WARM UP:

One Joke: 

Remember when plastic surgery was a taboo subject?

Nowadays when you mention Botox nobody even raises an eyebrow. 😆 

One Fact: 

About 7 in 10 American women dye their hair.

One Quote:

“"It's more fun to be a fan than a critic. I'm not looking to spend my life tearing things down, when it can be so satisfying to build things up."

– James Clear

One Guess…Name That Drug: 

• Description:  It’s the most commonly prescribed anti-hypertensive and fourth most commonly prescribed drug in the U.S. overall.

• Indication: Hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, diabetic nephropathy.

• Mechanism of Action:  Works by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system to relax blood vessels.

• Side Effects:  May include headache, dizziness, hypotension, persistent cough, rash, hyperkalemia, angioedema.  Not recommended in pregnancy due to effects on the fetus.

Answer: Click to find out! 

HEALTHCARE HEADLINES:

** If just having a nice smile is not a good enough reason for you to brush at night, new research shows that poor dentition is associated with increased risk of stroke and death.

** CVS plans to overhaul its prescription drug business model, introducing more transparency into its drug pricing starting 2025.  The simplified model will be easier for patients to understand and will align with the “cost-plus” pricing already being scaled by Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Company.

TOGETHER WITH FULTON:

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WATER COOLER WONDERS…the stuff we found interesting this week:

** Record: Have some sibling rivalry going on during game nights at your house?  Imagine the tension if you are playing with the first brother-sister duo to become chess grandmasters!

** Pictures:  It doesn’t get any better than the Time Magazine’s Top 100 Photos of the year! Check them all out here.

FOCUS ON WELLNESS:

As discussed above, poor dentition has been linked to higher rates of stroke and death. Aside from proper hygiene with brushing and flossing regularly, how can avoiding certain foods improve your dental health?

This great review article from healthline goes over the 8 worst food for your teeth:

1. Sour candies.  These sugary foods are high in acids that can stick to your teeth and promote tooth decay.

2. Alcohol.  Alcoholic drinks dry your mouth.  Saliva is necessary to prevent food from sticking to your teeth and it helps wash away food particles.

3. White bread.  The starches in bread are broken down into sugar, which sticks to the crevices of your teeth and leads to damage.

4. Carbonated drinks.  The low pH in many carbonated drinks, especially sodas, produce acid that attacks your tooth enamel.  One old study showed that drinking carbonated soda in large quantities was as bad for your teeth as using crack cocaine!

5. Ice.  Really, ice?!  Yes. Chewing on hard substances damages tooth surfaces and promotes decay.

6. Citrus.  While citrusy foods high in Vitamin C have clear health benefits, the acid can also erode tooth enamel.  Rinsing your mouth after having these foods is always a good idea.

7. Potato chips.  These foods are high in starches that stick to your teeth as they are converted into harmful sugars.

8. Dried fruits.  These sticky foods may leave sugar on the teeth, so rinsing afterwards is helpful.

By the way, what does a dentist call an x-ray?  Tooth pics!

THANKS FOR READING!

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