THE STAR, TUESDAY 21 AUGUST 2018
SENIOR CITIZEN'S DAY
TYPE 2 diabetes is a chronic
condition characterised by high
blood glucose levels due to the
body’s inability to produce or
respond to insulin.
Negligence of proper care and
management of blood glucose
levels for elderly individuals with
type 2 diabetes may lead to higher
mortality rate, reduced functional
capabilities and increased risk of
institutionalisation.
Treating diabetes among the
elderly can present unique
challenges because of the presence
of other disabilities associated with
ageing.
Furthermore, exercising and
adapting to dietary changes may be
more difficult for the elderly.
Heart disease
According to Dr Ahmad Maujad
Ali, cardiology and internal
medicine consultant at Oriental
Melaka Straits Medical Centre,
elderly patients who suffer from
diabetes or prediabetes have an
increased risk of heart disease.
Diabetic heart disease may be
coronary heart disease, heart
failure and diabetic
cardiomyopathy, among many
others.
However, in some elderly
patients, diabetic heart disease
may show no signs or symptoms.
Therefore, a heart health screening
may be beneficial for older
individuals who suffer from type 2
diabetes.
Kidney failure
Kidney damage caused by
diabetes is known as diabetic
nephropathy, says the centre’s
nephrology and internal medicine
consultant Dr Tan Li Ping.
At the early stage, there are
usually no visible signs and
symptoms.
Therefore, elderly patients with
diabetes may not be aware that
Maintain healthy cholesterol and blood glucose levels
AGE is often linked to an increased
risk of developing cardiac and
other metabolic disorders. Before
age 50, men’s total cholesterol
levels tend to be higher than those
of women the same age but after
age 50, the opposite happens.
This is because with menopause,
women’s low-density lipoprotein
(LDL) or “bad” cholesterol levels
often rise. Regular physical activity
and consuming a diet rich in oat
beta-glucans, can go a long way in
staving off the worst of the ageing
process.
Though there are many types of
soluble fibre, only beta-glucans
from oats are most extensively
studied and documented in human
trials.
The Health Ministry shows that
consuming 3g of oat beta-glucans
daily can significantly reduce LDL
and total cholesterol in the
bloodstream, improving stamina,
mental acuity and physical
function.
However, not all oat beta-
glucans are produced equally.
According to the European Food
Safety Authority, it is the increased
viscosity produced by bioactive oat
Addressing complications
of type 2 diabetes
Dr Mohd Hanizam Jaafar.
they are suffering from kidney
disease. If the damage continues,
the kidneys could fail, requiring
dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Digestive problems
According to Dr Mohd Hanizam
Jaafar, gastroenterology and
internal medicine consultant at
Oriental Melaka Straits Medical
Centre, there are numerous ways
diabetes can harm or have ill
effects on the digestive system,
particularly the stomach, intestines
and liver.
Long-standing or poorly
controlled diabetes may lead to
diabetic gastroparesis, where
stomach movement is slower than
normal, leading to vomiting and
Biogrow Oat BG22 provides an effective and natural way to manage cholesterol levels in the body.
beta-glucans in the gut that can
confer cholesterol-lowering and
blood glucose-stabilising benefits.
Therefore, it is imperative for
general consumers to find out
Dr Tan Li Ping.
poor appetite.
In addition, it may cause
bacterial overgrowth, which leads
to chronic diarrhoea. It also
increases the patient’s risk of
developing colon cancer, the
leading cancer in Malaysia.
Besides that, diabetes can
lead to fatty liver. Though
prevalent among elderly patients,
the disease itself usually causes no
symptoms.
If fatty liver is not treated
early, it may develop into other
complications such as chronic liver
disease, liver cirrhosis and
hepatocellular carcinoma.
Treatment for the elderly
Dr Rashidah Yasin, the centre’s
whether their chosen food product
provides a high-quality, clinically
tested form of oat beta-glucans.
As answer to all individuals
concerned with living a healthier
Dr Rashidah Yasin.
respiratory medicine and internal
medicine consultant, says that
elderly patients with type 2
diabetes should undergo regular
blood and urine checks to
ensure their diabetes is under
control.
