COPD: Myths and truths

(Pictured: The right exercise, such as walks on a beach, has many healthful benefits for people with COPD.)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lifelong chronic lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe and is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. According to experts, the more knowledge a patient with COPD has about the disease, the better off they will be.

A recent review from the American Lung Association found that patient education can help improve COPD self-management, provide skills for coping with related mental health challenges, improve overall health and quality of life, and reduce hospital admissions. This is especially important for those who have been living with the disease for a long time who may not be aware of recent treatment options and updated treatment guidelines, or who may not be inclined to recognize new or worsening symptoms and report them to their healthcare provider.

To help people who have been living with the disease for 10 or more years live better, more active and enjoyable lives, the American Lung Association, with support from Sanofi and Regeneron, launched the new “COPD for Life” campaign. As part of the campaign, they say they are busting the following common myths about the disease:

Myth: COPD is a man’s disease.

Truth: More women are living with COPD compared to men, and deaths from COPD are higher among women than in men. Everyone with risk factors and those experiencing early warning signs, no matter their age or gender, should talk to their healthcare provider.

Myth: There is no treatment for COPD.

Truth: There is no cure for COPD, but treatment and management can help slow the progression of COPD and control symptoms so that a patient feels better and is able to spend more time doing what they enjoy.

Myth: You cannot exercise if you have COPD.

Truth: The right amount and type of exercise has many benefits, and tips on how to get started should be discussed with a healthcare provider

Myth: COPD only affects the lungs so what you eat does not matter.

Truth: Most people are surprised to learn that the food they eat may affect their breathing. Talking to your healthcare provider about the right types of food for you may help you breathe easier.

Myth: If you already have COPD, quitting smoking won’t help.

Truth: Quitting smoking is an important part of any COPD treatment plan. The chemicals in cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cigars can further damage lungs and may prevent medications from working as well as they could.

Myth: A patient should manage COPD on their own.

Truth: People who work closely with their healthcare providers to have a good treatment plan have better health outcomes. It’s especially important to see a healthcare provider if symptoms change or worsen. Likewise, supportive services, such as in-person or virtual support groups, can have a positive impact on health outcomes. Some studies indicate that positive social support is associated with reduced hospitalizations, fewer exacerbations, better health status, and improved disease management behaviors.

To learn more, call the American Lung Association’s Lung HelpLine at 1-866-252-2959 and be connected to a Lung Health navigator, or visit Lung.org/COPD or Lung.org/Helpline for additional resources and to chat live with a licensed registered nurse or respiratory therapist.

The Lung Association notes that life with COPD can often be challenging. But having up-to-date knowledge and the right resources can help patients stay active, control their symptoms, and know what to do if their COPD gets worse.

Source: StatePoint Media

Keep squatting for an all-body workout

By Michelle Crouch

Seated? Please stand (don’t use your hands) to give tribute to the one exercise that fitness gurus say stands out among the rest for healthy aging. Now be seated again. Consider that your first rep.

Yes, a great workout challenges all of the major muscle groups in your upper and lower body. But if you have time for only one exercise, you’ll get the most bang for your buck by doing squats — the classic move in which you slowly lower your bottom to seated level, then stand back up. 

“The squat is the most important exercise for seniors,” says Eric Daw, a personal trainer dedicated to older adults and founder of Omni-Fitt in Toronto, Canada. “When you have to go to the washroom, that’s a squat. When you get in the car, that’s a squat. Every time you sit down or stand up, that’s a squat. If you don’t do them well, it affects the way you live.”  

Squats strengthen all of the muscle groups in legs, including calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, as well as muscles in the lower back and core. Those muscles provide the foundation for most activities of daily living.

Squats are the antidote to soft couch-cushion syndrome — those challenging moments when we struggle to get up from that deep, old sofa. They can also help protect joints, improve balance and prevent falls, says Denise Austin, for 40 years one of America’s best-known fitness experts and authors.

“Squats are one of the best overall exercises,” Austin said. “They strengthen the major muscles of the lower body we need to keep strong and also protect two joints we need help with on a regular basis — our knees and our hips.” 

Here’s how to squat:

1. Get in position.

Choose a spot where you can hold on to a kitchen counter, a table or another steady surface. That makes it easier to focus on your form without worrying about your balance, Austin said. Set your feet about shoulder-width apart or a little wider. (If you have hip issues, put your legs a little farther apart.) Toes should face slightly outward.

