Mayo Clinic Health Letter Tip of the Month - February 15, 2002

Friday, February 15, 2002

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.- If it takes all your energy to carry a bag of groceries, you could be feeling the effect of sarcopenia (sarh-ko-PEE-nee-uh), loss of muscle mass that comes with normal aging. One study showed that 45 percent of women ages 65 to 74 were unable to lift ten pounds. But you can do something to slow muscle loss, according to the February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. Challenging your muscles at least 20 to 30 minutes three times a week can net positive and noticeable results - no matter how old you are. You can give your muscles a workout with exercises that use your own body weight as resistance or even simple free weights or elastic resistance bands.

Lacking adequate exercise, muscle mass typically decreases about one percent each year after age 30. That adds up and can cause other health problems including slowing metabolism, which can lead to weight gain.

Hold The Sprouts

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -You might want to forgo adding raw sprouts to your salad or sandwich. While rich in many vitamins and nutrients, raw sprouts have been linked to numerous outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella, according to the February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

The Food and Drug Administration offers this advice on sprouts:

• Cook them — Washing raw sprouts doesn't significantly reduce the risk of infection.
• Check the menu — When you are eating out, request that sprouts not be used in your foods.
• Be wary of homegrown sprouts — These may be a source of infection too, even if grown under clean conditions.

It's believed that the seeds from which sprouts are grown may become contaminated before harvest by runoff from animal agriculture waste or irrigation. And the warm humid conditions under which sprouts are grown are ideal for the rapid growth of bacteria. AIDS Increasing in Older Adults

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - AIDS isn't just a young person's disease. The past decade has seen an increase in new cases of AIDS in older adults and a shift in the source of new infections, according to the February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a collective term, depicted by the presence of infections, malignancies or other conditions not normally encountered in people with healthy immune systems. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the cause of AIDS.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report 4,980 people over 50 were newly infected with HIV in 1991. In 1996, the number was 6,090, an increase of 22 percent. The number of people over 50 infected through heterosexual contact has increased markedly. Although more people were infected through homosexual sex and intravenous drug use in both years, the rate of increase among heterosexuals was highest of any group.

If you are sexually active, you can lower the risk of infection by using a latex condom. There are female condoms available, too. However, no form of contraception provides 100 percent protection against the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

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Mayo Clinic is a private group practice of medicine dedicated to providing diagnosis and treatment of patient illnesses through a systematic focus on individual patient needs. Mayo Clinic Scottsdale offers outpatient healthcare in 66 medical and surgical specialties and programs. Mayo Clinic also provides care at primary care practices located throughout the Valley and at the new Mayo Clinic Hospital. The hospital is located at 56th Street and Mayo Boulevard (north of Bell Road) in northeast Phoenix, and provides inpatient care to support the medical and surgical specialties of the Clinic

Contact: Anne Tewksbury 480-301-4368

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