Mayo Clinic Health Letter Tip of the Month - June 2002

Tuesday, June 18, 2002

Sports Injuries Increasing in Older Americans

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As more older Americans continue to enjoy exercise, their rate of sports-related injuries has risen significantly.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that sports-related injuries increased 54 percent for people 65 and older from 1990 to 1996, the most recent data available. Most injuries were associated with active sports such as biking, skiing, tennis and skating. Often, injuries were related to inflammation and simple wear and tear aggravated by overuse.

Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers several tips to avoid sports injuries:

• Begin and end your exercise session with a few minutes of walking followed by simple stretches to warm up and cool down.
• Pace yourself. The optimal daily goal is 30 minutes or more of moderate activity. Remember, "no pain, no gain" is bad advice.
• Use the right equipment that fits. If you bike, wear a helmet. (The most common injuries are bike related and most of those are from falls and head injuries.)
• Take lessons if needed. Learning proper technique and form can help you avoid injuries with unfamiliar sports or new exercise equipment.
• Alternate activities. Whatever recreation you enjoy, it's a good idea to alternate activities from day-to-day to avoid overuse injuries.

See Your Doctor at the First Sign of Shingles

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Decades after childhood chickenpox, the herpes zoster virus that caused it could re-emerge as shingles. The virus can settle into nerve cells and, years later, be reactivated by various factors including age, stress, illness or medications. Shingles produces a painful rash and blisters, often on the chest or back. Like any virus, shingles has to run its course. Fortunately, there are prescription medications that, if taken early enough, may shorten the duration of the infection and could reduce the risk of long-term complications. At the first sign of shingles, contact your doctor.

The June issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter details these signs and symptoms:

• Pain, burning, tingling or itching in a localized area that last one to three days, often before the rash appears
• A painful red rash with blisters
• Fever
• Headache

Shingles blisters carry the chickenpox virus. Until the crustiness and scabbing disappear, people with shingles risk exposing others who have never had chickenpox.

Coronary Artery Disease May Not Rule Out Viagra

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A study by Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association shows that taking Viagra probably isn't dangerous for most men who have stable coronary artery disease, according to the June issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. The study, published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved 105 men with coronary heart disease or symptoms of the disease. The men took Viagra or a placebo one hour before an exercise test. One to three days later, the test was repeated, with the men switching from Viagra to the placebo or vice versa.

There was evidence of inadequate blood flow to the hearts of some men, but the problem was no worse after taking Viagra. Blood pressure was slightly lower when Viagra was taken. While the study results were promising, Mayo Clinic cardiologists still recommend that men with stable coronary artery disease talk with their doctor about their condition before taking Viagra.

###

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.