AL HEALTH ONS THAT UST ASK..
I’ve got osteoarthritis so I stopped exercising. Was that the wrong thing to do?
Osteoarthritis of the knee affects nearly five million people in the UK. It is caused by the breakdown of cartilage, the body’s built-in shock absorber and is a result of sporting injuries, being overweight or it can simply be part of the ageing process.
While working out can be uncomfortable, experts now say keeping active with gentle exercise – such as playing golf or going for walks – is one of the best ways to combat the pain.
Dr Fraser Birrell, a consultant rheumatologist and spokesman for the charity Versus Arthritis, said: “If you rest for fear of worsening the problem, it can increase the weakness and instability, making it worse.
“It really is a case of use it or lose it.” High blood pressure affects one in five adults and is responsible for half of all heart attacks and strokes. It can be caused by anything from smoking and lack of exercise to an underactive thyroid or kidney disease.
Yet many sufferers are unaware they have a problem – symptoms like headaches, chest pain, breathing difficulties or an irregular heartbeat are quite rare. In fact, according to the Men’s Health Forum, around 15 per cent of men with high blood pressure are not being treated for it. “There are an awful lot of men out there who have high blood pressure and don’t know it,” says Martin Tod.
Cardiologist Professor Martin Cowie, from Imperial College London, added: “High blood pressure does not usually come with any symptoms, but left untreated it can lead to problems for the brain, heart and kidneys.”