Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/36706
Saturday, July 16, 2011 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Isolated systolic pressure is common DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 68- year-old woman from Africa. My systolic blood pres- sure is constantly high, but never above 170 or so. W ith carvedilol/inda- pamide, it comes down to about 148- 150. My diastolic blood pressure, even with- out medication, never goes above 70 and is usually in the 60s. I am intrigued by why this is so. increasing pres- sure, whereas between contrac- tions, pressure returns to normal. The bottom Dr. Peter Gott Apart from this, my gen- eral health is very good to excellent. I am 5-foot-1 and weigh 130 pounds. I do aer- obic/strength/weight exer- cises for one hour three times a week. My HDL is about 60, my LDL is about 210, and my C-reactive pro- tein is almost nil. My glu- cose level is usually 100 or below. I do not use salt, rarely eat out, snack on fruits and vegetables (mostly), do not smoke and do not drink excessively (maybe two glasses of wine per week). I do not use a lot of caffeine. I usually drink four cups of tea, half a cup of coffee and 32 ounces of water a day. I still work, and my job as an educational consultant is not that stressful. A long time ago I was told that my heart was larger on the right side, and I’ve wondered if this will have an effect on my blood pressure. My mother had hyper- tension and diabetes, both of which she controlled with diet for most of her life. She passed away at age 75. On the other hand, my father was very healthy except for kidney stones and passed away peacefully at the age of 96. DEAR READER: You have a type of hypertension known as isolated systolic hypertension, common in older individuals because artery elasticity is reduced. Systolic pressure is the force blood exerts against arterial walls during con- tractions of the heart. Dias- tolic is the pressure exerted between beats. So essential- ly what is happening is that when your heart contracts, the artery wall doesn’t stretch as much, thus line? You still have hypertension. You state that your LDL “bad” cholesterol is 210. This is extremely high, since a nor- mal level is 100-129 or lower. I hope that this is simply a mistake and you wrote your total cholesterol level rather than your LDL. If not, I urge you to speak to your physician about possi- ble treatment options, such as niacin, omega-3 fish oil, flaxseed oil, or prescription cholesterol-lowering drugs, statin and non-statin alike. Combined with your hyper- tension, high cholesterol further increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Also remember that a diet high in fats such as cer- tain meats, cheeses and other dairy items, snack foods, butter, luncheon meats and more, will raise the LDL level. These food items should be reduced or removed from your diet. You may benefit from reducing your tea intake. The caffeine in it is quite variable and can raise both systolic and diastolic val- ues. Now about your right- sided heart enlargement: I think you need to be seen by a cardiologist to have this further investigated. While you have had this a “long time,” seemingly without symptoms, it could be an indication of a problem such as pulmonary hyper- tension. How long is a “long time”? Years? Decades? How long have you had the hypertension? Did the two findings coincide? Without knowing more about your health history, it is impossible for me to say whether your right-sided enlarged heart is to blame — in full or in part — for your hypertension. My feel- ing is that it isn’t, but I can- not say this with any cer- tainty. Make an appointment with your cardiologist to discuss your concerns. He or she is your best source for answers. Haughty hubby hampering harmony Dear Annie: I was raised to look at the big pic- ture and not sweat the small stuff. So when I was dating, I didn’t expect to magically meet my male clone. When I was in college, I met a funny, bright young man who had considerable drive and with whom I shared a common faith. We fell in love. My friends warned me that he was a social bully, but I defended him and said he was entitled to state his opinions forcefully. We have been married for sever- al years and have wonderful chil- dren. But I gave up having a true partner with whom to share my life, because I blindly married a self- centered person who forces his own agenda in every situation and is completely intolerant of anything that doesn’t appeal to him. We don’t travel because he doesn’t like it. We don’t go to movies because he hates standing in line. We don’t go out to dinner with friends because he can’t hold a civil conversation. Every car trip turns into a litany of the faults of other drivers. When I was younger, I thought it Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar know whether we will spend our golden years together. I want to tell young peo- ple to do an imaginary fast- forward and ask themselves how they will feel about their partner’s behavior in 10 years — and if the behavior you convince yourself to tol- erate in your ‘‘soul mate’’ will be acceptable when demonstrated in front of your children. — California Dear California: Too many people, both young and old, neglect to heed their intu- ition. They disregard signals that tell them to be careful, that some things are unacceptable, that ‘‘irrita- tions’’ you are willing to overlook in the bloom of love can turn into major headaches later. Thank you for being the voice of experience. Dear Annie: My husband and I was fine for him to have such differ- ent opinions. I knew marriage required compromise. I didn’t