Tag Archives: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

April 14, 2015 · 12:05 am

What You Need to Know About High Blood Pressure – Infographic

I went to a talk at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on high blood pressure a while back. I wrote the post What is High Blood Pressure then.

Some of the points made in the post included: “Normal (blood pressure) BP is 120/80, systolic/diastolic. Prehypertensive is 120-139 over 80-89. Stage one hypertension is 140-159 over 90 – 99. Stage two hypertension reads 160 -179 over 100 – 109.

“Modifiable causes of high BP or hypertension include smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity, dietary salt, alcohol consumption and stress.

“Causes of high BP over which we have no control include older age, genetics, family history of high BP, chronic kidney disease and adrenal and thyroid disorders.

“The Mayo Clinic said that most people with high BP have no signs or symptoms, even if BP readings reach dangerously high levels.”

I hope this has piqued your curiosity about high blood pressure because I have found two dynamite infographics on it that will fill in a lot of details. The first is from the American Heart Association and is very personal and the second from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and covers a broad spectrum of high blood pressure in the U.S.
Tony

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Tagged as American Heart Association, blood pressure, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mayo Clinic, northwestern memorial hospital

February 20, 2015 · 3:58 pm

Why Seniors Need to Exercise – NIH

Exercise and physical activity are good for just about everyone, including older adults. Eat less;move more is the mantra of this blog.

No matter your health and physical abilities, you gain a lot by staying active. In fact, in most cases you have more to lose by not being active, according to The National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This is one of those simple, but not easy ideas. The damning statistics of 60 percent overweight and 30 percent obese in the general population hold true for seniors aged 65 and over, too, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There is a fascinating refinement in those numbers. In the years 65 to 74, the percent of obesity jumps to 41.5 for men and 40.3 percent for women. For the next segment, aged 75 years and older, however, it then drops to 26.5 for men and 28.7 for women. So, that 65 to 74 period is a very dangerous one for our senior population.

My only conclusion is that many of the obese 65-74 year olds simply died off as a result of their weight leaving only the healthier trimmer ones alive after 75 years old.

To combat the ravages of a sedentary life and obesity, the NIH recommends exercise.

“Here are just a few of the benefits. Exercise and physical activity:

• Can help maintain and improve your physical strength and fitness.
• Can help improve your ability to do the everyday things you want to do.
• Can help improve your balance.
• Can help manage and improve diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
• Can help reduce feelings of depression and may improve mood and overall well-being.
• May improve your ability to shift quickly between tasks, plan an activity, and ignore irrelevant information.

“The key word in all these benefits is YOU—how fit and active you are now and how much effort you put into being active. To gain the most benefits, enjoy all four types of exercise, stay safe while you exercise, and be sure to eat a healthy diet, too!

“Exercise and physical activity fall into four basic categories—endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Each type is different, though. Doing them all will give you more benefits.”

Obesity is a killer. I have written about it in several posts, check out What are Some Obesity Statistics? How Does Obesity Affect You?” Public Largely Ignorant About Obesity Risks. There are more posts on the danger of obesity, but those will give you a start. If you want to read further, type obesity into the SEARCH box at the right.

Tony

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Tagged as aging, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Exercise, national institutes of health, NIH, obesity

March 24, 2014 · 7:15 am

Why and How You Can Improve Your Sleep Habits – Harvard

I have been writing about the importance of a good night’s sleep for some years. It restores the brain, recharges the body and often clears up conflicts overnight. Now comes Harvard with further guidance on this critical life experience. With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day, sleep habits are very relevant.

Dr. Anthony Komaroff, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Publications, writes, “A good night’s sleep is essential for your health and well-being. Getting too little sleep can cause numerous problems. Lack of sleep not only affects alertness and energy, but it weakens your body’s defenses against infection, increases anxiety, and boosts your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. It’s also a safety issue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that 1 in 24 adults say they have recently fallen asleep while driving.

“Sleep-related problems affect 50 to 70 million Americans of all ages. If you are one of them, Improving Sleep is an instructive and fact-filled report from Harvard Medical School that explains why sleep often eludes us as adults. You’ll read about the habits and conditions that get in the way of peaceful slumber. Most important, you’ll learn what you can do to again enjoy the satisfaction of a restful night’s sleep.

“The report details what triggers insomnia and how new techniques and therapies are helping men and women get to sleep more quickly — without the use of medications. The report will tell you how to overcome the “early-to-bed-early-to-rise” syndrome, how to control the need to urinate at night, how to tame restless leg syndrome, and seven things you should do — and not do — before going to bed.

“Do you or your spouse snore? There are hundreds of devices marketed as aids to stop snoring. But do any work? The report sorts them out and updates you on new procedures that can restore quiet to the bedroom. Could your snoring be sleep apnea? The report includes a six-question test that will help you determine if you need to be tested for this health-threatening condition.

“Ever wondered why we remember so little of our dreams? Why “night owls” are the way they are? Or what’s the best time for a nap — and how long should it be? The report answers these questions and many others. Plus, you’ll read the truth about the connection between Ambien and sleep walking (and sleep eating!), which over-the-counter sleeping aids are safest, five ways to avoid jet lag, and more.”

Tony

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Tagged as a good night’s sleep, aging, Anthony Komaroff, baby boomers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Harvard, Harvard Health Publications, harvard medical school, healthy-living, Lack of sleep, sleep

March 8, 2014 · 4:59 am

Beware of Germs as Flu Season Ends

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly flu report said Delaware, Louisiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Virginia and Wisconsin reported low influenza-like illness, while the remaining 42 states reported minimal influenza-like illness, according to the UPI.

A total of 65 influenza related pediatric deaths were reported in the 2013-2014 flu season.

Besides the obvious flu shot which I recommend strongly at the beginning of the flu season, I wanted to pass along some others which are a good idea to observe year ’round to remain healthy.

We share our world with lots of germs which can be very damaging to our health. WebMD
offered the following suggestions on navigating this germy world:

1. Wash your hands often. Use soap and warm water. It can dislodge germs and send them down the drain.

2. Carry hand sanitizer. It’s handy if you can’t wash your hands, especially if you’re touching surfaces that other people use, like ATM keyboards, elevator buttons, and door handles.

3. Let something else do the touching. If you’re in a germy place, like a doctor’s office building or your child’s day care, press elevator buttons with your elbow, and use a paper towel to open bathroom doors and flush toilets. Only use banisters or escalator handrails if you need to for balance. Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, so that germs on your hands don’t enter your body.

4. Wipe down shared surfaces. Use your hand sanitizer or a package of sanitizing wipes to clean off spots such as food court tables (they’re often just wiped down with a rag that only spreads germs around) or the desk or phones in shared office spaces.

5. Leave the germs outside. When you come home, take off your shoes and wash your hands. That’s a family rule for Bridget Boyd, MD, director of the newborn nursery at Chicago’s Loyola University Health Center. “My husband and I are both in the health care field, and my son goes to day care, so who knows what’s on our shoes?” she says. “But it makes sense for anyone. It’s a good idea to wash off germs and dirt when you come home.”

Tony