Observations from the Road: Fitness vs. a Healthy Heart

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As I finish my observations from my last trip, I’m on another trip to Austin to do another seminar. I’m sure I’ll have other things to talk about because I’m always looking and listening.

During my run a week ago in Denver, I repeatedly passed two women who were out for an early morning walk. They carried on a conversation the entire time. I think that’s great; having a walking or running buddy or group can get you moving on those days when you don’t want to, and sometimes the gossip is what gets . . .

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Observations from the Road: Ankle and Wrist Weights

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As I was running Sunday morning before the flight home from Denver, a woman about 60 was walking around the lake path. She had on the requisite earphones listening to something, bandana to keep her hair in place, and ankle weights. I don’t see them much anymore and that’s good. Research shows that they provide no benefit and in some cases, can cause harm.

The perceived benefit is that a person wearing ankle weights or carrying weights in their hands when they walk will get some additional benefit, perhaps increasing muscle strength or burning more calories. One would . . .

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Observations from the Road: The Mile-High City

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Whenever I travel, I observe people and especially what they do. This past weekend was no different as I traveled to Denver to do a seminar. Because Denver is called The Mile-High City, I thought altitude was a great place to begin.

There are at least two things that happen when you move from sea level to 5,000 feet: the oxygen level of the air drops about 3%, and the density of the air decreases. The net effect to the body is that it’s more difficult for the hemoglobin of your blood to saturate with oxygen and . . .

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Type 2 Diabetes: The Only Cure

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In this week’s messages, I’ve looked at medications and bariatric surgery as cures for type 2 diabetes. They’re treatments that can help with the symptoms, but they’re not cures. Considering the expense and the side effects of both, they’re not even very desirable treatments.

Let me be clear: they’re both effective, but effective and desirable are two different things. Reducing blood sugar and HbA1c are critical to slow the damage to the body caused by type 2 diabetes; we’re lucky those options are available. If your doctor wants you to do either, especially . . .

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Type 2 Diabetes: Is Surgery the Cure?

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About 20 years ago, I attended a conference on obesity convened by the National Institutes of Health. Every weight loss expert who was anybody was there and every approach to weight loss was discussed. The conclusion of the ending panel discussion was that while the concept for weight loss is simple, it’s not easy to sustain weight loss. At that point, a physician summarized the conference something like this: “What you’re saying is that after all the data presented this week, bariatric surgery is the most successful way to lose weight and maintain it?” It didn’t really . . .

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Type 2 Diabetes: Is Medication the Cure?

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When I work out on the elliptical trainer in the fitness center, I wear ear plugs so I can think without the loud music but I can see the television monitors. A commercial came on that showed people having a wonderful time. Out for a walk. In the pool. Grooving at work. Pictures with family. It took a while to figure out that it was a commercial for a type 2 diabetes medication. I can understand why people might find the medication appealing. Everyone was having a ball!

The best that type 2 diabetes medication can do is to keep . . .

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Prediabetes: What Now?

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The messages this week have talked about the risk factors for prediabetes and how many people don’t know what they are. It’s time to change that, at least in those of you who read the messages. Please feel free to pass them along to anyone you feel might also be unaware.

How do you know if you’re actually prediabetic? It requires a blood test for a specific protein called HbA1c. This protein indicates the amount of sugar that’s been in your blood stream for the past 90 days. The number for your blood sugar might be . . .

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Prediabetes Risk Factors

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Based on the recently published study that showed only about 12% of those who were pre-diabetic realized it, it’s time to provide you with a list of risk factors for prediabetes. Let’s get right to it.

Weight
The higher your Body Mass Index, the greater your risk. You can check out your BMI in the Health Info section of drchet.com.

Waist Circumference
The larger your waist, the greater the risk. Men should be less than 40 inches and women less than 35 inches . . .

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Diabetes: Are You in the Dark?

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As I was doing intervals at the middle school running track last week, several trucks from the town showed up and began to erect a tent, most likely for the 4th of July festivities the following day. As they began to erect the tent, a woman who appeared to be their supervisor showed up with what looked like a dozen donuts, based on the box. It’s a nice gesture and seemed to be appreciated, but in my opinion, it was not the best choice.

I can’t stop myself from watching and evaluating people as I go about my . . .

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The Bottom Line on Tattoos and Skin Cancer

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Based on the research to date, there doesn’t appear to be a significant risk of tattoos causing skin cancer. I’ve explained this before in a memo several years ago, but here’s the gist of it: I’m sticking this issue under the heading “Reserve Judgment.” When there’s no statistical significance but there may be a relationship between variables, that’s the statistical term that’s appropriate. I know you’re thinking, “Dr. Chet—50 cases. Ever! C’mon, man. What’s your problem?” There are three reasons I’m reserving judgment.

First, while tattoo businesses have . . .

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