New Cholesterol Treatments Hit The Market

Roughly 30% of people who have been prescribed traditional statins to reduce blood pressure in order to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes can’t take the dosage prescribed because they can’t tolerate the muscle pain that is often a side effect.  Recent research has provided new evidence that non-statin treatments can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by taking two daily cholesterol-lowering pills along with an anti-inflammatory pill.  Physicians have embraced the new treatment strategy.  “We need to do whatever we can to lower LDL cholesterol,” Dr. Eugene Yan, a cardiologist at the University of Washington, told the Wall Street Journal.  Unfortunately, the new treatment options are more costly than statins, so we will have to see how Medicare and private insurance companies weigh in on this.

Taking Care Of Yourself After A Heart Attack

The odds of getting cardiovascular disease in our 60’s are 77.5% for males (females are lower with 75.4% between the ages of 60-79), according to the American Heart Association.  Taking care of your heart means reducing obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, managing diabetes if you have it, and limiting alcohol.  Common symptoms of a heart attack are chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, feeling faint or weak, and pain in your jaw, neck, back, arms or shoulder.  You also need a good exercise regimen to stimulate blood flow.  “Even as little as a 5-10 percent decrease in your body weight can have a huge effect on your blood pressure and other risk factors,” Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, president of the American Heart Association, or AHA, told AARP Bulletin.

Seniors Should Get Regular Checkups, Even If They Feel Good

An obese belly and holding the cheeseburger in his hand

AARP The Magazine just had an interesting article (April/May Issue, page 33) about how some seniors don’t go to the doctor regularly because they feel great.  As we have seen with COVID-19, many diseases and viruses are symptomless but if left untreated can turn into something very serious.  Researchers have been studying this phenomenon which they call future-time perspective.  The more time we perceive that we have, the more we’re able to ignore the fact that we’re overweight, have high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, and other serious health problems.  Make sure you see your doctor at least once per year.

Monterey, CA Tips For Warding Off Alzheimer’s Disease

Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease when they passed away.  It’s a terrible disease for which there is no cure.  However, there are ways that you can try and keep the disease at bay including:

  1. Protect your heart – Four major risk factors directly relate to heart health: high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and smoking.  Work towards keeping blood pressure and cholesterol low by eating a healthy diet.
  2. Exercise – According to Dr. Richard Isaacson, this can be the brain’s first defense against amyloid plaque. Try and get at least thirty minutes of exercise per day.
  3. Stay Socially and mentally active – Getting together with family and friends can be difficult during the COVID pandemic, but getting social stimulation is important, even if you have to do it over a zoom call.
  4. Avoid head injury – This is easier said than done, but studies have found that even mild head trauma can result in dementia. Wear a seatbelt, play sports safely and treat any head injury immediately.
  5. Treat depression, hearing loss, and substance abuse – Excessive alcohol consumption, hearing loss and depression all increase the risk for dementia.

Source: American Brain Foundation and Brain Life, the Academy of Neurology’s patient and caregiver magazine and website.

 

If you or a family member are struggling with Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia, go talk to the good folks at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Monterey Chapter in Ryan Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline you can call at 1800-272-3900.

AARP The Magazine Encourages Us To Eat More Cheese!

A huge chunk of homemade cheese and a pie on the table

A recent article in AARP The Magazine (August/September 20, 48) warned about the risks of osteoporosis and said a recent study of adults over 50 years of age who recently had fractured bones found that 43% were deficient in both Vitamin D and calcium.  Women should aim to consume 1,200 mg a day of calcium, with men needing 1,000 mg.  They encourage you to add two slices of cheese to your sandwich (300 mg.), some yogurt (200 mg. in a 6-ounce cup) or low-fat cottage cheese (250 mg. per cup).  Eating leafy greens, broccoli, bens and almonds will also help.