The 2,3,4,5 Principle of Men’s Health

Posted on May 19, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

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Men often do not seek health care before they desperately need it.  This means… men may not have a family doctor who knows them; that does not mean they do not need one.  The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force helped create the 2,3,4,5 Principle of Men’s Health.

Men should get physicals at a minimum of

  • two times in their 20s,
  • three times in their 30s,
  • four times in their 40s,
  • and every year in their 50s.

These are physicals—no acute problems or traumas— at the same visit.    Each patient has a unique footprint: family and personal history, surgeries, medicines, allergies, travel history.  This unique compilation of facts requires individual suggestions.  Physicals address screening lab work, vaccines, or other preventive care that may of benefit.

The more you know about your own health, the better chance you’ll be around to reach your goals, enjoy life, and love your family.

If you are man who needs a family doctor, ask around for a good reference.  If you are woman who knows a man without a doctor, please help get him to one.  Make this life a good one.

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Chest pain may be an unreliable factor for heart attacks…

Posted on May 15, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

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Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) recently published an article showing chest pain is often absent in young women with heart attacks.

Women with heart attacks are more likely to have a heart attack without chest pain (compared to men).  Younger women who have heart attacks without pain are more likely to die in the hospital compared to men their age.  This information comes from data or more than 1 million patients.

The numbers were… 42% of women presented without chest pain compared to 30.7% of men.  14.6% in-hospital death rate in women compared to 10.3% among men.  If women were under age 45 the in-hospital death rate was 18% HIGHER than men.

Women—be aware of your cardiac risk factors.  Stop smoking.  Watch diet.  Exercise regularly.  Know your cholesterol numbers.  Being your own watchdog may help decrease your risk of heart problems.

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Bearing Beef’s Bad news

Posted on May 10, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

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I live in the “beef belt” with neighbors driving cars with license plates reading “EAT BEEF.”   But, I must report on studies showing eating red meat is harmful.

Eating red meat is associated with a significantly increased risk of

  • total mortality,
  • cardiovascular disease mortality and
  • cancer mortality.

Studies of nearly 38,000 men and 83,000 women were followed every 4 years (up to 28 years of follow up).   The elevated risk of total mortality for a one-serving-per-day of red meat consumption was 12% for total red meat, 13% for unprocessed red meat, and 20% for processed red meat.

Good news.  Replacing one serving of red meat with one serving of fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, low-fat dairy products or whole grains daily was associated with a 7 to 19% lower risk of death.

MOO!

Archives of Internal Medicine, 2012 referenced.

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Are you a Yeast-infection-sufferer?

Posted on May 4, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

Some women don’t ever get vaginal yeast infections.  Some women seem to never be WITHOUT a vaginal yeast infection.  A new study gives options to get rid of chronic yeast infections.

First we, physicians, need to make sure that the culprit is yeast.  About 70-80% of so-called yeast infections aren’t yeast at all.  Your doctor can perform an exam and send a sample to be cultured in the lab.  The lab will confirm that it is yeast.  We all have yeast on our skin, but some immune-compromised (those with diabetes or cancer) are less able to fight it.

Probiotics have shown effectiveness against

  • chronic Candida,
  • thrush (yeast in the mouth),
  • and vulvovaginal Candida.

It is thought that the probiotic secretes a surfactant that keeps the Candida from adhering to the tissues.   The study, published in the journal Mycoses 2012, showed patients taking probiotic of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and L. fermentum had significantly less yeast after 4 weeks than those that did not take it.

Hope this helps.

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Skin cancer. Free Wichita screening.

Posted on May 1, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

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2 million skin cancer diagnoses in the US each year.  75,000 of those are melanoma (Boo!  Hiss!)  Melanoma accounts for 75% of the skin cancer deaths per the American Cancer Society.  If melanoma is caught (and removed) early, the long-term prognosis is good.

The American Cancer Society is sponsoring a free skin screening this Saturday, May 5, 2012 at GraceMed Health Clinic, 1122 North Topeka, Wichita.  8 am to noon.  No appointment needed, just line up.

Ask your doctor do a yearly “skin check.”

