Posts Tagged ‘diabetes’

Healthkick!

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

 

Welcome to our new Unyts Health Blog! Through this blog, we hope to get you thinking about healthy choices that we have the opportunity to make everyday in life.  Our mission here at Unyts is to save and enhance lives, and on that, we’re following through with our message here. We hope that you’ll continue to read our weekly blog. You may just read some life-saving information.

 How Much Sleep is Really Enough?

 Blogpost by: Michele McDaniel, Unyts Volunteer

 With busy and ever-changing schedules, especially during busy times such as the holidays, it can be difficult to feel as though you’re getting “enough” sleep.  However, have you ever asked yourself the questions, “How much sleep is really enough for me?” or “How do my sleep needs differ from those of my family?”  The answers to these questions are important to ensuring a healthy sleep cycle and preventing side-effects of sleep deprivation which include increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, increased risk of diabetes and heart problems, and increased risk for psychiatric conditions such as depression.  There are also serious health issues that may be associated with habitually sleeping longer than needed (9 hours or more for adults).

A healthy sleep cycle does not mean the same thing for everyone, though.  Sleep needs can differ depending on activity level and age, and though doctors can’t give an exact number, they do have some “rule-of-thumb” ranges to help you understand what your family needs to stay well rested: 

 

Here are some tips from the National Sleep Foundation to get enough sleep:

  • Try to stay on a rest-and-wake schedule, even on weekends
  • Find a routine that helps you prepare for sleep, such as drinking some tea or taking a soothing bath
  • Splurge on a comfy pillow, you spend a lot of time resting on it!
  • keep “sleep stealers” out of the bedroom – avoid watching TV, using a computer or reading in bed
  • Exercise regularly and stop eating at least 2-3 hours before bedtime
  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol products close to bedtime and give up smoking

The most important thing is to listen to your body.  Does spicy food give you heartburn that keeps you awake?  Does your last coffee have to be before 3pm to ensure you fall asleep with ease?  Since sleep habits are personal, paying attention to these factors and responding as needed will ensure you have enough z’s in your life to stay happy and healthy!

Source:  National Sleep Foundation

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Multicultural Transplant Organization Comments on “Facebook” New Timeline Feature

Monday, May 14th, 2012

On May 1st, Mark Zuckerberg announced a new “Organ Donor” feature on Facebook. You can now share with your family, friends and the rest of the social network your donor status. This is the response by Sandy Shih Andrada, the President of Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation.

On behalf of the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT), we applaud Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook for elevating the vital importance of organ and tissue donation among its millions of users . The increased transparency into one’s status as a registered organ and tissue donor will surely spark lively discussions regarding the decision to donate and save lives. Indeed, this discussion is especially timely within the African American community, which suffers disproportionately from myriad health disparities (high blood pressure, diabetes) that can lead to end-stage organ failure. Yet, there continues to be a widening gap in the percentage of African Americans saying “yes” to donation and those in need of life-saving transplants. This trend can also be seen in other multicultural communities. We have already noted an exponential increase in the number of people signing up to become donors on the heels of the Facebook announcement May 1st; our hope is that we will see more communities of color exploring the possibility of organ and tissue donation, making their donation decision and sharing their decisions with their families, friends and loved ones.

Sandy Shih Andrada
President, Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT)

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Organ donation in the African American Community

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

There is no time like the present to help celebrate Black History Month by signing up to become an organ donor and making the commitment to give back. New York State has the 3rd lowest rate of donation in the country, while at the same time having the 3rd highest number of people waiting for a life saving transplant on the waiting list. Many people would be surprised to learn that African Americans make up a great amount of those waiting.

The need for life saving organ transplants in African Americans is often due to the rate of high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes and heart disease among those of African American descent. Although African American’s make up a great amount of the population waiting for a life saving organ, many African American’s are reluctant to sign up to become an organ donor themselves. Because of this many African Americans may have to wait longer to receive a life saving transplant, getting sicker over time and possibly even dying waiting for the organs they need.

It is beneficial for African Americans to receive organs from their own ethnicity because certain blood types are more prevalent in African Americans such as O+ and A+. Matching blood types is necessary for transplantation and therefore the need for African American organ donors is especially high. Receiving an organ from another member of the African American community also results in less chance of organ rejection.

It is up to us to help close the gap between the number of African Americans needing a life saving organ transplant and the number of African American donors currently enrolled in the organ donor registry. Signup for the New York State Donate Life Registry now by visiting unyts.org today!

Alonzo Mourning – NBA All-Star and Kidney Transplant Recipient

Former Miami Heat star and recent star of the New Jersey Nets, Alonzo Mourning took a giant step against kidney disease on Friday, December 19, 2003 when he underwent a kidney transplant at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Mark A. Hardy, MD, Auchincloss Professor of Surgery at Columbia, performed the transplant. Mr. Mourning was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in October 2000. The disease affects the filters of the kidney that remove toxins from the blood.

A kidney transplant functions at its best as a very effective treatment of renal disease, allowing the patient to function normally with few dietary restrictions, minor physical limitations and continued maintenance on medications. In regards to the success of Mr. Mourning’s transplant, Dr. Hardy says, “I am very optimistic that Mr. Mourning’s transplanted kidney will function well for a long time. And I look forward to Mr. Mourning’s increased activities in promulgating organ donation to the American public, which I expect to be highly productive and beneficial to the many patients waiting for organs on the transplantation lists.” (Department of Surgery)

Alonzo Mourning for Organ Donation VIDEO (Organdonor.gov)

Sources: Us Department of Health and Human Services, The Office of Minority Health, Department of Surgery, Organdonor.gov

 

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