Exercise Your Heart, Part 1

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In my opinion, the single most important thing you can do to be able to live life at your best is to exercise your heart. Every day. You don’t have to run marathons; you don’t ever need to run at all. You just need to train your heart every day. I’ve broken it down into two components that I’ll call baseline and reserve.

The aerobic baseline for your heart is just that: the level of fitness you need to accomplish every day tasks. The baseline will be different based on your age, your initial fitness level, and what your everyday activities are. That’s as simple as walking across a room and as challenging as being a laborer on a construction site or moving furniture up five flights of stairs.

If there are no orthopedic issues, the simplest exercise is walking or it could be long-distance running or bike riding. The goal is to get your heart rate elevated enough to cause the heart to beat faster than it does when resting. That trains the heart in more ways than I can explain.

The simplest way to describe how to do it’s this way. Walk fast enough so that you have to take a deep breath once in a while but you can carry on a conversation. If you can’t talk, slow it down. But if you can sing, that’s too slow. You can use that across every aerobic type of exercise from aerobics to Zumba. The goal is at least 30 minutes most days of the week.

You also need a reserve and I’ll talk about that on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

How to Live Every Day

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“What’s the point of being alive if you can’t really live?”

That’s what a colleague and I arrived at when discussing the purpose of a program we’re working on, but it speaks to each and every one of us. To be living every day we’re alive. I suspect one of the reasons we limit our future is that we can’t see the best version of ourselves that’s possible. We let current limitations set our future expectations. That’s just wrong.

No matter our age, we should try to be the best version of ourselves. This is especially important as we get older. What we do or don’t do today will dictate our ability to really live one, five, or even 20 years from now—physically, mentally, emotionally. The ability to live each and every day until it’s time to check out.

The October Memos are going to provide the latest research on how to be the best version of yourself both now and in the future. In other words, the how. We all start with some challenges, some more severe than others, and we may face more in the future. But you can be better than you are today; you just have to believe it. That’s lesson one: believe it’s possible.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

AI and Healthcare

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What if, at some point in the future, your next physical is done via a holographic physician? The hologram will be chosen specifically for you, based on age, gender, and other characteristics collected from your posts on social media, websites you’ve visited, music you’ve listened to, shows you’ve watched on television or whatever replaces that in the future. Even the voice will be one that’s chosen just for you. Within seconds, maybe a few minutes, you completely forget that you’re not talking to a real human physician; you’re talking to something created with artificial intelligence. He or she is now your “physician.”

Another article I read had nothing to do with the medical profession. It had everything to do with the development of artificial intelligence (AI) by Google. It could take decades to get to any semblance of AI at this point although there’s an acceleration in technology that seems to happen. The question is whether it will be a good thing or not.

Certainly, there will be a vast amount of data collected from you: blood and urine for sure. DNA as well as the microbiome and maybe things we haven’t considered before such as odors. Computers will be able to analyze billions of bits of data in milliseconds. They can scan obscure medical journals and everything ever written about any condition. But then comes the real trick: the ability of the machine to put that all into a diagnosis and if necessary, a treatment plan.

Could AI do all that? Sure, based on just numbers and data and probabilities. The problem would be this: “Wait a minute. What I’m seeing while examining this person doesn’t match these numbers.” Or “there’s more going on here than what I see in the numbers.”

That’s what a human physician, with years of training, will be able to do. I can’t see a computer being able to do that. Instinct or even a gut feeling just doesn’t work in the computer world. No matter how many calculations that they can perform, and even given that AI can learn, they just will not have the neural network to be able to do that. In addition to that, how do you program empathy? How can you have confidence in something that’s not real?

One more thing: How do you program, or in this case, teach a machine to ask why something doesn’t make sense? Riley can ask me that question a hundred times in a day, but a machine? How can they learn to do that?

For as something as complicated as this human body is, with trillions and more of interactions, we can use the best data possible. Let’s leave that to the machines because that’s what they can do. And other than cases where people are too remote to see a live doctor, let’s leave healthcare diagnosis and treatments to humans.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References: Fast Company. October 2019.

Online Prescriptions? Good Grief!

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If you listen to the radio, surf the Internet, or watch television, you might have heard a pitch for a discreet way to treat sexual problems, hair loss, even depression and anxiety: just visit their website. These are not pitches for supplements or other non-traditional treatments; they’re for medications that can fix your problem.

Don’t you need a prescription for those? Yes, and you can have a confidential chat online with a physician to get one for the solution to your problem. The “examination” may just be the answers to a few questions about your health or more detailed if the issue is more complex. But when it’s done, you get the prescription and can order it for discrete delivery, right to your door.

Online medical examinations? No. They’re simply a review of symptoms in order sell you a medication. What could go wrong? We don’t know yet because there’s no research that’s examined the issue. If a man wants a drug for erectile dysfunction and isn’t truthful about medications or cardiac issues, that could prove to be fatal. There are also problems with non-traditional uses for medications such as using a beta-blocker, typically prescribed for high blood pressure, for performance anxiety. Again, what could go wrong? So, so much.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References: Fast Company. October 2019.

