Season I Topics:

Aging Gracefully

Preventing Heart Disease

Plastic Surgery

Preventive Health: Nutrition

The Stop Smoking Show

Type II Diabetes

AIDS

Breast Cancer

Foot Health

Cancer Prevention

High Blood Pressure

Sleep Disorders

Obesity

Back to top

About Dr. Walker
Dr. Valerie Walker is a family practice physician with a Central West End office and a roster of close to 6,000 patients. A popular speaker and radio host, Walker combines her warmth, humor, and ebullient nature with an amazing ability to translate medical terminology into terms everyone can understand. She is a fitness enthusiast who advocates walking, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle habits. “Prevention is still the best treatment,” says Walker.

Special Health Tips for African Americans

Provided by:

For Prostate Cancer

Statistics:

• Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America.
• African-American men are 65% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than Caucasian-Americans and are more than twice as likely to die from it.
• The chance of having prostate cancer increases rapidly after age 50.
• More than 70% of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65.
• Men who are overweight or obese are at significantly higher risk for developing prostate cancer.

Prevention Tips:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables that contain key sources of cancer-fighting agents, such as lycopene, antioxidants and fiber.
• Eat fewer red meats and high-fat dairy products.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a normal weight.
• Talk to your doctor and get screened for prostate cancer: prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test, and the digital rectal exam (DRE).

Call 314-TOP-DOCS (314-867-3627) or toll-free 866-867-3627 for a free prostate cancer awareness kit.

Colorectal Cancer

Statistics:

• Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among African-Americans.
• African-Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in advanced stages when there are fewer treatment options available.
•  Experts suggest that African Americans get screened beginning at age 45.

Prevention Tips:

Recommended screening tests:

• A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) every year
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
• Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years
• Colonoscopy every 10 years

Visit www.BarnesJewish.org and take a free online colorectal risk assessment
Call 314-TOP-DOCS (314-867-3627) or toll-free 866-867-3627 for a free colon cancer awareness kit.

Diabetes

Statistics:

• Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.
• Diabetes affects 20.8 million people or 7% of the population.
• 14.6 million people have been diagnosed.
• 6.2 million people are living with diabetes but are undiagnosed.
• 41 million people are pre-diabetes.
• Almost 3 million African-Americans have diabetes and are twice as likely as non-Hispanic Caucasians to have diabetes.

Prevention Tips:

• Get screened: visit your healthcare provider to conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).
• When managing your diabetes, remember to do the following:
• Eat right and exercise regularly.
• Get a dilated eye exam every year.
• Have your blood pressure checked at every doctor’s visit. Try to keep your blood pressure under 130/80.
• Get a blood cholesterol check at least once a year.
• Get a complete foot exam at least once a year.
• Check your feet every day. Look for foot problems before they get serious.

Visit www.BarnesJewish.org and take a free online diabetes risk assessment.
Call 314-TOP-DOCS (314-867-3627) or toll-free 866-867-3627 for a free diabetes awareness kit.
Visit www.BarnesJewish.org to sign up for the monthly online diabetes e-newsletter.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Statistics:

• 35% of African-Americans have hypertension, which accounts for 20% of the African-American deaths in the United States - twice the percentage of deaths among Caucasians from hypertension.
• African-Americans with high blood pressure have an 80% higher chance of dying from a stroke than in the general population.
• African-Americans with high blood pressure have a 20% higher chance of developing heart disease than in the general population.

Prevention Tips:

• Have your blood pressure checked at least once a year – at a doctor’s office, a neighborhood clinic, health fair or at a shopping mall.
• Keep your blood pressure below 135/85 mm Hg.
• Choose foods lower in fat and calories - eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Cook foods by broiling, grilling or boiling rather than frying. Eat less salt in both foods you cook and prepared foods you buy. If you plan to lose weight, try to lose it slowly, about one half to one pound per week.
• Be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Cut back on alcoholic beverages.
• Stop smoking.

Visit www.BarnesJewish.org and take a free online heart risk assessment.
Call 314-TOP-DOCS (314-867-3627) or toll-free 866-867-3627 for a free heart health kit.

