HealthyLife Articles

Tag: monitoring

Safe Pregnancy After Age Thirty-Five

Pregnancy & Prenatal Care

Age is not the biggest factor in a healthy pregnancy. The biggest factor is the good health of the mother.

Becoming pregnant after the age of 35, however, poses a number of potential problems. Chances for conception decrease with age. The incidence of miscarriage and premature birth is slightly higher in later-life pregnancies. So is the likelihood that the mother will develop diabetes or high blood pressure. The chances that a baby will be born with a genetic defect increases, too. So along with other health considerations, a pregnant woman in her mid-thirties or older should:

* Discuss with her doctor, in detail, her pregnancy plans, risk factors, and measures she needs to take for a healthy pregnancy.

* Talk to her doctor about prenatal genetic tests.

About Amniocentesis

Usually performed at about 16 weeks into the pregnancy, amniocentesis can detect Down’s syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, sickle cell anemia, Rh incompatibility, and spina bifida. (Amniocentesis will also reveal the sex of the child, but it’s never done for that purpose alone.) The doctor uses a long needle to draw out a sample of amniotic fluid, which is tested for genetic abnormalities. The test itself presents some risk-there is about 1 chance in 100 to 1 chance in 200 that a miscarriage may occur.

Amniocentesis is justified under the following conditions.

* The pregnant woman is 35 years old or older or requests genetic testing.

* Someone in the mother’s or father’s immediate family (a parent, sibling, or child) has a genetic or metabolic disorder.

* There is a family history of hemophilia (a bleeding disorder) or spina bifida (a neural tube defect).

* An earlier pregnancy produced a baby with chromosome abnormalities.

Amniocentesis can’t detect abnormalities such as a club foot or cleft palate, so normal results don’t necessarily guarantee a normal baby. Another technique called chorionic villous sampling (CVS) analyzes a small sample of the placenta and can be performed earlier than amniocentesis, (between weeks 8 and 12 of the pregnancy). The earlier testing is done, the more time the prospective parents and their doctor have to decide on the best course of action.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Take Control Of Your Blood Pressure

General Health Conditions

Getting older, having a family history of high blood pressure (HBP), and being African American are risk factors you cannot control. Lower risk factors for HBP that you can control.

Action Step:Get your blood pressure checked at every office visit or at least every two years.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Exercise Addiction: Are You At Risk?

BE FIT

Many women think that with achieving a fabulous figure like fashion models comes happiness, wealth, and the ideal mate. They will often exercise to a dangerous point in pursuit of “their dream body,” say Dr. Julia Samton, a neuropsychiatrist, and Certified Personal Trainer Franci Cohen who speak out about the dangers of pushing yourself past your limit.

“For some girls, this desire for that picture-perfect life can lead to exercise addiction-the beginning of this quest for perfection,” says Dr. Samton.

Typical symptoms of someone who is letting exercise take over her (or his) life:

*Intention effects.The amount of exercise or length of exercise sessions is longer than originally intended.

*Time.Large amounts of time are spent exercising and conflict with other areas of life.

*Continuance.The person will continue to exercise even with persistent physical or psychological issues that are made worse from exercising, such as a recurring injury.

“The biggest red flag,” according to Dr. Samton, “would be when exercise starts to interfere with one’s occupational, social, and overall functioning. It’s at this point that treatment is recommended.”

“Cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful, but seeking a therapist with experience in exercise addiction is crucial. For extreme cases, there are inpatient treatment facilities,” says Dr. Samton.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
How Does Your Heart ‘Rate’?

BE FIT

When it comes to getting a good workout, no two people are alike. Age, health status, fitness level, and many other factors can play a role in how hard you can – or should – exercise.

Your target heart rate can tell you if you’re exercising hard enough to burn calories, but not too hard. Your target heart rate is how fast you want your heart to beat during exercise.

You can find your target heart rate by following these steps:

1. Get a stopwatch or use a watch or clock that has a second hand.

2. Periodically during exercise, put two fingers on a pulse point. This can be the inside of your wrist on the thumb side, the inside of your elbow, or the side of your neck.

3. Count how many times your heart beats in 60 seconds.

Next, find your age in the chart and see if your heart rate is within the target heart rate zone listed. If it’s higher than the zone, take your workout down to an easier level. If it’s below, you may be able to exercise a little harder.

If you’re just starting out with exercise, aim for the lower end of the range. After a few weeks, you can gradually work up to a higher heart rate within the zone.

People who have heart conditions or other health problems should discuss any exercise or fitness activities with their doctor before starting. Certain medications that treat heart and blood pressure disease can cause a lower heart rate. Discuss your medications with your physician before trying to reach your maximum heart rate.

Heart rate and blood pressure explained

Heart rate and blood pressure are not the same thing. Blood pressure is the force of blood moving through your body. Heart rate or pulse is simply the number of times your heart beats per minute.

A faster heart rate does not necessarily mean your blood pressure is rising. When the heart rate speeds up, blood vessels get bigger, allowing more blood to move through. This means many people can safely raise their heart rate during exercise without affecting their blood pressure.

Talk to your doctor about blood pressure and get it checked yearly. Most people with high blood pressure can and should exercise with their doctor’s approval.

Source: American Heart Association

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Take These Small Steps To Manage Diabetes

MEDICAL NEWS

Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, and more than a quarter of them do not know it. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to serious problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and loss of limbs.

An estimated 79 million adults have pre-diabetes, a condition that places them at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Even if you know what to do to improve your health, figuring out how to do it and fitting it into your daily routine can be a big challenge. Making changes in how you care for your health is a matter of trying and learning.

The National Diabetes Education Program suggests you make a plan and take small, but important steps to help you reach your goal:

* Think about what is important to you and your health.

* What changes are you willing and able to make (such as testing your blood glucose, exercising, planning diabetes-friendly meals and snacks)?

* Decide what steps will help you reach your health goals (such as talking with your doctor about your blood glucose goal, taking a tour of the grocery store with a diabetes educator, learning how to make healthier meals).

* Choose one goal to work on first. Start this week. Pick one change you can start to make right now.

* Don’t give up. It’s common to run into some problems along the way. If things don’t go as planned, think about other ways to reach your goal.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
The Lowdown On High Blood Pressure

MEDICAL NEWS

Because 1 in 3 American adults suffers from high blood pressure, regular and accurate blood pressure checks are important for correctly diagnosing and treating hypertension (the medical term for high blood pressure).

Dr. Robert Zelis, a cardiologist at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, says there are three groups of people who may want to consider checking blood pressure on their own, in addition to having it measured at their annual physical exam.

* The first is those with so-called “white-coat hypertension.” These are patients who get so worked up about being in a doctor’s office that their readings will always be high there.

* The second is those who already take medication to control their blood pressure and need to monitor how it’s working.

* The third is those who suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol or who have risk factors such as obesity, smoking, or a strong family history of hypertension.

Whether a blood pressure check is done at the doctor’s office or at home, it’s important to follow the same procedure:

* Make sure the blood pressure cuff is large enough and easy to use.

* Sit in a chair with a straight back, with both feet flat on the floor. Your legs should not be crossed.

* Make sure your arm is supported on something such as a table or armrest.

* Don’t take a measurement with the cuff placed on top of clothing. Bare skin is best.

* Wait 30 seconds after sitting down before you take your measurement.

* Take a second reading 30 seconds after you have finished the first to confirm your initial results.

* Take the measurements at the same time of day.

* Record your results to spot patterns.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026