EasyLife Home-based Healthcare Services

18/11/2021

18/11/2021

*High Aldosterone Levels in the Elderly Explains High Susceptibility to COVID-19*

*Aldosterone Levels in the Elderly and COVID-19!*

Activation of Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS), leads to an increase of aldosterone levels in COVID-19 patients which may be associated with increased mortality due to cardiac arrest in COVID-19 infected patients.Aldosterone regulates the innate and adaptive immune response by promoting the activation of inflammatory mediators and cells such as monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), and lymphocytes.

The activation of these cells leads to cytokine storm, which correlates with the high mortality and sudden death in COVID-19 geriatric patients. Moreover, aldosterone aggravates the activity of DCs (dendritic cells) in SARS-CoV-2 infection. In vivo, DCs pre-treated with aldosterone show an increased capacity to activate CD 8+ T cells response and enhance Th 17 polarization of CD 4+ T cells. Additionally, this hormone can reduce regulatory T cells (T-reg) that in physiological conditions act as important immune suppressors and can lead to a reduction of vascular damages induced by aldosterone. Furthermore, decrease and dysregulation of T-reg have been suggested in COVID-19 infection, especially in older hospitalized patients.Finally, concluding that in COVID-19 older patients, aldosterone may downregulate T-reg number, promoting vascular injury.

This, in turn, enhances dendritic cells (DCs) function and induces a hyper-inflammatory state. This mechanism could be used for the development of new DC vaccines against COVID-19 with more effectiveness mostly in older patients with a poor antibody response to the vaccines currently. Further studies are necessary to evaluate in vivo and in vitro effects of aldosterone on SARS-CoV-2 affected cells and to test the potential beneficial effects of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) in COVID-19 and the related cardiac complications.

18/11/2021

Dr Devi Shetty

For all my friends....

In the last few years, I have lost at least 8 to 9 people known to me personally, and a few celebrities too, who were in their 40s who died because of doing too much to be "fit". Unfortunately they only looked fit, six packs and all. Today Puneeth Rajkumar gets added to this list.

In anything in life, MODERATION is the mantra. Any extreme of zero or 100 is not correct. A moderate amount of exercise, just about 20mins, eating everything, no detoxification or keto moto diets, just eat what your ancestors have been eating, the local and seasonal food in your hometown, not kale, kiwi or olive oil..., but in small quantities, sleeping a full 7 hours, respecting your body by not feeding it steroids, performance enhancement drugs are all that you need to do.

Just eat all that you ate growing up, in small quantities, exercise for 20mins to 30mins...just a good walk should do perfectly and stop all supplements....if you drink, limit it to a couple of pegs a week, if you absolutely can't give up smoking, a couple a day .. .you get my drift??? Anything but in moderation. Add a bit of silent meditation to your routine.Most importantly, listen to your body. Understand it.

By 40 the body is undergoing a lot of changes, 50 even more, 60 plus your body is starting to slow down, 70 plus, your body is starting to shut down, 80 plus every year is a bonus. So, stop saying 60 is the new 40, 50 is the new 30...no it isn't, if you are 40 or 50 plus, be grateful if you're healthy, slow down so your heart can keep pace, understand retirement has been suggested for a reason, your body and mind cannot take the stress which you once endured. Outwardly you could be looking good, thank your genes but inside, the organs are aging.

If you're 40 + read the above and if you're doing something other than the above, change it, now!! I'm sure you don't want to end up as another statistic..

25/02/2021

29/12/2020

_Dr Raghvendra Rao from Bangalore has sent a useful post, regarding Covid Vaccination ... answering all possible Questions we might’ve. You may like to check it out, if you have any:_

*_FAQ’s on Covid Vaccines:_*

*_1. When is the Corona vaccine likely to be available?_*

_Probably the Government will get it by January and the private market by March._

*_2. Do we all need to take it?_*

_Yes, all should take it._

*_3. Who will get it first?_*

_It will be prioritised. First frontline workers and first responders like paramedical staff, civil servants, police, army, politicians and their relatives will get it first._

*_People more than 50 years of age and those with co-morbidities like diabetes, HT, transplant and chemotherapy patients will get it next._*

_Then will be healthy adults, teenagers, children and last neonates if at all._

*_4. How will it be given?_*

_Through public and private centres, by Doctors, Dentists, Nurses and trained paramedics._

*_5. What is the recommended dose and schedule?_*

*_Two doses given 21 days or 28 days apart depending on vaccine used._*

*_6. What if I take only one dose?_*

*_One dose will give you only partial protection of may be 60-80% and will not last long enough. For complete protection you must take two doses at recommended intervals._*

*_7. What if I forget to take the second dose?_*

*_Should I take the first again?_*

*_Just take the second dose at the earliest. No need to repeat the first dose._*

*_8. Are both doses same?_*

*_In most of the vaccines it will be the same dose given twice._*

*_However, Sputnik- V vaccine has both doses as different vector viruses, so will be marked as dose 1 and 2._*

*_Oxford-AZ vaccine may also come out with first dose as half dose._*

*_9. Do you need to take it even if you had Corona?_*

*_After how many days of getting cured?_*

*_Yes. But that will be last in the priority list. You can let others take who probably need more than you._*

*_You might need it earlier

08/12/2020

*Health tip*

YOUR 2nd HEART

*👍🏽🚶🏽‍♀️Keep Walking!🚶🏽👍🏽*

*The calf muscle in your legs is your second heart.*
Everyone knows that the heart pumps blood, right? But did you know that your body has a second blood pump? It’s your calf muscles! That’s right, the calf muscles in your legs are your second heart!

The human body is engineered such that when you walk, the calf muscles pump venous blood back toward your heart.

The veins in your calf act like a reservoir for blood your body does not need in circulation at any given time. These reservoir veins are called _muscle venous sinuses._ When the calf muscle contracts, blood is squeezed out of the veins and pushed up along the venous system. These veins have one-way valves which keep the blood flowing in the correct direction toward the heart, and also prevent gravity from pulling blood back down your legs.

Walking or running enables your foot to play a major role in the pumping mechanism of the calves. The foot itself also has its own (smaller) venous reservoir. During the first motion of taking a step, as you put weight on your foot, the foot venous reservoir blood is squeezed out and ‘primes’ the calf reservoir. Then, in the later stages of a step, the calf muscle contracts and pumps the blood up the leg, against gravity. The valves keep the blood flowing in the right direction and prevents gravity from pulling the blood right back down.

Thus, when you are immobile for long periods of time (sitting in an airplane, car seat, or chair for hours) your calf muscle is not contracting much and the blood stagnates.

That’s why walking or running is so good for overall blood circulation. It prevents blood pooling and helps prevent potentially dangerous blood clots called _deep vein thrombosis_(DVT).

Another condition called _venous insufficiency, or venous reflux_ can cause blood to pool in your legs due to the failure of the valves to work properly. In this condition, the valves fail to prevent the backflow of blood down your legs. Symptoms of _venous insufficiency_ can include heavy, tired, throbbing, painful legs, ankle swelling, bulging varicose veins, cramps, itching, restless leg, skin discolouration and even skin ulceration. _Venous insufficiency_ is a very common disorder, affecting over 40 million people in the U.S.

In cases when a person is even more immobile, such as laying in a hospital bed, the pooled blood can become stagnant and develop into a blood clot. This is called a _deep vein thrombosis_ (DVT). DVT can cause leg pain and swelling and is dangerous because a blood clot can break off and travel in your blood stream and get lodged in your lungs.

- _By Louis Prevosti, MD_

17/11/2020