Welcome to the 75 Medical Group

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September
is
Cholesterol
Education Month
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What is cholesterol ?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that occurs
naturally in all parts of the body and that your
body needs to function normally. It is present
everywhere in the body, including the brain,
nerves, muscle, skin, liver, intestines, and
heart. Your body uses cholesterol to produce many
hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help
to digest fat. It takes only a small amount of
cholesterol in the blood to meet these needs.
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Too Much?
However, if you have too much cholesterol in your
bloodstream, it can lead to atherosclerosis, a
condition in which fat and cholesterol are
deposited in the walls of the arteries in many
parts of the body, including the arteries feeding
the heart. In time, narrowing of these arteries
can produce the signs and symptoms of heart
disease, leading to a heart attack.
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        What Makes Your Cholesterol High or
Low?                                            
                                                  
            
Your blood cholesterol level is affected not only
by what you eat but also by how quickly your body
makes LDL-cholesterol and disposes of it. In
fact, your body makes all the cholesterol it
needs, and it is not necessary to take in any
additional cholesterol from the foods you eat.
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Patients with heart disease or those who are at
high risk for developing it typically have too
much LDL-cholesterol in their blood.
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Many factors help determine whether your
LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The
following factors are the most important Heredity
genes play a role in influencing your
LDL What you eat eating too much saturated fat
and cholesterol is the main reason for high
levels of cholesterol Weight excess weight tends
to increase your LDL Physical activity/exercise
regular physical activity may lower
LDL-cholesterol and raise HDL-cholesterol levels
Age and sex as women and men get older, their
blood cholesterol levels rise until about 60 to
65 years of age
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Continued.. factors that help determine whether
your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low.
Alcohol Alcohol intake increases
HDL-cholesterol but does not lower
LDL-cholesterol. Because of the risks, alcoholic
beverages should not be used as a way to prevent
heart disease Stress Stress over the long term
has been shown in several studies to raise blood
cholesterol levels
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Normal Cholesterol Levels
Total Cholesterol Level (bad cholesterol) cholesterol) 60 better Triglycerides 9
The good news is that by lowering your blood
cholesterol, you can reduce your risk of having a
heart attack or other complications of heart
disease
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• The four steps you can take to lower your blood
  cholesterol
• Follow the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)
  Diet (low saturated fat, low cholesterol)
• Be more physically active
• Lose weight if you are overweight
• Take cholesterol lowering medication if
  prescribed by your doctor

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If you have other questions or concerns about
your cardiac risk or cholesterol please make an
appointment with your health care provider.
Know your Cholesterol Numbers---- Know your
risk--- Be Heart Smart
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September
is
Suicide Prevention
Month
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FACTS

• More people die from suicide than from homicide.
  In 1999, there were 1.7 times as many suicides as
  homicides.
• Overall, suicide is the 11th leading cause of
  death for all Americans, and is the third leading
  cause of death for young people aged 15-24.
• Males are four times more likely to die from
  suicide than are females. However, females are
  more likely to attempt suicide than are males.
• 1999, white males accounted for 72 of all
  suicides. Together, white males and white females
  accounted for over 90 of all suicides.

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FACTS

• For young people 15-24 years old, suicide is the
  third leading cause of death, behind
  unintentional injury and homicide. In 1999, more
  teenagers and young adults died from suicide than
  from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects,
  stroke, and chronic lung disease combined.

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Warning Signs of Suicide

• Talking about suicide
• Statements about hopelessness, helplessness, or
  worthlessness
• Preoccupation with death
• Suddenly happier, calmer
• Loss of interest in things one cares about
• Visiting or calling people one cares about
• Making arrangements setting one's affairs in
  order
• Giving things away

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Common Misconceptions
People who talk about suicide wont really do
it Not TrueAlmost everyone who commits or
attempts suicide has given some clue or warning.
Do not ignore suicide threats. Statements like
"you'll be sorry when I'm dead," "I can't see any
way out," -- no matter how casually or jokingly
said may indicate serious suicidal feelings.
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Common Misconceptions
"Anyone who tries to kill him/herself must be
crazy."Not TrueMost suicidal people are not
psychotic or insane. They must be upset,
grief-stricken, depressed or despairing, but
extreme distress and emotional pain are not
necessarily signs of mental illness.  
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Common Misconceptions
"If a person is determined to kill him/herself,
nothing is going to stop him/her."Not TrueEven
the most severely depressed person has mixed
feelings about death, wavering until the very
last moment between wanting to live and wanting
to die. Most suicidal people do not want death
they want the pain to stop. The impulse to end it
all, however overpowering, does not last forever.

