Thursday 16 March 2017
Hidden killer in your cold meds
Dear flocks
Most people hear "over the counter" and think "safe." If you can buy it at your local drugstore without a prescription, it must be okay to take, right?
Not so fast…
Taking popular OTC cold medicines can actually raise your risk of heart attack.
By now you probably know that taking NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can be bad news for your heart.
In fact, the FDA actually boosted label warnings on NSAIDs in 2015 to say they can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Now a recent study discovered that patients who are suffering from a common cold or flu are also at greater risk.
And when you take NSAIDs while you have a cold or the flu, you triple your chance of having a heart attack.1
When you have even a mild illness — like a cold or sinus infection — your body produces inflammatory proteins and thickens your blood. That can result in blood clots.
Taking NSAIDs not only causes your blood pressure to go up, it can also cause your blood platelets to clump together and may constrict your blood vessels.
Put them together and your risk for heart attack skyrockets… you're at 3.5 times greater risk than when you're healthy and not taking NSAIDs.
This is concerning because many OTC cold and flu medications contain NSAIDs. Because they can help with fever and pain, they're commonly added to many well-known cold and flu remedies.
I tell my patients to leave these dangerous medications on the shelf and take a walk in the sunshine instead.
A new study published in the British Medical Journal backs up what I've been saying for years — a daily dose of vitamin D can prevent millions of people a year from coming down with colds and flu.
This landmark study included over 11,000 patients. It found that among patients with the lowest levels of vitamin D, supplementation reduced their risk for acute respiratory infection by half.2
I encourage my patients to keep their levels in the range of 40 to 60 ng/mL. You can ask your doctor for a simple blood test if you don't know what yours are.
Sun exposure is the most natural and effective way to make sure your vitamin D levels are where they need to be. But gloomy winter weather and the epidemic use of sunblock means up to 58% of all Americans are deficient in vitamin D.3
If you can, spend at least 15-20 minutes outside every day. Make sure to uncover parts of your body that aren't normally exposed to sunlight.
Wear a hat to protect the delicate skin on your face, but bare your legs, torso or back… anyplace that isn't typically exposed.
The farther north you are from the equator — or the bleaker your winter weather — the more sun you need. If it's not practical to spend enough time in the sunlight every day (making sure not to burn), you should consider supplementing.
Vitamin D supplements are available as vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) or D3 (cholecalciferol). Make sure to take vitamin D3 because vitamin D2 breaks down rapidly in your body.4
I recommend 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day.
To Your Good Health,
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