Showing posts with label BMI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BMI. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Women's Health: High post-pregnancy BMI raises pelvic organ prolapse risk ♦ Young women more likely to die in hospital after STEMI ♦ Products expectant mothers should avoid during first trimester

High post-pregnancy BMI raises pelvic organ prolapse risk Maintaining a normal body mass index (BMI) is important for good cardiovascular health and blood sugar control, but maintaining it after pregnancy can also be key to preventing pelvic organ prolapse, according to a new study.
Young women more likely to die in hospital after STEMI Young women with ST-elevation myocardial infarction were less likely to receive life-saving angioplasty and stenting to restore blood flow to blocked arteries than men and also had longer hospital stays and higher rates of in-hospital mortality.
Young women less likely to be informed of heart disease risk by providers Even when young women had a similar or greater risk for heart disease than young men, they were 11 percent less likely to report that healthcare providers told them they were at-risk for heart disease prior to a heart attack
Scientists uncover signal for when a pregnant woman is about to go into labor A cellular signal in the amniotic fluid around the fetus has been found to build up when a pregnant woman is about to go into labor, say scientists. The researchers used amniotic fluid samples from 50 women in labor and 51 women at the end of their pregnancy but not in yet in labor. They also acquired demographic information from patient interviews and medical information from their medical records.
Products expectant mothers should avoid during first trimester Expectant mothers in their first trimester should avoid certain cosmetics, cleaning agents and medicines, to protect the developing fetal brain from chemicals that can trigger autism.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

School-Based Obesity-Prevention Program Helps to Decrease Parents’ BMI

   A study released today shows that benefits of a school-and community-based childhood obesity intervention program can spill over to parents, decreasing parents’ body mass index (BMI). “Shape up Somerville” initiative; Public schools focused on early elementary grades 1st through 3rd in Somerville, Massachusetts.
   More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese, according to CDC data. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Obesity-related conditions include some of the leading causes of preventable death: heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars and the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.
Schools play a critical role in obesity prevention by establishing safe and supportive environments with policies and practices that support healthy eating and physical activity. The results of this study imply that the benefits of a school-centered, community-based obesity intervention program helps children but also improves parents’ BMIs. The study shows that without any additional investment, society may influence parent BMIs by using resources on properly structured child-focused obesity prevention efforts. Further research is warranted to examine the effects of this type of intervention on parental health behaviors and health outcomes.