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Category: Health & Wellness / Topics: Health Care Risk Wellness

Risky Business

by Dan Seagren

Posted: July 31, 2011

We ought to be aware of what health factors may linger on our doorstep....

The major causes for death (not counting accidents or suicide) vary from century to century. Since most of us live currently in the early 21st century, we ought to be aware of what health factors may linger on our doorstep.

Canada's McMaster University identified 10 common risk factors for stroke based on 6,000 people. Five common risk factors: high blood pressure, smoking, poor diet, belly fat, and low physical activity. Five additional risk factors — diabetes, heart disease, alcohol consumption, high cholesterol and stress or depressive symptoms. These 10 risk factors were linked to a 90% possibility for all strokes.

All 10 of these major factors were strongly associated with ischemic stroke ( when a clot in a blood vessel blocks blood and oxygen supply to the brain). Five risk factors were more pronounced for bleeding within the brain: high blood pressure, smoking, belly fat, poor diet and alcohol consumption. Hypertension was the single most significant risk factor for a stroke.

So we seniors argue: OK, so what else is new? Or, we despair: Oh oh, I sure like my alcohol. Or: Nothing there affects me. So, we live with our belly fat, alcohol, diabetes, smoking and our addiction to our recliner (our grandparents enjoyed their rocking chairs, remember?). But they fed the cattle, mowed the hay, washed clothes by hand, and did a lot of walking (meaning, ugh, that 8-letter word, exercise).

But we argue, we live a lot longer. Indeed. Thanks to modern medicine, better diets, more sources of warning (watched TV lately or read the daily?), we sipped rather than gulped (except when tension was rising), and we earned those extra years, believe me.

OK. What's your point? I guess I simply want to add my two cents to those meddlers who are trying to tell us something. Yes, we can avoid many pitfalls if we listen. Yes, we can add six months or sixteen years (more or less) unless we really don't care. And, yes, we lessen the grief, pain and emptiness of those we leave behind prematurely.

Today my wife and I signed up for some preemptive tests that could trigger a malady we don't want or need. Why? Because we've lost loved ones recently? Partly. Because we are dreadfully ill, incompetent, or scared silly? Not really. But in part because if we depart prematurely, we will add to the grief and pain of those around us. No use giving Monster Fate another trophy, right?



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Dan Seagren is an active retiree whose writings reflect his life as a Pastor, author of several books, and service as a Chaplain in a Covenant Retirement Community.

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Posted: July 31, 2011   Accessed 117 times

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