Disease can affect every part of the body, not least including: the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and eyes. What can we do to reduce the chances of getting these diseases?
According to the National Health Service, “Statins are a group of medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. LDL cholesterol is often referred to as ‘bad cholesterol’, and statins reduce the production of it inside the liver.Having a high level of LDL cholesterol is potentially dangerous, as […]
At May 2020, the press was starting to get news about a possible protective effect of Vitamin D on Coronavirus (aka Covid-19).Typical was this in WebMD.com: “Several groups of researchers from different countries have found that the sickest patients often have the lowest levels of vitamin D, and that countries with higher death rates had
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While not life-threatening, arthritis can be debilitating, and is a particularly common problem among the over 60s. The National Health Service states that “arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in a joint. In the UK, more than 10 million people have arthritis or other, similar conditions that affect the joints.”There are
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines obesity as follows: “Weight that is higher than what is considered as a healthy weight for a given height is described as overweight or obese.” Obesity gets a special mention in 2020 as it’s been shown that it’s an underlying factor in the likelihood of death from
“Full Blood Count” or “Complete Blood Count” This is the most common and routine type of blood test. WebMD.com in summary says: A complete blood count is a test that counts the cells that make up your blood, and it can tell your doctor a lot about your overall health. It measures:• Red blood cells.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Liver disease can be inherited (genetic), but Liver problems can also be caused by a variety of factors that damage the liver, such as viruses, alcohol use and obesity.Controllable factors that may increase your risk of liver disease include:• Heavy alcohol use• Obesity• Type 2 diabetes• Exposure to other people’s
When we think of maintaining bone health as we get older, one topic is mentioned more than any other: Osteoporosis And in terms of preventive measures, three things get regular mention:• Calcium• Vitamin D• Exercise The Mayo Clinic has this to say about osteoporosis:Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced.
All the evidence so far in 2020 and 2021, about the spread of coronavirus (“Covid-19”), is that older people with existing medical conditions are the most vulnerable to suffering and dying from this virus.That makes it all the more important to take what steps you can, to do something to lessen these conditions, and also
The primary preventable disease of the lung is Lung Cancer.Influenza and Pneumonia also cause a significant proportion of deaths in older people. But aside from these causes of death, Chronic Obstructed Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is also a killer. It’s usually diagnosed as two conditions that cause breathing difficulties: Emphysema (damaged lungs), and Chronic Bronchitis (inflammation
Pneumonia is inflammation of the tissue in one or both lungs, and, like Influenza, is a major cause of death for older people.It’s usually caused by a bacterial infection, and with older people it’s particularly serious, with every likelihood of needing hospital treatment. It can be caused by a number of factors, including having influenza,
