New Obesity Drug, Helpful Or Harmful?

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Body mass index (BMI) is being used to gauge need for the new obesity drug, Belviq.
BMI is the measurement of body fat based on your height and weight. There are BMI calculators online that help you determine your current body mass index. For someone who is 5’10” and weighs 150 pounds, BMI = 21.52.
The ranges for BMI are as follow:

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Treating Acute Mountain Sickness (Danger at High Altitudes)

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"In Peru there is a very lofty mountain range that is called Pariacaca . . . When I climbed the Staircases, as they are called, the highest part of that range, almost in an instant I felt such mortal anguish that I thought I would have to throw myself off my mount onto the ground. . . . This was soon followed by convulsive retching and vomiting that made me think I would [die]. I will say that if it had continued I would have been certain of dying, but it lasted only a matter of three or four hours until we had gone a good way down the mountain and reached a more tolerable altitude." - José de Acosta, from the book Natural and Moral History of the Indies.


Near the end of the 16th century, Spanish Jesuit José de Acosta suffered the disagreeable experience described above while climbing the Pariacaca in the Peruvian Andes. At the time, such symptoms were commonly attributed either to toxic emanations from the minerals in the mountains or to the exhalations of mischievous gods. From what we know now, Acosta had the trademark symptoms of soroche-acute mountain sickness (AMS).

AMS is the body's response to the scant oxygen supply at high elevations. There, the barometric pressure decreases and the lungs absorb less oxygen.

Symptoms of AMS frequently appear about four hours after a person reaches a high elevation and may last from one to four days.
During this period, the limited oxygen in the blood will stimulate the production of more red blood cells, which in time will will help the circulatory system supply more oxygen.

However, if a person ascends to a high elevation too quickly or overexerts himself before acclimatizing, fluids may accumulate in the lungs or around the brain. If not cared for, this condition can be fatal.

                                                           How to Prevent AMS
Travelers and climbers have tried many methods to prevent or treat AMS. Some steps include the following:

* Avoid traveling to high altitudes if you have a respiratory ailment or anemia.

* Medications such as diuretics, anti-inflammatories, or other drugs are often recommended for treating or preventing symptoms of AMS. Consult you physician.

* The best remedy for AMS is to return to a lower altitude. If possible, keep warm during the descent and rest upon arrival.


Lastly, did you know that some of the most awe-inspiring scenery is found in the highlands and mountain ranges of the world.
If you travel with care, you will be able to maintain good health as you enjoy the beauty of creation.

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Signs you may have a prostate problem.

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Always get them checked
by your GP
The prostate gland may be
small - about the size of a
walnut - but it causes
problems for millions of
men in the UK.
The most common sign of
prostate disease in men is
problems with urination,
although this can also be
caused by other medical
conditions.
Problems with urination
can be caused by an
enlarged prostate, an
inflamed prostate or even
prostate cancer.
As these three conditions
often have symptoms in
common, men should
always get them checked
out.
All men should visit their
GP if they experience:
Difficulty passing
urine Needing to urinate
often, especially at
night Having a weak flow of
urine, Straining to pass
urine, Feeling your bladder
has not emptied
properly, Needing to rush to
the toilet Dribbling urine,
Other less common
symptoms include pain
when urinating; pain when
ejaculating; problems
getting and maintaining an
erection and blood in urine
or semen.
Both an enlarged prostate
and prostate cancer are
more common in older
men.
An enlarged prostate, also
known as benign prostatic
hyperplasia, is a benign
condition that affects more
than three million men in
the UK, and it's thought that
over a third of men in their
50s has symptoms of the
disease.
Prostate cancer is the
biggest cause of cancer in
men in the UK, and the
second biggest cause of
cancer death. Each year,
around 37,000 men are
diagnosed with prostate
cancer and more than
9,000 men die from it. Six
out of ten cases occur in
men over the age of
seventy.
Prostatitis, an inflammation
of the tissues of the
prostate gland, is
sometimes caused by an
infection, but in most cases
the cause is unknown. It is
most common in men
aged between 30 and 50
years, but men of any age
can be affected.

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