John Fodor’s Health Corner

Bypass surgery has been extremely successful in saving peoples lives. Over the years, surgical techniques have improved and the success rate is very high. However, the surgery alone does not necessarily insure long-term survival. Just as important as the surgery is a well designed rehabilitation program. While the surgery saves lives, it is the rehabilitation following the surgery that will help you to maintain your health and vitality for many years. A rehabilitation program should include strength, stretching and endurance exercises as well as education about dietary changes, watching your blood pressure and monitoring your cholesterol and glucose levels. Rehabilitation generally begins while you are still in the hospital and continues on a regular basis for eight to twelve weeks. After the program is completed, it is important to continue self-directed exercises/activities and heart healthy choices about the foods you eat, controlling your weight and having regular medical checkups.

I know about cardiac surgery rehabilitation, not only from a review of literature, but because I also had a quadruple bypass and participated in a rehabilitation program for two months following my surgery. By the time I completed the program, I was again playing 2 to 3 sets of tennis three times a week, working out at the gym twice a week and taking 2-mile or 3-mile walks with my wife a couple of times a week. It has been five years since I had the surgery, and I continue these activities along with regular medical checkups and a heart-healthy diet. I don’t know if I’ve added additional years to my life, but the important thing is that I have been able to maintain my health and vitality and enjoy life. This is due in large part to the rehabilitation program following my surgery.

For additional information about cardiac rehabilitation programs see:

<http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cardiac-rehabilitation/HB00017>

Being overweight is not only a personal health problem; it is a major national health concern. Over half of adults in the United States are overweight, and most people who are overweight just don’t feel too well, mentally or physically. But there are a lot of other reasons why you should try to control your weight. National statistics show that people who are overweight increase their risk for having:

• diabetes
• heart disease
• stroke
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• gallbladder disease
• sleep apnea and other breathing problems
• various forms of cancer (<http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm#what>)

Do yourself a favor and maintain a healthy weight. By watching your waistline, you will not only feel better, you can reduce your chances of coming down with some major health problems,

 It is well established that exercise is essential to your health and vitality and helps reduce your risk to a number of diseases and chronic conditions, such as heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and stroke. There is a catch, however; you have to work at it. It can’t be a hit-or-miss, once-in-a-while or on-again, off-again activity. It has to be a planned and well-rounded routine.

Some of you may think that you are too old to start an exercise program or that you will hurt yourself if you exercise. Think again; exercise is beneficial for all age groups, and older adults hurt themselves more from not exercising than they do when they exercise.

As a precaution, if you are just starting an exercise program; haven’t exercised for a while; are at high risk for any chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes or if you smoke or are obese, check with your doctor to see if you should have any restrictions when you exercise.

When you do start your exercise program, it should include:

Strength exercises – with some type of weight resistance training

Endurance exercises – cardio-vascular activities like jogging, walking, swimming and yard work

Flexibility exercises – stretching

Balance exercises – balancing yourself on one foot then another, walking heal-to=toe, standing up and sitting down without holding on to anything

Specific guidelines for each of these types of exercises can be found at the NIH SeniorHealth Website.

Selenium is an antioxidant the helps prevent oxidative damage to cells, which can lead to conditions such as heart disease and arthritis. While selenium can be very beneficial, too much of it can be dangerous. A study reported in the UCLA Division of Geriatrics Newsletter, Health/Years (October, 2007) indicated that people who took a supplement of 200 mcg of selenium a day were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes) than participants taking a placebo. Another study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that taking supplements like selenium could increase one’s risk of death.

The trick is how to get the selenium you need without the harmful effects. The recommended daily requirement for selenium is 70 mcg. However, people who take selenium supplements usually get up to 200 mcg per day. As demonstrated in the study cited above, taking that amount of selenium daily could result in harmful effects.

Most food experts agree that natural food sources, not supplements, are the best way to get the amount of selenium you need. Getting selenium from food sources is a relatively easy task. For instance, eating one Brazil nut (91 mcg) a day will supply you with the amount of selenium you need. Other good sources include: oysters, tuna, shrimp, lean pork and eggs.

For additional selected food sources of selenium see Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Selenium http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp

While there is a lot of reliable health information that can be found on the Internet, there is also a lot of misinformation. Check the sources of information that come to you on the Internet and be leery of any unsolicited information that you receive. Such information is often bogus and nothing more than a hoax.

Recently such hoax was perpetrated on the public by way of an email message and was passed on to thousands of unsuspecting consumers. It was called the “Self CPR Cough” and was touted as a life-saving technique. Unfortunately, it has been around since 2002 and resurfaces from time to time.

