“The link between obesity and cancer risk is clear. Research shows that excess body fat increases your risk for several cancers, including colorectal, post-menopausal breast, uterine, esophageal, kidney and pancreatic cancers.

What’s less clear is exactly how being obese increases that risk. Experts believe it’s largely due to the inflammation caused by visceral fat – the fat that surrounds your vital organs.

“The problem with excessive visceral fat is that it affects certain processes in your body. This includes how your body manages hormones, like insulin and estrogen,” says Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., professor in Behavioral Science at MD Anderson.

“All of this can lead to an increased cancer risk by affecting how and when cells divide and die,” she says.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center https://www.mdanderson.org/

“Men tend to develop disease in the main arteries that feed the heart (CAD), while women are more likely to develop disease in the smaller arteries (microvascular disease). When plaques exist in the main arteries, they behave differently. Men are more likely to have plaque ruptures, while women more frequently have plaque erosions.”

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ctsurgerypatients.org)

“Reye syndrome is a rare illness that can affect the blood, liver, and brain of someone who has recently had a viral infection. It always follows another illness. Although it mostly affects children and teens, anyone can get it. It can develop quickly and without warning. It is most common during flu season.”.

U.S.. Library of Medicine / Medline

“Bleeding disorders are a group of conditions that result when the blood cannot clot properly.  In normal clotting, platelets, a type of blood cell, stick together and form a plug at the site of an injured blood vessel. Bleeding can result from either too few or abnormal platelets, abnormal or low amounts of clotting proteins, or abnormal blood vessels.”

American Society of Hematology

“Hemophilia is a rare disorder in which your blood doesn’t clot normally because it lacks sufficient blood-clotting proteins (clotting factors). If you have hemophilia, you may bleed for a longer time after an injury than you would if your blood clotted normally.

Small cuts usually aren’t much of a problem. If you have a severe deficiency of the clotting factor protein, the greater health concern is deep bleeding inside your body, especially in your knees, ankles and elbows. That internal bleeding can damage your organs and tissues, and may be life-threatening.”.

MAYO CLINIC

TREATMENT OF STROKES

If you’re having a stroke, it’s critical that you get medical attention right away. Immediate treatment may minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and prevent death.

Ischemic Stroke Treatment

tPA, the Gold Standard

The only FDA approved treatment for ischemic strokes is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA, also known as IV rtPA, given through an IV in the arm). tPA works by dissolving the clot and improving blood flow to the part of the brain being deprived of blood flow. If administered within 3 hours(and up to 4.5 hours in certain eligible patients), tPA may improve the chances of recovering from a stroke. A significant number of stroke victims don’t get to the hospital in time for tPA treatment; this is why it’s so important to identify a stroke immediately.

Endovascular Procedures
Another treatment option is an endovascular procedure* called mechanical thrombectomy, strongly recommended, in which  trained doctors try  removing a large blood clot by  sending a wired-caged device called a stent retriever, to the site of the blocked blood vessel in the brain. To remove the brain clot, doctors thread a catheter through an artery in the groin up to the blocked artery in the brain. The stent opens and grabs the clot, allowing doctors to remove the stent with the trapped clot. Special suction tubes may also be used. The procedure should be done within six hours of acute stroke symptoms, and only after a patient receives tPA.

*Note: Patients must meet certain criteria to be eligible for this procedure.

Image courtesy of Medtronic

Hemorrhagic Stroke Treatment

Endovascular Procedures
Endovascular procedures may be used to treat certain hemorrhagic strokes similar to the way the procedure is used for treating an ischemic stroke. These procedures are less invasive than surgical treatments, and involve the use of a catheter introduced through a major artery in the leg or arm, then guided to the aneurysm or AVM; it then deposits a mechanical agent, such as a coil, to prevent rupture.

Surgical Treatment
For strokes caused by a bleed within the brain (hemorrhagic stroke), or by an abnormal tangle of blood vessels (AVM), surgical treatment may be done to stop the bleeding. If the bleed is caused by a ruptured aneurysm (swelling of the vessel that breaks), a metal clip may be placed surgically at the base of the aneurysm to secure it.

How to prevent a stroke!

Treatment is also aimed at other factors that put you at risk, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. But it takes more than just your doctor’s efforts. You also have an important role to play in preventing stroke. It’s up to you to make lifestyle changes that can lower your risk.

What you can do to prevent a stroke is this:

1-Control your blood pressure.

2-Lose Weight to the point that your in a healthy weight for your height.   If you’re overweight, losing as little as 10 pounds can have a real impact on your stroke risk.              Try to eat no more than 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day (depending on your activity level and your current body mass index).  Increase the amount of exercise you do with such activities as walking, golfing, or playing tennis, and by making activity part of every single day.

3-Exercise More-Exercise contributes to losing weight and lowering blood pressure, but it also stands on its own as an independent stroke reducer. Exercise at a moderate intensity 5x/wk and if you can’t do ½ hr as day spread it out into 2 15minute exercise moments for the day.