The physician may prescribe
oral hypoglycaemic agents or
insulin if necessary. Even so, the
damage caused by diabetes may
not be reversible.
Therefore, elderly patients
should control their blood
glucose level while minimising
the impact of diabetes on the
major organs.
n For more information, call
Oriental Melaka Straits Medical
Centre at 06-315 8888.
life in their golden years, Biogrow
Oat BG22 is available as the
premier oat bran powder that
supplies only clinically tested,
bioactive oat beta-glucans.
Dr Ahmad Maujad Ali.
Negligence of
proper care and
management of
blood glucose
levels for elderly
individuals with
type 2 diabetes
may lead to higher
mortality rate and
reduced functional
capabilities.
Sourced from the finest Swedish
oat bran, Biogrow Oat BG22 is
subjected to a sophisticated
processing method that ensures
product integrity while retaining
the highest molecular weight
of beta-glucans for enhanced
viscosity and absorption upon
consumption.
Just two scoops (≈ 18g) of
Biogrow BG22 Oat Bran Powder
daily can provide the 3g of oat
beta-glucans needed to maintain
healthy blood cholesterol and
blood glucose levels.
Biogrow Oat BG22 contains no
added sugar, artificial additives or
preservatives and provides an
effective and natural way of
managing cholesterol levels in the
body.
Bear in mind that maintaining
healthy cholesterol levels is
key to achieving a heart-healthy
lifestyle.
This article is brought to you by
Legosan (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
n For more information, call
03-7956 2220 or e-mail info@
biogrow.com.my
2 Senior Citizen's Day
AS the world’s oldest prime
minister at age 93, Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad is a glowing
testament to the fact that age is
just a number and does not
determine one’s physical or mental
abilities.
However, in a society that has
failed to value the knowledge,
experience and skills of the aged
population, Dr Mahathir is an
exception rather than the norm.
Instead of being treated as assets,
senior citizens are often deemed a
burden to society.
Thus, old people have been
sidelined from the mainstream
society, leading to several adverse
repercussions. For instance, the
loneliness faced by the elderly has
Caring for the elderly
been proven to cause various
illnesses and even early deaths.
To combat this issue, we need
to find ways to actively assimilate
senior citizens to society. One of
the ways this can be done is
through time banking.
The gift of time
Time banking is essentially a
reciprocity system that works
with the concept of providing
services in exchange for time as
the currency.
Services
provided
include
elderly
care,
childcare,
assistance
with
household
chores and companionship.
This idea of service exchange
has been around in different forms
for more than 100 years.
However, the term time banking
was coined when Edgar S. Cahn, a
distinguished American professor
of law, gave the ancient practice a
structure and brought it into the
limelight in 1980.
Although people of all ages
can participate in time banking,
it is a particularly effective
avenue for involving senior
citizens as both provider and
receiver of services.
Introduced in Japan in 1995 as a
form of time banking, Fureai Kippu
is a mutual support network that
allows members of all ages to
provide care for older people
through exchange of time credits.
A report titled Time bank lets
Japan’s seniors swop services for
free - from cleaning to
companionship by Channel
NewsAsia gives an account of
Tatsumi Okabe and how time
banking helps the elderly
population in Japan.
Seventy-eight-year-old Okabe
meets an elderly couple once a
month for lunch, providing them
with valuable companionship
while earning time credits in
return. Okabe can use the time
credits to receive services for
himself.
Besides Japan, this concept has
been successfully implemented in
more than 32 countries to date,
including Norway, South Africa,
New Zealand, South Korea,
Argentina, Taiwan and Greece.
Recreating society
Households in which adult
children live with their elderly
parents are still prevalent in Asian
countries, including Malaysia.
However, with work taking up
For stronger
muscles and bones
AS we age and our body
composition changes, we
experience a decrease in muscle
and bone mass.
Bones provide structural
support to our bodies while
muscles provide the strength
and force to move our bodies.
Therefore, their decline can limit
one’s mobility and increase the
risk of falls.
