Half of men don’t have a doctor
In fact, about 40% of men in their 40s have never had their cholesterol tested, and 70% have never had a prostate exam, according the national survey of 519 men, commissioned by Esquire magazine …
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UNITED STATES: Diagnosis Reinforces Need for HIV Testing in Older Adults
“Wanda, a 68-year-old widow and retired bank worker, was admitted to the hospital by her family physician, who was worried about her diarrhea and 30-pound weight loss. … “On the second day of her hospitalization, the hospitalist … explained that he needed to share with her some bad news. … “The doctor told her she had HIV, and her white blood cell counts were very low, a sign that the infection had been present in her body for some time. Her jaw dropped. ‘HIV? Me? But how could that have happened? I don’t use drugs.’ Her primary care doctor had never tested her for HIV. “Given that 15 percent of all new cases of HIV occur in people older than 50, [CDC] recommends routine HIV testing for older adults. “While doctors often are aggressive about checking old people for cholesterol, blood sugar, and thyroid hormones, they often forget about HIV. Perhaps that is because they are uncomfortable talking with older people about their sexual behaviors, or perhaps doctors stereotype those with HIV as young people who engage in high-risk behaviors. “Doctors have overlooked the fact that 73 percent of people in their late 50s and 60s engage in sexual activity, and the percentage who are sexually active drops only slightly as people get older. “In addition, as lifetime partners die from any number of causes, the survivors often seek out new partners without thinking about, or even knowing, the risk of [STDs] like HIV. They are often not aware of the need to use condoms, feeling that there is no reason to fear an unwanted pregnancy. “When we delay diagnosis of HIV in older adults, this often leads to poorer outcomes as the infection has a chance to cause more damage to the immune system. “It makes sense for doctors and their patients to talk about sexual behaviors and to consider requesting permission from the person for an HIV test along with other tests that are intended to look for hidden diseases.” The author is a professor of medicine at the University of California-Davis. Identifying characteristics were changed to protect patient confidentiality. [Article source: http://www.sacbee.com]
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Learn how to lower your cholesterol, lose weight during American Heart Month
If your doctor has recently warned you about your high cholesterol levels, you already know that it’s time to take corrective action. However, you may be feeling fearful over the prospect of having a heart problem, or overwhelmed as to where…
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How to Reduce Blood Cholesterol? Tips to Lower Cholesterol
How to reduce blood cholesterol? This is a common question when people found that they have high cholesterol levels. Reduce blood cholesterol levels is important for everyone, with or without heart disease and/or stroke. It is recommended to lead a more healthy life.
Here are some ways how to reduce cholesterol – tips to lower cholesterol:
1. Natural Treatment to reduce blood cholesterol.
Cholesterol produces by the liver also found in certain foods. That means we can control what we eat. Natural treatment to lower cholesterol is one of the important key to make you success to lower your cholesterol. Lower cholesterol natural way such as healthy eating -low fat food- low cholesterol diet, healthy lifestyle and, exercise regularly.
2. Herbs to reduce blood cholesterol.
Herbs to reduce blood cholesterol are new options to dealing with higher levels of cholesterol. It is especially good for people do not respond well to pharmaceutical cholesterol-lowering medications. Always consult to you doctor before use some of herbs to reduce blood cholesterol.
3. Cholesterol lowering drug medication.
Your doctor may decide to give you cholesterol lowering drug medication if you are not able to lower your cholesterol using natural treatments, or you have seriously high levels LDL cholesterol.
You still need to follow healthy lifestyle to help manage your cholesterol even if your doctor prescribes any of cholesterol lowering drug medications for high cholesterol.
There are ways how to reduce blood cholesterol, tips to lower cholesterol. Remember high cholesterol is serious problem that can higher your risk to heart attack or stroke. So take action now, reduce your cholesterol to the healthy blood cholesterol levels. Read more: Lowering Cholesterol Naturally!
Author: Suririnah Chandra
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Electric Pressure Cooker
The Basics of Your Cholesterol Level
High cholesterol seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. We see commercials on television advertising medicines we can take to lower our cholesterol level. We hear our doctor talk about lowering our cholesterol level. What exactly is cholesterol? How do you get it? Why is it bad for you? Are there any ways other than prescription medications to lower it?
First, cholesterol is a lipid which is naturally produced by the body to maintain cell membranes. The body actually makes all the cholesterol it needs for its functions. Our cholesterol level becomes high when either our bodies overproduce cholesterol or we take in too much cholesterol through the foods we eat.
High levels of cholesterol are bad for you because this excess cholesterol can build up in your arteries, causing heart disease and heart attack. High cholesterol is also responsible for strokes. All three of these conditions can be debilitating and in some cases, deadly.
How do you know if your cholesterol level is high? Your doctor can perform a blood test to determine what the level of cholesterol is in your blood. Sometimes your doctor may want you to take a fasting blood test, which means he will test the cholesterol level in your blood after you have gone without eating for a specified number of hours.
