Heckscher Park Goes Pink to Kick-Off Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Councilwoman Theresa Mari, alongside Supervisor Ed Smyth and in partnership with Huntington Matters and Reworld, invites the public to attend Pink in the Park, a special Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Fair at Heckscher Park, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. This community event is focused on raising awareness, providing vital health resources, and celebrating the strength of breast cancer survivors.
Councilwoman Theresa Mari, a breast cancer survivor herself, said, “Early detection saves lives. I encourage all eligible women to take advantage of this vital screening service and join us for a day dedicated to health, wellness, and community support.”
Pink in the Park will feature a range of health and wellness vendors, inspiring performances, children’s activities, and an opportunity to take action against breast cancer through screenings and education. The day kicks off with a Walk Around the Pond, symbolizing the community’s unity in the fight against breast cancer.
Event Schedule
9:30 am – Press Conference
Opening Remarks by Supervisor Ed Smyth and Councilwoman Theresa Mari
Hear from local officials Huntington’s leaders as they officially launch the fair and share messages of hope and encouragement.
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Morning Walk Around the Pond
Join community members for a refreshing walk to start the event, promoting health and solidarity.
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM: Stony Brook Medicine Mobile Mammography Van
Convenient breast cancer screenings provided by state-registered technologists.
Pre-registration is required
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM: Vendor Booths Open
Explore a variety of booths offering health, beauty, and wellness products with a focus on breast cancer prevention.
10:30 AM: Performance by Dancin’ Feet
Enjoy an inspiring performance by the talented dancers of Dancin’ Feet.
10:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Family Games and Activities by My Gym
Children’s games and activities will be available, hosted by My Gym. 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM:
“Pink” Hands-On Art Project by Heckscher Museum
Engage in a creative “pink”-themed art project for all ages, organized by the Heckscher Museum.
The Suffolk County Water Authority will host a Pharmaceutical Take Back Day on Saturday, September 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SCWA Education Center, 260 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge. This event offers a simple and environmentally responsible way for residents to dispose of unused or expired medications. No sign-up is required—just drive up, drop off your medications, and leave. Note that medical sharps cannot be accepted.
“We are excited to partner with the Suffolk County Police Department to help our customers properly dispose of their pharmaceuticals,” said SCWA Chairman Charles Lefkowitz. “By participating in this event, customers help protect our sole-source aquifer by disposing of medications properly, rather than flushing them, which can harm our water supply. We encourage all Suffolk County residents to join us.”
When medications are flushed down the toilet, they run the risk of contaminating Long Island’s aquifer, which can be a detriment to public health.This event serves as a kickoff to Source Water Protection Week, when water providers bring attention to the importance of safeguarding our natural water sources.
After residents drop off their medications during the Pharmaceutical Take Back Day event, they will be taken by a Suffolk County Police Officer to be safely incinerated, ensuring that these contaminants do not end up in the aquifer. Attendees will also be invited to come into the education center to learn more about what the SCWA does and the importance of protecting precious water sources.
About SCWA:
The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Serving approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis.
Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) suffer from a variety of movement disorders caused by a breakdown of brain neurons. While we don’t fully understand the causes of PD, we know that risk factors may include head trauma, genetics, exposure to toxins and heavy metals, and other issues, such as a sedentary lifestyle.
The prime culprit is dopamine deficiency that occurs in a region at the base of the brain (1). Because of this, the mainstay of medical treatment has been adding back dopamine; however, eventually the neurons themselves break down, and the medication becomes less effective.
Newer approaches include medications and deep brain stimulatory surgery, as well as modifying lifestyle, considering factors like iron, inflammation, CoQ10, and vitamin D. While the research is not conclusive, it is continuing. This provides us with hope and more options.
Iron accumulation
Iron accumulation is potentially harmful in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, as well as Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and multiple sclerosis, because of the oxidative damage it can cause.
In a small, yet well-designed, randomized controlled trial (RCT), researchers used a chelator to remove iron from the substantia nigra. An iron chelator is a drug that removes the iron. Here, deferiprone (DFP) was used at a modest dose of 30 mg/kg/d (2).
