There is no such thing as ‘healthy obesity’, says study

           

In a study that spanned 20 years, researchers find that in the long run, obese individuals will become unhealthy and at risk of diseases. - Shutterstock

     

People who are obese may appear healthy for a while but their condition declines over time, says a study that followed more than 2,500 people for 20 years.
The research by scientists at University College London is the longest of its kind, and its findings support previous research that has shown people who are overweight face a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and some kinds of cancer than thin people as the years go on.

As the years progress, researchers found that obesity will diminish health and cause serious disease risks. – AFP

For the purposes of the research, “healthy obesity” was defined as not having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or other metabolic risk factors.
A total of 2,521 men and women between the ages of 39 and 62 were followed for the study that measured their body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and insulin resistance.
A total of 181 participants were initially classified as obese, including 66 who were considered “healthy obese.”
By the time the two decades had passed, just over half of the healthy obese people had become unhealthy obese.
Only 11% of those who were obese at the start of the study lost pounds and reached normal weight.
“A core assumption of healthy obesity has been that it is stable over time, but we can now see that healthy obese adults tend to become unhealthy obese in the long term, with about half making this transition over 20 years in our study,” says lead study author Joshua Bell.
“Healthy obesity is a high-risk state with serious implications for disease risk.”
Nearly 36% of adults in the US are obese, and nearly 25% of adults in Britain are obese, according to estimates from government health authorities.
In Malaysia, a study last year found that 45.3% of the population is obese.
“Healthy obesity is only valid if it is stable over time, and our results indicate that it is often just a phase,” adds Bell.
The research was published in the Journal Of The American College of Cardiology. – AFP Relax
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Published in the www.thestar.com.my on  Thursday, January 15, 2015              

 

Understanding hernias...

HAVE you ever felt swelling and pain in your groin area, only for it to subside when you lie down? Have you felt a swelling in your groin, which gets worse when you cough or when you do some heavy lifting?

If you have experienced these symptoms, chances are, you may have a groin hernia, medically known as an inguinal hernia. Locally, people refer to it as angin pasang,uluran or burut. 

A hernia can either cause mild discomfort or debilitating pain to the patient. Most people assume that hernias are a male-only medical condition. It is true that some types of hernia are more common in males than females. But females are also susceptible to hernias.

While more common in men, they also occur in women, with a ratio of about 10 to one. An inguinal hernia develops as a result of a weakness or opening in the abdominal wall of the lower abdomen at the inguinal canal.

Small inguinal hernia on the both sides

Hernias can occur  almost anyone, and does not discriminate according to gender or age group. It can happen to both sexes; infant or elderly; healthy or unhealthy. Yes, even infants may not be spared from developing an hernia.

Statistically, it is estimated that one in 500 have some form of hernia. This is an alarmingly high figure. While a hernia does not result in fatality, timely diagnosis and treatment can prevent much pain and a reduced quality of life.

Understanding hernias

What is an inguinal hernia? Can such hernias be cured? What can be done to prevent them?

Put simply, an inguinal hernia is a gap, hole or defect in the abdominal wall. The gap can be caused by damage to the abdominal walls or a muscle tissue tear. When this occurs, the contents of the abdominal cavity, such as intestine, fat and tissues, can sometimes be pushed through this gap.

Anatomy of Inguinal Hernia

Physical exercise also tends to aggravate the hernia. Demanding physical activities – such as exercise, coughing, games and jogging – increase the pressure within the abdominal wall. Consequently, more abdominal contents tend to protrude through the gap. This results in enlargement of the size of the hole, which can cause great pain to the patient.

As the internal body parts protrude through the gap, a bulge or localised area of swelling will become evident beneath the skin of the abdominal wall. This causes much pain and discomfort. The pain usually worsens when one is lifting heavy objects, standing or undergoing stress.

At later stages, the hernia can lead to excruciating pain. In most patients, the hernia starts off as a small bump, which subsequently grows. The area will start to hurt and severe nausea may occur.

Huge bilateral inguinal hernia

If left untreated, hernias can lead to a major medical emergency. Almost all hernia patients risk having the blood supply of the trapped organ being cut off, due to “strangulation”. This happens during a hernia bulge in which the blood vessels are constricted due to pressure. This causes the blood supply to be cut off. When this occurs, an emergency surgery may be required as it is a life-threatening condition.

Death bowel due to the strangulated inguinal hernia which is a life-threatening condition

The good news is that inguinal hernias are treatable. The only treatment for an inguinal hernia is surgery. The aims of surgery are to close the abdominal wall defect, alleviate the symptom of pain/discomfort, prevent serious complication and reduce the risk of recurrence.

Locally, many patients seek massages as a form of treatment for hernias. Going for a massage will only help push the contents that protrude back into position. However, massages will not be able to provide a lasting solution as the gap is not closed.

In 1989, Dr Irving Lichtenstein put forth a bold new way to treat hernias – an open operation by using a polypropylene mesh. His idea was to place the mesh to cover the hernia gap. According to Dr Lichtenstein, patients who were treated using the polypropylene mesh experienced minimal complications after a follow-up period of between one and five years. This was remarkable, indeed.

Open inguinal hernia repair

The other alternative is laparoscopy surgery. It is a minimally invasive surgical procedure; some patients can usually go home a few hours after surgery. However, laparoscopic surgery can only be performed by trained and experienced surgeons.

Both the laparoscopic and Lichtenstein methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The laparoscopic method provides for a smaller incision compared to the Lichtenstein method. Laparoscopic method is a minimally invasive surgery with smaller skin incisions and allows us to repair the hernia defect from the inside of the abdomen cavity using a piece of mesh (10cm x 15cm). The abdominal pressure will hold the mesh in position, thus reducing the risk of recurrence.

Keyhole inguinal hernia repair

However, the laparoscopic procedure is not suitable for everyone, for instance, patients who cannot undergo general anaesthesia and those who have had previous abdominal surgery with bad adhesions.

Camera view of the keyhole inguinal hernia repair

In contrast, the Lichtenstein method can be performed without the use of general anaesthesia, thereby avoiding general anaesthesia-related complications. The Lichtenstein method can be performed under regional or even local anaesthesia (in suitable patients), which may save procedural costs.

Comparison of wound after open inguinal hernia repair and keyhole inguinal hernia repair

The pros and cons of both procedures should be discussed with the patients when deciding on the best approach. The individual skills of the surgeon and institutional facilities should also be taken into consideration.

Launching Ceremony of Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre on 31 JANUARY 2015

It's official!!
Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre is proud to announce that we will be holding our Launching Ceremony this coming 31st of January 2015 (Saturday) at 10am!
So mark your calendar and join us in celebrating this joyous event!

See you there!!
Wholeheartedly, We C.A.R.E & Love

 

Soft Opening of the Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre on 15 JANUARY 2015

Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre was finally opened! Thanks for all the supports given to us and wholeheartedly, we are ready to serve
Kini, Pusat Perubatan Oriental Melaka Straits telah beroperasi!
东方医院今日正式投入服务！

Wholeheartedly, We C.A.R.E. & Love