real- ize that all the compromises would be on my end. I should have waited to meet someone who shared some of my opinions and tastes. I don’t Park Superintendent Darlene M. Koontz announced Friday that the main road through Lassen Volcanic National Park will open for through traffic today. The popular Lassen Peak Trail is open the first 1.3 miles to the Grandview location and only over snow travel on skis and snowshoes to the summit. This will be the last week- end for skiing and snow- shoeing on Lassen Peak for this season. Trail crews will begin work to rehabilitate Lassen Peak Trail for the second season of the Reach the Peak project. Many of the park trails still have snow coverage, including Bumpass Hell and Brokeoff Mountain trails. Hikers will find that travel in snow-covered areas requires sturdy hiking boots and trekking poles. Higher elevations in the mornings tend to be icy and may require an ice axe, Monthly Cash Income For Wartime Vets & Spouses! Cash for assisted living or in-home care. No service connected injury required. Our estate planning tools can help you meet the income and asset requirements, even if you have been told you don’t qualify. Contact our office for a free no obligation consultation, so one of our case managers can see if you qualify. 530.529.4329 St. Elizabeth Community Hospital Community Grants Program Grant Workshop featuring consultant Amy (Henderson) Schutter Date: Wednesday July 20, 2011 Place:Columba Room of the Coyne Center St. Elizabeth Community Hospital Time: 9:00 am- 4:00 pm Objectives: In keeping with our strategic priorities, CHW encourages programs that integrate the following principles: ❖ Focus on disproportionate, unmet health related needs; ❖ Emphasize primary prevention and address underlying causes of health problems; ❖ Contribute to a seamless continuum of care; ❖ Build community capacity; and ❖ EMPHASIZE COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE. 2550 Sister Mary Columba Dr. Red Bluff, CA 96080 Criteria ❖ Funding up to $38,000; ❖ Strict adherence to grant guidelines is expected; and ❖ Proposals must identify the type of change expected, and how and over what time period progress will be measured. Eligibility ❖ Applicant must be 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization or have a fiscal agent that is 501(C)(3) and capable of administering the project’s funds; ❖ Project or program must be a response to the health priorities identified by the hospitals’ Community Health Needs Assessment or benefit plan; and ❖ Project to be funded must involve collaboration with other organizations and/or with a CHW hospital in your community. To request registration information call or e-mail Kristin Behrens @ (530) 529- 8038 or kristin.behrens@chw.edu have been separated for three years. Things had been going well until he got involved in an offbeat church and began housing homeless people of different backgrounds. I couldn’t take it anymore and left. He recently took in a 16-year-old foreign girl who has a toddler and a year-old infant. This may sound like charity, but they are all sleeping in the same bed. He takes care of them as if they are his actual family. The way he talks about the girl, you would assume they are a couple. He takes her to church. She cooks for him, and he helps her bathe the chil- crampons and helmet for safety. dren. What do you think of this situa- tion? — Estranged Wife in Kansas Dear Kansas: It sounds a little peculiar — especially the sleeping arrangements. If your husband is having sex with this young woman, he could be breaking the law. (Not to mention he is still married to you.) We assume she is in the coun- try legally, and it is possible that your husband has taken her in sim- ply out of the kindness of his heart. Since we don’t have the details, we will not jump to any conclusions. Dear Annie: You recently print- ed a letter from ‘‘Turned Off,’’ who complained about men who don’t trim their nose and ear hair. She said their wives should tell them. Not every man has a wife to do this, and not all men listen. My barber automatically asks me every time I get my hair cut whether or not I want my nose hairs or eyebrows trimmed. Since his job is hair trim- ming, this seems a natural thing for him to do, so there is no embarrass- ment. — Well Groomed in the Mid- west Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Lassen Park road opens this weekend In the afternoons, snow-covered areas can become slushy and slip- pery which can make hik- ing difficult and hazardous. Kings Creek Falls trail is not accessible due to snow and the trail to Dream Lake is closed to the public due to the restoration pro- ject currently underway in that area. For those visitors wishing to avoid snowy areas, they will enjoy hik- ing along trails in the Man- zanita Lake, Warner Valley and Butte Lake areas. One hike frequently overlooked is Cinder Cone volcano trail which begins along Fantastic Lava Beds and opens up with views of the Painted Dunes, Snag Lake and Lassen Peak. All campgrounds in the park, except for the Sum- mit Lake and Juniper Lake campgrounds, are now open. We anticipate that these remaining camp- grounds will open in the next couple of weeks. The road to Juniper Lake is still snow covered and not pass- able by automobiles. The Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visi- tor Center and Loomis Museum are open daily and visitors will find con- cession-run facilities at the visitor center’s Lassen Café & Gifts, Manzanita Lake Camper Store & Cabins and Drakesbad Guest Ranch in full operation. For more information call the park at 595-4480, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/lavo.