Healthwise, Agewise

Its all about YOU!

It’s All About You
“Healthcare” in our society is not always about “Health”; it often focuses more on “sickness”. This book aims to help you put the “Health” back into “Healthcare”, encouraging focusing on what can be improved rather than on what is wrong.
Healthcare also often focuses on the “Care” that you get from others, such as doctors and other health care practitioners. While both of these are important, they are fractions of your health equation. The largest contributor is the care you take of yourself. If you take personal responsibility for your own health, you will be taking a much bigger step than most people do towards having a better quality, and probably quantity, of enjoyable life.

Experiment with your Health

Experiment with Your Health; Participate in Medical Research

The major way medical knowledge advances is through research.  You can make an important contribution towards medical research by participating in it.

Before a new treatment is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and made available generally, it must first be evaluated in clinical trials.  Clinical trials are essential for making sure new techniques to fight disease are safe.

Jeepers Creepers, Take Care of those Peepers!

Vision changes are the rule, not the exception, as we grow older.  As I was just sitting here wearing my own pair of “drug-store readers”, a 30 something male employee of mine told me “those glasses make you look old”.  I replied, “When you find a pair of reading glasses that make people look young, let me know, and we’ll both be millionaires”.  The most common reason people have problems with vision as they age is "presbyopia", from the Greek words "presby" meaning "old" and opia meaning "eye".  Other than needing glasses, this is not dangerous to our ability to see normally.  Other problems, though, such as macular degeneration, can be more concerning.  Fortunately research and information on this disorder are improving every day.

BUTT OUT!

Strategies to Quit Smoking

A key element of living a longer, healthier life is to not smoke.  Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. You are never too old to quit! While living as a non-smoker you will also feel healthier, have a better sense of taste and smell, and save money.

Excuses That Won’t Be Excused

We have all heard the following: don’t use these to kid yourself that continuing smoking is ok:

¨     My [uncle, dad, brother, friend, etc] smoked his entire life and lived to be [80, 90, 100].  (This example is one in a million.  You are unlikely to be the second in a million!)

¨     My cholesterol is low. (You are still at risk for cancer and lung disease).

¨     No one in my family has had cancer or a heart attack. (You may have good genes, but you are negating their positive effects by smoking).

Quitting Isn’t for Quitters

A Pill for Sex, Memory, Muscle, Bone?

Dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a steroid which is marketed as a dietary supplement and it has been touted as a great pill to help us remain strong, sexy, healthy as we age.  But is it?  And WHAT is it?  DHEA is produced by the adrenal glands, and is abundant in people between the ages of 15-45 years of age, although everyone makes it to some extent.  The commercial product is from yams.  It is controversial; for example, it is banned by the International Olympic committee. Is it beneficial?  If it isn’t good for you, then why the hype?  If it is a good product, then why don’t we hear more about it, and why would it be banned? 

Razz Your Berries!

Razz Your Berries; Health Benefits of Berries

Berries are one of the joys of summer.  Data indicate that many darkly colored foods are potent antioxidants. The darker the berry, the stronger its protective effects appear to be.  Strawberries and raspberries inhibit the growth of cancer cells in test tube experiments.  These berries and other darkly colored fruits have also been shown to help control inflammation and preserve motor coordination in older laboratory animals. 

A Sea of People Moving with Slow, Deliberate Waves

On a recent trip to San Francisco  my hotel room overlooked a park.  Because of jet lag (being from the East Coast), I woke up early every morning.  When I looked out of my window, I noted a number of people, about 50 of them, already up and in the park.  They were moving, together, like a sea of people, and the waves made by their movements were slow and deliberate.  These people were adults of all ages.  These people were practicing the ancient Chinese exercise known as Tai Chi.

  Let One Hand Wash the Other

The most important thing that you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands. A dirty hand carrying just a few germs can cause big problems. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a single germ can divide to make 17 million new germs within just 12 hours.

It is especially important to wash your hands:

• Before, during, and after you prepare food

• Before you eat, and after you use the bathroom

• After handling animals or animal waste

• When your hands are dirty, and

• More frequently when someone in your home is sick.

Experiment with Your Health; Participate in Medical Research

The major way medical knowledge advances is through research.  You can make an important contribution towards medical research by participating in it.  Clinical research includes clinical trials, in which treatment for a given disease is tested.  Clinical trials are essential for making sure new techniques to fight disease are safe.

Advocate For Your Health

An important part of being healthy is to be an active proponent of your own health, not just a passive person who follows doctor’s orders.  These guidelines may help you work with your doctor better; you are not just part of the team with your doctor, you are the coach, and can learn to call the shots!

It's All About You

Healthcare” in our society is not always about “Health”. Sometimes it focuses on “sickness”.  This blog (and a future planned book) aim to help you put the “Health” back into “Healthcare”, encouraging focusing on what can be improved rather than on what is wrong. 

No One is An Island!

We often advise young, and/or single people to join a church group, take a class, or participate in some other community activity to enrich their lives (and potentially meet a mate!).  However, this advice is good for all of us.  There are community activities that people of various ages and interest can participate in.  And for people who are active in this way, there are clear health benefits.  Human beings are by nature social creatures.  Primates, including human beings, live, eat, travel in groups.  We are, in some sense, hard wired to be with others.  Many studies have shown that social support can protect your health from a variety of problems. 

Drink to the Letter J!

