Obesity raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes

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Obesity, more than lack of physical activity, raise the risk of type 2 diabetes in women, said Dr. K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India and E MedinewS.

Quoting a study published in the journal Diabetes Care, by Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Dr. Aggarwal said that the risk of diabetes increased with increasing weight and waist circumference, and decreased with physical activity levels.

Although both variables were significant predictors of type 2 diabetes, the researchers found that the association for waist circumference was substantially stronger than that for physical inactivity.

Tall men and prostate

Tall men seem to have a heightened risk of developing an enlarged prostate, also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) added Dr aggarwal. Advancing age and high fasting blood sugar levels also raise the odds of BPH, whereas a greater systolic blood pressure — the first number in the blood pressure reading – may indicate a lower risk. One of the most common ailments in elderly men, BPH leads to bothersome lower urinary symptoms and is associated with complications such as urinary retention, bloody urine, stones, and urinary tract infections. Surgery may be required to relieve BPH. Dr. Claus G. Roehrborn from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas and colleagues found increased height to be an independent predictor of BPH.

Economy-class syndrome

Primary care doctors should diagnose and treat Venous Thromboembolisms (VTEs), which include deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. VTEs are potentially fatal conditions that occur when a blood clot that’s formed at one point of the circulatory system detaches and travels to block blood circulation at another point.

A pulmonary embolism occurs when this kind of clot, which usually forms in the veins of the leg, obstructs the pulmonary artery or one of its branches. This can cause acute heart failure or sudden death.

The problem of deep-vein thrombosis gained notoriety when some passengers on long-haul flights came down with the condition, which some have dubbed “economy-class syndrome.” Treating the condition at an early stage can help save lives and prevent complications such as pulmonary embolism or recurrent deep vein thrombosis.