Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Women's wellness index, sleep insights, and rural telehealth solutions

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Women's wellness index, sleep insights, and rural telehealth solutions · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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  Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another episode of Morning Medical with Doctor Chow.
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  I am your host, Doctor Chi-Ming Ming Chow.
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  As always, we are here to bring you the latest updates and insights from the world of medicine
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  and health.
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  Today, we have a range of important top to discuss that touch on various aspects of health
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  and wellness.
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  So let us dive right in.
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  Our first topic today is a concerning trend that has been highlighted in the recently
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  published Pimps intelligence report titled 2024 women's wellness index.
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  According to the report, nearly 30% of mothers are neglecting their own medical care.
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  This statistic is alarming and sheds light on the sacrifices mothers often make for the sake
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  of their families.
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  The report, which is based on surveys conducted with more than 10,000 United States consumers,
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  reveals that women who are responsible for children are more likely to sacrifice than
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  those who also care for children.
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  This discrepancy is largely attributed to the increased responsibilities that come with
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  motherhood.
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  Because of these added responsibilities, mothers are less likely to seek preventative
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  medical care for themselves and allocate a smaller portion of their income toward their
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  personal health.
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  With limited time and a greater portion of their health spending prioritized on the
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  wellness of others, Mothers end up being less proactive about their health and wellness than
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  other women.
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  This neglect of their own health maintenance comes at a cost manifesting in poorer health
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  later in life.
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  The numbers paint a stark picture.
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  Nearly 83% of women without children seek routine.
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  Preventative care regularly, whereas mothers are 14% less likely to do the same.
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  Specifically, only 71% of mother get preventative medical care, and about 1 quarter
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  only seek care in the case of a problem or emergency.
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  Additionally, mothers are 6.5% less likely to get regular preventative dental care than
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  single women without children.
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  Interestingly, the report also found that single women without children were 16% less
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  likely to seek preventative help for diet and nutrition and 20% less likely to engage in
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  exercise services compared to women with children.
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  They also sought slightly less preventive care for alternative health or fertility treatments
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  than women with children.
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  Both groups, however, sought similar levels of preventative care for mental health, suggesting
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  that women with kids and those without both see the need for mental health care.
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  Taken together, these findings reveal a clear trend.
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  Mothers are seeking less preventative care and reporting worse health as a result.
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  The contrast between women with children and single women without children who show a
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  greater propensity towards seeking health care services helps to identify a key detail that
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  plays a role in this shift, household composition.
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  The 2024 women's wellness index found that women's responsibilities to others in the
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  household further impede their ability to prioritize their own health.
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  In many cases, women still feel pressure to live up to traditional gendered expectations
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  about taking care of others, including partners.
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  Although gender roles and responsibilities continue to evolve, some of these implications
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  suggest that a continued evolution concerning traditional expectations would likely
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  contribute to better overall health outcomes for United States women.
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  Next, let us turn our attention to an enlightening discussion from the Sleep 2020 4
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  Conference.
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  Where Doctor Allison Brager, a researcher from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research,
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  shared her insights on the benefits of exercise for cardiovascular health and the circadian
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  clock.
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  Doctor Breager emphasized that exercise is pivotal for improving cardiovascular and
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  stabilizing the circadian clock, especially when performed at the same time every day.
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  According to her, the cardiovascular system significantly impact exercise performance, and
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  individuals will experience different outcomes depending on whether they exercise in the
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  morning, or at night, regardless of their natural preference for being a morning or
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  evening person.
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  In her research, Doctor.
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  Bibrager has been particularly focused on the relationships between cardiovascular health,
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  circadian rhythm, and exercise within military personnel.
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  One of her studies revealed that military personnel with greater hand grip strength
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  tended to have healthier hearts.
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  Her team also investigated the transitions from daytime to nighttime operations, a common
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  practice in the United States military.
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  They found that such transitions led to a drastic decrease in grip strength and other
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  measures of athletic performance.
