Winter - Augusta Health

More documents

Recommendations

Info

On the level What your cholesterol levels mean—and how to control them like high blood pressure, unheAlthy levels of cholesterol hAve A WAy of doing their dAmAge Without Any WArning signs thAt something’s Amiss. So unless you’ve been tested to find out your levels, you may not even know your cardiovascular system is at risk for narrowed arteries, heart attacks or other ailments. Experts recommend adults get a simple blood test called a lipid panel—which measures your total RODNEy GRABER, MD cholesterol, good HDL cholesterol, bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides—beginning at age 20 and repeating about every five years (or more frequently if your numbers are off). But what numbers are you aiming for? the numbers game “ideally, you want your total cholesterol levels to be less than 200 mg/dL,” says Augusta Health cardiologist Rodney Graber, MD. But total cholesterol only offers one part of the picture: your HDL cholesterol, which removes excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and keeps it from accumulating on blood vessel walls, should be at least 50 to 60 mg/dL. your LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL, or less than 70 mg/dL if you have heart disease or are at risk for it. triglycerides—another type of blood fat—should measure below 150 mg/dL. 20 HealthMatters Fall 2012 taking charge Cholesterol control typically starts with lifestyle measures, such as quitting smoking, losing excess pounds, cutting back on bad fats, concentrating on good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and incorporating more whole grains into your diet, in addition to more frequent exercise. “Then i bring them back in after three months and see how they’re doing,” Dr. Graber says. if improvements aren’t seen or aren’t significant, medications such as statins are usually the next step. These drugs not only lower cholesterol to healthier levels but also stabilize existing cholesterol buildup (or plaque) and keep it from rupturing, Dr. Graber says. cholesterol type ideal levels Total cholesterol Less than 200 mg/dL HDL (good) cholesterol 50-60 mg/dL or higher LDL (bad) cholesterol Less than 100 mg/dL Triglycerides Less than 150 mg/dL get healthY! dr. graber’s practice, Augusta health cardiology, is located at 70 medical center drive, suite 107 in fishersville, on the Augusta health campus. for more information or to schedule an appointment, call (540) 332-4278.
A new view New SPeCT/CT scanner provides patient-friendly, state-of-the-art imaging pAtients Who need imAging studies noW hAve AdvAnced technology on their side, thAnks to AugustA heAlth’s neW spect (single photon emission computed tomogrAphy) And ct scAnner. The GE Discovery NM/CT 670 is the only SPECT/CT scanner of its kind in the area— and it’s already improving the patient experience with exceptional image quality and patient comfort. How it works “Our new scanner is a unique system—the next generation in hybrid SPECT,” says Rader Dod, RT-R, director of radiology at Augusta Health. A two-in-one scanner, it includes a nuclear all-digital camera fused with an 8-slice CT scanner. “The nuclear medicine component shows how the organs function, while the CT component shows the anatomical positioning,” explains Sheila Brown, supervisor of nuclear medicine and PET-CT services at Augusta Health. The scanner is used to help diagnose a variety of conditions, including those of the heart and certain cancers. “For example, we can see the walls of the heart much clearer, and it can help us determine where a tumor is located and if it’s spread,” says Brown. A plus for patients Augusta Health’s previous SPECT/CT scanner wasn’t digital; in contrast, Brown says, “Our new scanner produces all-digital images, which will enhance our ability to diagnose and do so much earlier in the disease process.” The scanner’s advanced robotics make it possible to perform multiple actions quickly and at once, which shortens overall imaging time. “This, in turn, improves patient comfort, which also reduces anxiety,” Brown says, adding that CT scans can be performed in less than one minute. Another benefit for patients is the larger table weight, which can accommodate larger patients. “Whereas in the past, the images weren’t as clear for these patients, now we can provide high-quality imaging for them,” Dod notes. ›› RADER DOD, Rt-R, AND SHEILA BROWN WItH AuGuStA HEALtH’S NEW SPECt/Ct SCANNER the accreditation advantage Augusta Health is proud to have received another three-year Gold Seal Accreditation in magnetic resonance imaging (MRi) from the American College of Radiology (ACR), a national professional organization serving more than 34,000 diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists. This accreditation is awarded to facilities that meet the ACR’s stringent guidelines for image quality and patient safety. where image is eVerYthing! the next time you need imaging services, you can feel confident in Augusta health’s high-quality, convenient care. to learn more, visit www.augustahealth.com/radiology. www.augustahealth.com 21
Page 1 and 2: HealthMatters fall 2012 › › www
Page 3 and 4: tHE MAGAzINE OF AuGuStA HEALtH Serv
Page 5 and 6: ›› CONStRuCtION WORKERS ARE BuS
Page 7 and 8: Patient-centered cancer care if you
Page 9 and 10: ›› BEFORE ›› AFtER treat yo
Page 11 and 12: Adult immunization schedule Vaccine
Page 13 and 14: the mammogram necessity Like in mos
Page 15 and 16: CHRIStOPHER HARMON, MD, PhD Bringin
Page 17 and 18: summer? from long periods of standi
Page 19: OPPOSItE PAGE: WALtER KERSCHL, MD,
Page 23 and 24: community Wellness GAIN INDEPENDENC
Page 25 and 26: ostomy support group AuGuStA HEALtH
Page 27 and 28: DAvID KRIEGER, DO occupational medi

Winter - Augusta Health

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?