Keeping muscles and bones
strong in one’s advanced years is
crucial in protecting mobility
and independence.
Protein is an essential nutrient
that helps preserve muscle and
bone strength by stimulating
muscle protein synthesis and
calcium metabolism.
Calcium also serves a vital role
in maintaining bone structure,
providing integrity and density
to our skeleton.
However, supplementation
with calcium alone is not enough
to maintain optimal body
density.
Several studies such as a 2017
study titled The Synergistic
Interplay between Vitamins D and
K for Bone and Cardiovascular
Health: A Narrative Review
published in the International
Journal of Endocrinology have
shown that a combination of
calcium with other nutrients
such as magnesium, vitamin D3
and vitamin K2 significantly
improved bone health.
Magnesium and vitamin D3
facilitate the absorption and
THE STAR, TUESDAY 21 AUGUST 2018
most of their time, it has become
increasingly difficult for these
individuals to provide company or
even basic care to their ageing
parents.
Time banking allows senior
individuals to contribute to society
in their own ways and be cared for
in return, lifting some of the weight
of responsibility off the shoulders
of their loved ones.
As a multiracial and
multicultural country that
promotes peaceful co-existence of
its citizens, Malaysia is in a prime
position to implement a concept
such as time banking towards
building a community that cares
for each other.
With the Government going all
out to transform Malaysia into a
developed nation within the next
decade, this small step would
thrust the country in the right
direction, creating a strong, united
and caring nation.
Biogrow
HPF-5 PLUS
contains a
unique blend
of plant
protein,
digestive fibre,
calcium,
magnesium,
vitamin D3
and vitamin
K2 to help
build a strong
body.
utilisation of calcium while
vitamin K2 helps improve bone
density by effectively depositing
calcium to bones and teeth for
proper storage. Hence, these
nutrients work synergistically
for effective calcium utilisation
and metabolism.
According to the European
Food Safety Authority, vitamin
K2 (menaquinone, MK-7) is a
highly bioavailable form of
vitamin K that helps maintain
healthy bones.
Biogrow HPF-5 PLUS is a new
and improved formula with a
blend of plant protein and
digestive fibre. It is enhanced
with nutrients for bone and
muscle health such as calcium,
magnesium, vitamin D3 and
vitamin K2.
One scoop of Biogrow HPF-5
PLUS (≈ 16g) contains more than
61% plant protein (non-GMO
soy and pea proteins) and all
nine essential amino acids
for protein synthesis. It also
provides digestive fibre, which
regulates bowel movement.
The drink contains no added
sugar, no cholesterol and is
lactose free. It is suitable for all
ages and vegetarians.
This article is brought to you
by Legosan (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
n For more information, call
03-7956 2220 (Monday to Friday,
9am to 5pm) or e-mail info@
biogrow.com.my
THE STAR, TUESDAY 21 AUGUST 2018
For a healthier gut
CONSTIPATION is a health condition where
one’s bowel movement occurs less than two
or three times per week.
According to consultant physician,
geriatrician and healthy ageing specialist
Datuk Dr Rajbans Singh, the biggest group of
people suffering from constipation are older
individuals.
Besides ageing, having insufficient fibre in
one’s diet, not drinking enough water,
immobility and physical inactivity can
contribute to constipation.
Taking multiple medications may also
affect bowel movements. For example,
antibiotics can destroy good gut bacteria and
contribute to inflammation of the bowel.
“Elderly people are prone to taking
laxatives, which can lead to lazy bowel
syndrome. Chronic use of laxatives causes
excessive bowel contractions that make the
intestinal muscles become tired and
sluggish,” says Dr Rajbans.
“Constipation is a lifestyle disorder that is
highly preventable through lifestyle
changes. Simple things such as exercising
and eating the right diet with plenty of
water, dietary
fibre and
probiotics
Dr Rajbans
Singh.
Senior Citizen's Day 3
Elderly people are prone
to taking laxatives, which
can lead to lazy bowel
syndrome. Chronic use of
laxatives causes excessive
bowel contractions that
make the intestinal
muscles become tired and
sluggish.
