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How To Take A Bite Out Of Macular Degeneration

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Macular degeneration is a chronic eye disease most often associated with aging.

The macula is the tissue just inside the back of your eyeball. And if you have macular degeneration, it begins to slowly deteriorate thereby affecting your central vision.

While this disease doesn’t result in a complete loss of vision, your lifestyle may go through drastic changes. Such changes might include the inability to drive a car because you have a blind spot in your vision which prevents you from seeing “the whole picture.”

Although aging is the main cause of macular degeneration, people who smoke, drink too much alcohol, are obese or have a family history of the disease are at higher risk for developing macular degeneration.

Other risk factors include gender (women appear to be at greater risk than men) and high blood pressure. [Read more…] about How To Take A Bite Out Of Macular Degeneration

The Truth About Heart Disease In Women

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Many believe that it is men that are primarily at risk of heart disease, but they are sadly mistaken.

According to the CDC – Women and Heart Disease Fact Sheet, heart disease is also the #1 cause of death in women. In fact, since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease.

Heart Disease Facts For Women

The biggest killer of women all over the world is cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke. The two diseases are responsible for killing 8.6 million women each year, which amounts to 1/3 of all deaths worldwide. [Read more…] about The Truth About Heart Disease In Women

Virgin Olive Oil…is better

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The results of a European study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that virgin olive oil contained more antioxidants that a more refined olive oil. What does this mean to you? More antixoidants may offer more protection against heart disease.

In this study those taking the virgin olive oil had higher levels of polyphenols (a certain class of antioxidants), higher levels of HDL (the good cholesterol that protects your heart) and higher levels of substances that help prevent the oxidantion of the LDL (bad cholesterol). All of this means you may be able to lower your risk of heart disease and strokes by using virgin olive oils over other types of oils in your diet.

How much olive oil? The participants, all men, ate about 1 tablespoon of virgin olive oil per day for three weeks. (Other particpants ate refined olive oil or a mixture of virgin and refined).

Remember when adding fats to your diet to look at your overall fat intake.

Grapefruit is good for you?

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Grapefruit is good for you, but...In Feb of 2006 a study was published showing the beneficial results that grapefruit,  especially the red type,  can have on one’s triglyceride level (part of your lipid panel). This study also showed that grapefruit has powerful antioxidant effects as well.

This was great news, especially for those with elevated cholesterol panels and atherosclerosis (plaque build up in the vessels). As with everything though, it didn’t mean you should run out and start eating tons of grapefruit.

The downside to grapefruit is that it interacts with a certain metabolic pathway (CYP3A4) and that pathway plays a big part in the metabolism of many, many medications including the ones you may take to reduce your cholesterol level.

What medications are involved? Think blood pressure medication, benzodiazepines (that’s the valium/xanax family), some seizure and allergy medication, many of the statins (used to lower cholesterol, think lipitor and family), anti-fungal medications, estrogens, caffeine, some antibiotics and some antidepressants. Coumadin or warfarin is also affected, as they are with most everything.

One study looked at how long grapefruit inhibits the CYP3A4 pathway and found effects even 7 days after the ingestion of grapefruit juice in healthy individuals. This could be radically different in someone who is taking medication for a problem. They also found in order to avoid this interaction, one should take no have any grapefruit within 3 days of the medication.

So if you took something daily well, that meant no grapefruit.

New information is coming out all the time as more and more medications are tested and  more is learned about the metabolic pathways of medication and food.

If you are like me and love grapefruit, please check with your health care provider or pharmacists regarding any potential interactions and to stay up to date with the latest information.

 

How To Reduce Your Risk Of Having A Stroke

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May is Stroke Awareness Month and the American Heart Association | American Stroke Association has launched new guidelines for stroke prevention.

Here are some things that you can be doing:

  • Get your blood pressure checked. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a significant risk factor. You can reduce your risk of stokes due to hypertension with proper treatment.
  • Don’t smoke and eliminate your exposure to secondhand smoke.
  • If you have diabetes, it is imperative that you maintain tight control of your blood pressure, as well as your cholesterol.
  • If you already have hypertension reduce you intake of sodium (salt) to no more than 2.3 grams per day and increase your potassium intake to (4.7 gms per day) – eat a diet high in fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and low in saturated and total fat.
  • Lower your total cholesterol to acceptable levels.
  • Be physically active (moderate-intensity) for at least 30 minutes a day. That’s one brisk walk for 30 minutes.

The American Stroke Association recently launched Power To End Stroke, an aggressive education and awareness initiative to reach African Americans, who are at greater stroke risk than other ethnic groups.

For more information on stroke or the Power To End Stroke campaign, call 1-888-4STROKE, or visit the American Stroke Association Web site: strokeassociation.org/power.