Now There’s Mobile Dental Care

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When I travel, I get to read more including some of the business magazines. Over this last weekend, I read three separate articles related to healthcare and the way it’s being delivered using today’s technology. I have teeth cleaning scheduled for today, so I’ll begin with dental care.

How would you like to have the dentist show up where you work to provide regular dental check-ups, basic dental care including x-rays, teeth-whitening, and teeth alignment? All in the comfort of massage chairs and an entertainment center while the dental professionals work on your teeth. That’s what a company called Henry the Dentist provides in eight mobile dental offices.

The premise is simple. The mobile dental offices can save the company lost productivity as employees don’t have to take hours off to see the dentist. From the employee perspective, it may force them to actually see the dentist, something most people seem to want to avoid—I don’t know why, because there’s nothing like the feeling of freshly cleaned teeth.

Because there’s a link between dental problems and many diseases (heart and kidney disease, diabetes, dementia, rheumatoid arthritis, and premature birth), the possibility for improving overall health is tremendous. The mobile offices can go to any location including senior citizen centers, churches, or anywhere a large enough group of people want convenient dental care.

On Thursday, we’ll switch to another aspect of health that might not have the same positive health implications as this one.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. Inc. July/August. 2019
2. https://henrythedentist.com

Should You Try Prescription Fish Oil?

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The final marketing point that the prescription fish oil supplement makes is that the DHA omega-3 fatty acid found in many heart healthy fish oil blends may raise LDL-cholesterol. That’s the cholesterol, known as the lousy cholesterol, associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Based on the studies I read, there may be a small increase in LDL-cholesterol in some studies. What they fail to mention is that there’s more than one type of LDL-cholesterol. The small, dense LDL cholesterol has been shown to be associated in CVD even when LDL-cholesterol is in the normal range; the large and fluffy LDL-cholesterol seems to have no relationship with CVD. The supplement fish oils that contain DHA seem to raise only the large LDL-cholesterol. That has led other researchers to call the effect of fish oil on LDL to be cardioprotective at best and benign at worst.

The Issues with the Marketing of Rx Fish Oil

Every company wants to put their best foot forward and prescription fish oil is no different. In reviewing the marketing materials as well as the research, here are my concerns:

  • The results of the studies they cite show a decrease in triglycerides of 33%. The mean level of triglycerides in one of the studies was about 660 mg/dl. That means it dropped the mean level to 440 mg/dl. While statistically significant, there’s no way to know whether that’s clinically significant in reducing the overall risk of CVD because the studies were so short.
  • The company clearly states that this medication is clinically relevant only to people with triglycerides greater 500 mg/dl; that’s a very small percentage of patients who may have familial high cholesterol. For the typical person with high triglycerides, this medication is not appropriate. That doesn’t mean it’s illegal to prescribe it for people with triglycerides between 250 and 500, but there’s also no evidence that it’s better than a change in diet or exercise. Will it be prescribed only for people with high triglycerides? We’ll see.
  • The company did not run comparative studies against fish oil supplements or with diet and exercise alone. Seems like that would be obvious.
  • Finally, while there are programs to get this medication for lower prices, I checked with my prescription plan and the cost would be $375 per month. For that kind of money, you can have someone prepare healthy meals specifically designed to reduce your triglycerides or take a class to learn to prepare them yourself; you could definitely join and inexpensive gym and buy more fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Bottom Line

Similar to statin medications when they were introduced decades ago, prescription fish oil should be limited to a very specific part of the population with familial high triglycerides. That’s all—no one else.

As for fish oil supplements, the issues they point out in their marketing material are not significant. You never use dietary supplements to treat any disease, but that doesn’t mean they can’t help you compensate for nutritional deficiencies. There will be a difference in the quality of any supplement so make sure you choose a quality manufacturer.

For the bulk of the population to reduce their triglycerides, reducing refined carbohydrates, saturated fats, and alcohol, increasing vegetable and fruit intake, and getting some exercise will help most. Like I always say: Eat better. Eat less. Move more.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2016.08.005.
2. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018 Aug 1;103(8):2909-2917.
3. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Apr;79(4):558-63.

Fish Oil: Medication versus Supplements

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Before I address the concerns about fish oil supplements put forth by the Vascepa® prescription omega-3 website, it’s important to understand that all prescription and over-the-counter medications have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That means they have spent a significant amount of money—sometimes over $1 billion—to prove that the treatment claims are significant, and you can’t take that away from them. But marketing is a different story, so let’s look at what they say.

“Fish oil supplements are not FDA-approved.” True; no dietary supplement is FDA-approved, but that doesn’t mean they’re not regulated. They also can’t make claims about curing diseases.

“Daily dose could require 10 to 40 capsules to equal the prescription EPA omega-3.” That depends on the brand purchased, so that critique is weak.