  • First, examine yourself.
  • Have a partner examine parts (like your midback) you can’t see well.
  • Make notes of concerning lesions to you.
  • Watch (and tell your doctor about) skin lesions that seem to be changing in size or color or that bleed. 
  • Also watch for sensation changes in a lesion: itching, tenderness or pain.

Then, see your doctor to go over every inch of your skin.

To decrease your risk of skin cancer, wear sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher, wear protective clothing (like long-sleeves and hats with a wide- full brim) and sunglasses to protect skin around your eyes.

I am a firm believer that… some things (changing skin lesions, etc) are best in a jar, not on your body.

Hope this helps.

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Vitamin E. Men, don’t take extra.

Posted on April 28, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

If a little is good… a lot is NOT necessarily better.  A 7-year study of more than 35,000 men showed that extra vitamin E can significantly increase your risk of prostate cancer.

The study used a dose of 400 IU a day of vitamin E.  More than half of men over age 60 take Vitamin E, with ¼ of those taking at least the amount in the study.

We do not know why too much vitamins can help cause cancer.  Maybe it is that antioxidants become carcinogenic (cancer-forming) at high doses.

I heard a cancer doctor say…”consumers should be skeptical about health claims for unregulated over-the-counter products in the absence of strong evidence of benefit from clinical trials.”

I agree.

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Interested in “barefoot running?”

Posted on April 25, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

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Fellow Wichitans…

Barefoot and minimalist running expert Jason Robillard is speaking FREE this Thursday  April 26, 2012 (see details below).

Barefoot running may be better for the feet and may reduce the chance of repetitive stress injuries.  Robillard will discuss how to transition from running with shoes to running with minimal foot protection.  Robillard authored “The Barefoot Running Book: The Art and Science of Barefoot & Minimalist Shoe Running.”

Free.  Backwoods, 1900 North Rock Road, Wichita.  Thursday 4/26/12 7 pm.

Call 316 267 0350 for more information.

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Still taking vitamin B12 injections? Move over shot. A pill may be just as good.

Posted on April 20, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

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For years patients with low blood counts due to low vitamin B 12 levels came in the office once a month for a Vitamin B12 injection.   Two good studies compared intramuscular injection to oral route.  Both forms raised low vitamin B12 levels and improved blood counts and neurologic symptoms.  Both forms were well tolerated.  The oral form was less expensive.

Recommendations per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are to give 1000 mcg daily by pill per mouth or intramuscular 1000 mcg monthly.

Take your pick.

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How to decrease your chance of getting an (or another) ankle sprain…

Posted on April 17, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

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Ankle sprains are common.  Once you have had an ankle sprain, you are more likely to get another ankle sprain… unless you help rehab your ankle.  An external ankle support (especially during physical activity) can significantly decrease an ankle sprain.  The sports with a high risk of ankle injury are soccer and basketball.  High-top shoes have NOT been shown to decrease ankle sprains.

Balance and “proprioceptive training” help greatly.  I tell my patients that proprioceptive training is re-teaching your brain where your foot is in space.  When you step off a curb, your brain needs to know exactly where your foot is, or you are more likely to misjudge the landscape and may sprain it again.

The ACSM, American College of Sports Medicine, suggests that rehab after an ankle injury should include guided stretching and strengthening of the ankle joint as well as balance training to prevent future injuries.  A primary care physician, sports medicine physician, or physical therapist can help teach guided stretching exercises.

Hope this helps.

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New acne treatment

Posted on April 13, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

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Acne treatment can be expensive.  Here is a new combination that may help decrease the costs of treating acne.  A new study shows that a new cream plus a pill may help the best.  This new medicine contains adapalene with benzoyl peroxide.  The especially effective regimen is this cream WITH doxycycline (antibiotic) pill.

A study showed that after completing 24 weeks of therapy, patients with “severe acne” had a “clear or almost clear” rate of 50% as well as a mean 76% reduction in total lesion count.

In addition, patient satisfaction surveys showed 87% would use the above regimen again, 76% were satisfied with treatment, and best of all . . . 67% feel better about themselves since starting treatment.

Pretty good numbers. . . especially when treating teens.

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