The chelator reduced the risk of disease progression significantly on the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) during the 12-month study. Participants who were treated sooner had lower levels of iron compared to a group that used the chelator six months later. A specialized MRI was used to measure the brain’s iron levels.
A subsequent small RCT of 22 early-onset PD sufferers found a trend for improvement at the same dosing of DFP, results did not achieve statistical significance by the conclusion of the six-month trial (3).
An iron chelator does not affect systemic levels of iron, only those in the substantia nigra region of the brain. The chelator may work by preventing degradation of the dopamine-containing neurons. Your physician may also recommend that you consume foods that contain less iron.
Inflammation
In a 2023 study, researchers tested 58 newly diagnosed PD participants’ blood and compared their results to 62 healthy control participants to compare inflammatory markers (4). Some PD-arm participants had additional testing done, including cerebrospinal fluid samples and brain imaging.
Researchers found that those with PD had significantly higher brain inflammation levels than those without PD in specific regions. Their blood and cerebrospinal fluid also had high inflammatory markers. These measures correlated with worse visuospatial and cognitive scores.
While this study provides hints of possible treatments, we need additional studies to confirm whether the inflammation is a cause or an effect of PD.
Regardless, adopting a low-inflammatory diet might help mitigate some symptoms of PD or slow its advancement.
CoQ10
In an RCT, results showed that those given 1,200 mg of CoQ10 daily reduced the progression of the disease significantly based on UPDRS changes, compared to a placebo group (5). Other doses of 300 and 600 mg showed trends toward benefit, but were not significant. This was a 16-month trial in a small population of 80 patients. In this study, CoQ10 was well-tolerated at even the highest dose.
Unfortunately, a 2022 meta-analysis of CoQ10 studies concluded that it was not universally beneficial, even if some studies showed benefits for specific patients (6). The authors concluded that a personalized approach to its administration and follow-up is critical.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D may play dual roles of both reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease and slowing its progression.
A prospective study of over 3000 patients showed that vitamin D levels measured in the highest quartile reduced the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 65 percent, compared to the lowest quartile (7). This is impressive, especially since the highest quartile patients had vitamin D levels that were insufficient, with blood levels of 20 ng/ml, while those in the lowest quartile had deficient blood levels of 10 ng/ml or less.
In an RCT with 121 patients, results showed that 1,200 IU of vitamin D taken daily may have reduced the progression of PD significantly on the UPDRS compared to a placebo over a 12-month duration (8). Also, this amount of vitamin D increased the blood levels by almost two times from 22.5 to 41.7 ng/ml.
In a 2019 study of 182 PD patients and 185 healthy control subjects, researchers found that higher serum vitamin D levels correlated to reduced falls and alleviation of other non-motor PD symptoms (9).
Like other PD research, investigations into the role of Vitamin D are ongoing.
So, what are our takeaways? Though medication is the gold standard for Parkinson’s disease treatment, lifestyle modifications can have a significant impact on both its prevention and treatment. While each change in isolation may have modest effects, their cumulative impact could be significant.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
While the fall provides a break from the summer heat and a respite for exhausted parents who coordinate and carpool for recreational activities, it also can trigger a return to more concentrated time indoors.
Dr. Sharon Nachman, Chief of the Division of Pediiatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. File photo
That can trigger the beginning of the flu season, as students and their families share much more than the lessons of the day and stories about teachers and classmates.
Timing shots can be a delicate balance, as the antibody coverage from these shots is typically about three months.
With the peak flu season often occurring during December and January and even into February, Dr. Sharon Nachman, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, suggested that residents receive their vaccines in a few weeks.
“Getting a vaccine in October is probably the right time,” Nachman said.
Dr. Gregson Pigott, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, added that the timing for Covid vaccinations is somewhat trickier.
“Because the evolution of new variants remains unpredictable, SARS-CoV2 [the virus that causes the disease] is not a typical ‘winter’ respiratory virus,” Pigott explained in an email.
The county health department recommends that residents stay up to date with their vaccinations.
“Individuals should speak with their healthcare providers for advice that is specific to them,” Pigott added.
Simultaneous shots
Doctors generally recommend receiving both shots at the same time, if people are eligible and the timing for each vaccine is right. Residents who are unsure about their eligibility should speak with their healthcare providers, Pigott explained.
Dr. Gregson Pigott, Suffolk County Health Services commissioner. File photo
The flu and Covid are viruses that change over time, creating a battle between the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture vaccinations and the viruses that attempt to evade them.
Each year, the vaccines attempt to provide the best match against the dominant or most likely strains.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “determines if the vaccine will protect against a circulating virus by conducting laboratory studies on circulating flu viruses,” Pigott explained in an email. “Updated 2024-2025 flu vaccines will be trivalent” and will protect against H1N1, H3N2 and a B/ Victoria lineage virus.
Vaccine manufacturers create immunizations based on the flu strain circulating in the southern hemisphere during the recent season.
“We expect that those are what’s going to hit us in our winter,” Nachman said. “The science is there. We know generally what types will be rolling around. We could hit or miss it by a subtype.”
Nachman added that the flu vaccines represent educated guesses about the type of microbe that might cause illnesses.
“The educated guesses are still better than no vaccine, which will, for sure, not cover you at all,” Nachman said
As for the Covid immunization, doctors added that it is also likely to change as the virus that caused the pandemic mutates.
Nachman said people should plan to get the Covid shot around once a year.
“I don’t think we’re going to go to more often” than that, Nachman said.
During the summer, when an infectious strain of Covid surged across the county, state and country, Nachman said the data is not available to determine how much protection a vaccine provided.
“Only on TV do computer models work instantly,” Nachman said.
She suspects that the Covid shot offered some protection for residents, who may not have been as sick for as long as some of those who dealt with a range of symptoms.
Concussion awareness
With the start of a new school year and the beginning of contact sports like football, school districts are continuing to ensure that coaches and athletes follow concussion protocols.
“Schools have done a nice job thinking and talking about it,” said Nachman. “Coaches know you can’t throw [student athletes] out and say, ‘You’ll do fine,’” after a head injury.
Nachman suggested that area athletes may engage in activities that are not connected to the schools and that may involve head injuries that people ignore.
“We know what’s happening with school-regulated” sport, but not with those that are outside the academic umbrella, she added.
As for the emotional or psychological impacts of a divided and bitter electorate during an election year, Nachman said people are under considerable emotional stress.
“The social media echo chamber is making it worse,” she said. The abundance of misinformation on both sides is causing mental anguish.
“Election times are very stressful and I think, in particular, this election may be even more stressful,” Nachman said.
Nachman urges people to minimize their time on social media and to create down time from electronics during meals.
As students move up a grade and into new places, they also can endure stressors, peer pressure and bullying. She suggests that parents understand what their children are seeing online.
Newborn RSV protection
Children born in March or later are eligible to receive an approved shot called Beyfortus, which, in 80 percent of cases during clinical trials, prevents the development of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
The Beyfortus monoclonal antibody will make a “huge difference” for newborns and their parents, Nachman said. Last year, Stony Brook had numerous hospitalizations in children under one year of age.
“We’re not going to have those children coming into the hospital,” Nachman said. “That’s amazing and is a huge step forward.”
When newborns get RSV, doctors don’t have an effective treatment for the virus and typically treat the symptoms.
The mortality rate from RSV is low, but the morbidity is high. Newborns who contract RSV can end up developing chronic asthma.
As with any shot, Beyfortus can have side effects, with the most common including rash and pain, swelling, or hardness at the site of the injection, according to AstraZeneca and Sanofi, which manufacture the antibody.
Beyfortus is covered by insurance and is under the vaccine for children program and numerous private health insurance plans. Parents can opt out of the shot. Nachman suggested they should understand what they are opting out of when they make that decision.
Can increasing your nutrient consumption improve your quality of life?
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
What percent of U.S. adults do you think meet the daily requirements for vegetable intake? How about for fruit intake?
According to a 2022 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 10 percent of U.S. adults meet vegetable intake recommendations, and only 12.3 percent meet the daily requirements for fruit intake (1). That’s abysmal. As you might expect, it follows that we are deficient in many key micronutrients (2).
Why should we care? Fruits and vegetables include fiber, along with critical nutrients and micronutrients that reduce our risks of developing chronic diseases.
Many chronic diseases can be prevented, modified and even reversed by focusing on increasing our nutrients.
Do you want another stunning statistic? More than 50 percent of American adults have one chronic disease, and 27 percent have more than one (3). This is a likely contributor to the slowing pace of life expectancy increases in the U.S., which have plateaued in the past decade.
How do you know if you’re getting enough nutrients? One indicator that we can measure is carotenoid levels. Carotenoids are incredibly important for tissue and organ health. I measure my patients’ levels regularly, because they give me a sense of whether the patient might be low in potentially disease-fighting nutrients. A high nutrient intake dietary approach can increase both carotenoid and other critical nutrient levels.
What is a high nutrient intake diet?
A high nutrient intake diet focuses on micronutrients, which literally means “small nutrients.” Micronutrients are bioactive compounds found mostly in foods and in some supplements. They interact with each other in synergistic ways, meaning the sum of them is greater than their parts. Diets that are plant-rich can raise your micronutrient levels considerably.
While fiber is not considered a micronutrient, it also has significant disease modifying effects. A high nutrient intake diet will also increase your fiber intake, adding to the benefits.
A 2017 study included 73,700 men and women who were participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. During the study, participants’ diets were rated over a 12-year period using three established dietary scores: the Alternate Healthy Eating Index–2010 score, the Alternate Mediterranean Diet score, and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet score (4).
A 20 percent increase in diet scores, which indicated improved diet quality, was significantly associated with reducing total mortality by 8 to 17 percent, depending on whether two or three scoring methods were used. Participants who maintained a high-quality diet over a 12-year period reduced their risk of death by 9 to 14 percent more than participants with consistently low diet scores. By contrast, worsening diet quality over 12 years was associated with an increase in mortality of 6 to 12 percent. As expected, longer periods of healthy eating had a greater effect than shorter periods.
This study reinforces the findings of the Greek EPIC trial, a large, prospective cohort study, where the Mediterranean-type diet decreased mortality significantly — the greater the participants’ compliance, the greater the effect (5).
Can diet improve your quality of life?
Quality of life is as important as longevity. Let’s examine some studies that consider the impact of diet on diseases that may reduce our quality of life as we age.
A study showed olive oil reduces the risk of stroke by 41 percent (6). The authors attribute this effect partially to oleic acid, a bioactive compound found in olive oil. While olive oil is important, I recommend limiting consumption to one tablespoon a day. If you eat too much of even good fat, it can be counterproductive. The authors commented that the Mediterranean-type diet had only recently been used in trials with neurologic diseases and results suggest benefits in several disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
In a case-control study that compared those with and without disease, high intake of antioxidants from food was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of early Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), even when participants had a genetic predisposition for the disease (7). AMD is the leading cause of blindness in those over age 54 (7).
Of the 2,167 people enrolled in the study, representing several different genetic variations that made them high risk for AMD, those with the highest nutrient intake, including B-carotene, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, EPA and DHA- substances found in fish, had an inverse relationship with risk of early AMD. Nutrients, thus, may play a role in modifying how their genes were expressed.
Though many Americans are malnourished, increasing our nutrient consumption can improve our outcomes. With a focus on a high nutrient intake diet, we can improve life expectancy and, on an individual level, improve our quality of life.
References:
(1) cdc.gov. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:1–9. (2) cdc.gov/nutritionreport (3) cdc.gov. (4) N Engl J Med 2017; 377:143-153. (5) BMJ. 2009;338:b2337. (6) Neurology June 15, 2011. (7) Arch Ophthalmol. 2011;129(6):758-766.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
World Trade Center worker. Photo courtesy Steven Spak
By Daniel Dunaief
Sean Clouston takes some time to reflect each year around this time.
Sean Clouston
A professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine in the Program in Public Health at Stony Brook University, Clouston studies the long term implications of the exposure and experiences of first responders after the attacks on the World Trade Center.
Clouston, who published research this summer that chronicled the higher rates of dementia among first responders in the years after the attack, spoke exclusively with the Times Beacon Record Newspapers about the work he does and the interactions he’s had with people who were in harm’s way in the days and weeks after the terrorist attacks.
Each September 11th is a “quiet day,” Clouston said, as he takes time to remember those lostand reflect on those who are continuing to deal with the health consequences of being there.
Clouston recalls thinking about how the attacks shaped the way he thought about what he should be doing with his life.
In the work he’s done in monitoring the role of long-duration exposures at the World Trade Center on neurological health of responders to the events following the Sept. 11 attacks, Clouston has interacted with survivors, spouses, and families, receiving regular updates.
“It’s a pretty big part of my everyday social network,” Clouston said.
He’s heard numerous stories from a day in which the comfortable, clear air provided an incongruous backdrop for the mass murders. He has heard about people who were blown out of the buiding amid a combustible blast and about how difficult it is to put out a cesium fire.
“There were definitelly so many different stories that speak to me,” Clouston said.
As someone who studies the outcomes of severe or early life challenges, Clouston is aware of how the traumatic events of that day reoccur for so many people, as they reexperience the moments that sometimes haunt their dreams and that can continue to affect them physically and cognitively.
People generally consider post traumatic stress as a “fairly short condition” where someone has it “immediately after an event and it kind of goes away,” Clouston said.
For first responders, however, “that’s not true. They are dealing with it for years or decades after the traumatic event.”
Indeed, first responders not only feel the effects of the physical and emotional trauma, but the experience affects their body chemistry and “changes how their immune system reacts.”
Researchers can see how it “wears away at the body over the years and over the decades,’ Clouston added.
The study of post traumatic stress allows him to focus on and understand the link between the mind and the body.
How can people help?
Clouston suggested that people who want to help first responders need to start by recognizing the specific challenges each person may be facing.
“What you do depends a lot on who the person is and what they remember and what they’re struggling with,” said Clouston.
Sept. 11th each year can be a hard time, as people confront painful memories.
People can help others by “being available to listen,” he suggested. Try to understand “why it affects them and how.”
Therapists can help, as can doctor-prescribed medications.
First responders may feel angry, which people don’t always anticipate feeling.
In his research, Clouston focuses less on day-to-day changes and more on how their exposure and experience affects them in the longer term.
First responders can become physically weaker and slower, as they are less able to lift weights.
Cognitively, the effect of the experience has also been significant.
Earlier this year, Clouston published a paper in which he found an “enormous difference” between people with minimal exposure to dust and other particulates at the World Trade Center site compared to those who were more heavily exposed, he said.
“The incidence of dementia is building on prior work showing that the longer you were on site, the more likely responders were to have slowed down cognitive function in general,” he added.
Future questions
Clouston and his colleagues are hoping to understand what disease is affecting first responders. They are unsure whether it’s a form of dementia related to other conditions or whether it’s unique to this group and this exposure.
They are hoping to explore whether people who were on site have anything in their blood that is a measure of exposure, such as chemicals or metals.
First responders don’t all need care now, but one of the goals of the research is to make sure scientists and doctors are “on top of what is really happening” as they prepare to provide any necessary help in future years.
People develop diseases when three things occur: a noxious or toxic element or viral particle exists, they are exposed to it, and people are vulnerable to its effects.
Researchers are working to understand the level of exposure and different levels of vulnerability.
Clouston also highlighted the connection between the immune system and tau proteins, which can trigger dementia in Alzheimer’s and which can spread throughout the brain.
Researchers have been exploring how some immune systems might spread these proteins, while other immune systems trigger a slower spread and, potentially, fewer and less severe symptoms.
In theory, scientists could learn from the immune system that causes a slower spread, although “we’re years away from doing anything like that,” he said.
Alternatiely, researchers and pharmaceutical companies are working on ways to remove these proteins.
“You can fight fires in two ways,” he said.
Stony Brook has been considering “those ideas. To get there, we have to first understand excatly where are we and what is the problem,” he said. “That’s where we really are for the next couple of years.”
As for his interaction with first responders, Clouston has been inspired by the way the first responder community has rallied around people who are struggling with physical and cognitive challenges.
He recalled a firefighter who was struggling with age-related conditions.
“His fellow firefighters came together and built in some lifts and ramps to help him and his spouse get around the house and use the bathroom,” he said. “Moments like that are really touching.”
Stony Brook Cancer Center’s CancerWise Café returns to SBU’s Charles B. Wang Center, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cancer Center experts will discuss the latest advances in screening, prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment of several types of cancer, along with educational displays, community organization resource tables and lunch.
The event including lunch is free but registration is required by Sept. 22. To RSVP, visit stonybrook.info/cafe2024 or click here.
St. Charles Hospital, 200 Belle Terre Road, Port Jefferson will host a free community lecture, “Permanent Solutions for Acid Reflux,” in the St. Raphael Conference Room, 2nd Floor on Tuesday, Sept. 17 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
If you have acid reflux/GERD and want to reduce your dependency on medications, are concerned about their side effects and/or you continue to regurgitate despite PPIs, please join them to learn about permanent solutions with minimally invasive surgical procedures that will improve your quality of life.
Topics will include:
Why PPI drugs are not always the answer as a treatment option
Permanent solutions with minimally invasive anti-reflux surgery procedures
Followed by a Q&A with speaker Arif Ahmad, MD, FRCS, FACS, Director, Acid Reflux and Hiatal HerniaCenter of Excellence at St. Charles Hospital. Light food and refreshments will be served. To register, please call 631-474-6797.
The Town of Smithtown Horizons Counseling & Education Center and Town of Smithtown Public Safety are recognizing Recovery Month with a free NARCAN training event and a Medication Take Back event for the community. Training and medication collection will take place on Friday, September 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Horizons Counseling & Education Center, in the Community Room located at 161 East Main Street, Smithtown. NARCAN kits and resources will be provided. For Medication Take Back; kindly remove the prescription from the container and place in a Ziplock bag.
“Offering events such as NARCAN training and Medication Take Back to our residents is a proactive approach to assist in combating the nationwide opioid crisis. NARCAN training is an invaluable life-saving skill for everyone and anyone to learn. Don’t think to yourself, I’ll never need this skill… you simply just never know! Accidental overdoses on prescription drugs can easily happen to an elderly person living alone or to a family member suffering from dementia,” said Smithtown Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the emergence of a strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and community members across the nation who make recovery in all its forms possible.
“Recovery is characterized by continual growth and improvement in one’s health and wellness and managing setbacks. Because setbacks are a natural part of life, resilience becomes a key component of recovery. At Horizons we believe treating the whole person is a key point in recovery. We try to empower our clients through education about their disease and help them to grow in their lives and recovery. Giving our clients the tools needed to recover offers them the freedom to make their own choices, we have the strength to break free from the chains of our past and pave our own path towards a better future,” said Madi Makboulian, Director of Town of Smithtown Drug and Alcohol Counseling Services.
Space is limited and on a first come first serve basis. Residents can reserve space by contacting Horizons Counseling & Education Center at (631) 360-7578, via email at [email protected]
Drink plenty of water each day to prevent the reoccurence of kidney stones. METRO photo
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
How do you know you have a kidney stone? Most often, you’ll have classic symptoms of blood in the urine and pain. The pain can range from dull to extremely painful, described by some as being worse than giving birth, being shot or being burned, and it might radiate from the kidneys to the bladder and even to the groin in males, depending on the obstruction (1).
Stones are usually diagnosed by a physician through the symptoms, urine tests, and either an abdominal x-ray, a non-contrast CT scan, or an ultrasound.
