Beat the Blues, Save Your Heart

We all know there's a connection between happiness and healthiness, but a new American Heart Association (AHA) study highlights how important this is to heart health -- even for young women. They found that depressed women, 55 and younger, increased their risk for having a heart attack, requiring major heart surgery or even dying from related causes. The researchers followed 3,237 women in this age category at varying stages of heart disease, who also showed symptoms of moderate to severe depression. After a three-year period, they discovered some were twice as likely to require artery-opening surgery or worse: dying from any cause during the follow-up if they experienced serious (moderate to severe) depression.

There hasn't been a shortage of findings on how depression can wreak havoc on your body. Just Google the phrase "depression health risks" and a seemingly endless list of results pop up. However, so many Filipinos (including Fil-Ams) either don't know they are depressed or refuse to seek help. I know it's not easy for people to talk about -- and it's not just among Filipinos. But studies have shown higher rates of depression among Filipinos compared to other Asian groups¹, and updated statistics are almost non-existent since there isn't a consistently measurable number of Pinoys seeking help. A study entitled Mental Health Care of Filipino Americans suggested depression rates may be even higher, but there is "the cultural tendency of Filipinos to deny, somatize, and endure emotional problems²."

As a volunteer for the Filipino Mental Health Initiative (of San Mateo County), the group hopes to increase awareness and to help people seek help for depression or related health issues. Sometimes, I hesitate to use the phrase "mental health issues." Why? Because in my experience, many community members treat the word "mental" like it's the plague. FMHI has had a number of focus groups and many of the participants, particularly the elderly, seemed to evade the topic. Of course, we're not giving up. It is our hope that depression and mental health problems will be things all Filipinos can talk about openly someday. Call it naive -- but I'm allowed to dream.

Why is this topic so important to me? Because I struggled with depression for years. It took a complete emotional breakdown for me to realize I needed help. And, this did not only affect my emotional well-being, but my physiological/medical health, as well (a story for another time). By breaking my silence, I want to give hope to others and let them know there's no shame in talking about it. Doing so, can mean the difference between life and death, as the AHA study has shown.

 

Unsure if you are experiencing depression. Take this self-test. Note: taking this test is not an official diagnosis and cannot take the place of a proper medical evaluation with a licensed professional. This merely helps people gain a better understanding of depression and whether additional help might be needed.

Footnotes:
1 & 2. Mental Health Care of Filipino Americans
Francis Sanchez, M.D.; Albert Gaw, M.D.
Psychiatric Services 2007
http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=98135

Playlist Inspiration

When you hear a certain song, do images from your life stream in your head? That's exactly what happens to me. While OK Go's Writing on the Wall is essentially a break-up song, it's nostalgically new wave and actually made me feel happy. It brought me back to my Depeche Mode-The Cure-New Order-blaring days. Of course, now I need to have it on my iPod. I'm always on the prowl for new tunes that speak to me, especially now that I'm going on these long 9-mile-plus runs.

Music has a way of tapping into my emotions and sweeping me away into whatever state I'm in at any given moment. A good playlist helps me power through some tough moments out there on the road, when I feel like my legs are going to fall off.

As you can imagine, I have different running playlists to suit my moods. It's not all about the fast, heart-pumping techno songs that get me through my workouts. Songs like this definitely inspire something in me and this video -- with its awesome optical illusions -- makes me like the song even more. 

Resurrection

The sun is rising...and so is this blog

Was the last time I posted to this blog really in 2009?!? As embarrassing as it is, it's true. I've had many half-baked attempts at trying to keep up a regular blog. Consider this attempt number 100 (and forgive me as I've probably used this line about a dozen more times with other started and stalled writing projects). So, why am I resurrecting this blog?

My initial vision for this blog was to write about health and do it with my Pinay (Tagalog for Filipino female) sisters in mind. Health and women's issues have always been an important topic for me. When I was still reporting full time, I gravitated towards stories about health and wellness in the Filipino community. Maybe it's because -- out of all the Asian subgroups -- Filipinos appear at the top of the list when it comes to the incidence rate for many major illnesses, including heart disease¹ and cancer ².  I think it's important to share information about these issues, because in many instances, knowledge can be the key to preventing and combating disease.

Heart disease, diabetes and obesity have struck members of my family and extended relatives, as well. What's saddening is that so many of these conditions are preventable. I'm not saying I haven't had my own health struggles, but I decided to really change my lifestyle the year I turned 27. Why? Basically, my doctor said my cholesterol level was starting to concern her. The first time she mentioned it, I was shocked. "But I'm only in my 20s! How can I have cholesterol problems already?" I wondered to myself. Seeing my blood work and my lipid panel (which is an analysis of the fats in your blood) shook me into action. I changed my diet and started exercising more. Fell off the wagon about a dozen times, but I kept going.

Today, I feel healthier than I did in my 20s. I've had some challenges along the way. Damn you chocolate: why do you have to taste so good?!? Overall, though, I've been able to maintain my weight and continue to exercise regularly. Do I stumble when I see a piece of red velvet cheesecake? Yes, and I will continue to stumble every once in a while. It's called being human, but it doesn't mean you have to give up, right? Right.

Meanwhile, I discovered I love running earlier this year. And, next month, I will run my first half-marathon in San Francisco. I've been training since February and it's been hard at times, but I feel optimistic about the race. What motivates me even more is that we're running for the charity, Team Parkinson; my mother was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2012. I will be running the half with my wonderful sister, Joy. What's even more exciting is that my other siblings and even my parents will participate in the SF Marathon's 5K event.

This race has been a life-changer for me, because it's taught me discipline and perseverance. As many charity runners can attest, it really does make a difference in your training when you run for someone you love and a cause you believe in. Who knows: maybe I'll run my first marathon in a year. Until then, I look forward to setting higher goals for myself. Wanna join me? ;)


Footnotes:
1. Although the prevalence of obesity is low within the Asian adult population, Filipino adults (14%) were more than twice as likely to be obese (BMI≥30 kg/m2) as Asian Indian (6%), Vietnamese (5%), or Chinese (4%) adults. Filipino (27%) and Japanese (25%) adults were more likely than Chinese (17%) or Korean (17%) adults to have ever been told that they had hypertension.

To see the rest of the AHA report, click here.
 Source: Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, American Heart Association - 2013 Update

2. Filipino American women, including the elderly, have the second highest incidence and the highest mortality rate for breast cancer compared with other Asian American ethnic groups. Filipino American men, including the elderly, have the highest incidence and death rate from prostate cancer among Asian American groups. Filipinos also have the second highest incidence and the highest mortality rate from lung cancer among Asian American groups. 

Source: Stanford School of Medicine, Culture-Specific Health Risk