CONDITIONS
|
Medical Editorial Board Stories and Local Doctors
Dr. Marianne J. Legato
| CURRENT STORIES |
YOUR LOCAL DOCTOR |
Tai Chi Increases Seniors' Immunity
A Chinese form of martial art that's also a meditation and exercise discipline shows a remarkable ability to boost immunity in older people, according to recent research. This is on top of studies that have already demonstrated that the martial art, known as tai chi, lowers blood pressure, improves sleep patterns and reduces stress. The 2,500-year-old discipline is often practiced in groups, and is well known from images of citizens performing it together in parks all over China. Its slow, rhythmic movements are designed to promote mental calm, peace and serenity - and the research seems to back that up. It also improves balance, flexibility, strength and coordination, and so is especially beneficial for those who are overweight or arthritic. (Read more about Tai Chi Increases Seniors' Immunity)
Related Links:
|
The Paradoxical Vulnerability of Men
Dr. Marriane Legato discusses what she believes to be one of the most interesting issues concerning men. At any age, from birth to 85 years, men die at a greater number than women. Their vulnerability in the womb is very interesting. About 250 male fetuses are conceived for every 100 females fetuses and, yet, the birthing average is a one to one ratio. So why are those male fetuses dying at a greater number in the womb? Why are they less developed than girls at birth? They're about six weeks behind their sisters when they're born. And if they're premature and have a low birth weight, they're much more likely to die than girls. (Read more about The Paradoxical Vulnerability of Men)
Related Links:
|
How the Y Chromosome Drives Evolution
Dr. Marianne Legato explains that the male "Y chromosome", which at one point was called a wasteland, has genes responsible for the "housekeeping issues" in tissues. It's not just dedicated exclusively to male fertility and determining the male sex in the developing fetus. The aspect that is not appreciated about the Y chromosome, is that because it's exterior, and because so many sperm are produced in any given day, the mutations are enormous. And It is the Y chromosome, actually, that is driving evolution. It gives us a huge palette of mutations to choose from as we go on from generation to generation. It's the Y chromosome that drives evolution in a very important way. (Read more about How the Y Chromosome Drives Evolution)
Related Links:
|
Gender Differences in Coronary Artery Disease
Dr. Marianne Legato discusses how she evaluates patients being screened for cardiovascular disease. She says that one of the things she looks for are the signs of early coronary artery disease in men, as well as the unique symptoms in women. Women also experience coronary artery spasm, which does not affect men, that can cause angina even in the presence of non-obstructive coronary disease. They can have clean coronaries and still experience chest pain. (Read more about Gender Differences in Coronary Artery Disease)
Related Links:
|
The Significance of Gender Medicine
Dr. Marianne Legato explains that Gender Medicine is not Women's Health, which it is often misconceived as. It's the study of the differences of how men and women function normally in all the systems of the body. It also looks at how people experience diseases differently as a function of being men or women. It's a very evenly split discipline that emphasizes men as much as it emphasizes women. When the focus is placed on men, they have just as much unique physiology and experience of illness as women. As we begin to study women more and reap this tremendous harvest of differences, even in the differences in the ways genes are expressed as a function of sex, it's important to look back at men with the question, "What is unique about men?" (Read more about The Significance of Gender Medicine)
Related Links:
|
Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems
A Review in The Lancet reveals the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to reduce stressors related to cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore examined records between 1990 to 2006. They observed how stress affects the sympathetic nervous system, impacts physiology, and the effect it has on the cardiovascular system. Lead author, Daniel Brotman, claims "Acute physical stressors such as sugery, trauma, and intense physical exertion are well known triggers of cardiovascular events. Emotional stressors are increasingly recognized as precipitants of such events." (Read more about Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems)
Related Links:
|
|
David B. Samadi, MD
Empowered Doctor Medical Board
Mount Sinai
5 East 98th Street New York City,
New York
10029
Call 1-212-241-8779
David B. Samadi, MD, is Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. A board-certified urologist, he treats prostate cancer with a focus on minimally invasive techniques. He specializes in robotic prostate surgery, and has an unparalleled expertise in the field thanks to over a thousand procedures he has performed with the da Vinci Surgical System.
| | |