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Dr K K Aggarwal

Nov 11

8

It’s November: Time to get flu shot

By Dr KK
Filed Under Wellness | Tagged With: , , , , , | | Comments Off

Flu vaccine should be taken by all heart patients as death from flu is more common among people with heart diseases and diabetics than any other chronic condition.

The American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and Heart Care Foundation of India all recommend that all heart patients and diabetics get flu shots.

Influenza or flu is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract, which occurs from November to April, with most cases occurring between late December and early March.

Annual vaccination against seasonal influenza prevents cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality in patients with cardiovascular conditions.

Heart patients should only receive the flu vaccine by injection (inactivated influenza vaccine) and not the live, attenuated vaccine given as a nasal spray. The live vaccine has not been approved for use in heart patients.

Flu complications include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes.

 October or November is the best time to get a flu shot, but getting a shot in January or even later can still be beneficial. Flu season can start as early as October and last as late as May.   It takes one to two weeks for the flu shot to take effect. Each September, a new flu vaccine is introduced. The vaccine is approximately 70 to 90 percent effective for healthy adults.

 The FLUVACS study has shown that influenza vaccination reduces the risk of death and ischaemic events in patients suffering from heart attack and post balloon angioplasty during flu season.

Influenza vaccination is now recommended with the same enthusiasm as cholesterol and blood pressure control and other modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

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Nov 11

1

Cut Daily Salt Intake to 1,500 Mg

By Dr KK
Filed Under Wellness | Tagged With: , , , | | 2 Comments»

1.  Daily intake of salt should be limited to 1,500 mg according to an advisory statement from the American Heart Association (AHA).

2.   The 2020 goal of the American Heart Association is to improve the cardiovascular health of all by 20% while continuing to reduce deaths from (cardiovascular disease) and stroke by 20%. (Dr Lawrence J. Appel, of Johns Hopkins, and colleagues wrote online in Circulation.)

3.   Two key components of improving cardiovascular health are population-wide lowering of blood pressure below 120/80 and reducing sodium chloride intake below 1,500 mg per day.

4.   The evidence includes more than 50 trials assessing the blood pressure effects of salt, as well as a meta-analysis showing that cutting salt intake by about 1,800 mg per day lowered blood pressure by 5 mm Hg systolic and 2.7 mm Hg diastolic.

5.  Reducing salt consumption also can help prevent the blood pressure increases that come with age, ultimately affecting 90% of adults.

6.   Salt also has pernicious effects aside from blood pressure increases, including left ventricular hypertrophy and renal damage, including interference with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

7.  Excess sodium also can result in abnormalities in mineral metabolism, fibrosis in several organs including the heart, and endothelial and arterial dysfunction.

8.   Benefits of lowering sodium intake by 1,200 mg per day could lead to:

a.       Up to 120,000 fewer coronary heart disease events

b.       As many as 66,000 fewer strokes

c.        Almost 100,000 fewer heart attacks

d.       Up to 92,000 fewer deaths

9.   Previous recommendations was that salt intake should be below 2,300 mg per day but advised that people at risk — those with hypertension, blacks, and older individuals — lower their intake to 1,500 mg.

10.  Processed foods are a main contributor, as these foods contain three-quarters of the sodium consumed.

(MedPageToday)

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