Entries by Chet Zelasko

Research Update on Sarcopenia

We know what sarcopenia is, but what can be done about it? Recent research may give us a clue. Researchers in the United Kingdom examined a variety of variables related to sarcopenia in a group of men. Remember, a motor unit is a nerve and all the muscle fibers to which it attaches. They looked […]

So You Lose a Little Muscle—So What?

Any of my former students who read the Memo should remember the following definition quite well: A motor unit is a nerve and all the muscle fibers to which it attaches. It’s called a unit because both sides of that equation are important. Muscle fibers contract when stimulated by a nerve. Reduce the number of […]

Exercise: It All Counts

Here’s something to ponder the rest of the week: why do you exercise? If you don’t, what would your purpose be if you did? I think there are two primary reasons. First, burning calories helps lose weight. Second, if you exercise regularly, you might live longer. But then you hit those exercise recommendations: 150 minutes […]

Freeze Your Way to Weight Loss?

If you pay any attention to the news, you may have heard about a recent pilot study: researchers exposed the vagus nerve to freezing temperatures—the nerve that controls hunger. They apparently didn’t freeze it solid, but just enough to slow down the transmission of signals. Without any other interventions, the 10 subjects lost an average […]

Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes: EBM in Practice

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has established guideline statements for the management of HbA1c in non-pregnant adults using medication. They considered the research behind guidelines set by four other major physician organizations for treating type 2 diabetes. After reviewing that data, they have proposed four guidelines for use when treating patients. These are non […]

What Is Evidence-Based Medicine?

The term evidence-based medicine (EBM) dominates the scientific literature related to the treatment of disease. In short, the use of EBM is intended to treat patients based on the best available science and research; only the largest, best designed, and strongest studies are used when setting up the standards for treatment. That seems to make […]

A New Approach to HbA1c

Type 2 diabetes is a significant problem in North America and it’s spreading throughout the entire world. The treatment standard has always focused on controlling blood sugar, especially HbA1c. Normal is less than 5.7%. For most individuals, reducing the HbA1c to under 6.5% has been the goal for pharmacologic treatment. HbA1c is a protein found […]

Spring Break!

Paula and I are taking this week off for Spring Break, but as you can see we’re spending it in Michigan where it isn’t exactly beach weather. We’ll be back with more health news next week. What are you prepared to do today? Dr. Chet

The Truth Behind the Obesity Paradox

In my opinion, the short answer to the obesity paradox is that it doesn’t really exist. But what fun would that be? That doesn’t teach you anything. Let’s take a look at the problems with the research that contributed to this paradox.   Study One: Dialysis, BMI, and Mortality A study of dialysis patients led […]

Does a Little Extra Weight Keep You Alive?

The Rotterdam Study was begun in 1991 to investigate the risk factors of cardiovascular, neurological, ophthalmological, and endocrine diseases in people 55 and older (1). The study is still ongoing, but periodically subsets of subjects are examined to find out which characteristics are associated with these diseases. In a study published in 2001, researchers reported […]