Statins and Q10

Statins are commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol to combat hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis). However, many people get side effects, which include fatigue, muscle weakness and/or muscle pain, nerve problems such as numbness and tingling, and for some liver damage and incresed risk of diabetes and cancer. A Canadian study (reported in 2002) found that 75% of those prescribed statins (85,000 people in the study) had come off them within two years due to side effects.

Co-enzyme Q10 is a naturally occuring substance found in all body cells and also in some foods. Best dietary sources of Q10 are heart, liver and kidney but it is also found in meat, nuts, soya and rapeseed, and in smaller quantities in eggs and dairy foods. It plays a key role in helping cells to produce energy. Peak Q10 production occurs in our mid-20s. As we get older we rely more on dietary sources.

Statins block the production of an important compound called mevalonate, which the body needs to manufacture both cholesterol and Q10. If you lower cholesterol with statins by 40%, you lower Q10 levels by 40% too. As Q10 plays such a key role in energy production, taking statins can result in fatigue and muscle weakness.

So if you are prescibed statins, it may be worth taking Q10 as a supplement. The dose of Q10 can be 200mg per day with a low dose statin or up to 400mg per day for a hgih dose statin. All Q10 supplements are best taken with a meal.

Feature in Healthspan, Issue Summer 2014

Compulsory Signups to Facebook or Twitter

Q: Some sites now require you to be signed up to Facebook or Twitter, but I've no real interest in either.

A: A few years ago there was talk of a universal 'passport' to let you into resources, but it never really came to much, and I think access via Facebook or Twitter has rather taken that role. It's symptomatic of the way in which the net is going; in 'real life' everyone expects you to have a passport or driving licence and that assumption is now moving onto the web.

All I can suggest is that if you want to see a particular site, create an account with Facebook or Twitter that you can use to authenticate, but which otherwise you never use.

Phil Bradley in CILIP Update (unknown date)

Limescale in Kettles

To remove limescale from your kettle, boil a full kettle and then pour away half the water. Top it up with clear distilled water (not the brown vinegar you put on chips) and leave it overnight. When you pour out the mixture, the limescale will come out too. Give it a rinse before using it again.

AggieMcKenzie in Glamour, August 2014

Dementia

Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia (after Alzheimer's disease) in older adults. It is caused by a number of small strokes (transient ischaemic attacks -TIA), where the blood flow to the brain is cut off briefly. These may cause damage to areas of the brain, affecting for example, movement, speech and cognitive function, including memory.

Alzheimer's disease is caused by the loss of connections between brain cells, loss of brain cells themselves, a jumble of neurofibrillary tangles (a prtoein called tau) and the accumulation of amyloid plaques. While the cause and progression are not yet well understood, it is an age-related disease, with most diagnoses in people over 65, though early-onset Alzheimer's can occur in the 30s and 40s.

Alzheimer's disease disrupts the way electrical charges travel within brain cells (neurones) and the activity of neurotransmitters. Connections between neurones are lost; the type of connection lost relates to the symptoms. Loss of strong 'sticky connections affects long-term memory, while loss of less strong connections affects short-term memory. This explains why short-term memory is usually affected first; later there will be effects on behaviour, judgement, personality and functionality.

Normal: forgetting names of acquaintances, missing appointments. Not normal: can't remember the name of someone close, or remembering what happened yesterday. Normal: to be slower at mental calculation as you get older. Not normal: being flummoxed by household finances when previously ok. Normal to search occasionally for a word. Not normal: frequent searches for a word and verbal substitution. Normal: Worry about memory. Not normal: having problems but not being aware of it.

A few facts are emerging but much research is still needed. Bright children stand the best chance of a bright old age (perhaps they have more or better brain cells connections, so cope with any loss for longer before damage shows?).  Staying physically fit helps deliver oxygen to the brain. Keeping the brain active (crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, etc) seems to help.

Don't smoke - it narrows bloods vessels, so more risk of strokes. It seems that repeated head trauma (e.g. boxers, American football players, etc.) may also be a risk factor. There is also a genetic aspect, but this is thought to be due to inheriting risk genes rather than direct genes for Alzheimer's.

