Category: health

Your favorite street food might be the cause of your high cholesterol levels

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Filipinos’ love affair with street foods is due in many ways to its interesting taste and, more importantly, its affordability. But snacking on your favorite street fare may have far reaching health issues than we care to admit.

The Philippines is known for its rich and wide range food staples. Many are available just around the corner. However, those who frequent sidewalk vendors for their street foods are at an increased risk of having high cholesterol levels—more particularly those who crave for chicken livers.

Chicken livers offer nutrients that are beneficial for anemic individuals: they are rich in protein, iron and vitamin B12, as well as folate which is important in promoting fertility and preventing birth defects.

Despite the essential nutrients present in this food item, Amado Nazal, medical director of Pharex Health Corp, noted that consuming more servings of this variant than what is ideal could threaten a person’s health, risking them to acquire high cholesterol and develop cardiovascular diseases.

According to the American Heart Association, a healthy person needs only 300 milligrams of cholesterol every day while less than 200 milligrams are required for those who already have high cholesterol levels. However, chicken liver already contains 479 milligrams of cholesterol in a three-ounce serving—that’s about two to three skewered chicken livers—not including your other sources of cholesterol within the day.

“Despite how delicious skewered chicken livers are, more particularly those that are grilled on the streets, it may not be a healthy option for people who are already at risk of heart diseases,” Nazal said. “Cholesterol should be ingested in limited amounts as it may cause life-threatening consequences in the long run, especially when left untreated.”

Healthcare providers are starting to fret that Filipinos who have high cholesterol levels will continue to indulge on street foods that are actually bad for them. The World Health Organization added that most people with this condition are not getting the treatment they need to lower their risks of having cardiovascular disease such as heart attack and stroke.

With this, Pharex HealthCorp.—the most prescribed unibranded generics—highlights the importance of taking the prescribed medication and making lifestyle modifications to lower a person’s cholesterol levels.

Nazal said, “For patients who are at risk of having the disease, adhering to their medication is important in reducing their risks of developing heart problems. If they cannot avoid eating grilled chicken livers, then it is important for them to keep their cravings at a minimum and continue their therapy as intended.”

Cholesterol-lowering medication is widely available for Filipinos. But Nazal exclaimed that if “patients will practice non-adherence to their therapy, the quality of their life will be greatly affected.”

He concluded, “Satisfying your cravings for street foods is natural; it’s part of the Filipino culture. However, it’s more important for you to prioritize taking care of yourself to enjoy life’s other flavors.”

 

SHAP signs up first hospital partner in Cebu City

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Makati Medical Center’s Strategic Hospital Alliance Program (SHAP) signed up its very first hospital partner in Cebu City, the Adventist Hospital-Cebu.
Formerly called the H.W. Miller Memorial Sanitarium and Hospital, Adventist Hospital-Cebu was founded in 1954. Adventist Hospital-Cebu is a secondary level, five-story hospital with a 100-bed capacity. Adventist Hospital-Cebu was awarded the “Center for Quality” during its recent PhilHealth Benchbook Accreditation.

It is also MakatiMed’s fourth hospital partner run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, following Adventist Hospital Santiago City, Adventist Hospital Palawan and Adventist Medical Center- Bacolod City.

Bron Jay Villamor, SHAP Coordinator and Mary Ann Lee, Department Manager, Sales Services went to Cebu on June 18 for the hospital’s orientation.

The orientation was attended by the hospital’s corporate and medical leaders, headed by hospital President Fredelito N. Castillo, RMT, MBA, FPCHA.

This brings the SHAP partners to seventy-seven (77) partner hospitals/clinics, five (5) company referrers and seven (7) physician referrers.

SHAP signs up first hospital partner in Cebu City

PRNEWS Admin Leave a comment

Makati Medical Center’s Strategic Hospital Alliance Program (SHAP) signed up its very first hospital partner in Cebu City, the Adventist Hospital-Cebu.
Formerly called the H.W. Miller Memorial Sanitarium and Hospital, Adventist Hospital-Cebu was founded in 1954. Adventist Hospital-Cebu is a secondary level, five-story hospital with a 100-bed capacity. Adventist Hospital-Cebu was awarded the “Center for Quality” during its recent PhilHealth Benchbook Accreditation.

It is also MakatiMed’s fourth hospital partner run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, following Adventist Hospital Santiago City, Adventist Hospital Palawan and Adventist Medical Center- Bacolod City.

Bron Jay Villamor, SHAP Coordinator and Mary Ann Lee, Department Manager, Sales Services went to Cebu on June 18 for the hospital’s orientation.

The orientation was attended by the hospital’s corporate and medical leaders, headed by hospital President Fredelito N. Castillo, RMT, MBA, FPCHA.

This brings the SHAP partners to seventy-seven (77) partner hospitals/clinics, five (5) company referrers and seven (7) physician referrers.

