 |
  
Cholesterol
and the Myths
Cholesterol! We've all read about it and heard about it on TV, but
there still remains some confusion regarding its importance and its
link to heard disease. Despite advances in recent years, heart disease
is the predominant killer of men in the United States, with women
fast approaching this distinction.
As little as 10 years ago, there was some controversy surrounding
the importance of cholesterol and its role in causing arteriosclerotic
heart disease. This is the process by which fatty deposits build up
in the arterial wall throughout the body and subsequently can cause
serious consequences, such as stroke or heart attack.
While most of us today are aware of what cholesterol is, there are
still some major misconceptions regarding cholesterol and its role
in heart disease. For example, many people are under the impression
that the more highly clogged an artery becomes, the more likely it
is to cause a heart attack. In fact, the opposite is true. Studies
within the last few years have shown that those arteries that are
not highly clogged are the ones that are most likely to cause sudden
"unexpected" heart attacks. How can this be? This is a good
topic to discuss with your doctor.
Another area of confusion is what age can one "stop worrying"
about their cholesterol. I find that many of my patients, especially
those over 65 years of age, take a somewhat cavalier attitude toward
the monitoring and maintenance of a healthy cholesterol level. This
too, is certainly an are a that patients need to discuss with their
doctor.
In addition, there remain many questions regarding the so-called "good
cholesterol" versus the "bad cholesterol." And what
about triglycerides? In fact, our entire understanding of "lipids"
(which are the fats in question) has changed markedly in the last
few years. As a physician who has a high degree of interest in this
area, I enjoy discussing these and other related topics with my patients.
It is through these discussions that I can learn some of the conceptions
and misconceptions that my patients have regarding these issues. Often
this topic is not discussed in a vacuum and leads to an open-ended
exploration of related topics including blood pressure, diabetes,
smoking, exercise, alcohol and stress, which many of us deal with
in our daily lives.
To sum it up, one might say that cholesterol is the "tip of the
iceberg" and can be a good launching point to discuss not only
cholesterol's impact on the arteries of the body, but also how we
all might integrate some of the new knowledge regarding cholesterol
and related areas into our daily lives.
David R. Singer, M.D. |
Seasonal
Changes in Diabetes
New breakthroughs in diabetes management are now available. Within the last
year, two new medicines have been introduced, Glucophage and Precose, which
can favorably affect the blood sugar and help to improve diabetes control.
Next month, a new drug named Rezlin (trilitazone) will also be available.
This new drug may lessen the doses of insulin required by adults with diabetes.
 |
|
Despite all this good news, to stay healthy,
diabetic patients need to keep in min that their condition can change
with the seasons. As the seasons change, patients may feel a burst
of energy and suddenly find themselves jogging around the block or
playing a game of tennis. These sport activities are excellent for
your health and will generally improve the blood sugar. However, an
increase in activities can also affect the dosage of medications needed.
You should discuss your plans for increased activity levels with your
doctor so that adjustments can be made correctly.
As the weather turns warm, your body will need more fluids to keep
from getting dehydrated. Any element of dehydration can adversely
affect the blood sugar and usually increases it. Drinking extra liquids
on a hot day should help keep diabetes in check. |
As the weather turns warm, your body will need more fluids to keep from
getting dehydrated. Any element of dehydration can adversely affect the
blood sugar and usually increases it. Drinking extra liquids on a hot day
should help keep diabetes in check.
With the warmer weather there is a tendency for people to walk around barefoot,
especially on the beach. Diabetes can cause a decreased sensation in the
feet. It is easy to step on the wrong thing which can lead to a problem
such as infection. Good footwear should be worn at all times.
Don't let me discourage any exciting plans for the upcoming months. The
nice thing is that new excellent methods to control diabetes are available
so that you can enjoy life to the fullest.
Richard Berkson, M.D.
Lowering
Cholesterol Through Diet
It is not unusual these days to hear about high cholesterol. The first question
most people ask is "How can I lower my cholesterol?"
First and foremost, a person should decrease dietary fats by adhering to
a low fat diet. Today, it is not uncommon to see foods labeled as low fat.
Fortunately, the new labels encourage selection of low fat products by clearly
stating the fat content. It is expressed as the "percentage of calories
from mat." Usually, less than 30 percent of calories from fat is acceptable.
You should discuss with your physician what level is acceptable for you.
The second and less commonly discussed measure to lower cholesterol is to
increase dietary fiber. Foods high in fiber tent do be low in fat and are
more common than you may think. Here are just some examples to boost your
fiber intake.*
As the weather turns warm, your body will need more fluids to keep from
getting dehydrated. Any element of dehydration can adversely affect the
blood sugar and usually increases it. Drinking extra liquids on a hot day
should help keep diabetes in check.
With the warmer weather there is a tendency for people to walk around barefoot,
especially on the beach. Diabetes can cause a decreased sensation in the
feet. It is easy to step on the wrong thing which can lead to a problem
such as infection. Good footwear should be worn at all times.
Don't let me discourage any exciting plans for the upcoming months. The
nice thing is that new excellent methods to control diabetes are available
so that you can enjoy life to the fullest.
Perry R. Koseff, DO
|
|
|
