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Heart-wise, Be Wise
by Pat News
Many women believe their greatest health threat is breast cancer. However, the reality is that 10 times as many women die from heart disease as from breast cancer.

Risk factors for heart disease are sometimes out of our control, including family history and metabolic disorders. Thankfully, many risk factors are in our control - including diet, exercise and lifestyle.

To protect your heart, eat a diet that's low in hydrogenated fats, high in fiber, rich in fruits and vegetables and includes essential fish oils, including Omega 3 - (consider flaxseed oil, olive oil and salmon) - and Omega 6, (including canola oil, chicken, eggs, turkey and sunflower oil).

Exercise should be a part of our everyday life. The list of benefits from exercise is endless - decreased stress levels, decreased incidence of breast cancer, increased bone mass, increased self-esteem, decreased weight and a decrease in heart disease, to name just a few. Even 20 minutes a day is better than nothing!

Smoking greatly increases the risk of heart disease due to the damage the metabolites of cigarettes cause to the lining of blood vessels and vital organs, including the heart. There are programs to assist in quitting as well as prescription medications and over-the-counter aids to help smokers achieve their goal of complete cessation of smoking.
To schedule an appointment to discuss and lower your heart disease risk factors, call Pat News, RNC, NP, MSN, of
Pat News Health Care. 799-7000

Health & Wellness Tips from your Local Pharmacist
Purchase a Pillbox All those fancy supplements and vital pharmaceuticals won't do you any good if you don't take them! Everyone, of every age, could use a pillbox that's either numbered or labeled with the day of the week.

Use Technology to your Advantage A pillbox will keep you organized - but you still may want to set a notification on your phone as a reminder to pull it out of your cupboard, drawer or purse. There are medication apps that are especially helpful if you're managing many medications or are assisting someone with memory struggles - but for most of us, a simple smart-phone reminder will be all the prompting you need to stay on target with your timing.

Take Advantage of Automatic Refills Stress less in 2020 and stop worrying about calling your pharmacy or doctor's office for a prescription refill. You can even arrange to pick up all your medications on the same day each month.
Santa Clarita Pharmacy 673-5101

Straight Teeth don't just Look Better, they can be Healthier, Too
Straight teeth are healthy teeth! Most people don't realize that crooked teeth hide and trap bacteria that can cause bad breath, lead to tooth decay, encourage the development of plaque build up and crack other teeth. Straightening teeth is better for you overall health and your breath - and it's convenient, too, with Invisalign invisible braces. Right now, save on Invisalign, plus enjoy free retainers, free custom whitening trays and tooth contouring.
Santa Clarita Advanced Dentistry 200-0677

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Why be in Pain if You don't have To?
Platelet Rich Plasma Injection Therapy has a 95 Percent Success Rate
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injection therapy is already being touted as a medical miracle, replacing cortisone shots, drug therapy and surgery.

Simply put, this is a natural way to heal - not mask - acute or chronic conditions without any side effects. Ailments currently being treated with PRP therapy are arthritis, tendonitis, muscle sprains and tears, neuritis and ligament injuries. Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, joint pain, neuritis, neuromas and various other chronic conditions have also been successfully treated.

PRP is blood plasma with concentrated platelets and other growth factors. The concentrated platelets found in PRP contain huge reservoirs of bioactive proteins, including growth factors and signaling proteins that are vital to initiate and accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. The PRP signals the body to send in stem cells to repair the area of injury by generating new tissue and formation of new blood vessels. Certain factors diminish stem cell release, such as smoking and alcohol intake, as well as the use of anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil and Motrin. For best results, patients should abstain for four to six weeks.

If you have been suffering from chronic pain this procedure could be the miracle you've been looking for.
Valencia Foot & Ankle Center's success rate with PRP is 95 percent. 288-2321

Why Seniors Should Consider Clinical Trials
It's a fact - seniors comprise an underrepresented population in nearly every type of medical study. Yet the more diverse a research study is, the more likely it may be to improve the quality of research findings for all age groups.

And medical researchers are constantly investigating ways to detect, prevent and treat conditions that affect seniors, including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, depression, macular degeneration - and pretty much anything else you can think of.

Certainly, participating in medical research poses various levels of risk for the individuals involved - and that may be what seniors especially fear. For example, a new drug being tested for safety in a Phase I clinical trial could cause life-threatening allergic reactions for some of the people who take it during a study. However, this type of direct risk to a person's health must be disclosed to each participant through a process called informed consent.

In other cases, a terminally-ill client who desperately wants access to an experimental drug to potentially extend his or her life may risk disappointment by landing in the study group that receives a placebo treatment instead. Of course, taking part in medical research also can confer great benefits. Clients might experience relief from symptoms due to an investigative therapy received during a trial, for example.

If you think a loved one might be interested in participating in medical research, here are two resources to help you learn more about the process of clinical trials: "NIH Clinical Research Trials and You" - National Institutes of Health; and "What are the different types of clinical research?" - U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

And there are two large online databases that can connect senior clients to clinical trials around the globe. The National Institutes of Health clinical trials website includes international studies; find it at clinicaltrials.gov. And the Antidote website, antidote.me, has the ability to match an individual to a study with a high degree of specificity.
For further information, log onto Home Instead Senior Care's family caregiver website.
caregiverstress.com

Good News!
"Ride for a Cure" Earns the Sheila R. Veloz Breast Center a Large Donation
The Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation announced that for the fifth consecutive year, a record-breaking donation was received by the Sheila R. Veloz Breast Center, a service of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, from "Ride for a Cure." This very special event raised an unprecedented $14,920 for the Breast Center. All proceeds from Ride for a Cure will help provide early detection, treatment and support for patients.
henrymayo.com