Health calendar

Exercise helps, whether you lose weight or not

If you exercise routinely and still can’t lose that excess weight, don’t stop working out. Exercise improves your health regardless of whether you lose weight.

A study by University of South Carolina researcher Duck-chul Lee found lower rates of heart disease and stroke-related death and, in fact, death by any cause among people who maintain or improve their fitness level. The research was reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

“This is good news for people who are physically active but can’t seem to lose weight,” said Lee, the study’s lead researcher and a physical activity epidemiologist in the Department of Exercise Science at USC’s Arnold School of Public Health. “You can worry less about your weight as long as you continue to maintain or increase your fitness levels.”

There are some caveats. The study dealt with 14,345 adult men, mostly white and middle or upper class. About 90 percent were normal weight or overweight. Few were obese, and Lee said the results don’t apply to the severely obese.

But the findings should be encouraging for men who feel like they need to lose a little weight and can’t seem to do it with regular exercise.

Researchers recorded changes in body mass index and physical fitness over six years, using treadmill tests to measure fitness. After more than 11 years of follow-up, researchers determined the relative risks of dying among men who lost, maintained or gained fitness over the first six years.

Every unit of increased fitness – scientifically measured as MET, or metabolic equivalent of task – over six years was associated with a 19 percent lower risk of heart disease and stroke-related deaths and a 15 percent lower risk of death from any cause.

The study also noted that maintaining or improving fitness lessened death risks, becoming less fit increased death risks, but changes in weight (measured as body mass index) made little difference in death risks.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and an unrestricted grant from Coca-Cola.

Medical home successes back theory

Health leaders for the past few years have been preaching the value of patient-centered medical homes, and a project in the Lowcountry is adding to their evidence.

The medical home system is an approach that makes the primary care physician the leader of a medical team and links insurance reimbursements with results. In addition to the standard fee for treatment, the medical team gets a bonus if patients get better.

In the Charleston area for the past two years, patient-centered medical teams coordinated the care for about 800 diabetes patients in the BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina. Palmetto Primary Care Physicians hired care coordinators specifically for this group of patients. The care coordinators contacted patients regularly and helped them through the complexities of the healthcare system.

In the two years, which ended recently, the patients had 14.7 percent fewer inpatient hospital days and 25.9 percent fewer emergency room visits. They had better control of their blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels.

“This reinforces our belief that patient-centered medical homes are the front line to better outcomes, better health and lower costs for our members,” said Dr. Laura Long, BlueCross’ vice president of clinical quality and health management.

This patient-centered medical home was BlueCross’ first in the state. BlueCross has since established patient-centered medical homes for heart failure patients with primary care practices at the University of South Carolina Family Medicine practice in Columbia and Mackey Family Practice in Lancaster.

BlueCross is expanding the model to other locations in South Carolina. In addition to diabetes, some programs will focus on high blood pressure.

Don’t let the holidays get the best of you

The holiday period can be depressing, if you let it. The local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness shares a few tips on how to keep your equilibrium this month.

•  Eat right, get plenty of rest and exercise regularly. Set realistic goals, organize your time, make lists, prioritize, and make a budget and follow it. Let go of the past and create new or different ways to celebrate. Allow yourself to feel those emotions of sad, lonely or melancholy. They are normal feelings.

•  Do something for someone else. Enjoy activities that are free. Spend time with people who care about you. Spend time with new people or a different set of friends or family.

•  Contact someone with whom you have lost touch. Treat yourself as a special holiday guest.

•  Don’t drink too much alcohol or overindulge in holiday foods, especially those high in sugar and fat. Don’t have unrealistic expectations of yourself or others. Don’t spend money on what you don’t have.

Generic version of Lipitor now available

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week approved the first generic version of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor.

Lipitor is a statin, a type of drug that lowers cholesterol in the body by blocking an enzyme in the liver. It is used along with a low-fat diet to lower the LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

While other generic statin drugs have been introduced in recent years, the new generic version will lower drug costs for those who stuck with Lipitor. Generic versions should be in pharmacies within a few weeks, the FDA said.

Generic drugs approved by FDA have the same high quality and strength as brand-name drugs. The generic manufacturing and packaging sites must pass the same quality standards as those of brand-name drugs.

Learn how to feel young

Amanda Bryant, regional representative for The Foundation for Wellness Professionals, will share tips and natural techniques for maintaining youthful energy with a healthy lifestyle Thursday at the monthly Lunch and Learn at the Capital Senior Center.

The presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m. and last about an hour. Lunch and Learn events are held the second Thursday of each month at the center, 1560 Park Circle, Columbia. While beverages and dessert are provided, participants are expected to bring their own bag lunch. Reservations are recommended (after all they have to know how many desserts to prepare).

Information: (803) 779-1971

Rampage with Rudolph at Harbison

Looking for something fun and healthy to do outside the week before Christmas?

If you’re already in great shape, you might want to head out to Harbison State Forest for the Rudolph’s Rampage events – a half marathon and 10K trail run on Dec. 17 and mountain bike race on Dec. 18. You can try one or the other, but why not be a glutton and attempt both.

If you’re not in great shape, the state forest in Columbia at 5600 Broad River Road also has short, easy hiking trails and gravel roads suitable for low-key bike rides.

Information: www.activecolumbia.com

Free wellness weekend focuses on women

The Drew Wellness Center will offer a free Community Wellness Weekend for Women Saturday and Sunday.

The center, at 2101 Solomon Way in Columbia, will be open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and 2-6 p.m. Sunday. A health fair, complete with health screenings and free massages, is scheduled Saturday.

The center features an indoor pool, indoor walking track, weight and cardio machines and a basketball court.

Brain injury victims sought for study

The University of South Carolina is seeking individuals 18 or older who have had traumatic brain injury to participate in a study on mobility and balance.

The study, which is being conducted by Stacy Fritz and Roger Newman-Norlund in the Arnold School of Public Health, is examining whether increased, intensive physical therapy can improve walking and balance in individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injury that affects the use of their limbs.

For 20 days, all participants will receive intensive, three-hour training that concentrates on walking and balance. The entire study will last four months, and individuals will be compensated for their time. Sessions will take place in the Arnold School’s Public Health Research Center, located at the corner of Assembly and College streets.

To qualify, individuals must have been injured more than three months ago, have the ability to follow commands, communicate the presence and location of pain, and walk 10 meters.

Interested individuals will be screened by the department of physical therapy rehabilitation lab staff and, if they meet the qualifications, will attend evaluations sessions before entering the therapy program.

Information: RehabLab@mailbox.sc.edu, (803) 777-2627, or www.sph.sc.edu/dpt

/dpt-rehab/brain

_injury.htm

Compiled by Joey Holleman