Colonoscopy in the key of C

A co-worker recently turned 50 and his wife called him at work a few days later to remind him to book his colonoscopy. That's right .. recommendations are, for most of us, to get that colon checked when you hit the half century mark.

Despite research showing this is an appropriate thing to do - many of us put it off. Let's face it, the whole deal leading up to it and the thought of the procedure is not particularly appealing.

Well, you might make the procedure a little less stressful if you hum a few bars. That's the indication of a new study, presented at the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy's national meeting.

The study found, patients who listened to music during their routine colonoscopy required less sedation for the procedure. It didn't matter if they were listening to Manilow or Mahler.Some 73 people, men and women, were told to bring favorite c-ds with them. Then they were given ear buds so only they would hear the music.

The payoff, if less sedation is needed it's a cheaper procedure ( can you hear the insurance companies singing THAT tune) and whenever you need less medication, it's better for your body.So when it's time for your colonoscopy, tell your doctor you want to whistle while he works.

Airbags and Risky Driving Behavior

... So, you buy a new car and make sure it's got airbags, front - side .. and now this ..

A new study finds, if you're under 4'11" or over 6'3" you're at increased risk of injury when an airbag deploys.

The study was done at the Oregon Health & Science University and looked at more than 67,000 people over 11 years. What it didn't do well, according to those reviewing the study, was factor out the older airbags and adequately factor in the newer smart bags.

That said, it's still interesting .. the co-authors found air bags were effective for people of medium height -- from 5 feet 3 inches tall to 5 feet 11 inches tall -- but were actually harmful to people shorter than 4 feet 11 inches tall and those more than 6 feet 3 inches tall. Body weight or sex was not a factor in injury rates.

This data will be presented later this week at a conference along with research showing women are starting to catch up to men in risky driving behaviors - read that as drinking and driving. Ah, we sure have come a long way - but in what direction, ladies?

For more info on airbags go to http://www.nsc.org/library/cristext.htm

And something for the guys ...

... if you're trying to prevent prostate cancer keep an eye on how many multi-vitamins you're taking.

The latest research shows men who take these multis more than daily are twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as men who never take supplements. They were also at increased risk for developing this cancer. This was reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Now, don't worry if you take a DAILY multi - the take away from this is, more is NOT better .. in fact, it's big trouble.

Women's Health Week

This is national women's health week. This is a new one on me. Apparently it's an annual 'event'. The theme of this year’s celebration is “It’s Your Time! Pamper Your Mind, Body, and Spirit.”

What may sound a bit frivolous actually has a serious and important health message.

Take time for yourself - to have an annual exam, do monthly breast exams or just stop and smell the roses and destress.

If you have difficulty carving out YOU time, take this opportunity to join with other women, nationwide, to kickstart your personal treatment plan.

Kids and Cholesterol

Don't be surprised if your kids pediatrician starts talking to you about your child's cholesterol level. A group of researchers, from both the U.S. and Canada are looking at a sort of chart to determine when kids are in the red zone.

"Obesity, inactivity and cholesterol are closely linked, and data from the latest U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) finds that 17 percent of U.S. teens are overweight. Just one in four high school students packs enough physical activity into their day, and 12 percent get little or no daily exercise, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Given that, doctors would also look at the same kind of lifestyles that lead adults to have cardiovascular problems like smoking.

In the meantime - if you've got kids, get them moving - activity and trimming portions are two of the biggest heart boosters we have.