Cr Bob's Newsletter - December, 2004

#1 Don't Ignore High Blood Pressure - Do You Know Yours?

#2 Anti-Oxidants, An Update

#3 Baby Teeth -Pacifiers and Thumb Sucking

#4 Tablet Splitting

#5Grape Juice and Cholesterol

High Blood Pressure And You

Did you know that nearly two thirds, yes
66% of Americans under sixty have or are on the verge of high blood pressure and 
at least 1/3 do not know it. Having this "silent killer" not only
increases there risk of heart disease or stroke but puts them in a higher risk
category for hospitalization and death according to a recent study.

There are new guidelines for high blood
pressure that have been agreed upon over the last several years and you need to
know about them. First the new guidelines are that normal blood pressure is when
the systolic ( top number) is 119 or lower and the bottom number is 79 or less.
In the recent past we felt that abnormal blood pressure was anything that was
140 or above over 90 or above. Now, people who have this are definitely
hypertensive or have high blood pressure.

Also, it makes good sense that if your
blood pressure is not normal get a blood pressure cuff in the drug store and
have your spouse, partner or children take it periodically and jot down the
numbers for your doctor. There is such a diagnosis of "white coat" syndrome"
where blood pressure rises when you go to the doctors office.

Dr Bob's Take: It is so important to
know what your blood pressure is and if it is pre-hypertensive or in the
category of high blood pressure (hypertensive) get it treated and you can make a
dramatic difference in your life.

Anti-Oxidant Update

Last month we talked about Vitamin E and
the potential for increasing the risk for heart disease. Initially when the
first studies came out about 10-15 years ago it was felt that Vitamin E was
going to be a panacea for "preventing" heart disease.

Well, there are more studies that are being
released which is showing that the herbal remedies that are being touted as
anti-oxidants are not proving very effective in preventing diseases like cancer.
These are substances like beta carotene, vitamin C,  and selenium. The
researchers in France have been looking at this and have concluded that there
may be a small benefit for men (none for women) but that the benefits can
easily be derived by eating a balanced diet. This study was recently
reported in the November issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Dr Bob's Take: as an American I like
you are looking for the "holy grail" which in the US is "take a pill and cure
it" is not the answer here. We need to really eat right and exercise and this
will lead to a healthy "us".

Pacifiers and Baby's Teeth

A study in the Archives of Disease in
Children this month, shows that there is a difference in the formation of "baby
teeth" when a baby breast feeds or uses their thumb to suck or is given a
pacifier during the first 3 months of their life. The study took place in Italy
with 1000 children aged 3-5 years old. It found that 1/3 of all children who
used pacifiers or sucked their thumb had malocclussion, where the teeth did not
line up properly. 89% of  had an open bite, where the front teeth do not
meet. Whereas only 11% of those with an open bite were breast fed.

This study took place when the children
were 3-5 years old and based on information about how they were fed and the use
of pacifiers or thumbs. It also is based on the 1st set of teeth - the baby
teeth. It is felt by the researchers that the pattern for the teeth is set by
how the 1st set is treated.

Dr Bob's Take: although this may
have quite a bit of significance for our children's future and their biting and
chewing abilities I don't see many of us changing what we are doing or what we
have done. But, you know the orthodontists will continue to flourish.

Prescription Tablet Splitting

Some of you may have remembered the
articles in the papers about 3 years ago when it was suggested by some health
plans that members cut their tablets in half with some medications. Well in
Florida a pharmacist has noted that with cholesterol lowering medication a
savings of about $850 could be saved per year by splitting the tablet. He goes
on to say that this is one way to fight some of the escalation in prices for
medications. It was found that with patients of the Veterans Affairs Dept there
was a savings of $46 million when eligible patients split their Zocor.

Dr Bob's Take:  before you go
and do this you first need to check with your doctor. Bring in a sample of the
medication so he/she can judge whether or not it would be wise to split the
tablet.

Grape Juice and Cholesterol

Yes, the studies are in, grape juice does
have a positive effect on raising the HDL part of cholesterol. Dr Jane Freedman,
associate professor of Pharmacology  at Boston University studied a group
of 17 men and 3 women with a grant from Welch's. The participants were 63 years
old on average and were 2 weeks on the juice, off for 2 weeks than given a
placebo (non-juice) for another 2 weeks.

The outcome showed that the grape juice
drinkers elevated their HDL on average from 45 to 50mg, about a 10% rise. This
group also lowered a chemical in their system that shows the presence of
inflammation in the blood vessels. It is felt that yes grape juice can work like
red wine in humans. And for those who don't drink red wine there is an
alternative.

With that good news I will close for this
year and talk with you again next year.

Happy New Year everyone!