2. Lower into a squat.

Keeping your back straight, chest up and heels planted, push your hips back like you are sitting in a chair. Try to keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet, with your weight mostly on your heels, not your toes. Make sure your knees don’t extend forward over your toes, because that can hurt your knees. If you have knee or hip issues, you don’t need to do a deep bend. The coming-up part of the exercise is what really builds strength, Austin said.

3. Repeat.

Aim for two sets of eight to 10, at a tempo of two seconds down, two seconds up. Inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up. As you tire at the end of the set, make sure you’re not hunching over or letting your knees cave in. For the best results, do two or three times a week.

4. Get your arms in play.

As you start to build strength, try doing your squats without holding on to anything. For balance, let your arms rise parallel in front of you on the downward part of the squat, then drop them to your sides when you stand up, Austin suggested. Another option is to cross your arms across your chest. That can help keep you upright if you tend to hunch over, Daw said.

5. For a greater challenge, add resistance.

Once you can do two sets of 15 without feeling any muscle soreness afterward, you’re ready to add some weight. The easiest way is to hold a pair of dumbbells. “That’s how you build strength faster,” Daw said. Start with low weights and build up.

​Source: AARP. Michelle Crouch has covered health and personal finance for Reader’s Digest, the Washington Post and the New York Times.

Researchers have found that 54 percent of older American Indians have cognitive impairment, including 10 percent with dementia, highlighting a significant disparity with the rates of cognitive impairment and dementia in the general American population.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study, led in part by the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, also identified vascular injury, which can result from untreated hypertension and diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease as equally responsible contributors to dementia in American Indians, with substantial overlaps between the two. The findings, which NIH reported in May, were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Previous studies that relied on medical records estimated that cognitive impairment and dementia levels in American Indians were similar to non-Hispanic whites. However, for this new study, the researchers used survey and screening techniques with individual assessments that did not rely on previous access to the medical care system. They found that 216 American Indian participants aged 72 to 95 had some form of impairment. Of those, 35 percent  had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 10 percent had dementia, and and 8 percent had a different form of cognitive impairment that was not due to MCI or dementia. There were 181 participants who showed no signs of cognitive impairment.

Based on previous studies, researchers estimated MCI levels at 12 percent to 21 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 22 percent to 25 percent of Black Americans, and 20 percent to 28 percent of Hispanics/Latinos.

NIH is a medical research agency and part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Keep a toehold on healthy feet

(Pictured: Taking care of feet is important at any age. Photo credit: Natalie Board/Getty Images Plus)

Most people have a foot or ankle problem at one time or another. So how do you know when to seek help?

Many symptoms—even those you can tolerate—require the professional attention of a foot and ankle surgeon to keep the underlying condition from worsening. According to Danielle Butto, a board-certified surgeon and a Fellow Member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, foot health is an important part of overall health.

Here are five examples of when to make an appointment:

  • When you have diabetes. Living with diabetes means being more prone to conditions that affect the feet, including foot sores and ulcers. At the same time, diabetic nerve damage makes it harder to detect when there’s a problem. Regular visits to a foot and ankle surgeon should be part of a holistic diabetes treatment plan. The doctor can screen for the loss of protective sensations in the feet, as well as diagnose and treat issues leading to ulcers and wounds. Swelling, temperature and color changes in the feet, and calluses are all telltale signs an ulcer may be around the corner and warrant a trip to a foot and ankle surgeon.
  • When children experience pain. Early intervention is key to long-term, successful treatment. Foot and ankle surgeons stress that pain isn’t normal, and if it lasts more than a few days or is severe enough to limit a child’s walking, it should be evaluated. Foot problems commonly experienced by children include flat feet, ingrown toenails, and plantar warts.
  • When you’re at risk for falling. Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among Americans 65 and older, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Painful foot conditions are a contributing factor, as they affect balance and coordination. Fortunately, many such conditions are treatable.
  • When you can benefit from medical advances. A loss of cartilage once meant a loss of functionality. Today, joint reconstruction with cartilage regeneration offers real hope for long-term functionality, nurturing the body’s own ability to heal itself—with a little boost from technology. Likewise, new surgical techniques for ankle arthritis, including arthroscopic ankle surgery, total ankle joint replacements and bone or cartilage replacement, are helping people stay active. Finally, platelet-rich plasma therapy can promote the healing of bones, cartilage, blood vessels, tendons and tissue for many patients, and is associated with easier recovery than traditional treatments.
  • When pain is sidelining you. It’s important to rest and recover rather than push through foot and ankle pain caused by an overuse injury. If the pain doesn’t improve in three to seven days, seek evaluation and treatment.

More information is at foothealthfacts.org, the patient education website of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Source: StatePoint Media