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Will Walking help those of us with high blood pressure?

Mar 21, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health, Uncategorized, Walking, Wellness

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, I know you encourage us all to walk frequently, but I am wondering, will that help those of us with high blood pressure?

A:  This month’s AARP Bulletin reported that high blood pressure is just one of half a dozen ailments that can be improved by taking regular walks – but at different speeds and durations.

Here is an excerpt from the article by Sara Altshul, describing what walking can help:

  • HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE – “Shoot for at least 1.75 miles at a moderate rate (3-4.5 miles per hour) most days of the week to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, says Paul T. Williams, a life sciences researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California.”
  • ARTHRITIS – It may seem counter-intuitive that people with joint pain can feel better if they walk more, but that is what the research shows. Start with 5 minutes and build up to 30 minutes per day of walking at a leisurely pace for 5 days per week, suggests Leigh F. Callahan, assistant director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center, U. of North Carolina.  “If the pain is worse two hours after the walk than it was before the walk started, take a less intense walk the next time.”
  • DEPRESSION – Walking fast “increases the production of serotonin, dopamine, and other brain chemicals that lift your mood, says John B. Arden, author of The Brain Bible. “Start with 10 minutes of strolling, then walk briskly to 75 percent of your maximum effort – a pace that makes talking difficult.  Keep that up for 2-3 minutes, then resume a strolling pace.  Repeat these intervals for 20-30 minutes.”
  • INSOMNIA – Exposure to daylight can help. “Bright light inhibits the body’s secretion of melatonin, our natural sleep agent,” says Donald W. Greenblatt, M.D., director of the Medicine Sleep Center at the U. of Rochester, New York. “When you block melatonin in the morning by walking outside, it then bounces back later in the day, helping to promote sleep.”  Late afternoon walks also can be effective.  Try for daily walks at a comfortable pace for15-30 minute, finishing your walk at least 3 hours before bedtime.  “Be patient:  some evidence suggests that it can take a couple of weeks to get the full benefit of exercise, so don’t be disappointed if you are not experiencing an immediate effect, Greenblatt says.”
  • OSTEOPOROSIS – Did you know that walking helps preserve bone? Walking 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, can make a difference.  “Three 10-minute walks a day are as bone-strengthening as one 30-minute walk,” says Andrea Singer, M.D., of the national Osteoporosis Foundation.
  • TYPE 2 DIABETES – “Walking after eating sweets can prevent a blood sugar spike. Walk for 15 minutes at an easy pace about a half-hour after breakfast, lunch and dinner.…Because people with diabetes can develop foot infections due to reduced blood flow to the feet, it’s important to get properly fitted for walking shoes.”

So, you see, that’s even more reason why you should…

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Kidney transplant waiting lists becoming more common

Mar 14, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, one of my friends is on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. Is this very common?  And are there any ways to avoid such a health crisis?

A:  Sad to say, kidney disease is on the rise, as reported in the Spry Living insert in the Sunday newspaper.  The article, by Lisa Mulcahy, reminded us that March is National Kidney Month.  A staggering 15 percent of the U.S. population has chronic kidney disease!  This is due largely to an increase in people with high blood pressure and/or diabetes, both of which are major risk factors.

Your friend may be on a lengthy waiting list, because the need for donor’s kidneys is increasing by 8 percent per year, according to researchers at University of California, San Francisco. (My sister, who has Type 1 Diabetes, had to wait for more than three years for a kidney transplant.)

Why are kidneys so important? “These two organs, located in the center of your body, filter waste and impurities from your blood by producing urine; help control your blood pressure; produce hormones and enzymes that ensure your bone health; and produce hormones that stimulate red blood cells,” explained Joseph Vassalotti, MD, chief medical officer of the National Kidney Foundation.

The article lists ways you can help keep your kidneys healthy:

  • EXERCISE COMBATS CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE – “Just 30 minutes of movement three days a week improves your blood vessel health, which in turn boosts your kidney function.”
  • YOUR KIDNEYS NEED CLEAN AIR – “A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans’ Affairs Clinical Epidemiology Center finds that breathing air containing dust, dirt, smoke, and soot can disrupt kidney function.” The tiny particles can penetrate into the bloodstream, straining kidneys that must filter 45 gallons of blood per day. The article suggests keeping your car windows up while in traffic and using an air purifier at home.
  • GET ENOUGH SLEEP – “High blood pressure, the second leading cause of kidney failure, can be exacerbated by insomnia or poor sleep.” Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night can decrease this risk factor.
  • LIMIT YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE – “Too much alcohol can keep your kidneys from filtering your blood properly.” How much is too much?  More than one drink per day for women, two drinks per day for men.
  • WATCH WHAT YOU EAT – “Slash sodium and red meat intake and fill up on fruits and vegetables.” That is a condensed version of the DASH Diet: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, “an eating plan recommended by the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for optimum health.” (Visit Parade.com/DASH for more about these diet guidelines.)
  • LIMIT USE OF HEARTBURN MEDICATION – “Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest period of time” to avoid gradual kidney damage.

Best wishes to your friend.  As always, I encourage you to…

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Should I get a new shingles vaccine, even though I already have had one?

Mar 7, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, some friends of mine have suggested that I should get a new shingles vaccine, even though I already have had one. Is there any validity to their suggestion?

