Dr Bob's Newsletter

High Blood Pressure And You
Did you know that nearly two thirds, yes 66% of Americans under sixty have or are on the verge of high blood pressure and at least 1/3 do not know it. Having this "silent killer" not only increases there risk of heart disease or stroke but puts them in a higher risk category for hospitalization and death according to a recent study.
There are new guidelines for high blood pressure that have been agreed upon over the last several years and you need to know about them. First the new guidelines are that normal blood pressure is when the systolic ( top number) is 119 or lower and the bottom number is 79 or less. In the recent past we felt that abnormal blood pressure was anything that was 140 or above over 90 or above. Now, people who have this are definitely hypertensive or have high blood pressure.
When the reading is 120 - 139 for the systolic and / or 80 - 89 for the diastolic we are to be considered "pre- hypertension. Each of needs to know what our blood pressure reading is, so don't be shy, ask your doctor.
Also, it makes good sense that if your blood pressure is not normal get a blood pressure cuff in the drug store and have your spouse, partner or children take it periodically and jot down the numbers for your doctor. There is such a diagnosis of "white coat" syndrome" where blood pressure rises when you go to the doctors office.
Dr Bob's Take: It is so important to know what your blood pressure is and if it is pre-hypertensive or in the category of high blood pressure (hypertensive) get it treated and you can make a dramatic difference in your life.
Anti-Oxidant Update
Last month we talked about Vitamin E and the potential for increasing the risk for heart disease. Initially when the first studies came out about 10-15 years ago it was felt that Vitamin E was going to be a panacea for "preventing" heart disease.
Well, there are more studies that are being released which is showing that the herbal remedies that are being touted as anti-oxidants are not proving very effective in preventing diseases like cancer. These are substances like beta carotene, vitamin C, and selenium. The researchers in France have been looking at this and have concluded that there may be a small benefit for men (none for women) but that the benefits can easily be derived by eating a balanced diet. This study was recently reported in the November issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Dr Bob's Take: as an American I like you are looking for the "holy grail" which in the US is "take a pill and cure it" is not the answer here. We need to really eat right and exercise and this will lead to a healthy "us".
Pacifiers and Baby's Teeth
A study in the Archives of Disease in Children this month, shows that there is a difference in the formation of "baby teeth" when a baby breast feeds or uses their thumb to suck or is given a pacifier during the first 3 months of their life. The study took place in Italy with 1000 children aged 3-5 years old. It found that 1/3 of all children who used pacifiers or sucked their thumb had malocclussion, where the teeth did not line up properly. 89% of had an open bite, where the front teeth do not meet. Whereas only 11% of those with an open bite were breast fed.
This study took place when the children were 3-5 years old and based on information about how they were fed and the use of pacifiers or thumbs. It also is based on the 1st set of teeth - the baby teeth. It is felt by the researchers that the pattern for the teeth is set by how the 1st set is treated.
Dr Bob's Take: although this may have quite a bit of significance for our children's future and their biting and chewing abilities I don't see many of us changing what we are doing or what we have done. But, you know the orthodontists will continue to flourish.
Prescription Tablet Splitting
Some of you may have remembered the articles in the papers about 3 years ago when it was suggested by some health plans that members cut their tablets in half with some medications. Well in Florida a pharmacist has noted that with cholesterol lowering medication a savings of about $850 could be saved per year by splitting the tablet. He goes on to say that this is one way to fight some of the escalation in prices for medications. It was found that with patients of the Veterans Affairs Dept there was a savings of $46 million when eligible patients split their Zocor.
Dr Bob's Take: before you go and do this you first need to check with your doctor. Bring in a sample of the medication so he/she can judge whether or not it would be wise to split the tablet.
Grape Juice and Cholesterol
Yes, the studies are in, grape juice does have a positive effect on raising the HDL part of cholesterol. Dr Jane Freedman, associate professor of Pharmacology at Boston University studied a group of 17 men and 3 women with a grant from Welch's. The participants were 63 years old on average and were 2 weeks on the juice, off for 2 weeks than given a placebo (non-juice) for another 2 weeks.
The outcome showed that the grape juice drinkers elevated their HDL on average from 45 to 50mg, about a 10% rise. This group also lowered a chemical in their system that shows the presence of inflammation in the blood vessels. It is felt that yes grape juice can work like red wine in humans. And for those who don't drink red wine there is an alternative.
With that good news I will close for this year and talk with you again next year.

Dr Bob is a Family Physician who has developed a website for common problems that we all have or encounter at http://www.physician-on-health.com. [http://www.physician-on-health.com] He has developed a unique newsletter which deals with current and timely topics with a down to earth interpretation of the latest findings for his readers.

