Five Important Medical Tests You Need To Take

Julie Chen, MD, in To Your Health, suggests these top five tests to see if you are generally healthy:

• comprehensive metabolic panel--a blood test to assess electrolyte and mineral levels, and liver and kidney function

• complete blood count--checks platelets, red and white blood cells

• lipid panel--checks cholesterol and triglyceride levels

• fasting glucose level--checks sugar levels

• thyroid panel--TSH levels for thyroid function, sometimes T3 and T4 also

These tests monitor your health status, and if you are taking any vitamins or medications, are recommended on a yearly basis.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate
American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170,
Bakersfield, CA 93309

Alert: Cervical Cancer Screening Necessary To Age 70

A study reported in the journal Cancer has found that cervical cancer rates in women aged 65 to 69 years and in African-American women may be higher than previously recognized.  It suggests that the incidence of the disease steadily increases with age and peaks at a higher rate and at an older age (65-69 years).

The study notes that while complete hysterectomy confers protection against future invasive cervical cancer, after hysterectomy rates are removed from the statistics, the rate of cervical cancer is actually higher. The researchers suggest that women should continue screening until they have three negative paps or two negative human papillomavirus (HPV)/PAP test combinations in the 10 years prior to stopping, including negative tests within 5 years.

for greater detail, see: www.cancertherapyadvisor.com

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Related: Childhood Weight--Salivary Biomarkers--Diabetes Risk

A study published in PLOS ONE reports on altered levels of salivary biomarkers in obese children which indicate the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The Forsythe Institute, in Cambridge, Mass., evaluated 744 11-year-old children who were underweight, of normal healthy weight, overweight, or obese.

Salivary samples were taken after fasting and analyzed for 20 biomarkers, including insulin, C-reactive protein, adiponectin and leptin.  They found that these markers changed significantly with increasing obesity.

This is another example of how salivary testing can be used in preventive health treatment.

Source: JADA, 8/1/2014, vol. 145, no. 8, 802

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Enjoy Healthy Habits, Live Longer--Details

There is a fun and informative site at Hive Health Media.

A blog post by Doug Robb detailed how adults who perform at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week live longer than those who don't.

Check it out: www.healthhabits.ca/2012/12/18/how-to-live-longer-and-better/

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

American Heart Association Says Sugar Is Bad News

The American Heart Association explains how sugar drinks and heart disease go together. A study compared men who did and did not consume sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of coronary heart disease.

Researchers followed 42,883 health professionals for a period of 22 years.  They adjusted for age, smoking, physical activity, alcohol, multivitamins, family history, diet quality, energy intake, BMI, pre-enrollment weight change and dieting.

They found that intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (and not artificially sweetened beverages) was significantly associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease and adverse changes in lipids, inflammatory factors and leptin.

circ.ahajournals.org


Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Are All Calories Equal?

We all know the mantra:  "calories in, calories out."  The idea is to expend more energy (calories) than you are taking in and you will lose weight.  Also, as part of this particular equation, is the idea that it doesn't really matter what you eat, as long as you don't eat too much of it.

More recent research shows that the quality of the calories ingested does make a difference.  Refined carbohydrates--white rice, pasta, crackers, cookies, and candy--get converted into glucose quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar and a consequent release of insulin by the pancreas.  The rapid blood sugar-insulin spikes lead to high cholesterol, diabetes and other negative health effects.

The lesson is that the research shows some calories produce fat storage and weight gain more than others.
Source:  AARP

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Overweight Equals Earlier Death

A paper in the New England Journal of Medicine that pooled data from 19 prospective studies that included 1.46 million white adults compared BMI Index and mortality.

The age of the adults ranged from 19 to 84, with a median of 58.  The studies ranged from 5 to 25 years in duration.  The researchers took into account differences in age, the nature of the study, physical activity, alcohol consumption, education and marital status.

The conclusion of the study was that overweight and obesity are associated with increased all-cause mortality.  All-cause mortality is generally lowest with a BMI of 20.0 to 24.9.

Source: N Engl J Med, DOI: 10,1056

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

AARP Recommended Minute Minders

The current AARP Magazine has these 60-second health boosters:

• Kick off your shoes--at the front door, to keep from tracking allergen-loaded soil and pollen throughout the house
• Give someone a squeeze--a 10-second hug lowers blood pressure by increasing the feel-good hormone oxytocin and lowering the stress-chemical cortisol
• Drink your watermelon--a tall glass of watermelon juice can relieve muscle soreness with its high levels of the amino acid L-citrulline
• Remember your feet--the tops of toes and tips of ears burn easily and need sunscreen
• Savor a slice--a cucumber slice pressed to the roof of the mouth for 90 seconds can help eliminate bad breath by increasing saliva flow
• Stick out your tongue--and scrape it, to reduce bad breath and protect against gum disease, colds and tooth decay.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate,
American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Caring For Aging Parents

As our parents age, we take care of them more and more.  I see this often in my patient population--either the side of the coin in which seniors are brought in for treatment by their grown children, or the other in which adult patients share their experiences as they are more and more responsible for their parents.  We have many in-depth discussions, and my personal experiences of having a father in his late 80's with progressive Alzheimer's disease still living at home with  my mother, or my father-in-law, aged 90, living with us, add to the discussion.

