STUDIES have shown that the body relies on vitamin D to stave off heart disease, inflammation and even cancer. People with deficient vitamin D face a higher risk of dying prematurely and vice versa. Lack of vitamin D also results in poor cognitive function and increases the risk for dementia.
Recent groundbreaking research led by Dr. Kyla Shea, PhD, involving postmortem multi-data analysis of the brains of 290 patient-organ donors revealed (for the first time) that vitamin D is present in the brain tissue and a normal level of it is linked to better cognition and a lower risk for dementia among seniors. High concentration of vitamin D across the brain reduced the risk of dementia up to 33 percent. How this vitamin acts to help maintain a healthy cognitive function is still unknown. More studies are needed to clarify this issue.
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the form recommended and the dose to attain an optimal level is between 5,000 to 8,000 international units. Those with darker skin and people who rarely get exposed to the sun are the ones who most likely need vitamin D3 supplementation. Consult your physician before going on a medical regimen of any type.
‘Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the form recommended and the dose to attain an optimal level is between 5,000 to 8,000 international units.’
FDA warning on LASIK
LASIK stands for laser in-situ keratomileusis and is a very comm procedure for vision correction in people who are far-sighted or near-sighted with astigmatism. Each year, about 500,000 people undergo this 25-year-old procedure, 15-minute (per eye), which costs thousands, and mostly not covered by insurance.
Last week, the FDA warned people about the possible aftermaths of LASIK procedure: double-vision, ongoing pain, dry eyes, and other complications. Some still need to wear eyeglasses following LASIK. The procedure itself is safe and common. This caution will surely affect people’s thinking about LASIK.
Statins lowers stroke
Popular cholesterol-lowering statin drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor) or rosuvastatin (Crestor) and others appear to lower a person’s chance of having the deadliest form of stroke, the one caused by bleeding in the brain, according to the journal Neurology. Stroke is medically termed intracranial hemorrhage, when an artery leaks and bleeds into the brain tissues.
Stroke is the country’s leading cause of disability and death. Statins, according to the report, are another powerful tool for stroke prevention. A healthy lifestyle — abstinence from tobacco, a healthy diet, daily exercise, and stress management — reduces the risk for stroke and other cardiovascular and metabolic illnesses.
Statins reduce fatty deposits in the arteries that harden over time and block arteries and cut off blood supply to vital organs, the brain in this case. Blockage in the heart artery leads to heart attack. Around the world, people take statins to reduce the risk for heart attack and stroke.
466 died in a day
While COVID-19 seems to be easing up, wisdom dictates that people should still be concerned because as of last Monday, December 11, the 2-week daily averages were still 65,528 cases, 38,331 hospitalized and 468 deaths per day in the United States alone. In the Philippines, there were 1,115 cases with 24 deaths. Worldwide, 6,658,727 died in just one day!
Even those with the 3rd booster (bivalent vaccines) could still be infected with the newer strains. Until there is a universal vaccine against COVID-19, we should consider each new strain to be a “different disease” we should be careful and get the latest booster. Since there is a tripledemic (Flu, RSV, COVID-19), masking and distancing in public places where there is a crowd is prudent, most especially those with infants at home, because RSV could be deadly for babies.
There is still no vaccine for RSV. There is a drug to protect premature babies and young children, palivizumab, as a series of monthly shots during the RSV season. There is wisdom, no shame, in being cautious.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1996, whose other awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, Mohammad Ali, David Letterman. Websites: FUN8888.com and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
