You At Your Best

amerICan Heart aSSOCIatIOn neWS A lifelong commitment to healthy living can improve life expectancy and quality of life while reducing a person's risk for various conditions and diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Healthy lifestyle choices like eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly can greatly reduce a person's risk for various ailments, but such choices don't eliminate that risk entirely. As a result, even health- conscious men and women may need to rely on medication to stay healthy. That's especially true for seniors since age is a risk factor for various conditions. A 2014 analysis that appeared in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics examined nearly 1,300 published articles that focused on the use of herbal supplements by elderly patients. Though only 16 of those articles met the researchers' criteria, the analysis concluded that herbal supplement usage is common among elderly patients, as was a lack of dialogue about such supplements between medical professionals and seniors. A concerted effort to initiate such dialogue on the part of both patients and health care providers can help shed light on herbal medicines so people taking them, including seniors, can learn more about what they're putting into their bodies. What are herbal medicines? The National Health Service of the United Kingdom describes herbal medicines as those with active ingredients made from plant parts like leaves, roots or flowers. Because herbal medicines are made from plant parts, many people assume they're safe to take without consulting a physician. However, the NHS urges people to treat herbal medicines with the same care and What seniors should know about herbal medicines bY Karen rICe YOu at YOur beSt Evidence is growing that heart health goes hand in hand with brain health. Research has found that the brains of middle-age adults may be aging prematurely if they have obesity or other factors linked to cardiovascular disease. Almost one-quarter of adults have metabolic syndrome, a set of factors that in combination amplify a person's risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other illnesses. In the research, participants were considered metabolically unhealthy if they had two or more such factors: high blood pressure; high blood sugar; high blood triglyceride levels; or low levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol – or if they took medicine for diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol. Researchers in recent studies used magnetic resonance imaging and tests of thinking skills to evaluate more than 2,100 women and men ages 37 to 55. Compared with the healthiest participants, those who were metabolically unhealthy, obese or both showed evidence of brain decline. Participants were part of the Framingham Heart Study, a decades-long investigation of cardiovascular disease risk. None had diabetes or neurological conditions such as stroke or dementia. Among people who were metabolically unhealthy, MRIs revealed lower total cerebral brain volume – in essence, a smaller brain – than was measured in metabolically healthy people. Lower cerebral brain volume is a sign of injury throughout the brain that leads to the loss of neurons and supporting cells, says Dr. Rebecca Angoff, clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Participants who were both metabolically unhealthy and obese showed the most signs of subtle injury to the brain's white matter – tissue that provides crucial connections throughout the brain. These injuries, which have been linked to early Alzheimer's disease, result from blood vessel abnormalities and may be due to risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes, Angoff said. On the cognitive tests, obesity was linked to poorer scores on a combination of six tests of thinking skills, and on individual tests that measured verbal memory and abstract reasoning. Nearly 4 in 10 Americans are considered obese, based on having a body mass index of at least 30. That translates to a weight of 175 pounds for a 5-foot-4 woman or 200 pounds for a 5-foot-9 man. Keep exercise and healthy eating in mind The good news is that lifestyle changes that reduce risk factors for stroke and heart disease and may also reduce the risk of brain health issues. A diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish and unsaturated fats has been found to promote brain health. And studies have also shown that physical activity can help keep your mind sharp now—and later. • In a study of 120 women ages 18 to 35, researchers found that higher fitness levels are linked to better attention, learning, working memory and problem solving. • Another study found that people ages 18 to 30 who had high levels of blood pressure, fasting blood sugar and cholesterol at the study's start or 10 years into it scored much lower on cognitive testing at the study's end, when they were an average 50 years old. Preserving brain health is increasingly urgent as the massive baby-boom generation grows old and faces greater risk of mental decline. Healthy eating and physical activity may just be the key to keeping our brains healthier, longer. A healthy heart can keep your brain sharp respect as they would more conventional medicines. Herbal medicines can affect the body in various ways. A frank discussion with a physician can shed light on the potential side effects of herbal medicines and whether or not they're safe. Why should seniors be concerned about herbal medicines? The NHS notes that seniors taking other medications may experience problems if they begin taking herbal medicines as well. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, notes that more well-designed studies are necessary to fully evaluate interactions between herbal medicines and prescription drugs. However, the NCCIH notes that some evidence points to some harmful effects of mixing the two. For example, the NCCIH reports that prolonged exposure to concentrated garlic extracts may reduce the efficacy of some drugs. The potential for these types of interactions should be enough to compel seniors to think twice before taking herbal medicines without first consulting their physicians. In addition, the NHS has developed a list of various types of people for whom herbal medicines may not be suitable, and that list includes the elderly. Seniors considering herbal medicines should discuss the pros and cons of such products with their physicians prior to taking anything. 6 | YOu at YOur beSt | YOuatYOurbeSt.nWaOnlIne.COm DeCember - SenIOr HealtH | SunDaY, nOVember 28, 2021

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