Category Archives: Women Health

Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and The Healthy Brain

February 5, 2015

Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and The Healthy Brain

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia that affects the older generation. Dementia is simply the loss or decline of thinking ability. People with dementia have problems thinking, internalizing information and remembering. The behavior of a person changes with dementia in such away the quality of their life is affected. A person may suffer from either mild or severe dementia. In mild dementia, the disease is in its starting stage and only affects a few aspects of their life. In severe dementia, the person’s functioning is completely affected to an extent that they rely on other people to complete even the basic tasks. Studies have it that Alzheimer’s disease affects over 70% of people who suffer from dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by a significant decline of brain cells also known as neurons and deposits of beta-amyloid in the blood vessels located in the brain. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, plaques and neurofibrillary tangles develop in the brain area. These changes take place in three areas of the brain from the hippocampus, cerebral cortex as well as the mid and temporal lobes. These are accompanied by declined acetylcholine concentration which is a neurotransmitter in the brain. Studies reveal that antioxidant deficiency promotes to the acceleration of the Alzheimer’s disease. Change of diet and taking plenty of supplements reduces a person’s risk to Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease

The Healthy Brain

Naturally the brain receives oxygen from veins, arteries and capillaries that network their way through it. The vascular system is controlled and it separates the brain form the rest of the circulatory system. This barrier keeps the brain from infections that may come along. If the brain however happens to be infected treatment is difficult since the antibiotics administered are too big to penetrate through this barrier. This is similar in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease since the medication must be able to pass through the barrier.

One area that Alzheimer’s disease affects is the middle and temporal lobes. These lobes are located behind the ears and the temples. This region is responsible for speech and memory as well as emotions like empathy and molarity. The hippocampus is also an area that is affected by the disease. This area of the brain is responsible for creation of new memories.

The cerebellum is located in the brain and is responsible for the storage of memories of the muscles which makes it easier for us to do things without thinking. The mid brain together with the brain stem is the most sensitive part. This is because body functions such as digestion and the heart rate are controlled by these parts. They also act as a border between the spinal cord and the other parts of the brain.

The brain contains over 100 million cells which are interconnected to form one complex system. Each day a healthy brain makes new connections which keep the brain in function. These connections change every day and this makes it possible for storage of memories, shaping personalities, changing f habits and reinforcements of different brain activity patterns as others are lost. The cells receiving the neurotransmitters send them to other cells to complete communication and an impulse is achieved.

Communication in the brain is made possible through synapses. Signals are sent from one synapse to another. The signals are inform chemicals known as neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters are received by receptors located in the synapses

Alzheimer ’s disease And the Brain

One characteristic of the Alzheimer’s disease is the death of brain cells. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease usually have plaque and neurofibrillary tangles are deposited in the brain. The plaque deposits cause the impairment of synapses so that signals do not effectively pass through the brain cells. On the other hand the neurofibrillary tangles kill the cells in the brain making it difficult for energy and food to be normally transported through the cells in the brain.

The area that is initially affected by Alzheimer’s disease is the outer brain part. This is the part that is responsible for storage of short term memory. Therefore, the first symptom in a patient suffering from the disease is the loss of short term memory. As the disease continues to eat its way through the brain, eventually even the long term memory is lost. Behavioral aspects of a person also change because other parts of the brain get affected and their functioning impaired. This also affects the neurotransmitter concentration.

Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease treatment

Lifestyle: a change in lifestyle will do you good by reducing the risk of getting the disease. Changing diet and taking regular exercises ensures that your brain and body remain healthy and strong.

Supplements: there are supplements available in the market known to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or cure it for example ginkgo biloba . Visit your physician for advice about such supplements.

Medication: currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, drugs like cholinergic provide temporary improvements in cognitive abilities of the brain. This improves memory and ability to retain things.

At AwareMed we believe that a healthy you is equal to a healthy society. We not only give you information about diseases but we help cure them. Dr. Akoury helps patients dealing with Alzheimer’s disease improve their life as well as lessen the symptoms.

Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and The Healthy Brain

 

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Treating Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Diseases

February 4, 2015

Treating Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Diseases: Real lasting Solutions with the Experts

Treating Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Diseases

Treating Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Diseases

In our previous article we looked at the causes and consequences of nonalcoholic fatty liver and steatohepatitis disease broadly. Guided by that we want to find treatment solutions of this uncalled for health condition. Whereas prevention is the best approach of all possible health conditions, we often find ourselves suffering from certain health conditions which could have otherwise been prevented. Therefore if you are in anyway suffering from any weight related condition, help is on the way at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. Doctor Akoury is an expert of several decades of experience in matters relating to being overweight, obesity addiction and beauty among many other disciplines. She has been of great help to many people across the globe and your situation will be very safe in her care. You can schedule for an appointment with her even as we get into the discussion about treating nonalcoholic fatty liver and steatohepatitis diseases in this article.

Treating Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Diseases: Treatment Solutions

Losing excess weight is the best for treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver and steatohepatitis diseases. In one of the studies it was established that among obese individuals with elevated transaminases, weight gain led to an increase in the level of the liver enzymes. The good news is that even with a minimal weight loss of 10% can impact significantly to the decrease in the levels of the enzymes even to the point of being normal. The decrease in enzymes happened at the rate of 8% for every 1% loss of body weight. In another study where patients undergoing stomach (gastric) reduction operations for morbid obesity were involved, substantial weight loss is accompanied by a marked reduction in transaminases and a regression (improvement) of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nevertheless medical professionals are using certain medications to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Like for instance, insulin-sensitizing agents, like:

  • The thiazolidinedione’s
  • Pioglitazone (Actos)
  • Rosiglitazone (Avandia)
  • Metformin (Glucophage)

These medications do not only help to control blood glucose in patients with diabetes, but they also improve enzyme levels in patients with Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Remember that medications in the statin class of drugs like atorvastatin/Lipitor decrease the bad LDL cholesterol and, improve enzyme levels among patients with atorvastatin. However a lot more needs to be done to establish the accuracy of these medications if they can also reduce the amount of fat and inflammation in the liver.

Even though a lot more is being done towards treating nonalcoholic fatty liver and steatohepatitis diseases, the most appropriate, effective and accurate treatment for obese people with Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is to simply losing weight through good nutrition diet and meaningful engagement in physical activities. Much as one may be willing to effectively lose weight, committing to the weight loss assignment may not be as easy as people may want to believe. More so in a society dominated by inactive lifestyle and consumption of wrong food stuff rich in high-calorie, high-carbohydrate and high-fat diets. Doctor Akoury being an expert in this discipline brings forth this advice. Losing weight is very possible, but there must be the self-conviction to take the challenge. Up on consenting then you can begin the weight loss recovery journey by scheduling for an appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of Doctor Akoury’s care. Losing weight is possible and achievable with the expertise you will receive from these experts. Moreover in view of the possible harmful effects of fat in other liver diseases, losing weight forms part of the treatment of other liver diseases which are not necessarily as a result of fat such as hepatitis C. Eventually nonalcoholic steatohepatitis possibly can be prevented and eliminated all together by promoting healthy feeding habits and active lifestyles in children at a tender age.

Treating Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Diseases: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

  • Accumulation of fat in the liver (fatty liver) is common in all stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The initial stage in the spectrum of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is fatty liver (steatosis).
  • The basic cause of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is insulin resistance, a condition in which the effects of insulin on cells within the body are reduced. The most frequent risk factor for insulin resistance is obesity, especially abdominal obesity.
  • Fatty liver is itself quite harmless, disappears rapidly with loss of weight, and infrequently progresses to Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which is the next stage of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
  • In Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis there is accumulation of fat in the liver, but there also is inflammation (hepatitis), destruction (necrosis) of liver cells, and scarring (fibrosis) of the liver. The scarring can progress to cirrhosis, which is the last stage of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
  • The risk factors, the time-line, and the processes (mechanisms) responsible for progression through the stages of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are still unclear.
  • The presumptive diagnosis of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is made in individuals who are insulin resistant, have mildly elevated liver enzymes in the blood, and have signs of fatty liver on an ultrasound. These patients must have no other cause for the abnormal enzymes or for the fatty liver, particularly no excessive use of alcohol.
  • If weight loss results in a decrease or normalization of the liver enzymes, the diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is practically assured. Only a liver biopsy, however, can confirm the diagnosis of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and determine the severity of the disease.
  • Whether or not it is vital to perform a liver biopsy in individuals with suspected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is still debated among liver specialists since no well-proven treatments are available. A liver biopsy can exclude other liver diseases as the cause of the abnormal tests or fat and provide information about the stage (and therefore the expected outcome) of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It also may provide an incentive for an individual to adopt a healthy lifestyle (diet and exercise) with the aim of losing weight.
  • Weight loss, if overweight, and correcting elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar should be beneficial in Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Treating Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Diseases: Real lasting Solutions with the Experts

