This week we want to highlight an easy practice that won’t cost you a penny, reduce your salt intake!  Salt is everywhere, its in soda, processed foods, canned foods, and even milk. Although we can’t reduce what foods and drinks have salt in them, we can reduce our consumption of them.  By keeping track for even just a few days, you’ll get an idea of where you are at on the consumption scale, and see how much change is needed. Be aware, read labels and monitor your sodium intake, your heart will be happy you did!

Note:  According to Dietary Guidelins obtained from The Mayo Clinic, healthy adults should not consumer more than 2,300mg of sodium per day.  That number decreases to 1,500mg if you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or diabetes.

Mayo Clinic researchers found that healthy young people who put on as little as 9 pounds of fat, specifically in the abdomen, are at risk for developing endothelial cell dysfunction. Endothelial cells line the blood vessels and control the ability of the vessels to expand and contract.

“Endothelial dysfunction has long been associated with an increased risk for coronary artery disease and cardiovascular events,” says Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic. “Gaining a few pounds in college, on a cruise, or over the holidays is considered harmless, but it can have cardiovascular implications, especially if the weight is gained in the abdomen.”

For the study, which was published in this week’s Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Somers and his team recruited 43 healthy Mayo Clinic volunteers with a mean age of 29 years. They were tested for endothelial dysfunction by measuring the blood flow through their arm arteries. The volunteers were assigned to either gain weight or maintain their weight for eight weeks, and their blood flow was tested. The weight-gainers then lost the weight and were tested again.

Among those who gained weight in their abdomens (known as visceral fat), even though their blood pressure remained healthy, researchers found that the regulation of blood flow through their arm arteries was impaired due to endothelial dysfunction. Once the volunteers lost the weight, the blood flow recovered. Blood flow regulation was unchanged in the weight-maintainers and was less affected among those who gained weight evenly throughout their bodies.

Dr. Somers says the study is unable to offer conclusions about whether recovery of blood flow is possible if the weight is kept on for several years. “Patients should know that having a big belly may be more harmful than simply being obese,” he says. “Letting weight creep on during college or as the result of aging should not be accepted as normal.

“Physicians should know that the location of fat is important. Greater attention should be given to the circumference of a patient’s waistline, not just their body mass index (BMI).” BMI is a formula that uses height and weight to estimate body fat and associated health risks.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Mayo Clinic co-authors are Diane Davison; Prachi Singh, Ph.D.; Christine Huyber; Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.; and Michael Jensen, M.D. Co-authors formerly at Mayo Clinic are Abel Romero-Corral, lead author; Fatima Sert-Kuniyoshi, Ph.D.; Justo Sierra-Johnson, M.D., Ph.D.; Marek Orban, M.D.; Apoor Gami, M.D.; Snigdha Pusalavidyasagar, M.B.B.S.; and Susanne Votruba, Ph.D.

According to a study done by the Mayo Clinic, more than 15 million Americans use herbal remedies or high-dose vitamins.  Many use them because they think “natural” means safer. On the contrary, these herbal medications don’t go through the testing by the FDA to meet safety and efficacy standards.  Along with that, the potential for interactions between herbal medications and prescriptions can have catastrophic outcomes.  According to Dr. Arshad Jahangir, M.D. at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ, “We can see the effect of some of these herb-drug interactions — some of which can be life-threatening — on tests for blood clotting, liver enzymes and, with some medications, on electrocardiogram.”

If you use, or are considering using herbal medications, talk with your Doctor or Pharmacist.  Be sure they have a list of all of the medications and disease states related to your health to help you make a best decision about usage and avoid any serious complications.  As always, feel free to contact one of the Pharmacists at Rx Savings Solutions for help on medication matters.