Great Info Tips » cholesterol

Drugs that interact with certain foods

Rosie — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:55:41 +0000

Not a very large list, but if you are taking certain medications you really should avoid these foods so you don’t cause some complications for yourself. You need to help yourself so you don’t end up in the emergency room at the local hospital.

Aged cheeses: such as Parmesan and blue cheese: Mao inhibitors such as antidepressants- can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure levels due to tyramine (also found in soy products and wine)

Alcohol: antidepressants, antianxiety meds, diabetes meds (such as Glucophage), cold and flu meds, OTC or prescription pain relievers, beta blockers, sleeping pills- increasing chance of liver damage and stomach bleeding. Diabetics may have low blood sugar attacks

Coffee & other caffeinated drinks: asthma meds, antibiotics, antianxiety drugs, OTC or prescription decongestants- jitters, rapid heartbeat, palpitations

Dairy products: antibiotics- can interfere with absorption making the meds less effective

Grapefruit juice or grapefruits: cholesterol lowering meds, blood thinners, blood pressure meds, tranquilizers, antidepressants- can interfere with an enzyme in the body that helps the drugs, causing more to stay in your bloodstream longer & increasing drug side effects

Green leafy vegetables: blood thinners- vitamin K helps blood clot, eating these vegetables all the time may be ok because the blood thinner dose is customized for you. Consult your doctor on this one.

Salt substitutes that contain potassium: blood pressure meds- can cause high levels of potassium in the body which can cause heart arrhythmia. Check with your doctor about using these products.

Diabetes News Update 2008

Rosie — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:46:34 +0000

From the world of research comes new advances for diabetics. Welchol is a new drug from Daiichi-Sankyo. This medication is to help reduce blood glucose levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Recommended for use with Metformin or insulin it’s the only drug approved by the FDA to help reduce both blood glucose levels and LDL cholesterol levels.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts inform us that tea and red wine may help regulate blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Both contain natural antioxidants that help slow the passage of glucose through the small intestine, eventually getting into the bloodstream and preventing spikes in blood sugar levels.

There is a vaccine that has prevented and reversed type 1 diabetes in mice. It’s scheduled to begin testing on human subjects by the end of next year. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are cautious about this as they are not sure this vaccine will work on humans as well as it did on mice. However, they are excited by the results so far.

There is a link between midlife development of type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors doing the study in Sweden suggest that abnormal insulin levels may damage blood vessels in the brain.

Blood testing one day could be replaced by a flash of light instead of the eight to twelve hour fasting and drawing blood. MedStar Research is conducting tests in Washington D.C. Called the VeraLight Scout system, fluorescent light measures the effects of high glucose levels on the forearm’s connective tissue. This takes approximately 3 minutes and won’t require fasting.

Cholesterol

Rosie — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:27:21 +0000

Too much cholesterol in your blood, the greater the chance of plaque narrowing you arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. You can help prevent this by eating more fiber (the good kind found in oats and barley), losing weight, exercising regularly, and choosing cholesterol lowering foods. These kinds of foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, legumes and vegetable oils.

Things exercise can do for you

Rosie — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:17:32 +0000

Were you aware that exercise does more than help you lose weight? It can help control your blood pressure, decrease the risk of heart attack, boost good cholestrerol, lower the risk of stroke, help reduce the risk of breast cancer and type 2 diabetes, improve your sleep, elevate your mood, lower your stress, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Lots of things it can help. Now, please remember that the type of exercise you do will depend on your own abilities to move around. There are lots of exercises and equipment, but walking will do if you don’t have the money to spend on fancy equipment or you can’t bend over for one reason or another.

You would need to walk for at least 20 minutes to half an hour to get a good exercise session. Speeding up the heart rate is the result you want. Try walking for at least 10 minutes a day and build up the amount you walk each day. Try to do some speed walking, then slow down, speed up for a few more minutes, then slow down. Don’t overdo it. Do wear a decent pair of comfortable shoes or sneakers. Better yet, find a walking buddy in your neighborhood and do a few blocks together while talking. Good luck!