The
Doctor’s
Corner
Wanna lose weight? Write it down!
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If you write down everything you eat and use a calorie counter to calculate your calorie intake, new research shows that you will consume fewer calories. Studies show that people underestimate the number of calories they eat each day, so writing it down keeps you honest. Here’s a quiz: From the Starbucks menu, which of the following has the fewest calories and least amount of fat? A) Blueberry muffin B) Zucchini walnut muffin C) Baked apple fritter D) Cheese Danish If you guessed the zucchini muffin or the baked fritter, you might want to buy a calorie counter. Actually, the cheese Danish is the “healthiest” choice and has half the calories and fat of the other items.
Do you really want to retire early? Early retirement might not be so good for your health, according to a
Blue & You Winter 2008
new study. It found that early retirees live shorter life spans than later retirees. People who retire before age 55 died at the youngest average age followed by people retiring between ages 55 and 64. Retirement at age 65 or older resulted in the longest life span. However, younger retirees might be in worse health than later retirees. For people who retire early, remember it’s important to remain active and to live a healthy lifestyle.
Vitamin D is good for you! Vitamin D has long been touted as good for strong bones, but more recently, research has shown that it’s important to your overall health. So, how do you get vitamin D? Sunlight is the most important source of this vitamin. Light waves from the sun convert a type of cholesterol in the skin to vitamin D. Unfortunately, most Americans do not get enough vitamin D from sun exposure, and low levels of vitamin D increase the risk for several diseases including: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, migraine headaches and several types of cancer (including breast and prostate). The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is 400 IU
by Ray Bredfeldt, M.D. Regional Medical Director Northwest Region, Fayetteville (international units) for children. For adults, the RDA is 200 IU until age 50, 400 IU from age 51 to 70, and 600 IU after age 70. Most multi-vitamin supplements contain 400 IU.
Heart bypass or heart stents? When someone has blocked arteries in their heart, they usually are treated either with heart surgery or heart stents. Stents are a less invasive procedure using small tubes (stents) to help blood flow through the arteries. According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, heart bypass surgery — for people with blockage in more than one vessel — appears to give better long-term results than stents. The study found that people who receive the surgery were 20 to 30 percent less likely to die within 18 months of treatment. This does not mean that everyone with blockage should have bypass surgery. However, it does suggest that anyone undergoing a cardiac procedure for blockage of the arteries should understand their options so they can make a fully informed decision.