Datuk Dr Rajbans Singh
can make a big difference in life.”
Biogrow ProGut is made from all-natural
Swedish oat fibre formulated with dual
action from the Oat BG22 fibre powder and
Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 probiotic strain
from Denmark.
One sachet daily provides a synergistic
effect for improved intestinal function and a
balanced gut microbiota.
To consume, mix one sachet (≈ 7g) with a
glass of cold water or fruit juice. One or two
sachets a day after meal is recommended.
Each sachet contains 2.4g soluble and
insoluble fibre and one billion colony-
forming units (CFU) of live probiotic
cultures.
This article is brought to you by Legosan
(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
n For more information, call 03-7956 2220
(9am to 5pm) or e-mail info@biogrow.com.
my
4 Senior Citizen's Day
Stay healthy with physical activity
DID you know that moderate
physical activity can keep us
healthier for longer? Many
studies have shown that
moderate-intensity physical
activity is important to improve
cardiovascular conditions and
reduce the risk of developing
high blood pressure,
diabetes, obesity and
osteoporosis.
A recommended form
of moderate physical
activity is to brisk
walk for 30 minutes a
day or take 10,000
steps daily.
Whether you
choose to do it
outdoors or on a
treadmill, anybody can
do it on any given day,
and it does not require
special skills. The
amount of exercise you
need depends on the
duration, intensity and
frequency of your
exercise.
The key to safe
and effective
exercise
for senior citizens is moderation.
In conjunction with Fitness
Concept’s 35th Anniversary
Salebration this month, Fitness
Concept is offering discounts up to
60%, instant rebates and free gifts
with purchase from a wide variety
of branded home fitness
equipment and accessories to keep
you and your family active and
healthy.
For active seniors who enjoy
walking or jogging, the
Nordictrack C7 treadmill
is a suitable option
as it has 20 workout programs and
FlexSelect cushioning for better
joint impact absorption.
With the NordicTrack C7
treadmill being from the United
States’ No.1 fitness brand, the
active senior can exercise in the
comfort and convenience of her
own home to achieve her fitness
goals.
The treadmill allows the user to
keep cool with its Autobreeze
Workout Fan and make quick
adjustments to the speed and
incline with the easy-to-use digital
controls. For storage or to save
space, this treadmill can be easily
folded up when not in use.
For seniors with knee pain, the
NordicTrack VR21 recumbent bike
may be a preferred choice as it
offers low-impact exercise with
extra back support for a longer and
more comfortable ride. Choose
from different resistance levels and
workout programs to get active on
the recumbent bike.
For most senior citizens,
comfortable seating is very
important as they want to feel
relaxed while cycling. The DLITEZ
2.0 dual-action bike has a deluxe
comfort seat with vertical and
horizontal adjustability so that
every individual can find his
optimum seat position during
workouts.
The DLITEZ also has hand-grip
heart rate sensors built into the
bike’s handlebars that let the user
stay in the right active zone for
maximum performance.
This bike is a great choice for
low-impact workouts that provide
high levels of aerobic and
cardiovascular exercises targeting
the upper body, lower body or both
simultaneously to burn more
calories in less time.
With the many health benefits
that exercise brings us, there
THE STAR, TUESDAY 21 AUGUST 2018
The amount of
exercise you need
depends on the
duration, intensity
and frequency of
your exercise. The
key to safe and
effective exercise
for senior citizens is
moderation.
should be no excuse for not
exercising. As the saying goes,
“health is wealth”, and we are
never too old or too young to
start exercising.
Established in 1983, Fitness
Concept is a top home fitness
equipment retailer and is certified
by The Malaysia Book of Records as
the country’s largest fitness
specialist chain with 45 outlets in
leading shopping malls nationwide.
Visit your nearest Fitness Concept
store with your family to try out a
wide range of fitness products.
n For more information, call
03-7726 7787 (IPC Shopping Centre
store)/03-2282 3200 (Mid Valley
Megamall store), e-mail enquiries@
fitnessconcept.com.my or visit
www.fitnessconcept.com.my