I turn 65 this year, and staying healthy has been on my mind more than ever. When I look at my family history, heart disease is on the top of the list in terms of the highest risk factor.
For the past 10 years, losing weight has been my biggest challenge.
When I moved to Prescott at the end of 2016, I was at my highest weight ever in my life. The weight gain was a gradual process, but I wanted to make weight loss a faster one. In the past year I have been able to reduce my weight by 30 pounds, and would really like to lose 20 more pounds by the end of this year.
In this section on men's health, I will focus on heart health.
Top four health concerns in the United States for men age 45 and beyond:
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the leading four causes of death in men ages 45 to 85 and beyond are heart disease (including stroke), cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases and unintentional injuries. Before the age of 45, unintentional injuries are the number one cause of death for males in this country. After age 65, stroke moves into the top three causes of death, so I will talk about that issue under heart disease.
Heart Disease
Overall, heart disease is related to 24.4% of deaths for men of all ages. Forty-seven percent (47%) of Americans have at least one of the risk factors for heart disease, which include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. Other risk factors include diabetes, being overweight, poor diet, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol use.
The most important guidelines for a healthy lifestyle after age 50 for men:
- Eat a healthy diet: The "Ornish Diet" has been shown to reduce atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in blood vessels that causes them to narrow). It is a plant-based, low-fat approach to food choices. You can read more on Dr. Dean Ornish website: https://www.ornish.com
- Manage your weight: Limiting or eliminating simple sugars, high carbohydrate foods, and alcohol is key to maintaining a healthy weight after age 50. Avoiding larger meals in the evening can also help.
- Sleep 7 to 8 hours: Studies have shown that irregular sleep and sleep deprivation both increase the risk of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and coronary heart disease.
- Exercise regularly: The Department of Health and Human Services recommend 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week. That's just a little over 20 minutes each day. Moderate exercise is an activity such as brisk walking at a pace of three miles per hour.
- Stop smoking: Smoking damages your lungs and also deprives small blood vessels in the body of oxygen.
- Reduce/Eliminate Alcohol: If you drink alcohol, have no more than two drinks a day. (A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer/wine cooler, 5 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of liquor.) If you are trying to lose weight, stop all alcohol.
- Schedule routine exams and screenings: Be sure to get medical screening such as blood pressure, cholesterol level, prostate exam, blood sugar levels, etc. on a regular basis.
Supplements that can help in the maintenance of good heart health:
- Phytosterol esters: Research has shown that high intakes of plant sterols can lower total serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations in humans.
- Aged Garlic Extract (bulb) (Allium sativum): Studies show that a regular consumption of garlic in the diet reduces risk of heart disease.
- Red Yeast Rice (Monascus purpureus): This is made by fermenting rice with a species of yeast. Red yeast rice can significantly decrease LDL. Research has also shown that patients having side effects from statin drugs were able to tolerate red yeast rice.
- Curcumin Phytosome* (Curcuma longa extract): Commonly referred to as turmeric, this has been shown to have cardiovascular protective effects. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and is used to reduce pain.
- Green Tea Phytosome* (Camellia sinensis extract): The flavonoids such as catechins in green tea have been shown to be helpful in the treatment of hypertension, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure.
- N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC): NAC is a precursor to glutathione and has been shown to be protective to the heart in patients with diabetes or damage to the heart secondary to overly high levels of glucose (hyperglycemia).
- Berberine HCl (from Indian Barberry extract) (root) (Berberis aristata): This alkaloid substance is being researched for its ability to reduce hypertension, lower cholesterol, and improve insulin resistance (lower blood glucose).
- Resveratrol: is found in grapes and red wine, and this natural phytoalexin (compound with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties) has been shown to be protective against heart failure.
- Quercetin Phytosome* (Sophora japonica concentrate (leaf): a flavonoid, has been shown to lower systolic blood pressure, reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and reduce the risk for diabetes.
- Nattokinase (NK): is a fermented soybean product, and has been consumed as a traditional food in Japan for thousands of years. NK is a potent blood-clot dissolving protein used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and is produced by the bacterium Bacillus subtilis during the fermentation of soybeans to produce Natto.
*Phytosomes increase the absorption of herbal extracts
Stroke
The risk of stroke occurring after the age of 75 for men more than doubles as compared to men under the age of 75. As reported by the CDC in 2015, about 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke every year. The following is from the CDC:
Common stroke warning signs and symptoms:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg--especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
How can you prevent strokes?
Prevention of stroke is closely in line with preventing heart disease in general. A stroke is basically when blood flow to the brain is interrupted or reduced. This can be caused by either a blood clot in the blood vessels in the brain or bleeding in the brain, which is less common. According to Harvard Medical School, here are seven things you can do to reduce your risk of stroke:
- Lower your blood pressure
- Lose weight
- Exercise
- Drink alcohol in moderation
- Treat atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat that increases risk of forming clots in the brain)
- Treat diabetes, if you have this condition
- Stop smoking
I would like to add one more prevention measure:
- Treat obstructive sleep apnea if you have this condition. People with this condition have a higher risk of developing a stroke. Signs and symptoms of sleep apnea are: loud snoring and/or gasping sounds at night, frequent awakenings at night, daytime fatigue or sleepiness, and sometimes morning headaches.