 

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The association between Obesity and Liver Diseases

February 4, 2015

The association between Obesity and Liver Diseases: Body Fat the Silent Killer

The association between Obesity and Liver Diseases

The association between Obesity and Liver Diseases is one piece of information everyone should have to help in preventing futality

The simplest definition of obesity is an excess amount of body fat. Ordinarily the normal amount of body fat expressed as a percentage of body weight is between 25-30% for women and 18-23% for men. Therefore women with more than 30% body fat and men with over 25% body fat are considered obese by these standards. Why is this (the association between obesity and liver diseases) a great concern to us? It is because up to eighty percent of deaths registered are related to obesity. For one to be considered obese, such individual’s BMI must be greater than 30. The association between obesity and liver diseases is just one of the many worrying health complications accruing as a result of being obese. To be safe of this threat, we all have a duty of care for one another in our neighborhoods. That is why doctor Dalal Akoury founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, where she is offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to all people across the globe including other physicians and health care professionals. You can schedule for an appointment with her today for a one on one consultations and treatment. Nonetheless besides visitation to her office doctor Akoury is also offering her professional help through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. You’re therefore invited to be a part of this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment.

The association between Obesity and Liver Diseases: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to a wide spectrum of liver diseases ranging from:

  • The most common, fatty liver (accumulation of fat in the liver, also known as steatosis)
  • Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, fat in the liver causing liver inflammation)
  • Cirrhosis (irreversible, advanced scarring of the liver as a result of chronic inflammation of the liver)

Various studies have established that all stages of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are necessitated by insulin resistance a condition which is closely associated with obesity. In fact, the BMI correlates with the degree of liver damage, in the sense that the greater the BMI the greater the liver damage. This correlation is not healthy and must not be allowed to continue. It would be better if preventive measures are taken so that nothing happens at all. However, even if this is already a problem to you all is not lost. There is still hope at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Akoury. At this facility a team of experts will be waiting to help you get all the solutions you need to be free of all these chronic health complications. Doctor Akoury has been of great help to many people across the globe and you need to be part of the great testimonies coming from the feed backs emanating from the recovered healthy and happy patients who have passed through her care. I encourage you to schedule for that life changing appointment with the best for the best today.

The association between Obesity and Liver Diseases: Alarming statistics about nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Globally nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common liver diseases encountered by many people. Like for instance, in the U.S. for example, it is estimated that this condition is affecting one half of the whole adult population who are overweight with another quarter being obese. What does this communicates it means that up to 29 million Americans have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, with another 6.4 million of these persons having nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). But even more frustrating besides these statistics is that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is affecting even the young children in this part of the world.

Ordinarily nonalcoholic fatty liver disease does not have known symptoms. However in most cases it can be identified during the routine blood tests particularly when there is an element of slightly elevated levels of liver enzymes (ALT and AST) in the blood. Besides that it can also be seen when an ultrasound examination of the abdomen is done when investigating for gallstones and in the process fat is found in the liver. Why the need to move with speed is that in the late stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, the development of cirrhosis can lead to:

  • Failure of the liver
  • Swelling of the legs (edema)
  • Accumulation of fluid in the abdomen (ascites)
  • Bleeding from veins in the esophagus (varices) and
  • Mental confusion (hepatic encephalopathy)
  • Patients with cirrhosis caused by Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease also may be at risk of developing liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC).

It is always said that the greatest problem one can have is that of luck of knowledge. This statement is loaded more so when it comes to your health. We have just been told that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease may not have clear signs and symptoms. Can then imagine not being aware of this and you continue in that state of ignorance? The futility of that is not everyone cup of tea. In view of that I want to encourage you to make it a habit of visiting this link from time to time because this is the home of useful health information’s for you and you whole family. From the various studies it has been established that one of the major cause of liver failure which really explains reasons for transplantation of the liver is cryptogenic cirrhosis. Cryptogenic simply means that the cause of the cirrhosis is not known. In this regard experts have confidence that a good population of patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis is those suffering from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the late stages. The projection is therefore that obesity related liver diseases (cryptogenic cirrhosis and liver cancer) are likely to become the leading cause of liver failure and liver transplantation in the near future.

