Monday March 31st/2008

12:10: The Health Roundup with Jay McQueen.

12:15: The Around the Bay Road Race is in the books for another year! Many are licking their wounds today but imagine doing the entire 30k’s while 33 weeks pregnant! One of our friends from CHCH News managed to pull that off yesterday.
Guest: Cindy Csordas, Reporter, CHCH News. 519.853.8161

12:20: Big story on the allergies front: U.S. and Canadian drug regulators are investigating the popular allergy medication Singulair in response to reports of mood changes, suicidal behaviour and suicide in patients. What does this mean for users? What other asthma medications or treatments are available?
Guest: Dr. Martin Kolb, Respirologist, St. Joseph's HealthCare Hamilton. 905.522.1155 x 34973

12:35: Did you know that a health heart pumps 5 litres of blood every minute? But, when chronic heart failure occurs, your heart can’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs. The end result is that your heart is gradually sapped of its strength, leaving it too weak or too stiff to pump efficiently.
Guest: Dr. Shafiq Qaadri, physician in private practice and lecturer. 416-209-7333.

12:45: Rexall Radio Health Matters segment.
Guest: Irene.
Osteoporosis!
What is Osteoporosis??
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, this leads to increased bone fragility and risk of fractures, particularly of the hip, spine and wrist. Osteoporosis is often known as the “silent thief” because of bone loss occurs without any symptoms. Osteoporosis is sometimes confused with osteoarthritis because of the name similarity. Osteoporosis is a bone disease; osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints and surrounding tissue.
The cost of treating osteoporosis and fractures is estimated to be $1.0 billion each year in Canada alone. Long term hospital and chronic care account for the majority of these costs. The reduced quality of life for those with osteoporosis is enormous. It can lead to disfigurement, lowered self-esteem reduction of loss of mobility and decreased independence. Hip fractures alone result in death in up to 20% of cases and disability in 50% of those who survive. Osteoporosis does not develop overnight. You can loss bone mass steadily for many years, early detection of bone loss therefore is critical. Bone is a living tissue that is constantly renewed through a process in which old bones is removed and replaced by new bone. Cells called osteoclasts erode the bone, creating small cavities; bone-forming cells called osteoblasts then fill in the cavities with new bone. This is nature’s way of restoring bones and keeping them happy. In younger people with healthy bones the osteoclasts and osteoblasts work together maintain healthy bones, however after the age of 30 the process is not as efficient as we begin to lose bone. When some has osteoporosis bone loss occurs more rapidly, causing the bones to become thinner and weaker over time. There is now a variety of drug treatments available. The primary aim of drug treatment is to reduce fractures. Several of these drugs are also used to prevent osteoporosis in individuals who are at a high risk of developing the disease. The primary aim of medications is also used to prevent further loss of bone density. Your doctor will monitor how well your drug treatment is working by giving you a bone density test, usually you should have the test every 2-3 years, and definitely menopausal women approximately around the age of 50. No matter what drug therapy you choose, remember that a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is required to maintain healthy bones. Calcium is crucial to maintain life. Just about every cell in the body including those of the heart, nerves and muscles relies on calcium to maintain their strength. In the body calcium is found in three places, skeleton & teeth, in the cells, in the blood. The main goal of good calcium nutrition is to
maintain an adequate supply so that our bodies do not have to dip into our calcium reservoir, our bones.

Nadine Janacek
Blog Reporter Rexall #0202