Health News__

ASA Underutilized For Heart Attack Prevention

.....Although it's well known that taking ASA (aspirin) regularly can lower a person's risk of heart disease, few people, use the common pain reliever for heart health.
.....A recent study finds that use of ASA for the prevention of a first or second heart attack or stroke is very low, even among adults at increased risk for such events.
.....Among a nationally representative sample of 1,299 adullts aged 40 or older, overall only 41 percent reported regular aspirin use for cardiovascular prevention. Only 57 percent of people considered at increased risk for cardiovascular events said they took ASA regularly.
....."Even for those with a known history of cardiovascular disease, aspirin use was only 69 percent," according to a report on the survey in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
.....Only about one-third of those surveyed said they had talked with their healthcare provider about ASA. Of those who had done so, 88 percent reported regular aspirin use, whereas just 17 percent of people who did not have a discussion about ASA with their provider used aspirin regularly.
.....Doctors, for the most part, use it themselves, and recommend it to their patients, yet when patients were asked if whether they heard that recommendation, a large majority report back that their doctor never discussed usage with them.

.....It is not wise to play games with your health if you have a vitamin B12 deficiency. Who are the people that may benefit from vitamin B12 supplements? Individuals with pernicious anemia or with gastrointestinal disorders may benefit from or require a vitamin B12 supplement. Older adults and vegetarians may benefit from a vitamin B12 supplement or an increased intake of foods fortified with vitamin B12. Some medications may decrease absorption of vitamin B12 and chronic use of those medications may result in a need for additional vitamin B12.
.....Anemia is a condition that occurs when there is insufficient hemoglobin in red blood cells to carry oxygen to cells and tissues. Common signs and symptoms of anemia include fatigue and weakness. Anemia can result from a variety of medical problems, including deficiencies of vitamin B12, vitamin B6, folate and iron. Pernicious anemia is caused by a lack of intrinsic factor, a substance needed to absorb vitamin B-12 from the gastrointestinal tract. Vitamin B12 must bind with intrinsic factor before it can be absorbed and used by your body.
.....Vitamin B12 levels decrease with age and various measures of cognitive impairment are associated with reduced B12 status. In one study of subjects suffering from senile dementia, 78% of the subjects had B12 deficiency. Among those subjects supplemented with vitamin B12, significant improvements in IQ, motor function and mental state were noted. Heart disease risk elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations are considered to be a risk factor for vascular disease and birth defects such as neural tube defects. Studies have shown that plasma homocysteine can be lowered by folic acid (400-800 mcg) combined with vitamin B12 (6 mcg). The combination of B12 with folic acid is significantly more effective in reducing homocysteine levels than is folic acid alone.
.....Talk to your Peoples Pharmacist about B12 Vitamins and if they can help with your health and wellness.