Countering chemo’s nerve-damaging effects
One million people receive chemotherapy annually in America. And it’s estimated that around 300,000 of those who are newly treated end up with chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy that lasts six months or more. That means folks experience nerve damage that can cause tingling, persistent numbness and/or sharp nerve pain that inhibits walking. It can also cause life-threatening falls.
That’s why new information that getting neuromuscular training while undergoing chemo can reduce the risk of peripheral neuropathy by 50% to 70% is so life-changing for folks.
A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at the benefits of 15 to 30 minutes of whole-body vibration (WBV), which has you stand, sit or lie on a vibrating platform that forces your muscles to contract and relax dozens of times a second, and sensorimotor training (SMT), a form of core-specific stability exercises.
Among those doing WBV, 14 of 34 experienced peripheral neuropathy. In the SMT group, it was 12 of 40. But, in the usual-care group, 24 of 34 developed peripheral neuropathy. SMT was especially effective for maintaining balance, a sense of touch, lower leg strength, and for pain reduction. Patients receiving chemo with vinca alkaloids and SMT benefited the most.
If you’re headed for — or doing — chemo, ask your oncologist about SMT or WBV. Using a stationary bike, treadmill or elliptical leg exerciser at home may also prove beneficial.
When you walk away from cancer — along with the other 20 million survivors in the U.S. — you want to have every step be as comfortable and safe as possible.
Improving your heart health checkup
There’s a theory that many of the unusual rhythms in Beethoven’s music are a reflection of the cardiac arrhythmia that he contended with.
Now, whether that involved irregular patterns going from the key of E to C to G, we don’t know. But we do know that having an ECG (electrocardiogram) regularly can do a lot to protect your heart health from irregular rhythms and other cardiac problems.
A study in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at the heart health of 3.5 million folks and found that among adults ages 35-65, getting a baseline ECG helped predict future heart woes — especially when multiple minor irregularities were identified.
We suggest an all-out heart-healthy approach that includes getting a baseline ECG. If even minor irregularities are noted, follow up with a diagnostic workup of your heart health, including blood pressure, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol or apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein A, inflammation (hs-CRP and myeloperoxidase) and blood sugar levels — and perhaps a stress test.
Then you and your doctor can design a lifestyle makeover that will prevent your heart problems from progressing and add joy and good health to your longer life!
We believe it should include aiming for 10,000 steps a day or the equivalent (no excuses) and ditching highly processed foods, red and processed meats and added sugars and syrups. Also, embrace the heart-happy effects of forming a supportive posse and finding a purpose.
Get seven to nine hours of quality sleep a night. And practice stress management, using iHerb.com’s “7 Easy Ways to Help Reduce Stress.”
Cool it!
“Young Love,” the 1957 hit from Sonny James, extols the way first love inflames your body and soul. Unfortunately, lack of exercise, persistent stress and eating overly processed foods when you’re a young adult also inflames you. And the results are cognition and memory problems in middle age.
That’s the finding of a study in the journal Neurology. Researchers looked at levels of highly specific C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) — a marker for inflammation that’s produced in the liver — and found that chronically moderate or high levels of inflammation in a person’s 20s or 30s hamper the ability to plan, focus, and manage multiple tasks in their 40s and 50s. Only 10% of folks with low-level inflammation had cognition challenges 18 years later, but around 20% of those with moderate or high levels of inflammation did.
How do you know if you have chronic inflammation? A blood test reveals your hs-CRP levels. But symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, body and joint pain (especially in the morning), depression, anxiety, frequent infections, gastro woes, and weight loss or gain. And they’re often related to obesity, periodontal disease and vaginal infections.
How do you cool it? First, you eliminate inflammatory foods like added sugars, syrups, refined carbs, and red meats. Instead, opt for healthy fats like omega-3s in salmon and omega-9s in extra-virgin olive oil. It’s also important to eat five-plus servings of fruits and veggies a day, enjoy walnuts and almonds, and manage stress with exercise and meditation. Bonus: Check out “3 Natural Ways to Fight Inflammation in the Body Every Day,” at iHerb.com.
Medication mayhem?
Every day, 750 older Americans end up in the hospital because of serious side effects from one or more medications, according to the Lown Institute, a health care think tank. And the chance you will experience a serious side effect from a prescribed medication goes up around 10% with each additional medication you take.
Lots of you take multiple meds. A research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine says that around 43% of people age 65 and older are taking five or more prescription drugs and about as many take 10 or more! Because of the potential for multiple drug interactions, the National Institute of Aging has funded the U.S. Deprescribing Research Network to see how to appropriately reduce the number of drugs prescribed to patients.
Of course, not taking prescribed medications has serious risks, too. That’s why it’s important that you and your doctor review your medications regularly to see what’s necessary — and check that you are taking the meds as you should. You can also check if there are any you can stop taking and what combinations of meds may be risky to you. Also, discuss how over-the-counter meds and supplements you’re taking may interact with Rx medications. And last, but absolutely not least, explore what you can do beyond taking medications to optimize your health.
There are many ways you can improve your quality of life and health. The free newsletter at LongevityPlaybook.com is dedicated to showing you your best options. And check out the iHerb.com blog, “Pro-Aging: A New Way to Define Yourself at Midlife.”
The whole story about whole grains
More than three-quarters of the grains that Americans buy in packaged foods, from breads and cereals to pita pockets and pastries, are refined. And while you may like refinement in the characters in “Downton Abbey” or “Bridgerton,” in whole grains, being refined translates to being stripped of beautifully healthful ingredients.
A new study reveals that refined flours and breads have about 75% of major minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium) and 64% of trace minerals (copper, iron, molybdenum, zinc) removed. And they lose most of their natural supply of vitamin A-like compounds and vitamin E.
When we suggest you opt for 100% whole grains such as 100% whole wheat, barley, farro, millet, brown rice, and quinoa (not really a grain), we’re trying to help you get the nutrients and fiber you need to fight inflammation, obesity, gastro-distress and chronic diseases. A 2021 study found that people who eat three or more servings of 100% whole grains daily may have a significantly reduced risk of heart disease. That’s because they see smaller increases in blood pressure, blood sugar and waist size compared to folks who eat half a serving of whole grains or less a day (that’s most Americans). And a 2016 analysis from Harvard University’s School of Public Health found that eating four servings of 100% whole grains daily reduces the risk of dying from cancer by around 20%.
For more info on adding whole grains into your daily diet, check out iHerb.com’s blog “What is Clean Eating?” and “Pasta Alternatives.” It’s fine to be unrefined!
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world’s leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1’s).
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