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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 2015)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2015 Jazz pianist to play Florence Dec. 5 John Paris returns to Florence from a recent per- formance at Carnegie Hall, where he was awarded “Best Jazz Album of the Year” by Enlightened John Paris Piano Radio. He will be playing selections from last year’s Heart of Christmas as well as music from his upcom- Spruce Point Assisted Living presents: ing Christmas album. Suitable for any age group, this will be a great start to the Christmas season. The house concert will be in Kathy Parsons’ home in Sandpines West on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. There is a suggested donation at the door of $15 per seat. All donations go to the artist. Reservations are required by either calling Parsons at 541-999-9720 or by emailing her at kathypiano@gmail. com. The address and directions will be furnished when reser- vations are made. As a featured performer alongside the Minneapolis Symphony, an accompanist to the Moody Blues and a special guest on The Merv Griffin Show and Jerry Lewis Telethon, Paris has enjoyed a diverse and varied career that has spanned four decades. With his extensive resume and impressive credentials, Paris combines professional- ism with real life experience. SAFETY S FIRST SafetyMan says “Always be Safe to Ensure an Active & Independent Lifestyle” Join us as we host a lecture series to increase safety awareness on fall prevention, common home injuries and provide solutions to keep you and your loved one safe. Classes are FREE to the public. Don’t Let the Blues Get You Down Advance Directives THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015, 2:00 PM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015, 2:00 PM Learn how to identify and manage depression. Proper planning and coping skills can help ease stressors caused by life changes. What is an Advance Directive? When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease there are many questions. One of the most confusing aspects can be the legal documents that need to be signed while your loved one can still make decisions. Living with Lower Cholesterol THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015, 2:00 PM Increase your understanding of cholesterol levels and how proper diet and nutrition can be combined with exercise and medications to keep your cholesterol levels in check. All Participants will be entered into a raffle for a $25 Gift Card. To RSVP and to find out about our Move In Specials call (541) 997-6111 or visit us today! Spruce Point Assisted Living 375 9th Street, Florence, Oregon 97439 www.PrestigeCare.com J OEL F UHRMAN , MD Statin drugs pose risk Elevated blood cholesterol is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Higher LDL cholesterol levels mean that more LDL from the bloodstream makes its way into the arterial wall. There, LDL is oxidized, setting off a chain of events leading to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Statin drugs work by block- ing an enzyme involved in the liver’s production of choles- terol. Statins are one of the most frequently prescribed classes of drugs, and more than twenty-five percent of adults age 45 and older take statins. In the most recent analysis of statins in patients who have not had a previous cardiovas- cular event, a 14 percent reduction in all-cause mortali- ty and a 25 percent reduction in cardiovascular events were reported. However, the validity of these numbers has been ques- tioned; some researchers have claimed that studies conduct- ed by scientists without con- flicts of interest did not find any reduction in cardiovascu- lar events, in contrast to stud- ies supported or conducted by pharmaceutical companies. In a 2010 study that ana- lyzed the medical records of 2 million statin users, increases in the risk of liver dysfunc- tion, muscle-related side effects, acute kidney injury and cataracts associated with statin use were reported. Larger doses of statin drugs are associated with greater likelihood of side effects, and additional risk factors such as other drugs, older age, dia- betes and high triglycerides also increase the likelihood of adverse effects. In addition to these known adverse effects, there is debate over whether statins may have detrimental effects on brain function. Approximately 17 percent of patients who take a statin experience an adverse effect. Even if this seems like a low level of risk, statins treat a condition that is preventable and reversible via dietary and lifestyle modification. So why take any risk at all? It is now well established that there is an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in statin users, one meta-analysis reporting a 9 percent increase in risk, another reporting a 13 percent increase in risk. Statin use appears to pro- mote diabetes by impairing insulin secretion by the beta cells of the pancreas and also by reducing insulin sensitivity. A study examining Canadian healthcare records for 2 million patients who had been newly prescribed a statin found an increase in the inci- dence of hospitalization for acute kidney injury during the first six months of statin use — high potency statins in par- Join us for a Lunch and Learn with Orthopedic Surgeon Bruce Watanabe, MD Thursday, December 3, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. ÀiViÛiÌÃiÌiÀ Ç£x+ÕVi-ÌÀiiÌ , Florence, OR 7 iÌ iÀÞÕ½ÀiÌ i}vVÕÀÃi]Ì i`>ViyÀ]ÀÕÃÌÃÌÀ}Ì iLi>V ] Bruce Watanabe, MD 7 A ÞÕii`ÃÌÀ} «Ã>`i}ÃÌii«ÞÕÛ}°*i>Vii>Ì ½ÃV>ÀÌ «i`V Ìi>vÀ>ÕV >`i>ÀiÛiÌvVÕÃi`ÞÕÀiið Balance screenings will be provided along with other departments from the hospital to CPUYGTSWGUVKQPU(TGGNWPEJHQTVJGƂTUVTGIKUVGTGFIWGUVU RSVP by November 30 Ài}ÃÌiÀi>Ìbit.ly/phortho or call 541-902-6300 ext. 2261 ticular. The most common adverse effects of statins are myopathies (impaired muscle function), which may be due to impaired energy production in muscle cells. These side effects include muscle pain and a severe breakdown of muscle. Due to the negative effects of statins on skeletal muscle, there is evidence that statins may also blunt the fitness- building response to aerobic exercise training. More research must be done to confirm these heart disease- promoting effects of statins, but for now they do warrant caution. If you have elevated choles- terol, dietary and lifestyle modifications should be the first course of action. Medication is unnecessary in most people who make the appropriate lifestyle changes. A high-nutrient diet con- taining a portfolio of foods such as green vegetables, nuts, beans and berries work syner- gistically to bring LDL cho- lesterol down and restore the health of the arteries. A high-fiber, high-nutrient diet focusing on vegetables, fruit and nuts was found to reduce cholesterol by 33 per- cent within two weeks. Unlike taking a statin while continuing a disease-causing eating style, a Nutritarian diet and lifestyle does more than address one or two heart dis- ease risk factors. This lifestyle combines components that promote regression of athero- sclerotic plaque while reduc- ing cholesterol levels, blood pressure and inflammation. These effects of a Nutritarian diet have now been published in a peer- reviewed scientific journal, The American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. Survey data documented a decrease in LDL cholesterol in those who adhered to the diet style at least 80 percent. In addition, those who start- ed out obese averaged a sus- tained weight loss of 50 pounds which was maintained even two years after changing their diet. Those who started with hypertension reduced their systolic blood pressure. Case studies accompanied this data, and atherosclerosis reversal was documented. Living healthfully produces dramatic changes because it doesn’t address just one risk factor; it makes your entire body healthier. You don’t just lower your cholesterol, you become more resistant to diabetes and can- cer, and improve your immune function. In conclusion, I strongly feel that prescribing statins for elevated cholesterol is coun- terproductive. Taking a statin drug allows the patient to psychologically downplay the urgency of the lifestyle and dietary changes that would drastically improve health, life expectancy and quality of life. You can choose to remove the cause or treat the symptom; treating the symp- tom with statin drugs does not reverse heart disease and carries the risk of adverse effects. Removing the cause with a health-promoting diet and lifestyle not only reduces cholesterol but also reduces blood pressure, reverses heart disease and protects against diabetes, dementia and cancer. Dr. Fuhrman is a New York Times best-selling author and board certified family physician specializing in lifestyle and nutri- tional medicine.