Breaking the Rules of Aging

by Lipschitz, David A.

• ISBN13: 9780895260826
• ISBN10: 0895260824
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-10-01
• Publisher: Lifeline Pr

Summary

Dr. David Lipschitz--PBS's beloved Doctor David--is here to spread the good news about aging. With his special brand of wit, wisdom, and humor, Doctor David has brought cutting-edge insight to nutrition, exercise, memory loss, frailty, nursing home care, heart disease, and other topics.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction	xvii
CHAPTER ONE Don't Lose Weight!	1	(30)
The Myths about Weight
Blame Disease, Not Extra Pounds
Why Thin Isn't Healthy
The Fallacy of "Low Fat"
Healthy at 70-Plus
When It's Healthy to Lose Weight
Reversing Weight Loss
When Are You Too Heavy?
CHAPTER TWO High-Tech Heart Boondoggles	31	(24)
A Walking Time Bomb?
Unnecessary Surgery?
Angioplasty and Bypass Surgery
The Truth About Treadmill Tests
Save Your Money on CTs
The Best Ways to Evaluate and Treat Coronary Artery Disease
The Thallium/Treadmill Stress Test
The Echocardiogram
The Angiogram
Triple Vessel Disease and Bypass Surgery
Not All Procedures Are Effective
Devastating for the Elderly
Be True to Your Heart
CHAPTER THREE When Natural Isn't Better	55	(24)
The Alternative Explosion
Seeking Solutions Elsewhere
Big Claims, Doubtful Benefits: St. John's Wort, Kava, and Ginseng
Lessons from Laetrile
False Hope for Cancer Patients
Government Watchdogs
The Plus Side of Nature's Medicines: Ginkgo, Saw Palmetto, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12
Using Them Wisely
CHAPTER FOUR The Myth of Age-Related Memory Loss	79	(18)
What's Normal, What's Not
The Alzheimer's Plague
Protecting Mind and Memory
Use It or Lose It: Lessons from the Nun Study
Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
Good Health, Good Memory
Should You Have Your Memory Tested?
CHAPTER FIVE You Don't Need All Those Pills	97	(22)
Overmedication of the Elderly
The Risks of Polypharmacy
Snow-balling Side Effects
Rising Drug Costs
When New Isn't Better: Lessons Learned from Vioxx and Celebrex
Drugs to Avoid at All Costs
Don't Let Drugs Kill You
CHAPTER SIX Lifesaving Heart Drugs That Aren't Used Enough	119	(20)
No Attention to Prevention
The Best Drugs for Preventing Heart Attacks
The Amazing Statins
Aspirin: An Inexpensive Miracle
Dynamic Duo: ACE Inhibitors and Beta-Blockers
Be a Proactive Patient
CHAPTER SEVEN The "Softening" of Exercise Advice	139	(22)
Strolling Won't Do It
The Push-Hard Payoff
Aging Muscles and Bones
Exercise Excuses
The Aerobic Edge
Resistance Training
Getting Started
Just Do It!
CHAPTER EIGHT Have More Sex! You'll Live Longer!	161	(22)
Sex Is Forever
Sex Gets Better with Age
More Sex, a Longer Life
Sex and the Changing Body
Dealing with Changes
Don't Ignore Sexual Problems!
Medicine's Sexual Side Effects
CHAPTER NINE STDs Don't Discriminate	183	(16)
A Shameful Silence
HIV and AIDS
Human Papilloma Virus
Hepatitis C
Preventing STDs
CHAPTER TEN Anti-Aging Hype: Only a Kernel of Truth	199	(20)
On the Trail to the Fountain of Youth
"Longevity Medicine': Dubious and Costly
The True Science behind the Snake Oil
Calorie Restriction
Antioxidants
Improved Immunity
Thyrnosin and Other "Glandulars"
Melatonin
Correcting Hormonal Deficiencies
The Estrogen Question
Growth Hormones
DHEA
Testosterone
Genetic Manipulation
Theories Aren't Treatments
CHAPTER ELEVEN When to Refuse the "Miracles of Medicine"	219	(18)
Pointless Heroic Efforts
Dying a "Good Death"
The Cruelest Care
The Pros and Cons of Chemotherapy
Dying with Comfort
Hospice and Palliative Care
Physician-Assisted Suicide
The Right to Pain Relief
The Right to Forgo Nourishment
Make Your Wishes Known
CHAPTER TWELVE Doctor David's Prescriptions for Life	237	(16)
Cultivate Creativity
Know When "Age-Related" Disabilities Aren't
The Side Effects of Self-Esteem
Find Joy in Retirement
Embrace Spirituality
Make the Best of the Best Years
Index	253