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  Which are heavily reliant on the cardiovascular system.
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  Doctor Breger's work extends beyond the military.
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  She also conducted research with the National Football League, demonstrating that the timing
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  of exercise can significantly impact performance due to the circadian clock.
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  For instance, teams playing games during their biological afternoon, a time typically
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  associated with a natural dip in circadian alertness and an increase in fatigue were more
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  prone to injuries.
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  This finding underscores the close connection between circadian rhythms, athletic performance
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  and cardiovascular health.
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  However, doctor Brager pointed out that exercise is not the only factor influencing
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  cardiovascular health.
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  Sleep and nutrition are also crucial.
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  She advocates for maintaining a consistent routine, suggesting that going to bed and
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  waking up at the same time every day as well as eating meals at regular intervals can greatly
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  benefit both sleep quality and cardiovascular health.
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  Doctor Mike Breager stressed the importance of exercise in today's society, particularly
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  noting the challenges faced in recruiting young individuals into the military due to declining
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  fitness levels.
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  She expressed concern not only for their physical health, but also for their mental
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  well-being.
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  According to her, exercise is a fundamental pillar of health.
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  Contributing to a healthy heart and good sleep.
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  In conclusion, doctor Breger's research highlights the multifaceted benefits of
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  exercise, from enhancing cardiovascular health and stabilizing the circadian clock to
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  improving overall physical and mental well-being.
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  Her findings serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of regular physical activity as
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  part of a healthy lifestyle.
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  Let us now shift our focus to a promising development in the field of mental health care.
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  As reported by Connor Ollathorn from WCX, A new telehealth company is aiming to address the
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  significant gap in mental health providers, particularly in rural areas like Vermont.
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  According to a snapshot from the National Alliance of Mental Health, more than 36% of
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  Vermont adults reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression in February 2021.
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  This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for accessible mental health care
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  services.
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  However, the shortage of practitioners has made it increasingly difficult for individuals to
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  receive timely care.
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  Enter telemedicine essentials of America, a new telehealth company founded by Tiny Ray.
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  Ray who has extensive experience working as a nurse practitioner in Vermont is spearheading
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  an initiative to improve mental health care accessibility across the state.
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  Through telehealth services.
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  People having to wait 3, 6, sometimes even 8 months just to have an initial appointment and,
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  you know, a crisis waits for no one.
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  Ray emphasizes.
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  One of the key advantages of telehealth, particularly in a rural state like Vermont is
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  that it eliminates the need for long distance travel for medical appointments.
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  Samantha Sweet, the deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Mental Health.
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  Highlights this benefit.
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  Telehealth allows our community members to receive care from the comfort of their homes,
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  eliminating travel time and the need transportation, thus making appointments more
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  accessible.
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  The convenience of telehealth is further echoed by Jared Zucker from the Brattleboro retreat.
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  He notes something that we hear every day is how difficult it is for our patients to access
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  treatment.
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  Rick Hildebrand from the Rutland Regional Medical Center ads prior to telehealth they
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  were driving to University of Vermont, Dartmouth, and sometimes to Boston, commonly to
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  Boston, to see a particular specialist to get care for a particular condition.
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  Despite the advantages of telehealth, Ray acknowledges that it is not a complete
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  replacement for in person treatment.
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  We are not here to take anyone's business.
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  We are here to support.
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  Wherever the gaps are, we are here to pick it up.
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  We're really big on collaboration.
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  So it's not okay.
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  This is my patient.
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  No.
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  If you are referring, We're gonna collaborate to make sure that the patient gets everything
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  that they need.
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  Ray explains.
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  In addition to telehealth services, telemedicine essentials of America plans to
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  introduce a mobile van to send nurses directly to appointments.
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  This initiative aims to meet community members where they are, providing care and support in a
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  more flexible and accessible manner.
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  In summary, the efforts of telemedicine essentials of America represent a significant
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  step forward in addressing the mental health provider gap in Vermont.