Women over 65 more prone to hypertension than men

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In the United States, one in every three adults has high blood pressure. While women are as likely to have this condition as men, they are more prone to acquiring it during their twilight years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men and women both have the tendency to develop hypertension—the medical term for high blood pressure—during their lifetimes. However, women over 65 years old are more prone to acquiring it, particularly those who passed through their menopausal stage.

High blood pressure or hypertension is a common condition which triggers the heart to pump blood excessively. Having the heart pump more blood and narrower arteries, it is likely to result to higher chances of having high blood pressure.

Today, hypertension has become one of the major contributors to the global disease burden, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, since it causes health problems such as cardiovascular disease.

AmadoI. Nazal, medical director of Pharex Health Corp., said that women who passed through their menopausal stage are at an increased risk of having hypertension because of hormonal changes and increase in body mass index that comes with age.

“As a woman ages, her chances of acquiring hypertension becomes greater than a man’s,” Nazal said. “Hormonal changes relative to menopause can lead to weight gain, making blood pressure more reactive to salt. Eventually, this leads to hypertension.”

Effective control of hypertension should be a priority among healthcare providers. This is why Pharex Health Corp, the most prescribed generic brand of medicines, emphasizes the importance of prioritizing optimum health among women who belong to this age bracket to keep hypertension at bay before it leads to heart failure.

“The most important consideration every womanages 65 and older needs to make is to recognize the importance of having a healthy lifestyle as the key to preventing hypertension and other health conditions as well,” Nazal said.

He concluded, “Women who are already in their post-menopausal stage need to start taking care of themselves especially when their metabolism slows down. Embarking on a lifestyle journey is not a one-time travel—it is a life’s worth of adventure you can give to yourself. And someday, you’ll thank yourself you did.”

Daily food intake may pose serious oral health problems—expert says

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You heard how your daily food intake may affect your health. From obesity to various chronic diseases, your diet may take a toll at your overall wellness—and also your oral health. Maintaining a balanced diet is essential to healthy living, but indulging in foods rich in sugar will make you a candidate for tooth decay and gum disease.

According to Carmie de Leon, vice president for sales and marketing of Healthway Medical, sweet-toothed Filipinos should be aware that they not only increase their chances of acquiring type 1 or type 2 diabetes whenever they reach for a rich, chocolatey dessert or carbonated drinks. “What they don’t realize is that, when they expose their teeth to too much sugary foods from sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, or high-in-sugar desserts, they are giving permission to cavities to attack their teeth,” she said.

She added, “By eating foods rich in sugar content, they tend to invite more cavities, which cause the formation of plaque and eventually, tooth decay. But sugary foods are not the only culprit for teeth erosion. Even those rich in starch may contribute to tooth decay. In some instances, it may also cause periodontitis.”

Periodontitis, a severe gum disease, destroys the soft tissue and bone that serves as the backbone of your teeth. When left untreated, this serious infection could cause the gums to loosen the hold of the teeth, causing them to fall out.

“People who are most prone to periodontitis are those who have been diagnosed with diabetes since diabetes decreases the ability to resist infection and slows the healing process,” de Leon said. “If a person has this serious oral health condition, their blood sugar levels tend to rise, making diabetes more difficult to manage.”

Since food that contain sugars of any kind affects not only the oral health but the overall wellness of a person, Healthway Medical—the most trusted and preferred mall-based clinic in the Philippines—highlights the importance of proper nutrition to ensure that physical and emotional health are always in its best condition.

“You may be able to prevent two of the most common oral health conditions (tooth decay and periodontal disease) simply by improving your diet,” de Leon said. “But the challenging part comes in the choosing process, the moment when you’re locked up choosing which food groups are best for you,” de Leon said.

The Nutrition month comes with a full plate of health and wellness recommendations, but de Leon said that the first big step will start from the kitchen. “If you want to achieve optimum wellness from head to toe, you’ll need to check your fridge and swap your junk with foods that are actually good for you.”

De Leon said, “As for your oral health, you’ll need to practice good oral hygiene every day.” Brushing alone won’t keep bacteria at bay. To give your mouth the holistic dental care, you need to floss daily, maintain a balanced diet, replace your toothbrush every three to four months or sooner if bristles are already frayed, and consult your dentist regularly. To help you address your dental health concerns, Healthway Medical ensures that every Filipino has control over his or her dental health by offering a wide-array of dental services.

“To win a confident smile, you’ll need to give regular attention to your mouth,” de Leon said. “It’s easy to smile painlessly throughout the day if you have the right attitude towards improving your overall wellness. For an optimum health security, you need to make sleeping, eating right, exercising, and de-stressing (S.E.E.D.) as part of your daily routine.”

De Leon concluded, “Every person needs a confidence-boosting teeth. In order to achieve this, you’ll need to give your teeth the right care it needs through good nutrition and unparalleled quality dental service.”

If you want to achieve a great-looking set of teeth, visit any Healthway Medical clinics at the Alabang Town Center, EdsaShangri-la, Market! Market!, Festival Mall, Healthway Manila, SM The Block and Greenbelt 5.