Optimize Your Health: Medications Plus Healthy Choices

From drugs that help lower blood pressure and those that kill cancer cells to medications that make it easier to live with depression or diabetes: Modern medicine is a powerful thing.

However, too many of us forget about another important medicine. It comes without a prescription. It can supercharge treatment results. And, it’s yours to control.

The research is clear: what you do and the choices you make about your lifestyle can be just as important as what you take. Here are five powerful lifestyle options to explore for common conditions that can help optimize your medication results and potentially minimize the need for medications in the future.

1. For back and joint pain: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This type of talk therapy provided by many counselors is potentially effective for pain management. You might also find extra benefits like improved mood, sleep, and motivation.⁽¹⁾
2. For depression: aerobic exercise. Physical movement like brisk walking, running, or cycling can improve depression symptoms. Some studies even suggest that exercise can have similar outcomes when compared to antidepressant medications. Additional good news: the “side effects” include boosting heart health and losing a few pounds.⁽²⁾
3. For high blood pressure: the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. This diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products while limiting salt and taking in less saturated and total fats. This diet can lower blood pressure by up to 14 points, similar to taking a dose of common blood pressure medications, which reduces the risk and progression of cardiovascular disease.⁽³⁾
4. For high cholesterol: losing a few pounds. It may seem like a daunting requirement, but small changes can make a big difference. Research has shown that a 2% reduction in body weight, approximately, can lower the body’s “bad” cholesterol (LDL) by as much as 7%.⁽⁴⁾
5. For pre-diabetes: The National Diabetes Prevention Program. Ask your doctor about this nationally tested approach that can reduce your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by 58%, potentially preventing or delaying the need for long-term medications and reducing your risks of diabetes complications. The focus is on moderate physical activity and healthy eating that can help you lose 7% of your body weight.⁽⁵⁾

What lifestyle choices could you make to boost your medications and your health? Could you even eliminate one or more drugs over time with the right strategy? A MOBE Pharmacist can look at what you are taking and your health history to make strategic recommendations for you and your providers to consider.

A licensed MOBE Pharmacist can help you minimize risks and make the most of your medications—including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, herbals, and supplements. Get started today.

1. Chou, R. et al. Nonpharmacologic Therapies for Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review for an American College of Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline. Annals of Internal Medicine 2017 166:7, 493-505.

2. Cooney GM, Dwan K, Greig CA, et al. Exercise for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013; :CD004366.

3. National Institutes of Health. DASH ranked best diet overall for eight year in a row by U.S. News and World Report. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/dash-ranked-best-diet-overall-eighth-year-row-us-news-world-report

4. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/management-of-elevated-low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol-ldl-c-in-primary-prevention-of-cardiovascular-disease?search=hyperlipidemia%20treatment%20guidelines&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research behind the national DPP. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/research-behind-ndpp.htm