“Fish oil supplements can leave a fish-y aftertaste.” Really? It’s fish oil, what would you expect? (Keeping the supplements in the refrigerator may help with that as well as taking fish oil before meals.) They suggest that the oils turn rancid and that causes the taste, but they offer no proof of that claim.

The last critique they make of fish oil supplements is that “Many contain another omega-3 fatty acid called DHA.” They say DHA can raise LDL cholesterol. I’ll address that claim and provide some concerns I have with the prescription omega-3 and how it’s being marketed on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Treatment for High Triglycerides

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Hypertriglyceridemia, the medical term for high triglycerides, is a risk for cardiovascular disease. Recently I spotted a health headline from a medical newsletter that read “Omega-3 Fatty Acid Medications Can Boost Cardiovascular Health.” The word that caught my attention was “medications” so I checked it out.

The article described the benefits of recently approved medications based on marine omega-3 fatty acids. I checked out the latest one called Vascepa®. This is a purified form of fish oil that, according to the data on its website, can lower triglycerides up to 33%. Sounds impressive.

Back to the newsletter article: the author interviewed the lead author of a review paper that stated that prescription omega-3s are effective in lowering high triglycerides. Then she went on to say to avoid omega-3s from dietary supplements because they haven’t been proven to lower triglycerides as the prescription omega-3s have.

The website for Vascepa went a lot further in criticizing omega-3 supplements. What were their objections? Is a prescription the best way to go to treat hypertriglyceridemia? That’s what I’ll cover the rest of this week.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326146.php

The Bottom Line on Vaping Today

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Recent reports indicate that in addition to fruit juices and flavors such as menthol and bubble gum, two natural products may be contributing to the issues with vaping: vitamin E and CBD oil. Vitamin E has been found in some vaping cartridges that contain CBD oil. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is the second most abundant cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. It has levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) below the legal limit and is often used for pain relief and psychological distress such as anxiety. I can’t comment on CBD oil; it’s not my area of expertise.

What I do know is that while cannabis is typically inhaled, CBD oil can be administered orally or topically and that’s probably a better delivery system. When any oil is produced, vitamin E is typically added so the oil doesn’t go rancid. In addition, there may be other additives so the CBD doesn’t break down. There’s no research to suggest that the oil or the vitamin E are safe when incinerated. Even if a cold aerosolized process is used, the ingredients are not designed to be administered that way.

Lung tissue is very sensitive. Think of the aerosolized droplets thousands of times larger than individual molecules of vitamin E or omega-3 fatty acids that would be found in blood. Those droplets would create a barrier, making it tough to breathe, whether natural or not. The benefit relies on the absorption and while some would be absorbed quickly, how long would the residue remain? Could it even be removed?

The Bottom Line Today

As I said in the Tuesday Memo, the governor of Michigan banned the sale of flavored vaping products; I think she made the right decision even though she is taking political heat for it. Business interests have interfered in public health initiatives for too long. Do I even have to mention the tobacco industry? And that it has heavily invested in the vaping industry? With the health of a generation at stake, I think taking time to examine the safety and marketing of these products is warranted.

I wish I could say this is the last word on vaping, but this is a rapidly changing health topic. The only vaping that should be allowed is as a method for quitting smoking—not to replace smoking, but as part of a strategy to quit smoking. It should be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration because nicotine is a drug.

As for the rest of what’s being used in vaping products, I think everyone should take a pass. If the industry actually conducts safety testing to discover any health issues for vapers, maybe, but I just don’t see that happening. The burden shouldn’t be on the health industry to prove vaping is bad; the burden should be on the vaping industry to prove it’s safe. We do enough to ourselves already to impair our health. We don’t need to add any more habits that we’ll need to break in the future. If you smoke, there’s no question you should quit. Talk with your doctor about the best way to accomplish that before you start vaping.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Is Vaping Healthy?

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Two years ago, I wrote this about vaping’s potential negative effects: “We won’t know how harmful it is for years, possibly decades, when those who began vaping years ago are tested and found to have higher rates of lung disorders.”

I was wrong; we’re seeing serious lung issues now and even a few deaths. Reports of respiratory illnesses include pneumonia and asthma-like symptoms that impede breathing. Another issue appears to be seizures in some cases. The problem is that no one can identify what’s causing the problem.

One cause might be heavy metals that are aerosolized from the vaping devices as well as metal juice cartridges such as chromium, nickel, and lead. They may be irritants to lung tissue. Lead could also explain seizures in some vapers.

I think that the juices targeting young vapers could be a major source of contaminants. Juices may be natural or synthetically produced, and we might point the finger at synthetic flavors. However, there’s no research on what incinerating natural juices would produce. Phytonutrients are meant to be eaten; what could happen to them when they’re burned? They may end up being toxic due to the change in chemical structure caused by exceeding normal cooking temperatures.

There are still other possibilities so I’ll finish this up on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet