Dear Linda:

       I’ve read that inflammation’s the culprit causing disease and aging. Is this true and what can I do about it?

Red Hot in Dallas

Dear Red Hot:

  
Inflammation’s the body’s defense mechanism or healing response (the immune system). White blood cell chemicals are released into injured tissues to rid them of foreign bodies like bacteria and virus. The increased blood flow may result in redness and heat (for fever). Some of the chemicals can cause fluid leakage into tissues, resulting in swelling, and the process may stimulate nerves and cause pain.
     
Problems arise when the inflammatory response continues after healing is accomplished or if healthy tissue is damaged—when symptoms move from being short-lived, localized and protective to long-term and harmful.
     
Chronic, low grade inflammation is now thought to be the underlying cause of many medical conditions including Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, asthma, and gum/heart/kidney and intestinal disease. Some types of skin ailments (like psoriasis) and arthritis (joint aches) may also be the result of misdirected inflammation, so it’s critical to see a physician if you experience: joint/muscle pain or stiffness, fever/chills, fatigue/loss of energy, headaches, and loss of appetite.
      
Treatment can include anti-inflammatory drugs, activity and stress modification, and physical therapy to maintain joint movement and muscle strength.
      
Life style is critical. The wrong carbohydrates and fats, obesity, inactivity, smoking, high blood pressure, environmental pollutants, and lack of sleep contribute to inflammatory responses.

The Mediterranean diet (high consumption of brightly colored fruits/vegetables, bread/cereals potatoes, beans/nuts/seeds, and olive oil—a monounsaturated fat with anti-inflammatory properties) is suggested. Visit www.americanheart.org for information.

Blueberries, green tea, seafood, and spices including ginger, turmeric, oregano, garlic and cinnamon are all anti-inflammatory. Consider a multi-vitamin and supplements high in Omega-3’s. Read The Perricone Promise and The Wrinkle Cure by Nicholas Perricone (Warner Books).

Regular, aerobic exercise reduces levels of inflammatory proteins in the body. Thirty minutes of walking or cycling at least five times a week is crucial.

Are Blood Pressures Problems Genetic?

Dear Linda:

My mother and grandmother suffer from high blood pressure. Does this mean that I will have it also?

Genetically Prone?


Dear Genetically Prone:

While genetics is a factor associated with high blood pressure (also called hypertension), smoking, alcohol consumption (more than 3-4 ounces of 80-proof per day), caffeine (5 cups per day), obesity, oral contraceptives, a high-salt diet, and stress are major contributors to a problem that nearly one-in-three Americans have.

Referred to as the “silent killer” because there are no symptoms at disease on-set, many go for years without knowing they have hypertension. When left uncontrolled, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, and heart or kidney failure.

The best way to know if you have hypertension is have your physician get an accurate measurement of systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). Normal blood pressure (the force of blood against the artery walls) is less than 120mmHg systolic and less than 80mmHg diastolic.

Because there is no cure for hypertension, medication and life style changes are crucial for keeping blood pressure in normal range. Stop smoking (as it also leaches calcium—another contributor to hypertension), minimize caffeine, alcohol and salt consumption, and increase exercise. The American Heart Association recommends 30-60 minutes a day to reduce stress and lose weight that causes heart strain. As little as a 10-pound loss can be beneficial.

For additional information, contact The American Society of Hypertension at 212-696-9099 or visit www.ash-us.org. Call the American Heart Association at 800-242-8721 (www.americanheart.org) to order its free packet “Understanding and Controlling High Blood Pressure” that includes “Shaking Your Salt Habit”, a guideline for healthy cooking and flavorful recipes that replace salt with other spices.

Follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Rich in fiber, it contains more electrolytes, potassium, calcium and magnesium than the average diet. Visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash to order one free copy of the diet. Be sure to consult your physician, however, before beginning any new diet or exercise program.

Et tu, Brute!

I teach the short story by Shirley Jackson called The Lottery to point out the savagery with which people can treat each other. Though in civilized societies, we don't stone each other to death any more, people who consider themselves enlightened can and do, figuratively, still kill off others, sometimes in the ugliest and most awful ways.

I discuss the story with students to address the problem of bullying--the quintessential example of going after the most vulnerable in their society. Heaven knows, however, my students are no more guilty of this than some of the adults who guide them.

Adults can be horribly destructive. I lost a valued colleague because she did not ingratiate herself to those who controlled the environment. The control group devised a covert plan to undermine, attack and finally ambush someone who was too innocent to see it coming.

The story teaches that instilling the fear of being ostracized or punished by the control group also keeps people in line. But killing off others is sadly not confined just to the work place. We see it in the family situation too.

There is nothing as ugly as a family member who deliberately sets out to minimize or exclude another family member. There is nothing so injurious to that relationship as creating distance instead closeness, coldness instead of warmth, and superficiality instead of truth.

Generally, it happens because one person is so self-centered that all they think about is themself and not the consequences to the relationship. Sometimes, it is because the offending member is so out of control of their own circumstance that they must try to dictate how every relationship will go, and if that doesn't work, they set out to punish.

Whether at work or at home, control is the issue; control through intimidation and fear; control through withholding love and warmth, and control through threat or act of punishment.

If we want our kids not to bully, we need to stop being bullies ourselves. We need to give up the reins because running the show is not more important than loving our neighbor, colleague, friend or family member.

The other consequence is to the bully. Being cold or cruel to others may accomplish short-term goals, distorted as they may be, but that kind of behavior ultimately steals the bully's self-respect and feeling of peace. In the end, a bully, who is often a person with a very hard heart, lives a life of regret and confusion about why they are loved by no one in the end.

Flu Shots - It's Not Too Late

Dear Linda:

I’ve tried to convince my mother to get a flu shot. She’s resisted—says she’s as healthy as a horse. Please extol the virtues of getting vaccinated. She’s one of your most avid readers.

A Caring Daughter


Dear Mother of Caring Daughter:


Thanks for the column loyalty. Allow me to repay it with some important advice. Getting a flu shot may be one of the most important ways to stay as “healthy as a horse”.

Influenza is not a cold. It’s a serious disease that hospitalizes nearly one-half million Americans each year and kills 40,000. If combined with pneumonia, flu is the nation’s seventh leading cause of death.

A contagious respiratory illness (most often spread by coughing and sneezing), the symptoms include fever (usually high), headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches. Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can also occur. And all of this can be prevented with a vaccination.

Annual influenza vaccination has additional benefits too. Chronic cases of congestive heart failure, asthma and diabetes do not worsen, and sinus and ear infections, and bacterial pneumonia can be avoided.

The flu season can start as early as October and last through May. Though the optimal time to get the vaccination is October or November, getting it even as late as January can still be beneficial. Those who need the vaccine most are: people over 50, anyone with a chronic heart or lung condition (including asthma), or who needed regular medical care or were in a hospital during the prior year because of a metabolic disease (like diabetes), chronic kidney disease, or weakened immune system. Those who live and work in schools, clinics and any long-term care facility should also be vaccinated.

Though Medicare Part B and Medicaid pay for the shots, they are often free for seniors. Call your physician to be sure you are a good candidate and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) at 888-INFO-FDA for more guidance.