It’s the holiday season and that means holiday parties and libations! Millions of us will be on the road more than usual while we shop for gifts, and drive to and from holiday parties this year. Sadly although we have all heard of M.A.D.D. and the devastating impact driving drunk has on people’s lives, millions of people continue to drive drunk, drugged, or distracted! In 2012 1.3 million Americans were arrested for DUI. What’s crazy is every 53 minutes someone is killed in a drunk driving crash. And every 90 seconds, someone is injured. December is Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month and this December YOU can help prevent drunk and drugged driving injuries and deaths. Every year tens of thousands of people die due to drunk or drugged driving, and many innocent lives are shattered. Studies have shown the highest percentage of drunk drivers are those between the ages of 21 to 24 (34%), followed by ages 25 to 34 (30%). Interestingly, drunk-driving deaths dropped nationwide last year but even one death is still too many.

 

We’ve all heard of drunk driving but what is drugged driving? Well it is driving while using any mind-altering substance – whether that be prescription pills or even marijuana. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Roadside Survey almost 20% of weekend, nighttime drivers tested positive for illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter drugs, and “more than 11% tested positive for illicit drugs.”

 

What drugs do you ask contribute to accidents? Great question. Studies and ER visits have shown that alcohol and THC, (tetrahydrocannabinol -the main component of marijuana), are the most commonly found substances in impaired drivers, fatally injured drivers, and motor crash victims’ blood. Other drugs that have repeatedly shown up in high levels in toxicology tests are: cocaine, benzodiazepines prescribed for anxiety or sleep, and opioid pain relievers. This means that even if you have a prescription for a medication and are under a doctor’s supervision it’s important to remember that drugs that have sedative effects like Percocet, Vicodin, and Xanax, and Ambien are powerful and can have lasting effects.

 

So how can you prevent debilitated driving?

• If possible use public transportation
• Have a designated driver set BEFORE you start partying.
• Don’t serve minors – even at home
• Have a last call – stop serving alcohol an hour before your party ends.
• Offer non-alcoholic drink options to your guests.
• Be flexible – and offer guests to stay with you if they are unfit to drive home
• Keep cab fare on you or consider taking Uber.
• Stay off the phone. Be alert especially at night
• Don’t send or read texts while driving

 

Remember buzzed driving is drunk driving.. whether it is alcohol or drugs.

Be safe and have a wonderful holiday season.

XO

Dr. V

 

It’s commonly known as “the suga” but Diabetes is anything but sweet. Almost 26 million Americans have Diabetes and 7 million don’t even know they have it. Even scarier 79 million Americans are pre-diabetic, meaning they are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Testing for diabetes is especially important because early in the disease diabetes may have no symptoms.

 

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, so get your blood glucose level tested! Early testing helps health care providers not only find and treat diabetes before complications occur but also finds and treats prediabetes – which can delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes from developing. The best tests for diagnosis and control of diabetes are the blood glucose test, and the Hemoglobin A1C blood test. If you have diabetes keep your blood glucose controlled because, if blood glucose levels go uncontrolled, it can lead to complications that affect every part of the body from your brain to your toes. So stay healthy and keep your sugar in check!

 

Here’s a couple facts about diabetes we all should know:

 

• Exercise can actually increase your blood sugar? Check your sugar 30min before and immediately after workouts.

• Drinking alcohol even 2oz can cause dangerously low blood glucose levels in a diabetic person.

• High glucose levels can prevent you from “getting it up” in the bedroom.

• Obesity is the #1 risk factor for diabetes.

• 79 million people in the US have prediabetes and are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

• Having a family member with Type 2 diabetes increases YOUR risk of diabetes.

• Infected gums can lead to bacteria in the bloodstream and can damage heart. Visit your dentist every 6 months.

• Numbers don’t lie – HgbA1c levels reflect blood glucose control over the past 3 months. If you have diabetes aim to keep your HbgA1c < 7.

