Newswise,
October 18, 2011 — Below are tips from The
Methodist Hospital in Houston on how to
enjoy the holiday season by managing stress,
avoiding excessive caffeine and eating a
healthier diet. To follow up on any of these
helpful tips, contact information can be
found below.
Holiday stress could be particularly bad for women
Since women are usually the primary drivers behind
organizing family visits and feasts, they may experience
more stress than men during the holidays, and that can
be bad for heart health.
Cardiovascular disease can be made worse -- and even
caused -- by stress, says Methodist DeBakey Heart &
Vascular Center cardiologist Karla Kurrelmeyer, M.D.
Kurrelmeyer says women don't always know they're
experiencing a cardiac event, in part because symptoms
for women are not always as recognizable as they are for
men.
A survey in 2006 showed women believe
they are at greater risk for breast and
other types of cancer and even HIV/AIDS
than cardiovascular disease. As a
result, women are less likely than men
to believe they're having a heart attack
and more likely to delay seeking
emergency treatment.
The reality is cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause
of death in women. Approximately half a million women
die of cardiovascular problems every year—about 17
percent more women die than men yearly. The rate of
cardiovascular-related deaths in American women has not
declined over the last 30 years. Even if it is 10
minutes before the Thanksgiving meal, women need to pay
attention to the symptoms (listed below) of a heart
attack.
• Extreme weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath;
• Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest,
arm or below the breastbone;
• Sweating, nausea, vomiting or dizziness;
• Fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling;
• Rapid or irregular heartbeats.
Drinking more caffeine this holiday season could be bad
for your health
You may want to think twice about that extra
cup of coffee to help you through a busy
holiday shopping day. “Many people won’t get
enough sleep during the holidays and will
drink numerous cups of coffee or high energy
drinks so they’ll have enough energy to
finish shopping and attend numerous
parties,” said Dr. Joshua Septimus, an
internist with The Methodist Hospital in
Houston. “Most will use caffeine to push
their bodies to the extreme, when they could
get just as much energy from a good night’s
sleep.”
Septimus says heavy doses of caffeine (between 500 and
600 milligrams or about four to seven cups of coffee)
will not only cause difficulty sleeping, but can also
increase your heart rate, cause muscle tremors and
headaches. Doctors recommend drinking no more than 200
milligrams of caffeine (about two cups of regular
coffee) a day.
Holiday overeating could endanger those with type 2
diabetes
Eating excessive fat, carbohydrates and salt is common
during the holidays. Not only can that diet lead to
weight gain, but it could also cause far more damaging
health problems.
“People who are unaware they have type 2 diabetes are
putting themselves at great risk by indulging in this
type of diet during the holidays or any time of the
year,” said Dr. Dale J. Hamilton, an endocrinologist and
diabetes specialist with The Methodist Hospital in
Houston. “They are opening themselves up to heart
disease, stroke, kidney failure, lower limb amputations
and blindness.”
More than 17 million Americans have type 2 diabetes. In
2010, nearly two million new cases were diagnosed, and
if the current trend continues, one in three adults will
have the disease by 2050. Hamilton suggests limiting
carbohydrates including white bread, white rice,
potatoes and pasta, as well as cured meats that contain
high levels of salt. With or without diabetes, Hamilton
says when combined with other high fat foods, this diet
can put a strain on the heart, elevate blood pressure,
cause shortness of breath, and heart failure
