Hypertension

Middle-aged people and seniors are far more likely to develop Macular Degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy than those in their youth. It is true that some eye diseases strike the young. These tend to be genetically-based diseases, and they are rare. The incidence of eye diseases in the United States goes up dramatically with age:
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Retinal Vein Occlusion is the blockage of veins that drain blood from the retina in the eye. The eye circulatory system depends on releasing blood back to the heart after it has nourished the retina. When the vein is blocked, hemorrhaging occurs, damaging the retina. It is typically caused by atherosclerosis, a common condition especially in older people that damages the arteries. “Occlusion” means the blockage or closing of a blood vessel.

Symptoms and How Retinal Vein Occlusion Is Diagnosed

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The eyes are not just the mirrors of our souls – they also reflect many of our diseases. Because they are the only place in the body where you can easily see blood vessels and even part of the brain via the optic nerve, they can be used to detect a number of diseases.

A large study of 120,000 people by the insurance company, VSP Vision Care, found that 34% of diabetes patients first found out about their disease from an eye exam. High blood pressure
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Do you have high blood pressure or hypertension? If so, take a look at these foods you should avoid due to their high sodium content. The upper limit of sodium per day is 2300 mg (1 teaspoon). Too much sodium does direct damage to the heart and arteries and raises blood pressure significantly.

Here are common foods that quickly add up sodium in your diet:
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A fruit cup of mixed berries is a powerful snack: deeply colored fruits are filled with flavonoids and other antioxidants that help protect the body from disease. Antioxidants help prevent free-radical damage, which is believed to be responsible for the onset of eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

The colored flavonoids found in berries are called “anthocyanins”. These water-soluble pigments make plants shades of red, purple and blue. Berries also contain flavonoids called “quercetin” and “apigenin”. In the field or in the wild, these flavonoids help protect the plant from pests and insects.

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When you are in your 30’s, your skeletal muscle mass will peak. After that, they will reduce slightly in number and size every year. By the time you are in your 50’s, 15% of muscle mass may be lost, and by your 80’s, as much as 30% of muscle mass may be lost.

Obviously, strength training is crucial to strengthen your muscles and  increase their size. Being strong and fit helps maintain good health and energy, reduces osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, burns calories for weight management, improves sleep, cuts cancer risk, and much more!

Everyone should make exercise a priority throughout their lives. However, up to 75% of older Americans do not get enough exercise.(1)
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Did you over-indulge in too many high-calorie foods over the holidays? Put on a few extra pounds? Two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, and a few extra pounds add up to health risks. However, drinking green tea may help fight body fat and also lower cholesterol levels.

Green tea is lower in caffeine than coffee, so it makes a great coffee substitute. A high intake of caffeine can cause nervousness, dependence, and sleep problems.

A recent, small study on green tea in Japan showed that taking green tea extract was associated with losing body fat and weight. The more green tea extract the study participants took, the bigger the effect. The subjects also had lower LDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure (to counteract hypertension).
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Don’t just take it from us that glaucoma risk increases in those who have diabetes, high blood pressure, and who are overweight.  Researchers publishing in the journal Ophthalmology have found that these conditions, which together are labeled “metabolic syndrome” are all linked to the development of open-angle glaucoma.

A staggering 20% of people in America are said to have metabolic syndrome.  Both metabolic syndrome and glaucoma are associated with aging, so, as the US population gets older, scientists believe that both conditions with become more prevalent.
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Antioxidants have been found to successfully treat yet another medical condition: pre-eclampsia, a condition experienced by 5% of pregnant women that is marked by abnormally high blood pressure.

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, taking a dietary supplement containing an amino acid and antioxidant vitamins significantly reduced pregnant women’s chances of developing pre-eclampsia.