Unfortunately, the first line treatment for passing kidney stones – at least small ones – involves supportive care. This means that patients are given pain medications and plenty of fluids until the stone passes. Usually stones that are smaller than four millimeters pass spontaneously. If they’re close to the opening of the urethra, they are more likely to pass on their own (2).
In the case of a stone too large to pass naturally, a urologist may use surgery, ultrasound, or a combination of methods to break it into smaller pieces, so you can pass it naturally.
Unfortunately, once you’ve formed one stone, your likelihood of having more increases significantly over time. The good news is that there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk.
The number one cause of kidney stones is lifestyle factors, including excessive animal protein or salt intake or too little consumption of items like citrate, fiber, and alkali foods, such as leafy greens and other non-starchy vegetables (3).
Stay hydrated
First, it is crucial that you stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids (4). You can help yourself in this process by consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables that are moisture-filled.
Reduce calcium supplements
One of the simplest methods is to reduce your intake of calcium supplements, including foods fortified with calcium. There are several types of stones. Calcium oxalate stones are the most frequent type, occurring approximately 80 percent of the time (5). Calcium supplements, therefore, increase the risk of kidney stones.
When physicians started treating women for osteoporosis with calcium supplements, the rate of kidney stones increased by 37 percent (6). According to findings from the Nurses’ Health Study, those who consumed highest amount of supplemental calcium were 20 percent more likely to have kidney stones than those who consumed the lowest amount (7). It did not matter whether study participants were taking calcium citrate or calcium carbonate supplements.
Interestingly, calcium from dietary sources has the opposite effect, decreasing risk. In the same study, participants who consumed the highest amount of dietary calcium had a 35 percent reduction in risk, compared to those who were in the lowest consumption group. Paradoxically, calcium intake shouldn’t be too low, either, since that also increases risk. Changing your source of calcium is an important key to preventing kidney stones.
Lower your sodium intake
Again, in the Nurses’ Health Study, participants who consumed 4.5 grams of sodium per day had a 30 percent higher risk of kidney stones than those who consumed 1.5 grams per day (7). Why would that be? Increased sodium causes increased urinary excretion of calcium. When there is more calcium going through the kidneys, there is a higher risk of stones.
Reduce your animal protein consumption
Animal protein may play a role. In a five-year, randomized clinical trial of men with a history of kidney stones, men who reduced their consumption of animal protein to approximately two ounces per day, as well as lowering their sodium, were 51 percent less likely to experience a kidney stone than those who consumed a low-calcium diet (8).
The reason animal protein may increase the risk of calcium oxalate stones more than vegetable protein is that animal protein’s higher sulfur content produces more acid. The acid is neutralized by release of calcium from the bone (9). That calcium then promotes kidney stones.
Manage your blood pressure
Some medical conditions may increase the likelihood of stone formation. For example, in a cross-sectional study with Italian men, those with high blood pressure had a two times greater risk of kidney stones than those who had a normal blood pressure (10). Amazingly, it did not matter whether or not the patients were treated for high blood pressure with medications; the risk remained. This is just one more reason to treat the underlying cause of blood pressure, not just the symptoms.
While the causes of kidney stones are complex, making relatively simple lifestyle changes is the most constructive way to avoid the potentially excruciating experience of kidney stones. The more that you implement, the lower your likelihood of stones.
References:
(1) emedicine January 1, 2008. (2) J Urol. 2006;175(2):575. (3) Adv Urol. 2018; 2018: 3068365. (4) J Urol. 1996;155(3):839. (5) N Engl J Med. 2004;350(7):684. (6) Kidney Int 2003;63:1817–23. (7) Ann Intern Med. 1997;126(7):497-504. (8) N Engl J Med. 2002 Jan 10;346(2):77-84. (9) J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1988;66(1):140. (10) BMJ. 1990;300(6734):1234.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
He’s heard numerous stories from a day in which the comfortable, clear air provided an incongruous backdrop for the mass murders. He has heard about people who were blown out of the buiding amid a combustible blast and about how difficult it is to put out a cesium fire.
Stony Brook Cancer Center’s CancerWise Café returns to SBU’s Charles B. Wang Center, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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