Finally being overweight is not a crime and therefore if you are struggling with weight related problems, you must not take offence with yourself. For all these problems to be put behind you, you must take the first bold step of accepting that you have a problem which needs to be fixed. This acknowledgement is the beginning of your weight loss recovery. Now having made that decision, the next step is to get the right professionals for help and that is where experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care comes in. to be honest this is the place where you will get all the answers to your weight loss concerns. Up on scheduling for that appointment with doctor Akoury, she will evaluate your individual condition and with great confidentiality and dignity offer you the best natural treatment that will live you full of life once again.

The association between Obesity and Liver Diseases: Body Fat the Silent Killer

 

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Diseases which are associated with obesity

February 4, 2015

Diseases which are associated with Obesity: They are Chronic in nature

Diseases which are associated with obesity

Diseases which are associated with obesity can be very chronic and prevention should be the best medicine for them

When we mention the conditions associated with weight gain people often think of being lazy or just being less concern with the good healthy nutrition. What many are not aware of is that there are several diseases which are associated with obesity and weight gain. In a series of different articles we are going to be discussing some of these chronic health conditions which we can easily put to control if we get the right information. To help us understand the clear picture or the magnitude of the conditions, we are going to be talking to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. Therefore doctor Akoury is going to be responding to some of the concerns that we want to bring to you with a view of changing lives for the better. The following are just but a few of the diseases which are associated with obesity:

Diseases which are associated with obesity: Diabetes mellitus

This one such health conditions that is strongly associated with overweight and being obese. The most frustrating point with this condition is that is very difficult to treat and once affected, it can only be managed. Obesity is linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus and this cut across both genders and irrespective of where you’re coming from. And in fact the relationship between obesity and diabetes is such intertwined that the connection has been nick named ‘diabesity’. The flow from obesity to diabetes is due to a progressive defect in insulin emission together with a steady rise in insulin resistance. The fact that insulin resistance and improper emission of insulin are happening very prematurely in obese individuals is worsening towards diabetes. An increase in overall fatness, preferentially of visceral as well as ectopic fat depots, is specifically associated with insulin resistance. The accumulation of intramyocellular lipids may be due to reduced lipid oxidation capacity. Therefore the ability to lose weight is related to the capacity to oxidize fat. Thus, a relative defect in fat oxidation capacity is responsible for energy economy and hampered weight loss.

Diseases which are associated with obesity: Hypertension

The relationship between obesity and hypertension has been investigated in a large number of cross-sectional population studies and a smaller number of prospective, observational studies. The results indicate that in most populations, blood pressure increases linearly with increasing relative body weight or body mass index. The relationship is present across all subgroups, although the magnitude of the association appears greater in whites than blacks and greater in younger than older persons. It is estimated that as much as one-third of all hypertension may be attributable to obesity in populations where hypertension and obesity are widely prevalent. Evidence from prospective studies and clinical trials suggests that hypertension in obese patients increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and that drug treatment of hypertension reduces the risk.

However, it is uncertain whether the risks associated with hypertension and the benefits of treatment are as great in obese hypertensives as they are in lean hypertensives. The effects of weight reduction on blood pressure have been investigated in a small number of randomized, controlled trials involving a total of about 600 participants. Overall, the results of the trials indicate that weight reduction lowers blood pressure over intervals of up to one year. The magnitude of the blood pressure response appears to be directly proportional to the amount of weight loss achieved. However, the latter is inversely related to the length of follow-up. Adequate maintenance of weight loss remains a major problem for the much-needed, long-term trials of the effects of weight reduction on blood pressure and the cardiovascular complications of hypertension.

Diseases which are associated with obesity: Heart disease

Obesity is reaching epidemic levels in most parts of the world but the greatest concern is the trail of destruction this condition is leaving on the complications of the heart. How does this happen? Doctor Akoury explains:

Diseases which are associated with obesity: Obesity Leads to Blockage in the Arteries

Let us start by explaining what insulin is, this is a hormone that helps the body metabolize blood sugar, or glucose. When one is obese the insulin resistance goes up causing the body to be less effective in digesting glucose. The result of this is high blood sugar which facilitates the formation of pre-diabetes or diabetes. As we had said above, this is a serious risk factor for heart disease. And due to the ineffectiveness of insulin operations in the liver, triglycerides (fats) increases in the blood causing the bad cholesterol, or LDL to go up and good cholesterol or HDL to come down.