A:  Apparently so. This month’s Consumer Reports on Health explained why:

  • “Shingles – a painful, blistering rash on one side of the body –strikes nearly 1 in 3 adults during their lifetime.”
  • “The two- to four- week course of shingles can be challenging, but about 1 in 5 people with it develop postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN, nerve pain that can linger for months, even years.”
  • Since 2006, the Zostavax vaccine has been the only protection against shingles. However,
    • Zostavax offers 70% protection against shingles for those ages 50-59, but only 18% for people 80 and older
    • Its effectiveness appears to last just five years, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and
    • It cut the risk of PHN by only 67%
  • “Now Shingrix, a new two-shot vaccine, holds the promise of a more robust defense.”
    • According to clinical trials, Shingrix “confers 97% protection for people in their 50s and 60s, and roughly 91% protection for those in their 70s and 80s.”
    • “It retained similar effectiveness throughout the four-year study period, and
    • [It] cut PHN risk by 86 %.”
  • The Center for Disease Control and Prevention last October advised that
    • People should get Shingrix starting at age 50 (10 years earlier than they had recommended for Zostavax)
    • Opt for Shingrix instead of Zostavax
    • Get Shingrix even if they already have had Zostavax
    • The two Shingrix shots must begiven two to six months apart

The article urges people to talk with their doctors about Shingrix, even those people who have had shingles.  The article’s one warning was that it could take time for insurance, especially Medicare, to catch up with the new Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, which could mean that the total $280 cost for the two shots may not be covered right away.

Mr. Pedometer has not (yet) been afflicted with shingles, but the walking group members who have assure me that it should be avoided!

 

 

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Don’t United States residents have the highest life expectancy of any nation in the world?

Feb 28, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health, Info

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, perhaps you can help solve a bet: My friend says that United States residents have the highest life expectancy of any nation in the world. I say that is not so. Which of us is correct?

A:  Sadly, you are now correct.  According to a recent article by Doyle Rice in USA Today, “In 1960, the United States had the highest life expectancy in the world. It has lost ground to other industrialized nations ever since.

“Life expectancy in the U.S. is now 1.5 years lower than a group of 35 nations known as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which includes, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, among others.”

The author noted that “in 2016, life expectancy in the USA was 78.6 years, a decrease of 0.1 years from 2015.”  That may not sound like much, but a recent report noted that this is the second year in a row for a decrease. “…The alarming story is not the amount of the decrease, but that the increase has ended,” said Steven Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University, who was the co-author of the latest report.

Woolf also said, “We are seeing an alarming increase in deaths from substance abuse and despair.”  Opioid addiction, fatal overdoses from other drugs, and a surge of deaths from alcohol and suicide are among the reasons cited for the change.

“The idea of the American dream is increasingly out of reach as social mobility declines and fewer children face a better future than their parents,” stated the article.

“The report found that Americans have poorer health than people in other nations in many areas, including birth outcomes, injuries, homicides, adolescent pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.  Americans also engage in unhealthy or risky behaviors – such as high-calorie intake, drug abuse, and firearms ownership – live in cities designed for cars rather than pedestrians or cyclists, have weaker social welfare supports, and lack universal health coverage, the report said.”

“The consequences of these choices are dire: not only more deaths and illnesses, but also escalating health care costs, a sicker workforce, and a less competitive economy.  Future generations may pay the greatest price,” the report concludes.

 

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Is it true that extended flights can be a health hazard?  

Feb 20, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health, Travel

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, I am planning a vacation that will include very long airplane flights.  Is it true that extended flights can be a health hazard?

A:  Yes, but that also is true of extended time spent sitting in a car or on a train or bus…or even at home.  A recent newspaper article entitled “Clot Work,” by Ilene Raymond Rush, calls attention to venous thromboembolism (VTE), the medical terminology for formation of blood clots inside blood vessels or veins where they should not form.

The main cause of VTE is immobility. Ironically two-thirds of the cases result from hospitalization, or just after hospitalization.  That is why doctors now prescribe low doses of blood thinners to prevent blood clots.  Being immobile, for whatever reason, causes blood to pool in the veins, can lead to blood clots, particularly in the legs.  Other causes can be damage to a vein or blood vessel due to injury or surgery or problems with proteins in the blood that balance bleeding and clotting.

This is a serious problem:  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 900,000 Americans per year are   VTE, and 100,000 Americans die each year from this condition!

The article concludes by saying, “To combat clots, experts suggest moving around every two or three hours if you’ve been sitting in a car, plane or train; maintaining a healthy weight; and quitting or avoiding smoking.”

Mr. Pedometer knows from experience that moving around during a long flight may not be easy – especially if your airplane seat is in the middle of a row – but it is well worth the effort, to avoid potential blood clots.

And if you are more of an armchair traveler, preferring to stay at home, don’t forget to get up and move around at least once an hour.

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day…that’s 1 death per 38 seconds!

Feb 14, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Cardio Vascular Disease, Health

ASK MR. PEDOMETER & FRIENDS

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, is it true that an American dies every hour from heart disease?

A:  No, the truth actually is even scarier:  According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day…that’s 1 death per 38 seconds!

The good news is that healthy lifestyle choices can reduce one’s risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 80%.  This happens to be American Heart Month, and AHA lists as its top healthy lifestyle choice PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.  Here’s why:

  • It’s a natural mood lifter
  • It keeps you fit and able
  • It keeps the doctor away!

Their American Heart Month information states that “being more active can…

  • Lower blood pressure
  • Boost levels of good cholesterol
  • Improve blood flow (circulation)
  • Keep weight under control
  • Prevent bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis.”

 

At your annual physical — you do get one, right? – you likely will be asked if you are active for at least 150 minutes per week.  That modest amount could keep you from becoming a heart disease statistic.

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!