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  By leveraging telehealth and mobile services, They are working to ensure that individuals
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  receive the care they need when they need it without the barriers of long wait times and
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  extensive travel.
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  As we continue our exploration of health related topics, let us examine a critical issue
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  that is becoming increasingly relevant in the context of global climate change.
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  Wet bulb temperatures.
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  With a heat dome currently affecting the Western United States and above average
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  temperatures expected in Canada this summer, understanding wet bulb temperatures and their
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  potential health impacts is crucial.
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  Wet bulb temperature is a measure that combines air temperature and humidity to reflect the
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  true heat stress on the human body.
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  It gets its name from an old method of measuring temperature by wrapping a thermometer
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  in a wet cloth and allowing the water to evaporate.
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  The evaporative cooling effect lowers the thermometer's reading, much like how our bodies
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  cool down by sweating.
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  However, when humidity is high, the air holds more water vapor, making it harder for our
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  sweat to evaporate.
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  And cool us down.
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  This inability to shed heat effectively can lead to dangerous health conditions.
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  According to doctor Kent Moore, an atmospheric physics professor at the University of Toronto,
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  Mississauga.
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  If the humidity reaches 100% evaporation ceases entirely, significantly increasing our heat
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  stress.
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  The critical threshold for wet bulb temperature is alarmingly low.
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  Research from 2010 indicated that a wet bulb temperature of 35 degrees Celsius sustained for
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  over 6 hours could be lethal.
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  More recent studies, such as one published in the journal of Applied Physiology in 2022,
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  suggests that this limit might be even lower, especially in high humidity conditions.
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  At 100% humidity, A wet bulb temperature of just 31 degrees Celsius can be dangerous while
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  at 38 degrees Celsius, even 60% humidity can be perilous.
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  To put this into perspective on a day when the air temperature is 30 degrees Celsius with 70%
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  humidity, The Humodex value, a Canadian measure that indicates how hot it feels, can soar to
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  41.
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  At 100% humidity, the Humodex could reach an unbearable 45.
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  Doctor Mallmore emphasizes that even at 60% humidity, Our bodies are only about 40% as
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  efficient at cooling themselves.
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  The health implications of high wet bulb temperatures are severe.
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  When our bodies cannot cool down, we risk heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
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  Doctor Samantha Green, a family physician with Unity Health Toronto explains that symptoms of
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  heat exhaustion include nausea, light headedness, and dizziness.
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  If untreated, this can quickly escalate to heat stroke.
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  A medical emergency characterized by confusion and altered levels of consciousness.
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  Doctor Green Advises that if you suspect someone is experiencing heat stroke, call
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  emergency services immediately, and try to cool the person down.
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  Extreme heat also exacerbates chronic conditions such as respiratory illnesses and
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  heart disease.
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  Therefore, it is vital to take preventive measures during heat waves.
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  Doctor More recommends staying hydrated, taking breaks, if you must be outdoors, and avoiding
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  strenuous activities during peak heat.
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  If possible, exercise indoors, or during cooler parts of the day.
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  Staying indoors is not always a foolproof solution, especially if you do not have air
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  conditioning.
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  Doctor Ygrene points out that many fatalities during the 2021 heat dome in British Columbia
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  occurred indoors.
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  Thus, finding a cool space, staying hydrated, and taking cool showers or baths our essential
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  strategies to stay safe.
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  Planning ahead for extremely hot days is crucial, particularly if you are in an area
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  prone to prolonged heat waves or heat domes.
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  In summary, understanding wet bulb temperatures and their impact on human health is more
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  important than ever as we face increasing instances of extreme heat.
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  By being aware of the risks, and taking appropriate preventive measures, we can better
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  protect ourselves and our communities from the dangers of high wet bulb temperatures.
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  That brings us to the end of today's episode.
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  Thank you for joining me on morning medical with doctor E Chow.
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  Stay tuned for our next episode where we will continue to explore the latest in medical and
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  health news.
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  Until then, stay healthy and take care.