Heart disease and strokes can be avoided simply by taking this natural supplement, made from tomatoes, it is said. The important ingredient is lycopene, which blocks bad cholesterol from clogging the arteries. This ingredient can be found in tomatoes; however in its natural form it is not well digested. More trials are necessary to see verify how effective the pill is. Read more…
Researchers are saying that eating too much red meat and processed meat causes people to die earlier due to pretty much everything, including heart disease and cancer. The study took into account other factors, such as smoking, exercise and how many vegetables the respondents ate, and still found that red meat eaters caused the risk. Read more…
After the age of 40, a man’s risk of heart disease, cancer and strokes, as well as other health issues, increases. However, research shows that with age, men tend to exercise less, meaning they are more susceptible to these problems. Barack Obama can be a beacon to men who feel they lack the necessary time to get or stay in shape, as he is obviously a very busy man. Read more about Obama’s health regime…
Men and women have different nutritional needs - therefore there are foods that are more important for each to eat. Here are a few, and why they’re important:
- Tomato Sauce - protects against prostate cancer.
- Oysters - boosts zinc intake, which helps with the male reproductive system.
- Broccoli - protects against bladder cancer, which is especially popular in men.
- Peanut Butter - protects against heart disease.
- Watermelon - has tons of potassium, therefore protects against high blood pressure.
- Papaya - contains tons of vitamin C, which protects against gallbladder disease.
- Flaxseed - potential weapon against breast cancer.
- Tofu - High in soy protein, which can lower cholesterol and may minimize menopausal hot flashes and strengthen bone.
- Buffalo Meat - contains a lot of iron, which helps with anemia (this condition occurs more in women.)
- Collard Greens - may help with osteoporosis.
A new study has found that even if you have low cholesterol and are at a low risk for heart disease, you may still benefit from taking some sort of cholesterol pill - such as Crestor, Lipitor or Zocor. This result is “hailed as a watershed event in heart disease prevention,” as half of heart attacks occur in people who don’t seem to be at risk. However, to treat everyone in the United States in this manner could cost upwards of $9 billion annually.
The study also looks at ways to predict who will be at risk for heart attacks. Read more…
It has been found that moderate drinking is good for the heart. However, this same level of imbibing may be bad for the brain, a new study has found. People who drink alcohol - even the moderate amounts that help prevent heart disease - have a smaller brain volume than those who do not, according to a study in the Archives of Neurology. The implications of this finding, however, are not yet clear - meaning a smaller brain may not mean any cognitive functions are affected. Read more…
Some men — think Yul Brynner, Sean Connery, or Michael Jordan — make balding look good. For most of us, though, it’s a pain. A double pain, if balding is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as some studies have suggested. Take heart, all ye with receding (or receded) hairlines. At least half of the studies on this topic, including the latest one, show no link between balding and heart trouble. Read more…
FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Heart disease, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries - conditions that are usually associated with the senior population - are creeping into young adulthood. According to new research conducted by Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS - News), prescription drug use by younger adults for heart disease- related conditions is increasing at a rapid rate, far outpacing older adults and offering a glimpse into the forthcoming clinical and financial challenges facing the nation’s health care system.
The analysis shows that between 2001 and 2006, the number of 20-44 year olds taking prescription medications to treat high cholesterol increased 68 percent, and use of antihypertensives jumped 21 percent.
Based on this new analysis, the estimated number of 20-44 year olds nationwide on lipid-lowering drugs surged from 2.5 million in 2001 to 4.2 million in 2006, while the number of people of that age taking antihypertensives spiked from 7 million to 8.5 million in the six-year period.
“This may be both a good news, bad news story,” said Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco’s chief medical officer. “The good news is that younger patients are taking medications that control conditions that, if left untreated, could lead to heart attacks and strokes - indicating that physicians are screening patients more regularly and treating these precursors more aggressively than in the past. The bad news is that these conditions are showing up in patients at younger ages, which could be the result of the growing obesity epidemic and various lifestyle factors.”
Not only were the increases among 20-44 year olds significant, but so too were the rates of increase when compared to age groups more traditionally associated with these categories of medications. The increase in the number of 20-44 year-olds on lipid-lowering medications was 37 percent higher than it was for 45 to 64 year olds; the growth in prevalence of those on antihypertensives was 52 percent greater. When compared with patients 65 years or older, the increase in usage of lipid-lowering medications was 31 percent higher in the 20-44 group, and among those on antihypertensives it was more than double.
Decline Seen in Age of Patients on Drug Treatment
The analysis also found a significant shift downward in the age of patients using these drug treatments. In 2006, half of all patients on lipid- lowering drugs were 61 years old or younger; the median age of women fell more sharply than men, dropping from 67 to 62 in the six-year span, as compared to 62 to 59 for men.
The median age of those using antihypertensives declined four years over the six-year period, with half of all patients on these drugs being 60 years or younger in 2006; again women had the greatest decline, dropping from 65 to 60 versus men whose median age fell from 63 to 60.
“There is a history of women being under-diagnosed and under-treated for heart conditions,” said Epstein. “The fact that more women at a younger age are receiving medication treatment for high cholesterol and hypertension is a sign that the medical community is recognizing that heart disease is a serious threat to women as well as men.”
Heart Disease Risks
High cholesterol and high blood pressure are two of the leading risk factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. High LDL cholesterol can cause atherosclerosis, a narrowing and hardening of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can weaken the arterial walls and make them more prone to atherosclerosis. Both conditions can lead to blood clots that can block blood flow and result in a heart attack or stroke.
For some people with high cholesterol and hypertension, lifestyle changes such as weight loss, dietary changes and exercise can control the conditions. For others, medications may be needed. The most common medications used to treat high cholesterol are statins. To treat hypertension, diuretics, beta- blockers and ACE inhibitors are often prescribed.
Medco’s Specialist Pharmacists
Medco has developed an innovative approach to help improve and advance pharmacy care through condition-specific resource centers that are staffed with hundreds of pharmacists who receive training and certification in specific chronic conditions and have expertise in the drugs used to treat them. With this training and concentrated practice, Medco’s specialist pharmacists can offer deeper, more specific guidance when a medication safety issue arises.
Medco’s specialist pharmacists focus on some of the most common chronic conditions Americans face including heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Aided by advanced, integrated databases that provide real- time prescription medication history, and medical diagnoses (when available), specialist pharmacists can collaborate with doctors and their patients on drug safety issues. Specialist pharmacists may also consult with physicians to help ensure that members receive the most affordable medications.
Medco is the highest-ranked independent pharmacy benefit manager on the 2007 Fortune 500 list. On the Net: http://www.medco.com.
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