 

Wishing you great health

 

Dr. V

 

 

 

 

Did you know? Breast cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in women behind lung cancer.

1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are simply being a woman and getting older. While 77% of breast cancer is found in women over 50 years old more than 50% of women who have breast cancer have NO identifiable risk factors except gender and age.

The World Health Organization reports 1.2million women globally are diagnosed with breast cancer each year; and more than 200,000 women in the US are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Currently there are more than 2 million breast cancer survivors in the US.

October is Breast Cancer awareness month. Don’t forget to wear pink in support that NO woman should die from breast cancer! When found early it is and treatable disease. And the gold standard for early detection is a mammogram. And wait … for many millions of women in the United States a mammogram is FREE.

Breast cancer is not a single disease, but a family of diseases with different subtypes. Some of these subtypes are more aggressive than others. Breast cancer is less common in younger women such as those in their 20s and 30s but usually in this age group it is more aggressive and sadly the survival rates are lower. Unfortunately we are seeing a greater number of cases of young pre-menopausal women with breast cancer surfacing and many of these women have the more aggressive forms of breast cancer. Research is being conducted now to determine the genetic basis between these aggressive types of breast cancer. As a young woman make sure to do your part to prevent breast cancer by:

• Educating yourself about your family history of breast cancer and risk for breast cancer
• Get a yearly clinical breast exam by your OB/GYN or family doctor
• Do monthly self breast exams – familirize yourself with your breasts

There are components of lack of access to medical care, nutrition, personal habits, and environmental exposure that can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer. It’s most important to KNOW YOUR body better than anybody else does. Know whats normal for YOU and what’s not so feel yourself up and get to know your tatas!

Remember the KEY to SURVIVAL is EARLY DETECTION and TREATMENT!

XO

Dr. V

1. Breast milk is packed with disease-fighting nutrients that can help protect your baby from an assortment of illnesses like ear infections, stomach viruses, meningitis, and more due to the immunoglobulin A that is present in your milk and protects your baby from germs.

2. Breastfeeding is a great way to get yourself back to your pre-baby weight, as it can burn up to 700 calories per day! That’s right! It takes energy to create and secrete all that breast milk.

3. Most babies can pick the scent of their mom’s breast milk as opposed to another mother’s scent, by two weeks! This familiar smell can be soothing to babies.

4. Don’t forget: what you eat or drink, your baby eats and drinks as well: as it’s all expressed in your milk. Not only does this mean you should be sure to stick to a balanced diet but you should watch for signs of allergies or colic in your baby which could mean you may to modify your diet in order to change your milk.

5. Want your baby to fall into a “breast milk coma?” Did you know milk expressed in the evening has a higher fat content than milk expressed earlier in the day and helps your baby sleep. This also illustrates why it is important to time stamp and label your milk if you are freezing or refrigerating it – the time you pumped truly matters!

6. Breastfeeding is good for your health! Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer in a mother’s later life and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

7. Almost 75% of all moms produce more milk in their right breast, regardless if they are right- or left- handed.

8. Women who breastfeed for more than twelve months during their lifetime tend to have lower risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes.

9. Breastfeeding can calm you down and make you less stressed because when your baby is nursing your body releases oxytocin and endorphins which can relax you and even help you sleep!

10. Breastfeeding can help prevent your baby from becoming an allergy sufferer versus babies who drink cow or soy milk. The reason? Once again it’s attributed to Immunoglobulin A, a powerful form of protection for baby!

 

Wishing you good health.

 

Dr. V

This month is all about the fellas. Ladies I know you know someone in your life that NEEDS to see a doctor and hasn’t gone because he has a ton of excuses, like…. “I don’t have time,” or “really, I’m fine, I get chest pain all the time, it’s nothing,” or “ I just strained something in the gym and that’s why I keep feeling this pain.” Men are notorious for not going to the doctor. Actually 45% of men between the ages of 18 and 50 don’t have a primary care physician. That’s an astonishing number when you think that men between the ages of 20 years and 40 years are 2 times as likely as women to die. Yes, that’s right! So drag the man in your life to the doctor, even if he kicks and screams like a child.