Music therapy appears to help. Music involves many areas of the brain; rhythm, melody, harmony, pitch, timbre and accent are experienced in various areas not just one, so provide many clues. There are also emotional and historical elements associated with specific pieces of music. Even with massive dementia, physically able sufferers can still beat time. Sufferers respond to music almost to the end of their lives.

Where Memories Go by Sally Magnusson, pub by Two Roads, Hodder & Stoughton, 2014.

Buying Jeans

General rules

• Take time to try on an assortment of sizes and styles - they may fit slightly differently depending on the cut and the brand.
• Sit down while wearing the jeans to make sure they are comfortable and there is no gaping at the back. 
• Consider buying a size smaller to allow for the natural stretch in denim, especially with a non-stretch pair.
• Bring or wear the shoes you are most likely to wear the jeans with in case any alterations are needed.

Your shape

• Larger thighs? Try bootcut and avoid tapered legs or anything baggy.
• Pear shaped? Low rise styles will make your bottom appear smaller. Wide legs will help slim your figure.
• A bit of a tummy? Look for specialist designs with hidden control panels. Avoid fussy waist details.
• No waist? Detailed waist bands and belts create shape. Tuck in tops to add definition.
• Wider calves? Look for flares and bootcut styles.
• Curvy? Choose classic straight cut or bootcut styles for balance. Choose dark shades for a leaner look.

Petite? 

• Make legs look longer with a narrow cut. A higher waistband lengthens the silhouette. 
• Gap brand: styles Best Girlfriend, True Skinny Ankle and Cropkick Flare are cut shorter in the leg than the rest of Gap fits, so end up the perfect length for petite frames. Gap also offer a customization service that includes hemming. 

Washing

• Wash jeans inside out, and with similar colours - new jeans are especially likely to bleed colour.
• If drying outside, hang them inside out to lessen fade. Shake before bone dry and fold - they shouldn't need ironing.

Good Housekeeping, February 2014 and February 2018

Lemon Slows Carb Breakdown

A squeeze of lemon juice can lower the GI (glycemic index) of food, slowing breakdown of carbs and helping to keep blood sugar levels steady.

80/20 Principle

In any activity (e.g. book clubs and art groups, Women's Institute and Lions and Rotary Clubs, committees of all sorts, amateur orchestras, choirs, music and drama groups, and even Internet forums), the typical membership will fall into two groups.

There are the 20% who are givers - the organizers and the do-ers (e.g. chair, committee, coffee makers, note takers, those who answer queries on Internet forums, etc.). They are what keep groups alive.

The remaining 80% are the takers - they attend meetings and take part in events, and lurk on Internet forums. It is always a challenge to turn takers into givers.

High Heels

Finding that wearing high heels is painful?

As the foot's natural padding thins with age, gel inserts and soles are a must. You'll still feel the burn in heels over 3.5cm (one and a half inches) high, and in shoes where the heel is set back, so keep them for special occasions.

For general wear, the heel of a shoe should be under the centre of the heel.

If you wear heels a lot, your calf muscles can shorten by as much as 13%. To help prevent this, stretch your legs regularly by standing barefoot on a step and dropping your heels towards the floor. Try and alternate high heels and flat styles.

On the other hand, if you spend most of your life in flat shoes, then wearing heels on a night out is likely to be painful. Wearing the same height shoes every day means your calf muscles set in a fixed position. So vary heel heights.

Good Housekeeping, February 2014 and September 2016

Finding Similar Websites

If I can find a particular site, are there any ways that I can quickly find other similar sites. Try Who Is Like It? (whoislike.it/). You simply type in a URL of a site that you like and it will try and find other similar sites for you.

Similicio.us (www.similicio.us/) and inSuggest (web.insuggest.com/) do the same job. Or you could use the Google 'related:' option: just type in a web address in the form of 'related:www.whatever.com' and it will try and pull up a couple of dozen alternatives for you.

Phil Bradley in CILIP Update (date not known)

Ginger Speeds up Metabolism

Ginger speeds up your metabolism.

