Friday, February 3, 2012

6 Beverages for Heart Health



Genetic factors can affect a person's risk for heart disease. But the good news, the disease is largely preventable. We may have heard the sage advice that said, to keep the heart healthy, it must begizi eating and regular exercise.

But it is not just a lifestyle change that can be done to reduce the risk of heart disease. What you drink can also make a difference. The following are some of the recommended types of beverages that can help maintain a healthy heart:

1. Coffee

Maybe it sounds strange at first glance. But did you know that coffee has higher antioxidant activity than cocoa or tea? Eating the right amount of coffee may inhibit inflammation and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A study of long-term and large-scale, in which involved more than 83,000 women showed that drinking two cups of coffee a day can cut stroke risk 20 percent lower than those who drank little or no coffee at all.

Suggestion: Drink between 2 to 4 cups of coffee per day including moderate category. But if you suffer from insomnia, anxiety and fatigue, just drink one glass only.

2. Pomegranate juice

In recent years the reputation of pomegranate juice soared and alluring nutrition researchers. Why not, the experts from the University of California found that the antioxidant capacity of pomegranate juice three times higher than red wine and green tea. Even early studies showed that regular consumption of pomegranate juice may lower cholesterol, reduce arterial plaque (a risk factor for heart disease), and increases blood flow to the heart.

Tip: If possible, avoid additional sweetener when making pomegranate juice.

3. Red wine (red wine)

Red wine contains many compounds that can protect heart health, including resveratrol. Resveratrol has antioxidant properties that can protect blood vessels in the heart and help prevent the formation of blood clots. Some evidence also showed that consumption of red wine in moderate amounts can increase HDL (good cholesterol).

Tip: For women, it is recommended no more than 1.5 cups per day. As for the men, no more than 2 cups.

4. Black tea

Black tea is produced through the fermentation process after the leaves are harvested and dried. This processing change the chemical composition of leaves, resulting in several powerful antioxidants that help support heart health. Black tea has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, reduce LDL (bad cholesterol), improving the function of blood vessels, and increasing blood flow in the coronary arteries.

Tip: The longer you dip the tea, the greater the benefits derived phytochemicals. Therefore, serving tea with hot water would be much better while maintaining antioxidant content is maintained. Drinking several cups of black tea a day can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

5. Green tea

Such as black tea, green tea contains many antioxidants that are good for the heart. The main difference is that green tea is not fermented. A 2004 study suggests that drinking green tea in large quantities to prevent the risk of coronary artery disease. There are many studies linking green tea consumption with lower cholesterol, preventing blood clots and stroke.

Advice: Drink 1-3 cups of green tea a day.

6. Water

Dehydration can contribute to multiple risk factors for coronary heart disease, including gore. When you are dehydrated, the blood becomes more viscous. This condition makes your heart to expend more energy to pump blood throughout the body. In fact, chronic dehydration can cause hypertension (high blood pressure).

Tip: Many experts recommend at least a day a person should drink 8-10 glasses of water (for adults). But on the amount to be taken can not apply to every person and every condition. To be sure, do not let your body get dehydrated. You can also add juice or lemon juice into warm water to add flavor as well as decay and obtain the benefits of antioxidants.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

7 Tips to Avoid Medication Side Effects



Drug definitely more benefits than harm. The drug is safe when taken correctly. However, they also can have side effects. In developed countries a higher level of health, the negative effect of the drug was the cause of death of four (Remember why Michael Jackson died?). In developing countries such as Indonesia, more people died from not being able to buy drugs rather than because of their negative effect.

To avoid the negative effects of drugs, many ways have been done. Pharmaceutical companies always include contraindications and drug interactions in each package. They also monitor the side effects of drugs and always make improvements to reduce the negative effects.

Many new drug side effects became known only after circulating in the market. When the effect of withdrawal will usually fatal. Drugs whose use is not widespread may take a long time to figure out all the potential negatives.

As a health care consumer, you will need to be aware of the potential side effects of drugs. Some of these tips can be your guide:

1. Read doses and life rules.

Every drug is different powers. Please read carefully the drug dose when you are going to consume. When doctors recommend a half tablet, do not change yourself because you feel less power. Consult with your doctor before doing so. Also ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are going to grind or break the tablets. Several types of drugs should be swallowed whole.

