Under the microscope
FORMER champion tennis player and broadcaster Andrew Castle, 60, answers our health quiz
CAN YOU RUN UP THE STAIRS?
HOW dare you! Yes, two or three at a time. I still play tennis regularly so I’m pretty fit. I also lift a few weights at home. I’m a much nicer person when I’ve exercised because it pumps up all those endorphins.
GET YOUR FIVE A DAY?
NOW that our daughters [Georgina, 30, and Claudia, 28] have left home, we’re lazy and often heat up prepared food. I particularly like fish pie with peas: all the pleasure, none of the preparation. But I’m pretty sensible and do get my five a day.
ANY VICES?
CHEESE and chocolate, but only in moderation.
EVER DIETED?
NO. I’M a little over 6 ft 1 in and I’ve weighed 13 st for as long as I can remember. That’s down to exercise.
WORST INJURY
ABOUT a year ago, I walked out of the shower one day and my wife, Sophia, let out a shriek. My left knee had swelled to twice its normal size, although I hadn’t felt any pain. I went to hospital and had a sizeable amount of fluid extracted from my kneecap — the cartilage at the front of the knee had been worn down over the years because of playing so much tennis. It was also discovered that I had only one cruciate ligament in my knee — you should have two. And there aren’t any ligaments in my left ankle, which means I must wear a brace playing tennis to stabilise it.
POP ANY PILLS?
I WAS playing doubles in the seniors at Wimbledon six years ago, while also commentating and doing a bit of corporate speaking — in other words, doing too much. I caught a cold and couldn’t shake it off. I took my blood pressure and it was higher than it should be, so my GP put me on amlodipine, which I still take.
TRIED ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES?
I SPRAY my pillow with essential oil that’s meant to make me sleep better. I’ve no idea if it works.
HAD ANYTHING REMOVED?
YES, my right hip ten years ago. The pain from sheer wear and tear over the years had become so bad, it was waking me up at night. Like Andy Murray, I now have a titanium hip.
ANY FAMILY AILMENTS?
HEART problems. My older brother, David, has what they call a bubbling aorta, a balloon-like bulge in the main artery, and goes for regular ultrasound checks. My mum died, aged 70, from a bleed in her aorta. My dad succumbed to a heart attack at the same age.
ANY PHOBIAS?
I DON’T ever want to be poor again, like we were when I was growing up. I always worried my parents wouldn’t be able to pay the bills.
WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE?
WONDERING how many years I’ve got left.