Drink 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger dissolved in a cup of hot water and over the next 6 hours you will burn 43 more calories, feel less hungry and eat less through the day.

Keep Finances Under Control

• Keep a closer eye on spending. Write down regular payments and highlight those where you might be able to get a better deal (e.g. insurance, telecomms, gas, electricity). Be realistic and tackle one each month.
• Keep a spending diary - write down everything (from groceries to impulse buys, coffees and lunches). Having to record it will help you resist spending.
• Overspent at Christmas? Don't worry over the past - do something about getting back on track. Put a plan in place, working out how you pay off the credit card debt or get your current account in the black.
• Try a month of only spending on essentials - will do wonders for your bank balance.
• Try a month without using cards. Withdraw what cash you will need for seven days and budget to stick within this. Opt for self-scanning at the supermarket or take a calculator round with you.
• Comfort spending seems good at the time - but the pleasure is soon gone.
• Compulsive spender? When the voice in your head says 'let's go shopping' try diversion and delaying tactics - make a cup of tea, read a few pages of a book.
• Track down old savings accounts at mylostaccount.org and lost pensions via the Pensions Advisory Service.
• Check direct debits and standing orders and cancel any you no longer need.
• Plan any big spends (home improvements, holidays, big occasions) and start budgeting and saving for them well beforehand.
• Gym or health club membership can be expensive and are too often under-used. try cycling or walking to work each day - get fit and get a better bank balance at the same time.

Feature in Good Housekeeping, January 2014

All About Cats

Understanding your cat is key to giving it a happy life and training it. So here are some facts from current research.

Unlike dogs, cats are part-way between a domestic and a wild animal. Their evolutionary past is as a lone hunter. Cats are territorial animals and find it difficult to live closely with other cats. Two of the major reasons they are taken to vets are dermatitis and cystitis, with growing evidence that these are brought on by living with another cat that is terrifying it.

While farm cats will live in a big social group, they still hunt individually, sometimes covering quite a distance. Town cats go from their home in one direction and return and the journeys are quite short. Sometimes cats will 'timeshare' territory in streets with many cats. They need to be able to control their environment, so need easy access to the outside. Lots of houses are now open plan, which is a cat's nightmare so they also access to vertical space within the home - the tops of bookshelves and wardrobes make ideal 'resting places' where they feel secure by being off the ground.

Cat vision is best for detecting and following movement and at dusk and night, which is when they hunt. They need a meat diet as there are certain vitamins / minerals / other nutrients which their bodies cannot make and are not present in vegetation. Hunting provides them with these nutrients if their cat food is lacking anything (though cat foods are now better formulated for optimum nutrition). Kittens are taught how to hunt by their mothers. The hunting sequence is to locate prey, pounce and kill, then manipulate prey before eating. If not taught, cats will locate prey, then pounce and manipulate it ('toying' with) before eating (or not eating as not hungry). A mother cat will bring home dead prey to the kittens, then live ones for them to practice killing skills; the cat may treat the owner as a kitten and bring home dead or live prey.

We urgently need to reduce the urban cat population in order to alleviate the stress provoked by so many animals competing for the same territory. Early neutering is important but owners also need to learn that as animal lovers, there should only be one cat per household.

• Have only one cat. This is kinder to the cat, they really don't want another cat around.
• Get your cat neutered as early as possible (about 16 weeks of age).
• Do install a cat flap but make sure it only lets your cat in, so get one that can read its microchip or magnetic collar.
• The first year of a cat's life is important. Although cat's temperaments vary widely, it is partly down to nurture. Give it a lot of handling and attention.
• It's not cruel to keep them in. It's common in continental Europe to have an indoors cat. There is no evidence that such a cat has any more problems or stresses than a cat with outside access. Cats are flexible on space but do get bored. Make the environment interesting with toys, tunnels, etc. Don't shut it in one room. Play with it when you are at home.
• Pay attention to miaowing. Cats don't miaow to each other, only to humans when they want something - food, water, access to the outside.