The perpetrators claim that if you have any of the symptoms of a heart attack or think you are having a heart attack, “you should vigorously cough.” This, they say, “could save your life.” Supposedly, the pressure from the cough would “help to keep your heart beating.” This information is absolutely false. The cough technique does not benefit anyone having a coronary occlusion or heart attack. All it would really do is waste valuable time, and it could cause injury or death.

The hoax is a complete misrepresentation of a technique used under special circumstances where a patient is in a hospital setting being monitored by an attending physician. In such a setting, if the patient goes into fibrillation, the doctor may ask the patient to cough. This may or may not reduce or stop the fibrillation. If not, the doctor is there to try other defibrillating techniques.

The Self CPR Cough has been denounced by the American Heart Association, the AMA, and major hospitals throughout the United States.

If you think you are having a heart attack, the best thing to do is call 911 and get to a hospital as quickly as possible. Some contend that chewing an aspirin may also be helpful.

If you’re not careful about the way you prepare and store foods, by the time the food gets into your mouth, many, if not most, of the nutrients will have been destroyed. The vitamins and minerals in vegetables, for instance, can end up going down the drain, if the water in which the vegetables have been cooked is discarded. Similarly, if fruits and vegetables are not stored properly, many essential nutrients in these foods can also be lost.

The following suggestions can help reduce the loss of important nutrients when preparing and storing foods:

• Buy fresh vegetables whenever possible, and buy only as much as you will cook in a few days. The longer vegetables are stored the more nutrients are lost.
• Choose frozen vegetables if fresh vegetables look wilted or dried out.
• Store vegetables in the refrigerator until they are ready to be cooked.
• Cook vegetables whole and unpeeled whenever possible or serve them raw. The peelings in fruits and vegetables contain many nutrients.
• If you eat or serve raw vegetables, wash them thoroughly, but don’t let them soak. Important nutrients can be lost in the water
• Don’t overcook foods – use the shortest time possible for texture and taste. Overcooking can destroy some nutrients.
• Avoid deep fat frying – high temperatures can also destroy nutrients.
• Steaming vegetables, covering the pan, and using as little water as possible can cut cooking time and will help preserve nutrients.
• Nutrients that may be leached from boiling vegetables can be saved by using the water in soups and gravies.
• Microwaving, stir frying, and putting vegetables in after the water is boiling helps cut cooking time and preserves nutrients.
• Cooking foods close to eating time also helps to preserve nutrients – when food is left in a cooking pan too long, important nutrients can be lost.

For additional information see <http://www.kidsnutrition.org/consumer/archives/cooking.htm>

The answer is no! At the present time there is no proven way that we can prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD). But there are some things we can do that may help reduce or delay the effects of AD.

You might want to talk to your doctor about the following practices adapted from suggestions by the Administration on Aging; especially those involved in taking medications or supplements, or if there is a history of dementia in your family:

• Consume a low-fat diet. Research suggests that a low fat diet may help reduce the effects of AD.
• Eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna, salmon and mackerel at least 2 or 3 times a week.
• Include in your diet increased amounts of dark-colored fruits and vegetables, which include antioxidants, such as carotenoids, vitamin E and Vitamin C.
• Reduce your intake of margarine, butter and dairy products, which contain linoleic acid.
• Have your blood pressure checked periodically to make sure you maintain normal blood pressure.
• Try to stay mentally and socially active.
• Talk to your doctor about taking non-statin medications like ibuprofen (Advil, Motil), sulindac (Clinoril) or indomethacin (Indocin), which may help lower your risk of having AD.

Most of us take our eyes for granted and don’t think too much about what we can do to protect them, accept when we start have eye problems. But there are a number of things you can do to help prevent eye problems from occurring or getting worse.

The following suggestions are adapted from the National Eye Institute:

• Have regular physical exams by your doctor to check for diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, as these diseases can cause eye problems if not treated.
• Have a complete eye exam with an eye care professional (an ophthalmologist or optometrist) every one to two years. These examinations could detect early signs of eye diseases or disorders, and treatment could begin before they become more serious.
• If you are over sixty-five, an African-American over forty or have a family history of diabetes or eye disease are at high risk for vision loss and should have a dilated eye exam every year.
• You should see your doctor or an ophthalmologist at once if you have any sudden change in your vision, loss or dimness of eyesight, eye pain, excessive or thick fluid coming from the eye, double vision, redness or swelling of your eye or eyelid.
• Wear sunglasses and a hat with a wide brim when outside in the bright sun, and avoid looking directly into the sun. Protecting your eyes from the sun reduces the risk of getting cataracts.
• Wear safety goggles when working with power equipment or harsh chemicals.

For additional information see <http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/eyes.asp>.