June is Men’s Health Month so let’s try and coerce, ahem, I mean convince the man in your life who needs to go to the doc, that it’s important have a relationship with a physician and see a doctor regularly in order to keep him healthy and strong. I know visiting the doctor can be overwhelming, so I’ve listed below 5 things a man at any age (20 years old and above) should get checked out for at the doctor. These are all necessary tests that aren’t INVASIVE and won’t cause embarrassment so why not do all 5. Come on fellas, the life you save, will definitely be your own.

 

1) Get Your Ticker Checked.

Signs of a cardiac issue can often present as shortness of breath or chest pain while working out, heartburn, or even just general feeling of tiredness. Tell your doctor how you and your heart are doing, and if you haven’t been able to do as much physical exertion or exercise as you normally have been able to do. Also get your blood pressure checked and know what your normal number is.

 

2)   Know Your Blood Sugar.

Your lady thinks you’re sweet and that’s great, but having high blood sugar isn’t. Almost 50% of American men have diabetes or are pre-diabetic according to the National Institute of Health. What’s scary is that almost 1/3 don’t even know they have it. So find out your fasting glucose and Hemoglobin A1c.

 

3)   Get a skin check.

That guy at the pool looking like an overcooked lobster is not the look. And did you know that having just 5 sunburns in your lifetime doubles your risk for malignant melanoma! Many people don’t realize but men are disproportionately affected by skin cancer. Of the 3.5 million new cases of skin cancer every year, more than 66% of those are men. And 1 in 39 men vs. 1 in 58 women will actually develop melanoma in his lifetime. Melanoma can be treated if found early. So fellas strip to your skivvy’s and have your girlfriend or wife check out your bodacious bod once a month for any new moles or skin issues.

 

4)   Get Your Cholesterol Checked.

It’s important to know your numbers. Having high cholesterol makes your blood sticky and causes plaque buildup in your arteries called atherosclerosis. This can lead to heart attack and stroke because the plaque clogs up your arteries.   After age 40, 50% of men can expect to have coronary artery disease – clogged arteries. Coronary artery disease is what causes heart disease and is still the number #1 killer of men. Don’t let it be you, or someone you love.

 

5)   Get an Eye Exam.

Many eye diseases are slow and gradual and can cause blindness or irreversible vision loss before you even realize you are having a problem. For this reason it’s important to maintain good eye health. Certain patient populations need to have their eyes checked more frequently like African-Americans, patients who have had previous eye trauma, used steroid medications, have diabetes, or a family history of glaucoma. Get those starry dark brown eyes checked out soon.

 

And a Bonus Exam for the fellas:

See the dentist at least once a year for an annual cleaning (every 6 months is even better but hey I’ll take what I can get). Because good dental health keeps you heart healthy.

 

Wishing you a great June and Happy Father’s Day

 

xoxo

 

Dr V

May is National Lupus awareness month. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects young women between the ages of 15-44, including Grammy award-winning singer, Toni Braxton. 90% of people affected with Lupus are women although when the disease affects men it can be more disabling and debilitating, and even children and newborn babies can have Lupus. Interestingly women of color are diagnosed with Lupus 2-3 times more often than Caucasian women. Lupus is a chronic disease that can affect any organ of the body from the skin to the heart. For 1/3 of those with Lupus the only visible symptom is the malar, “butterfly rash” found on the nose and cheeks. Researchers have been working for years to understand the basis of Lupus and how to treat and cure it because for many the long-term complications from Lupus can be devastating and include strokes, seizures, heart attacks, and renal failure.  In 2010 the first drug was approved to specifically treat Lupus and many people are living long and productive lives with Lupus. This month stand up and support the 1.5 million Americans who are living with Lupus by wearing purple.

Wishing you good health.

XO

Dr. V