Health Pulse BETTER THAN STATINS? A new class of lipid-lowering drugs Statins aren’t going anywhere. Millions of people rely on them to reduce their levels of LDL cholesterol and risk of heart attack. However, some people don’t respond to these medications and others can’t tolerate their side-effects. Enter PCSK9 inhibitors, a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs that help move LDL from the blood to the liver. Less LDL in the blood equals less risk of cardiovascular damage. When combined with statins, PCSK9 inhibitors have been shown to lower LDL levels by up to 60% more than statins alone. PCSK9 inhibitors don’t come cheap and they’re taken by injection, so you shouldn’t think of them as a first resort. However, if you can’t reach your lipid targets with standard therapies, PCSK9 inhibitors could bridge the gap – and possibly help you dodge a heart attack. The evidence looks good so far; early results suggest that these drugs could lower cardiovascular event rates by half. Note: Repatha and Praluent, two drugs in the class, were approved in the U.S. in 2015 and in Canada in 2016. Source: Health after 50 Easy ways to go easy on the salt – if you need to Medical advice about sodiumused to be simple – salt is bad, use it less – but newer studies are painting a more nuanced picture. Last year, researchers at McMaster University crunched the data on salt consumption, heart attacks and strokes inmore than 130,000 people from 49 countries. Their conclusion? People on a low-salt diet hadmore heart attacks and strokes than those with average salt consumption. This doesn’t mean that you keep flooding your sushi with soy sauce, especially if you have high blood pressure. According to the study investigators, people with normal blood pressure tend to be more “salt-resistant,” meaning that salt has little effect on their blood pressure. People with hypertension, on the other hand, are likely “salt-sensitive” and would do well to cut back. Salt-sensitive or not, most of us consume two, or even three times as much salt as we need. These painless strategies can help you curb the habit – and the cravings: • Eat more fresh or frozen vegetables and fruit. • Cut down on prepared and processed foods. • Look for lower-sodiumproducts (e.g. cheese, soy sauce, crackers). • When cooking, add less salt than usual. The next time, add still less. • Go crazy with the seasonings – strong flavours such as lemon, ginger, basil and other herbs can make up for the lack of salt, and then some. • When eating out, find out if the menu has any lower-sodium options – or request substitutions such as oil and vinegar on your salad in lieu of prepared dressing. Source: the Lancet CAUSES OF HEARING LOSS which you’ve probably never heard about There’s no reason to accept “hard of hearing” as a symptom of aging. Here are five lesser-known risk factors that you have some power to control. • Being overweight: Who knew?The higher your BMI, the greater your risk of hearing loss, according to a 2013 study. What’s more, the most active subjects had a 17% lower risk of hearing loss than the least active. You know what to do. • High blood pressure: In a recent study of older adults, 54% of those with significantly elevated blood pressure had hearing loss, compared to just 18% of those with normal blood pressure. • Iron-deficiency anemia: A report published in late 2016 suggests that iron-deficiency anemia may contribute to hearing loss. • Heavy-metal contaminants: Even low levels of leadmay raise the risk of age-related hearing loss, and cadmium may have a similar effect. To minimize exposure, use cold water for drinking and cooking, and run the water for 15-30 seconds before using it. • Medications: About 200 medications can damage hearing. In many cases (e.g. Aspirin, ibuprofen) the damage doesn’t last, but some antibiotics or chemotherapy drugs can cause permanent harm. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about alternatives. Source: Health after 50 CSANews | SPRING 2017 | 35
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