I remember well an L.A. Times article in which the author wrote about his aging and dependent parent--acknowledging that his father had a powerful need to maintain control over his life when the difficulties that came with age made it not possible.  He understood his father still nurtured the deep desire to see and appreciate that his life had meant something, that his legacy was consolidated. This phenomenon will become more frequent as the boomer generation ages.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate,
American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Oh, My, BMI!

Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a common way of measuring body fat.  It is determined by dividing an individual's body weight in kg by the square of their height in meters (kg/m2).

• Normal: BMI 18.5-24.9
• Overweight: 25.0-29.9 --13% higher risk of death
• Obesity Class I: 30.0-34.0 -- 44% higher risk of death
• Obesity Class II: 35.0-39.9 -- 88% higher risk of death
• Obesity Class III: 40.0-49.9 -- 250% higher risk of death

31.6% of U.S. adults are at a healthy weight.
68% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

The Lupus Implications of Staph Infections

Chronic exposure to even small amounts of staph bacteria could be a risk factor for the chronic inflammatory disease lupus, Mayo Clinic research shows.  Staph, short for Staphyloccus aureus, is a germ commonly found on the skin or in the nose, sometimes causing infections.  In the Mayo study, mice were exposed to low doses of a protein found in staph and developed a lupus-like disease, with kidney disease and autoantibodies like those found in the blood of lupus patients.  The findings are published online this month in the Journal of Immunology.

Research on Lupus  

The next step is to study lupus patients to see if the staph protein in question plays a similar role in humans. "We think this protein could be an important clue to what may cause or exacerbate lupus in certain genetically predisposed patients," Dr. Vaidehi Chowdhary, co-author, says.  "Our hope is to confirm these findings in lupus patients and hopefully prevent flares."  In the mice studied, a staph protein activated white blood cells, leading to an inflammatory illness mirroring lupus.

Research on people has shown that carrying staph bacteria is linked to autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, Kawasaki disease and granulomatosis with polyangilitis.  Since the cause of lupus is still unknown, the discovery of the staph protein's role is exciting, Dr. Chowdhary says.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Apple or Pear Shape ?--Metabolic Syndrome

Are you an apple or a pear?  Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions--increased blood pressure, high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist ("apple shape") or abnormal cholesterol levels-- that occur together.  When these conditions occur in combination, your risk for serious disease is greater.  The symptoms are:  obesity--having a waist circumference of 40 inches or more for men and 35 or more for women; increased blood pressure--numbers higher than 130/85 on both scales; high blood sugar level--fasting blood glucose 100mg/dL or more; and high cholesterol--triglycerides of 150 mg/dL or more and HDL of less than 40 (men) or 50 (women).

The syndrome is linked to the body's metabolism, to a condition called insulin resistance.  Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps control the amount of sugar in the bloodstream.  Normally, the digestive system breaks down foods into sugar (glucose).  Blood carries glucose to the tissues, where cells use it as fuel.  Glucose enters the cells with the help of insulin.  In people with insulin resistance, cells don't respond normally and glucose doesn't enter as readily.  As a result, glucose levels in the blood rise despite the body's attempt to control the glucose by producing more insulin.  The higher levels of insulin in the blood can lead to diabetes.  Even if levels aren't high enough to be considered diabetes, the elevated glucose level can still be harmful and is referred to as "prediabetes."  

The risk of metabolic syndrome increases with age, with 40% of people in their 60s being affected.  What to do?  All of the components of metabolic syndrome can be improved by lifestyle changes:  getting more physical activity (30 minutes per day), losing weight (as little as 5 to 10% of body weight), eating a diet that limits fats and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and stopping smoking.  Regular checkups with your physician to monitor your progress are good too. 

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

S-T-R-E-T-C-H!!!

Many of us have strenuous  jobs.  Dentistry is one of them.  For the last 30 years, I have found considerable benefit from treatment by chiropractors.

They believe there are five health-related components of physical fitness:

• muscular strength
• muscular endurance
• cardiorespiratory endurance
• body composition
• flexibility

Flexibility is the ability to move your joints and muscles through a normal range of motion, and a regular flexibility and stretching program has the following benefits:

• increased circulation to muscles, nourishing them, eliminating waste products and decreasing recovery time after injury
• improved posture with loose muscles and less discomfort
• better coordination due to improved range of motion to maximize balance and mobility
• stress relief, because loose muscles are less likely to spasm during periods of tension

Several health-related web sites have simple stretching programs available.  Finding a routine that best fits your lifestyle can make you feel better and younger!


Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309 (map)

Heart Attack Cause and Prevention

What you need to control

There are major risk factors for a heart attack that you can control:

• Smoking:  quit or cut back
• High blood pressure:  your doctor can prescribe medicine to
  keep it under control
• High cholesterol:  medication, a diet low in saturated fats,
  trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars
• Overweight or obesity:  lose unwanted pounds
• Diabetes:  control blood sugar with medication and diet
• Lack of physical activity:  become as active as possible

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309 (map)