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Heart disease risk in older women identified by simple blood test

While more studies are needed, this is definitely a step in the right direciton.

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen.com

Exercise, especially the weight bearing kind (almost anything other than swimming) will help increase your bone mass, thereby prevent and/or improving osteoporosis.

Take glucosamine sulfate to help protect joints against osteoarthritis. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage between the joints tends to deteriorate, destroying the cushion between the joints. Glucosamine appears to stimulate the rebuilding of cartilage by supplying necessary nutrients.

Protecting yourself against the development of and the progression of osteoarthritis can be as easy as reaching for an orange. Recent studies have shown the importance of vitamin C and other antioxidants in several areas including arthritis. In addition if you happen to be taking methotrexate, a potent medication used in inflammatory conditions, the folic acid in the orange will help reduce side effects to that medication.

Want more information? Coming soon to OlderWiserWomen: Healthy Tips for Successful Aging. Watch for it.

New article looking at the most common question about living wills.

Keep an up to date list of your medications with you at all times.

It is your responsibility to learn the names of your mediations and why you are taking them. Most likely your provider does not know what you mean by the “little pink pill” or the “white capsule”. There are literally dozens of each.

Do you really need all that medication in the first place? The best advice I can give you is to put everything into a bag and take it with you to your appointment. Make sure that you and your provider are on the same page when it comes to medications/supplements that you are taking. This is especially true when you are seeing more than one prescribing provider. You may have duplicates that you are unaware of. Always ask…”do I really need this?”

Barbara C. Phillips, MN, NP
OlderWiserWomen.com

This whole situation with the Terri Schiavo case is very sad…and it could have been completely avoidable with an Advanced Directive/Living Will.

I’ve written before about the importance of having an Advanced Directive/Living Will. And now with congress getting into the act, I feel it’s even more vital. Instead of being reactionary, we all should be doing a bit of preventative maintenance.

1. Talk to your significant others, families, friends about your wishes.
2. Get the paper work you need and fill it out.
3. Make sure that EVERYONE who needs a copy gets a copy. This includes all family members, health care providers, hospitals and even your attorney.
4. You keep the original in a safe place.
5. Keep it updated! If you change your mind about your wishes, or you decided you need someone else to function as your health care power of attorney, then you must update you documents.

While the Terri Schiavo case is most unfortunate, it’s a lesson we can all take to heart. Let’s learn and heed the lesson she is teaching us. Consider the Terri Schiavo case a gift to us all.

Honor her gift…get your Advanced Directive done today.

Barbara C. Phillips, MN, NP
OlderWiserWomen.com

I have some pretty strong feelings about women, all people for that matter, making choices about their health care and end of life decisions well before they are needed. Rather than repeat the post here, I refer you to my comments on my other blog.

Make Your Choice Now on OlderWiserWomen Blog.

All medications, which includes over-the-counter preparations, vitamins and mineral supplements, and herbal preparations, are potentially dangerous. Following some simple rules will not only reduce your change of having a problem, but should reduce your cost as well.

Always shop around for medications - there is a significant difference in cost from pharmacy to pharmacy. Check both online and offline sources. For example, several of my patients have realized a significant cost savings by using the Costco pharmacy as well as online Canadian pharmacies. Should you choose to use a Canadian pharmacy, please keep abreast of any laws that may affect your purchases.

Always check to see if a generic equivalent is available. Today, there are very few medications on the market where generics are not acceptable.

More information can be found at OlderWiserWomen.com

(c) 2005 Barbara C. Phillips, NP

Quitting Smoking will positively impact your health in many ways.

• Women who smoke are 2-6 times more likey to suffer a heart attack. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke each day. Quitting now will protect your heart.
• Women who smoke generally experience menopausal symptoms at a younger age.
• Over 4,000 individual compounds have been identified in tobacco and tobacco smoke. 60 of these substances are known to cause cancer. In order to cleanse our body of these deadly substances, you need to quit.
• Got a fur baby at home? Second hand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer in your dog or cat.
• If you spend $3.00 per pack and smoke 1 pack per day, you will spend $1095/year. (That’s low in my part of the country!)

Some resources to assist you:

• www.quitnet.com
• www.smokefree.gov
• www.4women.gov/quitsmoking
• www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit/canquit.htm

Live for the woman you want to be…quit smoking!

(c) 2004 Barbara C. Phillips, MN, NP
OlderWiserWomen, LLC

Take a look at your attitutde about aging. Did anyone ever tell you that aging is an inside job? It is! Just look around you. It’s more, much more than just the physical work that keeps a 94 year old woman young. That same “think” is what makes the 38 year old woman so old.

What is your Aging Attitude telling you?

Barbara C. Phillps, MN, NP
OlderWiserWomen, LLC
(c) 2005