Back to top

Additional House Calls Episode Information

Season I:

Aging Gracefully

For more helpful information on aging, check out these Web sites:

http://moaging.com/AAA/directory.asp
http://www.communityconnection.org/ccver2/aging_info.jsp
http://www.dhss.mo.gov/AAA/
http://www.helpguide.org/aging_well.htm

Preventing Heart Disease

For more helpful information on preventing heart disease, check out these Web sites:

http://www.americanheart.org/
http://www.justmove.org/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseasesprevention.html
http://www.cdc.gov/cvh/
http://www.health.state.mo.us/HeartDisease/

Plastic Surgery

For more helpful information about plastic surgery, check out:

http://www.plasticsurgery.org/

Preventive Health

For more helpful information about preventive health and nutrition, check out:

http://www.mypyramid.gov

http://outreach.missouri.edu/hes/food.htm

Stop Smoking

For more helpful information about how to stop smoking, check out:

http://www.lungusa.org

http://www.smokefree.gov/

http://www.health.state.mo.us/SmokingAndTobacco/

Type II Diabetes

For more helpful information about Type II Diabetes, check out:

http://www.diabetes.org

http://outreach.missouri.edu

http://www.health.state.mo.us/diabetes

AIDS

For more helpful information about AIDS, check out:

http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov

http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/hiv/public.html

http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/hiv/hiv.asp

Breast Cancer

For more helpful information about breast cancer, visit:

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/info-bc.htm

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

http://www.komen.org

http://www.nccn.org/patients/patient_gls/_english/_breast/contents.asp

Foot Health

For more information about foot health, visit:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foothealth.html

http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=14&DID=9406

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabeticfoot.html

Cancer Prevention

For more information about cancer prevention, visit:

http://www.cancer.org

http://www.cancer.gov/

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/prevention-genetics-causes

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/tobacco

http://www.youngchoices.com/v3/index.php

Season II:

Child Obesity

American Obesity Association
http://www.obesity.org/subs/childhood/

Mayo Clinic: Children's Health
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/FL00058

Kids Health
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html

Health in Schools
http://www.healthinschools.org/sh/obesityfs.asp

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/

Stroke

American Stroke Association
http://www.strokeassociation.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200037

National Stroke Association
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=HOME

The Internet Stroke Center at Washington University St. Louis
http://www.strokecenter.org/

Mayo Clinic: Stroke
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stroke/DS00150

Stanford Stroke Center
http://strokecenter.stanford.edu/

Home Health Services

Find a provider with ElderCare Link
http://www.eldercarelink.com

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Association
http://www.alz.org/

Mayo Clinic: Alzheimer's
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers/AZ99999

National Institute on Aging
http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers

Alzheimer's Disease International
http://www.alz.co.uk/

Alzheimer's Foundation of America
http://www.alzfdn.org/index.shtml

Asthma

The Lung Association
http://www.lung.ca/asthma/

Asthma and Allergy Association of America
http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8

American College of Allergy, Asthma and immunology
http://www.acaai.org/

American Lung Association: Asthma
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=33276

US Environment Protection Agency: Asthma and Indoor Environments
http://www.epa.gov/asthma/

Lupus

Lupus Foundation of America
http://www.lupus.org/

National Institute of Health: Lupus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lupus.html

Mayo Clinic: Lupus
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lupus/DS00115

Lupus Research Institute
http://www.lupusresearchinstitute.org/

Kids Health: Life with Lupus
http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/bone/life_with_lupus.htm

Back Pain

BBC Health
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/back_pain/

Family doctor
http://familydoctor.org/117.xml

National Institute of Health
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/backpain.htm

American Chiropracters Association
http://www.amerchiro.org/media/whatis/benefits.shtml

Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/DS00171

Sleep Disorders

National Sleep Foundation
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/

Sleep Channel
http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.net/

American Academy of Sleep Medicine
http://www.aasmnet.org/

NYU Medical Center Sleep Disorders
http://www.med.nyu.edu/sleep/

National Institute of Health: National Center of Sleep Disorders
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/index.htm

Stanford University: children and Sleep Disorders
http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/children.html

Heart Disease

American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000

WomensHealth.gov
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/heartdis.htm

National Institute of Health: Heart Disease Prevention
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseasesprevention.html

World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/resources/atlas/en/

Heart Info.org
http://www.heartinfo.org/

Arthritis

Arthritis Foundation
http://www.arthritis.org/

Arthritis Society of Canada
http://www.arthritis.ca/custom%20home/default.asp?s=1

Health Finder
http://www.healthfinder.gov

Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research Training Center
http://www.marrtc.org/

Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/arthritis/AR99999

Dental Health

American Dental Association
http://www.ada.org/

National Institute of Health: Medline Plus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dentalhealth.html

Healthy Teeth
http://www.healthyteeth.org/

Oral Health America
http://www.oralhealthamerica.org/

American Dental Hygienists Association
http://www.adha.org/oralhealth/index.html

Prostate Health

University of Maryland Health Center
http://www.umm.edu/prostate/

National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understanding-prostate-changes

Prostate Action.org
http://www.prostateaction.org/

Men Stuff
http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/healthprostate.html

Prostate Disease.org
http://www.prostatedisease.org/

Obesity

American Obesity Association
http://www.obesity.org/

American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4639

Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314

Center for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/

US Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/loseweight/

Back to top