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Welcome from Vantage Business Support & Insurance Services
As an added benefit to our customers and associates VANTAGE is publishing a semimonthly newsletter with information, interactive tools, podcasts and other resources to help you live healthier. We will explore topics on total health and resources for you and your family, including fitness, nutrition, mental and physical health, weight management and more.
Thank you for being part of the VANTAGE family.
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This is just a sampling of what we feel would be important to you. We have much more to offer. If you have any questions or need more information please contact us at 877-886-8277 or click the link below.
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Looking Disease in the Eye
 An eye exam could help diagnose several conditions before you even have symptoms.
We've all heard the expression "the eyes are the window to the soul." They can also be windows on your health. A visit to the optometrist or ophthalmologist may turn up more than a new prescription for eyeglasses, it could help spot and treat conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Most people are completely caught off guard when we find things like this in a routine eye exam," said Dr. Matthew Alpert, a VSP Vision Care optometrist in Woodland Hills, Calif. "We catch a lot of things before they become symptomatic.
During a routine eye exam, the doctor typically will dilate your pupils in order to check the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels in the back of the eye. Glaucoma, a condition in which the optic nerve is damaged due to increased eye pressure, is often diagnosed this way. The following are examples of other diseases that can be picked up during an eye exam.
Hypertension Narrow or enlarged blood vessels and tiny "flame-shaped" hemorrhages can be an indicator for hypertension, said Dr. Alpert. There are both arteries and veins behind the eye that cross over each other. In a person with normal blood pressure, the arteries and veins occupy the space without issue; but in a person with hypertension, the higher pressure will cause the arteries to push down on the veins, cutting off some of the circulation.
In a recent study, researchers at the Singapore Eye Research Institute at the National University of Singapore examined the eyes of people diagnosed with hypertension to see if they could predict stroke. "We showed in persons with high blood pressure that damage to the blood vessels in the retina, called hypertensive retinopathy, is linked to an increased risk of stroke," said lead author Kamran Ikram, MD, PhD. This difference in risk existed even if high blood pressure was controlled with medication.
High cholesterol High cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes, may be noticeable during an eye exam. "Cholesterol that has built up in the carotid artery can break off," said Alpert. "Blood from the carotid is constantly flowing to the eye, and sometimes they can lodge there." This is called a Hollenhorst plaque. Large broken-off pieces can be dangerous - if it goes to the eye and blocks off a major vessel, a person can have an ocular stroke and go blind.
Cholesterol can build up in the eye as a person ages and cause macular degeneration, a breakdown of the layer of tissue on the inside back wall of the eye which leads to vision loss in the center of the field of vision. A study on mice that was published in the journal Cell Metabolism earlier this year suggested cholesterol-lowering eye drops could be used to treat macular degeneration, but such a treatment for humans is still several years away.
Diabetes Dr. Stephanie Marioneaux, an ophthalmologist in Chesapeake, Va. and a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said she's often the first person to spot diabetes in a patient.
"They'll come in and think they just need their glasses changed," said Dr. Marioneaux. "But consistently elevated blood sugar will cause swelling in the lens, which causes the vision problems. The changes are not the same kind associated with aging, it's a bigger change."
Diabetics will have damaged blood vessels in the retina, which can cause blood and plasma to seep out into the eye and trigger vision changes.
Marioneaux said the vision change happens over time. If a person has high blood sugar one day, they won't notice any difference. But if their blood sugar is significantly higher than 100 for 10 days or more (a normal fasting blood sugar range is between 70 and 130), that's when the damage starts to be noticeable.
Multiple Sclerosis An inflamed optic nerve may signal multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease in which the immune system attacks the protective coating on the nerves.
"In about one-third of multiple sclerosis cases, inflammation of the optic nerve is one of the first signs," said Alpert. This inflammation, called optic neuritis, causes blurred vision.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates that 66 percent of people with the disease will have at least one episode of optic neuritis. The instances of blurred vision are often temporary and cannot be treated with prescription glasses. Steroids may be used to reduce the inflammation, but the episodes can recur.
Keeping track of thinning retinas can help predict multiple sclerosis relapses, in which symptoms recur as isolated flare-ups. A January study in the journal Neurology found that patients with MS relapses had 42 percent faster retinal thinning than those without relapses. The study's authors noted that the findings may suggest that retinal thinning occurs faster in patients with more active MS.
"There are many things you can diagnose by examining the eye that you can't determine by vision alone," said Marioneaux. "Typically, you're not going to pick up on these diseases based on how well you see."
SOURCE: Dr. Sanjay Gupta |
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DID YOU KNOW???
Magnesium
 Few people are aware of the enormous role magnesium plays in our health:
It's important to nearly every function and tissue in the body, supports a healthy immune system, prevents inflammation associated with certain cancers, boosts heart health, and could even cut your risk for a heart attack.
A Harvard University study found that high daily magnesium intake reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 33 percent; still other studies found that the mineral helps ward off depression and migraines. Though supplements are available, most experts say it's preferable to get magnesium naturally from your diet.
Here are eight foods that can help.
Dark Leafy Greens which include baby spinach, collard greens kale and swiss chard
Nuts and Seeds like pumpkin seeds almonds, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, cashews, pine nuts, flaxseed, and pecans
Fish like mackerel, wild salmon, halibut, and tuna
Soy beans, and other legumes rich in magnesium like black beans, kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and lentils.
Avocado
Banana other fruits can add magnesium to your diet, including strawberries, blackberries, grapefruit, and figs.
Dark Chocolate
Low-Fat Yogurt
SOURCE: Everyday Health |
Here's your "QuoteAction" for this issue:
"I'd rather be a 'could-be' if I cannot be an 'are;' because a 'could-be' is 'a maybe' who is reaching for a star. I'd rather be a 'has-been' than a 'might-have-been,' by far; for a 'might-have-been' has never been, but a 'has' was once an 'are.'"
Comedian, Milton Berle
Your action for today is to get busy doing something that will prevent you from becoming a "might-have-been."
Have an extraordinary day!
SOURCE: Betty Jo Waxman
Productive Learning & Leisure, LLC |
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Disclaimer of Liability
Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
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| Health & Wellness Products |
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| CONTACTS |
Please contact one of our VANTAGE professionals for assistance or click on the help picture. Paul White 510-595-0904
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