28 THE QUEENS COURIER • SENIOR LIVING • FEBRUARY 14, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
senior living
Could you have a heart attack? Reduce your odds through these tips
Many Americans consider themselves
well-informed and attentive when it comes
to their health.
Th at’s why it’s so puzzling that many
remain unfazed by the threat of heart disease.
Th at was among the fi ndings of the
MDVIP Heart Attack IQ Survey, a national
study showing Americans are more concerned
about cancer than a heart attack -
even though cardiovascular disease kills
more people than all forms of cancer combined.
In fact, heart disease is the underlying
cause of one in three U.S. deaths. Many
Americans don’t take it seriously because
they believe most heart problems can be
treated with medication or surgery, while
others simply procrastinate when it comes
to adopting healthier behaviors that help
prevent heart disease.
As a result, many are surprised when
faced with a life-threatening heart attack,
which can happen to anyone at any age.
While the average age for a fi rst attack
is 66 for men and 70 for women, the
risk increases signifi cantly as soon as men
reach 45 and women reach 55.
“Despite the statistics, people assume a
heart attack is going to happen to somebody
else, but not to them,” said MDVIP
Chief Medical Offi cer Dr. Andrea Klemes.
“Heart disease can be dangerously silent,
which is why it’s important to know your
risk factors and the steps you can take to
minimize them.”
Gloom and doom aside, awareness of
the issue is the fi rst step, and there is much
you can do to prevent heart disease. Some
80 percent of heart attacks and strokes are
preventable.
Consider these suggestions for reducing
your risk of heart attack:
• Partner with your primary. Your primary
care doctor is your fi rst line of defense
in helping prevent heart disease. Make
sure you partner with a physician who
has the time to identify and discuss your
risk in detail, who will work on a plan to
control your risk factors and who can
provide ongoing support to keep you
motivated and accountable. Physicians
like those in the MDVIP network maintain
smaller practices so that they can
devote more time to each patient and
provide the coaching needed to keep
them on track.
• Stay up to date on screenings. When’s
the last time you had your blood pressure
and cholesterol checked? But don’t stop
at the basics. Most heart attacks occur
in people with normal cholesterol levels.
You also want to get a read on whether
you have infl ammation in your arteries
or insulin resistance, both of which raise
your heart disease risk. You can only act
on what you know, and knowing your
numbers is key to early detection.
• Make heart-healthy changes. Creating
and sustaining healthy lifestyle habits can
help keep your blood pressure, cholesterol
and sugar in check and lower your risk
for heart disease. So don’t skip your exercise,
weight management or smoking
cessation programs. Just make sure you
consult with your doctor before changing
your diet or beginning a new exercise
program.
• Sleep more, stress less. While oft en overlooked,
insuffi cient sleep and excessive
stress can put strain on your heart over
time. Both can also infl uence your eating
habits, mood and overall health. Most
adults need seven to nine hours per
night; if you’re getting that and still feel
tired, consider asking your doctor for a
sleep apnea test. Also, try starting a regular
practice - whether it’s a yoga class,
deep breathing or a daily walk outside -
to better manage stress.
Take the Heart Attack IQ quiz and
learn more about fi nding a preventive
physician by visiting www.mdvip.com/
HeartAttackIQ.
Courtesy BPT
50 or over? Why you may want to consider new shingles vaccine
When it comes to vaccines this time of
year, infl uenza is oft en top-of-mind - and
it should be, with as many as 35 million
cases expected this fl u season. But as you
age, don’t neglect the shingles vaccine.
Imagine if the slightest breeze or the
touch of a bed sheet caused excruciating
pain on your head, shoulder or side.
What if you also had a fever, chills or
an upset stomach? Th at’s what shingles,
a painful, blistering rash, can be like for
some people.
Nearly one out of every three people
in the United States will develop
the disease in their lifetime, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). Th e risk for people
over 50 is especially high, and it goes up
with increasing age.
Th e good news is there is a way to
reduce your risk of shingles. Th e CDC
now recommends that healthy adults 50
years and older receive Shingrix, a vaccine
approved by the FDA in 2017.
Cause and complications
of shingles
Shingles isn’t contagious in the way
we think of the cold or fl u. Instead, shingles
erupts from the same virus that causes
chickenpox, the varicella zoster virus
(VZV). Aft er a chickenpox infection
ends, this virus becomes dormant or inactive
within the body. Anyone who has had
chickenpox can later get shingles if the
virus reactivates. Scientists are unclear
why this happens.
A bout of shingles typically occurs in
a single stripe on one side of the body,
oft en the torso and less oft en the face
region, and generally lasts from two to
four weeks. Around 10 to 13 percent of
people who develop shingles continue to
suff er for many years from the debilitating
nerve pain of post-herpetic neuralgia
(PHN), according to the CDC.
Other potential shingles complications
include vision loss, hearing problems and
even, in rare cases, blindness or death, the
CDC said.
Th e only way to reduce your risk of
developing shingles and its aft ereff ects is
to get vaccinated.
What’s diff erent now?
Th e CDC describes Shingrix as the preferred
shingles vaccine. Its protection has
been shown to last longer than the older
shingles vaccine. It also can be administered
as early as age 50. Th e other shingles
vaccine, an older version called Zostavax,
may still be administered to healthy people
60 and older.
Shingrix is more than 90 percent eff ective
at preventing shingles, and eff ectiveness
stays above 85 percent for at least the
fi rst four years aft er you receive the vaccine,
according to the CDC.
What else to know
about the vaccine
• Th ere is a high demand for Shingrix, so
check with your pharmacy or doctor’s
offi ce to see if they have a supply. You
may be placed on a waiting list.
• Shingrix comes in two doses, spaced
two to six months apart.
• If you’ve already had shingles or
received the Zostavax vaccination previously,
you should still consider getting
vaccinated to help prevent another
bout of shingles and its complications,
according to the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
• Check with your health insurance provider
or Medicare about whether the
cost of this new vaccine is covered
under your plan. Whether it’s helping
to schedule routine care appointments
or checkups, UnitedHealthcare
can help you navigate the health care
system to get the care you need as soon
as you need it.
Courtesy BPT
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