September 2007: Health Briefs from Baylor Health Care System

A Year of Living Less Dangerously: Annual Tests That Can Help Keep You Healthy

It can seem impossible to keep track of all the screenings you're supposed to have, but this helpful list can get you started on 12 months of healthy living. Start with a phone call to your doctor. He or she can recommend self-tests and help you set up the screening tests that may uncover health problems early, when they're most treatable.

Your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent screenings for you, based on your family history or other risk factors. Physicians on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie, recommend the following screening tests.

Under 40
Men and women:

• Blood pressure. Age 18 and older, every two years if normal.
• Cholesterol. Start at age 20, at least every five years.
• Skin cancer. Adults 20 to 39, every three years. Self-test: Once a month, look over your skin for any changes.
• Diabetes. "If you have any of the following risk factors for diabetes, you should talk to your doctor about including a fasting glucose test as part of your annual physical," says Jeffrey Astbury, M.D., an internal medicine physician on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie.

Women:

• Breast self-exam once a month. "No one knows your body as well as you do, so check your breasts every month for any abnormalities. Even if you're not sure about what you find, get it checked out anyway just to be on the safe-side," says Jasbir Singh, M.D., obstetrician and gynecologist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie.
• Clinical breast exam by a physician, annually.
• Mammogram. Screening mammograms starting annually at age 40.
• Pap smear (cervical cancer). Annually beginning at age 21 or as soon as sexually active.

Men:

• Testicular self-exam once a month. Check each testicle for any lumps or swelling.

Over 40
Men and women:

• Continue self-tests and screenings recommended for those under 40 and add:
• Skin cancer after age 40, once a year.
• Colorectal cancer. Have a sigmoidoscopy with digital rectal exam every five years starting at age 50, or consider the more thorough colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 50. You also should consider having a fecal occult blood test annually after age 50. "This test is linked with a 33 percent reduction in mortality—that's impressive for a test that's very easy to do," says Jason Nordstrom, M.D., an internist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie.

Women:

• Clinical breast exam by a physician annually after age 40.
• Mammogram annually starting at age 40.
• Bone density scan. Ask your doctor whether you should have a bone density scan. If you're over 65, you should have your bone density tested.

Men:

• Prostate cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends a digital rectal exam and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test annually for men 50 and older. If you're African American and/or have a family history of prostate cancer, you should have a digital exam and PSA annually starting at age 40.

Screen Test

• If you would like recommendations on what types of screenings you need, visit our Health Library and select a Test.

The Skinny on Detox Diets

Celebrities, naturalists and thousands of dieters swear by them saying they can not only help you lose weight in a hurry, but also cleanse your system. Drop 10 pounds in 10 days or how about 30 pounds in a month while ridding your body of toxins? It's just some of what detox diets promise, but what's the real skinny?

"Obviously you're going to lose weight so you might fit into that tight gown, but it's definitely not going to be long term," says Cynthia Wilder, M.D., internist on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.

The premise of most of these quick-weight loss solutions is that for days to weeks you replace all meals with liquids.

"In general these detox diets are based on the fact that you're not eating any calories, a lot of times you'll drink juices or some sort of prepared mixed drink," explains Dr. Wilder. "And most of the weight you're losing is going to be water weight."

Just as soon as you begin eating normally, you'll most likely gain the weight back experts say.

"And it's possible after two or three weeks on these very restrictive diets that your body's mechanism is going to think that your starving so it's likely when you start eating a normal caloric intake that you actually gain more weight back," says Dr. Wilder.

And not only might it be ineffective over the long run, a detox diet can even be dangerous.

"It might cause electrolyte abnormalities, it could make you sick, it could interact poorly with medications and it may be that it causes you to pass out or go to the hospital because of dehydration," warns Dr. Wilder.

Now what about the idea that your body needs a periodic cleanse? That idea has actually never been proven. Your body cleanses itself daily using the liver, the kidneys, the gastrointestinal system and the lungs.

Some detox diets allow you to eat fruits and vegetables. Eating more fruits and vegetables as a part of any diet is good and so is drinking more liquids, namely water, but remember that over the long term you need calcium from dairy products, protein from meat products, etc. to be healthy.

Healthfully Navigating the Aisles of Your Grocery Store is Easier Than You Think

When you're trying to manage your weight, a grocery store can offer plenty of tempting treats, but there are many healthy options to find as well. Next time you go shopping, arm yourself with these simple strategies:

Plan ahead. Think about healthy meals you can prepare for the coming week and use a shopping list so you'll stick to healthful ingredients, says Pam T. Davis, R.D., L.D., a certified diabetes educator at Baylor Medical Center at Garland. "And don't shop when you're hungry or in a hurry," she adds. "When people make this mistake, they tend to impulse buy."

Beware of advertising. "Any time you see something that is interesting and new, remember that the front of the package is just advertising and marketing," says Elizabeth Schaub, R.D., L.D., a certified diabetes educator at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. "You need to flip it over and review the nutrition information and the ingredients. "Even foods touting low fat or low sugar can be high in calories."

Get the facts straight. With a nutrition label, note how many servings are in the package. "The information listed on the label reflects a one-serving portion," says Paige Vogl, R.D., L.D., a certified diabetes educator at Baylor Medical Center at Southwest Fort Worth. "So if you consume the entire package and there is more than one serving per package, you have to figure that into the total calories, fat and other nutrient values."

Try new fruits and veggies. "Sometimes we get into a rut and tend to purchase the same things over and over," Vogl says. "Each fruit and vegetable is going to have a little bit different nutrient composition. If you're only eating bananas and green beans, you're going to be missing out on the nutrients that other produce might offer. Have some variety—ideally from day to day, but weekly at least."

Buy fresh. Favor fresh foods over prepackaged convenience items, which are typically found in interior aisles, Schaub advises. An exception: If you're short on time, frozen vegetables are easy additions to a meal, Davis says, and you can quickly prepare them by steaming or microwaving.

Dining Smart
When eating out, follow these guidelines:

• Choose whole-wheat bread instead of white.
• Ask for sauces and dressings on the side.
• Order food steamed, grilled or broiled, not fried or sautéed.
• If main portions are large, order an appetizer or side dish as your entrée, or share a dish with a friend.
• Choose fruits as your dessert.
• Opt for menu items rather than "all-you-can-eat" buffets.

Do Lip Plumpers Really Work?

Many of us would love a sexier pout with fuller, thicker lips—it's what many plumpers promise—but can you really find plumper lips in a tube?

"Down in the second level of your skin the ingredients in the plumper will actually cause low grade inflammation which causes your body to pull water and swell up," says Lisa Garner, M.D., dermatologist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Garland.

And that's not all. Most also act like a coating—filling in the cracks in your lips—making them look smoother, but experts warn that your newfound plumpness will quickly pass.

"It could last minutes to hours and again that would depend on the amount of inflammation and how much reaction they had to it," explains Dr. Garner.

So could there be any potential problems with frequent plumping?

"For one thing it will eventually create sensitivity and irritation on the surface of your skin," says Dr. Garner.

Also, by keeping your lips somewhat swollen they can stretch out.

"So then when you remove the swelling," adds Dr. Garner. "Now you actually have more wrinkles and your lips could actually look smaller than they did before you ever used the plumper."

Experts say though that there is no downside to applying these lip plumpers occasionally. Although they do cause inflammation, they are not at all dangerous to use. The only consumers who should be careful with them are those who have known allergies to certain cosmetics.

The lip plumpers that work by causing this inflammatory reaction are sold over-the-counter and can be found everywhere from convenience stores to the cosmetic counters at high-end retailers.