Travelers with health concerns often have to pack around substantial amounts of medication.  Medication should not be packed into your checked luggage, but should be placed in your carry on. Because you need to keep medication in their original containers, it can sometimes take up lots of room when you have to tote around a lot of meds.

Magellan’s Travel Medicine Case will allow you to pack all your medications, vitamins and medical supplies, in one place, keeping everything handy and available for security clearance.

The frame of the bag is structured, so everything is protected and stays in place.  There are three movable dividers to keep everything organized, and a spot for a cold pack if you need to keep medications refrigerated.  A zip-out vinyl pouch allows you to separate small items, or to divide up medications for a short day trip, and a separate zippered pocket is perfect if you need to carry syringes.

When you need to open the bag it zips completely around to open, and lays flat, making it easy for you to get into, as well as to display the contents should you need to when going through security.  All your meds are securely packed away, organized and safe, and handy to get to when you need them.

Don’t let health issues, and the need to travel with substantial amount of medications, keep you from enjoying travel.  Carrying your meds in a dedicated case is one of the products that can help make your trip a little easier.

On sale now at Magellan’s, $19.85.

Photo credit: Magellan’s

I received a lot of feedback on my last post about new guidelines for resistant hypertension. And I thank you for that! So this morning I am going to take a few of the simpler questions that came across, tie them together and do a little Dear Hearty Life of sorts.

Is resistant high blood pressure resistant to exercise and diet regimens and can it be genetic?

Resistant hypertension is high blood pressure that does not respond to treatment. It is defined as blood pressure that remains elevated above treatment goals despite administration of a three drug regimen usually including a diuretic. It can not be diagnosed in full until the treatment has failed.

The most common cause of resistant hypertension, and the most difficult to treat is non- compliance of the patient. The term ‘patient noncompliance’ refers to situations where the patient did not adhere to the treatment for whatever reason, and some are out of the control of the patient.

It is important to figure out the underlying reason behind the resistant hypertension. Is it overactive adrenal glands, secondary hypertension? Is it kidney insufficiency or fluid build up? The physician needs to explore all options and situations before finding a regimen hat would be acceptable for the patient.

For the first time, the American Heart Association has set guidelines in the diagnosis and treatment of resistant high blood pressure. Resistant hypertension is if a person’s blood pressure remains above the goal despite taking three medications to lower as well as high blood pressure that is under control using four or more medications to treat it.

It is important to note that there is a huge difference between uncontrolled and resistant blood pressure. Uncontrolled is when the treatment is not effective and there needs to be more lifestyle changes or more adequate adjustments.

There are many underused types of medications and treatments that hypertension specialists would have a leg up on.

Diuretics are often underused in people with resistant hypertension, and some patients may benefit from adding mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) to their treatment regimens, according to the statement. MRAs treat a condition called primary aldosteronism, which is found in about 20 percent of patients with resistant hypertension.

The bottom line is that you as well as your doctor need to keep up on your blood pressure changes, treatment and keep a log of your lifestyle changes. You need to know if your blood pressure is truly controlled or if it is resistant and if so… seek a hypertension specialist. Persons with resistant high blood pressure have more complications and health issues and why not nip it in the bud, right?

How are your genes looking? No it is not a typo and I do not mean the ones on your backside, I mean the ones your Mama and Papa gave you!

Cholesterol be warned… they are on a rampage and their coming for you. An international study of over 20,000, yes 20,000, people allowed researchers to identify 7 new genes that influence blood cholesterol levels and confirmed 11 other genes that were previously thought to influence high lipids.

Of the seven new variants, two influenced HDL, one influenced LDL, and three influenced triglycerides, which are found in fat and in the bloodstream and like LDL, are associated with increased risk of heart disease. One variant influenced triglycerides and LDL.

Will this bring us that much closer to new medications and treatments for high cholesterol? Will this aid in fighting heart disease? Yee ha science!

via Science Daily and University of Michigan

I walked a 5K this morning at Bulle Rock golf course for Women’s Heart Health. That would be the same course that the ladies of the LPGA are playing this week for the McDonalds Championship. Like I said before, it is so cool to have this literally in our backyard.

After the walk they provided a breakfast and health screenings for us, ie. blood pressure, body fat, BMI, and cholesterol. Love having that body fat done, you know? It wasn’t that bad. At least when you know, you can do something about it. We also had a holistic physician as a guest speaker.

Most of what she was referring to didn’t apply to me, but she had some very valid points. Exercise and nutrition are of course the key factors in the prevention of heart disease. She gave the obvious pointers we all know too well. That is not too say that we carry through with them!

But the one topic that she touched on really made me think. “So many of us take blood pressure and cholesterol medication for years and years, but do we stop and evaluate if our situation has changed enough to warrant discontinuing the medications?”

This is something that I don’t touch upon when speaking with patients. Things have to change with our bodies over time, right? Especially if you have made positive lifestyle changes!

You could be taking medications that are not even needed. Could you be doing more harm than good? Have you reevaluated your heart medications recently?