Numerous US and European studies have shown that a little daily drinking of alcohol is more healthful than either abstaining or drinking to excess.  Dutch researchers have found that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementias than do abstainers or heavy drinkers.  Most studies show the heart-saving effects of alcohol peak at levels of two or fewer drinks a day, plateau at three drinks per day, and dramatically deteriorate at a higher number of drinks per day.   In other words, graphs that plot deaths from heart attacks against amounts of alcohol consumed have a so-called "J-shaped pattern" with a shallow dip in total mortality for modest drinkers. 

You Are What You Eat (and Drink)!

Along with exercise, genetics, and luck, the greatest  impact on the health of your body is from the foods you choose.  Most of us want to have a healthy diet, but there is so much information we receive daily that it is hard to know where to start and to separate the myth from the reality.  Fad diets generally are not effective for weight loss, and maintaining a healthy weight requires a lifestyle change, not a short term “fix” as we all have heard many times.  More important than any specific food is a healthy dietary pattern.  Diets low in fat, high in fresh fruits and vegetables, which limit intake of meats and eggs, include fiber and good sources of calcium have many health benefits. Enjoy!

Take a Hike!

Walking is an excellent exercise, and uses skills we have all practiced across our lifetime.  It does not require a gym membership, lessons, special equipment, a particular location, or another person (although the latter enhances walking enjoyment).

You’ve Got Some Body; Take Care of It!

The health benefits of exercise are well known.  Exercise can improve heart health,lower blood cholesterol, reduce fat, help bones remain strong, keep diabetes in check, and help to combat the risk of some cancers.  Yet exercise not only helps our bodies, it helps our minds.   

If You are What You Wear, then Wear Glad Rags!

By wearing bright colors, we can improve our moods, and make ourselves more appealing to others. 

Smile with Your Eyes!

Drawing your face into a smile both by pulling the corners of your mouth upward and by squeezing your eyes can make you feel happier.  In other words, we don’t just smile BECAUSE we feel happy; we can feel happy BECAUSE we smile! 

Dosage Unknown!

It is important to be aware of all of the medications you take and their potential side effects and interactions.  Side effects are not limited to prescription medications: over-the-counter and natural treatments can have side effects, too, and both can interact with each other. 

Give Directions-In Advance!

There are times when legal and medical decisions might be made for us. Loved ones and physicians need clear guidelines at such times.  Fortunately, you are able to decide in advance how you want things to be done.  It is important to talk about your wishes with your closest family members and your physician and to document your wishes. Advance directives are legal documents that can clarify your wishes regarding medical treatments in situations where you cannot do so.

Go, No Go! Prostate Health

Prostate problems are common in men around the age of 50 years and over.  The most common problem of the prostate is not cancer; it is prostate enlargement (termed benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH).  Half of all men over the age of 50 years have some form of prostate enlargement; 90% of all men aged 80 years and older have an enlarged prostate.  Note: Sexual activity (whether with a partner or alone) does not increase a man’s risk of prostate problems of any kind.

What's the Poop?

Constipation is downright uncomfortable.  When the colon's natural contractions are disturbed, hard, dry stools form that can be painful to pass.  Many false beliefs exist concerning proper bowel function. One is that a bowel movement is important every day.  Another is that wastes stored in the stool are re-absorbed. Recent research has not borne out these ideas. These misconceptions have led to a marked overuse of laxatives which in themselves have dangers.

Public Health, Personal Happiness!

Public Health is a discipline in the field of medicine which is directed towards the maintenance and improvement of the health of all people.  Paying attention to public health recommendations can prevent injury, infection, and other illnesses.  These recommendations can be very personal, and often, literally, begin at home, and extent into your activities of daily living.

What is Healthwise, Agewise, and Who Are We?

This website is a prelude to a book by Katrina Gwinn-Hardy MD and Carl Gwinn PhD (sister and brother). We share here some of the material that we ultimately plan to publish in book form, and get your feedback too! We plan a quality not quantity of life guidebook. While living longer may be a result, the goal of this project is to allow you to live BETTER.

Katrina Gwinn-Hardy, MD:

I am a neurologist who has worked at medical schools including Vanderbilt, University of Michigan, and the Mayo Clinics in Scottsdale and Jacksonville, and am now at the National Institutes of Health.  I have also worked in private practice in Jacksonville Beach Florida.  I have taught numerous medical and graduate school students and given many lectures to lay audiences around the country.  As an adult neurologist, a great deal of my work involves the elderly.  As I have aged myself, I have to come increasingly appreciate the issues, choices, and fears which my patients have dealt with regarding their own aging process.  Many of my patients have found their own solutions to problems that I will also share with you here. Other sources of inspiration are my physician teachers and mentors.  I have been fortunate enough to have experience from many fine institutions as an undergraduate, laboratory researcher, and physician, in this country and abroad.  My own parents, now in their late 70s, my aunts and uncles, and their friends are also sources of inspiration as well as information.

Carl Gwinn PhD:

I am a Physics Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara.  I have had a lifelong interest in photography, and in recent years have devoted a great deal of my leisure time to photographing underwater inhabitants and scenes.  You can see a few examples of my dive photography at http://blackcormorant.net.  I have worked to protect the Channel Islands Kelp forests, dived to count fish (a key part of protecting our oceans), for organizations including NOAA, and participated in other scientific efforts as a photographer.  I have recently taken my skills back onto the land, and photographed its inhabitants (including humans!) for this project on health as we age.