INSIDE The joys of swimming page 3
Patient centered medical home page 7
Are you ready to “age well?” By DaviD anDerson
I
was asked to write something about "Aging Well" and at first I was flattered, then realized I was asked because I am aging (aging well, I hope). First some data about aging. Many misunderstand "life expectancy." They look at statistics and see male life expectancy at 76, females at 81. That means for someone 74, like me, they think they will only live two more years so why try to do anything healthier or different? But that 76 number is from birth. True data shows once someone has reached 70, males will live on average another 14 years, females 16 years. So you'd better pay attention to what I have to suggest about aging well! Here are some more facts: In 1960, 720 people of 100,000 living died of heart attacks, strokes and artery problems. In 2011, only 265 of 100,000 living died of those causes, and it is an older population. The reason is primarily the better management of blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, diet, and less smoking. You can thank your Primary Care Physician for this, as that is what he/she works on all day long. The incidence of death from pneumonias, influenza and accidents also fell. Cancers had a small but significant drop, while emphysema deaths increased.
See Aging, page 10
Medical cannabis page 9
Water is the healthy choice for strong teeth By hazel whiteoak
W
e are not a third world country yet an epidemic of third world proportions is ravaging our nation. Dental disease endangers the overall health of millions of Americans. It’s associated with diabetes, respiratory, and heart disease and costs our health system billions of dollars. At particular risk are lowincome children, pregnant women,
seniors and people with disabilities. Children with dental decay are in danger of serious illness and often miss many school days due to pain. They fall behind academically, have low self-esteem and face worsened job prospects as adults compared with their more prosperous peers. Sadly, in some states, children have died. Every year, more than 2,000 lowincome children come to PDI Surgery
See Water, page 10 © Sonoma West Publishers | July 28, 2016