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Walking Woes and Problem Prescriptions Are 10,000 steps a day the clearest path to good health? Plus; Mature patients aren't getting the right drugs. 
Prescription drugs: It’s not a matter of too much or too little for the elderly, it’s a question of overprescribing versus underprescribing medications that makes the difference, finds a study from the University of California-San Francisco. More than 40 percent of 194 male patients aged 65 or older and taking five or more prescription drugs were taking at least one inappropriate drug. Moreover, they often were missing a drug that could have improved their varied conditions, according to Dr. Michael Steinman, lead study author. Among these patients, 65 percent were taking a drug that was ineffective, not indicated, duplicative of another medication or considered generally wrong for older people. Only 13 percent were taking the right amount and types of drugs. ‘“Physicians need to look at both sides of the equation and be attentive to different kinds of prescribing problems that potentially coexist within the same patient,” Steinman says. The Miracle Walker? Walking for exercise is a big waste of time if you don’t put some hustle in your steps, say University of Alberta researchers.The popularity of 10,000 step a day pedometer programs prompted researchers to compare the health benefits of daily walking with a traditional cardio-based fitness program involving treadmills and stationary bikes, says lead researcher Dr. Vicki Harber, a physical education and recreation professor at the Edmonton, Alberta-based campus. In a six-month study of 128 sedentary men and women, those who exercised at a moderate intensity – defined as the ability to cary on a conversation during activity – experienced greater health benefits, such as better aerobic fitness and lower blood pressure. Those on a 10,000-step program got health benefits but much less than the traditional group. “Our concern is that people might think what matters most is the total number of daily steps accumulated and not pay much attention to the pace or effort invested in taking these s steps,” Harber says. Her prescription: “Across your day, while you are achieving those 10,000 steps, take 200 to 400 of them at a brisker pace.” |
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