Remember that cholesterol is a chemical which is very vital to a number of functions in the body. However, too much level of cholesterol in the body can be harmful. LDL transport cholesterol from the liver and intestines to various parts of the body. During this transportation process, if there we have excess cholesterol the excess will build up in the walls of arteries throughout the body, including those in the heart and brain. HDL takes cholesterol from the walls of the arteries and carries it back to the liver and intestines where it can be excreted. When there is too little HDL to carry away the excess LDL, it leads to atherosclerosis, which is hardening and narrowing of the arteries. This is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Just to further on the relationship between obesity and heart diseases, obesity is also associated with increased risks of:

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Heart failure
  • Atrial fibrillation
Diseases which are associated with obesity: Coronary artery disease

Various studies have shown that an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in the overweight is real and realistic. This is because while studying some 300 000 adults for 7 years, it was established that about 9% increase in ischaemic-heart disease events for each unit change in BMI.46 moreover, obesity was associated with both fatty streaks and raised atherosclerotic lesions in the right coronary and left anterior descending coronary arteries specifically in young men. Nonetheless as for those individuals with pre-existing heart conditions the link between obesity and cardiovascular mortality is not very strong.

Diseases which are associated with obesity: Heart failure

Doctor Akoury explains that the relationship between obesity and heart failure is complex. According to the Framingham Study where some 6000 individuals with no heart failure records in the past but of age 55 were followed keenly for some14 years. Up on concluding the study, it was established that, the risk of developing heart failure was two-fold higher in obese individuals, in comparison with subjects with a normal body-mass index. On multivariate analysis adjusting for risk factors including hypertension, coronary artery disease and left ventricular hypertrophy, there was an excess risk of 5% in men and 7% in women for each 1 point increase in BMI. It was estimated that 11% of the cases of heart failure in men and 14% in women could be attributed to obesity alone. These complications can be very chronic and the sooner you tackle them the better. To help you get lasting solutions of all these, you will need to call doctor Akoury for an appointment to commence treatment.

Diseases which are associated with obesity – They are Chronic in nature

 

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Obesity in Atrial Fibrillation and Respiratory diseases

February 3, 2015

Obesity in Atrial Fibrillation and Respiratory diseases – The Experts opinion on Obesity

Obesity in Atrial Fibrillation and Respiratory diseases

Obesity in Atrial Fibrillation and Respiratory diseases are a great threat to the well being of humanity

If you have been with us for a while now we have been discussing about the connections between obesity and several chronic health implications. In our most immediate article doctor Dalal Akoury helped us to get the insight about the connection between diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases and their association with obesity and weight gain. In this article we want to continue with the discussion singling out obesity in atrial fibrillation and respiratory diseases. Like we had said before the kinds of health complications associated with obesity can be very fatal. That is why doctor Akoury founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to help address various health issues affecting the societies today. The decision of Dr. Akoury to create this medical center was guided by her desire to transform people’s lives through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to finding their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses primarily on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices tailored to primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. If you need help on matters pertaining addiction, weight gain, obesity, beauty among other health complications then you can schedule for an appointment with her today for professional treatment. In the meantime, let us get into the discussion of our topic (obesity in atrial fibrillation and respiratory diseases).

Obesity in Atrial Fibrillation and Respiratory diseases: Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is caused by an abnormal electrical system in the heart, which makes the upper chambers of the heart beat in a rapid and disorganized way. In some cases, the exact cause of atrial fibrillation is unknown, but conditions that affect the health of the heart, along with older age, are some of the known risk factors which may include:

The consequences of being obese is that, your heart may be damaged in the process leading to atrial fibrillation by causing pressure to build up in the blood vessels of the lungs. The implication of this is that pressure will be building up on the right side of the heart a factor that is always triggered by atrial. Remember that obesity also exacts pressure on your neck when sleeping. This compresses the neck and frustrates breathing a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea causes oxygen in the blood to dip down to dangerous levels, and that may cause functional and structural changes in the heart that trigger atrial fibrillation.

Obesity in Atrial Fibrillation and Respiratory diseases: Can Losing Weight Help?