Achieving Optimum Health

"Optimum health is not just the absence of disease but the presence of wellness in mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and social areas. Some would also include financial health."
Introduction
Optimum health is essential at all levels, from the individual to the society we live in to the environment around us. We have to start thinking of wealth not just in terms of possession of money and properties but also the possession of mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual well-being.
Mental Health
The truth is mind is the forerunner of all states.
With a proper mindset, a poor man can still be happy. Conversely, if the mindset is not right, no matter how much material possessions you may have, you may still be a very unhappy person. Thus, Gandhi said, "The world has enough for everyone's needs, but not enough for even a single person's greed."
So a healthy mind is one that possesses a mindset that can lead to happiness and contentment with self and the world around us. It provides clarity of thoughts, good insight and the ability to see things through an unbiased mind.
To be able to see things through an unbiased mind is no small feat. It is extremely difficult to note or observe the unfolding of events and phenomena without judging. We habitually associate emotions or feelings to events, and allow such emotions to direct our actions. Our likes for certain things and dislikes for others are closely associated with our emotions.
Emotional Health
It is our emotions that lead us to act impulsively at times. Thus a high level of self-awareness in this area is extremely useful. In fact, it is essential to our well-being. After all, things and relationships that may take us years to build can be destroyed in a moment of anger.
There are positive and negative emotions. Positive emotions such as love, compassion and joy should be cultivated, while negative emotions such as fear, anger and hate need to be eradicated.
When asked about this, a wise sage of India once illustrated with a story:
An old man said to his grandson, "Boy, I have two tigers caged within me. One is love and compassion. The other is fear and anger."
The young boy asked, "Which one will win, grandfather?"
The old man replied, "The one I feed."
At times, it may seem that we have no control over our emotions. This is not true. The truth is how well we manage our emotions depends on how aware we are of our emotions, particularly on the arising of our emotions. The earlier we are able to note the arising of our emotions, we better we can manage them.
More and more researches are showing that our well-being is closely linked to our emotional and mental health. Our body's immune system is generally enhanced by positive mental outlook and emotion. Conversely, it is depressed by negative mental and emotional states. Thus, stress, worry, anger and fear are some states that may lead to physical illnesses such as hypertension, cardiac diseases, peptic ulcers, depression and a host of other ailments.
Physical Health
To maintain an optimum physical well-being, therefore, requires us to focus not only on our body but also our mind and emotions.
On a physical level, our body can be kept healthy through adequate sleep and rest, proper nutrition, regular exercises and a healthy environment that is free from pollution.
Spiritual Health
Throughout the ages, wise men have consistently informed and taught us that we are essentially spiritual beings.
Although medical science has not been able to reveal to us our spiritual nature, there are many indirect evidence that we would be foolish to ignore. Stories from people who had gone through a near death experience (NDE), or dying people with heightened nearing death awareness, or simply a cure from an 'incurable' disease all suggest that there is more to life than just the physical state.
Major religions of the world all based their teachings on the belief that we are essentially spiritual beings. According to these teachings, our physical existence is secondary.
While it may be true that we should focus our life more on our spiritual nature than our physical nature, it would be difficult for the majority of people to do so, at least not immediately. Things cannot change overnight. Mindset, however, can, and that is perhaps the best place to start.
Financial Health
However, on a more mundane level, most people are still stuck on how to survive from day to day, where to get the next cheque to pay for the house installment, so on and so forth.
Practically, therefore, we need to look into ways to achieve a financial state that would theoretically free us from the constrain of 'forced' work. This is where the concept of financial freedom is so attractive. According to this concept, one should strive for a state where we have one or more than one source of income that can be generated passively, that is, even when we don't work.
This is what Robert Kiyosaki termed as 'passive income'.
According to him, passive income can only be achieved by becoming an investor or a business owner, not a sole proprietor or an employee. To become an investor or a business owner, you must spend the time and money to acquire financial intelligence. Unlike IQ or EQ, you can acquire financial intelligence through self education.
To get a financial health check-up, consult an accountant, a banker or a financial planner you can trust.
Healthy Relationship
"No man is an island, entire by itself."
As a medical doctor, I am in a unique position to confront and comfort dying patients. One of the most important thing that I have observed is that dying people do not ask about their money or possessions. Instead, they focus their remaining energy and strength on trying to heal wounded relationships. It is as though there is an inherent need to get a proper closure to a relationship.
Thus, forming and cultivating a healthy relationship is important for our well-being. Unfortunately, this is something we often ignored until it is too late. If there is any forgiving to be done, or the need to be forgiven, leaving things to the last minutes may end up with an unfulfilled desire for a closure.
Knowing this now, shouldn't we spend more time and effort in improving our relationship with our loved ones, especially with our parents, spouse, children and siblings?