How to handle the uptick in COVID-19’s omicron subvariants
In 1937’s “A Star Is Born,” Janet Gaynor and Fredric March play two actors, one headed for stardom, the other for ruin (there are no musical numbers!). Over the years, the plot mutated: In the 1954 remake with Judy Garland and James Mason, Garland’s singing dominates. In the 1976 version, Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson’s characters are rock ‘n’ roll musicians. And the powerful 2018 version with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper launched multiple Billboard hits.
Mutations are a hit or miss proposition — and nothing demonstrates that more than the current rash of omicron subvariants. Currently we know that the dominant mutation in the U.S. is the highly contagious BA.5. In mid-July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that it accounted for over 60 percent of new infections, and BA.5, along with another variant, BA.4, accounted for 80 percent of new cases. Those two are also fueling reinfections and hospitalizations. You can be fully vaccinated and boosted or been previously infected and still get a breakthrough infection.
Plus … there’s another variant, BA.2.75. It’s crept into the U.S., but as of this writing, it’s too early to know what its risks are.
What is known is that if you’re vaccinated and boosted, you help prevent mutations and, if you’re infected, you gain significant protection from complications like brain fog and death. That’s why most experts (me, too) advocate almost everyone 6 months and older be vaccinated and boosted, if they qualify. Also, wear a mask in crowds. The more people get infected with these variants, the more likely we are to infect others.
Food’s power to cause illness and its power to heal
According to a study on the impact of diet on health published in The Lancet, poor diets were responsible for 10.9 million deaths, or 22 percent of all deaths among adults in 130 countries in 2017. The Lancet study also concluded that non-optimal intake of whole grains, fruits and sodium accounts for half of all diet-related deaths.
The Lancet study also showed that high-incomers in North America had the greatest consumption of processed meat.
I’ve long said that processed meats are terrible for your health — and now a major health agency in France agrees. They’ve confirmed the connection between the nitrites found in processed meats and colorectal cancer. And that comes after the World Health Organization’s 2015 conclusion that processed meats should be classified as a group 1 carcinogen. Little wonder that the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 106,180 new cases of colon cancer and 44,850 new cases of rectal cancer in 2022 in the U.S. Do I need to say it? “Don’t eat processed meat.”
On the other hand, the power of good food choices is clearly revealed in research published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Researchers found that folks who eat plenty of fresh fruit are less depressed and cognitively sharper than folks who don’t. (They also found that those who eat salty, fatty snacks have more symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.) Getting a minimum of 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit daily (no sugar added) should help your outlook — as it helps your digestive and heart health and reduces your risk of some cancers.
Taking your second chances to heart
Jill A. Davis, a writer for the original “David Letterman Show,” who went on to become a bestselling novelist, points out that, “Second chances do come your way. Like trains, they arrive and depart regularly. Recognizing the ones that matter is the trick.”
Unfortunately, it’s a trick that not many of the 605,000 Americans who are recovering from their first heart attack in any given year seem to have mastered. And that has a lot to do with why 200,000 people annually experience a second heart attack.
A recent study says that after a first heart attack, folks’ risk factors for a repeat attack, such as elevated blood glucose, blood pressure and body mass index, as well as smoking, lack of physical activity and poor diet, are all increasingly prevalent. Even when there have been improvements — ideal LDL cholesterol levels among folks with cardiovascular disease rose from 7 percent to 30 percent between 2015-2018 — 70 percent of folks are still far away from healthy levels. Ideal LDL may be less than 40 mg/dL if you’ve had a heart attack.
If you’ve survived your first heart attack, take advantage of your second chance for a healthier, longer life.
■ Do cardiac rehab: It reduces the risk for a repeat heart attack by 47 percent.
■ Embrace a plant-based diet: no red meats, no added sugars or highly processed foods.
■ Get regular physical activity.
■ Quit smoking: check out smokefree.gov.
■ Take your medications as prescribed.
■ Stay connected to friends, family and organizations that support you. Isolation is a big risk factor for a second heart attack.
Stay sharp by staying at a healthy weight
David “Fathead” Newman was an outstanding saxophonist who played with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Gregg Allman and Natalie Cole. He earned the nickname “Fathead” from his high school band teacher because he stubbornly refused to learn to read music, preferring instead to play by ear.
Being a “fathead” didn’t diminish his artistry, but it turns out that if you have a waistline that’s increasingly large because you eat a high-fat diet — well, that’s going to go right to your head, and damage your brain. New lab research has found a clear link between mice fed a diet high in unhealthy fats for 30 weeks and weight gain, the development of diabetes, deterioration of their cognitive abilities, worsening Alzheimer’s disease and the onset of anxiety and depression.
The researchers, writing in the journal Metabolic Brain Disease, say it is very likely that, in people, a combination of obesity, age and diabetes also leads to a decline in cognitive abilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other mental health disorders. The proactive solution for stable emotions, sharper cognition and a slimmer waist is to make sure you’re not eating unhealthy fats — in red meats, full-fat diary and snack foods — or refined carbohydrates. Maintain a healthy weight. Eat lots of fruits and veggies. And make sure to get plenty of healthy fats, from omega-3 fatty acids in wild-caught salmon, avocados and walnuts, and omega-9s in extra-virgin olive oil. For a complete rundown of brain-loving, great-tasting recipes, check out the “What to Eat When Cookbook.”
Keto vs. Mediterranean diets: It’s a draw … or is it?
When Marvin Hagler fought Vito Antuofermo in 1979 for a shot at a world title, the 15-round match ended in a draw. But Hagler came back to defeat Antuofermo three years later, retaining his newly won WBC and WBA world middleweight titles.
A draw doesn’t always mean two opponents are truly equal. You can see that clearly in a study from Stanford Medicine that looked at the benefits and debits of the keto vs. Mediterranean diets for people with prediabetes or diabetes. Researchers wanted to see how each diet affected blood glucose levels, cardiometabolic risk factors, weight loss and nutrition, as well as whether people could stick to the diets. Keto is extremely low-carb and high fat; the Med diet is lower-carb and fat, plant-based and includes whole grains, olive oil and fish.
After 12 weeks on each diet, the researchers found that participants’ blood sugar levels and weight loss were more or less the same for each diet plan — a draw. But in a rematch? Heart-damaging LDL levels went up on the keto and down on the Med diet, and keto delivered significantly less life-sustaining nutrients, including fiber; thiamin; vitamins B6, C, D and E; and phosphorus. Plus, keto was harder to stick with long-term. Add this data to another study, published in JAMA, which found that a Mediterranean diet helps prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s in middle-aged Hispanic and Latino adults, and we say the title of Healthiest Diet clearly goes to the Mediterranean plan. It’s explained in my book “YOU: On a Diet.”
Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
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