COVID-19 Update July 2022

COVID cases are on the rise again, as are hospitalizations and deaths.  Let's talk about what you need to know.

What is responsible for the current rise in COVID-19 cases?

The latest subvariant of the omicron COVID variant is called BA.5.  It is responsible for 65% of all new COVID infections in the US right now.

Why is BA.5 more concerning than other variants?

• This subvariant is more contagious than the original omicron variant and more contagious than other subvariants that we have seen in the past.
• It is incredibly good at evading our body's immune mechanisms.
• It is infecting people who have had a COVID infection just 3 months ago.
• It is infecting people who have been vaccinated and boosted.
• It is causing more severe disease than some of the other recent variants of the COVID virus, particularly in those individuals who have not been vaccinated and boosted.

Since 7/4/22, 400-525 Americans have died every day from COVID-19 infections, 3,323 COVID deaths in the past week.  This is increased from 200-400 Americans dying every day for the time period between 5/15/22 to 7/3/22.

Is there any good news about BA.5?

There is one bit of good news.  People who have been vaccinated and boosted who are infected by the BA.5 subvariant are usually not getting severely ill.

What can you do to protect yourself?

The best way to protect yourself is to be vaccinated and boosted.

If you are over 50, you should have had a second booster.  If you have not had a booster in the last 6 months, you need to get that as soon as you can. 

For those under 50, the FDA is considering whether a second booster should be given.  They should make that decision soon.

You should also consider wearing a mask in indoor spaces, especially in areas that are crowded, until the case counts start to come down again.

What new vaccines should you know about?

Novavax - The FDA has just authorized the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine and the CDC is expected to formally recommend it within the next few days.  It is a more traditional vaccine.  It works by giving the immune system a small piece of the virus grown in the lab to stimulate the immune response.  Several traditional childhood vaccines have used this technology for years.  This vaccine has been shown to be highly effective in protecting against moderate-to-severe disease.

Omicron variant vaccines - Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax have all been working on COVID vaccines that target the Omicron variant, some even focused on the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.  These vaccines are expected to be available this fall.  These would be considered "boosters" that would give a broader protection, based on the more recent variants, while still boosting your overall protection against COVID-19.

For all the latest information about COVID vaccines, use this link.

Vaccines for COVID-19 | CDC

If you have any questions about COVID-19, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor

Can You Sleep Your Way to Better Heart Health?

Last week, the American Heart Association (AHA) published an update to its list of heart health  essentials, adding sleep to the list.  Sleep is sometimes thought of as a luxury, but it is critical to maintaining good health, including good heart and cardiovascular health.  Poor sleep can start affecting your heart health at a young age, making sleep important throughout your life. 

How much sleep is recommended?

The American Heart Association recommends the following:

·         Adults should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night

·         Teenagers should get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night

·         Children ages 6-12 should get between 9 and 12 hours of sleep

·         Children ages 5 and younger should get 10-16 hours, including naps

Unfortunately, 1 in 3 adults don't get enough sleep.  Teenagers on average, get about 6.5 hours of sleep per night, which is far less than recommended.  And children are often getting only 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

How does sleep affect heart health?

People who do not get adequate sleep are more likely to have health problems.  Some of these health problems increase the risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.  Poor sleep can lead to:

·         High blood pressure - During normal sleep, your blood pressure and heart rate both go down.  When you don't get enough sleep, your blood pressure and heart rate stay higher for a longer period of time, causing more stress on the heart and blood vessels.  Lack of sleep can trigger the production of stress hormones, which can lead to higher blood pressure and heart rate around the clock.

·         Type 2 diabetes - Studies have shown that getting enough sleep may help people improve blood sugar levels.  Lack of sleep can cause higher stress levels, less motivation to be physically active, weight gain, and unhealthy food choices, all of which can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.  These effects can also worsen blood sugar control if you have diabetes.

·         Obesity - Getting less than the recommended amount of sleep triggers production of stress hormones that can lead to unhealthy weight gain.  This is especially true for children and adolescents, who need more sleep than adults. 

·         Poor healing and repair of cells, tissues, and blood vessels - Good sleep improves these processes, which can improve cardiovascular health.

What sleep conditions can worsen heart health?

·         Sleep apnea - This is a condition resulting from your airway getting blocked repeatedly during sleep, which causes you to stop breathing for short amounts of time.  Sleep apnea affects how much oxygen your body gets while you are sleeping.  It increases the risk for many health problems, including high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary hypertension.

·         Insomnia - This refers to trouble falling and/or staying asleep.  It can be short-term or long-lasting.  Chronic insomnia is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.

It's not just lack of sleep that affects heart health.  Both too little and too much sleep are both associated with heart disease.

Studies have shown that people who regularly sleep over 9 hours per night are more likely to have coronary heart disease and have significantly higher death rates than people who sleep 7-8 hours per night.  Researchers have not yet been able to identify the specific reason for this connection.  It may be caused by multiple factors.  Research is ongoing to try to figure out this connection.

I know that life is busy, but sleep is important enough that it should be a priority in your daily routine.  Follow this link for tips on how to get a better night's sleep:

Sleep tips: 6 steps to better sleep - Mayo Clinic

If you have any questions about how sleep affects health, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor

Dementia - Part III

Today, we will wrap up our series on dementia with a discussion of the factors that may increase your risk of developing dementia and things that you can do to try to lower your risk of developing dementia over your lifetime.
Here are some of the factors that may increase your risk of developing dementia:

• Age - The risk of dementia increases as you get older, especially after age 65. But dementia can occur in younger people.
• Family history - Although having a family history of dementia does increase your risk, many people with dementia do not have a family history of it and people with a family history of dementia may never develop dementia.
• Down syndrome - Many people with Down syndrome develop early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
• Diet - People who eat an unhealthy diet have a higher risk of dementia.
• Exercise - Lack of exercise increases the risk of dementia.
• Excessive alcohol use - Increases risk, particularly for early-onset dementia.
• Cardiovascular risk factors - Including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
• Obesity
• Diabetes - Especially if it's poorly controlled.
• Smoking
• Head trauma - Especially severe or multiple head injuries, including multiple concussions.
• Sleep disturbances - Such as sleep apnea or chronic lack of sleep.

What can you do to help prevent dementia?

• Keep your mind active - Mentally stimulating activities, such as reading, solving puzzles, playing word games, and memory training might delay the onset of dementia and decrease its effects.
• Be physically active - Aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise each week.
• Be socially active - Regular social interaction, particularly in-person, may delay the onset of dementia and reduce its symptoms.
• Quit smoking
• Treat chronic medical problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
• Lose weight if you're overweight.
• Maintain a healthy diet - A diet such as the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids, promotes overall health and may lower your risk of developing dementia. This type of diet also improves cardiovascular health, which may help lower dementia risk.
• Get 7-8 hours of good-quality sleep nightly - Practice good sleep hygiene, and talk to your doctor if you snore loudly or have periods where you stop breathing or gasp during sleep.
• Treat hearing problems - People with hearing loss have a greater chance of developing cognitive decline. Early treatment of hearing loss, such as use of hearing aids, might help decrease the risk.

If you have any questions about dementia, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor