Vim & Vigor - Summer 2019 - UVA - 3

HEALTHY DOSE

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Could POPCORN LUNG

PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES

Harken a Dark Future for
Vape Users?

It sounds like an urban myth. But this actually happened.
"This guy loved popcorn," says UVA Health System pulmonologist Catherine Bonham, MD. "He made microwave popcorn every day, about two times a day, and
when he opened the bag he would inhale the popcorn
smell because he loved it so much." Eventually, he developed a lung disease known as popcorn lung that causes
irreversible damage, and in extreme cases, requires a
lung transplant.
Turns out that the lung-destroying culprits are flavoring chemicals inhaled over a long period of time. Similar
chemicals are found in vaping products. This worries Dr.
Bonham and other lung specialists, especially since these
products are heavily marketed to young people. "Lung
doctors are so concerned about flavored e-cigarettes
because they have these compounds, and we don't know
what they do. But we know from our experience with
popcorn lung that some damage is being done. It might
be damage that's more low-level now, but as there's an
accumulation over time, it could be causing a serious
health problem."
Learn signs of popcorn lung and more from Dr. Bonham
in a blog post at uvahealth.com/popcorn.

LOWER YOUR RISK OF

OSTEOPOROSIS

Being a woman increases your risk of osteoporosis. In
fact, 80 percent of people with the condition are female.
Women reach their peak bone mass in their 30s. As a
woman's estrogen levels decline due to menopause
and other conditions, bone quality and density
decreases, and the risk of fracture increases. The
most rapid loss of bone in women occurs in
the first five years after menopause, notes UVA
Health System OB-GYN and midlife health specialist Carolyn Wilson, MD.
To lower your risk of osteoporosis, Dr. Wilson
recommends adopting a healthy lifestyle early in
life. Avoid smoking and excessive use of alcohol and
be sure to get adequate calcium and vitamin D. "The
current recommendation for women is to have 1,000
to 1,200 mg of calcium daily, primarily from dietary
sources, and 600 to 1,000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day,"
Dr. Wilson notes. Also key to maintaining bone health:
exercise. Weight-bearing exercise is one of the best
ways to keep your bones healthy. Learn the top three
exercises for building bone density and reducing
osteoporosis risk at uvahealth.com/strongbones.

KEEPING SCORE to

Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
More than a quarter of Americans have prediabetes, meaning they
are at elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Eating healthier,
losing weight and exercising more can reduce that risk, but those
changes are hard, and many people struggle to stick with their
doctor's recommendations.
A new study suggests that a scoring system, known as the
MetS Severity Score, could help people appreciate the benefits
of their hard work and potentially help lower their risk of developing full-blown diabetes. "Unlike many other risk scores that
can assess risk at baseline but can't be
used to follow risk over time, this score
changes in a meaningful way to help both
doctors and patients know if their current treatment is helping to reduce their
risk," says researcher Mark DeBoer, MD, a
University of Virginia Children's Hospital
pediatrician, who developed the scoring
system along with a colleague at the
University of Florida. Learn more at
uvahealth.com/score.
Mark DeBoer, MD

SUMME R 2019

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Vim & Vigor - Summer 2019 - UVA

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