2. See warning signs.

Some drugs affect your ability to drive or operate machinery. When you drink, you have to stop driving or running the engine so as not to have an accident. These drugs have a red warning triangle on the label.

3. Know the side effects of drugs.

A number of drugs have potential side effects. Some tranquilizers, anti-hypertensive and anti-epileptic drugs, for example, can lead to impotence. You should also be aware of the potential side effects of the following drugs:

Anticoagulant drug warfarin -> bleeding
Cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin and atorvastatin -> muscle problems
Anti-inflammatory drugs ibuprofen -> bleeding
Sedative diazepam-> suppress the central nervous system works
Diuretic furosemide -> salt imbalance in the body
Tranquilizers citalopram -> serotonin syndrome such as headache, muscle spasms, anxiety, confusion and sweating.
If you suspect that you drink medications cause side effects, consult a doctor.

4. Do not carelessly give free medication to the child.

Do not give free medicine to a child unless the label specifically says children should not be consumed. Children are not small adults. They have the power sensitivity and respond differently to drugs so that not all drugs for adults may be given to children.

5. Read the content and the content of the drug expiration date.

Many drugs that have a name or a different brand but pregnancy is the same. Make sure you are not taking the same drug in a different brand packaging to avoid overdose.

6. Tell your doctor if you:

are pregnant or breastfeeding
allergies to certain drugs
have diabetes, kidney or liver disease
are taking other medications or supplements / herbal
being a special diet
Certain drugs are not suitable for people with certain conditions. Drugs can also interact with other medications, certain foods and supplements. Doctors need to know your situation in order to prescribe drugs safely.

7. Ask your doctor to evaluate your long-term treatment.

If you have a chronic illness such as heart disease or hypertension, you need to take certain medications on an ongoing basis in the long term. Drugs you are taking other medications interspersed frequently need to avoid negative effects of adverse health.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Pill Can Cause Thrombosis



Among the wide selection of methods of contraception, birth control pills are perhaps the most popular in addition to condoms. Doctors often suggest it because it has a very high effectiveness in preventing pregnancy (almost 100% for the combination pill). Women of childbearing age also love it because it is practical, it is not necessary to have a worn or mounted. In addition, birth control pills have other benefits such as reducing the risk of tumor growth in breast and uterine cysts and have a positive impact on the skin by reducing acne and refine the skin.

However, behind these advantages, birth control pills seem to watch. Birth control pills can increase the risk of thrombosis (blood clots), especially the kind who wear drospirenon (synthetic progesterone which is very similar to natural progesterone). Vein thrombosis in harmful, even potentially deadly, because it can migrate to the lungs or brain, causing a pulmonary embolism and stroke. The highest risk found in women over the age of 35 years who smoke. Other risk factors are obesity and a family history of thrombosis and thromboembolism.

Concerns about an increased risk of thrombosis by drospirenon based pill is already quite long voiced, but apparently reached its peak in recent months. After more than 11,000 lawsuits filed over a wide range of health problems related to contraception, the agency the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) some time ago ordered that every product drospirenon-based birth control pills contain a warning about the risk of the package.

FDA cites several epidemiological studies showing that drospirenon based contraceptives increase the risk of thrombosis up to 300% compared to other types of birth control pills. Furthermore, health authorities stressed that the risk of thrombosis increased use of birth control pills in pregnancy, it does not matter whether or not the product contains drospirenon.

In the world, a major producer based drospirenon pill is Bayer. Bayer products based drospirenon with brands such as Yasmin, Yaz and Yasmin Elle've very popular in the world, with global sales in 2011 reached 1.07 billion euros (about Rp 10 trillion). With recent developments, Bayer U.S. now faces a barrage of lawsuits over health problems associated with the use of these products.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Allow Pregnant Women Drink Alcohol, Origin ...

While pregnant, alcoholic beverages into its own restrictions for diasup. However, it is in fact not a prohibition that is not negotiable. Allowed to eat them without overdoing it.

In a study in Denmark, pregnant women who drink one glass a day will not harm the baby's development in the womb and does not affect the IQ of the child or the functioning of the brain and other organ functions.

However, alcohol drinking nine cups or more a week can affect the concentration of the child when she was five years old. The study was conducted involving 1628 pregnant women with a median age of 31 years, as reported by Female First.

However, do not mean this to be a sort of green light for pregnant women consume alcohol to excess. Professor Ulrik Kesmodel from Aarhus University Hospital said that drinking alcohol on an ongoing basis can harm the fetus. Addiction to alcohol during pregnancy is associated with fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in children can lead to disruption of physical, mental and behavioral.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Immunization, Child Health Investment for the Future

Immunization not only a preventive measure to prevent transmission of disease, but also the baby's health investment in the future. Want proof?
Anyone would know the immunization. In fact, probably most of us have never been immunized when we were kids.
Immunization is an attempt to induce or enhance immune activation against specific diseases.
Unfortunately, there are still groups of people who still doubt the benefits of immunization to their children. In fact, immunizations are not just creating immunity, but it is also important to break the chain of transmission of the disease in children and those around him.
In developing countries, including Indonesia, Diseases Preventable by immunization (PD3I) remains a leading cause of death and disability of children. Approximately five percent of deaths among children under five caused by PD3I. Therefore, it is critical immunization efforts made to mitigate the morbidity and mortality.
Intensified
Immunization in Indonesia was first performed in 1956, starting with smallpox immunization. Since then, the scope and type of immunization continues to be expanded. Today, there are five Immunization vaccines given to infants and children in Indonesia to prevent seven infectious diseases, namely Tuberculosis, Polio, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Measles, and Hepatitis B.
Immunization activities are also more evenly distributed throughout the region. If the new 2008 68.3 percent of the 65 781 villages have achieved Universal Child Immunization (UCI), after the acceleration in 2010, coverage reached 75.3 percent of the 75 990 villages.
One concrete example of the success of immunization programs is important, that is free of smallpox. In 1974, Indonesia officially declared smallpox-free countries. Meanwhile, other cases of the disease PD3I also decline. Measles, for example, from 24 388 cases in 2008, fell to 17 139 cases in 2010. Neonatal tetanus were reported as many as 198 cases in 2008, the last few years to about 137 cases.
For polio, even though there is no more polio cases in recent years, the threat from abroad is still there. Some countries in the world still reported wild polio virus. Because not all reach the village of UCI, meaning there are still pockets of villages that could potentially occur Extraordinary Events (KLB).
To anticipate this situation, since 2009 an additional immunization campaigns have been conducted in three phases. The first phase conducted in 2009, the second phase in 2010, and the last held in 2011 in 17 provinces in Indonesia with a coverage target of at least 95 percent of all children under five.
This year, Indonesia together the countries in Southeast Asia are committed to make 2012 the Year of Intensification of Routine Immunization or Intensification of Routine Immunization (IRI).
Addressing the issues
Immunization would need to get the full support of all parties, including the community. Because, until now still found a number of challenges in the provision of immunizations, such as parental understanding is still lacking in most of the society, false myths related to immunization, geographical constraints, till late in the immunization schedule.
Communities also need to be more careful and cautious in addressing immunization related information, such as addressing co-occurring post-immunization (Kipi) is heavy.
For example, when a polio outbreak occurred in West Java, a child was paralyzed after getting polio vaccine. With a virus (virology) proved that the paralysis is caused by wild polio virus that had attacked the child before he got polio immunization.
Similarly to the case of other heavy Kipi. After review of experts in the field, proved that Kipi is due to other diseases that have been there before, not due to immunization.
To address the case of Kipi, the public should refer to the information provided by the Regional Committee (Komda) Kipi in the province or the National Committee (Commission) Kipi in Jakarta. Because the news or report suspicions of Kipi always studied scientifically by experts-experts, as experts of infectious diseases, immunizations, and immunology in the committee.
Indeed, people do not have any doubt as to the safety and benefits of immunization. Currently, 194 countries around the world believe that immunization is safe and beneficial to prevent outbreaks, severe illness, disability, and death in infants and toddlers.
In fact, countries with high socioeconomic level and still continue to carry out the immunization program. Including, countries predominantly Muslim, with immunization coverage of more than 85 percent.
Disease prevention through immunization is a way of protection against infection of the most effective and far cheaper than the already fallen ill and had to be hospitalized.
Thus, immunization can be said for the future health investment. Instead, all infants and toddlers fully immunized. By avoiding a child from a dangerous infectious disease, then they have the chance move, play, learn without disturbance of health problems.