When a problem like this one sets into the body the only logical thing to do is to find not just solutions, but lasting once. Therefore for lasting solutions the place to be is AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. The experts at this facility understand the implications of obesity in atrial fibrillation and so they will help you in the most natural way to reduce your excess weight.  In the process of losing weight, it is important that you know that if you already have atrial fibrillation then you must not relent in the process because health complications associated with obesity like high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetes has high potential of triggering stroke which is the primary danger of atrial fibrillation. Therefore for precautionary measures the following weight loss techniques will be very helpful for you:

  • Follow a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fats and rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
  • Be physically active for at least 30 minutes periodically on a weekly basis.
  • Ensure that your diabetes condition is put under good control.
  • Reduce your consumption of salt.
  • Sugar is not healthy so consume sparingly.
  • Quite smoking.
  • Avoid excess alcohol consumption.

Obesity in Atrial Fibrillation and Respiratory diseases: Respiratory disease

Obesity is a worldwide public health problem, and more than 50% of adults in the United States for example are believed to be overweight or obese. Like I have indicated earlier obesity is inclined with numerous medical diseases, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, and gall bladder disease. It is also associated with several abnormalities of respiratory function. Obesity is characterized by altered respiratory system mechanics, resulting in decreased lung volumes. This is related to decreased chest wall compliance from an elastic load on the chest and abdomen as well as decreased lung compliance resulting from the closure of dependent airways. Because of these abnormalities, a greater negative pleural pressure is needed to initiate airflow. Obese patients may also have reduced respiratory muscle strength. Respiratory system resistance is increased as a result of smaller airway caliber associated with decreased lung volumes. The resistance in the larger airways is typically normal. Some people with obesity may be hypoxemic, resulting from ventilation–perfusion mismatching, especially in the poorly expanded lung bases.

Sleep-disordered breathing, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and alveolar hypoventilation, is extremely common among obese people and can contribute to the development of pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. Morbidly obese patients are at increased risk for developing overt respiratory failure. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), which is usually seen in more severe obesity, is characterized by daytime hypercapnia, an impaired central respiratory drive, and nocturnal hypoventilation. Such people often develop pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale, and respiratory failure.

Obesity is a major cause of dyspnea, exercise intolerance, functional limitation, disability, and impaired quality of life. The following physiological conditions impair exercise tolerance:

  • Pulmonary function and gas exchange derangements
  • Increased metabolic rate relative to lean body mass
  • High metabolic (oxygen) cost to perform modest exercise
  • Exaggerated cardiorespiratory response to exercise
  • Circulatory impairment (claudication, microvascular disease, or both)
  • Cardiac impairment as a result of myocardial ischemia; pulmonary or systemic hypertension
  • Reduced respiratory muscle strength
  • Anxiety
  • Mechanical inefficiency
  • Musculoskeletal disturbances

Regular exercise is a crucial component of weight loss intervention programs. Exercise training, more so when put together with calorie restriction, can lead to decreased body weight and fat, increased fat-free mass, improved strength and endurance, and improved aerobic fitness. However, traditional weight loss programs are generally not configured to meet the needs of morbidly obese people or obese patients with gas exchange impairments or respiratory failure. Comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation is better suited to meet these complex needs, utilizing its components of exercise training (including recommendations for long-term adherence), collaborative self-management education, nutrition counseling, and psychological support for anxiety and depression while closely monitoring the patient’s respiratory status. Pulmonary rehabilitation can lead to lower body weight and improved functional status and health status in obese patients.

Goals of pulmonary rehabilitation for obese people with respiratory impairment include the following:

  • Increased exercise tolerance
  • Weight loss
  • Increased self-efficacy
  • Decreased disability and return to ADLs, hobbies, and work
  • Acclimatization to or optimization of use of CPAP or BiPAP
  • Optimal utilization of assistive equipment (related to mobility, self-care, and hygiene), home care services, and outpatient resources

Additional special considerations apply to the rehabilitation of people with morbid obesity and people with severe obesity with concomitant lower-extremity musculoskeletal disturbances. In general, such rehabilitation requires special equipment that can accommodate people of extreme weight. Morbidly obese people may not be able to use standard exercise equipment such as cycle ergometers and treadmills. Staff members must be familiar with the weight limits of the equipment in their programs. Walking, low-impact aerobics, and water-based activities are suitable forms of aerobic exercise for these patients. Recumbent bicycles, bariatric walkers, quad canes, commodes, wheelchairs, lifts, scales, and beds specially designed for obese people are commercially available. Extra staff may be needed to assist the morbidly obese patient with ambulation, transfers, stair climbing, and bed mobility. Extra-wide chairs that can accommodate extra weight should be available.

Obesity in Atrial Fibrillation and Respiratory diseases – The Experts opinion on Obesity

 

 

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