, religion and boundaries of time and space.

What’s playing on your iPod, your computer, or in the background of your mind?

Right now I’m listening to Paul Baker’s, Tranquil Harp, because to me the music translates to calming empowerment.

We’ve discussed the Diabetes/Stress Connection before.

Stress releases hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) that will increase your blood glucose levels. While this is good on a temporary basis to provide energy to deal with a threatening fight or flight situation, chronic stress keeps your glucose levels elevated which can create insulin resistance and high glucose levels.

Did you know music therapy is a great way to reduce stress levels?

From the American Music Therapy Association, the definition of music therapy:

Music Therapy is an established health care profession that uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals of all ages. Music therapy interventions can be designed to:

• promote wellness
• manage stress
• alleviate pain
• express feelings
• enhance memory
• improve communication
• promote physical rehabilitation

Combining music and science to promote healing and wellness, is the philosophy of The Institute of Music and Neurological Function.

The Institute utilizes psychotherapy trained music therapists to facilitate with the goal of facilitating self-expression and providing emotional support. Music becomes a method of communication, a tool of expression and a coping mechanism.

Goals of a this type of emotional support therapy include reduced pain, relaxation, stimulated communication and learned coping skills.

The Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy located on the campus of NYU and affiliated with a graduate program in music therapy, offers programs for children, adolescents and adults to cope with life stressors and to provide therapeutic self expression.

Stanford University’s Center for Music Research and Acoustics released some preliminary symposium results stating that “music with a strong beat stimulates the brain and ultimately causes brainwaves to resonate in time with the rhythm, research has shown. Slow beats encourage the slow brainwaves that are associated with hypnotic or meditative states. Faster beats may encourage more alert and concentrated thinking.”

Don Campbell’s The Mozart Effect Resource Center is all about the “transformational powers of music, health, education and well being.”

Campbell’s book, The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind and Unlock the Creative Spirit.

Publisher description: Stimulating, authoritative, and often lyrical, The Mozart Effect has a simple but life-changing message: music is medicine for the body, the mind, and the soul. Campbell shows how modern science has begun to confirm this ancient wisdom, finding evidence that listening to certain types of music can improve the quality of life in almost every respect. Here are dramatic accounts of how music is used to deal with everything from anxiety to cancer, high blood pressure, chronic pain, dyslexia, and even mental illness.

I recently asked a friend what she was listening to on her iPod as we waited for the light rail to arrive. She told me and then added, “I think of it as background music for my life.”

I like that.

Why not deliberately stage the background music for your life?

Resources:

Press TV, July 30, 2008. Stress Linked to Diabetes in Men.

The Times Online, May 22, 2007. Body and Mind: How the Power of Music Lifts and Heals.

American Diabetes Association–Stress: All About Diabetes

Duke Medical News:Stress Management Can Help Control Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes

               

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