Q: I'm trying to keep up my daily walking exercise, but I have peripheral artery disease that makes it hard. These days I eat right, don't smoke and take my statin and high blood pressure medications, but I still get cramping and pain sometimes. Any suggestions? - Andrea K., Jacksonville, Florida
A: A lot of folks 50 and older - as many as 12 million - have to deal with the discomfort of PAD (peripheral artery disease). It's caused by plaque-filled blood vessels that obstruct blood flow (usually to legs and feet), starving muscles of oxygen and triggering weakness and cramps. Risk factors for developing PAD include smoking, high blood pressure and/or Type 2 diabetes. Left untreated, it can lead to amputation or stroke. But caught early and managed with lifestyle changes and medications, symptoms can be eased or even reversed.
Here's a great new way that may help you walk away from PAD. A recent study from Northwestern University tracked 44 people, 60-plus with lower-extremity PAD and found that they reported significantly fewer symptoms after drinking a beverage made with half an ounce of flavanol-rich, unsweetened cocoa three times a day for six months.
The research, published in the journal Circulation, found that the cocoa, which contains the flavanol epicatechin, improved blood flow to their calves, increased capillary density in their muscle tissue and improved overall blood flow. A muscle biopsy revealed that the flavanol actually repaired damaged mitochondria in the muscle cells (they are the energy producers). As a result, the participants were able to walk up to one half a football field farther in a six-minute walking test, compared with those who drank the beverages without cocoa. Touchdown!
We know that's a lot of cocoa to drink every day. But you can also munch on 1-2 ounces of a 70% cacao chocolate bar for half a day's dose. Or look for other foods rich in epicatechin, such as apples and whole broad beans. Strawberries, peaches and raspberries have a smaller, but possibly helpful, dose. And in time, with some more research, the investigators say there may be a dark chocolate prescription in your future.
Q: I've been getting fatigued a lot, gaining weight and I feel chilly when others don't. Could there be a problem with my thyroid? - Alisha G., Pelham, New York
A: Possibly. Your thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck, is the master governor of your metabolism. What's called hypothyroid disease - "hypo" means "low" - affects your body temperature, so you get cold easily. It also reduces your energy output and can cause depression, constipation, brain fog and weight gain. Other symptoms of an underactive thyroid are dry skin, a puffy face, muscle aches and weakness, and soreness in your joints. According to researchers at Dr. Mike's Cleveland Clinic, hypothyroidism affects more than 20% of women 50 and older. It can be caused by a variety of issues:
- Radiation treatments can affect thyroid function, often years after treatment.
- Sometimes it's associated with an infection, which will clear up by itself over time. Try eating at least 30 grams of protein in the morning and getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night so you can recover sooner.
- Ask your doc if a simple blood test that measures your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level is warranted. It can indicate if you have an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's disease that attacks the thyroid (it may be inherited). This is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.
If you have Hashimoto's, you'll need to take a daily dose of synthetic thyroid hormone (levothyroxine). It is recognized (even by insurance companies) that some people need the brand-name medication while others can use the generic. If the generic doesn't improve your symptoms, ask for a prescription for a brand such as Synthroid. Once you and your doctor figure out the right form and dose, you should feel 100% again.
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