It may be possible in the future to breed a cat that is more docile, less inclined to hunt and more open to training. Cats can be trained, but less easily than dogs. Cats are naturally less attentive to people and most don't find human attention rewarding in its own right, so you can't rely on affection and approval to train a cat.

• Yelling doesn't work but you will lose its affection. Never shout at it because it will just dislike you.
• Instant telling off. You need to catch your cat in the act - show it displeasure ten minutes after clawing the sofa, it will associate your reaction with the event immediately before - e.g. you walking through the door. If you're clever you can deter your cat by using a water pistol - but it must never see you use it. It has to associate getting wet with clawing the sofa.
• Take it for a drive. You may need to take your cat to the vet or a cattery at times, so you have to train it to be comfortable with both your carrier and the car. As soon as you take it out of its territory and comfort zone, it gets stressed. Gentle words won't help; dogs are reassured by the nearness of their owners but cats are the opposite. Training will take time. Leave an opened carrier around so the cat can explore it. Once it goes in of its own accord, half close the door; let it get used to this. Finally close the carrier but don't pick it up (as this would make it feel unsteady and anxious). Once it is happy to be enclosed, you can continue to move on in stages - picking up the carrier, taking it short distances, then to the car, then in car with engine on but not moving, then drive short distances to various places so cat does not only associate this with a vet's visit.
• Teach it not to hunt - not guaranteed but try the following. If you know when it is likely to hunt, you can train it to come indoors at that time. If you play hunting games with it before it goes out, it may be less likely to hunt when it goes out.
• Expecting a baby? If it's been just adults and a cat, this will be stressful. Find a recording of a baby crying and play it to the cat to get it accustomed to the noise. Rub a cloth over the scent glands on the cats face cheeks and then rub it on the legs of the cot, baby bouncer, push chair, etc. The cat will recognise its own scent and not be put out by the new objects. Once the baby is mobile, make sure the cat has 'safe' areas it can retreat to - on bookshelves, on top of cupboards,e tc.

Features in Radio Times, 20-26 September 2014 and 4-10 October 2014

Blekko Search Engine

Blekko (http://blekko.com/) is part search engine and part search engine creation resource and uses a concept it calls slashtags. You create a tag, give it a memorable name, then associate appropriate websites to it. This tells the search engine that it should only search those websites that are included as part of the tag. So if you have a number of websites that you think are of good quality in a particular subject area, it's really easy to create what is essentially your own search engine which will simply search those websites.

You can share your tags with friends or colleagues, and you can use some of the pre-populated tags that Blekko offers. So, for example, you could do a search for global warming/conservative or Congress/humor. You can also get access to recent material with the /date tag. In addition, you can get direct access to third-party websites such as YouTube or Twitter using the appropriate tag.

You don't have to register to use Blekko since it provides users with a number of built-in slashtags which you can see at http://blekko.com/tag/show and try them out. If you want to create your own tags, you do need to log in and create an account but this is a simple matter. The results page is clear and easy to read and I particularly liked the option to explore a website in more detail by clicking on the SEO option. Another option allows you check quickly to see how many links are pointing to a particular result.

Phil Bradley in CILIP Update

Smarter Driver Tips

Drive smoothly. Stop-go driving burns fuel. Watch the cars ahead to avoid sharp acceleration and heavy braking.

Stay in gear. Don't coast downhill or towards lights in neutral as this uses more fuel. Stay in gear and ease off the gas gentlyto reduce fuel flow to the engine to virtually zero.

Watch the revs. Chnage up smoothly and change gear before 2,000 rpm. Drive in the right gear for the speed and road conditions.

Drive off from cold. Modern cars don't need to be warmed up. Switch on and go and you won't be wasting fuel.

Don't idle. Switch off if you are stationary for more than a minute or two. Restarting the egine uses virtually no fuel until you press the accelerator.

Lighten the load. Dump extra weight - take off the roof rack when you are not using it and cllear out the boot.

Plan ahead. Check the route and roadworks before leaving. Stop and ask for directiosn if you are lost. Use satnav if you have it.

Take it easy. Slow down. You'll get to your destination safer and more relaxed. And take the first parking spot you find.

Energy Saving Trust leaflet September 2011