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Bodytalk
Question: I'm a 55-year-old woman. I don't want to go on hormone replacement therapy, but my doctor told me that unless I do, my risk of developing heart disease will increase now that I'm past menopause. Healthy habits help
prevent heart diseaseThere must be some things I can do short of taking hormones to reduce my risk of heart disease. My question to you is, what are they?
Answer: It's true that a woman's risk of heart disease rises sharply after menopause, but it's not written in stone that every woman past menopause will develop heart disease.
Before I address your question let me first offer a little pep talk in favor of HRT. There are many good reasons to use hormones, other than for disease prevention. You probably already know what they are.
What you may not know is that there are many different medical protocols available to help prevent older women from developing osteoporosis, heart disease and other age-related disorders.
It's important that you incorporate the following healthy habits into your life, if you haven't already: Don't smoke. Smoking is the absolute worst thing you can do to your heart.
Eat a healthy diet. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nonfat dairy, fatty fish, soy products, and some nuts and seeds. Keep consumption fats to a minimum. Eat smaller portions of everything if you're overweight. Eat less starchy food. Eat simple carbs -- cake, candy, soda -- in moderation.
Live an active lifestyle. Do something physical every day. Exercise is, and always has been, a major component in reducing disease risk.
Maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight is not healthy. It directly increases a person's risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Know what your blood pressure is. Check it often and keep it within a healthy range. Very high blood pressure (hypertension) is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Know your cholesterol levels. High cholesterol -- above 200 -- puts a person at risk for heart disease, especially when HDLs are below 35. Some researchers believe that HDLs below 45 put older women at risk. If diet and exercise are not enough to lower your cholesterol, get medical attention.
Q: I sit at a computer for about 40 hours every week. My job is very important to me but the long hours of sitting are starting to take a toll on my body. I feel stiff by midday and have a back ache by the end of the day. Sometimes my back hurts so much I have to go to bed when I get home. Do you have any idea what may be causing this pain?
A: Your pain, stiffness and back aches could be a reflection of how you're sitting at your computer terminal. What follows are some postural suggestions, also called office ergonomics, that may help alleviate your discomfort.
Type with your wrists neutral. That means using a wrist support pad. These supports keep the wrists from bending up, help prevent wrist stress and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Your elbows should hang at your sides, forming at least a 90-degree angle. Any lesser angle hyperflexes the elbows to the point of stress. You may have to tilt your keyboard or adjust the height of your seat.
Your back doesn't need to be straight up and down, but it does need to be fully supported against a backrest. Both feet should be flat on the floor to help stabilize your back.
Most important, be sure to stand up, move around and stretch at least once every hour or so. This will help prevent the stiffness that occurs when sitting in one position for long periods of time.
Health Events
Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.