A high cholesterol level is medically defined as more than 240 mg/DL total. Your doctor may also divide your cholesterol level into “good” cholesterol or HDL cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol or LDL cholesterol. If your HDL cholesterol is above 40 mg/Dl this is considered ideal. Your LDL cholesterol level, however, should be less than 100 mg/DL. Any reading above this puts you at a greater risk for heart disease or heart attack. HDL cholesterol is considered good because it is this type that is carried out of the blood stream to the liver where it is broken down and expelled from the body. LDL cholesterol, however, is the kind that builds up in your blood vessels and arteries.
If your doctor deems your cholesterol level is high, there are several things you can do to lower this level. These things include eating a healthy low-fat diet and exercising regularly. Not only does the healthy diet and exercise help lower you cholesterol level, it can also help lower your weight which in turn decreases you chances of heart disease. If you are a smoker you should consider stopping. Also, limit your intake of alcohol and sugar. After trying all these things, if your cholesterol level is still not ideal, your doctor can put you on cholesterol lowering prescription medication. Remember, though, cholesterol medications can damage your liver, so they should be used only after other options have been exhausted.
As you can see, your cholesterol level has a very important impact on your total body health. It can even be life threatening if not controlled. See your doctor for a cholesterol test. If your cholesterol level is not within normal ranges, take action to lower it.
Still looking for a way to reduce your cholesterol? Try visiting http://www.eliminatecholesterol.com – a website that specializes in providing cholesterol advice, tips and resources to included information on cholesterol level.
What You Need To Know About Cholesterol Drugs And Medications
It is extremely important to educate ourselves before using any kinds of drugs or medications for any kind of illness or medical problems, especially if it something as serious as high cholesterol. This is because it can turn out to be fatal if neglected. That is why we should learn more about drugs and medications used to treat high cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like substance which is found in our cells and blood stream. Cholesterol is important for our body because it produces hormones and cell membranes. Our body needs some cholesterol to function. However, too much cholesterol will clog our arteries and cause coronary heart disease. This can in turn lead to a heart attack.
Although our body produces the cholesterol it needs, we also accumulate it through our intake of food products which contains it such as: egg yolks, poultry, butter, cheese and whole milk. There are two types of cholesterol which are: the LDL or low-density lipoprotein, which is the bad cholesterol and HDL or high-density cholesterol, which is the good cholesterol. When our bad cholesterol level is high, we must do everything we can to lower it, including the use of drugs and medications.
Choosing The Right Cholesterol Drug
Many cholesterol drugs are now available on the market. Although some of these drugs can be obtained over the counter, you need to consult your doctor before you purchase and start taking any cholesterol medication.
Some cholesterol drugs may have serious side effects which may do you more harm than good. Your doctor is the only person who can advise you which cholesterol drug is best for you since he is the only one who knows your medical history, your state of health and which cholesterol medicine is suitable for you.
One of the types of drugs your doctor prescribe for cholesterol medication could be the statin drug. This drug is known be effective in reducing cholesterol levels. Your doctor may also prescribe an enzyme supplement with the statin drugs because your body will need more of a certain type of enzyme when taking statin drugs.
Another type of drug your doctor may prescribe is a bile acid sequestrate. It will help control bile acids that are secreted in the liver and gall bladder. It will travel through the intestine and softens fatty material in food, helping it become absorbed in a better way through your system.
Non Medical Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol
Besides taking cholesterol medications, you can try other non medical ways to lower your cholesterol. You can lower your cholesterol levels by modifying your diet and start taking only low or no cholesterol foods. Avoid trans and saturated fats from your diet as they are the main causes that raise your bad cholesterol level.
Besides modifying your diet, you should also increase your physical activities. Remember to exercise regularly, as it will not only help you lose weight, but lower your cholesterol level too.
Taking The Right Cholesterol Medication
If your doctor has confirmed that you suffer from high cholesterol levels after a series of tests, he may prescribe a cholesterol medication to help you lower your cholesterol levels and achieve a normal and healthier cholesterol level. Your doctor may also suggest that you make some lifestyle changes, altering the way you live your life and modifying the food you eat to help you achieve normal cholesterol levels quickly. If you take the right medication and make the right lifestyle changes as your doctor advises you, you should be able to achieve a healthy cholesterol level within a short period of time.
You should also be aware that cholesterol medication can be quite expensive. Remember that it can have many side effects that may cause problems for you. That is why you should always consult a doctor before you take any kind of cholesterol medications.
Stop taking any cholesterol medication if you are concerned about a side effect that occurs after taking it. Always consult your doctor should this occur and inform him of the side effects so that he can advise you if you have to discontinue the medication. Also remember that it is important to follow all the instructions on the medication because improperly taking any medication can cause serious problems for you.
Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit Cholesterol Lowering Food to learn more about low cholesterol food and other high cholesterol diet.