4- Drink-in moderation What you’ve heard is true. Drinking can make you less likely to have a stroke—up to a point. “Studies show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk may be lower.  I am not saying drink one glass of liquor a day but if you have to limit it to one glass a day.  Red wine your first choice, because it contains resveratrol, which is thought to protect the heart and brain.

5-Atrial Fibrillation-Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes clots to form in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain, producing a stroke. “Atrial fibrillation carries almost a fivefold risk of stroke, and should be taken seriously; take your anticoagulant medication the MD orders to keep the blood thin to prevent clotting.

6-Treat diabetes –Having high blood sugar over time damages blood vessels, making clots more likely to form inside them putting the person at higher risk for a stroke.  So simply keep your sugar under control.

7-QUIT Smoking-Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, smoking cessation is one of the most powerful lifestyle changes that will help you reduce your stroke risk

“Adults with Von Willebrand disease (VWD), an inherited bleeding disorder that makes it difficult to form blood clots.¹ VONVENDI is the first and only recombinant treatment for VWD, meaning it’s made without using human blood.”

VONVENDI® [von Willebrand factor (Recombinant)] – Treatment for Adults With VWD

“Difference between plantar fasciitis and heel spurs lies in the source of the pain. Pain from plantar fasciitis is typically felt in the arch of the foot and the heel due to damage or overuse of the plantar fascia. Heel spurs, or tiny jagged calcium deposits on the heel bone, develop in response to the trauma to the plantar fascia and are localized to the heel.   Plantar fasciitis is most commonly caused by repetitive strain injury to the ligament of the sole of the foot.  Heel Spurs are caused by long- term straining of the muscles and ligaments around the heel”

Heel that pain (heelthatpain.com)

   Plantar Fasciiitis                                                         

These two diagnoses are related, they are not the same.

Plantar Fasciitis:

Plantar fasciitis refers to the inflammation of the plantar fascia–the tissue that forms the arch of the foot.

Causes: 

The condition is a result of excessive stretching of plantar fascia ligament. It may be caused due to:

• Over-use: too much physical activity; running, walking or standing for a long time particularly if there is a rapid increase in activity over a short period of time
• Obesity
• Aging
• Shoes without cushions
• Walking barefoot on hard surfaces
• Occupations like teaching or working in a factory that requires walking or standing for longer periods

Plantar fasciitis can also be caused by certain diseases, including reactive arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

Symptoms:

Heel Spurs:

A heel spur is a foot condition that’s created by a bony-like growth, called a calcium deposit, that extends between your heel bone and arch.

Heel spurs often start in the front of and underneath your heel. They eventually affect other parts of your foot. They can get up to half an inch in length. They may not necessarily be visible to the naked eye.

Detecting heel spurs can be challenging. Heel spurs don’t always cause pain, and not all heel pain is related to spurs. Keep reading to learn more about these bony growths and what causes them.

Causes:

One of the most common causes of heel and arch pain is overuse/ repetitive exertion with inadequately supportive shoes. Once again, most heel pain is caused by a condition known as plantar fasciitis.

Joint damage from osteoarthritis is the most common cause of bone spurs. As osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage cushioning the ends of your bones, your body attempts to repair the loss by creating bone spurs near the damaged area.

Symptoms:

• Pain and stiffness in the morning that gets worse as the day progresses
• Pain which would get worse when climbing stairs or standing on toes
• Pain after standing for long time
• Pain can be unbearable
• The pain is worse with obesity when standing up on the feet doing whatever activity, more weight is on the feet.
• The affected area may also feel warm to the touch.
• These symptoms may spread to the arch of your foot.
• Eventually, a small bony protrusion may be visible.

The pain is most intense when resuming activity after rest and tends to decrease with continued motion. This is due to the fact that the plantar fascia (the ligament that is strained in heel pain) tightens as we sleep. When we first step down again, a shocking tight pain can be felt!

Some heel spurs may cause no symptoms at all. You may also not see any changes in soft tissues or bones surrounding the heel. Heel spurs are often discovered only through X-rays and other tests done for another foot issue.

Treatment:

Because heel spurs are usually not the direct cause of heel pain, there is usually not many good reasons to surgically remove heel spurs. You can achieve relief from heel pain (plantar fasciitis) without ever removing the spurs! If you can figure out what the underlying cause is, you may be able to get rid of your pain.

Heel spurs are treated by measures that decrease the associated inflammation and avoid reinjury. Local ice applications both reduce pain and inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medications, such as naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil), or injections of cortisone, are often helpful.  Do not walk  barefoot or with just socks on anywhere.  Again always upon getting up where a cushioned footwear for support.  Walking on flat surfaces barefoot are not good at all.

Of course if you can’t easily figure out what the cause is and resolve it go to the expert the Podiatrist!

“The Charles Shor Epilepsy Center has one of the largest, most comprehensive programs in the world for the evaluation, medical and surgical treatment of epilepsy.”

Cleveland Clinic (clevelandclinic.org)