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Healthline

By Staff, wire reports
Published February 15, 2005

MORTON PLANT HOSPITAL "Week of the Woman" continues today with lectures and raffles. "Week of the Woman" encourages women to learn about the warning signs of heart disease and how to prevent and control them. All events take place at Morton Plant Hospital, Cheek-Powell Heart & Vascular Pavilion, 455 Pinellas St., Clearwater. The events are free, but preregistration is suggested. For more information, call (727) 462-7500.

Here's what's scheduled:

Today

12:30-1:30 p.m.: "Women and Heart Disease."

Wednesday

1-2 p.m.: "Wine and the Heart, A Good Match."

Thursday

12:30-1:30 p.m.: Heart healthy lunch: "Discover the Joy of Soy."

2-3 p.m.: "The Power of Goal Setting."

Friday

Noon-1 p.m.: "Heart Test for Women."

2-3 p.m.: Free chair massages, professional makeovers, paraffin hand treatments and more.

SLEEP DISTURBANCE IS among the most common problems associated with mental illness, yet it often goes unrecognized as a symptom, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. To help the public learn more about sleep problems, the DBSA is launching a new Web site: www.sleeplessinamerica.org It offers tips on how to combat sleeplessness and determine when it might be symptomatic of a psychological illness. A sleep kit is available for download and by calling the DBSA toll-free at 1-800-826-3632. Someone who is experiencing racing thoughts, restlessness and irritability along with intense sadness or mood swings for more than two weeks should seek medical attention.

HEAVY DRINKERS MAY have a higher risk of stroke than those who drink moderately or not at all. A study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Harvard School of Public Health found that middle-age and older men who consume more than two drinks a day over several years are more likely than nondrinkers to have an ischemic stroke, while those who drink moderately have the same or a slightly lower risk than teetotalers. The heavier drinkers had a relative stroke risk that was 20 to 40 percent higher than those who abstained. It isn't clear why excessive drinking may raise the risk of stroke. Researchers say it may be because alcohol tends to raise blood pressure and increases atrial fibrillation, a condition in which blood isn't properly pumped through the heart's upper chambers.

LOOKING FOR A fun and inexpensive way to promote family bonding? Family Fun magazine suggests compiling a "conversation jar" that's filled with discussion topics. Have a regular family night and pick one piece of paper from the jar.

Some sample questions: