Dr.'s Blog

EXERCISE, WHAT I DO - PODCAST EPISODE #2

akleid@sbcglobal.net — 2009-04-16T15:55:00-07:00

In this episode, Dr. Kleid talks about his daily exercise routine and why
it will add years to your life.

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Dr. Kleid doing his daily exercise.

BELLY FAT - PODCAST EPISODE #1

akleid@sbcglobal.net — 2009-04-02T01:03:00-07:00

In this episode Dr. Kleid talks about the dangers of belly fat and how it puts you at risk for a heart attack, stroke or sudden cardiac death.

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HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ( Hypertension)

akleid@sbcglobal.net — 2009-03-01T04:27:00-08:00

High blood Pressure is a silent killer. High blood pressure predisposes the individual to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, disease of the coronary ateries, hardening of the arteries, and heart failure. Unfortunately, most peole with high blood pressure have no symptoms whatsoever.
The good news is that treatment of hypertension reduces the incidence of fatal heart attack by 45-50% and fatal stroke by 55-60%. The problem is that millions of people are unaware that they have high blood pressure and are not receiving treatment. Adults should have a yearly exam by their physician, during which blood pressure is checked. Blood pressure can also be self monitored with a portable blood pressure kit.
How do we treat high blood pressure?
The inter-relationship between the physician and the patient in treating high blood pressure is what I call "tailored therapy." Because there is no strict formula for treating hypertension, the physician must tailor the therapy keeping in mind the patient's unique history and problems.
High blood pressure can sometimes be treated successfully with lifestyle changes alone: exercise, cessation of smoking, controlling sodium intake(which should be less than 100 mEq per day), cutting out alcohol and reduction of stress. These measures should be taken in every hypertensive individual. If nonpharmacologic measures are not successful, the next step would be to treat with medication.

THE NORMAL AGING EYE - Floaters

akleid@sbcglobal.net — 2009-02-01T04:26:00-08:00

Have you ever experienced a floater? This is a spot of material that looks like a web or a line or a cluster of dots that moves, sometimes slowly and sometimes rapidly, across your field of vision. These floaters are tiny bits of tissue from the vitreous, the material that fills your eyes. Usually, floaters are not of any clinical importance. They tend to show up most when the individual is looking at the sky or white wall, and they are made worse by fatigue or stress.
Floaters are usually not a cause for concern. You need to make an appointment with an eye doctor only if you suddenly notice a whole lot of floaters at once or if you also see sudden flashes of light. These are the symptoms of a retinal detachment, which must be corrected by an ophthalmologist right away.
What can you do to protect your vision?
You must accept that some of the age-realted changes that take place in the eye have no cure. However, you can take measures to prevent or slow down the development of many of these and other conditions. Stop smoking. Control your fat intake and get exercise.
I do recommend a good multivitamin that includes antioxidants and essential elements. A good basic formula would include:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Superoxide Dismutase
Zinc
Manganese
Copper
Folic Acid
Chromium
Selenium

VYTORIN vs. ZOCOR

akleid@sbcglobal.net — 2009-04-30T16:12:00-07:00

For those of you on Vytorin or Zocor for your elevated cholesterol, you are probably quite aware of the study that was done comparing the two drugs head to head. Vytorin is a drug that contains Zocor and also contains Zetia which also reduces cholesterol. A study was done in Holland called the “enhanced trial” comparing Vytorin to Zocor. It found that Vytorin performed no better than Zocor in changing a biomarker of heart disease which is called carotid intimal media thickening (which is a sensitive non-invasive way to test plaque buildup). The study found that Vytorin lowered the cholesterol more than Zocor, which was expected. However, I looked at the details of the trial and I found that the carotid intimal media tests were not done properly. They were not gated - what I mean by that is that they have to be done at the time of an R wave of an electrocar-diogram because if they are not it can alter the results. The other thing that I found in this study is that the patients who were on the clinical trial had been on statin drugs for quite a period of time. Before the study began the statin drugs were stopped for six weeks which is called the washout period. Then they were put on Vytorin or the Zocor. A six-week washout is not enough to erase the benefits on the carotid intimal media test that were already accrued by their previous statin therapy.
This was a bad trial and what needs to be done is an outcome study to compare the patients on either Vytorin or Zocor with respect to heart attack, stroke, or death. Once that study comes out, then we can clarify this whole issue. The end result is that the patients who have been on Vytorin should continue to take it and the patients who have been on Zocor should continue to take it unless they have side effects.