This week, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force came out with new recommendations on the use of daily low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes. In fact, the recommendations are so new they aren’t on their official website yet as I write this. The short version is that they think fewer people should be taking aspirin daily due to the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. However, just last year this same task force said that more people should be taking aspirin daily!

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Consider these statements:

All I want is to slim my thighs down.

I’m trying to get a flatter stomach. You know, maybe even a nice 6-pack?

My butt is so big! I just hate it!

Will you just look at this flab on the back of my arm??

It’s easy to get caught up in the simple logic of “If I work my legs, I’ll burn fat there.” Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. The truth is that spot reduction does not work. It never has worked, it never will work. All those ab gizmos won’t flatten your tummy. All those stair-climbers and stationary bikes and elliptical machines won’t slim your legs or shrink your butt.

In fact, that might make your problem worse.

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One of the great things about medicine is that experts tend to gather together into groups, like say: The North American Menopause Society. This organization of nurses, nurse midwifes, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, and psychologists is on a mission. That mission is the best possible management of menopause for women as they age. The new issue of their descriptively titled journal, Menopause, contains their position statement on hormone replacement therapy. When I started medical school every woman who complained of an end to her periods and “hot flashes” got hormone therapy. It’s more complicated now. Read the rest of this entry »

New Paper actually says “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”

Why? Because it’s good for your heart! There is a link to a PDF of the paper in the first paragraph of the linked article, and yes, the title really is “Don’t worry, be happy: positive affect and reduced 10-year incident coronary heart disease.” In a study of over 1700 adults, Canadian researchers found that people with a positive outlook had a reduced risk of heart disease. This suggests that controlling depression is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.

I Can See Clearly Now

Another study of over 600 elderly people shows how important regular vision screening is. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that patients with untreated vision problems were at increased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. They point out that “Proper vision is a requirement for many of the activities that previously have been found to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. These include reading, playing board games, other mentally stimulating activities, social networking, as well as physical activity such as walking and routine exercising. A visual disorder may interfere with normal mobility and may also hinder a person’s ability to participate in such activities.” So remember to include vision screening among your regular check-ups.

One of the great exercise controversies of the last few decades is whether most people are better off doing cardio exercise or strength resistance training. One side states that cardio is the way forward, and that heart-pumping workouts such as biking, swimming, running, hiking, aerobic dance, and even walking are the best way to get and stay fit. The other side insists that you need good old fashioned resistance training, either with your own body weight or with equipment such as barbells to really call yourself fit.

The answer: You need both.

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