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Common Misconceptions
"People who commit suicide are people who were
unwilling to seek help."Not TrueStudies of
suicide victims have shown that more then half
had sought medical help within six month before
their deaths.  
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Common Misconceptions
"Talking about suicide may give someone the
idea."Not TrueYou don't give a suicidal person
morbid ideas by talking about suicide. The
opposite is true --bringing up the subject of
suicide and discussing it openly is one of the
most helpful things you can do.
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Know what to do
Stigma associated with depressive illnesses can
prevent people from getting help. Your
willingness to talk about depression and suicide
with a friend, family member, or co-worker can be
the first step in getting help and preventing
suicide.
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If you see the warning signs of suicide
Begin a dialogue by asking questions. Suicidal
thoughts are common with depressive illnesses and
your willingness to talk about it in a
nonjudgmental way can be the push a person needs
to get help. Questions to ask Do you ever feel
so badly that you think of suicide? Do you have
a plan? Do you know when you would do it
(today, next week)?" Do you have access to what
you would use?
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Never keep a plan for suicide a secret. Dont
worry about endangering a friendship if you truly
feel a life is in danger. It's better to regret
something you did, than something you didn't do
to help a friend.
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Don't try to minimize problems or shame a person
into changing her mind. Your opinion of a
person's situation is irrelevant. Trying to
convince a person it's not that bad, or that she
has everything to live for will only increase her
feelings of guilt and hopelessness. Reassure her
help is available, that depression is treatable,
and that suicidal feelings are temporary.
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If you feel the person isn't in immediate danger,
acknowledge the pain as legitimate and offer to
work together to get help. Make sure you follow
through. This is one instance where you must be
tenacious in your follow-up. Help find a doctor
or a mental health professional, participate in
making the first phone call, or go along to the
first appointment. If you're in a position to
help, don't assume that your persistence is
unwanted or intrusive. Risking your feelings to
help save a life is a risk worth taking.
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Fight the Bite!
Local mosquitoes may carry West Nile Virus

• Use insect repellent containing DEET or
  permethrin
• Be aware of peak mosquito activity (dawn and
  dusk)
• Drain standing water (mosquito breeding sites)
• Install or repair screens (keep them out of the
  house)
• Report dead birds to local authorities (may be
  sign of WNV in the area)

• Take a free brochure from the Information Wall in
  the waiting area
• For more information, please call Public Health
  at 775-4518

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Local Infectious Disease AlertTularemia

• Occurrence west side of Utah Lake 4 confirmed
  and 14 suspect cases
• Source Rabbits and rodents usually transmitted
  by biting insects. Deerflies are the vectors at
  Utah Lake
• Symptoms ulcer at insect bite site, fever,
  chills, body aches, nausea, lymphadenopathy
• Treatment antibiotics early recognition is
  critical
• Prevention DEET on skin, avoid the vectors!

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SWIMMING DANGER..Cryptosporidiosis

• Microscopic protozoon shed in feces
• Occurrence Public swimming pools throughout
  northern Utah
• Symptoms Profuse watery diarrhea, abdominal
  cramps, fever
• Treatment Symptomatic for diarrhea
• Prevention Dont swallow pool water, Dont swim
  if you have diarrhea, wash hands after using the
  toilet and changing diapers

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HPV Vaccine

• What is HPV?
• Human Papillomavirus is the most common sexually
  transmitted virus in the United States.
• There are about 40 types of HPV. About 20
  million people in the US are infected, and about
  6.2 million get infected each year.
• Most HPV infections dont cause any symptoms but
  HPV can cause cervical cancer in women. Cervical
  Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths
  among women around the world.
• HPV can also cause genital warts.

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HPV- Why get vaccinated?

• HPV vaccine is an inactivated ( not live)
  vaccine which protects against 4 major types of
  HPV.
• These include 2 types that cause about 70 of
  cervical cancer and 2 types that cause about 90
  of genital warts.
• HPV vaccine can PREVENT most genital warts and
  most cases of cervical cancer.

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Who should get HPV vaccine and when?

• HPV is routinely recommended for girls 11-12
  years of age. Doctors may give as young as 9
  years of age. It is a 3 dose series
• 1st dose Now
• 2nd dose 2 months after Dose 1
• 3rd dose 6 months after Dose 1

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Why is HPV vaccine given at this age?
It is important for girls to get HPV vaccine
before their first sexual contact because they
have not been exposed to HPV. For those girls,
the vaccine can prevent almost 100 of disease
caused by the 4 types of HPV targeted by the
vaccine. The vaccine is also recommended for
girls and women 13-26 years of age who did not
receive it when they were younger.
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How Can I Learn More?
Talk to your PCM Contact the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) 1-800-232-4636 (
1-800-CDC-INFO) Or visit the website at
www.cdc.gov The HPV Vaccine is now available at
the 75th MDG Immunization Clinic.